bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intrinsic climatic predictability affects ornamental coloration of adult males: Evidence for compensation among carotenoid‐ and melanin‐based coloration
Authors: Masó Guillem , Vicente‐Sastre Diego , Fitze Patrick S. 
Published: February 2022

Abstract

Ornamental coloration is frequently an honest signal of quality associated with sexual selection. While changes in average environmental conditions affect carotenoid‐ and melanin‐based coloration, no evidence exists that changes in intrinsic environmental predictability affect coloration.

Here we experimentally manipulated the intrinsic predictability of precipitation in semi‐natural populations of common lizards Zootoca vivipara and tested its effect on ornamental coloration and reproduction of adult males.

Less predictable precipitation decreased hue of carotenoid‐based coloration and the extent of melanin‐based coloration. Hue was positively correlated and the extent of melanin‐based coloration was negatively correlated with the male's number of confirmed mate partners.

Treatment effects on hue were associated with reduced, and treatment effects on the extent of melanin‐based coloration with increased access to females, in line with differential effects on sexual selection.

Neither survival nor reproductive success of adult males significantly differed among predictability treatments, suggesting that negative effects on reproduction caused by changes in carotenoid‐based coloration may have been compensated by changes in melanin‐based coloration.

The results also showed that ornamentation, rather than reproduction and survival of adult males, was affected by less favourable conditions. Together with previous results, this suggests that coloration might be more sensitive to changes in environmental conditions than direct fitness proxies.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
The ecological function of insect egg micropyles
Authors: Iossa Graziella 
Published: February 2022

Abstract

Insect egg micropyles are openings through the chorion allowing sperm entry for fertilisation. Micropyles are diverse structures showing remarkable variation in number, spatial arrangement and physical structure across extant insect orders. Despite being almost ubiquitous across insects, they have received little attention. As key morphological features of an immobile life stage, it is plausible that part of the diversity exhibited by micropyles is adaptive, supporting other egg structures during embryo development. So, while egg fertilization is the primary function of micropyles, they could aid embryo development and be shaped by natural, as well as sexual selection.

Here I first used ancestral reconstruction to investigate micropyle presence, number and variation in primitive insects. Then, I used phylogenetic comparative analyses to explore the ecological function of micropyle number.

I hypothesised that micropyle number correlated with (1) aeropyle presence facilitating oxygen exchange; (2) aquatic oviposition supporting development in water and is influenced by (3) critical bioclimatic variables.

Across 24 hexapod orders, the most likely ancestral state was one or two micropyles, interspecific variation was high and intraspecific variation was low. Mean micropyle number ranged from zero in Entognatha, Strepsiptera and Thysanoptera to 120 in Panstrongylus geniculatus, Hemiptera, and over 100 on average for Apidae, Hymenoptera. Micropyle number was strongly positively related to (1) egg size, with larger eggs having more micropyles; (2) the presence of aeropyles; (3) annual precipitation, with eggs developing in habitats with low annual precipitation exhibiting fewer micropyles; and (4) negatively related to micropyle width, insect eggs having fewer larger micropyles or numerous smaller ones. However, aquatic oviposition did not affect micropyle number.

