Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
958
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.9.0
Dataset results
958 results for “Data quality”
Analysis of laboratory reporting practices using a quality assessment of a 'virtual patient'. (data)
<p>Dataset for paper Analysis of laboratory reporting practices using a quality assessment of a ‘virtual patient', published in Genetics in Medicine.</p> <p>This dataset consists of the FASTQ, BAM, and VCF for the virtual patients as described in the paper.<br> </p>
Figure 4 in Optimizing biodiversity informatics to improve information flow, data quality, and utility for science and society
Figure 4. Graphical representation of original and recently modified pathways for feedback regarding Primary Biodiversity Data, showing information transfer among users, providers, and aggregators. Such feedback consists of suggested improvements or additions to data fields, for example a change in species identification or a newly determined georeference. The diagrams contrast two complementary mechanisms: (a) the original feedback loop (currently dominant); and (b) the emerging feedback pendulum (proposed for expansion). In a: (1) the user sends feedback to the provider (e.g., a given natural history museum); (2) if the provider makes a corresponding change to its database, the updated information is sent to the aggregator; and (3) that information becomes available for query by all users. In practice, because many providers do not consistently make such changes (denoted by an X), users do have access to updated information (dashed line). In b: (1) the user sends feedback to the aggregator; (2) the aggregator simultaneously both annotates the record (visible to all users) and sends the suggested information to the provider; (3) if the provider makes a corresponding change to its database, the updated information is sent to the aggregator; and (4) the aggregator makes the updated information available for query by all users. Note that even if a provider takes no action regarding the suggested information, the annotations placed by the aggregator are nevertheless available to users. Additionally, because the quantifications of data quality and use described in the text allow for benchmarks that can be tracked over time, we anticipate that the feedback pendulum will help providers become more successful in justifying and securing funding to make data improvements based on feedback from users.
Publicly available medical text data with authentic quality
<p>This dataset is the public medical text record (progress notes) written in Japanese.</p> <p>Any researchers can use this dataset without privacy issues. </p> <p>CC BY-NC 4.0</p> <p>crowd.zip: 9,756 pseudo progress notes written by crowd workers</p> <p>crowd_evaluated.zip: 83 pseudo progress notes with authentic quality written by crowd workers</p> <p>MD.zip: 19 pseudo progress notes written by medical doctors</p> <p> </p> <p>Reference:</p> <p>Kagawa, R., Baba, Y., & Tsurushima, H. (2021, December). A practical and universal framework for generating publicly available medical notes of authentic quality via the power of crowds. In <em>2021 IEEE International Conference on Big Data (Big Data)</em> (pp. 3534-3543). IEEE.</p> <p><a href="http://hdl.handle.net/2241/0002002333">http://hdl.handle.net/2241/0002002333</a></p> <p>The supplemental files of the paper are here: <a href="https://github.com/rinabouk/HMData2021">https://github.com/rinabouk/HMData2021</a></p>
Data from: Reporting guidelines for community-based participatory research (CBPR) did not improve the reporting quality of published studies: a systematic review of studies on smoking cessation
<p>Although a guideline for reporting the results of community-based participatory research (CBPR) was published in 2010, the impact on the quality of reporting a CBPR on smoking cessation is unknown. Here we provide the raw data of a systematic review that assessed the impact of a 2010 community-based participatory research reporting guideline. on the quality of reporting a CBPR on smoking cessation. Specifically, we searched the MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases and included articles published up to October 2018 (PROSPERO: CRD42019111668). We assessed reporting quality using a 13-item checklist.</p>
Data from: Plant quantity and quality regulate the diversity of arthropod communities in a semi-arid grassland
<p> </p> <p>The quantity (e.g. biomass production) and quality (e.g. leaf nutrient content) of plants can strongly influence arthropod diversity, but few studies have tried to disentangle such effects.</p> <p>In this study, we examined the independent effects of plant productivity and leaf traits on the taxon richness and abundance of entire arthropod communities and multiple arthropod orders in replicated monocultures of 15 herbaceous species in the Inner Mongolian grassland.</p> <p>Total taxon richness of arthropod communities increased with plant productivity and an increase in a high nutrient content indicator (PC1) of plant leaf traits (e.g. high leaf nitrogen, phosphorus and water contents), but decreased with an increase in a poor nutrient content indicator (PC2) of plant leaf traits (e.g. high leaf lignin content but low specific leaf area). Total abundance of arthropod communities increased with increasing plant productivity but decreased with increasing PC2.