bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Análise in silico das sequências gênicas de leishmania chagasi, um auxílio ao diagnóstico molecular
Authors: Garcia Maria Flávia Karoline dos Santos , Silva Priscila Soares da , Nova Meiriana Xavier Vila
Published: August 2017

O estudo in silico é um método aplicado por meio de análise de dados em uma determinada espécie ou gênero, um auxílio ao diagnóstico, pois auxilia o conhecimento através de análise molecular. Aplicado na resolução dos dados, para avaliar o grau de compatibilidade entre diferentes genes e, assim, melhorar os métodos e técnicas em diversas áreas das ciências biológicas. Leishmania chagasi, um parasita protozoário pertencente à família Trypanosomatidae Doflein, apresenta uma longa história de publicações científicas a respeito de sua manifestação clínica e da imunopatologia da doença. Diante de sua enorme variedade clínica e patológica, essa espécie pode se encontrar com aproximações genéticas em vários outros genes e espécies, nesse caso o estudo in silico auxilia essas informações em relação as suas sequências gênicas. Objetivamos no presente trabalho a aplicação do estudo in silico por meio da bioinformática auxiliando um diagnóstico molecular da espécie Leishmania chagasi. Para aplicação metodológica incluíram o uso de ferramentas disponíveis online, tais como: NCBI, CAP3, ORF, BLAST. Os resultados comprovaram as aproximações das sequências com Leishmania chagasi com L. major, L. donavanni e L. infantum. Comprovamos que o trabalho in silico mostrou-se útil como uma ferramenta rápida, prática e objetiva para a identificação de genes e definição das relações para comprovação das aproximações genéticas entre as espécies.
Efficient protein targeting to the inner nuclear membrane requires Atlastin-dependent maintenance of ER topology
Authors: Pawar Sumit , Ungricht Rosemarie , Tiefenboeck Peter , Leroux Jean-Christophe , Kutay Ulrike
Published: August 2017

Newly synthesized membrane proteins are targeted to the inner nuclear membrane (INM) by diffusion within the membrane system of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), translocation through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and retention on nuclear partners. Using a visual in vitro assay we previously showed that efficient protein targeting to the INM depends on nucleotide hydrolysis. We now reveal that INM targeting is GTP-dependent. Exploiting in vitro reconstitution and in vivo analysis of INM targeting, we establish that Atlastins, membrane-bound GTPases of the ER, sustain the efficient targeting of proteins to the INM by their continued activity in preserving ER topology. When ER topology is altered, the long-range diffusional exchange of proteins in the ER network and targeting efficiency to the INM are diminished. Highlighting the general importance of proper ER topology, we show that Atlastins also influence NPC biogenesis and timely exit of secretory cargo from the ER.
Two views of the same stimulus
Authors: Johnson Wayne A
Published: August 2017

Signals from two different membrane proteins are combined to modulate how strongly sensory neurons respond to mechanical force.
Tips from the embryonic lung
Authors: Waghray Avinash , Rajagopal Jayaraj
Published: August 2017

A new source of progenitor cells can now be used to study hidden aspects of human lung development and pediatric lung disease.
Microbial communities in the reef water at Kham Island, lower Gulf of Thailand
Authors: Somboonna Naraporn , Wilantho Alisa , Monanunsap Somchai , Chavanich Suchana , Tangphatsornruang Sithichoke , Tongsima Sissades
Published: August 2017

Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse habitats on Earth, but knowledge of their associated marinemicrobiome remains limited. To increase the understanding of the coral reef ecosystem in the lower Gulf of Thailand, this study utilized 16S and 18S rRNA gene-based pyrosequencing to identify the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiota present in the reef water at Kham Island, Trat province, Thailand (N6.97 E100.86). The obtained result was then compared with the published microbiota from different coral reef water and marine sites. The coral reefs at Kham Island are of the fringe type. The reefs remain preserved and abundant. The community similarity indices (i.e., Lennon similarity index, Yue & Clayton similarity index) indicated that the prokaryotic composition of Kham was closely related to that of Kra, another fringing reef site in the lower Gulf of Thailand, followed by coral reef water microbiota at GS048b (Cooks Bay, Fr. Polynesia), Palmyra (Northern Line Islands, United States) and GS108b (Coccos Keeling, Australia), respectively. Additionally, the microbial eukaryotic populations at Kham was analyzed and compared with the available database at Kra. Both eukaryotic microbiota, in summer and winter seasons, were correlated. An abundance of Dinophysis acuminata was noted in the summer season, in accordance with its reported cause of diarrhoeatic shellfish outbreak in the summer season elsewhere. The slightly lower biodiversity in Kham than at Kra might reflect the partly habitat difference due to coastal anthropogenic activities and minor water circulation, as Kham locates close to the mainland and is surrounded by islands (e.g., Chang and Kut islands). The global marine microbiota comparison suggested relatively similar microbial structures among coral sites irrespective of geographical location, supporting the importance of coral-associated marine microbiomes, and Spearman’s correlation analysis between community membership and factors of shore distance and seawater temperature indicated potential correlation of these factors (p-values < 0.05) with Kham, Kra, and some other coral and coastal sites. Together, this study provided the second marine microbial database for the coral reef of the lower Gulf of Thailand, and a comparison of the coral-associated marine microbial diversity among global ocean sites.
The effects of captive versus wild rearing environments on long bone articular surfaces in common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Authors: Lewton Kristi L.
Published: August 2017

