bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Dryland state transitions alter trophic interactions in a predator–prey system
Authors: Wagnon Casey J. , Bestelmeyer Brandon T. , Schooley Robert L. 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Environmental change is expected to alter trophic interactions and food web dynamics with consequences for ecosystem structure, function and stability. However, the mechanisms by which environmental change influences top‐down and bottom‐up processes are poorly documented.

Here, we examined how environmental change caused by shrub encroachment affects trophic interactions in a dryland. The predator–prey system included an apex canid predator (coyote; Canis latrans), an intermediate canid predator (kit fox; Vulpes macrotis), and two herbivorous lagomorph prey (black‐tailed jackrabbit, Lepus californicus; and desert cottontail, Sylvilagus audubonii) in the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico, USA.

We evaluated alternative hypotheses for how shrub encroachment could affect habitat use and trophic interactions, including (i) modifying bottom‐up processes by reducing herbaceous forage, (ii) modifying top‐down processes by changing canid space use or the landscape of fear experienced by lagomorph prey and (iii) altering intraguild interactions between the dominant coyote and the intermediate kit fox. We used 7 years of camera trap data collected across grassland‐to‐shrubland gradients under variable precipitation to test our a priori hypotheses within a structural equation modelling framework.

Lagomorph prey responded strongly to bottom‐up pulses during years of high summer precipitation, but only at sites with moderate to high shrub cover. This outcome is inconsistent with the hypothesis that bottom‐up effects should be strongest in grasslands because of greater herbaceous food resources. Instead, this interaction likely reflects changes in the landscape of fear because perceived predation risk in lagomorphs is reduced in shrub‐dominated habitats. Shrub encroachment did not directly affect predation pressure on lagomorphs by changing canid site use intensity. However, site use intensity of both canid species was positively associated with jackrabbits, indicating additional bottom‐up effects. Finally, we detected interactions between predators in which coyotes restricted space use of kit foxes, but these intraguild interactions also depended on shrub encroachment.

Our findings demonstrate how environmental change can affect trophic interactions beyond traditional top‐down and bottom‐up processes by altering perceived predation risk in prey. These results have implications for understanding spatial patterns of herbivory and the feedbacks that reinforce shrubland states in drylands worldwide.
Pupil referral units (PRUs) and alternative education provision; a think piece on making a case for parental choice for children with SEND
Authors: Enow Linda O. , Kapcia Sophia 
Published: October 2024