</p> <p>Many common, rather than rare arthropod orders, exhibited strong responses to the changes in plant quantity or quality. Taxon richness of Diptera, Neuroptera and Coleoptera responded positively to the increase in plant productivity and PC1, while taxon richness of Hemiptera and Coleoptera responded negatively to the increase in PC2. Abundances of Diptera and Coleoptera responded positively to the increased plant productivity, whereas abundances of Hymenoptera and Hemiptera responded negatively to the increased PC2. The order-specific responses of arthropod richness and abundance to plant quantity or quality reflected the different food requirements and feeding behaviors of arthropods.</p> <p>Our findings demonstrate that plant quantity and quality can independently control richness and abundance of arthropod communities. The changes in plant productivity and nutrient content of different plant species may alter arthropod diversity and community structure, and these changes in turn may have strong cascading effects on multiple functions (e.g. prey, decomposers, pollinators and predators) in terrestrial ecosystems.</p> <p> </p>
Data from: Seed quality and seed quantity in red maple depends on weather and individual tree characteristics
<p>Under future climate change, plant species are expected to shift their ranges in response to increasing temperatures and altered precipitation patterns. As seeds represent the single opportunity for plants to move, it is critical to quantify the factors that influence reproduction. While total seed production is clearly important, seed quality is equally as critical and often overlooked. Thus, to quantify how environmental and tree-level characteristics affect seed quality and quantity, the reproductive output of red maple (<i>Acer rubrum</i>) was measured along an elevation gradient in the Monongahela National Forest, WV. A variety of individual-level characteristics were measured (i.e., DBH, canopy area, tree cores), and seed traps were placed under seed-bearing trees to collect samaras and quantify total seed production. A random subsample of collected seeds from each tree were micro-CT scanned to determine embryo volume, photographed for morphology measurements, and used for germination trials. The number of seeds produced was negatively affected by frost events during flowering, and stand density. The trees with the most seeds also showed reduced growth in recent years. Only 63% of scanned seeds showed embryo development, and of those seeds – only 23% germinated. The likelihood of embryo presence increased as growth rate decreased, while embryo size increased with tree height, smaller DBH, and in areas dominated by hemlock. Both larger embryo volume and larger overall seed size increased the likelihood of germination. The results highlight the importance of including seed quality in addition to seed quantity for a more complete representation of reproductive output.</p>
Data from: Litter conversion into detritivore faeces reshuffles the quality control over C and N dynamics during decomposition
1. In many terrestrial ecosystems, detritivorous soil organisms ingest large amounts of leaf litter returning most of it to the soil as faeces. Such conversion of leaf litter into faeces may stimulate decomposition by increasing the surface area available for microbial colonization. Yet, experimental support for either the outcome or the mechanism of these conversion effects is lacking. 2. Based on the hypothesis that the identity of plant species from which leaf litter is transformed into faeces has a critical role in how faeces decomposition proceeds, we collected faeces of the widely abundant millipede Glomeris marginata fed with leaf litter from seven distinct tree species. We compared the physical and chemical characteristics and the rates of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) loss between litter and faeces. 3. We found that after 100 days of exposure under controlled conditions, C loss was on average higher in faeces (40%) than in litter (26.6%), with a significant increase for six out of the seven species. Concurrently, N dynamics switched from a net immobilisation (7.7%) in litter to a net release (14.6%) in faeces, with a significant increase for five out of the seven species. 4. Litter conversion into faeces generally homogenised differences in physical and chemical characteristics among species. Despite such homogenisation, variability in rates of faeces C and N loss among species was similar compared to leaf litter, but correlated with a different set of traits. Specifically, faecal pellet C loss was positively related to compaction (decreased specific area and increased density of faecal pellets), and both C and N loss from faecal pellets were positively related to fragmentation (increased specific area and perimeter of particles within faecal pellets). 5. We conclude that litter fragmentation and compaction into detritivore faecal pellets leads to substantially enhanced decomposition, with a particularly strong impact on N dynamics that changed from immobilisation to net release depending on litter species. Moreover, litter quality control on decomposition is reshuffled by litter conversion into faeces. In ecosystems with high detritivore abundance, this so far largely overlooked pathway of organic matter turnover may strongly affect ecosystem C and N cycling.
