bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quaternary geomorphological and climatic changes associated with the diversification of Iberian freshwater fishes: The case of the genus Cobitis (Cypriniformes, Cobitidae)
Authors: Corral‐Lou Andrea , Perea Silvia , Perdices Anabel , Doadrio Ignacio 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWe studied the population genetic structure of Cobitis vettonica, an endangered freshwater fish species endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, in order to propose a biogeographic model of the responses of species to the multiple changes that occurred in the Iberian hydrological system during the Quaternary period. We also deciphered the relationship of C. vettonica with its sister species C. paludica, particularly in sympatric areas, and provide genetic information for conservation purposes. To achieve this goal, we analyzed both mitochondrial and nuclear data (the cytochrome b and the nuclear recombination activating 1 genes) and a battery of single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 248 individuals of C. vettonica or C. paludica from 38 localities, including some sympatric ones, covering the entire distribution area of C. vettonica. We highlight the important role played by the hydrogeomorphological processes and climatic changes that occurred in the Iberian Peninsula during the Quaternary on both the population structure of C. vettonica and its relationship with its sister species C. paludica. Our results support the genetic introgression of populations at the eastern limit of the distribution of C. vettonica. Furthermore, we postulate genetic introgression in sympatric areas. Finally, we propose the establishment or expansion of four Operational Conservation Units (OCUs) for C. vettonica, and highlight the threat faced by its populations due to the low level of genetic diversity detected for some of its populations and genetic introgression with C. paludica, which could eventually displace C. vettonica, resulting in a loss of diversity in this species.
The ecology and evolution of the monito del monte, a relict species from the southern South America temperate forests
Authors: Fontúrbel Francisco E. , Franco Lida M. , Bozinovic Francisco , Quintero‐Galvis Julian F. , Mejías Carlos , Amico Guillermo C. , Vazquez M. Soledad , Sabat Pablo , Sánchez‐Hernández Juan C. , Watson David M. , Saenz‐Agudelo Pablo , Nespolo Roberto F. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe arboreal marsupial monito del monte (genus Dromiciops, with two recognized species) is a paradigmatic mammal. It is the sole living representative of the order Microbiotheria, the ancestor lineage of Australian marsupials. Also, this marsupial is the unique frugivorous mammal in the temperate rainforest, being the main seed disperser of several endemic plants of this ecosystem, thus acting as keystone species. Dromiciops is also one of the few hibernating mammals in South America, spending half of the year in a physiological dormancy where metabolism is reduced to 10% of normal levels. This capacity to reduce energy expenditure in winter contrasts with the enormous energy turnover rate they experience in spring and summer. The unique life history strategies of this living Microbiotheria, characterized by an alternation of life in the slow and fast lanes, putatively represent ancestral traits that permitted these cold‐adapted mammals to survive in this environment. Here, we describe the ecological role of this emblematic marsupial, summarizing the ecophysiology of hibernation and sociality, updated phylogeographic relationships, reproductive cycle, trophic relationships, mutualisms, conservation, and threats. This marsupial shows high densities, despite presenting slow reproductive rates, a paradox explained by the unique characteristics of its three‐dimensional habitat. We finally suggest immediate actions to protect these species that may be threatened in the near future due to habitat destruction and climate change.
