bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Landscape structure and farming management interacts to modulate pollination supply and crop production in blueberries
Authors: Ramírez‐Mejía Andrés F. , Blendinger Pedro G. , Woodcock Ben A. , Schmucki Reto , Escobar Lorena , Morton Richard Daniel , Vieli Lorena , Nunes‐Silva Patrícia , Lomáscolo Silvia B. , Morales Carolina Laura , Murúa Maureen , Agostini Kayna , Chacoff Natacha P. 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Pollination services are affected by landscape context, farming management and pollinator community structure, all of which impact flower visitation rates, pollen deposition and final production. We studied these processes in Argentina for highbush blueberry crops, which depend on pollinators to produce marketable yields.

We studied how land cover and honeybee stocking influence the abundance of wild and managed pollinators in blueberry crops, using structural equation modelling to disentangle the cascading effects through which pollinators contribute to blueberry fruit number, size, nutritional content and overall yield.

All pollinator functional groups responded to landscape changes at a spatial scale under 1000 m, and the significance or direction of the effects were modulated by the field‐level deployment of honeybee hives.

Fruit diameter increased with pollen deposited, but decreased with honeybee abundance, which, had indirect effects on fruit acidity. Honeybees had a positive effect on the number of fruit produced by the plants and also benefited the overall yield (kg plant−1) through independent effects on both the quality and quantity components of fruit production.

Synthesis and applications. Deployment of beehives in blueberry fields can buffer, but not compensate for the negative effects on honeybee abundance produced by surrounding large scale none‐flowering crops. Such compensation would require high‐quality beehives by monitoring their health and strength. The contribution of honeybees to crop production is not equal across production metrics. That is, higher abundance of honeybees increases the number of berries produced but at the cost of smaller and more acidic fruits, potentially reducing their market value. Growers must consider this trade‐off between fruit quantity and quality when actively managing honeybee abundance.
Habitat fragmentation affects climate adaptation in a forest herb
Authors: Van Daele Frederik , Honnay Olivier , Janssens Steven , De Kort Hanne 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Climate change and the resulting increased drought frequencies pose considerable threats to forest herb populations, particularly where additional environmental challenges jeopardize responses to selection. Specifically, habitat fragmentation may hamper climate adaptation by altering the distribution of adaptive genetic variation and may also induce evolutionary changes in mating systems.

To assess how habitat fragmentation disrupts climate adaptation, we conducted a common garden experiment with Primula elatior offspring originating from 24 populations sampled along a latitudinal gradient with varying climate and landscape characteristics. We then quantified a range of vegetative, regulatory and reproductive traits under distinct soil moisture regimes to evaluate imprints of local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. Additionally, we conducted a more extensive field campaign in 60 populations along the same latitudinal gradient to evaluate the potential evolutionary breakdown of reciprocal herkogamy.

For large, connected populations, our results demonstrated an evolutionary shift from a strategy in southern populations that seems aligned with drought avoidance—where plants minimize their exposure to dry conditions and optimize photosynthesis—to a drought tolerance strategy in northern populations, where plants are adapted to function despite water scarcity. However, habitat fragmentation disrupted climate clines and the adaptive responses to drought stress in key traits related to growth, biomass allocation and water regulation. Additionally, our findings indicate the onset of evolutionary breakdown in reciprocal herkogamy and divergence in other key flower traits. The disruption of climate clines, drought responses and adaptations in mating systems contributed to a substantially diminished flowering investment across the distribution range, with the most pronounced effects observed in southern fragmented populations.

Synthesis. We present novel empirical evidence of how habitat fragmentation disrupts climate adaptation and drought tolerance in a wide range of traits along the range of the forest herb Primula elatior. These findings emphasize the need to account for habitat fragmentation while designing effective conservation strategies in order to preserve and restore resilient meta‐populations of forest herbs amidst ongoing global changes.
Evidence for antagonistic effects of climate change and exotic pathogens on regeneration of Mediterranean forests
Authors: Homet Pablo , Matías Luis , Godoy Oscar , Gómez‐Aparicio Lorena 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

Understanding the interactive effects of global change drivers on tree demography is fundamental for realistic predictions of future forest dynamics. Multiple studies have shown increasing drought and exotic pathogens to severely threaten forest persistence by increasing mortality and decreasing growth of adult trees. However, much less is known about their effects on regeneration, and how they might affect seedling performance in additive and non‐additive (synergistic or antagonistic) ways.

