bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial genomic characterization of two endemic Chinese freshwater crabs of the genus Sinopotamon (Brachyura: Potamidae) and implications for biogeography analysis of Potamidae
Authors: Shen Yanjun , Li Qinghua , Cheng Ruli , Luo Yang , Zhang Yufeng , Zuo Qing 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAs an endemic freshwater crab group in China, the phylogenetic relationships within Sinopotamon are still controversial because of the limited taxon samples. In this study, the complete mitogenomes of Sinopotamon chishuiense with 17,311 bp and the nearly complete mitogenomes of S. wushanense with 16,785 bp were firstly sequenced and analyzed. Compared with other reported mitogenomes of Potamidae, some novel patterns of gene rearrangement were detected in these two Sinopotamon mitogenomes, which could be illuminated by the mechanisms of tandem duplication‐random loss, recombination, and translocation. Phylogenetic analyses showed the nonmonophyly of the Sinopotamon and a sister group relationship with Tenuilapotamon. These crabs from the eastern and southern of the Yangtze River basin were more closely related while other crabs form the plateau areas formed a separate clade. Divergence time indicated that the Sinopotamon and its sister group Tenuilapotamon diverged from other potamiscine freshwater crabs approximately 42.65 Mya, which belongs to the recent main uplifts period of the Tibetan Plateau in the Late Miocene. Combined with the similar evolutionary rates and relatively stable habitat altitude of these Sinopotamon species, these results implied that the ecological environment may be relatively stable during the speciation. Overall, our study yielded worthy perceptions for the evolutionary and taxonomic relationship of Sinopotamon and will help to better clarify the gene rearrangement events of the invertebrate mitogenome and lay the foundation for further phylogenetic study of Sinopotamon. Overall, our study yielded valuable insights into the evolutionary history and taxonomic relationship of Sinopotamon and these results will help to better explain the gene rearrangement events of the invertebrate mitogenome and lay the foundation for further phylogenetic study of Sinopotamon.
Two dominant forms of multisite similarity decline – Their origins and interpretation
Authors: Deane David C. , Hui Cang , McGeoch Melodie 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe number of species shared by two or more sites is a fundamental measure of spatial variation in species composition. As more sites are included in the comparison of species composition, the average number of species shared across them declines, with a rate increasingly dependent on only the most widespread species. In over 80% of empirical communities, models of decline in shared species across multiple sites (multisite similarity decline) follow one of two distinct forms. An exponential form is assumed to reflect stochastic assembly and a power law form niche‐based sorting, yet these explanations are largely untested, and little is known of how the two forms arise in nature. Using simulations, we first show that the distribution of the most widespread species largely differentiates the two forms, with the power law increasingly favored where such species occupy more than ~75% of sites. We reasoned the less cosmopolitan distribution of widespread species within exponential communities would manifest as differences in community biodiversity properties, specifically more aggregated within‐species distributions, less even relative abundance distributions, and weaker between‐species spatial associations. We tested and largely confirmed these relationships using 80 empirical datasets, suggesting that the form of multisite similarity decline offers a basis to predict how landscape‐scale loss or gain of widespread species is reflected in different local‐scale community structures. Such understanding could, for example, be used to predict changes in local‐scale competitive interactions following shifts in widespread species' distributions. We propose multiple explanations for the origin of exponential decline, including high among‐site abiotic variation, sampling of highly specialized (narrow niche width) taxa, and strong dispersal limitation. We recommend these are evaluated as alternative hypotheses to stochastic assembly.
