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Data from: Fine-scale refuges can buffer demographic and genetic processes against short-term climatic variation and disturbance: a 22 year case study of an arboreal marsupial
Ecological disturbance and climate are key drivers of temporal dynamics in the demography and genetic diversity of natural populations. Microscale refuges are known to buffer species' persistence against environmental change, but the effects of such refuges on demographic and genetic patterns in response to short-term environmental variation are poorly understood. We quantified demographic and genetic responses of mountain brushtail possums (Trichosurus cunninghami) to rainfall variability (1992–2013) and to a major wildfire. We hypothesized that there would be underlying differences in demographic and genetic processes between an unburnt mesic refuge and a topographically exposed zone that was burnt in 2009. Fire caused a 2-year decrease in survival in the burnt zone, but the population grew after the fire due to immigration, leading to increased expected heterozygosity. We documented a fire-related behavioural shift, where the rate of movement by individuals in the unburnt refuge to the burnt zone decreased after fire. Irrespective of the fire, there were long-term differences in demographic and genetic parameters between the mesic/unburnt refuge and the nonmesic/burnt zone. Survival was high and unaffected by rainfall in the refuge, but lower and rainfall-dependent in the nonmesic zone. Net movement of individuals was directional, from the mesic refuge to the nonmesic zone, suggesting fine-scale source–sink dynamics. There were higher expected heterozygosity (HE) and temporal genetic stability in the refuge, but lower HE and marked temporal genetic structure in the exposed habitat, consistent with reduced generational overlap caused by elevated mortality and immigration. Thus, fine-scale refuges can mediate the short-term demographic and genetic effects of climate and ecological disturbance.
Data from: What causes mating system shifts in plants? Arabidopsis lyrata as a case study
The genetic breakdown of self-incompatibility (SI) and subsequent mating system shifts to inbreeding has intrigued evolutionary geneticists for decades. Most of our knowledge is derived from interspecific comparisons between inbreeding species and their outcrossing relatives, where inferences may be confounded by secondary mutations that arose after the initial loss of SI. Here, we study an intraspecific breakdown of SI and its consequences in North American Arabidopsis lyrata to test whether: (1) particular S-locus haplotypes are associated with the loss of SI and/or the shift to inbreeding; (2) a population bottleneck may have played a role in driving the transition to inbreeding; and (3) the mutation(s) underlying the loss of SI are likely to have occurred at the S-locus. Combining multiple approaches for genotyping, we found that outcrossing populations on average harbour 5 to 9 S-locus receptor kinase (SRK) alleles, but only two, S1 and S19, are shared by most inbreeding populations. Self-compatibility (SC) behaved genetically as a recessive trait, as expected from a loss-of-function mutation. Bulked segregant analysis in SC × SI F2 individuals using deep sequencing confirmed that all SC plants were S1 homozygotes but not all S1 homozygotes were SC. This was also revealed in population surveys, where only a few S1 homozygotes were SC. Together with crossing data, this suggests that there is a recessive factor that causes SC that is physically unlinked to the S-locus. Overall, our results emphasise the value of combining classical genetics with advanced sequencing approaches to resolve long outstanding questions in evolutionary biology.
Data from: Evidence for sex-specific selection in brain: a case study of the nine-spined stickleback
Theory predicts that the sex making greater investments into reproductive behaviours demands higher cognitive ability, and as a consequence, larger brains or brain parts. Further, the resulting sexual dimorphism can differ between populations adapted to different environments, or among individuals developing under different environmental conditions. In the nine-spine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius), males perform nest building, courtship, territory defence and parental care, whereas females perform mate choice and produce eggs. Also, predation-adapted marine and competition-adapted pond populations have diverged in a series of ecologically relevant traits, including the level of phenotypic plasticity. Here, we studied sexual dimorphism in brain size and architecture in nine-spined stickleback from marine and pond populations reared in a factorial experiment with predation and food treatments in a common garden experiment. Males had relatively larger brains, larger telencephala, cerebella and hypothalami (6–16% divergence) than females, irrespective of habitat. Females tended to have larger bulbi olfactorii than males (13%) in the high food treatment, whereas no such difference was found in the low food treatment. The strong sexual dimorphism in brain architecture implies that the different reproductive allocation strategies (behaviour vs. egg production) select for different investments into the costly brains between males and females. The lack of habitat dependence in brain sexual dimorphism suggests that the sex-specific selection forces on brains differ only negligibly between habitats. Although significance of the observed sex-specific brain plasticity in the size of bulbus olfactorius remains unclear, it demonstrates the potential for sex-specific neural plasticity.