Undergraduates' perceptions on emergency remote learning in ecology in the post‐pandemic era
Authors: Pagani‐Núñez Emilio , Yan Mingxiao , Hong Yixuan , Zeng Yu , Chen Sihao , Zhao Peng , Zou Yi 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic has strongly disrupted academic activities, particularly in disciplines with a strong empirical component among other reasons by limiting our mobility. It is thus essential to assess emergency remote teaching plans by surveying learners’ opinions and perceptions during these unusual circumstances. To achieve this aim, we conducted a survey during the spring semester of 2021 in an environmental science program to ascertain learners’ perceptions on online and onsite learning activities in ecology‐based modules. We were particularly interested not only in comparing the performance of these two types of activities but also in understanding the role played by learners’ perceptions about nature in shaping this pattern. Environmental science programs are rather heterogeneous from a conceptual point of view and, thus, learners may also be more diverse than in traditional ecology programs, which may affect their interest for ecology‐based modules. We assessed connectedness to nature by computing the reduced version of the Nature Relatedness Scale. Here, we found that online activities systematically obtained significantly lower scores than onsite activities regardless of the wording employed, and that altruistic behaviors were prevalent among learners. Interestingly, scores for both onsite and online activities were strongly influenced by learners’ connectedness to nature, as learners with a stronger connection to nature gave higher scores to both types of activities. Our results suggest that an effort to improve the efficacy of remote learning activities should be the focus of research about teaching methodologies in predominantly empirical scientific disciplines.
Transcriptome analysis and molecular characterization of soluble chemical communication proteins in the parasitoid wasp Anagrus nilaparvatae (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)
Authors: Ma Ying , Huang Tingfa , Tang Bingjie , Wang Bingyang , Wang Liyang , Liu Jianbai , Zhou Qiang 
Published: March 2022

AbstractAnagrus nilaparvatae is an important egg parasitoid wasp of pests such as the rice planthopper. Based on the powerful olfactory system of sensing chemical information in nature, A. nilaparvatae shows complicated life activities and behaviors, such as feeding, mating, and hosting. We constructed a full‐length transcriptome library and used this to identify the characteristics of soluble chemical communication proteins. Through full‐length transcriptome sequencing, splicing, assembly, and data correction by Illumina, we obtained 163.59 Mb of transcriptome data and 501,179 items with annotation information. We then performed Gene Ontology (GO) functional classification of the transcriptome's unigenes. We analyzed the sequence characteristics of soluble chemical communication protein genes and identified eight genes: AnilOBP2, AnilOBP9, AnilOBP23, AnilOBP56, AnilOBP83, AnilCSP5, AnilCSP6, and AnilNPC2. After sequence alignment and conserved domain prediction, the eight proteins encoded by the eight genes above were found to be consistent with the typical characteristics of odorant‐binding proteins (OBPs), chemosensory proteins (CSPs), and Niemann‐pick type C2 proteins (NPC2s) in other insects. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the eight genes share low homology with other species of Hymenoptera. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) was used to analyze the expression responses of the eight genes in different sexes and upon stimulation by volatile organic compounds. The relative expression levels of AnilOBP9, AnilOBP26, AnilOBP83, AnilCSP5, and AnilNPC2 in males were significantly higher than those in females, while the relative expression level of AnilCSP6 was higher in females. The expression levels of AnilOBP9 and AnilCSP6 were significantly altered by the stimulation of β‐caryophyllene, suggesting that these two genes may be related to host detection. This study provides the first data for A. nilaparvatae's transcriptome and the molecular characteristics of soluble chemical communication proteins, as well as an opportunity for understanding how A. nilaparvatae behaviors are mediated via soluble chemical communication proteins.
Intraspecific independent evolution of floral spur length in response to local flower visitor size in Japanese Aquilegia in different mountain regions
Authors: Toji Tsubasa , Hirota Shun K. , Ishimoto Natsumi , Suyama Yoshihisa , Itino Takao 
Published: March 2022

AbstractGeographic differences in floral traits may reflect geographic differences in effective pollinator assemblages. Independent local adaptation to pollinator assemblages in multiple regions would be expected to cause parallel floral trait evolution, although sufficient evidence for this is still lacking. Knowing the intraspecific evolutionary history of floral traits will reveal events that occur in the early stages of trait diversification. In this study, we investigated the relationship between flower spur length and pollinator size in 16 populations of Aquilegia buergeriana var. buergeriana distributed in four mountain regions in the Japanese Alps. We also examined the genetic relationship between yellow‐ and red‐flowered individuals, to see if color differences caused genetic differentiation by pollinator isolation. Genetic relationships among 16 populations were analyzed based on genome‐wide single‐nucleotide polymorphisms. Even among populations within the same mountain region, pollinator size varied widely, and the average spur length of A. buergeriana var. buergeriana in each population was strongly related to the average visitor size of that population. Genetic relatedness between populations was not related to the similarity of spur length between populations; rather, it was related to the geographic proximity of populations in each mountain region. Our results indicate that spur length in each population evolved independently of the population genetic structure but in parallel in response to local flower visitor size in different mountain regions. Further, yellow‐ and red‐flowered individuals of A. buergeriana var. buergeriana were not genetically differentiated. Unlike other Aquilegia species in Europe and America visited by hummingbirds and hawkmoths, the Japanese Aquilegia species is consistently visited by bumblebees. As a result, genetic isolation by flower color may not have occurred.
