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Ahmed AS, Bekele A, Kasso M, Atickem A. Impact of climate change on the distribution and predicted habitat suitability of two fruit bats ( Rousettus aegyptiacus and Epomophorus labiatus) in Ethiopia: Implications for conservation. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10481. [PMID: 37711498 PMCID: PMC10497737 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Fruit bats serve as crucial bioindicators, seed dispersers, pollinators, and contributors to food security within ecosystems. However, their population and distribution were threatened by climate change and anthropogenic pressures. Understanding the impacts of these pressures through mapping distribution and habitat suitability is crucial for identifying high-priority areas and implementing effective conservation and management plans. We predicted the distribution and extent of habitat suitability for Rousettus aegyptiacus and Epomophorus labiatus under climate change scenarios using average predictions from four different algorithms to produce an ensemble model. Seasonal precipitation, population index, land-use land cover, vegetation, and the mean temperature of the driest quarter majorly contributed to the predicted habitat suitability for both species. The current predicted sizes of suitable habitats for R. aegyptiacus and E. labiatus were varied, on average 60,271.4 and 85,176.1 km2, respectively. The change in species range size for R. aegyptiacus showed gains in suitable areas of 24.4% and 22.8% in 2050 and 2070, respectively. However, for E. labiatus, suitable areas decreased by 0.95% and 2% in 2050 and 2070, respectively. The range size change of suitable areas between 2050 and 2070 for R. aegyptiacus and E. labiatus shows losses of 1.5% and 1.2%, respectively. The predicted maps indicate that the midlands and highlands of southern and eastern Ethiopia harbor highly suitable areas for both species. In contrast, the areas in the northern and central highlands are fragmented. The current model findings show that climate change and anthropogenic pressures have notable impacts on the geographic ranges of two species. Moreover, the predicted suitable habitats for both species are found both within and outside of their historical ranges, which has important implications for conservation efforts. Our ensemble predictions are vital for identifying high-priority areas for fruit bat species conservation efforts and management to mitigate climate change and anthropogenic pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Seid Ahmed
- Department of BiologyHawassa UniversityHawassaEthiopia
- Department of Zoological SciencesAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Afework Bekele
- Department of Zoological SciencesAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Mohammed Kasso
- Department of BiologyDire Dawa UniversityDire DawaEthiopia
| | - Anagaw Atickem
- Department of Zoological SciencesAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
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Weinberg M, Mazar O, Rachum A, Chen X, Goutink S, Lifshitz N, Winter-Livneh R, Czirják GÁ, Yovel Y. Seasonal challenges of tropical bats in temperate zones. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16869. [PMID: 36207354 PMCID: PMC9546901 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21076-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To examine the challenges faced by free-ranging Rousettus aegyptiacus living at the northern edge of their distribution, we performed a retrospective analysis of 2196 clinical cases reported by a bat rescue NGO over a period of 36 months, from throughout Israel. All cases of injured bats were evaluated and categorized according to date, place, sex, age, and etiology of the morbidity. The data analysis revealed an increase in all types of morbidity during the wintertime, with more than two-fold the number of cases per week compared to in the summer, over three consecutive years. Moreover, we found that the number of abandoned pups peaked during spring and summer, when adult morbidity is minimal. We characterized two prominent types of previously undescribed morbidities in R. aegyptiacus. We also employed GPS tracking to monitor the movement and foraging of dozens of bats, and to examine the potential correlates of elevated winter morbidity. Our results suggest that it is mainly harsh weather that drives the observed winter morbidity, with food limitations playing a minor-role. We hypothesize that R. aegyptiacus, of tropical origin, is facing major seasonal survival difficulties near the northern edge of its distribution, probably limiting its spread further northwards still.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Weinberg
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel. .,Amutat Atalef, The Israeli Bat Sanctuary (NGO), Beit-Shemesh, Israel.
