bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combination of CFCs and stable isotopes to characterize the mechanism of groundwater–surface water interactions in a headwater basin of the North China Plain
Authors: Wang Shiqin , Yuan Ruiqiang , Tang Changyuan , Song Xianfang , Currell Matthew , Yang Zhenglun , Sheng Zhuping
Published: March 2018

Mountainous areas are characterized by steep slopes and rocky landforms, with hydrological conditions varying rapidly from upstream to downstream, creating variable interactions between groundwater and surface water. In this study, mechanisms of groundwater–surface water interactions within a headwater catchment of the North China Plain were assessed along the stream length and during different seasons, using hydrochemical and stable isotope data, and groundwater residence times estimated using chlorofluorocarbons. These tracers indicate that the river is gaining, due to groundwater discharge in the headwater catchment both in the dry and rainy seasons. Residence time estimation of groundwater using chlorofluorocarbons data reveals that groundwater flow in the shallow sedimentary aquifer is dominated by the binary mixing of water approximating a piston flow model along 2 flow paths: old water, carried by a regional flow system along the direction of river flow, along with young water, which enters the river through local flow systems from hilly areas adjacent to the river valley (particularly during the rainy season). The larger mixing ratio of young water from lateral groundwater recharge and return flow of irrigation during the rainy season result in higher ion concentrations in groundwater than in the dry season. The binary mixing model showed that the ratio of young water versus total groundwater ranged from 0.88 to 0.22 and 1.0 to 0.74 in the upper and lower reaches, respectively. In the middle reach, meandering stream morphology allows some loss of river water back into the aquifer, leading to increasing estimates of the ratio of young water (from 0.22 to 1). This is also explained by declining groundwater levels near the river, due to groundwater extraction for agricultural irrigation. The switch from a greater predominance of regional flow in the dry season, to more localized groundwater flow paths in the wet season is an important groundwater–surface water interactions mechanism, with important catchment management implications.
Modelling soil solute release and transport in run‐off on a loessial slope with and without surface stones
Authors: Dong Wencai , Cui Song , Fu Qiang , Wang Quanjiu , Cao Chengpeng
Published: March 2018

Stone covers on loessial slopes can increase the time of infiltration by slowing the velocity of the overland flow, which reduces the transport of solutes, but few mechanistic models have been tested under water‐scouring conditions. We carried out field experiments to test a previously proposed, physically based model of water and solute transport. The area of soil infiltration was calculated from the uncovered surface area, and Richards' equation and the kinematic wave equation were used to describe water infiltration and flow along slopes with stone covers. The transport of chemicals into the run‐off from the surface soil, presumably by diffusion, and their movement in the soil profile could be described by the convection–diffusion equations of the model. The simulated and measured data correlated well. The stones on the soil surface reduced the area available for infiltration but increased the Manning coefficient, eventually leading to increased water infiltration and decreased solute loss with run‐off. Our results indicated that the traditional model of water movement and solute migration could be used to simulate water transport and solute migration for stone‐covered soil on loessial slopes.
A fractal analysis of the water retention curve
Authors: De Bartolo Samuele , Fallico Carmine , Severino Gerardo
Published: March 2018

The dependence of the soil water content ϑ upon the matric potential ψ is studied within a fractal approach that regards the water retention curve as a sequence of well defined fractal regimes. Each of such regimes accounts for a given functional dependence ϑ≡ϑ(ψ), which in turn is characterized by a fractal dimension. The difference between the double fractal (observed into sandy soils) and multifractal (observed into clay soils) regime is explained by recalling that, for a sandy soil, the transition from saturated to dry conditions is driven by a steep reduction of ψ. To the contrary, for a clay (where the change from the highest water contents to the smallest ones is characterized by a large range of the matric potential), the multifractal behaviour is observed. These results are also confirmed by the analysis of experimental data. In particular, we show that the intermediate regime, generally accounting for the fractal multimodality, is due to the sandy nature of the soil at stake, practically immaterial. Finally, we demonstrate that our model can be also regarded as the straightforward generalization of that of Millán and González‐Posada ().
Understanding plot‐scale hydrology of Lesser Himalayan watershed—A field study and HYDRUS‐2D modelling approach
Authors: Nanda Aliva , Sen Sumit , Jirwan Vijay , Sharma Anupma , Kumar Vikram
Published: March 2018