Overall these findings point to an adaptive ecological function of egg micropyles in addition to their primary fertilisation function. This is consistent with the hypothesis that micropyles aid embryo survival, and so this almost‐ubiquitous trait across insects is shaped by sexual and natural selection pressures during this critical life stage.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
‘Ever Greater Divergence’, but…: The Ongoing Saga of Brexit and Financial Services
Authors: Sowels Nicholas 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAs in many other fields, UK‐EU relations in financial services are set on a path of ever greater divergence. This follows logically from Theresa May’s Lancaster House speech in January 2017 announcing that the UK would leave the single market. The City‐based policy community then quickly moved from hoping to keep passporting rights to the EU market, towards searching for access based on ‘equivalence’. But as negotiations became more acrimonious following Boris Johnson’s arrival in Downing Street and (Lord) David Frost’s appointment as Chief Negotiator for Exiting the European Union in 2019, the prospects for a deal on financial services slipped away—perhaps surprisingly, given the centrality of finance to the British economy. For its part, the EU has been increasingly reluctant to reach a deal on financial services, taking instead the path to greater financial autonomy and regulatory control within the European Union and the Eurozone in particular. As a result, UK‐based firms no longer have access to the EU market, although there is still a tug‐of‐war of some consequence over the location of euro‐denominated derivative trading. Incremental divergence is now at work, as Britain pursues a strategy of competitiveness based on better regulation, within the international framework established after the global financial crisis of 2007–2009.
Definition and categorization of rural and assessment of realized access to care
Authors: Zahnd Whitney E. , Del Vecchio Natalie , Askelson Natoshia , Eberth Jan M. , Vanderpool Robin C. , Overholser Linda , Madhivanan Purnima , Hirschey Rachel , Edward Jean 
Published: February 2022

AbstractObjectiveTo examine how three measures of realized access to care vary by definitions and categorizations of “rural”.Data sourcesHealth Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data, a nationally representative survey assessing knowledge of health‐related information, were used. Participants were categorized by county‐based Urban Influence Codes (UICs), Rural–Urban Continuum Codes (RUCCs), and census tract‐based Rural–Urban Commuting Area (RUCAs).Study designThree approaches were used across categories of UICs, RUCCs, and RUCAs: (1) non‐metropolitan/metropolitan, (2) three‐group categorization based upon population size, and (3) three‐group categorization based on adjacency to metropolitan areas. Wald Chi‐square tests evaluated differences in sociodemographic variables and three measures of realized access across three of Penchansky's “A's of access” and approaches. The three outcome measures included: having a regular provider (realized availability), self‐reported “excellent” quality of care (realized acceptability), and self‐report of the provider “always” spending enough time with you (provider attentiveness–realized accommodation). The average marginal effects corresponding to each outcome were calculated.Data collection/extraction methodsN/APrincipal findingsAll approaches indicated comparable variation in sociodemographics. In all approaches, RUCA‐based categorizations showed differences in having a regular provider (e.g., 68.9% of non‐metropolitan and 64.4% of metropolitan participants had a regular provider). This association was attenuated in multivariable analyses. No rural–urban differences in quality of care were seen in unadjusted or adjusted analyses regardless of approach. After adjustment for covariates, rural respondents reported greater provider attentiveness in some categorizations of rural compared with urban (e.g., non‐metropolitan respondents reported 6.03 percentage point increase in probability of having an attentive provider [CI = 0.76–11.31%] compared with metropolitan).ConclusionsOur findings underscore the importance of considering multiple definitions of rural to understand access disparities and suggest that continued research is needed to examine the interplay between potential and realized access. These findings have implications for federal funding, resource allocation, and identifying health disparities.
Utility of DNA barcoding for identification of common Vespa species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) from Yunnan, China
Authors: Wang Ming‐Ming , Yin Peng‐Kai , Tang Ya‐Ni , Yang Zi‐Zhong , Xiao Huai , Zhang Cheng‐Gui , Yang Yin‐He , Yang Da‐Song 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAs traditional Chinese medicine and edible insects, Vespa hornets have high economic value and huge market demand. Hornet breeding has become an important way to increase the income of mountain farmers in China, but the limitation of traditional identification methods has become the bottleneck of the modern development of hornet resources. In this study, a simple and reliable method for the molecular identification of typical hornets from Yunnan was successfully established. In the NCBI database, DNA sequences of hornet samples were aligned as Vespa analis, Vespa basalis, Vespa velutina, Vespa mandarinia, Vespa magnifica, Vespa binghami, Vespa soror by BLAST search. The efficiency of the PCR amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) gene sequences in all samples was 100% by using the optimized program. Moreover, a reference database for DNA barcodes of Vespa materials in Yunnan was constructed. This study provided a successful example for the identification of local insects of Yunnan and will be helpful to the development of wasp resources.
Depression in psoriatic arthritis: Related to socio‐demographics, comorbid loads or disease activity?
Authors: Lai Tin Lok , Au Chi Kit , Chung Ho Yin , Lau Chak Sing 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAimPsychological distress commonly occurs in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression in PsA. The secondary objective was to explore its associated factors, including socio‐demographics, disease activity data and comorbidities.MethodsPatients with PsA fulfilling the Classification Criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis were consecutively recruited from local rheumatology clinics. Depression was assessed by a self‐administered Chinese‐Cantonese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).ResultsTwo hundred and eight eligible patients with PsA were recruited, with 82 females and 126 males. Depression was found in 62 (29.8%) of them. The univariate model identified these associated factors: (1) Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score; (2) disease activity measurement, that is tender and swollen joint count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C‐reactive protein, Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) score, Leeds Enthesitis Index and tender dactylitis count; (3) quality of life measurement, that is Health Assessment Questionnaire ‐ Disability Index (HAQ‐DI), pain and general health perception; (4) PsA duration; and (5) body mass index. The final regression model identified DAPSA and HAQ‐DI were closely associated with depression,P = .007 andP = .02 respectively. Moderate and strong correlations with HADS score were found with DAPSA (Kendall's tau‐b coefficient [τb] = 0.25) and HAQ‐DI (τb = 0.4) respectively. No associations with depression were found between age, living and employment status, gender, demographics, inflammatory markers, disease duration, skin involvement and comorbidities, in term of Charlson's Comorbidity Index.ConclusionDepression was prevalent among PsA patients and it was closely correlated with disease activity and physical function impairment. Achieving low disease activity and maintaining physical function in patients with PsA may mitigate the psychological burden. The present study also highlighted the unmet needs of strategies to identify this common phenomenon.
Metformin induces S‐adenosylmethionine restriction to extend the Caenorhabditis elegans healthspan through H3K4me3 modifiers
Authors: Xiao Yi , Liu Fang , Kong Qinghong , Zhu Xinting , Wang Haijuan , Li Sanhua , Jiang Nian , Yu Changyan , Yun Liu 
Published: February 2022

