bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testosterone pulses at the nest site modify ultrasonic vocalization types in a monogamous and territorial mouse
Authors: Timonin Mary E. , Kalcounis‐Rueppell Matina C. , Marler Catherine A.
Published: October 2018

Modulation of baseline testosterone (T) via long‐lasting T implants alters territorial, sexual, and social behavior of animals in the field. Transient T increases occur in numerous species after social interactions, but these transient increases in T have not been manipulated in the field. In the laboratory, these T increases can influence future behavior for days, causing changes in social behavior and inducing preferences for specific locations. We manipulated transient increases in T in the field at the nests of the monogamous and territorial California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) to examine long‐term (>24 hr) changes in ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Males of bonded male–female dyads (=pair) were administered a T injection (vs. saline) three times over seven days and USVs of the male–female dyad were measured for three days after the last injection. At T nests, the male–female dyad produced significantly more 1SV (one call SV: an SV is a sustained vocalization that is long in duration and low in modulation) and 4SV (four call SV) type USVs than controls, but no significant changes in aggressive barks. Overall, male–female dyad mice at T nests produced a greater diversity in call types such that 1SV, 4SV, 5SV, and a complex sweep were produced at T nests but not control nests. There were significantly more USVs produced at T nests on night 2 after the final injection. There were no differences in spectral characteristics of SV calls or aggressive barks between T and control nests. The function of the changes that occurred is unknown, but is consistent with increased long‐term changes in behavioral interactions with nest mates and may reflect T‐induced conditioned place preferences to the nest site. Significantly, transient increases in T influence future acoustic communication under field conditions with competing biotic and abiotic stimuli.
Evolutionary transitions to cooperative societies in fishes revisited
Authors: Tanaka Hirokazu , Frommen Joachim G. , Koblmüller Stephan , Sefc Kristina M. , McGee Matthew , Kohda Masanori , Awata Satoshi , Hori Michio , Taborsky Michael
Published: October 2018

Unravelling the evolution of complex social organization in animals is an important aim, not least because it helps to understand the evolutionary roots of human sociality. Recent advances in comparative methods allow to approach this question in a phylogenetic context. The validity of such comparative approaches depends strongly on the quality of information regarding the behaviour, sociality, and reproduction of animals in natural systems, and on the quality of the phylogenetic reconstruction. Applying a novel comparative approach, a recent study of Dey et al. (, Nature Ecology & Evolution, 1, 137) concluded that evolutionary transitions to cooperative breeding in cichlid fishes were not associated with the social mating pattern. Here we argue that this result was adversely affected by equivocal classifications of mating patterns, and inadequate phylogenetic data. In order to illustrate the impact of the mating system misclassifications, we scored mating patterns as reported in the original literature and re‐analysed the dataset based on Dey et al.’s tree topology. The result suggests that the mating system does in fact significantly explain the evolutionary transition to cooperative breeding in lamprologine cichlids, but we submit that a reliable conclusion cannot be reached before improving the behavioural information and the underlying phylogenetic reconstruction. The problems identified in this case study are not unique and we urge caution in the interpretation of results from comparative phylogenetic studies in general. We do agree with Dey et al. () though that the lamprologine cichlids of Lake Tanganyika may constitute a fundamental test case for the theory of social evolution, but better information on their behaviour and phylogenetic relationships is needed to allow meaningful analyses.
Personality and its variation between sexes in the black‐bellied bunchgrass lizard Sceloporus aeneus during the breeding season
Authors: Rangel‐Patiño Carlos , García‐Morales Carla , Mastachi‐Loza Carlos , Carmen‐Cristóbal Juan M. , Ruiz‐Gómez María de Lourdes
Published: October 2018

Personality defined as individual differences in behavioural traits, which are consistent through time and across situations, has been observed among individuals of the same population in several animal groups. However, it is well known that as selective pressures may act upon behaviour, they can potentially drive differences in personality; in this sense, the breeding season may function as a promotor of differences between males and females that allow them to maximize their fitness. Nevertheless, results from studies comparing differences in personality between males and females are still non‐conclusive. Therefore, we aimed to test the presence of differences in personality between males and females during the breeding season by evaluating the consistency over time and across situations of three behavioural traits in the black‐bellied bunch grass lizard Sceloporus aeneus. We found that males were more risk‐prone and active than females, whereas aggression was similar between sexes. Personality traits were observed in both sexes throughout the breeding season; however, they were more consistent in females than in males. Specifically, personality in males is characterized by higher levels of activity, boldness and aggressiveness; whereas females behave more cautiously, although aggressively when confronted with other females. Our results suggest that the personality differences between males and females observed in Sceloporus aeneus may be expressed to secure individual current reproductive value, and to enhance their fitness success.
Influence of the operational sex ratio on mutual mate choice in the Jamaican field cricket (Gryllus assimilis): Testing the predictions of the switch point theorem
Authors: Villarreal Amy E. , Godin Jean‐Guy J. , Bertram Susan M.
Published: October 2018