Natural variation in host feeding behaviors impacts host disease and pathogen transmission potential
Authors: Pfenning‐Butterworth Alaina C. , Vetter Rachel E. , Hite Jessica L. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAnimals ranging from mosquitoes to humans often vary their feeding behavior when infected or merely exposed to pathogens. These so‐called “sickness behaviors” are part of the innate immune response with many consequences, including avoiding orally transmitted pathogens. Fully understanding the role of this ubiquitous behavior in host defense and pathogen evolution requires a quantitative account of its impact on host and pathogen fitness across environmentally relevant contexts. Here, we use a zooplankton host and fungal pathogen as a case study to ask if infection‐mediated feeding behaviors vary across pathogen exposure levels and natural genetic variation in susceptibility to infection. Then, we connect these changes in behavior to pathogen transmission potential (spore yield) and fitness and growth costs to the host. Our results validate a protective effect of altered feeding behavior during pathogen exposure while also revealing significant variation in the magnitude of this response across host susceptibility and pathogen exposure levels. Across all four host genotypes, feeding rates were negatively correlated with susceptibility to infection and transmission potential. The most susceptible genotypes exhibited either strong anorexia, reducing food intake by 26%–42%, (“Standard”) or pronounced hyperphagia, increasing food intake by 20%–54% (“A45”). Together, these results suggest that infection‐mediated changes in host feeding behavior—which are traditionally interpreted as immunopathology— may in fact serve as crucial components of host defense strategies and warrant further investigation.
Reduction of invertebrate herbivory by land use is only partly explained by changes in plant and insect characteristics
Authors: Neff Felix , Prati Daniel , Achury Rafael , Ambarlı Didem , Bolliger Ralph , Brändle Martin , Freitag Martin , Hölzel Norbert , Kleinebecker Till , Knecht Arturo , Schäfer Deborah , Schall Peter , Seibold Sebastian , Staab Michael , Weisser Wolfgang W. , Pellissier Loïc , Gossner Martin M. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractInvertebrate herbivory is a crucial process contributing to the cycling of nutrients and energy in terrestrial ecosystems. While the function of herbivory can decrease with land‐use intensification, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesize that land‐use intensification impacts invertebrate leaf herbivory rates mainly through changes in characteristics of plants and insect herbivores. We investigated herbivory rates (i.e., damaged leaf area) on the most abundant plant species in forests and grasslands and along land‐use intensity gradients on 297 plots in three regions of Germany. To evaluate the contribution of shifts in plant community composition, we quantified herbivory rates at plant species level and aggregated at plant community level. We analyzed pathways linking land‐use intensity, plant and insect herbivore characteristics, and herbivory rates. Herbivory rates at plant species and community level decreased with increasing land‐use intensity in forests and grasslands. Path analysis revealed strong direct links between land‐use intensity and herbivory rates. Particularly at the plant community level, differences in plant and herbivore composition also contributed to changes in herbivory rates along land‐use intensity gradients. In forests, high land‐use intensity was characterized by a larger proportion of coniferous trees, which was linked to reduced herbivory rates. In grasslands, changes in the proportion of grasses, plant fiber content, as well as the taxonomic composition of herbivore assemblages contributed to reduced herbivory rates. Our study highlights the potential of land‐use intensification to impair ecosystem functioning across ecosystems via shifts in plant and herbivore characteristics. De‐intensifying land use in grasslands and reducing the share of coniferous trees in temperate forests can help to restore ecosystem functionality in these systems.
Bet‐hedgers commit to the hedge: Zooplankton in ephemeral semiarid wetlands of tropical Brazil that widely spread risk
Authors: Pires Mateus M. , Vendramin Daiane , Medeiros Elvio S. F. , Stenert Cristina , Batzer Darold P. , Maltchik Leonardo 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBet‐hedging is an ecological risk‐aversion strategy in which a population does not commit all its effort toward a single reproductive event or specific environmental condition, and instead spreads the risk to include multiple reproductive events or conditions. For aquatic invertebrates in dry wetlands, this often takes the form of some propagules hatching in the first available flood, while remaining propagules hatch in subsequent floods (the “hedge”); this better ensures that a subset of propagules will hatch in a flood of sufficient duration to successfully complete development. Harsh environmental conditions are believed to promote an increased reliance on bet‐hedging. Bet‐hedging studies have typically been restricted to single sites or single populations. Community‐level assessments may provide more robust support for the range of hatching strategies that exist in nature. Here, we tested whether freshwater zooplankton assemblages inhabiting ephemeral and unpredictable wetlands of a semiarid zone of tropical Brazil employ hatching strategies suggestive of bet‐hedging; few efforts have addressed bet‐hedging in the tropics where the unique conditions may influence the strategy. We collected dry sediments from six ephemeral wetlands, and flooded them across a sequence of three hydrations under similar laboratory conditions to assess whether hatching patterns conform to some of the predictions of the bet‐hedging theory. We found that taxa showing hatching patterns akin to bet‐hedging associated with delayed hatching numerically dominated the assemblages that emerged from dry sediments, although there was large heterogeneity in the hatching rate among sites and across taxa. While some populations distributed their hatching across all three floods and committed most of their hatching fraction to the first hydration, others committed as much or more effort to the second hydration (the “hedge”) or the third hydration (another substantial “hedge”). Thus, in the harsh study wetlands, hatching patterns akin to bet‐hedging associated with delayed hatching were common and occurred at multiple temporal scales. Our community assessment found that a commitment to the “hedge” was greater than the current theory would predict. Our findings have broader implications; bet‐hedger taxa seem especially well equipped to tolerate stress if conditions become harsher as environments change.