AbstractMetformin, a widely prescribed first‐line drug for the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus, has been shown to extend lifespan and delay the onset of age‐related diseases. The precisely mechanisms by which these effects are realized remain elusive. We find that metformin exposure is restricted to adults, which is sufficient to extend lifespan. However, limiting metformin exposure to the larvae has no significant effect on Caenorhabditis elegans longevity. Here, we show that after metformin treatment, the level of S‐adenosylmethionine (SAM) is reduced in adults but not in the larvae. Potential mechanisms by which reduced SAM might increase lifespan include altering the histone methylation. However, the molecular connections between metformin, SAM limitation, methyltransferases, and healthspan‐associated phenotypes are unclear. Through genetic screening of C. elegans, we find that metformin promotes the healthspan through an H3K4 methyltransferase/demethylase complex to downregulate the targets, including mTOR and S6 kinase. Thus, our studies provide molecular links between meformin, SAM limitation, histone methylation, and healthspan and elucidate the mode action of metformin‐regulated healthspan extension will boost its therapeutic application in the treatment of human aging and age‐related diseases.
Anthropology and the misery of writing
Authors: Starn Orin 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWe have had much excited talk about experimental ethnography and new genres of writing. Much of it acknowledges the difficulties of putting words to page. But few of the many reflections and meditations about ethnography really delve into the self‐destroying anxiety and misery that can accompany writing in anthropology and across the humanities. That many of us—from graduate students to tenured professors—have suffered bad, sometimes career‐ending trouble with writing is a public secret. I draw on my own struggle with writing and depression to try to make some sense of why desperation and worse related to writing are so relatively commonplace in anthropology today—and whether there's anything we can do about it.
Intersectional justice denied: Racist warring masculinity, negative peace, and violence in post‐peace accords El Salvador
Authors: Velásquez Estrada R. Elizabeth 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe skyrocketing violence in Central America calls upon scholars to examine the needed conditions for peace. This article challenges the assumption that the absence of violence among factions in conflict is the chief goal around which peacemaking efforts should operate. Based on ethnographic research with women relatives of male gang members and civil war veterans in El Salvador, I argue that the 1992 Salvadoran Peace Accords that ended twelve years of civil war developed a male‐centered notion of negative peace that ended the armed conflict while naturalizing racialized state violence as part of security measures and ongoing violence against women as low‐grade part of everyday life. In the post‐accords era, gang members advance their version of negative peace, promising to protect women and the nation while continuing to oppress their women relatives. I suggest that the effective path to attain substantive peace is to proactively engage in intersectional justice to redress multiple and intersecting forms of violence. The consequences of peacemaking efforts without this attention will result in continued massive killing and immigration to the United States.
War‐related trauma linked to increased sustained attention to threat in children
Authors: Michalek Julia , Lisi Matteo , Binetti Nicola , Ozkaya Sumeyye , Hadfield Kristin , Dajani Rana , Mareschal Isabelle 
Published: February 2022