Soil moisture dynamics have a significant effect on overland flow generation. Catchment aspect is one of the major controlling factors of overland flow and soil moisture behaviour. A few experimental studies have been carried out in the uneven topography of the Himalayas. This study presents plot‐scale experiments using portable rainfall simulator at an altitude of 1,230 m above mean sea level and modelling of overland flow using observed datasets. Two plots were selected in 2 different aspects of Aglar watershed of Lesser Himalaya; the agro‐forested (AF) plot was positioned at the north aspect whereas the degraded (DE) plot was located at the south aspect of the hillslope. HS flumes and rain gauges were installed to measure the runoff at the outlet of the plot and the rainfall depth during rainfall simulation experiments. Moreover, 10 soil moisture sensors were installed at upslope and downslope locations of both the plots at 5, 15, 25, 35, and 45 cm depth from ground level to capture the soil moisture dynamics. The tests were conducted at intensities of 79.8 and 75 mm/hr in AF plot and 82.2 and 72 mm/hr in the DE plot during Test 1 and Test 2, respectively. The observed data indicate the presence of reinfiltration process only in the AF plot. The high water holding capacity and the presence of reinfiltration process results in less runoff volume in the AF plot compared with the DE plot. The Hortonian overland flow mechanism was found to be the dominant overland flow mechanism as only a few layers of top soil get saturated during all of the rainfall–runoff experiments. The runoff, rainfall, and soil moisture data were subsequently used to calibrate the parameters of HYDRUS‐2D overland flow module to simulate the runoff hydrograph and soil moisture. The components of hydrograph were evaluated in terms of peak discharge, runoff volume and time of concentration, the results were found to be within the satisfactory range. The goodness of fit of simulated hydrographs were more than 0.85 and 0.95 for AF and DE plot, respectively. The model produced satisfactory simulation results of soil moisture for all of the rainfall–runoff experiments. The HYDRUS‐2D overland flow module was found promising to simulate the runoff hydrograph and soil moisture in plot‐scale research.
Preschool children and young adults' preferences and expectations for helpers and hinderers
Authors: Hinten Ashley E. , Labuschagne Lisa G. , Boden Hannah , Scarf Damian
Published: March 2018

Several studies suggest infants and young children prefer prosocial over antisocial individuals and expect individuals will selectively approach prosocial rather than antisocial others. There is, however, confusion regarding (a) the methods used to assess preference versus those used to assess expectations and (b) the interpretation of previous studies. In the current study, utilizing eye‐tracking technology, we dissect children and young adults' preferences and expectations after watching the hill paradigm, in which one character (the Helper) helps a protagonist ascend a hill whereas another character (the Hinderer) prevents the protagonist from doing so. Neither children nor young adults displayed a looking preference for the Helper over the Hinderer. With respect to expectations, children shown an animation in which the protagonist approached its Helper looked significantly longer than children shown an animation in which it approached its Hinderer, whereas young adults' looking times were comparable across the two scenarios. We argue longer looking time to the Helper‐approach animation may reflect that children expect the Helper to move in concert/coordination with the protagonist and are surprised when this does not occur. We discuss our findings in relation to arguments about boundaries between different techniques used to measure preferences versus expectations in developmental research.

Highlights

We address whether clear boundaries exist between developmental paradigms that aim to test preferences, predictions, and expectations.

Eye tracking was used to collect data on children's and young adult's looking behaviour on a commonly used paradigm in social evaluation research.

We demonstrate that measures of preferences, predictions, and expectations can be extracted from a single paradigm and, therefore, that the boundaries between paradigms are far from clear cut.
CLCA2 epigenetic regulation by CTBP1, HDACs, ZEB1, EP300 and miR‐196b‐5p impacts prostate cancer cell adhesion and EMT in metabolic syndrome disease
Authors: Porretti Juliana , Dalton Guillermo N. , Massillo Cintia , Scalise Georgina D. , Farré Paula L. , Elble Randolph , Gerez Esther N. , Accialini Paula , Cabanillas Ana M. , Gardner Kevin , De Luca Paola , De Siervi Adriana
Published: March 2018

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer among men. Metabolic syndrome (MeS) is associated with increased PCa aggressiveness and recurrence. Previously, we proposed C‐terminal binding protein 1 (CTBP1), a transcriptional co‐repressor, as a molecular link between these two conditions. Notably, CTBP1 depletion decreased PCa growth in MeS mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms that explain the link between MeS and PCa mediated by CTBP1. We found that CTBP1 repressed chloride channel accessory 2 (CLCA2) expression in prostate xenografts developed in MeS animals. CTBP1 bound to CLCA2 promoter and repressed its transcription and promoter activity in PCa cell lines. Furthermore, we found that CTBP1 formed a repressor complex with ZEB1, EP300 and HDACs that modulates the CLCA2 promoter activity. CLCA2 promoted PCa cell adhesion inhibiting epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and activating CTNNB1 together with epithelial marker (CDH1) induction, and mesenchymal markers (SNAI2 and TWIST1) repression. Moreover, CLCA2 depletion in PCa cells injected subcutaneously in MeS mice increased the circulating tumor cells foci compared to control. A microRNA (miRNA) expression microarray from PCa xenografts developed in MeS mice, showed 21 miRNAs modulated by CTBP1 involved in angiogenesis, extracellular matrix organization, focal adhesion and adherents junctions, among others. We found that miR‐196b‐5p directly targets CLCA2 by cloning CLCA2 3′UTR and performing reporter assays. Altogether, we identified a new molecular mechanism to explain PCa and MeS link based on CLCA2 repression by CTBP1 and miR‐196b‐5p molecules that might act as key factors in the progression onset of this disease.
Colorectal cancer early methylation alterations affect the crosstalk between cell and surrounding environment, tracing a biomarker signature specific for this tumor
Authors: Fadda Antonio , Gentilini Davide , Moi Loredana , Barault Ludovic , Leoni Vera Piera , Sulas Pia , Zorcolo Luigi , Restivo Angelo , Cabras Francesco , Fortunato Federica , Zavattari Cesare , Varesco Liliana , Gismondi Viviana , De Miglio Maria Rosaria , Scanu Antonio Mario , Colombi Federica , Lombardi Pasquale , Sarotto Ivana , Loi Eleonora , Leone Francesco , Giordano Silvia , Di Nicolantonio Federica , Columbano Amedeo , Zavattari Patrizia
Published: March 2018

Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops through the accumulation of both genetic and epigenetic alterations. However, while the former are already used as prognostic and predictive biomarkers, the latter are less well characterized. Here, performing global methylation analysis on both CRCs and adenomas by Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 Bead Chips, we identified a panel of 74 altered CpG islands, demonstrating that the earliest methylation alterations affect genes coding for proteins involved in the crosstalk between cell and surrounding environment. The panel discriminates CRCs and adenomas from peritumoral and normal mucosa with very high specificity (100%) and sensitivity (99.9%). Interestingly, over 70% of the hypermethylated islands resulted in downregulation of gene expression. To establish the possible usefulness of these non‐invasive markers for detection of colon cancer, we selected three biomarkers and identified the presence of altered methylation in stool DNA and plasma cell‐free circulating DNA from CRC patients.
Birth and Death of Invading Standing Waves in the BZ‐AOT Reaction‐diffusion System
Authors: Gaskins Delora K. , Soohoo Jamie S. , Dolnik Milos , Epstein Irving R.
Published: March 2018

We report our experimental observation of modulated standing waves that invade bulk oscillations exhibited by the Belousov‐Zhabotinsky‐Aerosol OT reverse microemulsion system. The modulated standing waves form within domains bounded by a traveling wave. We also observe that the modulated standing waves give way to traveling waves, which we connect to numerical simulations in a simple chemical model.
The Deletion of Hdac4 in Mouse Osteoblasts Influences Both Catabolic and Anabolic Effects in Bone
Authors: Nakatani Teruyo , Chen Tiffany , Johnson Joshua , Westendorf Jennifer J , Partridge Nicola C
Published: March 2018

Histone deacetylase 4 (Hdac4) is known to control chondrocyte hypertrophy and bone formation. We have previously shown that parathyroid hormone (PTH) regulates many aspects of Hdac4 function in osteoblastic cells in vitro; however, in vivo confirmation was previously precluded by preweaning lethality of the Hdac4-deficient mice. To analyze the function of Hdac4 in bone in mature animals, we generated mice with osteoblast lineage-specific knockout of Hdac4 (Hdac4ob-/-) by crossing transgenic mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of a 2.3-kb fragment of the Col1a1 promoter with mice bearing loxP-Hdac4. The Hdac4ob-/- mice survive to adulthood and developed a mild skeletal phenotype. At age 12 weeks, they had short, irregularly shaped and stiff tails due to smaller tail vertebrae, with almost no growth plates. The tibial growth plate zone was also thinned, and Mmp13 and Sost mRNAs were increased in the distal femurs of Hdac4ob-/- mice. Immunohistochemistry showed that sclerostin was elevated in Hdac4ob-/- mice, suggesting that Hdac4 inhibits its gene and protein expression. To determine the effect of PTH in these mice, hPTH (1-34) or saline were delivered for 14 days with subcutaneously implanted devices in 8-week-old female Hdac4ob-/- and wild-type (Hdac4fl/fl) mice. Serum CTX, a marker of bone resorption, was increased in Hdac4ob-/- mice with or without PTH treatment. Tibial cortical bone volume/total volume (BV/TV), cortical thickness (Ct.Th), and relative cortical area (RCA) were decreased in Hdac4ob-/- mice, but PTH caused no further decrease in Hdac4ob-/- mice. Tibial trabecular BV/TV and thickness were not changed significantly in Hdac4ob-/- mice but decreased with PTH treatment. These results indicate that Hdac4 inhibits bone resorption and has anabolic effects via inhibiting Mmp13 and Sost/sclerostin expression. Hdac4 influences cortical bone mass and thickness and knockout of Hdac4 prevents the catabolic effect of PTH in cortical bone. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Characterization of a two component system, Bas1213‐1214, important for oxidative stress in Bacillus anthracis
Authors: Gupta Vatika , Jain Kanika , Garg Rajni , Malik Anshu , Gulati Pooja , Bhatnagar Rakesh
Published: March 2018