A phenology of fear: Investigating scale and seasonality in predator–prey games between wolves and white‐tailed deer
Authors: Clare John D. J. , Zuckerberg Benjamin , Liu Nanfeng , Stenglein Jennifer L. , Van Deelen Timothy R. , Pauli Jonathan N. , Townsend Philip A. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractPredators and prey engage in games where each player must counter the moves of the other, and these games include multiple phases operating at different spatiotemporal scales. Recent work has highlighted potential issues related to scale‐sensitive inferences in predator–prey interactions, and there is growing appreciation that these may exhibit pronounced but predictable dynamics. Motivated by previous assertions about effects arising from foraging games between white‐tailed deer and canid predators (coyotes and wolves), we used a large and year‐round network of trail cameras to characterize deer and predator foraging games, with a particular focus on clarifying its temporal scale and seasonal variation. Linear features were strongly associated with predator detection rates, suggesting these play a central role in canid foraging tactics by expediting movement. Consistent with expectations for prey contending with highly mobile predators, deer responses were more sensitive to proximal risk metrics at finer spatiotemporal scales, suggesting that coarser but more commonly used scales of analysis may miss useful insights into prey risk‐response. Time allocation appears to be a key tactic for deer risk management and was more strongly moderated by factors associated with forage or evasion heterogeneity (forest cover, snow and plant phenology) than factors associated with the likelihood of predator encounter (linear features). Trade‐offs between food and safety appeared to vary as much seasonally as spatially, with snow and vegetation phenology giving rise to a “phenology of fear.” Deer appear free to counter predators during milder times of year, but a combination of poor foraging state, reduced forage availability, greater movements costs, and reproductive state dampen responsiveness during winter. Pronounced intra‐annual variation in predator–prey interactions may be common in seasonal environments.
Does invasion by armored catfish shift trophic ecology of native fishes? Evidence from stable isotope analysis
Authors: Quintana Yasmín , Keppeler Friedrich Wolfgang , Winemiller Kirk O. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractPopular as aquarium fish, armored catfishes from South America (Pterygoplichthys spp.) have been introduced and become invasive in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. These ecosystem engineers can deplete basal resources (e.g., periphyton and detritus), with potential negative effects for native fauna. We studied the trophic ecology of fishes in the Usumacinta River Basin, Guatemala, where Pterygoplichthys is now widespread and locally abundant. We analyzed stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) in fish tissues and basal resources to assess the potential impact of Pterygoplichthys on the trophic ecology of six co‐occurring native fishes that feed at a similar trophic level (Astyanax aeneus, Dorosoma petenense, Thorichthys pasionis, Oscura heterospila, Poecilia mexicana, and Gambusia sexradiata). The study was conducted during the dry season in the La Pasion (LPR; high invasion) and San Pedro (SPR; low invasion) rivers. We compared isotopic spaces occupied by native fish and Pterygoplichthys, estimated isotopic overlap, and evaluated the trophic displacement of native species. We also evaluated the relationships of environmental factors, including the relative biomass of the invasive catfish, with δ13C and δ15N signatures. Except for P. mexicana, native species had lower isotopic overlap with the catfish in LPR. Native fish isotopic spaces were compressed and shifted toward higher trophic positions in LPR relative to SPR. Benthic food resources were important for Pterygoplichthys in both rivers, and water‐column resources had greater relative importance (RI) for native species in LPR. Native fish δ13C was significantly associated with Pterygoplichthys biomass, conductivity, and water flow velocity; and water depth and sedimentation had a significant association with native fish δ15N. Findings provide evidence that invasive Pterygoplichthys, along with environmental factors, impact the trophic ecology of native fish in the Usumacinta Basin. Additional field research conducted over longer time periods and mesocosm experiments that account for fish assemblage and environmental variation could elucidate Pterygoplichthys impacts via food resource depletion or habitat alteration.