The physical environments of captive and wild animals frequently differ in substrate types and compliance. As a result, there is an assumption that differences in rearing environments between captive and wild individuals produce differences in skeletal morphology. Here, this hypothesis is tested using a sample of 42 captive and wild common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Articular surface areas of the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, and tibia were calculated from linear breadth measurements, adjusted for size differences using Mosimann shape variables, and compared across sex and environmental groups using two-way ANOVA. Results indicate that the articular surfaces of the wrist and knee differ between captive and wild chimpanzees; captive individuals have significantly larger distal ulna and tibial plateau articular surfaces. In both captive and wild chimpanzees, males have significantly larger femoral condyles and distal radius surfaces than females. Finally, there is an interaction effect between sex and rearing in the articular surfaces of the femoral condyles and distal radius in which captive males have significantly larger surface areas than all other sex-rearing groups. These data suggest that long bone articular surfaces may be sensitive to differences experienced by captive and wild individuals, such as differences in diet, body mass, positional behaviors, and presumed loading environments. Importantly, these results only find differences due to rearing environment in some long bone articular surfaces. Thus, future work on skeletal morphology could cautiously incorporate data from captive individuals, but should first investigate potential intraspecific differences between captive and wild individuals.
GeNET: a web application to explore and share Gene Co-expression Network Analysis data
Authors: Desai Amit P. , Razeghin Mehdi , Meruvia-Pastor Oscar , Peña-Castillo Lourdes
Published: August 2017

Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (GCNA) is a popular approach to analyze a collection of gene expression profiles. GCNA yields an assignment of genes to gene co-expression modules, a list of gene sets statistically over-represented in these modules, and a gene-to-gene network. There are several computer programs for gene-to-gene network visualization, but these programs have limitations in terms of integrating all the data generated by a GCNA and making these data available online. To facilitate sharing and study of GCNA data, we developed GeNET. For researchers interested in sharing their GCNA data, GeNET provides a convenient interface to upload their data and automatically make it accessible to the public through an online server. For researchers interested in exploring GCNA data published by others, GeNET provides an intuitive online tool to interactively explore GCNA data by genes, gene sets or modules. In addition, GeNET allows users to download all or part of the published data for further computational analysis. To demonstrate the applicability of GeNET, we imported three published GCNA datasets, the largest of which consists of roughly 17,000 genes and 200 conditions. GeNET is available atbengi.cs.mun.ca/genet.
Feeding resource partitioning between Mullus barbatus and M. surmuletus in the Catalan Sea (northwestern Mediterranean)
Authors: Aguirre H , Sánchez P
Published: August 2017

The diet composition of Mullus barbatus and M. surmuletus in relation to ontogeny was compared to evaluate resource partitioning between these sympatric species. For each species, the fish were grouped by total length (LT) into 1-cm length classes. Cluster analyses were performed using the Bray-Curtis similarity index and the group average link method (UPGMA). The results defined six new length groups based on diet similarities: (I) oldest adults of M. surmuletus (21–31 cm LT), (II) newly settled individuals of both species (6–8 cm LT), (III) oldest adults of M. barbatus (19–21 cm LT), (IV) adults of M. barbatus (12–18 cm LT), (V) juveniles of both species, and (VI) adults of M. surmuletus (12–20, 22 cm LT). The analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) showed that there were significant differences in trophic composition between successive length groups (P ≤ 0.05). Although these sympatric species feed on a similarly wide range of prey, the relative proportion of their items showed clear differences between species and also throughout their ontogeny; these differences were more evident as the fish aged. The feeding patterns described in the present paper reveal the importance of the food partitioning strategy to allow the intra- and interspecific occurrence of these sympatric species.
Morphological and reproductive evidence for a new circumscription of the genus Trematocarpus (Rhodophyta, Sarcodiaceae)
Authors: Barrientos E , Alveal K
Published: August 2017