Data from: Incest avoidance, extrapair paternity, and territory quality drive divorce in a year-round territorial bird.
Divorce can be an important behavioral strategy to improve fitness. This is particularly relevant for species that are territorial year-round with continuous partnerships, where individuals face constraints on partner choice due to limited vacancies and dispersal opportunities. We tested several hypotheses for divorce in such a species, the cooperatively breeding bird Malurus coronatus. Based on 9 years of detailed information on dispersal and survival of 317 breeding pairs, we tested whether divorce is driven by inbreeding avoidance, by a better partner or territory, or by social variables (number of subordinates and fidelity of partners). We found that divorce is important to escape incest: incestuous pairs were substantially more likely to divorce (64%) than non-incestuous pairs (14%). However, incestuous pair bonds lasted up to a year, highlighting constraints on breeder dispersal. Non-incestuous pairs also divorced, but here the only predictor for divorce was the presence of extrapair offspring in a previous brood. Although reproductive failure did not trigger divorce, and reproductive success did not improve in the year following divorce, females that dispersed after divorce obtained higher quality territories, unlike females that dispersed after their partner died. Thus, divorce may be a strategy to improve long-term benefits associated with better territories. Some divorces appeared to be forced evictions by older females, although direct evidence for this is limited. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the complexity of factors that affect the occurrence of divorce when partner choice is constrained.
Data from: Heterogeneity in individual quality in birds: overall patterns and insights from a study on common terns
While life-history theory predicts a trade-off between reproduction and survival, positive covariance, indicative of heterogeneity in individual quality, is often reported among individuals from natural populations. We review longitudinal studies of wild bird populations that test the relationship between annual reproductive success and lifespan and find the majority to report a positive correlation, while none reports a negative correlation. Heterogeneity in individual quality in resource acquisition, masking resource-based trade-offs, therefore appears to be common in birds. Considering that there is little evidence for heritable variation in fitness, heterogeneity in individual quality among adults may be due to life-long effects of developmental conditions. In a 20-year case study on common terns (Sterna hirundo), we test for life-long effects of cohort quality and within-cohort nest quality, but find no significant effects on long-term proxies of quality. Since other studies do find strong life-long effects of developmental conditions, we suggest that the brood reduction strategy adopted by common terns, causing the majority of offspring to die rapidly after hatching, efficiently reduces variation in offspring quality at independence. As such, a brood reduction strategy may contribute to reduced heterogeneity in adult survival in stochastic environments, both suggested to be more common and adaptive in long-lived species. Further study is required to assess heterogeneity in individual reproduction, especially in relation to environmental stochasticity and species' life-history strategies, in order to assess whether the relative strength of selection in early and late life may indeed affect the magnitude of heterogeneity in individual quality over life, and how this is mediated by parent-offspring conflict.