The switch point theorem posits that both sexes should exhibit behavioural flexibility, switching between discriminant and indiscriminate mating, as their perceived demographic conditions change. The theorem also predicts that an individual’s mate choice should be more dependent on its own intrinsic characteristics and ecological conditions than on the exaggerated sexually selected traits possessed by potential mates. To test these predictions, we manipulated the operational sex ratio (OSR), a demographic factor, of adult Jamaican field crickets (Gryllus assimilis) under controlled laboratory conditions and evaluated whether the mate choices of females and males were influenced by their social environment, their own body size and the difference in the body size of available potential mates. Body size is under sexual selection in this species, with females preferring larger males and larger males exhibiting repeatable mate choice. We predicted that changes in the OSR should influence the mating behaviour of both sexes, as the OSR determines the probability that an individual will encounter a potential mate. We observed that the OSR affected the flexibility of male, but not female, mate choice. Additionally, the OSR influenced male behaviour, with larger males from the female‐biased OSR taking longer to make a choice than larger males in the male‐biased and even ratio OSR treatments. Mate choice in females was influenced by their intrinsic body size (only large females were choosy) and by the exaggerated traits expressed by potential mates (large females were only choosy when potential mates differed considerably in body size). Collectively, these findings provide partial support for the predictions of the switch point theorem as both sexes exhibited flexible mating decisions, switching from discriminant to indiscriminate mating under varying demographic conditions.
Embryonic heart rate predicts prenatal development rate, but is not related to post‐natal growth rate or activity level in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
Authors: Sheldon Elizabeth L. , Griffith Simon C.
Published: October 2018

Inter‐individual variation in behaviour has been the focus of much recent work, yet the underlying mechanisms that cause and maintain this variation are unclear. It has been proposed that consistent individual differences in metabolism could be related to inter‐individual variation in behaviour and development throughout life. Here, we tested this idea in the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), by investigating whether embryonic heart rate (a proxy for metabolic rate) is associated with prenatal developmental rates, post‐natal activity levels and post‐natal growth rates. Embryonic heart rate and post‐natal activity level were significantly repeatable throughout an individual's development, such that consistent individual differences in these traits could be distinguished. We detected a significant, negative relationship between embryonic heart rate and incubation duration. However, we did not detect any relationship between embryonic heart rate, post‐natal activity levels or post‐natal growth rates. Our findings are significant because they identify consistent individual differences in embryonic metabolic phenotype and post‐natal traits. However, we were unable to identify any correlation between the pre‐ and post‐natal phenotypes suggesting that either intrinsic metabolic differences do not persist across the developmental boundary of hatching or such differences become obscured by parental or environmental effects after hatching. Our findings raise a number of questions about possible selection on metabolic phenotypes, both before and after hatching, and why developmental trajectories before and after hatching are apparently unlinked.
Latina/o Children Living With an Immigrant Mother With Depression: Developmental and Cultural Nuances in Recognition and Coping
Authors: Valdez Carmen R. , Raines Christopher R. , Davies Kevin D. , D'Costa Stephanie
Published: October 2018

The psychological experience of maternal depression and its impact on immigrant Latina/o families often goes unrecognized and unaddressed. Children may feel especially helpless and confused about the changes they observe in their mothers’ mood and behavior, and about the deterioration of family relationships. Given the interdependence of family structures of immigrant Latina/o households, maternal depression can be detrimental to Latina/o youth attributions and coping strategies, and to their relationship with their mothers. The quantitative focus of most research on maternal depression in Latina/o samples limits our understanding of family processes in maternal depression. The current qualitative study explores the perceived impact of maternal depression on Latina/o youths’ attributions and coping strategies. This inquiry involved focus groups with 12 participants aged 9–16 years to explore their perspectives on maternal depression. All youth had participated in a 12‐week multifamily group intervention focused on building family and cultural strengths to address maternal depression on immigrant Latina/o families. Findings of the focus groups illuminated the essential experience of youth living with maternal depression, and indicated that there are developmental considerations for how youth recognize and make meaning of maternal depression, and cope with disrupted family life. Additionally, youth reported engaging in these culture‐specific ways of coping: using close sibling relationships and family structure as support, having fathers and extended family members engage in additional and restorative parenting practices, and participating in religious practices to seek refuge from family stress. We propose considerations for intervention and further areas of research.
Microbial communities associated with phosphogenic sediments and phosphoclast‐associated DNA of the Benguela upwelling system
Authors: Zoss Roman , Medina Ferrer Fernando , Flood Beverly E. , Jones Daniel S. , Louw Deon.C. , Bailey Jake
Published: October 2018

