bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterizing the Spatial and Temporal Availability of Very High Resolution Satellite Imagery for Monitoring Applications
Authors: Lesiv Myroslava , See Linda , Laso Bayas Juan Carlos , Sturn Tobias , Schepaschenko Dmitry , Karner Matthias , Moorthy Inian , McCallum Ian , Fritz Steffen
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Very high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery from Google Earth and Bing Maps is increasingly being used in a variety of applications from computer sciences to arts and humanities. In the field of remote sensing, this imagery is used to create detailed time-sensitive maps, e.g. for emergency response purposes, or to validate coarser resolution products such as global land cover maps. However, little is known about where VHR satellite imagery exists globally or the dates of the imagery. Here we present a global snapshot of the spatial and temporal distribution of VHR satellite imagery in Google Earth and Bing Maps. The results show an uneven availability globally, with biases in certain areas such as the USA, Europe and India. We also show that the availability of VHR imagery is currently not adequate for monitoring protected areas and deforestation, but is better suited for monitoring changes in cropland or urban areas. Supplementary data are available at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.885767.
Evaluation of ensemble precipitation forecasts generated through post-processing in a Canadian catchment
Authors: Jha Sanjeev K. , Shrestha Durga L. , Stadnyk Tricia A. , Coulibaly Paulin
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Flooding in Canada is often caused by heavy rainfall during the snowmelt
period. Hydrologic forecast centers rely on precipitation forecasts obtained
from numerical weather prediction (NWP) models to enforce hydrological models
for streamflow forecasting. The uncertainties in raw quantitative
precipitation forecasts (QPFs) are enhanced by physiography and orography
effects over a diverse landscape, particularly in the western catchments of
Canada. A Bayesian post-processing approach called rainfall post-processing
(RPP), developed in Australia (Robertson et al., 2013; Shrestha et
al., 2015), has been applied to assess its forecast performance in a Canadian
catchment. Raw QPFs obtained from two sources, Global Ensemble Forecasting
System (GEFS) Reforecast 2 project, from the National Centers for Environmental
Prediction, and Global Deterministic Forecast System (GDPS), from Environment
and Climate Change Canada, are used in this study. The study period from
January 2013 to December 2015 covered a major flood event in Calgary,
Alberta, Canada. Post-processed results show that the RPP is able to remove
the bias and reduce the errors of both GEFS and GDPS forecasts. Ensembles
generated from the RPP reliably quantify the forecast uncertainty.
Larger foraminifera of the Devil's Den and Blue Hole sinkholes, Florida
Authors: Cotton Laura J. , Eder Wolfgang , Floyd James
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Shallow-water carbonate deposits are well-known from the Eocene of the US Gulf Coast and Caribbean. These deposits frequently contain abundant larger benthic foraminifera (LBF). However, whilst integrated stratigraphic studies have helped to refine the timing of LBF overturning events within the Tethys and Indo-Pacific regions with respect to global bio- and chemo-stratigraphic records, little recent work has been carried out in the Americas. The American LBF assemblages are distinctly different from those of Europe and the Indo-Pacific. It is therefore essential that the American bio-province is included in studies of LBF evolution, biodiversity and climate events to understand these processes on a global scale. Here we present the LBF ranges from two previously unpublished sections spanning 35 and 29 m of the upper Eocene Ocala limestone, as the early stages of a larger project addressing the taxonomy and biostratigraphy of the LBF of Florida. The study indicates that the lower member of the Ocala limestone may be Bartonian rather than Priabonian in age, with implications for the biostratigraphy of the region. In addition, the study highlights the need for multiple sites to assess the LBF assemblages and fully constrain ranges across Florida and the US Gulf and suggests potential LBF events for future integrated stratigraphic study.
El consumo de alcohol en los supervivientes al cáncer: estado de la cuestión y propuestas para el desarrollo de intervenciones psicológicas
Authors: García-Torres Francisco , Alós Francisco J. , Castillo-Mayén Rosario
Published: March 2018

Objetivo: El consumo de alcohol se ha establecido como un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo del cáncer de forma consistente a lo largo de los años. En los supervivientes al cáncer el consumo de alcohol después del tratamiento alcanza valores significativos y además el alcohol se ha asociado con aspectos relevantes de la supervivencia, como una mayor depresión y una peor calidad de vida. Sin embargo, no hay una gran variedad de intervenciones cuyo objetivo sea reducir el consumo de alcohol en este grupo de pacientes. Método: Se llevó a cabo una revisión sobre el consumo de alcohol en los pacientes y supervivientes al cáncer y las intervenciones psicológicas disponibles para reducir el consumo, en los últimos 10 años, del año 2007 al 2017. Las bases de datos consultadas fueron PubMed, Web of Science (WOS) y PsycInfo. Se utilizaron los siguientes descriptores: alcohol, cancer patients, survivors, psychological treatment. Resultados: no se observan intervenciones psicológicas diseñadas específicamente para reducir el consumo de alcohol en los supervivientes al cáncer en la literatura previa. La mayoría tienen como objetivo el aumento de las conductas de salud utilizando intervenciones de tipo psicosocial o proporcionando información sobre el alcohol. Solamente una intervención mostró resultados significativos para reducir el consumo de alcohol, en una intervención diseñada para reducir el peso en supervivientes al cáncer de mama. Conclusiones: la relevancia del consumo de alcohol en este grupo de pacientes sugiere la necesidad de que se desarrollen una mayor variedad de intervenciones psicológicas que tengan como objetivo específico la reducción del consumo de alcohol en los pacientes que han superado la enfermedad.
The Influence of Pre-training Factors on Motivation to Transfer Learning at the Post Training Stage
Authors: Celestin Bekolo Ngoa , Yufen Shao
Published: March 2018