Data from: Fur seal microbiota are shaped by the social and physical environment, show mother-offspring similarities and are associated with host genetic quality
Despite an increasing appreciation of the importance of host-microbe interactions in ecological and evolutionary processes, the factors shaping microbial communities in wild populations remain poorly understood. We therefore exploited a natural experiment provided by two adjacent Antarctic fur seal (<i>Arctocephalus gazella</i>) colonies of high and low social density and combined 16S rRNA metabarcoding with microsatellite profiling of mother-offspring pairs to investigate environmental and genetic influences on skin microbial communities. Seal-associated bacterial communities differed profoundly between the two colonies, despite the host populations themselves being genetically undifferentiated. Consistent with the hypothesis that social stress depresses bacterial diversity, we found that microbial alpha diversity was significantly lower in the high-density colony. Seals from one of the colonies that contained a stream also carried a subset of freshwater-associated bacteria, indicative of an influence of the physical environment. Furthermore, mothers and their offspring shared similar microbial communities, in support of the notion that microbes may facilitate mother-offspring recognition. Finally, a significant negative association was found between bacterial diversity and heterozygosity, a measure of host genetic quality. Our study thus uncovers a complex interplay between environmental and host genetic effects, while also providing empirical support for the leash model of host control, which posits that bacterial communities are driven not only by bottom-up species interactions, but also by top-down host regulation. Taken together, our findings have broad implications for understanding host-microbe interactions as well as prokaryotic diversity in general.
Data from: Combined effects of seed and soil quality drive seedling performance of a late-successional canopy tree in a tropical forest
Habitat loss and fragmentation affect the structure and functioning of forested ecosystems worldwide, yet we lack an understanding of how species respond to environmental changes. Here, we examined reproductive success and seedling performance of Poulsenia armata (Moraceae) in continuous and fragmented forests of Los Tuxtlas, southern Mexico. We further investigated how maternal habitat and soil conditions manifested in the seedling stage. We determined seed quality and seedling performance by combining isotopic analyses in seed quality with field observations of P. armata fruit production and a common--garden experiment. Soil conditions in forest fragments negatively impacted P. armata reproductive success. Trees of P. armata in forest fragments were smaller in size and produced fewer fruits and smaller seeds with lower quality compared with trees from the continuous forest. The combined effects of maternal habitat and soil conditions determined seedling survival and growth of this tropical tree. Notably, seedlings had restricted plasticity for biomass allocation to roots, limiting the capacity of fragmented populations to compensate for the initial low N content in seeds. Trees in forest fragments at Los Tuxtlas produced offspring competitively inferior and potentially less resilient than counterparts in continuous forest, jeopardizing future persistence of this late-successional tree species.
Data from: Interacting stressors matter: diet quality and virus infection in honey bee health
Honey bee population declines have been linked to multiple stressors, including reduced diet diversity and increased exposure to understudied viral pathogens. Despite interest in these factors, few experimental studies explored the interaction between diet diversity and viral infection in honey bees. Here, we used a mixture of laboratory cage and small semi-field nucleus hive experiments to determine how these factors interact. We found that high quality diets (polyfloral pollen and high quality single-source pollen) have the potential to reduce mortality in the face of infection with Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV).). There was a significant interaction between diet and virus infection on mortality, even in the presence of high virus titers, suggesting that good diets can help bees tolerate virus infection. Further, we found that extreme stress in the form of pollen starvation in conjunction with IAPV infection increase exiting behavior from small experimental hives. Finally, we showed that higher quality pollen diets have significantly higher iron and calcium content, suggesting micronutrient deficiencies could be an under explored area of bee nutrition.