Microbial colonization is an outcome of appropriate sensing and regulation of its gene expression. Bacillus anthracis adapts and thrives in its environment through complex regulatory mechanisms, among them, the two component systems (TCS). Many bacteria respond to the oxygen fluctuations via TCS. In the present work, a previously uncharacterized TCS, Bas1213‐1214, of B. anthracis with a probable role in oxygen sensing has been characterized as a functional TCS. A substantial increase in the expression of Bas1213 was observed during the stationary growth phase, in presence of bicarbonate ions, and under oxidative stress thereby speculating the role of Bas1213 in toxin production and adaptive responses. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and ANS assay highlighted autoregulation of the system. Identification of Bas1213 regulon further suggested its regulatory function in metabolism and adaptive responses. A marked reduction in sporulation was observed on overexpression of Bas1213 in B. anthracis which can be correlated with the augmented expression of sporulation kinase D. Additionally, Bas1213 was shown to regulate catalase, and ABC transporter (mntH) further implicating its essential role during oxidative stress. Finally, crucial residues involved in the DNA binding activity of Bas1213 were also identified. This study reports that the role of Bas1213‐1214 in the regulation of metabolism and adaptive responses during oxidative stress. Both sporulation and response to environmental oxygen are important for the maintenance of B. anthracis lifecycle, therefore, characterization of Bas1213‐1214 provides a step closer toward understanding the regulatory network governing in B. anthracis.
Can we predict the structure and stability of molecular crystals under increased pressure? First‐principles study of glycine phase transitions
Authors: Szeleszczuk Łukasz , Pisklak Dariusz Maciej , Zielińska‐Pisklak Monika
Published: March 2018

The aim of this study was to determine whether the periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations can be used for accurate prediction of the influence of the increased pressure on crystal structure and stability of molecular solids. To achieve this goal a series of geometry optimization and thermodynamic parameters calculations were performed for γ‐glycine and δ‐glycine structures at different pressure values using CASTEP program. In order to perform most accurate geometry optimization various exchange‐correlation functionals defined within generalized gradient approximation (GGA): PBE, PW91, RPBE, WC, PBESOL as well as defined within local density approximation (LDA), i.e. CAPZ, were tested. Geometry optimization was carried out using different dispersion correction methods (i.e. Grimme, TS, OBS) or without them. The linear response density functional perturbation theory (DFPT) was used to obtain the phonon dispersion curves and phonon density of states from which thermodynamic parameters, such as: free energy (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) were evaluated. The results of the geometry optimization depend strongly on the choice of the DFT functional. Calculated differences between the free energy of the studied polymorphic forms at the studied pressure values were consistent with experimental observations on their stability. The computations of thermodynamic properties not only confirmed the order of stability of two studied forms, but also enabled to predict the pressure at which this order is reversed. The results obtained in this study have proven that the plane‐wave basis set first principles calculations under periodic conditions is suitable for accurate prediction of crystal structure and stability. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Positive online attentional training as a means of modifying attentional and interpretational biases among the clinically depressed: An experimental study using eye tracking
Authors: Krejtz Izabela , Holas Paweł , Rusanowska Marzena , Nezlek John B.
Published: March 2018

Objective

The present study examined the effectiveness of online positive attention bias modification training (ABMT) in inducing positive attention and positive interpretational biases in depressed individuals.

Method

Clinically depressed individuals (n = 60) were randomly assigned to one of two conditions of 14‐day online ABMT. In the positive ABMT condition, a probe replaced positive stimuli in 100% of trials. In the control condition, the probe replaced positive stimuli in 50% of trials. Before and after training, we recorded eye movements during the completion of a Scrambled Sentence Task in which participants created positive or negative sentences. Participants also completed measures of symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Results

After training, participants in the positive ABMT condition fixated longer on positive keywords than participants in the control group and experienced a significant reduction in anxiety.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that positive AMBT can promote positive attention bias among clinically depressed individuals.
Aqueous salt solution liquid membranes, supported by nanoparticles, for water extraction from the atmosphere via air dehumidification
Authors: Kudasheva Alina , Liu Yi‐Jie , Ito Akira
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND

Membrane technology is a promising solution for the development of a sustainable air dehumidifier because it is, in general, considered a cost‐effective technology and, moreover, water recovered from the air via membrane‐based dehumidification process can be recycled.

RESULTS

The efficiency of aqueous salt solution liquid membranes that were prepared by a nano‐sized additive supporting method and applied for the dehumidification of air, was evaluated in terms of the water permeability and condensed water recovery rate. It was found that not only the nature of the selective membrane material but also the type of membrane supporting material has an impact on the overall liquid membrane performance. Membranes supported by surface treated carbon black nanoparticles showed a water recovery rate of 12 g h−1 at 75–80%RH and average water permeability of 9 × 10−12 kmol m/(m2 s kPa). The most selective liquid membranes were LiBr and CaCl2, supported by surface treated carbon black, with water vapor/air separation factor of 34 300 and 21 700, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This work for the first time demonstrates the applicability of aqueous inorganic salt solutions in liquid membranes for dehumidification applications. Prepared liquid membranes showed moderate condensed water recovery rates and membrane stability over 1 month. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Fusion of GFP and phase contrast images with complex shearlet transform and Haar wavelet‐based energy rule
Authors: Qiu Chenhui , Wang Yuanyuan , Guo Yanen , Xia Shunren
Published: March 2018