Transfer of training is the ultimate aim of training investment and the key to maintain competitive advantage in today’s rapidly changing operating environment where organizational success often depends on the motivation with which employee can learn and apply new ideas and information. While previous researches have focused on factors at the training stage influencing motivation to transfer training at the post-training stage, this study investigates the influence of pre-training factors. Particularly, pre-training performance self-efficacy, learning readiness, perceived content validity, and organization openness to change. The result should assist managers and trainers to ascertain the trainee state of preparedness before the training program to anticipate successful transfer of learning from the workshop to the workplace. A survey of high and vocational school teachers in Thailand participating in 5 days training on cloud computing integration in teaching was made using the Learning Transfer Inventory System (LTIS). Results show that learning readiness, perceived content validity, and organization openness to change influence the motivation to transfer at the post-training stage. Thus, framing the training program in the way trainees can answer to the questions “can I do this task?”, “do I want to do this task and why?” at the pre-training stage influence motivation to transfer. An implication to managers is that employees’ selection for training should take into consideration trainees’ perceptions in order to anticipate motivation to transfer at the post-training stage.
Project Management Toxic Leadership: Implications for Managing a Road-Tunnel Project in Bangladesh
Authors: James Paul
Published: March 2018

This is a research paper that is focused on assessing the leadership impacts of Project Management (JV Lead Management) on a road tunnelling construction project in Bangladesh in terms of project performance. An interpretive methodology was utilised in order to help understand implicitly the management leadership’s impact on the project. The scope for this research was the off-site supervisory team. The targeted population of interest was made up of 14 lower-managers/engineers located at one off-site main office in the late design stage/early construction phase of a road-tunnelling project.The research outcomes consisted of four4 main themes and the corresponding 11 sub-themes.The paper addresses raised issues and determines outcomes and implications for the continuing project construction management and the paper also indicates that the Project Management and other senior members of the JV Lead Management - both in-country and overseas -may benefit from more effective leadership training focused on utilizing and embracing contemporary project leadership developments.The road tunnel construction management appears to be very weak due to their low level of technical knowledge, style, orientation and strategies adopted by the Project Management, who operate with a demonstrated lack of coherent leadership or oversight practiced by the JV Lead managing entity.
“Mr. M.”: An Unpublished Memoir about H. L. Mencken by James M. Cain
Authors: Roessel David , Maniaci Stephanie
Published: March 2018

James M. Cain met H. L. Mencken when he was a young reporter at the Baltimore Sun and Mencken was the newspaper's most famous columnist. Over the course of the next three decades, Cain would be both professionally and personally connected to the Sage of Baltimore. “Mr. M.,” handwritten on seventy-seven pages of lined yellow notepaper, is Cain's longest account of his relationship with Mencken. While Cain offered Mencken biographers and researchers material both verbally and in writing, “Mr. M.” appears more candid and critical. This is not surprising, for the piece as it stands would have had to be edited and typed to be accessible to a third party. If “Mr. M.,” as it appears, is Cain late in life thinking to himself about the contradictions and complications of Mencken, it becomes one of the most important, and perhaps the most important, document that Cain wrote about the problem that was Mencken.
Henry James’s Middle Years in Letters
Authors: Rowe John Carlos
Published: March 2018

These new volumes in The Complete Letters of Henry James cover the years 1878–80, when James was extraordinarily prolific, publishing seven major works, including The Portrait of a Lady (1881). James's literary output is explained in part by his development of an international theme that appealed to readers in both the United States and Europe. These letters help us understand how James worked to gain social and literary visibility in London, as well as developed marketing skills that would enable him to increase the value and circulation of his works on both sides of the Atlantic. Michael Anesko's superb introduction to both volumes places James's letters in these crucial years in the context of James's literary works and the broader social history in which they were produced.
Grammaticalized number, implicated presuppositions, and the plural
Authors: Liter Adam , Huelskamp Tess , Heffner Christopher C. , Schmitt Cristina
Published: March 2018