Interactions of Pyridine‐Based Organic Cations as Structure‐Determining Factors in Perovskite‐Related Compounds AxPb(II)yBrz
Authors: Krummer Michael , Glissmann Nico , Zimmermann Benjamin , Klingenberg Pia , Daub Michael , Hillebrecht Harald 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWe have synthesised and characterised 21 new ternary Pb(II) bromides with 16 different pyridine‐based organic cations by single crystal XRD measurements. The dominating composition is APbBr3 with 10 representatives, but also 6 examples for APb2Br5 were found. The systematic variation of topological aspects of the organic cations allowed conclusions on the influence of N−H⋅⋅⋅Br hydrogen bridges on the connectivity and bonding situation of the Pb−Br polyhedra. Additionally, it turned out, that further weak ionic interactions can have an influence, if the formation of N−H⋅⋅⋅Br hydrogen bridges is hindered by steric effects. In general, the high versatility of the dominating PbBr6 octahedra, and in some cases higher or lower coordination numbers, allows conclusions on the parameters that influence pattern and extent of the N−H⋅⋅⋅Br bridges as the strongest structure‐determining factor. Type and extent of N−H⋅⋅⋅Br bridges have also an impact on the distortion of the PbBr6 octahedra ranging from nearly regular PbBr6 octahedra to 2+2+2 and 1+2+2+1 patterns with significant lone pair activity. Finally, the connectivity mode of the octahedra relates to formation and strength of hydrogen bonds.
Hybrid Fuzzy Archimedes‐based Light GBM‐XGBoost model for distributed task scheduling in mobile edge computing
Authors: Kumaresan G. , Devi K. , Shanthi S. , Muthusenthil B. , Samydurai A. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractMobile edge computing (MEC) mainly offers strong computing capabilities and functions to finish the delay‐sensitive task in time with the help of 5G wireless networks. Task scheduling is a technique for managing the increasing number of mobile edge users, decreasing task execution time, and improving the system's load‐balancing capabilities. To achieve these goals, a distributed task scheduling system is developed in this research to satisfy multi‐objectives such as cost, total execution time, overhead, and energy consumption for large‐scale MEC tasks. First, a Hybrid Fuzzy Archimedes (HFA) algorithm is proposed to select the MEC node, which finishes the tasks with minimal cost and a higher security level. In the second step, the Hybrid LGBM and XGBoost architecture is formed to minimize the energy consumption and latency of each node for distributed task scheduling. The HFA algorithm modifies the search behavior of the Archimedes optimization algorithm using the fuzzy tendency factor and a normalized objective function. The HFA algorithm mainly selects the rule with an improved security value and lower cost for delay‐sensitive applications. The main aim of the hybrid LGBM‐XGBoost architecture is to minimize energy consumption and latency by taking the makespan and energy values. The efficiency of the proposed methodology is evaluated in terms of resource utilization, average completion time, completion rate, and Computation Workload Completion Rate. The proposed model offers a 20% improvement in average completion time and a 30% improvement in the energy consumption ratio. When 64 users are present in the system, the proposed model offers a CPU usage of 22% whereas MOCOSC, ADMM, and ANNIDS approaches offer CPU utilization of 62%, 78%, and 82%, respectively.
