bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Higher order Morita approximation and its validity for random copolymer adsorption onto homogeneous and periodic heterogeneous surfaces
Authors: Polotsky Alexey A , Ivanova Anna S 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Adsorption of a single AB random copolymer (RC) chain onto homogeneous and inhomogeneous ab surfaces with a regular periodic pattern is studied theoretically. For the averaging over disorder in the RC sequence, the constrained annealed approximation, known as the Morita approximation is employed. A general scheme for constructing the Morita approximation of an arbitrary order m is proposed; it is based on representation of the RC monomer sequence as a Markov chain of overlapping

(
m

–1)-ads. The problem is solved within the framework of the generating functions approach for the two-dimensional partially directed walk model of the polymer on a square lattice. Temperature dependences of various adsorption characteristics are obtained. The accuracy of the Morita approximation is assessed by comparison with the numerical results for RC with quenched sequences obtained by the transfer matrix approach. It is shown that for RC adsorption on a homogeneous surface for AB-copolymers with adsorbing A and neutral B blocks, it is sufficient to use the Morita approximation of second or third order. If the non-adsorbing B block is repelled from the surface, then a higher order of the approximation (5th–6th) is required. An important indicator of validity of the Morita approximation is the entropy: if the order of the approximation is not high enough, the entropy becomes negative in the low-temperature regime which means that the Morita approximation is wrong in this order. In the case when the surface is periodically inhomogeneous, the Morita approximation works worse and very high orders are required, which can be beyond the computational capabilities. Moreover, the Morita approximations become degenerate: approximations of two or more consecutive orders give the same result.
Cathepsin S deficiency improves muscle mass loss and dysfunction via the modulation of protein metabolism in mice under pathological stress conditions
Authors: Wan Ying , Piao Limei , Xu Shengnan , Inoue Aiko , Meng Xiangkun , Lei Yanna , Huang Zhe , Wang Hailong , Yue Xueling , Shi Guo‐Ping , Kuzuya Masafumi , Cheng Xian Wu 
Published: July 2023

AbstractCathepsin S (CTSS) is a widely expressed cysteinyl protease that has garnered attention because of its enzymatic and non‐enzymatic functions under inflammatory and metabolic pathological conditions. Here, we examined whether CTSS participates in stress‐related skeletal muscle mass loss and dysfunction, focusing on protein metabolic imbalance. Eight‐week‐old male wildtype (CTSS+/+) and CTSS‐knockout (CTSS−/−) mice were randomly assigned to non‐stress and variable‐stress groups for 2 weeks, and then processed for morphological and biochemical studies. Compared with non‐stressed mice, stressed CTSS+/+ mice showed significant losses of muscle mass, muscle function, and muscle fiber area. In this setting, the stress‐induced harmful changes in the levels of oxidative stress‐related (gp91phox and p22phox,), inflammation‐related (SDF‐1, CXCR4, IL‐1β, TNF‐α, MCP‐1, ICAM‐1, and VCAM‐1), mitochondrial biogenesis‐related (PPAR‐γ and PGC‐1α) genes and/or proteins and protein metabolism‐related (p‐PI3K, p‐Akt, p‐FoxO3α, MuRF‐1, and MAFbx1) proteins; and these alterations were rectified by CTSS deletion. Metabolomic analysis revealed that stressed CTSS−/− mice exhibited a significant improvement in the levels of glutamine metabolism pathway products. Thus, these findings indicated that CTSS can control chronic stress‐related skeletal muscle atrophy and dysfunction by modulating protein metabolic imbalance, and thus CTSS was suggested to be a promising new therapeutic target for chronic stress‐related muscular diseases.
The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach
Authors: Mainwaring Mark C. , Stoddard Mary Caswell , Barber Iain , Deeming D. Charles , Hauber Mark E. 
Published: July 2023

Nests, including the enormous structures housing colonies of eusocial insects and the elaborately built nests of some fishes, have long fascinated scientists, yet our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of nests has lagged behind our understanding of subsequent reproductive stages. There has, however, been a burgeoning amount of interest in nests over the past decade, and this special issue on ‘The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach' outlines our understanding of the form and function of nests in diverse animal lineages. Papers in ‘The function of nests: mechanisms and adaptive benefits' theme examine the various functions of nests, while papers in ‘The evolution of nest characteristics' theme examine the evolution of nesting behaviours. Meanwhile, papers in the ‘Large communal nests in harsh environments' theme examine how the enormous structures constructed by eusocial insects and social birds enable them to inhabit harsh arid environments, whereas papers in the ‘Nests in the Anthropocene' theme examine how adaptive shifts in nest architecture allow animals to adapt to breed in the age of accelerating global human impacts. Finally, the synthesis outlines how the mixture of ideas and approaches from researchers studying different taxa will advance our understanding of this exciting field of research.This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach’.
The role of cognition in nesting
Authors: Lehtonen Topi K. , Helanterä Heikki , Solvi Cwyn , Wong Bob B. M. , Loukola Olli J. 
Published: July 2023