The processes that lead to the precipitation of authigenic calcium phosphate minerals in certain marine pore waters remain poorly understood. Phosphogenesis occurs in sediments beneath some oceanic upwelling zones that harbor polyphosphate‐accumulating bacteria. These bacteria are believed to concentrate phosphate in sediment pore waters, creating supersaturated conditions with respect to apatite precursors. However, the relationship between microbes and phosphorite formation is not fully resolved. To further study this association, we examined microbial community data generated from two sources: sediment cores recovered from the shelf of the Benguela upwelling region where phosphorites are currently forming, and DNA preserved within phosphoclasts recovered from a phosphorite deposit along the Benguela shelf. iTag and clone library sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene showed that many of our sediment‐hosted communities shared large numbers of phylotypes with one another, and that the same metabolic guilds were represented at localities across the shelf. Sulfate‐reducing bacteria and sulfur‐oxidizing bacteria were particularly abundant in our datasets, as were phylotypes that are known to carry out nitrification and the anaerobic oxidation of ammonium. The DNA extracted from phosphoclasts contained the signature of a distinct microbial community from those observed in the modern sediments. While some aspects of the modern and phosphoclast communities were similar, we observed both an enrichment of certain common microbial classes found in the modern phosphogenic sediments and a relative depletion of others. The phosphoclast‐associated DNA could represent a relict signature of one or more microbial assemblages that were present when the apatite or its precursors precipitated. While these taxa may or may not have contributed to the precipitation of the apatite that now hosts their genetic remains, several groups represented in the phosphoclast extract dataset have the genetic potential to metabolize polyphosphate, and perhaps modulate phosphate concentrations in pore waters where carbonate fluorapatite (or its precursors) are known to be precipitating.
Ambient changes exceed treatment effects on plant species abundance in global change experiments
Authors: Langley J. Adam , Chapman Samantha K. , La Pierre Kimberly J. , Avolio Meghan , Bowman William D. , Johnson David S. , Isbell Forest , Wilcox Kevin R. , Foster Bryan L. , Hovenden Mark J. , Knapp Alan K. , Koerner Sally E. , Lortie Christopher J. , Megonigal James P. , Newton Paul C. D. , Reich Peter B. , Smith Melinda D. , Suttle Kenwyn B. , Tilman David
Published: October 2018

The responses of species to environmental changes will determine future community composition and ecosystem function. Many syntheses of global change experiments examine the magnitude of treatment effect sizes, but we lack an understanding of how plant responses to treatments compare to ongoing changes in the unmanipulated (ambient or background) system. We used a database of long‐term global change studies manipulating CO2, nutrients, water, and temperature to answer three questions: (a) How do changes in plant species abundance in ambient plots relate to those in treated plots? (b) How does the magnitude of ambient change in species‐level abundance over time relate to responsiveness to global change treatments? (c) Does the direction of species‐level responses to global change treatments differ from the direction of ambient change? We estimated temporal trends in plant abundance for 791 plant species in ambient and treated plots across 16 long‐term global change experiments yielding 2,116 experiment–species–treatment combinations. Surprisingly, for most species (57%) the magnitude of ambient change was greater than the magnitude of treatment effects. However, the direction of ambient change, whether a species was increasing or decreasing in abundance under ambient conditions, had no bearing on the direction of treatment effects. Although ambient communities are inherently dynamic, there is now widespread evidence that anthropogenic drivers are directionally altering plant communities in many ecosystems. Thus, global change treatment effects must be interpreted in the context of plant species trajectories that are likely driven by ongoing environmental changes.
Global geographic patterns in the colours and sizes of animal‐dispersed fruits
Authors: Sinnott‐Armstrong Miranda A. , Downie Alexander E. , Federman Sarah , Valido Alfredo , Jordano Pedro , Donoghue Michael J.
Published: October 2018

Aim

Fruit colours attract animal seed dispersers, yet the causes of fruit colour diversity remain controversial. The lack of knowledge of large‐scale spatial patterns in fruit colours has limited our ability to formulate and test alternative hypotheses to explain fruit colour, fruit size and fruit colour diversity. We describe spatial (especially latitudinal) variation in fruit colour, colour diversity and length, and test for correlations between fruit colour, length and plant habit.

Location

Global.

Time period

Present day.

Major taxa studied

Seed plants.

Methods

We assembled a database of fruit traits for 13,178 fleshy fruited plant species spanning 136 sites around the world. To assess whether fruit colour categories correspond with spectral reflectances, we tested for clustering of hue, chroma and saturation for 236 species for which we had reflectance data. We then quantified latitudinal gradients in fruit colour, fruit length and fruit colour diversity while controlling for the effects of plant habit and whether colour categories varied with respect to average fruit size.