Plural morphology exhibits differing interpretations across languages. For example, in downward entailing contexts in English, the plural receives a one or more (or inclusive) interpretation, whereas in Korean-like languages the plural always receives a more than one (or exclusive) interpretation, regardless of context. Previous experimental work using an artificial language suggests that such differences may follow from structural properties of these languages (Liter, Heffner & Schmitt 2017), namely lack of grammaticalization of the plural/singular distinction. In this paper we adopt Sauerland, Anderssen & Yatsushiro’s (2005) implicated presupposition analysis of the plural (the English plural is semantically unmarked, whereas the Korean plural is semantically marked, carrying a presupposition that the cardinality of its referent is greater than one) in order to test two hypotheses about the interpretation of the plural. Using an artificial language learning paradigm identical to that in Liter, Heffner & Schmitt (2017) with non-grammaticalized number but with a much greater frequency of singular/plural NPs in the input, we test (i) whether semantic markedness of the plural should be linked to the non-grammaticalization of the number paradigm; or (ii) whether semantic markedness follows from insufficient statistical evidence for simplifying the lexical entry for the plural. Our results show that participants continue to assign an exclusive interpretation to plural morphology under the scope of negation, which is compatible with the hypothesis that non-grammaticalized number entails semantic markedness.
APLICABILIDADE DA TECNOLOGIA VANT NA ATUALIZAÇÃO DE BASES DE DADOS CARTOGRÁFICOS
Authors: Cavali da Luz Cristhyano , Buffara Antunes Alzir Felippe , Ratton Philipe
Published: March 2018

O desenvolvimento de plataformas e sensores para a aquisição de informação espacial, com vistas à elaboração de produtos cartográficos, fotointerpretação e atualização de bases cadastrais, teve um grande avanço a partir do século XXI, através de modernas etapas de processamento digital entre as fotografias aéreas adquiridas com câmeras digitais. Este trabalho teve como objetivo propor uma metodologia capaz de gerar ortofoto a partir de dados brutos oriundos de Veículo Aéreo Não Tripulado (VANT). Em outras palavras, buscou-se avaliar a aplicabilidade da tecnologia VANT, com vistas à atualização de mapas temáticos.  A metodologia baseou-se na elaboração do plano de voo a ser seguido pelo VANT; a aquisição dos dados e das fotografias aéreas; o processamento das imagens, através de algoritmos computacionais de classificações de padrões e reconstrução tridimensional do terreno, através das operações de aerotriangulação, geração do Modelo Digital de Elevação e ortofoto. O recobrimento aerofotogramétrico foi realizado com altura de voo média de 300 metros. As fotografias aéreas foram automaticamente obtidas com uma câmera Sony NEX-3 16Mp, com resolução espacial no terreno de 9 cm. A ortofoto gerada possibilitou a fotointerpretação da rede de drenagem local, da caracterização geomorfológica e geológica, bem como da definição das melhores alternativas para a definição de uma diretriz rodoviária. Os resultado são promissores e mostram que os VANT’s de baixo custo podem ser utilizados em mapeamentos temáticos.
AVALIAÇÃO DA ANOMALIA DA GRAVIDADE NA REGIÃO DO BARRAMENTO DA USINA HIDRELÉTRICA DE MAUÁ
Authors: Muguio Miguel Ribeiro , FAGGION PEDRO LUÍS , VEIGA LUÍS AUGUSTO KOENIG , NADAL CARLOS AURÉLIO , CRUZ WANDER A DA , SOARES MARCOS ALBERTO , FIGUEIRA ISABELLA F. REBUTINI
Published: March 2018

A gravimetria consiste no conjunto de métodos e técnicas empregadas na medida do campo da gravidade terrestre, com o objetivo de mapear as variações de densidade da superfície da Terra ou de materiais nela contidos, de modo a subsidiar estudos em várias áreas das Geociências. A avaliação da anomalia da gravidade na região do barramento da Usina Hidrelétrica de Mauá se dá em função desse barramento ter sido construído no contexto geológico de rochas ígneas, na forma de soleiras de diabásio, da Formação Serra Geral, sobre rochas sedimentares, da Bacia do Paraná. Esta região apresenta uma forte estruturação caracterizada por fraturas, falhas transcorrentes e normais. Estas condições conferem cuidados especiais à obra, por parte do projetista, em função de sua menor resistência mecânica, menor densidade, maior porosidade e suscetibilidade a processos de degradação quando expostas ao intemperismo ou à ação hidráulica. Os resultados do processamento de dados gravimétricos realizados nesta pesquisa evidenciam sinais de que a variação do nível de água no reservatório causa variações no comportamento da anomalia residual. Evidencia também a presença de possíveis falhas na região da ombreira esquerda da barragem caracterizada por variação abrupta da anomalia residual, o que estaria de acordo com o mapeamento geológico realizado anteriormente e que identificou a presença de um maciço rochoso constituído de diabásio, que está segmentado por falhas normais e transcorrentes.
Inventário Geológico do Patrimônio Construído no Litoral Norte do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil
Authors: Arruda Karlla Emmanuelle Cunha , Garcia Maria da Glória Motta , Del Lama Eliane Aparecida
Published: March 2018