For many animals, nests are essential for reproductive success. Nesting individuals need to carry out a range of potentially challenging tasks, from selecting an appropriate site and choosing suitable materials to constructing the nest and defending it against competitors, parasites and predators. Given the high fitness stakes involved, and the diverse impacts both the abiotic and social environment can have on nesting success, we might expect cognition to facilitate nesting efforts. This should be especially true under variable environmental conditions, including those changing due to anthropogenic impacts. Here, we review, across a wide range of taxa, evidence linking cognition to nesting behaviours, including selection of nesting sites and materials, nest construction, and nest defence. We also discuss how different cognitive abilities may increase an individual's nesting success. Finally, we highlight how combining experimental and comparative research can uncover the links between cognitive abilities, nesting behaviours and the evolutionary pathways that may have led to the associations between them. In so doing, the review highlights current knowledge gaps and provides suggestions for future research.This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach’.
Variation in nest-building behaviour in birds: a multi-species approach
Authors: Perez Daniela M. , Manica Lilian T. , Medina Iliana 
Published: July 2023

Researchers have long suggested that animals with greater behavioural flexibility will be more likely to survive in face of environmental changes. However, it is unknown how this varies across species. Nest building is a behaviour directly related to the reproduction and survival of species by conferring protection from external environmental conditions. The study of nests offers a window into the behaviour of birds, and variation in nest morphology is necessarily linked to variation in building behaviours. We test whether variation in nest morphology is phylogenetically conserved by using data on nest morphology from 55 passerine species (>700 specimens) and measuring intraspecific variability in nest structure. We found that species mean and within-species variation in nest morphology are phylogenetically conserved, and that species with domed nests presented higher levels of nest morphology variation than cup nest species. We also revealed that the capacity of species to present innovative behaviours is not linked with how they vary nest morphology. Moreover, we revealed that nests from species with larger variation in clutch size and that are built by single parents are more variable. Our results help in the understanding of how behaviour and extended phenotypes evolve, and highlight the importance of exploring the phylogenetic history of behavioural flexibility when trying to predict the capacity of species to respond to novel challenges.
This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach’.
Can nesting behaviour allow reptiles to adapt to climate change?
Authors: Du Wei-Guo , Li Shu-Ran , Sun Bao-Jun , Shine Richard 
Published: July 2023

A range of abiotic parameters within a reptile nest influence the viability and attributes (including sex, behaviour and body size) of hatchlings that emerge from that nest. As a result of that sensitivity, a reproducing female can manipulate the phenotypic attributes of her offspring by laying her eggs at times and in places that provide specific conditions. Nesting reptiles shift their behaviour in terms of timing of oviposition, nest location and depth of eggs beneath the soil surface across spatial and temporal gradients. Those maternal manipulations affect mean values and variances of both temperature and soil moisture, and may modify the vulnerability of embryos to threats such as predation and parasitism. By altering thermal and hydric conditions in reptile nests, climate change has the potential to dramatically modify the developmental trajectories and survival rates of embryos, and the phenotypes of hatchlings. Reproducing females buffer such effects by modifying the timing, location and structure of nests in ways that enhance offspring viability. Nonetheless, our understanding of nesting behaviours in response to climate change remains limited in reptiles. Priority topics for future studies include documenting climate-induced changes in the nest environment, the degree to which maternal behavioural shifts can mitigate climate-related deleterious impacts on offspring development, and ecological and evolutionary consequences of maternal nesting responses to climate change.
This article is part of the theme issue ‘The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach’.
On a regime switching illiquid high volatile prediction model for cryptocurrencies
Authors: El-Khatib Youssef , Hatemi-J Abdulnasser 
Published: July 2023

PurposeThe current paper proposes a prediction model for a cryptocurrency that encompasses three properties observed in the markets for cryptocurrencies—namely high volatility, illiquidity, and regime shifts. As far as the authors’ knowledge extends, this paper is the first attempt to introduce a stochastic differential equation (SDE) for pricing cryptocurrencies while explicitly integrating the mentioned three significant stylized facts.Design/methodology/approachCryptocurrencies are increasingly utilized by investors and financial institutions worldwide as an alternative means of exchange. To the authors’ best knowledge, there is no SDE in the literature that can be used for representing and evaluating the data-generating process for the price of a cryptocurrency.FindingsBy using Ito calculus, the authors provide a solution for the suggested SDE along with mathematical proof. Numerical simulations are performed and compared to the real data, which seems to capture the dynamics of the price path of two main cryptocurrencies in the real markets.Originality/valueThe stochastic differential model that is introduced and solved in this article is expected to be useful for the pricing of cryptocurrencies in situations of high volatility combined with structural changes and illiquidity. These attributes are apparent in the real markets for cryptocurrencies; therefore, accounting explicitly for these underlying characteristics is a necessary condition for accurate evaluation of cryptocurrencies.
The “just and equitable” test in New Zealand’s strata law: reflections and lessons for other jurisdictions
Authors: Gibbons Thomas 
Published: July 2023

Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to examine the phrase “just and equitable”, and associated terminology, within New Zealand’s strata law, to inform other jurisdictions. In particular, this paper temporarily suspends the notion of a statutory hendiadys to consider what kind of justice is reflected in judicial consideration of the phrase.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper takes a mixed-methods approach, drawing on a combination of black-letter law, property law theory and insights from literary and philosophical analysis.

Findings
While justice is often considered as “treating like cases alike”, this is not apparent from this study. The analysis shows that different kinds of justice outcomes emerge, with some emphasis on justice as economic efficiency. In addition, the paper highlights the inherent uncertainty in what is “just and equitable” and how associated disjunctive phrases, such as “unjust or inequitable” are still treated as hendiadys, but are no more clear.

Research limitations/implications
The research is limited to consideration of a single jurisdiction (New Zealand), though the useful degree of case law from this jurisdiction provides broad insight.

Practical implications
Among other things, the paper argues for further consideration of the usefulness of the “just and equitable” test in light of the kind of justice we want to achieve. The addition of mandatory considerations to existing statutory tests may allow more of a focus, beyond the exigencies of individual cases or narrow outcomes of economic efficiency.

Originality/value
While there is existing literature on the “just and equitable” phrase within strata law, the paper is the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to provide an analysis focused on how suspending the statutory hendiadys normally inherent in “just and equitable” provides insight into the kind of justice that emerges from the application of this test within a single strata jurisdiction. As such, the paper provides lessons for other jurisdictions on how to improve relevant statute and case law outcomes.
Resolving a heated debate: The utility of prescribed burning as a management tool for biodiversity on lowland heath
Authors: Smith Barbara M. , Carpenter Dan , Holland John , Andruszko Felicity , Gathorne‐Hardy Alfred , Eggleton Paul 
Published: July 2023

Abstract

Lowland heath is a priority habitat for conservation, nowadays largely managed for biodiversity. Historically, prescribed burning has been the principal management tool, but there are increasing calls to substitute burning with cutting to improve biodiversity outcomes. However, poor understanding of potential impacts compromises decision making.

Our study was carried out in the New Forest National Park, the largest area of lowland heath in Europe. Using a multi‐trophic approach, we compared the ecological impact of prescribed burning with two types of vegetation cutting (swiping and baling) as management tools for biodiversity outcomes for up to 20 years after management. Indicators included: common standards monitoring (CSM) assessment; vegetation species assemblage; below‐ and above‐ground invertebrate biodiversity; and available food resources for two characteristic heathland birds—the Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata and the Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus.

When compared with swiped sites, areas managed by prescribed burning resulted in: better habitat condition (assessed by CSM); higher cover of heathers; lower bracken cover; more areas of bare ground. We found no evidence that burning is detrimental for the investigated components of biodiversity.

Cutting by swiping did not replicate the benefits of burning. Swiping supported grassland conditions that suit non‐heathland species. Baling resulted in habitat condition similar to prescribed burning but restricted replication of baled sites limited our conclusions. However, swiped sites supported high invertebrate abundance and diversity, including food resources for Dartford Warbler and Nightjar.

Synthesis and applications. Removing burning from the management programme is likely to reduce heathland condition. Biodiversity is encouraged by a mosaic of management and more mobile species, such as birds, will exploit the resources provided by several management techniques. Including some cutting in a rotational regime is likely to be beneficial although prescribed burning should form the majority of the management programme, Lowland heathland differs fundamentally from upland heathland/moorland and it is not easy to transfer the results. Current heathland CSM does not adequately assess wider biodiversity on protected areas but is effectively an assessment of vegetation feature condition. Including invertebrates in surveys provides a more nuanced assessment of heathland condition.
Biotic and abiotic stresses on honeybee health
Authors: LIN Zheguang , SHEN Siyi , WANG Kang , JI Ting 
Published: July 2023