Results

Colour categories corresponded well with reflectance data. The tropics show high colour diversity, while red fruits progressively constitute a higher proportion of the fleshy‐fruited plant community towards high latitudes. All mammal‐associated colours (green, orange, brown and yellow) are more common in the tropics than at high latitudes. Fruit length also increases towards the tropics.

Main conclusions

Tropical communities tend to have diverse fruit colours, including many mammal‐associated fruit colours, while high latitude communities contain a higher percentage of red‐fruited species. The correlation between colour and size is strong, and some latitudinal patterns may be partly driven by changes in fruit size. Differences in geography and in the history of plant lineages in the Southern versus the Northern Hemisphere may help to explain some biogeographic patterns, but alternative hypotheses related to fruit defence, development and metabolic costs are plausible.
Gauging support for macroecological patterns in helminth parasites
Authors: Dallas Tad A. , Aguirre A. Alonso , Budischak Sarah , Carlson Colin , Ezenwa Vanessa , Han Barbara , Huang Shan , Stephens Patrick R.
Published: October 2018

Aim

To explore spatial patterns of helminth parasite diversity, and to investigate three main macroecological patterns – (a) latitude–diversity relationships, (b) positive scaling between parasite and host diversity, and (c) species–area relationships – using a largely underutilized global database of helminth parasite occurrence records.

Location

Global.

Methods

We examined the London Natural History Museum’s collection of helminth parasite occurrence records, consisting of over 18,000 unique host species and 27,000 unique helminth parasite species distributed across over 350 distinct terrestrial and aquatic localities.

Results

We find support for latitudinal gradients in parasite diversity and a strong relationship between host and parasite diversity at the global scale. Helminth species diversity–area relationships were not detectable as a function of host body mass, but larger geographic areas supported higher parasite richness, potentially mediated through higher host richness.

Main conclusions

Our findings indicate that helminth parasites may obey some of the macroecological relationships found in free‐living species, suggesting that parasites may offer further support for the generality of these patterns, while offering interesting counterexamples for others. We conclude with a discussion of future directions and potential challenges in the newly emerging macroecology of infectious disease.
Homogenization of species composition and species association networks are decoupled
Authors: Li Daijiang , Poisot Timothée , Waller Donald M. , Baiser Benjamin
Published: October 2018

Aim

Ecological communities are composed of both species and the biotic relationships (interactions or spatial associations) among them. Biotic homogenization in species composition (i.e., increased site‐to‐site similarity) is recognized as a common consequence of global change, but less is known about how the similarity of species relationships changes over space and time. Does homogenization of species composition lead to homogenization of species relationships or are the dynamics of species relationships decoupled from changes in species composition?

Location

Wisconsin, USA.

Time period

1950–2012.

Major taxa studied

Vascular plants.

Methods

We used long‐term resurvey data to analyse changes in plant species association patterns between the 1950s and 2000s at 266 sites distributed among three community types in Wisconsin, USA. We used species associations (quantified via local co‐occurrence patterns) to represent one type of relationship among species. Species pairs that co‐occur more or less than expected by chance have positive or negative associations, respectively. We then measured beta diversity in both species composition and species association networks over time and space.

Results

Shifts in species associations consistently exceeded the shifts observed in species composition. Less disturbed forests of northern Wisconsin have converged somewhat in species composition but little in species associations. In contrast, forests in central Wisconsin succeeding from pine barrens to closed‐canopy forests have strongly homogenized in both species composition and species associations. More fragmented forests in southern Wisconsin also tended to converge in species composition and in the species’ negative associations, but their positive associations diverged over the last half century. Species composition and associations are generally affected by a similar set of environmental variables. Their relative importance, however, has changed over time.

Main conclusions

Long‐term shifts in species relationships appear to be decoupled from shifts in species composition despite being affected by similar environmental variables.
Transnational policy influence and the politics of legitimation
Authors: Diprose Rachael , Kurniawan Nanang I. , Macdonald Kate
Published: October 2018

Many domains of transnational policy are now governed through dynamic, multilevel governance processes, encompassing transnational, national, and subnational scales. In such settings, both membership of policy communities and distributions of authority within them become more fluid and openly contested—increasing the importance of the politics of legitimation as a basis for distributing influence over policy processes and outcomes. Drawing on insights from theories of organizational and institutional legitimation, this article theorizes three distinctive strategies of policy influence exercised by transnational actors in multilevel governance settings, through which strategic efforts to legitimize transnational actors and forums are deployed as means of transnational policy influence. The three strategies involve: transnational field building, localized network building, and role adaptation. The effects of these influencing strategies on policy processes and outcomes are illustrated with reference to the case of Indonesian land governance, in which highly dynamic, contested, and multiscalar governance processes lend our theorized strategies particular salience.
Expression of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition regulators TWIST, SLUG and SNAIL in follicular thyroid tumours may relate to widely invasive, poorly differentiated and distant metastasis
Authors: Wu Jianghua , Zhang Yanhui , Cheng Runfen , Gong Wenchen , Ding TingTing , Zhai Qiongli , Wang Yong , Meng Bin , Sun Baocun
Published: October 2018

Aims

To assess the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulators in follicular thyroid tumours.