Data from: Ascertaining gene flow patterns in livestock populations of developing countries: a case study in Burkina Faso goat
BACKGROUND: Introgression of Sahel livestock genes southwards in West Africa may be favoured by human activity and the increase of the duration of the dry seasons since the 1970's. The aim of this study is to assess the gene flow patterns in Burkina Faso goat and to ascertain the most likely factors influencing geographic patterns of genetic variation in the Burkina Faso goat population. RESULTS: A total of 520 goat were sampled in 23 different locations of Burkina Faso and genotyped for a set of 19 microsatellites. Although overall differentiation is poor (FST = 0.067 ± 0.003), the goat population of Burkina Faso is far from being homogeneous. Barrier analysis pointed out the existence of: a) genetic discontinuities in the Central and Southeast Burkina Faso; and b) genetic differences within the goat sampled in the Sahel or the Sudan areas of Burkina Faso. Principal component analysis and admixture proportion scores were computed for each population sampled and used to construct interpolation maps. Furthermore, Population Graph analysis revealed that the Sahel and the Sudan environmental areas of Burkina Faso were connected through a significant number of extended edges, which would be consistent with the hypothesis of long-distance dispersal. Genetic variation of Burkina Faso goat followed a geographic-related pattern. This pattern of variation is likely to be related to the presence of vectors of African animal trypanosomosis. Partial Mantel test identified the present Northern limit of trypanosome vectors as the most significant landscape boundary influencing the genetic variability of Burkina Faso goat (p = 0.008). The contribution of Sahel goat genes to the goat populations in the Northern and Eastern parts of the Sudan-Sahel area of Burkina Faso was substantial. The presence of perennial streams explains the existence of trypanosome vectors. The South half of the Nakambé river (Southern Ouagadougou) and the Mouhoun river loop determined, respectively, the Eastern and Northern limits for the expansion of Sahelian goat genes. Furthermore, results from partial Mantel test suggest that the introgression of Sahelian goat genes into Djallonké goat using human-influenced genetic corridors has a limited influence when compared to the biological boundary defined by the northern limits for the distribution of the tsetse fly. However, the genetic differences found between the goat sampled in Bobo Dioulasso and the other populations located in the Sudan area of Burkina Faso may be explained by the broad goat trade favoured by the main road of the country. CONCLUSIONS: The current analysis clearly suggests that genetic variation in Burkina Faso goat: a) follows a North to South clinal; and b) is affected by the distribution of the tsetse fly that imposes a limit to the Sahelian goat expansion due to their trypanosusceptibility. Here we show how extensive surveys on livestock populations can be useful to indirectly assess the consequences of climate change and human action in developing countries.
Data from: How shrub encroachment under climate change could threaten pollination services for alpine wildflowers: a case study using the alpine skypilot, Polemonium viscosum
Under climate change, shrubs encroaching into high altitude plant communities disrupt ecosystem processes. Yet effects of encroachment on pollination mutualisms are poorly understood. Here, we probe potential fitness impacts of interference from encroaching Salix (willows) on pollination quality of the alpine skypilot, Polemonium viscosum. Overlap in flowering time of Salix and Polemonium is a precondition for interference and was surveyed in four extant and 25 historic contact zones. Pollinator sharing was ascertained from observations of willow pollen on bumble bees visiting Polemonium flowers and on Polemonium pistils. We probed fitness effects of pollinator sharing by measuring the correlation between Salix pollen contamination and seed set in naturally pollinated Polemonium. To ascertain whether Salix interference occurred during or after pollination, we compared seed set under natural pollination, conspecific pollen addition, and Salix pollen addition. In current and past contact zones Polemonium and Salix overlapped in flowering time. After accounting for variance in flowering date due to latitude, Salix and Polemonium showed similar advances in flowering under warmer summers. This trend supports the idea that sensitivity to temperature promotes reproductive synchrony in both species. Salix pollen is carried by bumble bees when visiting Polemonium flowers and accounts for up to 25% of the grains on Polemonium pistils. Salix contamination correlates with reduced seed set in nature and when applied experimentally. Postpollination processes likely mediate these deleterious effects as seed set in nature was not limited by pollen delivery. Synthesis: As willows move higher with climate change, we predict that they will drive postpollination interference, reducing the fitness benefits of pollinator visitation for Polemonium and selecting for traits that reduce pollinator sharing.