| | - Omer Mazar
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Adi Rachum
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Xing Chen
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sophia Goutink
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nora Lifshitz
- Amutat Atalef, The Israeli Bat Sanctuary (NGO), Beit-Shemesh, Israel
| | - Rona Winter-Livneh
- Open Landscape Institute (OLI), The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yossi Yovel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel.,National Research Center for Biodiversity Studies, The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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3
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Arnaout Y, Djelouadji Z, Robardet E, Cappelle J, Cliquet F, Touzalin F, Jimenez G, Hurstel S, Borel C, Picard-Meyer E. Genetic identification of bat species for pathogen surveillance across France. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0261344. [PMID: 34982782 PMCID: PMC8726466 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
With more than 1400 chiropteran species identified to date, bats comprise one-fifth of all mammalian species worldwide. Many studies have associated viral zoonoses with 45 different species of bats in the EU, which cluster within 5 families of bats. For example, the Serotine bats are infected by European Bat 1 Lyssavirus throughout Europe while Myotis bats are shown infected by coronavirus, herpesvirus and paramyxovirus. Correct host species identification is important to increase our knowledge of the ecology and evolutionary pattern of bat viruses in the EU. Bat species identification is commonly determined using morphological keys. Morphological determination of bat species from bat carcasses can be limited in some cases, due to the state of decomposition or nearly indistinguishable morphological features in juvenile bats and can lead to misidentifications. The overall objective of our study was to identify insectivorous bat species using molecular biology tools with the amplification of the partial cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial DNA. Two types of samples were tested in this study, bat wing punches and bat faeces. A total of 163 bat wing punches representing 22 species, and 31 faecal pellets representing 7 species were included in the study. From the 163 bat wing punches tested, a total of 159 were genetically identified from amplification of the partial cyt b gene. All 31 faecal pellets were genetically identified based on the cyt b gene. A comparison between morphological and genetic determination showed 21 misidentifications from the 163 wing punches, representing ~12.5% of misidentifications of morphological determination compared with the genetic method, across 11 species. In addition, genetic determination allowed the identification of 24 out of 25 morphologically non-determined bat samples. Our findings demonstrate the importance of a genetic approach as an efficient and reliable method to identify bat species precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Arnaout
- ANSES-Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Management in Zoonoses Control, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies Serology, Malzéville, France
- VetAgro Sup Lyon Laboratory for Leptospira, Marcy l’Etoile, France
| | | | - Emmanuelle Robardet
- ANSES-Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Management in Zoonoses Control, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies Serology, Malzéville, France
| | - Julien Cappelle
- UMR ASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- UMR EPIA, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Theix, France
| | - Florence Cliquet
- ANSES-Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Management in Zoonoses Control, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies Serology, Malzéville, France
| | - Frédéric Touzalin
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science Centre West, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | - Suzel Hurstel
- GEPMA, Strasbourg, France
- LPO Alsace, Rosenwiller, France
| | | | - Evelyne Picard-Meyer
- ANSES-Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Management in Zoonoses Control, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies, European Union Reference Laboratory for Rabies Serology, Malzéville, France
- * E-mail:
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Khajeh A, Mohammadi Z, Ghorbani F, Jahantigh H. Molecular and morphometric characterization of fruit bats of the genus Rousettus Gray, 1821 (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Iran. ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2020.1859977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Asghar Khajeh
- Department of Crop Productions Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Higher Educational Complex of Saravan, Saravan, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Ghorbani
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Hossein Jahantigh
- Department of Natural Resource, Higher Educational Complex of Saravan, Saravan, Iran
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Bachorec E, Horáček I, Hulva P, Konečný A, Lučan RK, Jedlička P, Shohdi WM, Řeřucha Š, Abi‐Said M, Bartonička T. Egyptian fruit bats do not preferentially roost with their relatives. J Zool (1987) 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. Bachorec
- Department of Botany and Zoology Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic
| | - I. Horáček
- Department of Zoology Charles University in Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - P. Hulva
- Department of Zoology Charles University in Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - A. Konečný
- Department of Botany and Zoology Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic
| | - R. K. Lučan
- Department of Zoology Charles University in Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - P. Jedlička
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ISI) Brno Czech Republic
| | | | - Š. Řeřucha
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ISI) Brno Czech Republic
| | - M. Abi‐Said
- Department of Earth and Life Sciences Faculty of Sciences II Lebanese University JdeidehFanar Lebanon
| | - T. Bartonička
- Department of Botany and Zoology Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic
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Zuercher ME, Monson TA, Dvoretzky RR, Ravindramurthy S, Hlusko LJ. Dental Variation in Megabats (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae): Tooth Metrics Correlate with Body Size and Tooth Proportions Reflect Phylogeny. J MAMM EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-020-09508-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Bachorec E, Horáček I, Hulva P, Konečný A, Lučan RK, Jedlička P, Shohdi WM, Řeřucha Š, Abi-Said M, Bartonička T. Spatial networks differ when food supply changes: Foraging strategy of Egyptian fruit bats. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229110. [PMID: 32097434 PMCID: PMC7041839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are faced with a range of ecological constraints that shape their behavioural decisions. Habitat features that affect resource abundance will also have an impact, especially as regards spatial distribution, which will in turn affect associations between the animals. Here we utilised a network approach, using spatial and genetic data, to describe patterns in use of space (foraging sites) by free-ranging Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) at the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt. We observed a decrease in home range size during spring, when food availability was lowest, which was reflected by differences in space sharing networks. Our data showed that when food was abundant, space sharing networks were less connected and more related individuals shared more foraging sites. In comparison, when food was scarce the bats had few possibilities to decide where and with whom to forage. Overall, both networks had high mean degree, suggesting communal knowledge of predictable food distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Bachorec