Adaptation strategy of karst forests: Evidence from the community‐weighted mean of plant functional traits
Authors: Liu Libin , Hu Jing , Chen Xinyao , Xu Xin , Yang Yong , Ni Jian 
Published: March 2022

AbstractConservative survival strategy of plants growing in harsh karst habitats is observed from the view of plant functional traits, such as morphological traits and ecological stoichiometry. However, whether the plant communities in karst forests with high species turnover adopt a conservative strategy remains undetermined. This study comprehensively investigated the characteristics of functional traits of dominant plant species in four forests (i.e. Platycarya strobilacea, Quercus fabri, Quercus variabilis, and Pinus massoniana forests) in a trough‐valley karst watershed in Northern Guizhou Province, Southwestern China to explore the adaptation strategy of karst forests at the community level. At the organ and the species levels, traits differed among species, and the leaf and the bark morphological traits and root C:N:P ecological stoichiometry presented large interspecific variations. At the community level, the P. massoniana forest presented the lowest specific root length and dry matter content and tissue density of roots, branch, twig, and bark; the Q. fabri and the Q. variabilis forests displayed low specific leaf area and high dry matter content and tissue density of roots, branch, and twig; and the Platycarya strobilacea forest exhibited high specific leaf area. The P. massoniana forest was subjected to N and P colimitation, and the three other broad‐leaved forests were limited by P supply. The community‐weighted means rather than the arithmetic means of traits were preferential to represent the trait characteristics at the community level. From the view of plant functional traits at the community level, karst forests develop multiple functional traits like low specific leaf area, high dry matter content and tissue density of leaf, roots, branch, and twig, and decrease N and P investments in leaf for a conservative survival strategy to adapt to harsh habitats.
Traits data for the butterflies and macro‐moths of Great Britain and Ireland
Authors: Cook Patrick M. , Tordoff George M. , Davis Tony M. , Parsons Mark S. , Dennis Emily B. , Fox Richard , Botham Marc S. , Bourn Nigel A. D. 
Published: March 2022

AbstractButterflies and moths, collectively Lepidoptera, are integral components of ecosystems, providing key services such as pollination and a prey resource for vertebrate and invertebrate predators. Lepidoptera are a relatively well studied group of invertebrates. In Great Britain and Ireland numerous citizen science projects provide data on changes in distribution and abundance. The availability of high‐quality monitoring and recording data, combined with the rapid response of Lepidoptera to environmental change, makes them ideal candidates for traits‐based ecological studies. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of studies documenting traits‐based responses of Lepidoptera, highlighting the demand for a standardized and referenced traits database. There is a wide range of primary and secondary literature sources available regarding the ecology of British and Irish Lepidoptera to support such studies. Currently these sources have not been collated into one central repository that would facilitate and enhance future research. Here, we present a comprehensive traits database for the butterflies and macro‐moths of Great Britain and Ireland. The database covers 968 species in 21 families. Ecological traits fall into four main categories: life cycle ecology and phenology, host plant specificity and characteristics, breeding habitat, and morphological characteristics. The database also contains data regarding species distribution, conservation status, and temporal trends for abundance and occupancy. This database can be used for a wide array of purposes including further fundamental research on species and community responses to environmental change, conservation and management studies, and evolutionary biology. There are no copyright restrictions, and this paper must be cited if data are used in publications.