Data from: Effects of sample size and full sibs on genetic diversity characterization: a case study of three syntopic Iberian pond-breeding amphibians
Accurate characterization of genetic diversity is essential for understanding population demography, predicting future trends and implementing efficient conservation policies. For that purpose, molecular markers are routinely developed for nonmodel species, but key questions regarding sampling design, such as calculation of minimum sample sizes or the effect of relatives in the sample, are often neglected. We used accumulation curves and sibship analyses to explore how these 2 factors affect marker performance in the characterization of genetic diversity. We illustrate this approach with the analysis of an empirical dataset including newly optimized microsatellite sets for 3 Iberian amphibian species: Hyla molleri, Bufo calamita, and Pelophylax perezi. We studied 17–21 populations per species (total n = 547, 652, and 516 individuals, respectively), including a reference locality in which the effect of sample size was explored using larger samples (77–96 individuals). As expected, FIS and tests for Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and linkage disequilibrium were affected by the presence of full sibs, and most initially inferred disequilibria were no longer statistically significant when full siblings were removed from the sample. We estimated that to obtain reliable estimates, the minimum sample size (potentially including full sibs) was close to 20 for expected heterozygosity, and between 50 and 80 for allelic richness. Our pilot study based on a reference population provided a rigorous assessment of marker properties and the effects of sample size and presence of full sibs in the sample. These examples illustrate the advantages of this approach to produce robust and reliable results for downstream analyses.
Data from: Predicting ecological and phenotypic differentiation in the wild: a case of piscivorous fish in a fishless environment
Environmental variation drives ecological and phenotypic change. How predictable is differentiation in response to environmental change? Answering this question requires the development and testing of multifarious a priori predictions in natural systems. We employ this approach using Gobiomorus dormitor populations that have colonized inland blue holes differing in the availability of fish prey. We evaluated predictions of differences in demographics, habitat use, diet, locomotor and trophic morphology, and feeding kinematics and performance between G. dormitor populations inhabiting blue holes with and without fish prey. Populations of G. dormitor independently diverged between prey regimes, with broad agreement between observed differences and a priori predictions. For example, in populations lacking fish prey, we observed male-biased sex ratios, a greater use of shallow-water habitat, and larger population diet breadths as a result of greater individual diet specialization. Furthermore, we found predictable differences in body shape, mouth morphology, suction generation capacity, strike kinematics, and feeding performance on different prey types, consistent with the adaptation of G. dormitor to piscivory when coexisting with fish prey and to feeding on small invertebrates in their absence. The results of the present study suggest great potential in our ability to predict population responses to changing environments, which is an increasingly important capability in a human-dominated, ever-changing world.
Data from: Apolipoprotein (ApoE) polymorphism is related to differences in potential fertility in women: a case of antagonistic pleiotropy?
The alleles that are detrimental to health, especially in older age, are thought to persist in populations because they also confer some benefits for individuals (through antagonistic pleiotropy). The ApoE4 allele at the ApoE locus, encoding apolipoprotein E (ApoE), significantly increases risk of poor health, and yet it is present in many populations at relatively high frequencies. Why has it not been replaced by natural selection with the health-beneficial ApoE3 allele? ApoE is a major supplier of cholesterol precursor for the production of ovarian oestrogen and progesterone, thus ApoE has been suggested as the potential candidate gene that may cause variation in reproductive performance. Our results support this hypothesis showing that in 117 regularly menstruating women those with genotypes with at least one ApoE4 allele had significantly higher levels of mean luteal progesterone (144.21 pmol l−1) than women with genotypes without ApoE4 (120.49 pmol l−1), which indicates higher potential fertility. The hormonal profiles were based on daily data for entire menstrual cycles. We suggest that the finding of higher progesterone in women with ApoE4 allele could provide first strong evidence for an evolutionary mechanism of maintaining the ancestral and health-worsening ApoE4 allele in human populations.