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Horáček
- Department of Zoology, Charles University in Prague, Viničná, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Hulva
- Department of Zoology, Charles University in Prague, Viničná, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Adam Konečný
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radek K. Lučan
- Department of Zoology, Charles University in Prague, Viničná, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Jedlička
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ISI), Královopolská, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Šimon Řeřucha
- Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ISI), Královopolská, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Mounir Abi-Said
- Department of Earth and Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences II, Lebanese University, Fanar, Lebanon
| | - Tomáš Bartonička
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská, Brno, Czech Republic
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Hume A, Mühlberger E. Marburg Virus Viral Protein 35 Inhibits Protein Kinase R Activation in a Cell Type-Specific Manner. J Infect Dis 2019; 218:S403-S408. [PMID: 30165526 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein kinase R (PKR) is a key antiviral protein involved in sensing and restricting viral infections. Here we analyzed the ability of Marburg virus (MARV) viral protein 35 (VP35) to inhibit PKR activation in human and bat cells. Similar to the related Ebola and Lloviu viruses, MARV VP35 was able to inhibit PKR activation in 293T cells. In contrast, we found that MARV VP35 did not inhibit human or bat PKR activation in human glioblastoma U-251-MG cells or a Rousettus aegyptiacus cell line. Additional experiments revealed that PACT, a known PKR regulator, was insufficient to rescue the ability of VP35 to inhibit PKR activation in these cells. Taken together, this study indicates that the ability of VP35 to inhibit PKR is cell type specific, potentially explaining discrepancies between the ability of filoviruses to potently block innate immune responses, and the high levels of interferon and interferon-stimulated genes observed in filovirus patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Hume
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Massachusetts
| | - Elke Mühlberger
- Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Massachusetts
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First record of the Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus (Pteropodidae), from Kastellorizo island, Greece. MAMMALIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2017-0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) is a pteropodid species with a large part of its range in the Palearctic region. It has a quite discontinuous range from sub-Saharan Africa to NW India, including SW Turkey. In this note we present the first record of the Egyptian fruit bat in Greek territory, observed during a zoological expedition on the island of Kastellorizo (Dodecanese, Greece). At least three specimens were observed foraging a white mulberry in the town of Megisti on May 4 2017, but no individual was spotted during a summer expedition in August 2017.
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Centeno-Cuadros A, Hulva P, Romportl D, Santoro S, Stříbná T, Shohami D, Evin A, Tsoar A, Benda P, Horáček I, Nathan R. Habitat use, but not gene flow, is influenced by human activities in two ecotypes of Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus). Mol Ecol 2017; 26:6224-6237. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Centeno-Cuadros
- Movement Ecology Laboratory; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences; Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Jerusalem Israel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering; University Pablo de Olavide; Sevilla Spain
| | - P. Hulva
- Department of Zoology; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
- Department of Biology and Ecology; University of Ostrava; Ostrava Czech Republic
| | - D. Romportl
- Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology; Charles University in Prague; Prague Czech Republic
| | - S. Santoro
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemical Engineering; University Pablo de Olavide; Sevilla Spain
- Department of Ethology and Biodiversity Conservation; Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC); Seville Spain
| | - T. Stříbná
- Department of Zoology; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - D. Shohami
- Movement Ecology Laboratory; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences; Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Jerusalem Israel
| | - A. Evin
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution; Université de Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - A. Tsoar
- Movement Ecology Laboratory; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences; Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Jerusalem Israel
| | - P. Benda
- Department of Zoology; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology; National Museum (Natural History); Prague Czech Republic
| | - I. Horáček
- Department of Zoology; Charles University; Prague Czech Republic
| | - R. Nathan
- Movement Ecology Laboratory; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior; Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences; Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Jerusalem Israel
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Shehata MM, Chu DKW, Gomaa MR, AbiSaid M, El Shesheny R, Kandeil A, Bagato O, Chan SMS, Barbour EK, Shaib HS, McKenzie PP, Webby RJ, Ali MA, Peiris M, Kayali G. Surveillance for Coronaviruses in Bats, Lebanon and Egypt, 2013-2015. Emerg Infect Dis 2016; 22:148-50. [PMID: 26689887 PMCID: PMC4696718 DOI: 10.3201/eid2201.151397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Lučan RK, Bartonička T, Jedlička P, Řeřucha Š, Šálek M, Čížek M, Nicolaou H, Horáček I. Spatial activity and feeding ecology of the endangered northern population of the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus). J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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13
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Lučan RK, Bartonička T, Benda P, Bilgin R, Jedlička P, Nicolaou H, Reiter A, Shohdi WM, Šálek M, Řeřucha Š, Uhrin M, Abi-Said M, Horáček I. Reproductive seasonality of the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) at the northern limits of its distribution. J Mammal 2014. [DOI: 10.1644/14-mamm-a-035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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