Data from: Quality of evidence considered by Health Canada in granting full market authorization to new drugs with a conditional approval: a retrospective cohort study
Objectives: This study examines the characteristics of studies that Health Canada uses to grant full marketing authorization for products given a conditional approval between January 1, 1998 and June 30, 2017. Design: Cohort study. Data sources: Journal articles listing drugs that fulfilled their conditions and received full marketing authorization, Notice of Compliance database, Notice of Compliance with conditions web site, Qualifying Notices listing required confirmatory studies, clinicaltrials.gov, PubMed, Embase, companies making products being analyzed, journal articles resulting from confirmatory studies. Interventions: None Primary and secondary outcome measures: Characteristics of studies - study design (randomized controlled trials, observational), primary outcome used (clinical, surrogate), blinding, number of patients in studies, patient median age, number of men and women. Results: Eleven companies confirmed 36 publications for 19 products (21 indications). Twenty-nine out of the 36 studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) but only 10 stated if they were blinded. Twenty used surrogate outcomes. The median age of patients was 56 (interquartile range (IQR) 44, 61). The median number of men per study/trial was 184 (IQR 58, 514) versus women - 141 (IQR 46, 263). Conclusions: Postmarket studies required by Health Canada had more rigorous methodology than those required by either the Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency. There were still deficiencies in these studies. The absence of blinding in the majority of RCTs may introduce bias in their results. The use of surrogate outcomes especially in oncology trials means that improvements in survival are not available. The relatively young age of patients, even for products for cancer, means that predicting how the elderly will respond is often unknown. The almost universal finding that men outnumbered number women may make it hard to differentiate responses by sex. These results raise potential concerns about the quality of evidence that Health Canada accepts.
Data from: Sex-specific effects of outbreeding on offspring quality in pike (Esox lucius)
Intraspecific genetic admixture occurs when previously separated populations within a species start interbreeding, and it can have either positive, negative or netural effects on reproductive performance. There is currently little knowledge regarding what determines the outcome of admixture. We tested for effects of admixture on offspring quality in three subpopulations of pike (Esox lucius). Gametes were collected in the field, and eggs from each female were experimentally fertilized with milt from a male from each population (one 'pure' and two 'admixed' treatments). Three offspring quality measures (hatching success, fry survival, and fry length) were determined and compared between (i) pure and admixed population combinations, and (ii) the sex-specific treatments within each admixed population combination (based on the origin of the male and female respectively). The results revealed that although there were no overall effects of admixture on offspring quality, the consequences for a given population combination could be sex-specific and thus differ depending on which of the parents originated from one or the other population. All offspring quality traits were influenced by both maternal ID and paternal ID. Sex- and individual-specific effects can have implications for dispersal behavior and gene flow between natural populations, and are important to consider in conservation efforts.
Data from: Economic costs and health-related quality of life for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) patients in China
Background: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness in China that mainly affects infants and children. The objective of this study is to assess the economic cost and health-related quality of life associated with HFMD in China. Method: A telephone survey of caregivers were conducted in 31 provinces across China. Caregivers of laboratory-confirmed HFMD patients who were registered in the national HFMD enhanced surveillance database during 2012-2013 were invited to participate in the survey. Total costs included direct medical costs (outpatient care, inpatient care and self-medication), direct non-medical costs (transportation, nutrition, accommodation and nursery), and indirect costs for lost income associated with caregiving. Health utility weights elicited using EuroQol EQ-5D-3L and EQ-Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used to calculate associated loss in quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Results: The subjects comprised 1136 mild outpatients, 1124 mild inpatients, 1170 severe cases and 61 fatal cases. The mean total costs for mild outpatients, mild inpatients, severe cases and fatal cases were $201 (95%CI $187, $215), $1072 (95%CI $999, $1144), $3051 (95%CI $2905, $3197) and $2819 (95%CI $2068, $3571) respectively. The mean QALY losses per HFMD episode for mild outpatients, mild inpatients and severe cases were 3.6 (95%CI 3.4, 3,9), 6.9 (95%CI 6.4, 7.4) and 13.7 (95%CI 12.9, 14.5) per 1000 persons. Cases who were diagnosed with EV-A71 infection and had longer duration of illness were associated with higher total cost and QALY loss. Conclusion: HFMD poses a high economic and health burden in China. Our results provide economic and health utility data for cost-effectiveness analysis for HFMD vaccination in China.
