Royal Society Open Science最新文献

This study proposes a methodology and a proof of concept to target and prioritize mass retrofitting of residential buildings in the UK using open building datasets that combine fabric energy efficiency and fuel poverty to meet the net-zero targets. The methodological framework uses a series of multi-variate statistical and geospatial methods that consider urban, socio-economic and physical attributes. In addition, thermal imaging is implemented to provide insights at the building scale. We define a hard-to-decarbonize (HtD) metric to enable the clustering of different residential types to establish retrofitting priorities. Using Cambridge, UK, as a case study, five neighbourhoods were identified and characterized to help determine decarbonization intervention priorities. We found that one of five clusters of neighbourhoods is HtD and requires more policy support from government for the implementation of retrofit strategies. The achieved framework has the potential to inform policy and decision making. Of relevance, it is applicable to different urban contexts.

The time-resolved analysis of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) is crucial for the evaluation of the dynamic changes of autonomic activity under different clinical and behavioural conditions. Standard HRV analysis is performed in the frequency domain because the sympathetic activations tend to increase low-frequency HRV oscillations, while the parasympathetic ones increase high-frequency HRV oscillations. However, a strict separation of HRV into frequency bands may cause biased estimations, especially in the low-frequency range. To overcome this limitation, we propose a robust estimator that combines HR and HRV dynamics, based on the correlation of the Poincaré plot descriptors of interbeat intervals from the electrocardiogram. To validate our method, we used electrocardiograms gathered from open databases where standardized paradigms were applied to elicit changes in autonomic activity. Our proposal outperforms the standard spectral approach for the estimation of low- and high-frequency fluctuations in HRV, and its performance is comparable with newer methods. Our method constitutes a valuable, robust, time-resolved and cost-effective tool for a better understanding of autonomic activity through HR and HRV in a healthy state and potentially for pathological conditions.

When haemoglobin genotyping was implemented in the early 1960s to investigate population genetic structure in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), it became one of the first molecular genetic markers deployed in fisheries research worldwide. However, its suitability was questioned due to its potential for selection. While the issue of neutrality concerned the first population geneticists, markers under selection are now routinely used to study population genetic structure. Here, we revisited haemoglobin genotyping half a decade later to analyse >6000 mature Atlantic cod from 73 spawning locations throughout Norway's approximately 2500 km coastline. A latitudinal gradient in allele frequencies, with a decrease in the HbI-2 allele towards the south, was observed. Our observed HbI-2 frequencies were consistently slightly lower than data from the 1960s, potentially reflecting adaptive changes to increasing sea temperatures. However, despite this difference, the observed north-south pattern in allele frequencies observed here and in the historical studies overlapped, aligning with current knowledge of population genetic structure in this species. We therefore conclude that this once questioned marker, which provided the first molecular genetic insights into genetic structure in Atlantic cod, provides knowledge consistent with the isolation by distance pattern revealed through decades of research in this species in this region.

The analysis of social networks enables the understanding of social interactions, polarization of ideas and the spread of information, and therefore plays an important role in society. We use Twitter data-as it is a popular venue for the expression of opinion and dissemination of information-to identify opposing sides of a debate and, importantly, to observe how information spreads between these groups in our current polarized climate. To achieve this, we collected over 688 000 tweets from the Irish Abortion Referendum of 2018 to build a conversation network from users' mentions with sentiment-based homophily. From this network, community detection methods allow us to isolate yes- or no-aligned supporters with high accuracy (90.9%). We supplement this by tracking how information cascades spread via over 31 000 retweet cascades. We found that very little information spread between polarized communities. This provides a valuable methodology for extracting and studying information diffusion on large networks by isolating ideologically polarized groups and exploring the propagation of information within and between these groups.

Field studies of social behaviour are challenging due to the need to record or infer interactions between multiple individuals, often under suboptimal environmental conditions or with potential disturbance by observers. Due to the limited field techniques available, we present a novel method to quantify social behaviours in the field by comparing the counts of individuals caught in traps across multiple locations sampled simultaneously. The distribution of individuals between traps gives the extent of aggregation, and phenotypic data allow for inference of non-random assortment. As a case study, we applied this method to populations of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in freshwater ponds, using minnow traps. As expected, we observed a strong trend for aggregation. We were able to describe the ecological drivers of aggregation, comparing environmental and phenotypic conditions across sites. Aggregation was not related to environmental parameters, but was negatively associated with the proportion of breeding males caught during the breeding season. No evidence for phenotypic assortment based on body size was found. These results demonstrate that widely available ecological equipment can address questions related to social behaviour. This cost-effective approach, avoiding the tagging of individuals and minimizing extended observer disturbance, can be applied across various habitats and species.