Data from: Repeated jumps from Northwest Africa to the European continent: the case of peripheral populations of an annual plant
Peripheral populations (i.e., those occurring on the edge of a species' distribution range) can have different origins and genetic characteristics, and they may be critical for conservation of genetic diversity. We investigated European peripheral populations of Scrophularia arguta, a widespread, annual plant distributed from Arabia to Northwest Africa and Macaronesia. Only two small disjunct population groups of this species occur in Europe, specifically in West‐Central and Southeast Iberia. To disclose the origin of these populations and determine their importance for conservation of S. arguta genetic diversity, we analysed DNA sequences from two nuclear and two plastid regions and AFLP markers in populations sampled mainly across the western distribution range of the species, and modelled the species distribution under present and late Quaternary conditions. The analyses revealed the presence of three distinct lineages of S. arguta in Europe, as a result of multiple colonisation waves at different times in the Quaternary. Two of these lineages, occurring in Southeast Iberia, are the result of more or less recent dispersal from Northwest Africa. In contrast, West‐Central Iberian populations are strongly differentiated from the remaining range of S. arguta, and can be considered as peripheral relict populations. Our study is the first to demonstrate the occurrence of at least three colonisations of the European continent from Africa by a native plant species. The diverse histories and genetic makeup of resulting populations confirm the importance of peripheral populations, and particularly of ancient relict populations, for conservation of global genetic diversity in widespread species.
Data from: New taxa and a case of ephemeral spore production in Lecideaceae from western North America
Cyclohymenia epilithica is a newly described genus and species from Oregon and Washington, U.S.A. It occurs on noncalcareous rock in the oceanic forests west of the crest of the Cascade Range. Unlike most other North American species in the Lecideaceae, it is restricted to shady habitats in cool, wet, temperate climates. It is distinguished from other members of the family by its thick, pale gray green, epilithic thallus; immersed apothecia that superficially appear like perithecia or pycnidia; and ascocarps that usually contain a central sterile column surrounded by a ring-shaped hymenium. The structure and position of the ascocarp appear to be unique among Lecideaceae and related families. The species is also unusual in producing short-lived asci; most collections have barren apothecia. Lecidea atrobrunnea subsp. deplanaica is raised to the species level. The taxon deserves specific rank, not just from its distinctive chemistry, but also from morphology, distribution, and ecology that differ from L. atrobrunnea s.str. The newly described Lecidea uniformis from Oregon and Washington, mainly west of the Cascade crest, is similar in many ways to L. fuscoatra, but the areoles are uniformly brown and do not have a differentiated gray, blackish, or whitish edge. DNA sequence data support the taxa Cyclohymenia epilithica and L. uniformis.
Data from: Targeted gene enrichment and high-throughput sequencing for environmental biomonitoring: a case study using freshwater macroinvertebrates
Recent studies have advocated biomonitoring using DNA techniques. In this study, two high-throughput sequencing (HTS)-based methods were evaluated: amplicon metabarcoding of the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene and gene enrichment using MYbaits (targeting nine different genes including COI). The gene-enrichment method does not require PCR amplification and thus avoids biases associated with universal primers. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected from 12 New Zealand rivers. Macroinvertebrates were morphologically identified and enumerated, and their biomass determined. DNA was extracted from all macroinvertebrate samples and HTS undertaken using the illumina miseq platform. Macroinvertebrate communities were characterized from sequence data using either six genes (three of the original nine were not used) or just the COI gene in isolation. The gene-enrichment method (all genes) detected the highest number of taxa and obtained the strongest Spearman rank correlations between the number of sequence reads, abundance and biomass in 67% of the samples. Median detection rates across rare (<1% of the total abundance or biomass), moderately abundant (1–5%) and highly abundant (>5%) taxa were highest using the gene-enrichment method (all genes). Our data indicated primer biases occurred during amplicon metabarcoding with greater than 80% of sequence reads originating from one taxon in several samples. The accuracy and sensitivity of both HTS methods would be improved with more comprehensive reference sequence databases. The data from this study illustrate the challenges of using PCR amplification-based methods for biomonitoring and highlight the potential benefits of using approaches, such as gene enrichment, which circumvent the need for an initial PCR step.
Data from: Testing the role of mating preference in a case of incomplete ecological speciation with gene flow
Mating preference can evolve as a side effect of ecological adaptation and simultaneously contribute to speciation in certain scenarios. However, theoretical predictions have been difficult to test experimentally because there has not been any simple way to relate empirical and theoretical parameters. Recently, it has been shown that the r coefficient and other statistics can be used to estimate mating preference in wild-captured mating pairs. In the present work we use these estimators to test whether mating preference has significantly increased in a context favorable for ecological divergence. We perform the study using two groups of samples from populations of the marine gastropod Littorina saxatilis: 1) a group of bimodal populations affected by ecological divergence, and 2) a group of unimodal populations. The results show that mating preference (unlike the trait affected by the preference) does not increase when two ecotypes meet and mate in sympatry, which suggests that mating preference must be controlled by strong stabilizing natural selection, and/or limited by mating cost. This would suggest that mating preference would rarely contribute to speciation under the face of gene flow in these ecotypes.