Methods and results

The expression of E‐cadherin (E‐CAD) and transcription factors TWIST, SLUG and SNAIL in follicular thyroid tumours was examined by immunohistochemistry in tissue samples, including 18 follicular adenomas (FA), 12 minimally invasive follicular thyroid carcinomas (MI‐FTC), 16 widely invasive follicular thyroid carcinomas (WI‐FTC), 10 poorly differentiated follicular thyroid carcinomas (PDTC) and six anaplastic thyroid carcinomas (ATC). Metastatic tumour tissues from six of these cases were also examined. The results showed an increasing expression trend of EMT regulators in a panel of follicular tumour cases with a spectrum of morphological subtypes from low‐ to high‐risk malignancy. The expression of EMT regulators was higher in the WI‐FTC, PDTC and ATC groups but focal and lower in the FA and MI‐FTC groups. Different expression intensity of E‐CAD and EMT regulators at the tumour centre part and the invasive front (IF) was observed. The loss of E‐CAD and expression of EMT regulators was significantly correlated with distant metastasis and vascular invasion (VI) in the well‐differentiated follicular carcinoma (WD‐FTC), and six tumours of metastatic sites also showed variables positive for EMT regulators. The disease‐free survival analysis showed an apparent relationship between the expression of EMT regulators and the tumour disease‐free outcomes in WD‐FTC.

Conclusions

Our study supported the role of EMT in the development of follicular thyroid carcinoma and indicated that EMT regulatory proteins may play an important role in WD‐FTC that are widely invasive and exhibit distant metastasis.
Lithium isotope variations in Tonga–Kermadec arc–Lau back‐arc lavas and Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 204 sediments
Authors: Brens Raul , Liu Xiao‐Ming , Turner Simon , Rushmer Tracy
Published: October 2018

Lithium isotopes have been identified as a promising tracer of subducted materials in arc lavas due to the observable variations in related reservoirs such as subducting sediments and altered oceanic crust. The Tonga–Kermadec arc–Lau back‐arc provides an end‐member of subduction zones with the coldest thermal structure on Earth. Reported here are Li isotope data for 14 lavas from the arc front and 7 back‐arc lavas as well as 12 pelagic and volcaniclastic sediments along a profile through the sedimentary sequence at DSDP Site 204. The arc and back‐arc lavas range from basalts to dacites in composition with SiO2 = 48.3–65.3 wt% over which Li concentrations increase from 2 ppm to 16 ppm. Li/Y ratios range from 0.08 to 0.77 and from 0.24 to 0.65 in the arc and back‐arc lavas, respectively. The majority of the lavas have δ7Li that ranges from 2.5 ‰ to 5.0 ‰ with an average of (3.6 ±0.7) ‰, similar to that reported from other arcs and there is no distinction between the arc front and back‐arc lavas. The pelagic sediments have variable Li concentrations (33–133 ppm) and δ7Li that ranges from 1.2 ‰ to 10.2 ‰ while the volcaniclastic sediments have an even greater range of Li concentrations (3.6–165 ppm) and generally higher δ7Li values (8–14 ‰). However, δ7Li in the lavas does not correlate with commonly used trace element ratio or isotope signatures indicative of slab‐derived fluids or the sediments. This is probably because the range of δ7Li in the lavas and sediments overlap. Calculated sediment mass‐balance models require significantly more sediment than previous estimates based on Th–Nd–Be isotopes. This may indicate that a sizeable proportion of the total Li budget in the lavas is provided by Li‐enriched fluids from the subducting sediments and/or altered oceanic crust.
Inflammation‐induced overexpression of microRNA‐223‐3p regulates odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells by targeting SMAD3
Authors: Huang X. , Liu F. , Hou J. , Chen K.
Published: October 2018

Aim

To profile miRNA expression between inflamed and healthy human dental pulp tissues and to investigate how the upregulation of miR‐223‐3p in the inflamed pulp tissue regulates odontoblast differentiation and regeneration.