AbstractExperiences of war and displacement can have profound effects on children's affective development and mental health, although the mechanism(s) underlying these effects remain unknown. This study investigated the link between early adversity and attention to affective stimuli using a free‐viewing eye‐tracking paradigm with Syrian refugee (n = 31, Mage = 9.55, 12 female) and Jordanian non‐refugee (n = 55, Mage = 9.98, 30 female) children living in Jordan (March 2020). Questionnaires assessed PTSD, anxiety/depression, insecurity, distress, and trauma. Refugee children showed greater initial avoidance of angry and happy faces compared to non‐refugee children, and higher trauma exposure was linked to increased sustained attention to angry stimuli. These findings suggest that war‐related trauma may have differential effects on the early and later stages of affective processing in refugee children.
Accuracy of bone‐level assessments following reconstructive surgical treatment of experimental peri‐implantitis
Authors: Almohandes Ahmed , Lund Henrik , Carcuac Olivier , Petzold Max , Berglundh Tord , Abrahamsson Ingemar 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAimsThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of bone‐level assessments using either cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT), intra‐oral peri‐apical (PA) radiographs or histology following reconstructive treatment of experimental peri‐implantitis.Materials and MethodsSix Labrador dogs were used. Experimental peri‐implantitis was induced 3 months after implant placement. Surgical treatment of peri‐implantitis was performed and peri‐implant defects were allocated to one of four treatment categories; no augmentation, bone graft materials with or without a barrier membrane. Six months later, intra‐oral PA radiographs and block biopsies from all implants sites were obtained. Marginal bone levels (MBLs) were measured using PA radiographs, CBCT and histology.ResultsSignificant correlations of MBL assessments were observed between the three methods. The measurements in PA radiographs consistently resulted in an overestimation of the bone level of about 0.3–0.4 mm. The agreement between the methods was not influenced by the use of bone substitute materials in the management of the osseous defects.ConclusionsAlthough MBL assessments obtained from PA radiographs showed an overestimation compared to MBL assessments on corresponding CBCT images and histological sections, PA radiographs can be considered a reliable technique for peri‐implant bone‐level evaluations following reconstructive surgical therapy of experimental peri‐implantitis.
All rights reserved: Copyright protection and multinational knowledge transfers
Authors: Ivus Olena , Park Walter G. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe copyright industry contributes to global knowledge transfers, rivaling the manufacturing industry. Creative works are media for conveying information. This paper studies the effects of copyright protection on the international licensing of US companies in the copyright‐based industries. The results show that copyrights affect technological development in creative industries as well as beyond; for example, in supporting industries that produce complementary output. The empirical analysis considers firms' selection into licensing, based on the cost of transferring creative works to host markets. The volume and likelihood of licensing rise with copyright protection when creative works are in sufficiently high demand.
Controlling the electrical resistivity of porous silicon carbide ceramics and their applications: A review
Authors: Anwar Muhammad Shoaib , Bukhari Syed Zaighum Abbas , Ha Jang‐Hoon , Lee Jongman , Song In‐Hyuck , Kim Young‐Wook 
Published: February 2022