Mulberry extract upregulates cholesterol efflux and inhibits p38 MAPK‐NLRP3‐mediated inflammation in foam cells
Authors: Liu Yuting , Wang Kefan , Yang Shuofei , Xue Guanhua , Lu Liming 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe accumulation of foam cells in arterial intima and the accompanied chronic inflammation are considered major causes of neoatherosclerosis and restenosis. However, both the underlying mechanism and effective treatment for the disease are yet to be uncovered. In this study, we combined transcriptome profiling of restenosis artery tissue and bioinformatic analysis to reveal that NLRP3 inflammasome is markedly upregulated in restenosis and that several restenosis‐related DEGs are also targets of mulberry extract, a natural dietary supplement used in traditional Chinese medicine. We demonstrated that mulberry extract suppresses the formation of ox‐LDL‐induced foam cells, possibly by upregulating the cholesterol efflux genes ABCA1 and ABCG1 to inhibit intracellular lipid accumulation. In addition, mulberry extract dampens NLRP3 inflammasome activation by stressing the MAPK signaling pathway. These findings unveil the therapeutic value of mulberry extract in neoatherosclerosis and restenosis treatment by regulating lipid metabolism and inflammatory response of foam cells.
Impact of high‐permeability preferential flow zones on pumping‐induced airflow in unconfined aquifer
Authors: Shan Jipeng , Yang Zhenlei , Kuang Xingxing , Jiao Jiu Jimmy 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWhen the unsaturated zone of the unconfined aquifer is covered by a low‐permeability upper layer, significant airflow will be generated in the unsaturated zone during water pumping. However, high permeability preferential flow zones (PFZs) such as fractures and macropores are frequently present in the unsaturated zone, forming the preferential fluid flow paths, which may change the original airflow pattern in the unsaturated zone during the pumping test and consequently affect the precision of obtained aquifer hydraulic parameters. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of PFZs in low‐permeability upper layer on pumping‐induced airflow in the unsaturated zone by numerical simulations of transient three‐dimensional air‐water two‐phase flow and to quantify errors in the aquifer hydraulic parameters obtained during pumping test. The results demonstrate that a large amount of air flows quickly from the atmosphere into the unsaturated zone through the PFZs, and that the PFZs can draw some air from the nearby low‐permeability soils as well. The significant influx of air through PFZs also reduces the negative air pressure in the unsaturated zone and decreases the drawdown in the saturated zone at intermediate times, which are nevertheless still greater than the results obtained in the homogeneous aquifer. Estimations of the aquifer hydraulic parameters reveal that errors of these parameters obtained are smaller when the PFZs with favourable combinations of permeability, width and quantities facilitate more air to flow into the unsaturated zone.
Unveiling the epigenomic mechanisms of acquired platinum‐resistance in high‐grade serous ovarian cancer
Authors: Silva Romina , Glennon Kate , Metoudi Michael , Moran Bruce , Salta Sofia , Slattery Karen , Treacy Ann , Martin Terri , Shaw Jacqui , Doran Peter , Lynch Lydia , Jeronimo Carmen , Perry Antoinette S. , Brennan Donal J. 
Published: March 2023

AbstractResistance to platinum‐based chemotherapy is the major cause of death from high‐grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). We hypothesise that detection of specific DNA methylation changes may predict platinum resistance in HGSOC. Using a publicly available “discovery” dataset we examined epigenomic and transcriptomic alterations between primary platinum‐sensitive (n = 32) and recurrent acquired drug resistant HGSOC (n = 28) and identified several genes involved in immune and chemoresistance‐related pathways. Validation via high‐resolution melt analysis of these findings, in cell lines and HGSOC tumours, demonstrated the most consistent changes were observed in three of the genes: APOBEC3A, NKAPL and PDCD1. Plasma samples from an independent HGSOC cohort (n = 17) were analysed using droplet digital PCR. Hypermethylation of NKAPL was detected in 46% and hypomethylation of APOBEC3A in 69% of plasma samples taken from women with relapsed HGSOC (n = 13), with no alterations identified in disease‐free patients (n = 4). Following these results, and using a CRISPR‐Cas9 approach, we were also able to demonstrate that in vitro NKAPL promoter demethylation increased platinum sensitivity by 15%. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of aberrant methylation, especially of the NKAPL gene, in acquired platinum resistance in HGSOC.