AbstractParental choice remains a central theme in education policy in England. Parents have the right to choose how their children are educated. For some families this choice is surrendered, with volition and intention, to their local authority which allocates school places after parents, statutory guardians and families have made their decisions. Where applicable, after parents have selected mainstream education for children with SEND, their child might be evaluated, and a recommendation made for their child to undergo a managed move; typically to join a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) or Alternative Provision (AP). In this think piece, we advocate for PRUs and APs to sit alongside mainstream and special education schools to offer a more balanced first choice for parents. This means PRUs and APs are not ‘othered’ in this choice offer for parents. There are academic, psycho‐social, emotional, well‐being and self‐affirming complexities which could, and quite frankly, tend to result in the pupils and students accessing settings such as these which appear to be othered in this way.
Post‐legalization shifts in cannabis use among young adults in Georgia—A nationally representative study
Authors: Nadareishvili Ilia , Rao Sowmya R. , Otiashvili David , Gnatienko Natalia , Samet Jeffrey H. , Lunze Karsten , Kirtadze Irma 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBackground and aimIn 2018, the country of Georgia legalized cannabis for recreational use and decriminalized limited possession. This study aimed to assess whether cannabis use increased among young adults (ages 18–29 years) in Georgia after national policy changes and to evaluate whether perceived access became easier after legalization and current risk factors of young adult cannabis use.MethodsWe used data from the Georgian nationally representative survey administered in 2015 (n = 1308) and 2022 (n = 758), before and after decriminalization. We performed appropriate bivariate analyses and multivariable linear and logistic regressions to assess the following: legalization's impact on cannabis use; perceived difficulty to obtain cannabis; age of first use; differences in use between females and males; and factors associated with current use.FindingsAmong young adults lifetime prevalence of cannabis use was similar in 2015 (17.3%) and 2022 (18.1%) [Odds Ratio (95% confidence interval) = 1.1 [0.7, 1.6], P = 0.726). Annual prevalence (7% in 2015 vs 7.7% in 2022) was also similar (1.1 [0.7, 2.0], P = 0.650). In 2022 it was less difficult to obtain cannabis than in 2015 (0.5 [0.4, 0.8], P = 0.021). The age of first use increased statistically significantly (18.1 years in 2015 vs 19.1 in 2022, P = 0.003).In 2022, annual prevalence of use was lower among females (1.9% vs 13.1%; OR = 0.1 [0.0, 0.3], P < 0.0001) and higher among those who gambled (11.7% vs 4.4%; OR = 3.2 [1.5, 6.8], P < 0.003). Males initiated cannabis use at an earlier age (19.1 years vs 20.6 for females, P = 0.03), and could obtain cannabis easier than females (P < 0.0001).ConclusionThere was a minimal shift of cannabis use in young adults following implementation of recreational cannabis use legalization in Georgia. Males and people who gambled were at higher risk of cannabis use.
Drug overdose deaths among homeless veterans in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system
Authors: Tsai Jack , Szymkowiak Dorota , Beydoun Hind A. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractBackground and AimsWith an epidemic of drug overdoses, contemporary research is needed to examine drug overdose deaths among homeless populations. This study measured rates, types and correlates of drug overdose deaths occurring over a 5‐year study period among veterans experiencing homelessness (VEH) and non‐homeless veterans (NHV) in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingUSA.ParticipantsA total of 6 128 921 veterans. We followed 399 125 VEH and 5 729 796 NHV between 2017 and 2021 using linked administrative VA and National Death Index data.MeasurementsMultivariable Cox regression models were constructed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for homelessness as a predictor of time‐to‐occurrence of overdose deaths with 95% confidence interval (CIs), sequentially controlling for demographic, medical, substance use and mental health characteristics.FindingsAmong overdose deaths, 8653 [93.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 93.2–94.2%] were unintentional and 5378 (57.8%, 95% CI = 56.8–58.8%) involved opioids. The overdose‐specific mortality rate (per 100 000 person‐years) was 227.3 among VEH and 23.2 among NHV (HR = 9.76, 95% CI = 9.36, 10.16), with rates 7–14 times higher among VEH than NHV, depending on the drug involved. In fully adjusted models, homelessness was associated with greater risk of drug overdose death (HR = 3.33, 95% CI = 3.18, 3.49), with the greatest risk involving psychostimulants (HR = 4.19), followed by antiepileptic/sedative/hypnotic drugs (HR = 3.69), synthetic opioids (HR = 3.50) and natural and semi‐synthetic opioids (HR = 2.79).ConclusionsUS veterans experiencing homelessness appear to have three times the risk for drug overdose deaths than non‐homeless veterans. There may be specific risks associated with psychostimulant, antiepileptic, sedative and hypnotic drugs in this population that deserve greater attention.
Epithelial barrier dysfunction and associated diseases in companion animals: Differences and similarities between humans and animals and research needs
Authors: Ardicli Sena , Ardicli Ozge , Yazici Duygu , Pat Yagiz , Babayev Huseyn , Xiong Peng , Zeyneloglu Can , Garcia‐Sanchez Asuncion , Shi Li‐Li , Viscardi Oliva Giannelli , Skolnick Stephen , Ogulur Ismail , Dhir Raja , Jutel Marek , Agache Ioana , Janda Jozef , Pali‐Schöll Isabella , Nadeau Kari C. , Akdis Mubeccel , Akdis Cezmi A. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractSince the 1960s, more than 350,000 new chemicals have been introduced into the lives of humans and domestic animals. Many of them have become part of modern life and some are affecting nature as pollutants. Yet, our comprehension of their potential health risks for both humans and animals remains partial. The “epithelial barrier theory” suggests that genetic predisposition and exposure to diverse factors damaging the epithelial barriers contribute to the emergence of allergic and autoimmune conditions. Impaired epithelial barriers, microbial dysbiosis, and tissue inflammation have been observed in a high number of mucosal inflammatory, autoimmune and neuropsychiatric diseases, many of which showed increased prevalence in the last decades. Pets, especially cats and dogs, share living spaces with humans and are exposed to household cleaners, personal care products, air pollutants, and microplastics. The utilisation of cosmetic products and food additives for pets is on the rise, unfortunately, accompanied by less rigorous safety regulations than those governing human products. In this review, we explore the implications of disruptions in epithelial barriers on the well‐being of companion animals, drawing comparisons with humans, and endeavour to elucidate the spectrum of diseases that afflict them. In addition, future research areas with the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental well‐being are highlighted in line with the “One Health” concept.
Effects of cage type and the light–dark cycle on the behavior of hens subjected to forced molting
Authors: Onbaşılar Esin Ebru , Erdem Evren 
Published: October 2024