Data from: What have been and what can be delimited as species using molecular data under the multi-species coalescent model? A case study using Hercules beetles (Dynastes; Dynastidae)
Molecular species delimitation using the multi-species coalescent model has become common for statistically and objectively determining species limits. Empirical examples of how consistently different molecular data sets delimit the same level of divergence as species using coalescent-based methods are still lacking. I applied the method of molecular species delimitation in the Bayesian Phylogenetics and Phylogeography (BPP) program to study species delimitation in the divergence between populations and between putative species across four species of Hercules beetles. The quantity and variability of the molecular data affected species delimitation. A divergence that represented a late stage along the speciation continuum, e.g. between sympatric biological species, could be delimited by BPP by fewer and less variable loci than a recent divergence, e.g. between geographic populations. My results further indicated that the use of genomic data could even over-split geographically continuously distributed populations into species. I compared my results with those from other empirical studies and argue for the need of a thorough review of the kind of evolutionary entities, e.g. geographic populations versus morphologically distinct taxa, that have been designated as species and whether such designations are consistent among studies.
Data from: Bacteria and the evolution of honest signals. The case of ornamental throat feathers in spotless starlings
1.Mechanisms guaranteeing reliability of messages are essential in understanding the underlying information and evolution of signals. Microorganisms may degrade signalling traits and therefore, influence the transmitted information and evolution of these characters. The role of microorganisms in animal signalling has, however, rarely been investigated. 2.Here, we explore a possible role for feather-degrading bacteria driving the design of ornamental throat feathers in male spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor). We estimated length, bacterial load, degradation status, and susceptibility to degradation by keratinolytic bacteria in those feathers, compared to non-ornamental adjacent feathers in males, as well as to throat feathers in females. In addition, the volume of the uropygial gland and its secretion was measured, and the secretion extracted. We also experimentally evaluated the capacity of each secretion to inhibit growth of a keratinolytic bacterium. 3.The apical part of male ornamental throat feathers harboured more bacteria and degraded more quickly than the basal part; these patterns were not detected in female throat feathers or in non-ornamental male feathers. Moreover, degradation status of male and female throat feathers did not differ, but was positively associated with feather bacterial density. Finally, the size of the uropygial gland in both males and females predicted volume and the inhibitory capacity of secretion against feather-degrading bacteria. Only in males was uropygial gland size negatively associated with the level of feather degradation. 4.All results indicate differential susceptibility of different parts of throat feathers to keratinolytic bacterial attack, which supports the possibility that throat feathers in starlings reflect individual ability to combat feather-degrading bacteria honestly. This is further supported by the relationship detected between antimicrobial properties of uropygial secretion and the level of feather degradation. 5.Our results suggest that selection pressures exerted by feather-degrading bacteria on hosts may promote evolution of particular morphologies of secondary sexual traits with different susceptibility to bacterial degradation that reliably inform of their bacterial load. Those results will help to understand the evolution of ornamental signals.
Data from: Optimising trait and source selection for explaining occurrence and abundance changes: a case study using British Butterflies
Functional traits that define the ecological role of an organism are increasingly being used to determine and predict responses to environmental change. Functional trait analyses of butterflies remain underexplored compared with other taxa, such as plants. Previous works using butterfly functional traits have not comprehensively addressed issues about the quality of trait data sets used and the relative predictive power of different trait types. We compare the consistency of trait descriptions between six widely used trait sources for the British butterfly fauna. We analysed consistency of trait sources using Fleiss's kappa and ICC. PCA was used to produce species ordinations, comparing outputs to examine which trait sets were better at explaining recent species range and abundance changes within the UK. There was a large range in congruence values for specific traits between sources. No single source can be relied upon to produce accurate trait information for British butterflies. Most trait sets are poor predictors of abundance and occurrence changes but are better at predicting current occurrence. An extensive trait set, supplementing biotope-related traits with explicit resource-based information recovers more informative ecological classifications and models than those primarily based on life-history traits or biotope descriptors. Smaller trait sets do, however, recover the specialist-generalist continuum. We conclude that analyses of distribution and abundance changes that rely on traits are highly dependent on trait source and trait type. For butterflies, traits that are based on measures of biotope occupancy should be avoided in explaining changes of abundance and distribution. Including trait information that describes their resource requirements is essential for such analyses.