An updated circumscription is proposed for the genus Trematocarpus, including new data based on morphological and reproductive studies of the type species Trematocarpus dichotomus. The material studied included T. dichotomus, T. acicularis and T. concinnus from Peru, Chile, New Zealand and Australia. Bibliographic information on T. pygmaeus, T. fragilis, T. flabellatus, T. papenfussi and T. affinis is also given. The initial diagnosis permitted the inclusion solely of species having cylindrical thalli, height no greater than 5 cm, zoned tetrasporangia and protruding cystocarps, and was based on descriptions of individuals of T. dichotomus and T. virgatus. The latter species, mis-identified, proved to be Sarcodiotheca gaudichaudii, and thus the description of the genus was based on characteristics of two species from two different genera, later partially clarified by Schmitz (1989) who lectotypified the genus based on the characteristics of T. dichotomus from Peru. The present study completes and corrects the original diagnosis, extending maximum sizes to 30 cm, thalli cylindrical, subcylindrical or flattened in crosssection, localized origin of gametic and sporific reproductive organs on the concave or convex surface in flattened thalli, and over the entire surface of cylindrical or subcylindrical thalli, and adhesion by a disc with or without stoloniferous projections. New information is presented on the appearance and development of the carpogonial branch from a differentiated intercalar cell in the cortex, which develops a carpogonial filament of three or four cells through successive divisions. Processes of post-fertilization show procarpial fusion, fusion of gonimoblastic cells and external generation of cystocarps. It is also noted that the species are dioic. This description sets apart the genera Sarcodiotheca, Agardhiella and Eucheuma, which have morphological and reproductive characteristics similar to Trematocarpus, and correctly incorporates the eight currently recognized species of the genus.
Growth and mortality of Pinctada imbricata (Mollusca: Pteridae) in Guamachito, Araya Peninsula, Sucre State, Venezuela
Authors: Marcano JS , Prieto A , Lárez A , Alió JJ , Sanabria H
Published: August 2017

Growth, size distribution and mortality of Pinctada imbricata from Guamachito, Araya Peninsula, Venezuela, were analyzed between January and December 2000. Monthly samples were taken on perpendicular transepts to the coastline with an artisanal dredge, and data on sea surface temperature, dissolved oxygen and salinity were registered. The size distribution was variable, with a predominance of size between 50 and 70 mm in length, which represented 75% of the population. The greatest amount of juveniles was observed in March, when the mean length of the population was 55.8 mm. The variation in mean wet and dry weights presented a similar trend, with minimum values in June, July, September and October. The length/wet weight and length/ dry weight relationships were highly significant (P < 0.05). The parameters of the seasonal von Bertalanffy growth equation were L∞ = 85.15 mm, K = 1.42 yr–1, ts = 0.2 and C = 0.20, indicating a slow growth in the period from July to November (WP = 0.42) that could be associated with the environmental conditions of the area. Longevity was estimated to be three years. Total mortality rate (Z) was 3.45 per year for small individuals (10–36 mm) and 14.36 per year for the larger individuals (36–84 mm). The high growth rate of P. imbricata supports its use for aquacultural purposes in the region. The Guamachito oyster bank shows good conditions to support sustained fishery exploitation, considering fishery parameters such as registered catch, optimal effort, minimum extraction size, fishing mortality and natural mortality.
Influence of salinity on the growth and biochemical composition of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp.
Authors: Rosales N , Ortega J , Mora R , Morales E
Published: August 2017

The study of cyanobacteria isolated from hypersaline environments is of interest because of their metabolic and ecophysiologic versatility in adapting to extreme conditions of salinity, temperature, irradiance and nutrient availability. The effect of salinity at 0‰, 35‰, 70‰ and 100‰ on the growth, dry weight, and pigment, protein, carbohydrate and lipid production of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. was determined. Bioassays were kept in ALGAL medium equivalent to 8 mM NaNO3, constant aeration, 12:12 h photoperiod, 28 ± 2ºC and 156 µmol quanta m–2 s–1 of irradiance. The cyanobacterium was able to grow under all salinities tested. Cell density was optimized at 35‰, with 607.64 ± 14.35 cells mL–1. The highest values of dry weight (3.87 ± 0.03 ng cell–1), chlorophyll a (41.86 ± 0.39 fg cell–1), ß-carotene (9.03 ± 0.15 fg cell–1), zeaxanthin (9.74 ± 0.24 fg cell–1), proteins (1.95 ± 0.05 pg cell–1) and carbohydrates (1.80 ± 0.05 pg cell–1) were obtained at 100‰; however, the highest lipid content (0.45 ± 0.04 pg cell–1) was reached at 0‰. This Synechococcus strain shows halotolerance and the capacity to modulate the production of enriched biomass with pigments, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in terms of salinity.
Weaning of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) postlarvae to an inert diet with a co-feeding regime
Authors: Ribeiro L , Engrola S , Dinis MT
Published: August 2017

The objective of this study was to evaluate the weaning success of Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis, postlarvae when cofed a compound diet, by means of the analysis of growth parameters (relative growth rate [RGR] and condition factor [K]), survival, protein and lipid content. Total ammonia in the rearing water was also measured. The experiment lasted for 46 days (36 to 82 days posthatching). One group was fed only with enriched Artemia sp. metanauplii (Artemia treatment), whereas in another group, the Artemia sp. metanauplii were gradually replaced by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) diet over a period of 39 days (ICES treatment). Postlarvae were sampled on rearing days 0, 9, 23, 30, 39 and 46 for growth and biochemical analysis. Water was sampled on rearing day 30 during a 24-h cycle in both treatments. Postlarvae from the ICES treatment were weaned, though by the end of the experiment the Artemia treatment exhibited significantly higher values for growth, RGR, K and survival rates (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed concerning total lipid content. Protein content was significantly higher for the Artemia treatment after 46 days of rearing (P < 0.05). The total ammonia nitrogen concentration in the water increased after each meal and remained below a harmless level for postlarvae.
Epigenetic barrier against the propagation of fluctuating gene expression in embryonic stem cells
Authors: Saito Yuki , Kunitomi Akira , Seki Tomohisa , Tohyama Shugo , Kusumoto Dai , Takei Makoto , Kashimura Shin , Hashimoto Hisayuki , Yozu Gakuto , Motoda Chikaaki , Shimojima Masaya , Egashira Toru , Oda Mayumi , Fukuda Keiichi , Yuasa Shinsuke
Published: August 2017