Image fusion techniques can integrate the information from different imaging modalities to get a composite image which is more suitable for human visual perception and further image processing tasks. Fusing green fluorescent protein (GFP) and phase contrast images is very important for subcellular localization, functional analysis of protein and genome expression. The fusion method of GFP and phase contrast images based on complex shearlet transform (CST) is proposed in this paper. Firstly the GFP image is converted to IHS model and its intensity component is obtained. Secondly the CST is performed on the intensity component and the phase contrast image to acquire the low‐frequency subbands and the high‐frequency subbands. Then the high‐frequency subbands are merged by the absolute‐maximum rule while the low‐frequency subbands are merged by the proposed Haar wavelet‐based energy (HWE) rule. Finally the fused image is obtained by performing the inverse CST on the merged subbands and conducting IHS‐to‐RGB conversion. The proposed fusion method is tested on a number of GFP and phase contrast images and compared with several popular image fusion methods. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed fusion method can provide better fusion results in terms of subjective quality and objective evaluation.
Identification of monocot flora using pollen features through scanning electron microscopy
Authors: Bahadur Siraj , Ahmad Mushtaq , Mir Sehrosh , Zafar Muhammad , Sultana Shazia , Ashfaq Shomaila , Arfan Muhammad
Published: March 2018

Pollen used to track structural and functional evolution in plants as well as to investigate the problems relative to plant classification. Pollen characters including ornamentation, shape, apertural pattern, pollen symmetry, colpus length, width, and margins used to detect the similarities and dissimilarities between genera and also species of the same genus. In this study pollen features of 20 monocot species belonging to 15 genera of the Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae, Iridaceae, Ixioliriaceae, Liliaceae, and Xanthorrhoeaceae were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM). In this study two species that isZephyranthes citrinaandTulbaghia violaceawere reported for the first time from Pakistan. Pollen grains were visualized with LM. Non‐acetolyzed and acetolyzed pollen were examined using SEM. A taxonomic key was developed to highlight the variation in pollen features in order to make their systematic application for correct species identification.
Tax Structures and Economic Growth: New Evidence from the Government Revenue Dataset
Authors: McNabb Kyle
Published: March 2018

This study uses the ICTD UNU‐WIDER Government Revenue Dataset in order to challenge and extend existing findings on the relationship between tax structures and economic growth, in a panel of 100 countries. The results suggest that, broadly, revenue‐neutral increases in income taxes are associated with lower long‐run GDP growth and that revenue‐neutral reductions in trade taxes have not always had positive effects. Crucially, many of the results presented differ according to income level, calling into question the validity of existing findings for developing countries and suggesting that policy advice on this issue in developing countries should be viewed through a more cautious lens. © 2018 UNU‐WIDER. Journal of International Development published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High Stakes, Low Resources: What Mode(s) Should Youth Employment Training Programs Use to Track Alumni? Evidence From South Africa
Authors: Lau Charles Q. , Johnson Eric , Amaya Ashley , LeBaron Patricia , Sanders Herschel
Published: March 2018

Alumni tracking surveys are critical for evaluating and improving youth employment training programmes. However, there is little evidence about how to design these surveys, especially in less developed countries. We conducted short message service and Web surveys of alumni of a South African employment training programme. Short message service surveys returned higher response rates and more representative data than Web surveys, albeit at three times the cost. Combining modes increased data quality but may not be warranted, given the additional cost and complexity. This evidence suggests that training programmes can feasibly collect quality, actionable data on their alumni, even with constrained budgets and staff. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evolution of hindlimb bone dimensions and muscle masses in house mice selectively bred for high voluntary wheel‐running behavior
Authors: Castro Alberto A. , Garland Theodore
Published: March 2018

We have used selective breeding with house mice to study coadaptation of morphology and physiology with the evolution of high daily levels of voluntary exercise. Here, we compared hindlimb bones and muscle masses from the 11th generation of four replicate High Runner (HR) lines of house mice bred for high levels of voluntary wheel running with four non‐selected control (C) lines. Mass, length, diameter, and depth of the femur, tibia‐fibula, and metatarsal bones, as well as masses of gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscles, were compared by analysis of covariance with body mass or body length as the covariate. Mice from HR lines had relatively wider distal femora and deeper proximal tibiae, suggesting larger knee surface areas, and larger femoral heads. Sex differences in bone dimensions were also evident, with males having thicker and shorter hindlimb bones when compared with females. Several interactions between sex, linetype, and/or body mass were observed, and analyses split by sex revealed several cases of sex‐specific responses to selection. A subset of the HR mice in two of the four HR lines expressed the mini‐muscle phenotype, characterized mainly by an ∼50% reduction in hindlimb muscle mass, caused by a Mendelian recessive mutation, and known to have been under positive selection in the HR lines. Mini‐muscle individuals had elongated distal elements, lighter and thinner hindlimb bones, altered 3rd trochanter muscle insertion positions, and thicker tibia‐fibula distal widths. Finally, several differences in levels of directional or fluctuating asymmetry in bone dimensions were observed between HR and C, mini‐ and normal‐muscled mice, and the sexes. This study demonstrates that skeletal dimensions and muscle masses can evolve rapidly in response to directional selection on locomotor behavior.
Functional morphology of the cranio‐mandibular complex of the Guira cuckoo (Aves)
Authors: Pestoni Sofía , Degrange Federico Javier , Tambussi Claudia Patricia , Demmel Ferreira María Manuela , Tirao Germán Alfredo
Published: March 2018