AbstractIn this study, the effects of cage type and the light–dark cycle on the behavior of hens before, during, and after forced molting were determined. For this purpose, 73‐week‐old hens were placed in the two different cage types used in the experiment. The barley method was used to induce molting at 75 weeks of age. The molting period lasted 35 days in total. The frequencies of walking, feeding, comforting, and preening behaviors were affected by the forced molting period. The addition of enrichment materials to the cage did not cause any changes in hen behavior. The light–dark cycle was important for the frequency of all examined behaviors except fighting behavior. No interaction was found among forced molting period, cage type, and light–dark cycle regarding behaviors. It is thought that there is a decrease in welfare‐related behaviors at the end of the laying period and this decrease does not increase with forced molting using barley; on the contrary, appropriate forced molting applied to hens during this period will increase welfare. It was observed that cage type did not cause a significant difference in hen behavior during the forced molting period.
Llanimation: Llama Driven Gesture Animation
Authors: Windle J. , Matthews I. , Taylor S. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractCo‐speech gesturing is an important modality in conversation, providing context and social cues. In character animation, appropriate and synchronised gestures add realism, and can make interactive agents more engaging. Historically, methods for automatically generating gestures were predominantly audio‐driven, exploiting the prosodic and speech‐related content that is encoded in the audio signal. In this paper we instead experiment with using Large‐Language Model (LLM) features for gesture generation that are extracted from text using Llama2. We compare against audio features, and explore combining the two modalities in both objective tests and a user study. Surprisingly, our results show that Llama2 features on their own perform significantly better than audio features and that including both modalities yields no significant difference to using Llama2 features in isolation. We demonstrate that the Llama2 based model can generate both beat and semantic gestures without any audio input, suggesting LLMs can provide rich encodings that are well suited for gesture generation.
ADAPT: AI‐Driven Artefact Purging Technique for IMU Based Motion Capture
Authors: Schreiner P. , Netterstrøm R. , Yin H. , Darkner S. , Erleben K. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractWhile IMU based motion capture offers a cost‐effective alternative to premium camera‐based systems, it often falls short in matching the latter's realism. Common distortions, such as self‐penetrating body parts, foot skating, and floating, limit the usability of these systems, particularly for high‐end users. To address this, we employed reinforcement learning to train an AI agent that mimics erroneous sample motion. Since our agent operates within a simulated environment, it inherently avoids generating these distortions since it must adhere to the laws of physics. Impressively, the agent manages to mimic the sample motions while preserving their distinctive characteristics. We assessed our method's efficacy across various types of input data, showcasing an ideal blend of artefact‐laden IMU‐based data with high‐grade optical motion capture data. Furthermore, we compared the configuration of observation and action spaces with other implementations, pinpointing the most suitable configuration for our purposes. All our models underwent rigorous evaluation using a spectrum of quantitative metrics complemented by a qualitative review. These evaluations were performed using a benchmark dataset of IMU‐based motion data from actors not included in the training data.
Role of low‐impact‐factor journals in conservation implementation
Authors: Choi Jonathan J. , Gaskins Leo C. , Morton Joseph P. , Bingham Julia A. , Blawas Ashley M. , Hayes Christine , Hoyt Carmen , Halpin Patrick N. , Silliman Brian 
Published: October 2024

AbstractAcademic review, promotion, and tenure processes place a premium on frequent publication in high‐impact factor (IF) journals. However, conservation often relies on species‐specific information that is unlikely to have the broad appeal needed for high‐IF journals. Instead, this information is often distributed in low‐IF, taxa‐ and region‐specific journals. This suggests a potential mismatch between the incentives for academic researchers and the scientific needs of conservation implementation. To explore this mismatch, we looked at federal implementation of the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA), which requires the use of the “best available science” to list a species as endangered or threatened and thus receive powerful legal protections. In assessing the relationship between academic sources of this “best available science” and ESA implementation, we looked at the 13,292 sources (e.g., academic journals, books, reports, regulations, personal communications, etc.) cited by the second Obama administration (2012–2016) across all ESA listings. We compared the IFs of all 785 journals that published peer‐reviewed papers cited in these listings against their citation frequency in ESA listings to determine whether a journal's IF varied in proportion with its contribution to federal conservation. Most of the peer‐reviewed academic articles referenced in ESA listings came from low‐IF or no‐IF journals that tended to focus on specific taxa or regions. Although we support continued attention to cutting‐edge, multidisciplinary science for its ability to chart new pathways and paradigms, our findings stress the need to value and fund the taxa‐ and region‐specific science that underpins actionable conservation laws.
Challenges in assessing the effects of environmental governance systems on conservation outcomes
Authors: Ayambire Raphael A. , Rytwinski Trina , Taylor Jessica J. , Luizza Matthew W. , Muir Matthew J. , Cadet Cynthia , Armitage Derek , Bennett Nathan J. , Brooks Jeremy , Cheng Samantha H. , Martinez Jenny , Nagendran Meenakshi , Öckerman Siri , Rivera Shannon N. , Savage Anne , Wilkie David S. , Cooke Steven J. , Bennett Joseph R. 
Published: October 2024