AbstractHoneybees are the most critical pollinators providing key ecosystem services that underpin crop production and sustainable agriculture. Amidst a backdrop of rapid global change, this eusocial insect encounters a succession of stressors during nesting, foraging, and pollination. Ectoparasitic mites, together with vectored viruses, have been recognized as central biotic threats to honeybee health, while the spread of invasive giant hornets and small hive beetles also increasingly threatens colonies worldwide. Cocktails of agrochemicals, including acaricides used for mite treatment, and other pollutants of the environment have been widely documented to affect bee health in various ways. Additionally, expanding urbanization, climate change, and agricultural intensification often result in the destruction or fragmentation of flower‐rich bee habitats. The anthropogenic pressures exerted by beekeeping management practices affect the natural selection and evolution of honeybees, and colony translocations facilitate alien species invasion and disease transmission. In this review, the multiple biotic and abiotic threats and their interactions that potentially undermine bee colony health are discussed, while taking into consideration the sensitivity, large foraging area, dense network among related nestmates, and social behaviors of honeybees.
Conservation priorities for endangered trees facing multiple threats around the world
Authors: Zhu Yingying , Xu Xiaoting , Xi Zhenxiang , Liu Jianquan 
Published: July 2023

AbstractTrees are vital to the survival of numerous species and to forest ecosystem functioning. However, the current distribution, vulnerability to extinction, and conservation priorities of globally endangered trees are not well known. We mapped the global distribution of 1686 tree species listed as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List and identified conservation priority for them based on species richness, life‐history traits, evolutionary distinctiveness, future climate change, and intensity of human activities. We also evaluated the impacts of various threats to these endangered tree species and evaluated the effectiveness of their protection based on the percentage of the species' range inside protected areas. The worldwide distribution of endangered trees, from the tropics through temperate zones, was uneven. Most endangered tree species were not protected in their native ranges, and only 153 species were fully protected. Hotspots of tree diversity occurred primarily in the tropics, and 79.06% of these were highly vulnerable to threats. We identified 253 areas of high priority for the conservation of endangered trees that are highly threatened and insufficiently protected. In particular, 43.42% of unprotected tree species in priority areas lacked recommended conservation measures or had no associated conservation plan. The priority conservation areas and unprotected trees we identified serve as a guideline for future management underpinning the post‐2020 global biodiversity framework.
Effects of seagrass restoration on coastal fish abundance and diversity
Authors: Hardison Sean B. , McGlathery Karen J. , Castorani Max C. N. 
Published: July 2023

AbstractRestoration is accelerating to reverse global declines of key habitats and recover lost ecosystem functions, particularly in coastal ecosystems. However, there is high uncertainty about the long‐term capacity of restored ecosystems to provide habitat and increase biodiversity and the degree to which these ecosystem services are mediated by spatial and temporal environmental variability. We addressed these gaps by sampling fishes biannually for 5–7 years (2012–2018) at 16 sites inside and outside a rapidly expanding restored seagrass meadow in coastal Virginia (USA). Despite substantial among‐year variation in abundance and species composition, seine catches in restored seagrass beds were consistently larger (6.4 times more fish, p < 0.001) and more speciose (2.6 times greater species richness, p < 0.001; 3.1 times greater Hill–Shannon diversity, p = 0.03) than seine catches in adjacent unvegetated areas. Catches were particularly larger during summer than autumn (p < 0.01). Structural equation modeling revealed that depth and water residence time interacted to control seagrass presence, leading to higher fish abundance and richness in shallow, well‐flushed areas that supported seagrass. Together, our results indicate that seagrass restoration yields large and consistent benefits for many coastal fishes, but that restoration and its benefits are sensitive to the dynamic seascapes in which restoration is conducted. Consideration of how seascape‐scale environmental variability affects the success of habitat restoration and subsequent ecosystem function will improve restoration outcomes and the provisioning of ecosystem services.
Land‐use change from market responses to oil palm intensification in Indonesia
Authors: Lim Felix K. S. , Carrasco Luis Roman , Edwards David P. , McHardy Jolian 
Published: July 2023

AbstractOil palm is a major driver of tropical deforestation. A key intervention proposed to reduce the footprint of oil palm is intensifying production to free up spare land for nature, yet the indirect land‐use implications of intensification through market forces are poorly understood. We used a spatially explicit land‐rent modeling framework to characterize the supply and demand of oil palm in Indonesia under multiple yield improvement and demand elasticity scenarios and explored how shifts in market equilibria alter projections of crop expansion. Oil palm supply was sensitive to crop prices and yield improvements. Across all our scenarios, intensification raised agricultural rents and lowered the effectiveness of reductions in crop expansion. Increased yields lowered oil palm prices, but these price‐drops were not sufficient to prevent further cropland expansion from increased agricultural rents under a range of price elasticities of demand. Crucially, we found that agricultural intensification might only result in land being spared when the demand relationship was highly inelastic and crop prices were very low (i.e., a 70% price reduction). Under this scenario, the extent of land spared (∼0.32 million ha) was countered by the continued establishment of new plantations (∼1.04 million ha). Oil palm intensification in Indonesia could exacerbate current pressures on its imperiled biodiversity and should be deployed with stronger spatial planning and enforcement to prevent further cropland expansion.