Data from: Finding the right coverage: The impact of coverage and sequence quality on SNP genotyping error rates
Restriction-enzyme-based sequencing methods enable the genotyping of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci in non-model organisms. However, in contrast to traditional genetic markers, genotyping error rates in SNPs derived from restriction-enzyme-based methods remain largely unknown. Here, we estimated genotyping error rates in SNPs genotyped with double digest RAD sequencing from Mendelian incompatibilities in known mother-offspring dyads of Hoffman's two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) across a range of coverage and sequence quality criteria, for both reference-aligned and de novo-assembled datasets. Genotyping error rates were more sensitive to coverage than sequence quality and low coverage yielded high error rates, particularly in de novo-assembled datasets. For example, coverage ≥5 yielded median genotyping error rates of ≥0.03 and ≥0.11 in reference-aligned- and de novo-assembled datasets, respectively. Genotyping error rates declined to ≤0.01 in reference-aligned datasets with a coverage >30, but remained >0.04 in the de novo-assembled datasets. We observed approximately 10- and 13-fold declines in the number of loci sampled in the reference-aligned and de novo-assembled datasets when coverage was increased from >5 to >30 at quality score ≥30, respectively. Finally, we assessed the effects of genotyping coverage on a common population genetic application, parentage assignments, and showed that the proportion of incorrectly assigned maternities was relatively high at low coverage. Overall, our results suggest that the tradeoff between sample size and genotyping error rates be considered prior to building sequencing libraries, reporting genotyping error rates become standard practice, and that effects of genotyping errors on inference be evaluated in restriction-enzyme-based SNP studies.
Data from: Noninvasive physiological markers demonstrate link between habitat quality, adult sex ratio and poor population growth rate in a vulnerable species, the Cape mountain zebra
Effective conservation and species management requires an understanding of the causes of poor population growth. Conservation physiology uses biomarkers to identify factors that contribute to low individual fitness and population declines. Building on this, macrophysiology can use the same markers to assess how individual physiology varies with different ecological or demographic factors over large temporal and spatial scales. Here, we use a macrophysiological approach to identify the ecological and demographic correlates of poor population growth rates in the Cape mountain zebra metapopulation. We use two non-invasive biomarkers: faecal glucocorticoids as a measure of chronic stress, and faecal androgens as an indicator of male physiological status. We found that faecal glucocorticoid concentrations were highest in the spring prior to summer rainfall, and were elevated in individuals from populations associated with low quality habitat (lower grass abundance). In addition, faecal androgen concentrations were higher in populations with a high proportion of non-breeding stallions (where male:female adult sex ratios exceed 2:1) suggesting sex ratio imbalances may intensify male competition. Finally, population growth rate was negatively associated with faecal glucocorticoid concentrations and female fecundity was negatively associated with faecal androgens, indicating a relationship between hormone profiles and fitness. Together, our results provide cross population evidence for how poor population growth rates in Cape mountain zebra can be linked to individual physiological biomarkers. More broadly, we advocate physiological biomarkers as indicators of population viability, and as a way to evaluate the impact of variable ecological and demographic factors. In addition, conservation physiology can be used to assess the efficacy of management interventions for this subspecies, and this approach could inform models of species' responses to future environmental change.
Data from: Soil organic matter quantity and quality shape microbial community compositions of subtropical broadleaved forests
As two major forest types in the subtropics, broadleaved evergreen and broadleaved deciduous forests have long interested ecologists. However, little is known about their belowground ecosystems despite their ecological importance in driving biogeochemical cycling. Here, we used Illumina MiSeq sequencing targeting 16S rRNA gene and a microarray named GeoChip targeting functional genes to analyse microbial communities in broadleaved evergreen and deciduous forest soils of Shennongjia Mountain of Central China, a region known as 'The Oriental Botanic Garden' for its extraordinarily rich biodiversity. We observed higher plant diversity and relatively richer nutrients in the broadleaved evergreen forest than the deciduous forest. In odds to our expectation that plant communities shaped soil microbial communities, we found that soil organic matter quantity and quality, but not plant community parameters, were the best predictors of microbial communities. Actinobacteria, a copiotrophic phylum, was more abundant in the broadleaved evergreen forest, while Verrucomicrobia, an oligotrophic phylum, was more abundant in the broadleaved deciduous forest. The density of the correlation network of microbial OTUs was higher in the broadleaved deciduous forest but its modularity was smaller, reflecting lower resistance to environment changes. In addition, keystone OTUs of the broadleaved deciduous forest were mainly oligotrophic. Microbial functional genes associated with recalcitrant carbon degradation were also more abundant in the broadleaved deciduous forests, resulting in low accumulation of organic matters. Collectively, these findings revealed the important role of soil organic matter in shaping microbial taxonomic and functional traits.