A geodiversidade está presente em todas as esferas do planeta, incluindo a urbana, desde a ocupação das cidades baseada no relevo, até os materiais utilizados nas construções. Este trabalho discorre sobre a relação entre o patrimônio construído e a geodiversidade dos materiais pétreos utilizados nas construções e monumentos de 4 municípios do litoral norte paulista: São Sebastião, Ilhabela, Caraguatatuba e Ubatuba. Foram analisadas em campo 31 construções na região, dentre as quais 13 receberam a denominação de Patrimônio Construído por apresentarem em sua construção materiais pétreos com aspectos geológicos relevantes. Com base no levantamento dos materiais pétreos pode-se concluir que a maioria dessas construções foram edificadas com pedra e cal conchífera locais, como é o caso de Ilhabela, com sienito, Ubatuba, com charnockito, São Sebastião, com gnaisse migmatítico, e Caraguatatuba, com gnaisse granítico milonítico. As formas de degradação da pedra podem ser visualizadas nessas construções, como intemperismo, eflorescência, umidade, manchamento, fraturas, aspecto brilhante e colonização biológica. A utilização desse patrimônio em termos de divulgação geocientífica mostra-se de grande eficácia para atingir a parte da população que não pode ou não possui o hábito de visitar parques e áreas naturais, pois passam a maior parte do tempo no meio urbano, sem contato direto com a natureza.
EVOLUÇÃO DO USO E COBERTURA DO SOLO NO MUNICÍPIO DE SÃO FRANCISCO DO SUL – ESTADO DE SANTA CATARINA.
Authors: Santos Paz João Pedro , Vieira Celso Voos
Published: March 2018

No contexto das mudanças globais dinâmicas e aceleradas do século XXI, o conhecimento sobre o uso e a cobertura do solo representam ferramentas importantes para o monitoramento e planejamento urbanístico e ambiental. Este trabalho apresentou o diagnóstico histórico evolutivo comparativo do uso e cobertura do solo do município de São Francisco do Sul/SC e de suas áreas de restrição ambiental. Na elaboração do estudo foram utilizadas imagens orbitais dos satélites Landsat-5 e Landsat-8. Para a classificação das imagens utilizou-se o ArcGis 10.2.2 e foram identificadas oito classes de uso e ocupação do solo: água, manguezal, área urbanizada, vegetação em estágio inicial, solo exposto, vegetação em estágio médio / avançado, gramínea e silvicultura. O estudo da evolução de uso e cobertura do solo demonstrou um aumento considerável nas áreas urbanizadas no município e uma intensa diminuição de áreas de solo exposto, que foram gradualmente substituídas por vegetação em estágio inicial. Destaca-se ainda a constatação de uma alta taxa de regeneração de áreas degradadas no interior de Áreas de Preservação Permanente e no Parque Estadual Acaraí. Por fim foi identificado que ao longo do período estudado houve um aumento de áreas vegetadas no município, mesmo com a avanço das áreas urbanizadas.
Effect of breed and finishing diet on growth performance, carcass and meat quality characteristics of Mos young hens
Authors: Pateiro Mirian , Rois Diego , Lorenzo Jose M. , Vazquez Jose A. , Franco Daniel
Published: March 2018

Mos breed is a Spanish authoctonus breed linked to raising and natural food, with a growing market niche in the restoration due to their meat is associated with high quality products. The effect of breed (Mos and Sasso X44) on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of breast and drumsticks was examined in young hens reared 20 weeks in free-range system. The effect of finishing feeding (fodder, corn and linseed) was also evaluated on the aforementioned parameters. The Sasso group grew faster and the maximum weights were higher (p<0.001), but there was no effect of genotype or feed on final weight or growth efficiency. With the exception of breast piece, the highest percentages of commercial cuts were achieved in Mos birds, when breed was the studied effect. On the other hand, color parameters were not affected by breed. However, significant differences were found among feeding, since animals fed with corn achieved the highest redness values in drumstick (11.94 vs. 10.09 for corn and fodder, respectively; p<0.05). Regarding chemical composition, intramuscular fat (IMF) displayed significant differences between breeds (p<0.05), showing higher values in Sasso X-44. On the contrary, with the exception of IMF, significant differences (p<0.05) on chemical composition were observed among feeding groups. Finally, fatty acid profile was significantly affected by breed and feeding since animals fed with linseed presented better nutritional indices (lower SFA, n-6/n-3 ratio and higher PUFA and P/S ratio). The results show the suitability of Mos breed to produce high quality poultry products.
Kindergarten Teachers’ Views About Outdoor Activities
Authors: Erdem Devrim
Published: March 2018

Preschool years constitute a vital developmental period during which foundations of later development are formed. It is during this period that essential developments such as establishing attachment bonds, forming a basic sense of autonomy and sense of self (ego), language acquisition and attaining life and social skills. Studies in developmental psychology and in a variety of other disciplines have established that the optimal growth at this stage will prepare the child for later developmental tasks and challenges. For a great part of human history care and education of children at this period was done by extended family and the immediate local community. However, as demands of recent centuries and decades have necessitated longer and more intensive periods of formal schooling, preparation of preschool children for later development has evolved accordingly. Therefore, preschool education has been added to traditional family education and socialization of children. The accumulated literature and experience in preschool education has reached to a point where not only the classroom learning experiences but also the surrounding school and neighborhood settings have been receiving attention. One of the significant aspects of these contextual factors has been the playground. A growing body of research has addressed importance of incorporating the playground into educational activities for preschool children. Studies focusing on the playground activities for preschool in Turkey have been limited. Therefore, this study aimed at examining preschool teachers’ use of playground. Fifty-four preschool teachers from three different cities were recruited for this qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant. Results of the study showed that although the preschool teachers reported overall positive attitudes toward educational use of the playground, they underutilized the playground due to concerns about children’s safety and a lack of equipment and quality playground arrangements. Furthermore, they reported playing certain typically outdoors games indoors for these reasons. Results, limitations of the study and implications the results for both educations and researchers were discussed.
Unilateral cochleo-vestibular nerve and internal auditory canal malformations
Authors: Kaźmierczak Henryk , Kaźmierczak Wojciech , Pawlak-Osińska Katarzyna , Osiński Stanisław
Published: March 2018