The expression of pluripotency genes fluctuates in a population of embryonic stem (ES) cells and the fluctuations in the expression of some pluripotency genes correlate. However, no correlation in the fluctuation of Pou5f1, Zfp42, and Nanog expression was observed in ES cells. Correlation between Pou5f1 and Zfp42 fluctuations was demonstrated in ES cells containing a knockout in the NuRD component Mbd3. ES cells containing a triple knockout in the DNA methyltransferases Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, and Dnmt3b showed correlation between the fluctuation of Pou5f1, Zfp42, and Nanog gene expression. We suggest that an epigenetic barrier is key to preventing the propagation of fluctuating pluripotency gene expression in ES cells.
Irrigation, risk aversion, and water right priority under water supply uncertainty
Authors: Li Man , Xu Wenchao , Rosegrant Mark W.
Published: August 2017

This paper explores the impacts of a water right's allocative priority—as an indicator of farmers' risk‐bearing ability—on land irrigation under water supply uncertainty. We develop and use an economic model to simulate farmers' land irrigation decision and associated economic returns in eastern Idaho. Results indicate that the optimal acreage of land irrigated increases with water right priority when hydroclimate risk exhibits a negatively skewed or right‐truncated distribution. Simulation results suggest that prior appropriation enables senior water rights holders to allocate a higher proportion of their land to irrigation, 6 times as much as junior rights holders do, creating a gap in the annual expected net revenue reaching up to $141.4 acre−1 or $55,800 per farm between the two groups. The optimal irrigated acreage, expected net revenue, and shadow value of a water right's priority are subject to substantial changes under a changing climate in the future, where temporal variation in water supply risks significantly affects the profitability of agricultural land use under the priority‐based water sharing mechanism.
Organic carbon preservation in Southeastern Arabian Sea sediments since mid‐Holocene: Implications to South Asian Summer Monsoon variability
Authors: Nagoji Siddhesh S. , Tiwari Manish
Published: August 2017

The earlier studies show a contrasting long‐term trend of the South Asian Summer Monsoon (SASM) after attaining the precessional forcing induced mid‐Holocene maximum. The increasing total organic carbon (TOC) concentration of marine sediments in the Southeastern Arabian Sea (SEAS) has been interpreted to imply strengthening SASM since mid‐Holocene by a few studies. However, TOC concentration is also influenced by redox conditions, sedimentation rate, and an influx of terrigenous matter depending on the regional settings. So, it needs to be ascertained whether the TOC concentration of the sediments in the SEAS is a signal of productivity related to the SASM strength or preservation. Therefore, we studied multiple proxies (TOC, total nitrogen, atomic C/N, δ13Corg, CaCO3, and major and trace elements concentration) for determining the productivity, redox conditions, detrital supply, and provenance in a sediment core from the upper continental slope of the SEAS spanning the past ∼4700 years at centennial scale resolution. The present study shows that the observed increase in the TOC values since the mid‐Holocene is a result of better preservation caused by increased sedimentation rate and enhanced reducing conditions. We further show that the SASM has been declining since mid‐Holocene after attaining a precession‐forced maximum, which corroborates the earlier model ensemble studies.
Tracking precipitation events in time and space in gridded observational data
Authors: White R. H. , Battisti D. S. , Skok G.
Published: August 2017

Novel precipitation event data sets are created by tracking 3‐hourly observed rainfall in both time and space in the TRMM 3B42 and ERA‐Interim data sets. Relative to TRMM, ERA‐Interim data undersimulate the total number of events (factor of ∼0.5), and oversimulate the frequency of events lasting >5 days (factor of 1.6). Longer‐lasting events tend to have larger spatial footprints and higher intensity precipitation at any point in their lifetime, and thus contribute significantly more to total precipitation than shorter events. Precipitation changes in selected tropical and subtropical regions are attributed to different event characteristics: some to changes in event rainfall intensity, others to changes in the number of events. In the 40°S–40°N spatial average, the number of events lasting 1–5 days significantly increased from 1998 to 2014 in both the TRMM 3B42 and ERA‐Interim data. The event data sets, analysis scripts, and selected processed data are freely available online.
On production of gamma rays and relativistic runaway electron avalanches from Martian dust storms
Authors: Arabshahi Shahab , Majid Walid A. , Dwyer Joseph R. , Rassoul Hamid K.
Published: August 2017