AbstractPorous silicon carbide (SiC)‐based ceramics are widely used in numerous applications of technical importance owing to their exceptional structural (e.g., excellent chemical, mechanical, and thermal stability) and functional (e.g., controlled electrical resistivity) properties. Porous SiC with controlled electrical resistivity is required for various advanced applications, for example, power electronic devices, semiconductor processing parts, fusion reactors, thermoelectric energy conversion, electromagnetic shielding, and environmental applications such as heatable filters. The electrical properties of sintered porous SiC are significantly affected by its chemical composition, processing conditions, and microstructure. This article reviews the influence of certain critical factors, such as the polytype, doping conditions, porosity (%), additive composition (oxide additives, element additives, metal nitride/carbide additives, etc.), and processing conditions on the electrical resistivity of porous SiC. Novel applications of porous SiC with controlled electrical resistivity are also discussed in this review.
A lot of convergence, a bit of divergence: Environment and interspecific interactions shape body colour patterns in Lissotriton newts
Authors: de Solan Thomas , Théry Marc , Picard Damien , Crochet Pierre‐André , David Patrice , Secondi Jean 
Published: February 2022

AbstractCoexistence with related species poses evolutionary challenges to which populations may react in diverse ways. When exposed to similar environments, sympatric populations of two species may adopt similar phenotypic trait values. However, selection may also favour trait divergence as a way to reduce competition for resources or mates. The characteristics of external body parts, such as coloration and external morphology, are involved to varying degrees in intraspecific signalling as well as in the adaptation to the environment and consequently may be diversely affected by interspecific interactions in sympatry. Here, we studied the effect of sympatry on various colour and morphological traits in males and females of two related newt species Lissotriton helveticus and L. vulgaris. Importantly, we did not only estimate how raw trait differences between species respond to sympatry, but also the marginal responses after controlling for environmental variation. We found that dorsal and caudal coloration converged in sympatry, likely reflecting their role in adaptation to local environments, especially concealment from predators. In contrast, aspects of male and female ventral coloration, which harbours sexual signals in both species, diverged in sympatry. This divergence may reduce opportunities for interspecific sexual interactions and the associated loss of energy, suggesting reproductive character displacement (RCD). Our study emphasizes the contrasting patterns of traits involved in different functions and calls for the need to consider this diversity in evolutionary studies.
Mass fractal dimension from 2D microscopy images via an aggregation model with variable compactness
Authors: Ferri Giulia , Humbert Severine , Schweitzer Jean‐Marc , Digne Mathieu , Lefebvre Veronique , Moreaud Maxime 
Published: February 2022

AbstractMicroscopy‐image analysis provides precious information on size and structure of colloidal aggregates and agglomerates. The structure of colloids is often characterized using the mass fractal dimension , which is different from the two‐dimensional (2D) fractal dimension that can be computed from microscopy images. In this work, we propose to use a recent morphological aggregation model to find a relationship between 2D image fractal dimension and 3D mass fractal dimension of aggregates and agglomerates. Our case study is represented by scanning transmission electron microscopy images of boehmite colloidal suspensions. The behaviour of the computed at different acid and base concentration shows a fair agreement with the results of small angle x‐ray scattering and with the literature, enabling to use the versus relationship to study the impact of the composition of the colloidal suspension on the density of colloidal aggregates and agglomerates.