A case report of unusual one-sided developmental disorders of the vestibular and cochlear nerve and the internal auditory
canal and difficulty of diagnostic process.
Food Crises and Food Safety Incidents in European Union, United States, and Maghreb Area: Current Risk Communication Strategies and New Approaches
Authors: Chammem Nadia , Issaoui Manel , De Almeida Ana Isabel Dâmaso , Delgado Amélia Martins
Published: March 2018

Globalization has created a dynamic market, which has dramatically intensified interchanges of goods and information as well as the flow of people among nations. This international phenomenon offers the consumer a choice between a wide variety of foods from diverse locations. However, there are challenges to improving food security and safety on a global scale; the major question is how food safety can be guaranteed while increasing the complexity of food supply chains. A food produced in a certain location usually contains ingredients, additives, and preservatives from different and distant origins. Although countries take several food control measures, their institutional and regulatory frameworks diverge widely, as do the definitions of food crisis, food incidents, and risk management approaches. The present review discusses some past food safety issues and lessons learned. Convergences and differences in the regulatory framework of food control agencies in different regions of the world are herein revealed. Emerging risks are also discussed, particularly the spread of antibiotic resistance in the food chain and the environment, as well as the rise of new antibiotic-resistant pathogenic strains with broader tolerance to environmental factors.
Identification and Assessment of the Behavior of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococci in Cheese
Authors: Steinka Izabela
Published: March 2018

This study was carried out with the aim of identifying and assessing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) during lactic acid cheese storage. The study involved 30 assortments of lactic acid cheese and 21 cheeses with S. aureus TWP11616 (MRSA). Results showed low MRSA contamination levels in lactic acid cheese. The majority of cow and goat lactic acid cheese samples (more than 72%) were characterized by a low level of MRSA (≤10 CFU/g). With regard to cow and sheep lactic acid cheese, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. contamination levels of ≥100 CFU/g were found in 88 and 100% of samples, respectively. The microbial dynamics of MRSA changes in lactic acid cheese suggest a significant reduction in contamination levels after 4 days of product storage, and this decrease is likely not dependent on the type of packaging method.
Biennial Review of Planar Chromatography: 2015–2017
Authors: Sherma Joseph
Published: March 2018

The most important advances in planar chromatography published between November 1, 2015, and November 1, 2017, are reviewed in this paper. Included are an introduction to the current status of the field; student experiments and reviews; apparatus and techniques for sample preparation and TLC separations; detection and identification of separated zones; quantitative analysis; preparative layer chromatography; and thin-layer radiochromatography. Selected applications are given in the various sections of the review.
Religious Diversity
Authors: Vahid Hamid ,   The Society of Christian Philosophers
Published: March 2018

Philosophical responses to religious diversity range from outright rejection of divine reality to claims of religious pluralism. In this paper, I challenge those responses that take the problem of religious diversity to be merely an instance of the general problem of disagreement. To do so, I will take, as my starting point, William Alston’s treatment of the problems that religious diversity seems to pose for the rationality of theistic beliefs. My main aim is to highlight the cognitive penetrability of religious experience as a major source of such problems. I conclude by examining the consequences of cognitive penetration for the reliability of the monotheistic doxastic practice.
Eric C. Smith. Jewish Glass and Christian Stone: A Materialist Mapping of the “Parting of the Ways”
Authors: Schwartz Joshua
Published: March 2018

No abstract is available.
Module 3: Submitting an Article
Authors: Stranack Kevin , Frederiksen Niels Eriik
Published: March 2018

Submitting an Article

Kevin Stranack (Author) Niels Erik Frederiksen (Editor)
Module 5: Assigning a Reviewer
Authors: Stranack Kevin , Frederiksen Niels Erik
Published: March 2018

Assigning a Reviewer

Kevin Stranack (Author) Niels Erik Frederiksen (Editor)
Système, rétroactions et recherche. Un triptyque à considérer?
Authors: Bourhis Marion
Published: March 2018

La restitution de récits d’enquête reste vécue comme une forme de « mise en danger » vis-à-vis de la crédibilité des recherches menées empruntant principalement aux méthodes de types qualitatives, sans qu’il existe de réelle cumulativité relative aux enjeux et questionnements issus de ces restitutions. Une telle situation laisse transparaître un besoin en termes d’outillage analytique auquel cet article se propose d’apporter un début de proposition. En effet, à partir du postulat de départ que tout chercheur fait partie de son cadre de travail, qu’il influence mais qui l’influence également en retour, l’article propose de considérer tout déroulé de recherche sous l’angle de la systémique, et donc d’envisager les glissements réalisés comme étant des transformations issues de boucles de rétroactions positives. En ce sens, cet article souhaite, partant d’une expérience effective de recherche, tendre vers une possible généralisation analytique.
Latitudinal and bathymetrical species richness patterns in the NW Pacific and adjacent Arctic Ocean
Authors: Saeedi Hanieh , Costello Mark John , Brandt Angelika
Published: March 2018