Production of runaway electron avalanches and gamma rays originating inside Martian dust storms are studied using Monte Carlo simulations. In the absence of in situ measurements, we use theoretical predictions of electric fields inside dust storms. Electrons are produced through the relativistic runaway electron avalanches process, and energetic photons are results of the bremsstrahlung scattering of the electrons with the air. Characteristic lengths of the runaway electron avalanche for different electric fields and the energy spectrum of electrons are derived and compared to their terrestrial counterparts. It is found that it is possible for Martian dust storms to develop energetic electron avalanches and produce large fluxes of gamma ray photons similar to terrestrial gamma ray flashes from Earth's thunderstorms. The phenomenon could be called Martian gamma ray flash, and due to the very thin atmosphere on Mars, it can be observed by both ground‐based instruments or satellites orbiting the planet.
Considerable contribution of the Montreal Protocol to declining greenhouse gas emissions from the United States
Authors: Hu Lei , Montzka Stephen A. , Lehman Scott J. , Godwin David S. , Miller Benjamin R. , Andrews Arlyn E. , Thoning Kirk , Miller John B. , Sweeney Colm , Siso Caroline , Elkins James W. , Hall Bradley D. , Mondeel Debra J. , Nance David , Nehrkorn Thomas , Mountain Marikate , Fischer Marc L. , Biraud Sébastien C. , Chen Huilin , Tans Pieter P.
Published: August 2017

Ozone depleting substances (ODSs) controlled by the Montreal Protocol are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs), as are their substitutes, the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Here we provide for the first time a comprehensive estimate of U.S. emissions of ODSs and HFCs based on precise measurements in discrete air samples from across North America and in the remote atmosphere. Derived emissions show spatial and seasonal variations qualitatively consistent with known uses and largely confirm U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) national emissions inventories for most gases. The measurement‐based results further indicate a substantial decline of ODS emissions from 2008 to 2014, equivalent to ~50% of the CO2‐equivalent decline in combined emissions of CO2 and all other long‐lived GHGs inventoried by the EPA for the same period. Total estimated CO2‐equivalent emissions of HFCs were comparable to the sum of ODS emissions in 2014, but can be expected to decline in the future in response to recent policy measures.
A reduction in the asymmetry of ENSO amplitude due to global warming: The role of atmospheric feedback
Authors: Ham Yoo‐Geun
Published: August 2017

This study analyzes a reduction in the asymmetry of El Niño Southern–Oscillation (ENSO) amplitude due to global warming in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 models. The multimodel‐averaged Niño3 skewness during December–February season decreased approximately 40% in the RCP4.5 scenario compared to that in the historical simulation. The change in the nonlinear relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and precipitation is a key factor for understanding the reduction in ENSO asymmetry due to global warming. In the historical simulations, the background SST leading to the greatest precipitation sensitivity (SST for Maximum Precipitation Sensitivity, SST_MPS) occurs when the positive SST anomaly is located over the equatorial central Pacific. Therefore, an increase in climatological SST due to global warming weakens the atmospheric response during El Niño over the central Pacific. However, the climatological SST over this region in the historical simulation is still lower than the SST_MPS for the negative SST anomaly; therefore, a background SST increase due to global warming can further increase precipitation sensitivity. The atmospheric feedbacks during La Niña are enhanced and increase the La Niña amplitude due to global warming.
The spatial extent of rainfall events and its relation to precipitation scaling
Authors: Lochbihler Kai , Lenderink Geert , Siebesma A. Pier
Published: August 2017

Observations show that subdaily precipitation extremes increase with dew point temperature at a rate exceeding the Clausius‐Clapeyron (CC) relation. The understanding of this so‐called super CC scaling is still incomplete, and observations of convective cell properties could provide important information. Here the size and intensity of rain cells are investigated by using a tracking of rainfall events in high‐resolution radar data. Higher intensities are accompanied by larger rainfall areas. However, whereas small rain cells mainly follow CC scaling, larger cells display super CC behavior. Even more, for dew point exceeding 15°C, the rain cell size has to increase in order to sustain super CC scaling and a remarked increase in rain cell area is found. Our results imply that the source area of moisture, the cloud size, and the degree of mesoscale organization play key roles in the context of a warming climate.
On the diurnal cycle of surface energy fluxes in the North American monsoon region using the WRF‐Hydro modeling system
Authors: Xiang Tiantian , Vivoni Enrique R. , Gochis David J. , Mascaro Giuseppe
Published: August 2017

The diurnal cycles of surface energy fluxes are important drivers of atmospheric boundary layer development and convective precipitation, particularly in regions with heterogeneous land surface conditions such as those under the influence of the North American monsoon (NAM). Characterization of diurnal surface fluxes and their controls has not been well constrained due to the paucity of observations in the NAM region. In this study, we evaluate the performance of the uncoupled WRF‐Hydro modeling system in its ability to represent soil moisture, turbulent heat fluxes, and surface temperature observations and compare these to operational analyses from other commonly used land surface models (LSMs). After a rigorous model evaluation, we quantify how the diurnal cycles of surface energy fluxes vary during the warm season for the major ecosystems in a regional basin. We find that the diurnal cycle of latent heat flux is more sensitive to ecosystem type than sensible heat flux due to the response of plant transpiration to variations in soil water content. Furthermore, the peak timing of precipitation affects the shape and magnitude of the diurnal cycle of plant transpiration in water‐stressed ecosystems, inducing mesoscale heterogeneity in land surface conditions between the major ecosystems within the basin. Comparisons to other LSMs indicate that ecosystem differences in the diurnal cycle of turbulent fluxes are underestimated in these products. While this study shows how land surface heterogeneity affects the simulated diurnal cycle of turbulent fluxes, additional coupled modeling efforts are needed to identify the potential impacts of these spatial differences on convective precipitation.
Impact of ocean warming on tropical cyclone track over the western north pacific: A numerical investigation based on two case studies
Authors: Sun Yuan , Zhong Zhong , Li Tim , Yi Lan , Camargo Suzana J. , Hu Yijia , Liu Kefeng , Chen Haishan , Liao Qianfeng , Shi Jian
Published: August 2017