Here we aimed to fill this gap by experimentally exploring the effects of increasing drought and soil‐borne pathogens on tree regeneration in two types of mixed oak forests (Quercus suber‐Q. canariensis and Q. suber‐Olea europaea) invaded by the exotic soil‐borne oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi, one of the most aggressive plant pathogens on earth. We conducted a seed sowing experiment with oomycete‐specific fungicide taking advantage of rainfall exclusion infrastructures that excluded 30% of the annual rainfall, simulating predictions of climate change models for Mediterranean systems. Seedling emergence, survival and growth of the three tree species were followed during 3 years.

We found that neutral or positive drought effects on regeneration dominated over negative effects in the tree community. Moreover, most positive drought effects on the dominant species (Q. suber) were not direct, but indirectly mediated by soil‐borne pathogens. This was shown by the fact that positive drought effects disappeared with fungicide application.

Synthesis: Overall, our results suggest that rainfall reductions predicted by climate change models for the Mediterranean region might have minor direct negative effects on early regeneration of tree species, but could play a major indirect role by limiting the negative effects of exotic pathogens on highly susceptible tree species. These findings highlight that antagonisms among global change drivers should be recognized as important forces that might slow down the current loss of tree health.
Divergent selection in a Mediterranean pine on local spatial scales
Authors: Budde Katharina B. , Rellstab Christian , Heuertz Myriam , Gugerli Felix , Hanika Tom , Verdú Miguel , Pausas Juli G. , González‐Martínez Santiago C. 
Published: November 2023

Abstract

The effects of selection on an organism's genome are hard to detect on small spatial scales, as gene flow can swamp signatures of local adaptation. Therefore, most genome scans to detect signatures of environmental selection are performed on large spatial scales; however, divergent selection on the local scale (e.g. between contrasting soil conditions) has also been demonstrated, in particular for herbaceous plants.

Here, we hypothesised that in topographically complex landscapes, microenvironment variability is strong enough to leave a selective footprint in the genomes of long‐lived organisms. To test this, we investigated paired south‐ versus north‐facing Pinus pinaster stands on the local scale, with trees growing in close vicinity (≤820 m distance between paired south‐ and north‐facing stands), in a Mediterranean mountain area. While trees on north‐facing slopes experience less radiation, trees on south‐facing slopes suffer from especially harsh conditions, particularly during the dry summer season.

Two outlier analyses consistently revealed five putatively adaptive loci (out of 4034), in candidate genes two of which encoded non‐synonymous substitutions. Additionally, one locus showed consistent allele frequency differences in all three stand pairs indicating divergent selection despite high gene flow on the local scale. Permutation tests demonstrated that our findings were robust.

Functional annotation of these candidate genes revealed biological functions related to abiotic stress response, such as water availability, in other plant species.