To better understand the species latitudinal and depth gradients in the NW Pacific and its adjacent Arctic Ocean, distribution records of all marine species were extracted from the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), merged, cleaned, and taxonomically cross-matched with the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). We analysed 324,916 distribution records of 17,414 species from 0 to 10,900 m depth, latitude 0 to +90 degrees, and longitude +100 to +180 degree. Species richness per c. 50 000 km2 hexagonal cells were used to calculate alpha (average), gamma (total) and ES50 (estimated species for 50 records) per latitudinal band and depth zone. ES50, gamma, and alpha species richness decreased significantly with latitude and depth. The highest number of records (73%) was of shallow water species (0 to 500 m). The Philippines and Palau Islands had the highest species richness (more than 13,000 per hexagon). Gamma species richness and mean sea surface temperature (SST) per each 5-degree latitudinal bands were significantly correlated with Ocean Area (km2) (r = 0.89) and SST (r = 0.52). The latitudinal gamma and alpha diversity increased from the equator towards the mid-latitudes (5-10˚N), with a sharp increase in latitude 10˚N, then further decreased at higher latitudes. The latitudes 60-70˚N had the lowest gamma and alpha diversity where there is almost no ocean area available.
Drivers of polychaetes functional α- and β-diversity at regional scale: Disentangling the role of biogenic habitats and environmental variability
Authors: Boyé Aurélien , Thiébaut Éric , Grall Jacques , Legendre Pierre , Broudin Caroline , Houbin Céline , Le Garrec Vincent , Maguer Marion , Droual Gabin , Gauthier Olivier
Published: March 2018

Alterations of the seafloor, particularly loss of biogenic habitats, are homogenizing benthic environments and their associated biota. Apprehending the functional consequences of these changes is critical but requires a thorough understanding of the functional β-diversity of benthic communities. Here, using data from 3 years (2007, 2010, 2013) of the REBENT monitoring programme and 51 sampling locations along Brittany’s coastline (France), we assess taxonomic and functional α- and β-diversity of polychaetes assemblages and disentangle their drivers at the regional scale and over four habitats: subtidal and intertidal bare sediments, subtidal maerl (coralline red algae) beds and intertidal Zostera marina meadows. The 1061 sediment samples yielded 137,319 polychaetes belonging to 242 species. Eleven traits and 43 modalities were used to describe the functional effect and response of these species. Among the highly contrasted environments of Brittany, strong within-habitat taxonomic variability was observed, which blurred among-habitat differences. Here, we relate taxonomic patterns and functional variations, in order to propose a model linking environmental and habitat conditions to taxonomic and functional α- and β-diversity. Linking these various facets of diversity facilitates the identification of sites with particular conservation interests.
Lessepsian invaders reshape soft substrate assemblages on the Israeli Mediterranean shelf
Authors: Steger Jan , Galil Bella S. , Zuschin Martin , Albano Paolo G.
Published: March 2018

The ‘Lessepsian invasion’ – the massive influx of Indo-Pacific biota into the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal – is the largest marine biological invasion. The lack of data on pre-invasion community composition, however, severely impairs our understanding to which degree the taxonomic and functional composition of shallow-water assemblages has been modified by the invasion. Shelly death assemblages (DAs) encountered in surficial sediments represent a unique archive of past community states that enable overcoming this impediment. This is because they change more slowly (10-10,000 years) than the corresponding living assemblages (LAs; yearly scales of turnover). Strong and rapid directional changes such as those due to human activities are therefore not immediately captured by DAs, leading to a greater live-dead (LD) mismatch than under natural processes alone. We compared molluscan LAs and DAs collected along a depth transect down to 40 m on the Mediterranean shelf of Israel. High dissimilarity in taxonomic composition (Jaccard-Chao index), rank-order agreement of species relative abundances (Spearman’s rho), and differences in trophic guild composition suggest a major ecosystem shift in recent times. Our findings reveal that Lessepsian species have not only replaced native taxa, but also altered the functional properties of local molluscan assemblages.
Lax science can have negative impacts on conservation: A rebuttal to Lau and Jacobs (2017)
Authors: Brusca Richard
Published: March 2018

A recent paper by Lau and Jacobs (2017, PeerJ) negatively contributes to a critical conservation problem in the Gulf of California—better regulation of fisheries in the Upper Gulf of California. The paper’s broader conclusions are not supported by the data presented, and numerous assumptions and claims regarding previous work are misstated or incorrect, including claims of sister-group relationship between Colpichthys hubbsi and C. regis and an implied sister group relationship between Uca monilifera and Uca princeps, claims regarding Colorado River water flow to the Gulf of California, and claims of post-dam “significantly different adaptive regimes on taxa in the [Upper Gulf].”
Uncovering the hidden players in Lepidoptera biology: the heritable microbial endosymbionts
Authors: Duplouy Anne , Hornett Emily A
Published: March 2018