Effects of nanosecond pulsed electric fields application on cancer cell and combination of anticancer drug
Authors: Enomoto Soichiro , Konishi Daisuke , Uto Yoshihiro , Shimomura Naoyuki 
Published: March 2022

AbstractWith the goal of establishing a new cancer treatment method using nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs), we investigated the effect of applying nsPEFs and anticancer drugs (adriamycin, ADM) to cancer cells. The surviving fraction of cancer cells was significantly reduced by nsPEFs application compared to the control. Compared to nsPEFs alone and ADM administration alone, a significant decrease of the surviving fraction was observed in combination of nsPEFs application and ADM administration. In addition, multiplying value of surviving fractions of nsPEFs application and ADM administration was calculated as a pseudo‐combination effect. The surviving fractions of the experimental combinational results of nsPEFs and ADM were lower than the pseudo‐combination results. Therefore, the synergistic effect of combination of nsPEFs and ADM was confirmed. Furthermore, the surviving fraction of ADM administration after nsPEFs application was significantly lower than that of ADM administration on 24 h before nsPEFs application. ADM action on cells would be effective owing to nanopores were formed by applying nsPEFs. It was confirmed that ADM and nsPEF induced apoptosis of cells from apoptosis and necrosis test using FACS.
Selectfluor Mediated Difunctionalization of Olefins towards the Synthesis of Fluoromethylated Morpholines
Authors: Panday Prabhakar , Singh Anand 
Published: March 2022

AbstractA transition‐metal‐free oxyfluorination of olefins with concomitant cyclization has been developed as a route towards monofluoromethylated morpholines. Selectfluor was employed as a fluorinating reagent as well as an oxidant to activate olefins. This strategy provides access to a new chemical space using aminoalcohol derived nitrogen‐tethered alkene precursors.
Influence of directionality of spectral‐compatible Bi‐directional ground motions on critical seismic performance assessment of base‐isolation structures
Authors: Lin Yu , He Xinhao , Igarashi Akira 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIn this study, the effects of the degree of directionality on critical seismic performance assessment are investigated from two aspects: the bidirectional seismic demand represented by maximum‐direction spectrum and the performance indices obtained from nonlinear time‐history analysis. Firstly, typical representations of the bidirectional demand of ground motions are reviewed and compared, in seismic design practices (e.g., ASCE 7‐16, Eurocode8, and JRA). Statistical analysis using 83 ground motions underlines the implication of the spectrum‐compatible condition that has not been fully considered in past studies investigating the bidirectional effects. In the second part, a series of spectrum‐compatible bidirectional ground motions with various degrees of directionality are generated as inputs. The corresponding seismic performance assessment results of a base isolation building with the friction pendulum system are investigated. According to the simulation results, the current design practices could introduce unconservative assessment on the maximum bearing displacement due to the omission of the directionality effect included in the design ground motions, particularly, when the directionality parameter is at a large value (less directionality). The cases with nondirectionality always tend to result in a nearly constant envelope of the maximum interstory drift and the maximum floor acceleration assessment for the full directionality case, over all incident directions. For the critical seismic performance assessment, the two extreme cases, namely the full directionality and nondirectionality cases, are recommended to be considered.