Synthesis. Our study highlights how divergent selection in heterogeneous microenvironments shapes and maintains the functional genetic variation within populations of long‐lived forest tree species, being the first to focus on adaptive genetic divergence between south‐ and north‐facing slopes within continuous forest stands. This is especially relevant in the current context of climate change, as this variation is at the base of plant population responses to future climate.
Do Institutional Investors Care About Operational Leanness?
Authors: Neukirchen Daniel , Köchling Gerrit , Posch Peter N. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractWe investigate the relationship between operational leanness and institutional ownership. Based on a sample of 12,291 firm‐year observations of US manufacturing firms from 1998 to 2020, we find leaner firms to attract significantly more institutional investors – both in terms of the fraction of shares held and the number of institutional investors holding shares of the firm. This finding holds in several tests addressing endogeneity concerns. Contrary to studies investigating the relationship between operational leanness and operating performance or credit ratings, our results do not provide consistent evidence that this relationship is also of a concave shape. However, we provide evidence that the relationship is stronger (i) for firms with weak corporate governance and high firm‐specific monitoring costs and (ii) for active institutions, suggesting that not only firm performance considerations but also perceived lower agency costs are important mechanisms explaining why institutional investors prefer lean manufacturing firms. Taken together, these findings contribute to our understanding of institutional investors’ preferences in general and across institution types.
Examining factors influencing teachers' intentions in implementing inclusive practices in Hong Kong classrooms
Authors: Chow Wing Sze Emily 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis study investigated teachers' intentions to adopt inclusive teaching practices along with factors affecting teachers' intentions to implement inclusive practices. According to the theory of planned behaviour, an individual's intention can be predicted by their attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. Using convenience and snowball sampling, 1110 Hong Kong primary and secondary teachers were recruited to complete a 5‐part questionnaire for the study. The results show that teachers' intentions were moderate – that is, teachers were somewhat likely to adopt inclusive teaching practices for students with disabilities. Teachers' attitudes (beliefs and feelings), perceived support needs related to expert guidance and teacher self‐efficacy (in inclusive instructions, managing behaviour and collaboration) significantly influenced their intentions to use inclusive classroom practices for students with disabilities. The findings of this study provide clear implications to policymakers and teacher‐education providers to address teachers' needs and promote the practices of inclusive education.
Do parties matter for policy accumulation? An analysis of social policy portfolios in 22 countries
Authors: FERNÁNDEZ‐I‐MARÍN XAVIER , KNILL CHRISTOPH , STEINEBACH YVES 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis article analyses the role of political parties in policy accumulation. We study this relationship in the area of social policy. Our analysis builds on a large data set covering the size of policy portfolios (policy targets and instruments) in three subfields of social policy for 22 OECD countries over 30 years. We find that the probability of social policy accumulation is not affected by the government's ideological position. Left governments do not produce more extensive social policy portfolios than right ones. Yet, this striking result does not contradict governments’ political ideologies, as left and right parties accumulate for different reasons. While left parties address new social policy targets to broaden the scope of the welfare state, right parties adopt new policy instruments to condition social benefits. These findings hold regardless of how we measure governments’ ideological position and despite strong endogenous policy growth dynamics, that is, countries with greater policy portfolios also display higher levels of policy accumulation. Our findings indicate that party political considerations can explain the reasons for but not the level of policy accumulation. Changes in government are thus unlikely to stall or slow down the constant accumulation of public policies.
Odorant receptor orthologues from moths display conserved responses to cis‐jasmone
Authors: Hou Xiao‐Qing , Jia Zhongqiang , Zhang Dan‐Dan , Wang Guirong 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn insects, the odorant receptor (OR) multigene family evolves by the birth‐and‐death evolutionary model, according to which the OR repertoire of each species has undergone specific gene gains and losses depending on their chemical environment, resulting in taxon‐specific OR lineage radiations with different sizes in the phylogenetic trees. Despite the general divergence in the gene family across different insect orders, the ORs in moths seem to be genetically conserved across species, clustered into 23 major clades containing multiple orthologous groups with single‐copy gene from each species. We hypothesized that ORs in these orthologous groups are tuned to ecologically important compounds and functionally conserved. cis‐Jasmone is one of the compounds that not only primes the plant defense of neighboring receiver plants, but also functions as a behavior regulator to various insects. To test our hypothesis, using Xenopus oocyte recordings, we functionally assayed the orthologues of BmorOR56, which has been characterized as a specific receptor for cis‐jasmone. Our results showed highly conserved response specificity of the BmorOR56 orthologues, with all receptors within this group exclusively responding to cis‐jasmone. This is supported by the dN/dS analysis, showing that strong purifying selection is acting on this group. Moreover, molecular docking showed that the ligand binding pockets of BmorOR56 orthologues to cis‐jasmone are similar. Taken together, our results suggest the high conservation of OR for ecologically important compounds across Heterocera.
The temporal–spatial expression and functional analysis of three gustatory receptor genes in Solenopsis invicta using sweet and bitter compounds
Authors: Waris Muhammad Irfan , Lei Yanyuan , Qi Guojun , Guan Ziying , Rashied Abdul , Chen Jie , Lyu Lihua 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe insect gustatory system participates in identifying potential food sources and avoiding toxic compounds. During this process, gustatory receptors (GRs) recognize feeding stimulant and deterrent compounds. However, the GRs involved in recognizing stimulant and deterrent compounds in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, remain unknown. Therefore, we conducted a study on the genes SinvGR1, SinvGR32b, and SinvGR28a to investigate the roles of GRs in detecting feeding stimulant and deterrent compounds. In this current study, we found that sucrose and fructose are feeding stimulants and the bitter compound quinine is a feeding deterrent. The fire ant workers showed significant behavior changes to avoid the bitter taste in feeding stimulant compounds. Reverse transcription quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction results from developmental stages showed that the SinvGR1, SinvGR32b, and SinvGR28a genes were highly expressed in fire ant workers. Tissue‐specific expression profiles indicated that SinvGR1, SinvGR32b, and SinvGR28a were specifically expressed in the antennae and foreleg tarsi of workers, whereas SinvGR32b gene transcripts were also highly accumulated in the male antennae. Furthermore, the silencing of SinvGR1 or SinvGR32b alone and the co‐silencing of both genes disrupted worker stimulation and feeding on sucrose and fructose. The results also showed that SinvGR28a is required for avoiding quinine, as workers with knockdown of the SinvGR28a gene failed to avoid and fed on quinine. This study first identified stimulant and deterrent compounds of fire ant workers and then the GRs involved in the taste recognition of these compounds. This study could provide potential target gustatory genes for the control of the fire ant.
Vascular calcification inhibitors and cardiovascular events in peritoneal dialysis patients
Authors: Olmaz Refik , Selen Tamer , Gungor Ozkan 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is high among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, which increases morbidity and mortality in this population and represents a significant financial burden for both the patients and the healthcare systems. Vascular calcification (VC) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and VC risk is higher in patients with CKD than in healthy individuals. Calcification inhibitors, compounds that inhibit VC, were discovered as a result of efforts to explain why some patients are spared. It was found that certain proteins (e.g., fetuin‐A, osteopontin, osteoprotegerin, bone morphogenetic protein‐7) inhibit calcification in dialysis patients. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of known calcification inhibitors, describe the relevant regulatory mechanisms, and discuss their relation to VC development in PD patients.
Bioeconomy Transition Pathways – Potential Impacts for the EU Bio‐based Chemicals Sector
Authors: Philippidis George , M'barek Robert , van Zeist Willem‐Jan 
Published: November 2023