The Lepidoptera is one of the most widespread and recognisable insect orders. Due to their remarkable diversity, economic and ecological importance, moths and butterflies have been studied extensively over the last 200 years. More recently, the relationship between Lepidoptera and their heritable microbial endosymbionts has received increasing attention. Heritable endosymbionts reside within the host’s body and are often, but not exclusively, inherited through the female line. Advancements in molecular genetics have revealed that host-associated microbes are both extremely prevalent among arthropods and highly diverse. Furthermore, heritable endosymbionts have been repeatedly demonstrated to play an integral role in many aspects of host biology, particularly host reproduction. Here, we review the major findings of research of heritable microbial endosymbionts of butterflies and moths. We promote the Lepidoptera as important models in the study of reproductive manipulations employed by heritable endosymbionts, with the mechanisms underlying male-killing and feminisation currently being elucidated in both moths and butterflies. We also reveal that the vast majority of research undertaken of Lepidopteran endosymbionts concerns Wolbachia. While this highly prevalent bacteria is undoubtedly important, studies should move towards investigating the presence of other, and interacting endosymbionts, and we discuss the merits of examining the microbiome of Lepidoptera to this end. We finally consider the importance of understanding the influence of endosymbionts under global environmental change and when planning conservation management of endangered Lepidoptera species.
The yeast H+-ATPase Pma1 promotes Rag/Gtr-dependent TORC1 activation in response to H+-coupled nutrient uptake
Authors: Saliba Elie , Evangelinos Minoas , Gournas Christos , Corrillon Florent , Georis Isabelle , André Bruno
Published: March 2018

The yeast Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (TORC1) plays a central role in controlling growth. How amino acids and other nutrients stimulate its activity via the Rag/Gtr GTPases remains poorly understood. We here report that the signal triggering Rag/Gtr-dependent TORC1 activation upon amino-acid uptake is the coupled H+ influx catalyzed by amino-acid/H+ symporters. H+-dependent uptake of other nutrients, ionophore-mediated H+ diffusion, and inhibition of the vacuolar V-ATPase also activate TORC1. As the increase in cytosolic H+ elicited by these processes stimulates the compensating H+-export activity of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase (Pma1), we have examined whether this major ATP-consuming enzyme might be involved in TORC1 control. We find that when the endogenous Pma1 is replaced with a plant H+-ATPase, H+ influx or increase fails to activate TORC1. Our results show that H+ influx coupled to nutrient uptake stimulates TORC1 activity and that Pma1 is a key actor in this mechanism.
Gene network analysis identifies a central post-transcriptional regulator of cellular stress survival
Authors: Tien Matthew , Fiebig Aretha , Crosson Sean
Published: March 2018

Cells adapt to shifts in their environment by remodeling transcription. Measuring changes in transcription at the genome scale is now routine, but defining the functional significance of individual genes within large gene expression datasets remains a major challenge. We applied a network-based algorithm to interrogate publicly available gene expression data to predict genes that serve major functional roles in Caulobacter crescentus stress survival. This approach identified GsrN, a conserved small RNA that is directly activated by the general stress sigma factor, σT, and functions as a potent post-transcriptional regulator of survival across distinct conditions including osmotic and oxidative stress. Under hydrogen peroxide stress, GsrN protects cells by base pairing with the leader of katG mRNA and activating expression of KatG catalase/peroxidase protein. We conclude that GsrN convenes a post-transcriptional layer of gene expression that serves a central functional role in Caulobacter stress physiology.
Forniceal deep brain stimulation induces gene expression and splicing changes that promote neurogenesis and plasticity
Authors: Pohodich Amy E , Yalamanchili Hari , Raman Ayush T , Wan Ying-Wooi , Gundry Michael , Hao Shuang , Jin Haijing , Tang Jianrong , Liu Zhandong , Zoghbi Huda Y
Published: March 2018

Clinical trials are currently underway to assess the efficacy of forniceal deep brain stimulation (DBS) for improvement of memory in Alzheimer’s patients, and forniceal DBS has been shown to improve learning and memory in a mouse model of Rett syndrome (RTT), an intellectual disability disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in MECP2. The mechanism of DBS benefits has been elusive, however, so we assessed changes in gene expression, splice isoforms, DNA methylation, and proteome following acute forniceal DBS in wild-type mice and mice lacking Mecp2. We found that DBS upregulates genes involved in synaptic function, cell survival, and neurogenesis and normalized expression of ~25% of the genes altered in Mecp2-null mice. Moreover, DBS induced expression of 17–24% of the genes downregulated in other intellectual disability mouse models and in post-mortem human brain tissue from patients with Major Depressive Disorder, suggesting forniceal DBS could benefit individuals with a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Normal mitochondrial function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has become dependent on inefficient splicing
Authors: Rudan Marina , Bou Dib Peter , Musa Marina , Kanunnikau Matea , Sobočanec Sandra , Rueda David , Warnecke Tobias , Kriško Anita
Published: March 2018

Self-splicing introns are mobile elements that have invaded a number of highly conserved genes in prokaryotic and organellar genomes. Here, we show that deletion of these selfish elements from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial genome is stressful to the host. A strain without mitochondrial introns displays hallmarks of the retrograde response, with altered mitochondrial morphology, gene expression and metabolism impacting growth and lifespan. Deletion of the complete suite of mitochondrial introns is phenocopied by overexpression of the splicing factor Mss116. We show that, in both cases, abnormally efficient transcript maturation results in excess levels of mature cob and cox1 host mRNA. Thus, inefficient splicing has become an integral part of normal mitochondrial gene expression. We propose that the persistence of S. cerevisiae self-splicing introns has been facilitated by an evolutionary lock-in event, where the host genome adapted to primordial invasion in a way that incidentally rendered subsequent intron loss deleterious.
Tumor immunity landscape in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Yu Xiaoqing , Wang Xuefeng
Published: March 2018