The cranio‐mandibular complex is an important structure involved in food capture and processing. Its morphology is related to the nature of the food item. Jaw muscles enable the motion of this complex and their study is essential for functional and evolutionary analysis. The present study compares available behavioral and dietary data obtained from the literature with novel results from functional morphological analyses of the cranio‐mandibular complex of the Guira cuckoo (Guira guira) to understand its relationship with the zoophagous trophic habit of this species. The bite force was estimated based on muscle dissections, measurements of the physiological cross‐sectional area, and biomechanical modeling of the skull. The results were compared with the available functional morphological data for other birds. The standardized bite force of G. guira is higher than predicted for exclusively zoophagous birds, but lower than for granivorous and/or omnivorous birds. Guira guira possesses the generalized jaw muscular system of neognathous birds, but some features can be related to its trophic habit. The external adductor muscles act mainly during food item processing and multiple aspects of this muscle group are interpreted to increase bite force, that is, their high values of muscle mass, their mechanical advantage (MA), and their perpendicular orientation when the beak is closed. The m. depressor mandibulae and the m. pterygoideus dorsalis et ventralis are interpreted to prioritize speed of action (low MA values), being most important during prey capture. The supposed ecological significance of these traits is the potential to widen the range of prey size that can be processed and the possibility of rapidly capturing agile prey through changes in the leverage of the muscles involved in opening and closing of the bill. This contributes to the trophic versatility of the species and its ability to thrive in different habitats, including urban areas.
Discriminative analysis of regional evolution of iron and myelin/calcium in deep gray matter of multiple sclerosis and healthy subjects
Authors: Elkady Ahmed M. , Cobzas Dana , Sun Hongfu , Blevins Gregg , Wilman Alan H.
Published: March 2018

Background

Combined R2* and quantitative susceptibility (QS) has been previously used in cross‐sectional multiple sclerosis (MS) studies to distinguish deep gray matter (DGM) iron accumulation and demyelination.

Purpose

We propose and apply discriminative analysis of regional evolution (DARE) to define specific changes in MS and healthy DGM.

Study Type

Longitudinal (baseline and 2‐year follow‐up) retrospective study.

Subjects

Twenty‐seven relapsing‐remitting MS (RRMS), 17 progressive MS (PMS), and corresponding age‐matched healthy subjects.

Field Strength/Sequence

4.7T 10‐echo gradient‐echo acquisition.

Assessment

Automatically segmented caudate nucleus (CN), thalamus (TH), putamen (PU), globus pallidus, red nucleus (RN), substantia nigra, and dentate nucleus were retrospectively analyzed to quantify regional volumes, bulk mean R2*, and bulk mean QS. DARE utilized combined R2* and QS localized changes to compute spatial extent, mean intensity, and total changes of DGM iron and myelin/calcium over 2 years.

Statistical Tests

We used mixed factorial analysis for bulk analysis, nonparametric tests for DARE (α = 0.05), and multiple regression analysis using backward elimination of DGM structures (α = 0.05, P = 0.1) to regress bulk and DARE measures with the follow‐up Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (MSSS). False detection rate correction was applied to all tests.

Results

Bulk analysis only detected significant (Q ≤ 0.05) interaction effects in RRMS CN QS (η = 0.45; Q = 0.004) and PU volume (η = 0.38; Q = 0.034). DARE demonstrated significant group differences in all RRMS structures, and in all PMS structures except the RN. The largest RRMS effect size was CN total R2* iron decrease (r = 0.74; Q = 0.00002), and TH mean QS myelin/calcium decrease for PMS (r = 0.70; Q = 0.002). DARE iron increase using total QS demonstrated the highest correlation with MSSS (r = 0.68; Q = 0.0005).

Data Conclusion

DARE enabled discriminative assessment of specific DGM changes over 2 years, where iron and myelin/calcium changes were the primary drivers in RRMS and PMS compared to age‐matched controls, respectively. Specific DARE measures of MS DGM correlated with follow‐up MSSS, and may reflect complex disease pathology.

Level of Evidence: 3

Technical Efficacy: Stage 1

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;48:652–668.
Computational study of graphene‐gated graphene‐Si thin film Schottky junction field‐effect solar cell by finite difference method
Authors: Xie Hao , Wang Manxi , Yang Xiaofan , Zeng Yonghu
Published: March 2018

Modeling and simulation approaches are developed to investigate our proposed graphene‐gated graphene‐Si thin film Schottky junction field‐effect solar cell. Algorithm based on finite difference method is developed to solve the Poisson equation, drift‐diffusion equations, and current continuity equations. Charge transfer effect in the proposed solar cell is not significant due to light doping in the Si thin film. The open‐circuit voltage and short‐circuit current can be tuned by gate bias. As the magnitude of negative bias increases, both the open‐circuit voltage and short‐circuit current increase due to the increase of Schottky barrier height and depletion width. Thin oxide thickness leads to high modulation efficiency. Optimization of the solar cell is achieved by introducing back field layer to increase carrier collection efficiency.
Team learning from setbacks: A study in the context of start‐up teams
Authors: Rauter Susanne , Weiss Matthias , Hoegl Martin
Published: March 2018