SummaryThe European Commission's Green Deal sets out a bold vision to meet the challenges of biodiversity protection and net‐zero emissions, whilst forging a pathway for a circular model of competitive growth and job creation. To achieve these multiple challenges, the bioeconomy has a key role to play, particularly in the deployment of biomass in higher value‐added industrial applications. To support evidence‐based policy modelling, the EU H2020 funded project BioMonitor represents a first step toward both improving data transparency, particularly in bio‐industrial activities, and the creation of a single toolbox for the purpose of performing integrated modelling assessments of the bioeconomy. Comparing with a baseline, this study presents results from a series of medium to long‐term bio‐based industry focused transition narratives. In particular, the focus is on the EU bio‐based chemicals sector employing results from an economy‐wide simulation model from the toolbox, called MAGNET.Publicly backed fiscal support policies, costing between 0.22–0.25% of EU GDP by 2050, generate notable improvements in EU bio‐based chemical sector production and employment generation, as well as synergetic production increases in advanced generation biofuels. There is evidence of decarbonisation in the EU bio‐based chemicals sector, although more tangible improvements are achieved with the implementation of accompanying climate‐ and sustainable bio‐energy policies.
Prevalence of dengue fever in Saudi Arabia: Jeddah as a case study
Authors: Alyahya Hanan S. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractDengue fever is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including Saudi Arabia. Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) transmits dengue and many other diseases, including chikungunya and Zika. This study provides an overview of dengue fever in Saudi Arabia since the first case was recorded in the early 1990s. In addition, it focuses on the epidemiological situation in Jeddah as a case study to study the spatial distribution of dengue cases using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques over 5 years, from 2019 to 2023. The first recorded case in Saudi Arabia was in October 1993; however, daily data indicates that 2023 is a major epidemic year. The number of infections has reached 4099 so far during the first half of the year, which indicates a significant increase compared to previous years. GIS analysis has unveiled the locations of high infection rates across multiple municipalities, commonly called hotspots, and identified areas where dengue cases remain relatively low. The Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) tool was used to determine the severity of infection in different areas of Jeddah. The study concluded that factors such as temperature, rainfall, and septic tanks in areas that lack a proper sanitation network are the most contributing factors to the spread of disease vectors and, thus, dengue. Winter rainfall creates conducive breeding environments for dengue mosquito vectors, increasing transmission rates. On the other hand, summer heat accelerates the mosquito life cycle and enhances viral replication, heightening the risk of dengue transmission.
Seasonal heavy metal effects on detoxification and antioxidant gene expression in the urban honeybee
Authors: Gizaw Gashawbeza , Kim YeongHo , Moon KyungHwan , Choi Jong Bong , Mwamula Abraham , Lee Dong Woon , Kim Young Ho , Park Jong Kyun 
Published: November 2023

AbstractEnvironmental pollutants are associated with honeybee colony losses and may show seasonal concentration variations with respect to the environment and plants. In this study, we examined arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) seasonal variations in honey and honeybees in urban areas. Seasonal trends in detoxification (CYP9Q1, CYP9Q2, and CYP9Q3) and antioxidant genes encoding catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD1) were also determined in honeybees. Accordingly, As, Pb, and Hg concentrations were significantly increased in summer in both honey and honeybee samples when compared with other seasons. Similarly, the expression level of CYP9Q1, CYP9Q2, CYP9Q3, SOD1, and CAT showed a significant increase in summer honeybees. This increased expression level particularly in summer honeybees indicating an increased summer honeybee exposure and adaptive oxidative stress responses to environmental pollutants, including heavy metals due to increased flight activity when compared with other seasons. Thus, active season honeybees were subjected to environmental oxidative and detoxification stressors when exposed to environmental pollutants, including heavy metals.