Data from: Sexual signals for the colour-blind: cryptic female mantids signal quality through brightness
1. Cryptic coloration may evolve in response to selective pressure imposed by predators, yet effective intraspecific communication may require some level of detectability. This creates a tension between the benefits of sexually selected visual traits and the predatory costs imposed by greater conspicuousness, and little is known about how this tension may be ameliorated in highly cryptic species. 2. We explore these competing demands in the false garden mantid Pseudomantis albofimbriata, a colour-blind and seemingly cryptic insect. We use reflectance spectrometry and receptor-noise modelling to characterize the conspicuousness of mantid body regions in the visual systems of mates (mantids), as well as potential predators (birds) and prey (bees). We then use condition manipulation and conspecific choice tests to further explore the colour traits of interest. 3. Based on visual modelling, we find that male mantids are inconspicuous to conspecifics, prey and predators – that is, they are chromatically and achromatically cryptic. In contrast, female mantids are chromatically cryptic to all potential receivers, but their abdomens are achromatically conspicuous. Our food manipulation experiment shows that females in good condition (and therefore with more eggs) have brighter abdomens than females in poor condition. Choice assays show male mantids are consistently attracted to females bearing brighter abdomens. 4. Our results reveal brightness-mediated sexual signalling in a colour-blind and classically cryptic insect. By communicating in the only visual channel available to them, female mantids are conspicuously signalling their quality to mates, while potentially minimizing their conspicuousness to predators and prey. Furthermore, by signalling with only a single body region, female mantids are apparently using coincident disruptive coloration to further decrease detectability to potential eavesdroppers. 5. Our data reveal a novel example of the way in which the trade-off between sexual selection for conspicuousness and natural selection for crypsis may be mediated in a visual signalling system. Such signals may be common in apparently cryptic species, and this study once again demonstrates the importance of analysing visual signals beyond the capacity of human vision.
Data from: Predation risk, resource quality, and reef structural complexity shape territoriality in a coral reef herbivore
For many species securing territories is important for feeding and reproduction. Factors such as competition, habitat availability, and male characteristics can influence an individual's ability to establish and maintain a territory. The risk of predation can have an important influence on feeding and reproduction; however, few have studied its effect on territoriality. We investigated territoriality in a haremic, polygynous species of coral reef herbivore, Sparisoma aurofrenatum (redband parrotfish), across eight reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary that were either protected or unprotected from fishing of piscivorous fishes. We examined how territory size and quality varied with reef protection status, competition, predation risk, and male size. We then determined how territory size and quality influenced harem size and female size to understand the effect of territoriality on reproductive potential. We found that protected reefs trended towards having more large predatory fishes and that territories there were smaller but had greater algal nutritional quality relative to unprotected reefs. Our data suggest that even though males in protected sites have smaller territories, which support fewer females, they may improve their reproductive potential by choosing nutritionally rich areas, which support larger females. Thus, reef protection appears to shape the trade-off that herbivorous fishes make between territory size and quality. Furthermore, we provide evidence that males in unprotected sites, which are generally less complex than protected sites, choose territories with higher structural complexity, suggesting the importance of this type of habitat for feeding and reproduction in S. aurofrenatum. Our work argues that the loss of corals and the resulting decline in structural complexity, as well as management efforts to protect reefs, could alter the territory dynamics and reproductive potential of important herbivorous fish species.
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
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.