Methodology

Microarray analysis was used to identify differences in miRNA expression patterns between healthy and inflamed pulp tissue. The results were validated using quantitative real‐time PCR. To determine the effect of miR‐223‐3p on odontoblast differentiation, miR‐223‐3p was overexpressed in human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), which were cultured in mineralizing induction medium (to induce odontoblast differentiation). To identify the target genes of miR‐223‐3p, an SABiosciences Human Osteogenesis PCR Array, combined with bioinformatics, was used. Furthermore, a dual‐luciferase reporter assay and a small interfering RNA (siRNA) experiment were used to confirm the relationship between miR‐223‐3p and its target gene. Statistical analysis was performed using the Student's t‐test or one‐way analysis of variance (anova); P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Seventy‐nine miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed (fold change >2.0; P < 0.05) between the two tissues. In particular, miR‐223‐3p was markedly upregulated in inflamed dental pulp. Overexpression of miR‐223‐3p in DPSCs significantly increased the protein levels of dentine sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and dentine matrix protein 1 (DMP‐1) (P < 0.05). However, the SMAD family member 3 (SMAD3) protein level was significantly lower than in control DPSCs (P < 0.05). Bioinformatics and the dual‐luciferase assay reporter assay indicated that Smad3 was a potential target of miR‐223‐3p. Knockdown of Smad3 in DPSCs subjected to mineralization induction resulted in detection of DSPP and DMP‐1 earlier than in control DPSCs, and it increased the protein level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), thereby promoting odontoblast differentiation.

Conclusions

miR‐223‐3p is implicated in the regulation of odontoblast differentiation, which may be involved in the process of pulpitis repair.
Characterisation of sorghum starch granules using SAXS: effects of moisture on crystallinity and structure
Authors: Subzwari Sana , Bryant Gary , Small Darryl M.
Published: October 2018

In order to further characterise sorghum starch as a potential ingredient in food formulations, starch granules have been extracted from sorghum flour and characterised. The lamellar structure of granules and the uptake of water under ambient conditions have been investigated using small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS). The lamellar structure was affected by the uptake of water and crystallinity was disrupted as water was absorbed. The diameter of sorghum granules had a bimodal distribution and the lamellar patterns were similar to those of other cereal starches. Moisture uptake occurred within the first four hours of exposure to water and SAXS provides a valuable technique for further studies of granular starch, including changes during the uptake of water.
Predictive ability of renal cortex enhancement in dynamic computed tomography for residual renal function after nephroureterectomy: Comparison with 99mTc‐diethylenetriaminopentacetic acid renography and validation study
Authors: Waseda Yuma , Saito Kazutaka , Ishikawa Yudai , Kawano Keizo , Yokoyama Minato , Ishioka Junichiro , Matsuoka Yoh , Morimoto Shinji , Kihara Kazunori , Fujii Yasuhisa
Published: October 2018

Objective

To estimate postoperative residual renal function after radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma using the preoperative dynamic computed tomography renal cortex enhancement ratio in comparison with the split kidney glomerular filtration rate measured by 99mTc‐diethylenetriaminopentacetic acid renography.

Methods

A total of 47 patients who received radical nephroureterectomy and underwent both preoperative dynamic computed tomography and renography were the model‐development cohort; and 109 patients who underwent dynamic computed tomography alone were the validation cohort. Postoperative renal function of the unremoved kidney was estimated using the following formulas: preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate × the percentage of total renal cortex radiodensity for the intact kidney in Hounsfield units obtained from corticomedullary phase images in the computed tomography‐based model, or the percentage of the total glomerular filtration rate measured by renography in the nuclear model. The correlation between observed and estimated postoperative renal function was determined. The computed tomography‐based prediction model derived from linear regression analysis was validated externally.

Results

The correlation of computed tomography‐based split renal function with the observed postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = 0.80) was equivalent to that of nuclear split renal function (r = 0.78). In the validation cohort, the computed tomography‐based prediction model showed an equivalently strong correlation (r = 0.78).

Conclusions

The present study showed that the percentage of total renal cortex radiodensity for the intact kidney is a useful tool for predicting unremoved kidney function in upper tract urothelial carcinoma patients, thereby allowing appropriate patient selection for perioperative cisplatin‐based combination chemotherapy.
Infants’ Biological Sensitivity to the Effects of Maternal Social Support: Evidence Among Mexican American Families
Authors: Somers Jennifer A. , Jewell Shannon L. , Hanna Ibrahim Mariam , Luecken Linda J.
Published: October 2018

The identification of infants who are most susceptible to both negative and positive social environments is critical for understanding early behavioral development. This study longitudinally assessed the interactive effects of infant vagal tone (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) and maternal social support on behavioral problems and competence among 322 low‐income Mexican American mother–infant dyads (infants: 54.1% female) and explored sex differences. Infant RSA was calculated from resting HR data at 6 weeks of age. Mothers reported on general social support, partner support, and family support at 6 months, and infant behavioral problems and competence at 1 year. Two‐way interactions (RSA × support source) were evaluated to predict behavioral problems and competence, adjusting for covariates. Results indicated higher competence among infants with lower RSA whose mothers reported higher general support or higher partner support. Interactive effects on behavior problems of RSA with maternal partner or family support were only found for female infants: Girls with higher RSA showed more behavior problems when mothers reported low support, but fewer problem levels in the context of high support. Our results suggest that infant RSA is an important moderator of the effects of the early social environment on early development.
Statistical Analysis with Linked Data
Authors: Han Ying , Lahiri Partha
Published: October 2018