Data from: An unfavorable body composition is common in early arthritis patients: a case control study
Background. An unfavorable body composition is often present in chronic arthritis patients. This unfavorable composition is a loss of muscle mass, with a stable or increased (abdominal) fat mass. Since it is unknown when this unfavorable composition develops, we compared body composition in disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD)-naive early arthritis patients with non-arthritis controls and explored the association, in early arthritis patients, with disease activity and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Methods. 317 consecutive early arthritis patients (84% rheumatoid arthritis according to 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria) and 1268 age-/gender-/ethnicity-matched non-arthritis controls underwent a Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan to assess fat percentage, fat mass index, fat mass distribution and appendicular lean (muscle) mass index. Additionally, disease activity, health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), acute phase proteins, lipid profile and blood pressure were evaluated. Results. Loss of muscle mass (corrected for age suspected muscle mass) was 4-5 times more common in early arthritis patients, with a significantly lower mean appendicular lean mass index (females 6% and males 7% lower, p<0.01). Patients had more fat distributed to the trunk (females p<0.01, males p=0.07) and females had a 4% higher mean fat mass index (p<0.01). An unfavorable body composition was associated with a higher blood pressure and an atherogenic lipid profile. There was no relationship with disease activity, HAQ or acute phase proteins. Conclusion. Loss of muscle mass is 4-5 times more common in early arthritis patients, and is in early arthritis patients associated with a higher blood pressure and an atherogenic lipid profile. Therefore, cardiovascular risk is already increased at the clinical onset of arthritis making cardiovascular risk management necessary in early arthritis patients.
Data from: A Decision Support System for assessing management interventions in a Mental Health ecosystem: the case of Bizkaia (Basque Country, Spain)
Evidence-informed strategic planning is a top priority in Mental Health (MH) due to the burden associated with this group of disorders and its societal costs. However, MH systems are highly complex, and decision support tools should follow a systems thinking approach that incorporates expert knowledge. The aim of this paper is to introduce a new Decision Support System (DSS) to improve knowledge on the health ecosystem, resource allocation and management in regional MH planning. The Efficient Decision Support-Mental Health (EDeS-MH) is a DSS that integrates an operational model to assess the Relative Technical Efficiency (RTE) of small health areas, a Monte-Carlo simulation engine (that carries out the Monte-Carlo simulation technique), a fuzzy inference engine prototype and basic statistics as well as system stability and entropy indicators. The stability indicator assesses the sensitivity of the model results due to data variations (derived from structural changes). The entropy indicator assesses the inner uncertainty of the results. RTE is multidimensional, that is, it was evaluated by using 15 variable combinations called scenarios. Each scenario, designed by experts in MH planning, has its own meaning based on different types of care. Three management interventions on the MH system in Bizkaia were analysed using key performance indicators of the service availability, placement capacity in day care, health care workforce capacity, and resource utilisation data of hospital and community care. The potential impact of these interventions has been assessed at both local and system levels. The system reacts positively to the proposals by a slight increase in its efficiency and stability (and its corresponding decrease in the entropy). However, depending on the analysed scenario, RTE, stability and entropy statistics can have a positive, neutral or negative behaviour. Using this information, decision makers can design new specific interventions/policies. EDeS-MH has been tested and face-validated in a real management situation in the Bizkaia MH system.