AbstractEffective governance is crucial for the success of conservation projects aimed at protecting wildlife populations and supporting human well‐being. However, few large‐scale, comprehensive syntheses have been conducted on the effects of different environmental governance types on conservation outcomes (i.e., biological and ecological effectiveness or effects of conservation on human well‐being), and clarity on the quantity and quality of evidence remains dispersed and ambiguous. We attempted a systematic map of the evidence on the effectiveness of different governance types to meet desired conservation outcomes in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. However, early in this effort, we observed a general lack of empirical research on the links between governance and conservation outcomes. To fill observed data gaps in the evidence base, we tried triangulating governance data from alternative sources (Protected Planet database) and pooling evidence from research conducted within the same conservation areas. Limited data were contained in the Protected Planet database, and governance types in conservation areas and landscapes were complex, making it difficult to use these approaches to assign governance types to conservation areas. To illustrate our observations from the failed systematic map attempt, we prepared a rapid evidence map that outlines a subset of the evidence base of articles linking governance types and governance principles with conservation outcomes. Only 3.2% (34 of 1067) of the articles we screened directly related conservation outcomes to governance type, and even fewer related governance principles to conservation outcomes. Based on our findings, we recommend improving the evidence base by supporting empirical research and increasing the availability and quality of governance data in freely accessible databases. These recommendations are critical for enhancing understanding of the role of governance in conservation projects and improving conservation outcomes.
Conservation priorities for functionally unique and specialized terrestrial vertebrates threatened by biological invasions
Authors: Marino Clara , Soares Filipa Coutinho , Bellard Céline 
Published: October 2024

AbstractInvasive non‐native species (INS) continue to pose a significant threat to biodiversity, including native population declines, which can ultimately disrupt ecosystem processes. Although there is growing evidence of the impacts of INS on functional diversity, most of the existing approaches to prioritization of species for conservation still focus on taxonomic diversity, neglecting the ecological role of species. We developed the functionally unique, specialized, and endangered by invasive non‐native species (FUSE INS) score to fill this gap by combining functional irreplaceability (i.e., uniqueness and specialization) of species with their extinction risk due to INS. We calculated this score for 3642 terrestrial vertebrates exposed to INS by assessing how INS affected them based on the IUCN Red List and by evaluating their specialization and uniqueness in a multidimensional functional space. Thirty‐eight percent of native species were both at high extinction risk because of INS and functionally unique and specialized, making them priority species for INS impact mitigation. Priority species of amphibians concentrated in Central America and Madagascar and of lizards in the Caribbean islands, northern Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Priority bird and mammal species were more widespread (birds, mostly in coastal areas, on Pacific islands, and in northern India and New Zealand; mammals, in southwestern Europe, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and eastern Australia). Seventy‐eight species were also highly irreplaceable but not yet threatened by INS, suggesting that preventive conservation measures may help protect these species. For the 50 birds of the highest priority, 64% required conservation actions to mitigate the INS threat. The FUSE INS score can be used to help prioritize indigenous species representing large amounts of functional diversity. Incorporating functional diversity into the conservation prioritization of species and associated areas is key to accurately reducing and mitigating the impacts of INS on native biodiversity.
Improving the application of Important Plant Areas to conserve threatened habitats: A case study of Uganda
Authors: Richards Sophie L. , Kalema James , Ojelel Samuel , Williams Jenny , Darbyshire Iain 
Published: October 2024

AbstractImportant Plant Areas (IPAs) are a successful method of identifying priority areas for plant conservation. Assessment of IPAs, however, often relies on criteria related to species, while incorporation of habitats has been less consistent. Using Uganda as a case study, we test the application of the threatened habitat criterion—criterion C. We identified nationally threatened habitats using Red List of Ecosystems criteria and assess, for the first time, how differing application of thresholds under IPA criterion C can influence IPA network outcomes. Eleven threatened habitats were identified, with declines switching from predominantly forest to savanna types after the mid‐20th century. Significantly, we found current IPA guidance on use of criterion C needlessly limits the number of sites that qualify as IPAs. The “five best sites” IPA threshold is reserved for countries where quantitative data is unavailable; however, the application of the relevant percentage‐based thresholds to quantitative data largely generated fewer than five IPAs, comparably limiting conservation opportunities identified. We recommend, therefore, that the “five best” threshold is available for application on both qualitative and quantitative data. This will bolster the value of IPAs in conserving and restoring threatened and ecologically important habitats under the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.