The impact of ocean warming on tropical cyclone (TC) track over the western North Pacific is an open issue. Relatively little is known about possible changes in TC tracks under ocean warming conditions due to both inhomogeneous observation networks and large natural variability over a relatively short observational period. A suite of semiidealized numerical experiments on two TC cases is conducted to investigate the response of TC tracks to increases in sea surface temperature (SST). It is found that the simulated TC track is highly sensitive to underlying SST. Specifically, through its influence on the radial distribution of sea surface enthalpy, ocean warming can lead to changes in the tangential wind profile and thus increase the TC size in terms of the radius of gale force wind, which is attributed to the increase in maximum wind speed, the expansion of the radius of maximum wind, and the additional increase in outer winds. The increased TC size, as suggested by previous studies, further leads to the eastward withdrawal of the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) and thus a northward turning of the TC. Results of climate simulations in the present study provide further evidence for the aforementioned impact of ocean warming on TC size and thus the WPSH and TC track. Results of the present study also imply that the threat of storms to countries in East Asia may be reduced due to possible changes in TC tracks if ocean warming continues in the future.
Impacts of northern Tibetan Plateau on East Asian summer rainfall via modulating midlatitude transient eddies
Authors: Deng Jiechun , Xu Haiming , Shi Ning , Zhang Leying , Ma Jing
Published: August 2017

Roles of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in forming and changing the seasonal Asian climate system have been widely explored. However, little is known about modulation effects of the TP on extratropical transient eddies (TEs) and subsequent synoptic responses of the East Asian rainfall. In this study, the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.1 coupled with a slab ocean model is employed to highlight the important role of the TP in regulating the upper‐tropospheric transient wave train. Comparison between sensitivity experiments with and without the TP shows that the northern TP excites a strong anomalous anticyclone, which shifts the upper‐level East Asian westerly jet northward and helps transfer barotropic and baroclinic energy from the mean flow to the synoptic TE flow. The transient wave train is primarily shifted northward by northern TP and is forced to propagate southeastward along the eastern flank of the TP until reaching eastern China. Before the strengthening of monsoonal southerlies, the TP‐modulated transient wave train cools the troposphere, which decreases the static stability over northern China. Meanwhile, the associated anomalous warm advection induces ascending motion, leading to excessive rainfall by releasing unstable energy as the southerly strengthens. Due to the southeastward propagation of the wave train, anomalous heavy rainfall subsequently appears over eastern China from north to south, which increases day‐to‐day rainfall variation in this region. Additionally, occurrence of this upper‐tropospheric transient wave train associated with low‐level southerly peak is substantially increased by northern TP.
Reassessing the role of temperature in precipitation oxygen isotopes across the eastern and central United States through weekly precipitation‐day data
Authors: Akers Pete D. , Welker Jeffrey M. , Brook George A.
Published: August 2017

Air temperature is correlated with precipitation oxygen isotope (δ18Oprcp) variability for much of the eastern and central United States, but the nature of this δ18Oprcp‐temperature relationship is largely based on data coarsely aggregated at a monthly resolution. We constructed a database of 6177 weeks of isotope and precipitation‐day air temperature data from 25 sites to determine how more precise data change our understanding of this classic relationship. Because the δ18Oprcp‐temperature relationship is not perfectly linear, trends in the regression residuals suggest the influence of additional environmental factors such as moisture recycling and extratropical cyclone interactions. Additionally, the temporal relationships between δ18Oprcp and temperature observed in the weekly data at individual sites can explain broader spatial patterns observed across the study region. For 20 of 25 sites, the δ18Oprcp‐temperature relationship slope is higher for colder precipitation than for warmer precipitation. Accordingly, northern and western sites with relatively more cold precipitation events have steeper overall relationships with higher slope values than southeastern sites that have more warm precipitation events. Although the magnitude of δ18Oprcp variability increases to the north and west, the fraction of δ18Oprcp variability explained by temperature increases due to wider annual temperature ranges, producing stronger relationships in these regions. When our δ18Oprcp‐temperature data are grouped by month, we observe significant variations in the relationship from month to month. This argues against a principal causative role for temperature and suggests the existence of an alternative environmental control on δ18Oprcp values that simply covaries seasonally with temperature.
Coordinating water conservation efforts through tradable credits: A proof of concept for drought response in the San Francisco Bay area
Authors: Gonzales Patricia , Ajami Newsha , Sun Yujie
Published: August 2017