Computerised Record Linkage methods help us combine multiple data sets from different sources when a single data set with all necessary information is unavailable or when data collection on additional variables is time consuming and extremely costly. Linkage errors are inevitable in the linked data set because of the unavailability of error‐free unique identifiers. A small amount of linkage errors can lead to substantial bias and increased variability in estimating parameters of a statistical model. In this paper, we propose a unified theory for statistical analysis with linked data. Our proposed method, unlike the ones available for secondary data analysis of linked data, exploits record linkage process data as an alternative to taking a costly sample to evaluate error rates from the record linkage procedure. A jackknife method is introduced to estimate bias, covariance matrix and mean squared error of our proposed estimators. Simulation results are presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed estimators that account for linkage errors.
Charted waters? Tracking the production of conservation territories on the high seas
Authors: Gray Noella J.
Published: October 2018

Marine protected areas (MPAs), a common marine conservation tool, function as both objects of governance and as a form of territory. This article tracks the long‐term effort to produce conservation territories on the high seas, in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Drawing on data collected at five international environmental meetings, the paper demonstrates how an imaginative geography of the high seas is being simultaneously constituted by scientific and technological advances, particularly geospatial visualisations, as well as coordinated efforts to advocate for and develop a new international conservation instrument (an implementing agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). Conventional understandings of territory constrain this effort by equating territory with the state. At the same time, the case of high seas conservation contributes to critiques of this conceptualisation of territory, by showcasing the role of multiple actors in seeing and controlling ocean space. Overall, the production of territory on the high seas both reflects and informs a shift in the “frontier mentality” of the oceans, as conservation and science frontier as well as economic frontier. Diverse responses to representations of, and policies for, the high seas point to both possibilities and limits of territorial thinking in the oceans.
Surface shape development of the pitch lap under the loading of the conditioner in continuous polishing process
Authors: Liao Defeng , Xie Ruiqing , Zhao Shijie , Ren Lele , Zhang Feihu , Wang Jian , Xu Qiao
Published: October 2018

Continuous polishing using the pitch lap is a key process in finishing large flat optical elements. The optical elements’ surface figure is primarily dependent on the surface shape of the pitch lap, which is controlled by a large‐size conditioner. However, underlying fundamentals of the process control is not yet clear, and it remains empirical and nondeterministic to date. In this study, a novel analysis model is proposed for exploring the surface shape development of the pitch lap under the conditioner loading. The analysis model divides the polishing time into a series of segments, in which the shape variation of the pitch lap due to viscoelastic creep is derived from the pressure distribution at the conditioner‐lap contact interface. Further, a contact model of the lap and conditioner is built to obtain the pressure distribution at the interface, and a novel creep model is proposed for the viscoelastic behavior of the pitch lap under the pressure. The analysis model combined with the contact and viscoelastic models can be used to explore the pitch lap shape development under various conditions and hence reveal the underlying fundamentals of controlling the lap shape by the conditioner.
Absence of ferromagnetism in ferroelectric Mn‐doped BaTiO3 nanofibers
Authors: Maldonado‐Orozco María C. , Ochoa‐Lara Martha T. , Sosa‐Márquez Jesús E. , Talamantes‐Soto Roberto P. , Hurtado‐Macías Abel , López Antón Ricardo , González Juan A. , Holguín‐Momaca José T. , Olive‐Méndez Sion F. , Espinosa‐Magaña Francisco
Published: October 2018

Pure and Mn‐doped barium titanate nanofibers were synthesized by the electrospinning method. The morphology, microstructure and crystal structure of as‐spun and annealed composite nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. After annealing at 850°C, we obtain nanofibers a few μm long, formed by nanoparticles of irregular shape with sizes around 100 nm. X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy show that a partial phase transition from tetragonal to hexagonal takes place for BaTi0.90Mn0.10O3. Vibrational phonon modes were calculated for BaTiO3 within the density functional theory (DFT) framework. Ferroelectricity has been probed on pure and Mn‐doped BaTiO3 nanofibers, by means of piezoresponse force microscopy in an atomic force microscope, confirming the polar domain switching behavior of the fibers. The measured piezoelectric coefficient d33 were 31 and 22 pm/V for BaTiO3 and BaTi0.90Mn0.10O3. Magnetic properties of the samples were probed in a superconducting quantum interference device. Diamagnetic and paramagnetic behaviors were found in pure and Mn‐doped samples, respectively.
The compounding consequences of wildfire and climate change for a high‐elevation wildflower (Saxifraga austromontana)
Authors: Bloom Trevor D.S. , Flower Aquila , Medler Michael , DeChaine Eric G.
Published: October 2018

Aim

High‐elevation plants are disproportionally affected by climate change. As temperatures rise, the amount of available alpine habitat in the Rocky Mountains will decrease resulting in potential local extinctions of plant species. In addition to the direct effects of climate‐driven habitat loss, alpine plants must also respond to indirect effects, such as changes in disturbance regimes. One notable shift is the increase of wildfire frequency in regions where fire was previously rare or absent, including the alpine. We hypothesized that direct climatic changes compounded with increased wildfire frequency will reduce the future suitable habitat of high‐elevation plants more than if climate was considered alone.