Automated Counting of Daphnid Neonates, Artemia Nauplii, and Zebrafish Eggs: A Proof of Concept
Authors: Abreu Sizenando N. , Jesus Fátima , Domingues Inês , Baptista Filipa , Pereira Joana L. , Serpa Dalila , Soares Amadeu M. V. M. , Martins Rui E. , Oliveira e Silva Miguel 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
In aquatic invertebrate (e.g., daphnids and Artemia sp.) and zebrafish cultures, in ecotoxicological bioassays, or when addressing complex population-level experimental designs, the counting of an organism's progeny is often required. This counting process is laborious, repetitive, and time-consuming, potentially posing health hazards to the operators, and necessarily entailing a higher likelihood of human error. We present an experimental evaluation of a computer-based device for counting neonates (Daphnia magna, Daphnia longispina, and Ceriodaphnia sp.), nauplii (Artemia salina and Artemia franciscana), and zebrafish (Danio rerio) eggs. Manual counts by an experienced technician were compared with the corresponding automated counts achieved by the computer-based counting device. A minimum of 55 counts/species was performed, with the number of counted organisms being up to a maximum of 150 neonates of Ceriodaphnia dubia, 200 neonates of D. magna and D. longispina, 200 nauplii of A. franciscana and A. salina, and 500 zebrafish eggs. Manual and automated counts were both performed in culture medium solutions of 50 ml of volume. Automated counts showed a mean relative acccuracy of 98.9% (97.9%–99.4%) and a relative standard deviation of 1.72%. The results demonstrate that the computer-based device can be used for accurately counting these aquatic organisms. This computer-based counting might be extended to other organisms of similar size, thus facilitating reproduction and life-cycle ecotoxicity tests. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1451–1458. © 2022 SETAC
Abstract
A device for automatic counting of small aquatic organisms (e.g., Daphnia sp.) was experimentally validated versus manual counting, showing it to be a relevant tool for cultures and ecotoxicological bioassays.
Umoja: A Swahili feminist ethic for negotiating justice in Zanzibar
Authors: Ott Jessica 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThis article explores umoja, a Swahili worldview of relational personhood, as an alternative cultural form to rights‐based approaches for seeking gender justice in Zanzibar. Since the colonial era, umoja— which translates roughly as “unity”—has become increasingly gendered in political discourse and used by various civil society and government groups to negotiate diverse visions of gender justice. Based on ethnographic observation of a women's savings cooperative, or vicoba, of working‐class women migrants from the Tanzanian mainland, and a feminist civil society coalition, this work explores umoja as a form of feminist solidarity and as a feminist ethic. As a type of feminist solidarity, umoja is exemplified by the vicoba, which maintains relational dignity among members and structurally mitigates within‐group inequities. As a feminist ethic, umoja involves intricately negotiating subgroup interests amidst constantly shifting individual and group relationships while maintaining conviviality in larger collectivities. By prioritizing collective conviviality, umoja avoids directly confronting patriarchal social structures, which raises questions about its potential to ensure gender justice. However, its emphasis on conviviality also acknowledges a shared humanity, which together with its treatment of inequities as intersectional and relational make umoja a holistic complement or alternative to rights‐based approaches for ensuring gendered social change.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Bohai Sea: A review of their distribution, sources, and risks
Authors: Wu Guanghong , Qin Renjie , Luo Wei 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
The distribution, risks, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) observed in seawater and sediments in the Bohai Sea were reviewed. The ecological risk of total PAHs in seawater was low, but the ecological risks of several individual PAHs (Pyr, BbF, and IcdP) were high. Detected PAHs in sediments rarely had adverse biological effects. High PAH concentrations were identified in Bohai Bay, in the sea area near Qinhuangdao, in Jinzhou Bay, and in Bohai Strait. Low PAH concentrations were found in the central Bohai, in Laizhou Bay, and in the sea area with more intensive ocean currents near Caofeidian. PAH concentrations in the Bohai Sea present a seaward-decreasing trend. Their spatial distribution could be attributed to the influence of human activities (population, industrial activities, and shipping activities), which determined PAH emissions. The PAHs were characterized by local sources, indicating that coal consumption and vehicle emissions were important sources of PAHs. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1705–1721. © 2022 SETAC
KEY POINTS
Spatial distribution of PAH concentrations in the surface sediments of the Bohai Sea was determined. PAH pollution hot spots in the entire Bohai Sea were identified. Divergence of economic development and energy consumption during urbanization and industrialization was the main reason for the PAH distribution in the Bohai Sea sediments. PAH concentrations descended in the order of river &gt; estuary &gt; offshore.