Levayer and colleagues assessed integrity issues in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in four spine journals using baseline p-values from categorical variables, concluding that there was no evidence of 'systemic fraudulent behaviour'. We used their published dataset to assess the accuracy of reported p-values and whether observed and expected distributions of frequency counts and p-values were consistent. In 51 out of 929 (5.5%) baseline variables, the sum of frequencies did not agree with the reported number of participants. For one-third of reported p-values (172 out of 522), we could not calculate a matching p-value using a range of statistical tests. Sparse data were common: for 22% (74 out of 332) of variables in which the reported p-value matched the p-value calculated from a chi-square test, the expected cells were smaller than recommended for the use of chi-square tests. There were 20-25% more two-arm trials with differences in frequency counts of 1 or 2 between-groups than expected. There were small differences between observed and expected distributions of baseline p-values, but these depended on analysis methods. In summary, incorrectly reported p-values and incorrect statistical test usage were common, and there were differences between observed and expected distributions of baseline p-values and frequency counts, raising questions about the integrity of some RCTs in these journals.

Coelurosauria, including modern birds, represents a successful group of theropod dinosaurs that established a high taxonomic diversity and significant morphological modifications. In the evolutionary history of this group, a specialized foot morphology, the arctometatarsus, evolved independently in several lineages and has been considered an adaptation for cursoriality. While its functional significance has been extensively studied, the temporal pattern of this parallel evolution, as well as its origin and influencing factors, remains largely unresolved. Here, we show the temporal evolution of cursorial traits, including the arctometatarsus and hind limb proportions. Our study reveals that the proportional elongation of distal hind limb segments preceded the evolution of the arctometatarsus in ornithomimosaurs and oviraptorosaurs. In contrast, in tyrannosauroids, alvarezsaurs and troodontids, the proportional elongation of the tibia and metatarsals occurred in parallel with the acquisition of the arctometatarsus. The evolutionary history of the arctometatarsus further highlights the presence of a phylogenetic constraint outside Coelurosauria, as this foot specialization is restricted to members of this group. Finally, our date estimation, based on compiled evolutionary patterns, demonstrates that these cursorial traits emerged during the mid-Cretaceous (93-120 Ma), suggesting selection on theropod locomotor performance throughout this interval.

Biological invasions can disrupt the close and longstanding coevolved relationships between host and parasites. At the same time, the shifting selective forces acting on demography during invasion can result in rapid evolution of traits in both host and parasite. Hosts at the invasion front may reduce investment into costly immune defences and redistribute those resources to other fitness-enhancing traits. Parasites at the invasion front may have reduced pathogenicity because traits that negatively impact host dispersal are left behind in the expanding range. The host's immune system is its primary arsenal in the coevolutionary 'arms race' with parasites. To assess the effects of invasion history on immune responses to parasite infection, we conducted a cross-infection experiment which paired common-garden reared cane toads and lungworm parasites originating from various sites in their invaded range across northern Australia. Infected toads had larger spleens and higher concentrations of eosinophils than did uninfected toads. Infected toads also exhibited lower bacteria-killing ability, perhaps reflecting a trade-off of resources towards defences that are more specifically anthelminthic. The impact of infection intensity on multiple immune measures differed among toads and parasites from different parts of the invasion trajectory, supporting the hypothesis that invasion has disrupted patterns of local adaptation.

There is a growing body of evidence that urbanization can affect body condition and immune function in wild birds, although these effects may be complex and taxa-specific. Here, we assessed the effects of urbanization on body condition (size-corrected body mass and haemoglobin concentration) and innate immune defences (haemolysis-haemagglutination assay, haptoglobin concentration and bacterial killing assay) in 136 Eurasian coots (Fulica atra) from three urban and three non-urban populations across Poland. We also quantified the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio to control for the potential effect of physiological stress on immune defences. We found that urban coots showed significantly better condition than non-urban ones. At the same time, we found no relationship between any immune defence and urbanization or condition. Thus, our study offers no support for condition-dependent immune function. Our analyses also revealed significant differences between male and female coots in both condition and immune defences; however, we found no evidence for sex-specific responses to urbanization. In conclusion, our study provides correlative evidence that urban habitat enhances condition, but not immune defences in the Eurasian coot.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a haematologic malignancy with high relapse rates in both adults and children. Leukaemic stem cells (LSCs) are central to leukaemopoiesis, treatment response and relapse and frequently associated with measurable residual disease (MRD). However, the dynamics of LSCs within the AML microenvironment is not fully understood. This study utilized three-dimensional cellular automata (CA) modelling to simulate LSC behaviour and treatment response under induction chemotherapy. Our study revealed: (i) a correlation between LSC persistence post-induction chemotherapy and risk of AML relapse; (ii) MRD negativity based on LSC count may not reliably predict outcomes, supporting clinical evidence that patients with MRD-negative status can still be at risk of relapse; (iii) prolonged persistence of LSCs post-chemotherapy without disruption of normal haematopoiesis, aligning with clinical observations of dormant AML clones; (iv) early LSC dynamics post-induction chemotherapy, characterized by stochastic behaviours and movement velocities, are insufficient predictors of long-term prognosis; and (v) a distinct spatiotemporal organization of LSCs in later phases post-induction chemotherapy is correlated with long-term outcomes. Our modelling results provide a theoretical and clinical framework for AML research, and future clinical data validation could refine the utility of CA modelling for oncological studies.