Water utilities are increasingly relying on water efficiency and conservation to extend the availability of supplies. Despite spatial and institutional interdependency of many utilities, these demand‐side management initiatives have traditionally been tackled by individual utilities operating in isolation. In this study, we introduce a policy framework for water conservation credits that enables collaboration at the regional scale. Under the proposed approach, utilities have the flexibility to invest in water conservation measures that are appropriate for their specific service area. When utilities have insufficient capacity for local cost‐effective measures, they may opt to purchase credits, contributing to fund subsidies for utilities that do have that capacity and can provide the credits, while the region as a whole benefits from more reliable water supplies. This work aims to provide insights on the potential impacts of a water conservation credit policy framework when utilities are given the option to collaborate in their efforts. We model utility decisions as rational cost‐minimizing actors subject to different decision‐making dynamics and water demand scenarios, and demonstrate the institutional characteristics needed for the proposed policy to be effective. We apply this model to a counterfactual case study of water utility members of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency in California during the drought period of June 2015 to May 2016. Our scenario analysis indicates that when the institutional structure and incentives are appropriately defined, water agencies can achieve economic benefits from collaborating in their conservation efforts, especially if they coordinate more closely in their decision‐making.
Base flow recession from unsaturated‐saturated porous media considering lateral unsaturated discharge and aquifer compressibility
Authors: Liang Xiuyu , Zhan Hongbin , Zhang You‐Kuan , Schilling Keith
Published: August 2017

Unsaturated flow is an important process in base flow recessions and its effect is rarely investigated. A mathematical model for a coupled unsaturated‐saturated flow in a horizontally unconfined aquifer with time‐dependent infiltrations is presented. The effects of the lateral discharge of the unsaturated zone and aquifer compressibility are specifically taken into consideration. Semianalytical solutions for hydraulic heads and discharges are derived using Laplace transform and Cosine transform. The solutions are compared with solutions of the linearized Boussinesq equation (LB solution) and the linearized Laplace equation (LL solution), respectively. A larger dimensionless constitutive exponent
(a smaller retention capacity) of the unsaturated zone leads to a smaller discharge during the infiltration period and a larger discharge after the infiltration. The lateral discharge of the unsaturated zone is significant when
, and becomes negligible when
100. The compressibility of the aquifer has a nonnegligible impact on the discharge at early times. For late times, the power index
of the recession curve
∼
, is 1 and independent of
, where Q is the base flow and a is a constant lumped aquifer parameter. For early times,
is approximately equal to 3 but it approaches infinity when
. The present solution is applied to synthetic and field cases. The present solution matched the synthetic data better than both the LL and LB solutions, with a minimum relative error of 16% for estimate of hydraulic conductivity. The present solution was applied to the observed streamflow discharge in Iowa, and the estimated values of the aquifer parameters were reasonable.
Electroenhanced Antimicrobial Coating Based on Conjugated Polymers with Covalently Coupled Silver Nanoparticles Prevents Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Formation
Authors: Gomez‐Carretero Salvador , Nybom Rolf , Richter‐Dahlfors Agneta
Published: August 2017

The incidence of hospital‐acquired infections is to a large extent due to device‐associated infections. Bacterial attachment and biofilm formation on surfaces of medical devices often act as seeding points of infection. To prevent such infections, coatings based on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are often applied, however with varying clinical success. Here, the traditional AgNP‐based antibacterial technology is reimagined, now forming the base for an electroenhanced antimicrobial coating. To integrate AgNPs in an electrically conducting polymer layer, a simple, yet effective chemical strategy based on poly(hydroxymethyl 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT‐MeOH:PSS) and (3‐aminopropyl)triethoxysilane is designed. The resultant PEDOT‐MeOH:PSS–AgNP composite presents a consistent coating of covalently linked AgNPs, as shown by scanning electron microscopy and surface plasmon resonance analysis. The efficacy of the coatings, with and without electrical addressing, is then tested against Staphylococcus aureus, a major colonizer of medical implants. Using custom‐designed culturing devices, a nearly complete prevention of biofilm growth is obtained in AgNP composite devices addressed with a square wave voltage input. It is concluded that this electroenhancement of the bactericidal effect of the coupled AgNPs offers a novel, efficient solution against biofilm colonization of medical implants.
On‐Chip Andreev Devices: Hard Superconducting Gap and Quantum Transport in Ballistic Nb–In0.75Ga0.25As‐Quantum‐Well–Nb Josephson Junctions
Authors: Delfanazari Kaveh , Puddy Reuben K. , Ma Pengcheng , Yi Teng , Cao Moda , Gul Yilmaz , Farrer Ian , Ritchie David A. , Joyce Hannah J. , Kelly Michael J. , Smith Charles G.
Published: August 2017