Although setbacks often happen as a collective experience, teams are an underresearched organizational unit when it comes to learning from setbacks. Despite the popular view that experiencing setbacks may facilitate learning, there are conflicting theoretical assumptions about the influence of setbacks on learning. Whereas one theoretical perspective in this topic area is in line with the proverbial learning from failure, a competing perspective argues that setbacks impede learning processes. This study aims to reconcile these conflicting assumptions by proposing team reflexivity as a moderator between team‐experienced setbacks and team learning. Building on social cognitive theory, we develop a model of learning from experienced setbacks at the team level. We test our hypotheses on a sample of 57 start‐up teams. Our results show that the effects of team‐experienced setbacks differ depending on whether the focus is on affective reactions to or cognitive perceptions of the setback experience. Although the cognitive perception of setbacks generally shows a detrimental effect on team learning, the pattern of results for an affective reaction to setbacks is more complex: The relationship between negative affective reactions to setbacks and team learning is negative for teams with low reflexivity and positive for teams with high reflexivity.
Comparative genomic analysis for nucleotide, codon, and amino acid usage patterns of mycoplasmas
Authors: Ma Xiao‐xia , Cao Xin , Ma Peng , Chang Qiu‐yan , Li Lin‐jie , Zhou Xiao‐kai , Zhang De‐rong , Li Ming‐sheng , Ma Zhong‐ren
Published: March 2018

The evolutionary factors in influencing the genetic characteristics of nucleotide, synonymous codon, and amino acid usage of 18 mycoplasma species were analyzed. The nucleotide usage at the 1st and 2nd codon position which determines amino acid composition of proteins has a significant correlation with the total nucleotide composition of gene population of these mycoplasma species, however, the nucleotide usage at the 3rd codon position which affects synonymous codon usage patterns has a slight correlation with either the total nucleotide composition or the nucleotide usage at the 1st and 2nd codon position. Other evolutionary factors join in the evolutionary process of mycoplasma apart from mutation pressure caused by nucleotide usage constraint based on the relationships between effective number of codons/codon adaptation index and nucleotide usage at the 3rd codon position. Although nucleotide usage of gene population in mycoplasma dominates in forming the overall codon usage trends, the relative abundance of codon with nucleotide context and amino acid usage pattern show that translation selection involved in translation accuracy and efficiency play an important role in synonymous codon usage patterns. In addition, synonymous codon usage patterns of gene population have a bigger power to represent genetic diversity among different species than amino acid usage. These results suggest that although the mycoplasmas reduce its genome size during the evolutionary process and shape the form, which is opposite to their hosts, of AT usages at high levels, this kind organism still depends on nucleotide usage at the 1st and 2nd codon positions to control syntheses of the requested proteins for surviving in their hosts and nucleotide usage at the 3rd codon position to develop genetic diversity of different mycoplasma species. This systemic analysis with 18 mycoplasma species may provide useful clues for further in vivo genetic studies on the related species.
Changes in morphology and metabolism enable Mn‐oxidizing bacteria from mid‐oceanic ridge environment to counter metal‐induced stress
Authors: Fernandes Sheryl Oliveira , Surya Prakash Lankalapalli , Balan Binish Mechirackal , Padinchati Krishnan Kottekkatu , John Kurian Palayil
Published: March 2018

Mn‐oxidizing potential of two metal‐tolerant bacterial strains – Halomonas meridiana and Marinobacter algicola isolated from the South West Indian Ridge waters were compared at varying concentrations of Mn (II), i.e., 1, 10, and 100 μmol and mmol L−1. Accompanying changes in their morphology and metabolism were also determined. At concentrations >1 mmol L−1 Mn (II), Mn‐oxidizing potential of M. algicola was 2–7 times greater than that of H. meridiana. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that exposure to elevated metal content prompted bacterial cells especially those of M. algicola to been enveloped in exopolymeric material and form aggregates. Energy dispersive spectrometric analysis showed that exopolymeric material acts as a nucleation site for Mn deposition and oxide formation which occurs in the form of microspherical aggregates. These features show striking resemblance to biogenically produced Fe‐Mn oxide deposits from Lau Basin. Surprisingly, diffractograms of auto‐oxidized and bacterially formed Mn‐oxide showed similarities to the hydrothermal vein mineral Rhodochrosite indicating that it can also be produced biotically. Elongation of cells by up to 4× the original size and distortion in cell shape were evident at Mn (II) concentrations >100 μmol L−1. Marked differences in C‐substrate utilization by the test strains were also observed in presence of Mn (II). A shift in use of substrates that are readily available in oceanic waters like N‐acetyl‐d‐glucosamine to those that can be used under changing redox conditions (d‐cellobiose) or in the presence of metal ions (d‐arabinose, l‐asparagine) were observed. These findings highlight the significant role of autochthonous bacteria in transforming reduced metal ions and aiding in the formation of metal oxides. Under natural or laboratory conditions, the mode of bacterially generated Mn‐oxide tends to remain the same.
Temporal and spatial changes in estimated near‐surface air temperature lapse rates on Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wang Yuanwei , Wang Lei , Li Xiuping , Chen Deliang
Published: March 2018