Data from: The curious case of Hermodice carunculata (Annelida: Amphinomidae): evidence for genetic homogeneity throughout the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent basins
Over the last few decades, advances in molecular techniques have led to the detection of strong geographic population structure and cryptic speciation in many benthic marine taxa, even those with long-lived pelagic larval stages. Polychaete annelids, in particular, generally show a high degree of population divergence, especially in mitochondrial genes. Rarely have molecular studies confirmed the presence of 'cosmopolitan' species. The amphinomid polychaete Hermodice carunculata was long considered the sole species within its genus, with a reported distribution throughout the Atlantic and adjacent basins. However, recent studies have indicated morphological differences, primarily in the number of branchial filaments, between the East and West Atlantic populations; these differences were invoked to re-instate Hermodice nigrolineata, formerly considered a junior synonym of H. carunculata. We utilized sequence data from two mitochondrial (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, 16S rDNA) markers and one nuclear (internal transcribed spacer) marker to examine the genetic diversity of Hermodice throughout its distribution range in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea, the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Guinea. Our analyses revealed generally low genetic divergences among collecting localities and between the East and West Atlantic, although phylogenetic trees based on mitochondrial data indicate the presence of a private lineage in the Mediterranean Sea. A re-evaluation of the number of branchial filaments confirmed differences between East and West Atlantic populations; however, the differences were not diagnostic and did not reflect the observed genetic population structure. Rather, we suspect that the number of branchial filaments is a function of oxygen saturation in the environment. Our results do not support the distinction between H. carunculata in the West Atlantic and H. nigrolineata in the East Atlantic. Instead, they re-affirm the older notion that H. carunculata is a cohesive species with a broad distribution across the Atlantic Ocean.
Data from: Using citizen-collected wildlife sightings to predict traffic strike hotspots for threatened species: a case study on the southern cassowary
Assessing the causal factors underpinning the distribution and abundance of wildlife road-induced mortality can be challenging. This is particularly ubiquitous for rare or elusive species, because traffic strikes occur infrequently for these populations and information about localized abundance, distribution, and movements are generally lacking. Here we assessed if citizen-collected sightings data may serve as a low cost and efficient means of gathering long-term animal road-side presence and road crossing information, which could then be used to assess the causative factors and direct mitigation actions aimed at reducing wildlife traffic strike frequency. We explored this principle using two decades of traffic strike records and citizen-collected sightings of the southern cassowary Casuarius casuarius johnsonii. Roads have bisected the cassowaries' rainforest habitat and despite considerable investment into mitigation strategies for this species, road-induced mortality is considered one of the primary threatening processes affecting the population. Using a Bayesian approach and controlling for spatial autocorrelation with conditional autoregressive (CAR) models, we demonstrate that traffic strikes are primarily a density-dependent process in the southern cassowary. That is, traffic strike clusters occurred along stretches of road where cassowaries were most frequently sighted. There were, however, road stretches where traffic strike frequency was greater than predicted by the number of road-side sightings, illustrating when and where density-independent processes increased the mortality potential for a road-crossing cassowary. Synthesis and applications. This is the first time that citizen-collected sightings data have been used to systematically inform upon the abundance and distribution of wildlife traffic strike. The technique not only predicts where incidents are likely to occur but also helps us to understand the factors responsible for strike clustering. While not a replacement for systematic surveys, we highlight citizen-collected sightings data as a low-cost option when assessing contributing factors to vehicle-induced mortality. Accounting for density-dependent and independent processes will ensure the most effective allocation of resources when implementing wildlife traffic strike mitigation.
Data from: Case-oriented selection of investigation methods in direct access: A comparison between physiotherapy trainees at professional colleges and in bachelor's study courses
Objective: Direct access to physiotherapy services is currently discussed in Germany. Its introduction would mean that initial diagnoses must be made in physiotherapy practices as well. However, it was not yet investigated whether the current training in physiotherapy is sufficient for this, and whether there are differences between the training systems. This study aims to answer the question of whether trainees at the end of Bachelor's studies (BS) are more reliably able to assess the case-related suitability of examination methods than professional college students (FS). Methodology: Questionnaires were developed to assess the suitability of examination methods for diagnostic inquiries. All professional colleges and bachelor's study courses listed with the German Physiotherapy Association were asked to present the questionnaires to their final classes. Results: In 216 addressed professional colleges and 24 bachelor's study courses, the return rate was 9.26% for professional colleges and 33.33% for study courses. One hundred thirty-eight questionnaires from students in 8 study courses and 368 questionnaires from students at 20 professional colleges were evaluated. The mean of correct decisions in total (of max. 54) was 19.01 (BS) or 15.73 (FS); in structure-related and function-related examination methods (of max. 42), it was 17.22 (BS) and 14.8 (FS); in activity-related methods (of max. 12), it was 1.97 (BS) and 0.89 (FS). Out of a max. of 49 examination methods, 23.45 (BS) and 26.72 (FS) were stated as unknown. Conclusion: The university students made correct decisions on the suitability of examination methods significantly more frequently than the professional college students. However, the determined group difference is low. Overall, the results do not appear sufficient for direct access. Training would have to be adapted for this purpose.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.