Location

Rocky Mountain Floristic Region, western North America.

Taxon

Saxifraga austromontana (Saxifragaceae), a wildflower endemic to high elevations of the Rocky Mountain Floristic Region.

Methods

Our approach integrated historical herbarium records, field surveys, remote sensing, species distribution models, historic wildfire data, and predictive models.

Results

Our results indicate wildfire has significantly reduced the abundance and increased the likelihood of extirpation for S. austromontana. Increased fire frequency compounded with direct climatic changes will likely reduce the range of the species by approximately 43% by 2050 compared to 38% due to climate alone, under a moderate CO2 emissions scenario. The influence of wildfire varies regionally. For instance, the Middle Rockies will likely lose 74% of its suitable habitat of which 16% may be lost due to fire, while other regions, such as the northern range, will be less negatively affected by direct and indirect effects.

Main Conclusions

Our evidence that increased wildfire frequency will compound the impacts of climate change on alpine taxa in North America led to the development of a new, general hypothesis on the fundamental interaction between direct and indirect effects of climate change on species range reductions.
Learning linkages: Integrating data streams of multiple modalities and timescales
Authors: Liu Ran , Stamper John , Davenport Jodi , Crossley Scott , McNamara Danielle , Nzinga Kalonji , Sherin Bruce
Published: October 2018

Increasingly, student work is being conducted on computers and online, producing vast amounts of learning‐related data. The educational analytics fields have produced many insights about learning based solely on tutoring systems' automatically logged data, or “log data.” But log data leave out important contextual information about the learning experience. For example, a student working at a computer might be working independently with few outside influences. Alternatively, he or she might be in a lively classroom, with other students around, talking and offering suggestions. Tools that capture these other experiences have potential to augment and complement log data. However, the collection of rich, multimodal data streams and the increased complexity and heterogeneity in the resulting data pose many challenges to researchers. Here, we present two empirical studies that take advantage of multimodal data sources to enrich our understanding of student learning. We leverage and extend quantitative models of student learning to incorporate insights derived jointly from data collected in multiple modalities (log data, video, and high‐fidelity audio) and contexts (individual vs. collaborative classroom learning). We discuss the unique benefits of multimodal data and present methods that take advantage of such benefits while easing the burden on researchers' time and effort.
Child maltreatment in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability: results from a population‐based sample
Authors: McDonnell Christina G. , Boan Andrea D. , Bradley Catherine C. , Seay Kristen D. , Charles Jane M. , Carpenter Laura A.
Published: October 2018

Background

Children with developmental disabilities are at heightened risk for maltreatment. However, little is known regarding the prevalence of maltreatment among specific groups, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or intellectual disability (ID). Information about maltreatment in these groups can aid in the development of supports and prevention strategies for vulnerable children and their families.

Methods

Using record linkage between the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) network, this study compares the prevalence and characteristics of maltreatment among children with ASD‐only (n = 316), ASD and comorbid ID (ASD+ID; n = 291), ID‐only (n = 1,280), and controls (n = 3,101). Behavioral correlates of maltreatment are examined.

Results

Controlling for demographic factors, this study found significantly higher odds of reported and substantiated maltreatment among children with ASD‐only (odds ratio = 1.86 for reported, 1.51 for substantiated), ASD+ID (odds ratio = 2.35 for reported, 1.97 for substantiated), and ID‐only (odds ratio = 2.45 for reported, 2.49 for substantiated) relative to a population control group, with large effects. In particular, children with ASD+ID and ID‐only were between two and three times more likely to experience maltreatment. All groups were more likely to experience physical neglect, and children in the ASD+ID and ID‐only groups were more likely to experience all forms of abuse. Children in the ASD‐only group were more likely to experience physical abuse. Maltreated children in the ASD‐only and ID‐only groups experienced more cases of physical abuse and neglect, and were victimized by more perpetrators compared to other maltreated youth. Maltreatment was associated with higher likelihood of aggression, hyperactivity, and tantrums for children with ASD.

Conclusions

Children with ASD and/or ID are at heightened risk for maltreatment. Empirically‐supported assessment and intervention approaches for identifying and addressing traumatic stress related to maltreatment in ASD are urgently needed.