Lapse rate (LR) of near‐surface (2 m) air temperature is essential for determining spatially distributed and gridded air temperature interpolated from in situ observational sites. However, due to the limitation of sparse observational networks, high‐resolution LRs are not usually available on regional scales, especially in mountainous regions. The purpose of this study is to estimate LRs for the entire Tibetan Plateau (TP) using observed air temperature and moderate‐resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) night‐time land surface temperatures (LSTs) and to analyse the spatio‐temporal changes of the estimated LRs. First, diurnal cycles of LRs derived from in situ observations in three subregions of the TP were analysed, which shows that the LRs in the western and northeastern regions were shallow in the cold season and steep in the warm season, whereas the southeastern region exhibited a different pattern. Further comparisons revealed that the LRs for night‐time air temperatures better represented the LRs for daily mean air temperatures than the daytime ones, and the night‐time MODIS LSTs correlated well with the night‐time air temperatures, especially for the MODIS Terra data sets. Therefore, the night‐time MODIS LSTs from the Terra data sets were used to estimate high‐resolution (10 km) LRs for the daily mean temperatures over the entire TP. Estimated LRs over most areas of the TP were shallower than the commonly used environmental LR (−6.5 K/km). The LRs in the southeastern region were steeper than those in the northeastern region, while steeper LR values occurred in the northwestern region with lower temperatures and less humidity.
On the weakening relationship between the South China Sea summer monsoon onset and cross‐equatorial flow after the late 1990s
Authors: Hu Peng , Chen Wen , Huang Ruping , Nath Debashis
Published: March 2018

The weakening in the relationship between the South China Sea summer monsoon onset (SCSSMO) and the low‐level cross‐equatorial flow (CEF) in May is investigated using the ERA‐Interim reanalysis data sets during 1979–2016. The SCSSMO–SCSCEF relationship has experienced a significant inter‐decadal change, and the correlation coefficient becomes weaker after the late 1990s. The correlation has shifted from the significant negative value in the earlier decade to insignificant in the later decade. This inter‐decadal change is robust under several sensitive tests and largely independent of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation signal. One possible explanation is the change in mechanisms driving the SCSSMO over the course of the two periods. Before the late 1990s, the northwards march of the intertropical convergence zone, which has a close relationship with the SCSCEF, is mainly responsible for the SCSSMO. After the late 1990s, warming of the western North Pacific favours more tropical cyclones and disturbances during May. The westwards movement of these tropical disturbances would affect the SCSSMO and help explain why the SCSSMO–SCSCEF relationship became weaker in the later decade.
On the long‐term changes of drought over China (1948–2012) from different methods of potential evapotranspiration estimations
Authors: Wang Guojie , Gong Tiantian , Lu Jiao , Lou Dan , Hagan Daniel Fiifi T. , Chen Tiexi
Published: March 2018

Assessing the long‐term drought changes is of large interest for understanding the impact of climate change on water resources. Here we have attempted to assess the long‐term drought changes (1948–2012) over China using the self‐calibrating Palmer drought severity index with Penman–Monteith (scPDSIPM) and Thornthwaite (scPDSITh) methods for potential evapotranspiration (PET) estimations, respectively, so as to understand the impact of different PET methods on drought assessment. Both scPDSIPM and scPDSITh appear to have drying trends in the humid and transitional climatic regions, which are particularly significant in the north China. Compared to scPDSIPM, the scPDSITh data have resulted in exaggerated drought severity in the north China since 1980s, and such exaggeration is particularly significant for extreme droughts in terms of the occurrences and the intensity. In the dry climatic regions of northwest China, both scPDSIPM and scPDSITh appear to exhibit adequate wetting trends; however, both data have shown drying trends of intensity when drought occurs, indicating there are more extreme dry conditions in the context of generally wetting background. Surprisingly, scPDSIPM is found to result in exaggerated droughts rather than scPDSITh in the northwest China.
Characteristics and mechanisms of the diurnal variation of winter precipitation in Taiwan
Authors: Huang Wan‐Ru , Chang Ya‐Hui
Published: March 2018

Using gridded precipitation data remapping from rain‐gauge observations of the time period of 2001–2015 winter months (December, January and February), this study examines the spatio‐temporal characteristics of the climatological diurnal winter precipitation in Taiwan. Our results show that the timings of the maximum values of the diurnal precipitation in Taiwan exhibit clear east–west regional differences, with night‐time maxima over eastern Taiwan but early morning maxima over western Taiwan. Analyses also show that the climatological characteristics of diurnal winter precipitation documented in this study are not controlled by some unusual, heavy precipitation events and can be seen as the common features. By examining the changes in meteorological variables (including winds, relative humidity and temperature) extracted from the in situ observations and the MERRA (Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications) reanalysis, this study further suggests that (a) the radiative cooling effect and (b) the surface wind convergence induced by the interaction between the local orography, the local land–sea breeze and the large‐scale diurnal circulation changes over the East Asian–western North Pacific (EAWNP) region are two of the possible formation mechanisms responsible for the spatio‐temporal differences of the climatological diurnal winter precipitation in Taiwan. This finding sheds light on the importance of understanding the role of the large‐scale diurnal circulation changes over the EAWNP region in modulating local diurnal precipitation properties during the winter months.