A superconducting hard gap in hybrid superconductor–semiconductor devices has been found to be necessary to access topological superconductivity that hosts Majorana modes (non‐Abelian excitation). This requires the formation of homogeneous and barrier‐free interfaces between the superconductor and semiconductor. Here, a new platform is reported for topological superconductivity based on hybrid Nb–In0.75Ga0.25As‐quantum‐well–Nb that results in hard superconducting gap detection in symmetric, planar, and ballistic Josephson junctions. It is shown that with careful etching, sputtered Nb films can make high‐quality and transparent contacts to the In0.75Ga0.25As quantum well, and the differential resistance and critical current measurements of these devices are discussed as a function of temperature and magnetic field. It is demonstrated that proximity‐induced superconductivity in the In0.75Ga0.25As‐quantum‐well 2D electron gas results in the detection of a hard gap in four out of seven junctions on a chip with critical current values of up to 0.2 µA and transmission probabilities of >0.96. The results, together with the large g‐factor and Rashba spin–orbit coupling in In0.75Ga0.25As quantum wells, which indeed can be tuned by the indium composition, suggest that the Nb–In0.75Ga0.25As–Nb system can be an excellent candidate to achieve topological phase and to realize hybrid topological superconducting devices.
Phase II study on early start of chemotherapy after excising primary colorectal cancer with distant metastases (Pearl Star 02)
Authors: Yoshida Yoichiro , Aisu Naoya , Kojima Daibo , Mera Toshiyuki , Kiyomi Fumiaki , Yamashita Yuichi , Hasegawa Suguru
Published: August 2017

Initiating chemotherapy usually requires a delay of more than 4 weeks after surgically resecting colorectal cancer. However, there is little evidence regarding the required delay interval. We have previously reported a pilot study to determine the safety and feasibility of early initiation of chemotherapy after resecting primary colorectal cancer with distant metastases. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of early initiation of chemotherapy after resecting colorectal cancer with distant metastases.

This phase II study (trial number UMIN000006310) was a prospective, single‐arm trial. A total of 20 patients (men, 15 and women, 5) were enrolled. They underwent XELOX therapy (130 mg/m2 oxaliplatin on day 1+1000 mg/m2 capecitabine twice daily on days 1‐4) on postoperative day 7 and XELOX+bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg bevacizumab on day 1) after the second chemotherapy cycle.

Baseline characteristics included a median age of 64 (range, 43‐72) years. Surgical procedures included right hemicolectomy in six patients, sigmoidectomy in three, anterior resection in five, and Hartmann procedure in six. All patients started chemotherapy on postoperative day 7. Median progression‐free survival was 14.9 months; overall response rate was 80%. Disease control rate was 100%. Grade 3 or higher hemotoxicity and grade 3 or higher non‐hematological toxicity was noted in 5.0% and 25.0% of patients, respectively. Postoperative complications were observed in two patients (superficial incisional surgical site infection and ileus).

Early initiation of chemotherapy after surgery is feasible. These findings suggest future changes of the start time of chemotherapy after surgery.
Output Tracking for One‐Dimensional Schrödinger Equation subject to Boundary Disturbance
Authors: Liu Jun‐Jun , Wang Jun‐Min , Guo Ya‐Ping
Published: August 2017

In this paper, we are concerned with the output reference signal tracking for a one dimensional Schrödinger equation subject to general harmonic disturbance at one end and the control at the another end. Based on the reference signal, we design a state reference system and the output feedback control to cancel the disturbance and track the output reference signal. We show that the whole closed‐loop system is well‐posed and the performance output is tracking the reference signal. The numerical experiments are carried out to illustrate the approach effective.
Adaptive Failure Compensation for Uncertain Systems with Unknown Utility Decrement of Actuators
Authors: Cai Jianping , Zhang Meng , Xing Lantao , Shen Lujuan
Published: August 2017

Utility decrement caused by actuator aging and unknown failures of actuators is inevitable in practice. However, there is still no result available to compensate for instantaneous failures of actuators with unknown utility decrement. This paper aims at addressing this problem by considering a class of strict‐feedback nonlinear systems. The controller obtained by our proposed control scheme can be divided into two parts. The first one aims to handle the effects of unknown utility decrement, while the second one makes efforts to compensate for the uncertainties caused by unknown failures. Compared with the existing results, the proposed controller is able to compensate not only the uncertainties caused by unknown instantaneous failures but also the time‐varying utility decrement effect of actuators. Moreover, it does not require the prior knowledge about the sign of the constant control gain. In addition, the pre‐estimation functions of time‐varying gain based on the priori knowledge of utility decrements are fully used to improve the performance of the closed‐loop systems. It is shown that the proposed controller can guarantee the boundedness of all closed‐loop signals.
Arylhydrazones Derivatives Containing a Benzothiazole Moiety, Efficient Ligands in the Palladium‐Catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck and Suzuki–Miyaura Cross‐coupling Reactions underIRIrradiation
Authors: Ortega‐Jiménez Fernando , Penieres‐Carrillo José Guillermo , López‐Cortés José Guadalupe , Carmen Ortega‐Alfaro M. , Lagunas‐Rivera Selene
Published: August 2017

A simple arylhydrazone containing the benzothiazole moiety which may be used as an efficient ligand in the palladium‐catalyzed Mizoroki–Heck and Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions, under infrared irradiation as an alternative source of energy, is presented. The reactions proceeded with extremely high efficiency under mild conditions and produced very good yields.