Even with the great advances in immunotherapy in recent years, the response rate to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for non-small cell lung cancer is only about 20%. We aimed to identify new features that would better predict which patients can benefit from an immune checkpoint blocker. This study is based on the publicly available gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas lung cancer samples and the newly released mutation annotation data. We performed a comprehensive analysis by correlating patient cytolytic activity index, mutational signatures, and other immune characteristics in four stratified patient groups. The results cytolytic activity index are highly correlated with immune infiltration scores, T cell infiltration scores and TCR clonality scores in lung cancer. In addition, we observed that the mutational event signatures might play a more important role in predicting immunotherapy response in squamous cell carcinoma and two subgroups of adenocarcinomas. Our analysis illustrates the utility of integrating both tumor immune and genomic landscape for a better understanding of immune response in lung cancer.
PIM2 interacts with tristetraprolin and promotes breast cancer tumorigenesis
Authors: Ren Chune , Yang Tingting , Qiao Pengyun , Wang Li , Han Xue , Lv Shijun , Sun Yonghong , Liu Zhijun , Du Yu , Yu Zhenhai
Published: March 2018

Tristetraprolin (TTP) is an AU‐rich element‐binding protein that regulates mRNA stability and plays important roles in cancer. The mechanisms by which TTP is regulated in breast cancer are poorly understood. Using multiple biochemical approaches, we found that proviral insertion in murine lymphomas 2 (PIM2) is a novel binding partner of TTP. Interestingly, PIM2 decreased TTP protein levels independent of its kinase activity. PIM2 instead targeted TTP protein for degradation via the ubiquitin‐proteasome pathway. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining showed that PIM2 and TTP protein levels were negatively correlated in human breast cancer samples. Indeed, PIM2 overexpression de‐repressed TTP‐mediated inhibition of breast cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro and promoted breast tumor xenograft growth in vivo. These findings demonstrate an important role for the PIM2‐TTP complex in breast cancer tumorigenesis, suggesting that PIM2 may represent a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment.
Reconfigurable Diodes Based on Vertical WSe2 Transistors with van der Waals Bonded Contacts
Authors: Avsar Ahmet , Marinov Kolyo , Marin Enrique Gonzalez , Iannaccone Giuseppe , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Fiori Gianluca , Kis Andras
Published: March 2018

New device concepts can increase the functionality of scaled electronic devices, with reconfigurable diodes allowing the design of more compact logic gates being one of the examples. In recent years, there has been significant interest in creating reconfigurable diodes based on ultrathin transition metal dichalcogenide crystals due to their unique combination of gate‐tunable charge carriers, high mobility, and sizeable band gap. Thanks to their large surface areas, these devices are constructed under planar geometry and the device characteristics are controlled by electrostatic gating through rather complex two independent local gates or ionic‐liquid gating. In this work, similar reconfigurable diode action is demonstrated in a WSe2 transistor by only utilizing van der Waals bonded graphene and Co/h‐BN contacts. Toward this, first the charge injection efficiencies into WSe2 by graphene and Co/h‐BN contacts are characterized. While Co/h‐BN contact results in nearly Schottky‐barrier‐free charge injection, graphene/WSe2 interface has an average barrier height of ≈80 meV. By taking the advantage of the electrostatic transparency of graphene and the different work‐function values of graphene and Co/h‐BN, vertical devices are constructed where different gate‐tunable diode actions are demonstrated. This architecture reveals the opportunities for exploring new device concepts.
Single Crystals Based on Hydrogen‐Bonding Mediated Cation–Anion Assembly with Extremely Large Optical Nonlinearity and Their Application for Intense THz Wave Generation
Authors: Lee Seung‐Chul , Kang Bong Joo , Lee Ji‐Ah , Lee Seung‐Heon , Jazbinšek Mojca , Yoon Woojin , Yun Hoseop , Rotermund Fabian , Kwon O‐Pil
Published: March 2018

New molecular salt crystals based on linear‐shaped polymer‐like cation–anion assembly exhibiting extremely large nonlinear optical response and high THz generation efficiency are reported. Two hydroxy benzothialzolium PMB (2‐(4‐(4‐(hydroxymethyl)piperidin‐1‐yl)styryl)‐3‐methylbenzo[d]thiazol‐3‐ium) crystals with different benzenesulfonate counter anions provide isomorphic crystal structure with acentric monoclinic Cc space group symmetry. In contrast to previously reported benchmark nonlinear optical salt crystals with a parallel‐type cation–anion assembly, newly developed PMB‐based crystals exhibit a series‐type cation–anion assembly mediated by strong bidentate‐like hydrogen‐bonds. Such series‐type cation–anion assembly results in perfect alignment of highly nonlinear PMB cations in the crystalline state, leading to extremely large diagonal component of the second‐order nonlinear optical coefficient exceeding that of the state‐of‐the‐art nonlinear optical crystals. In THz wave generation experiments based on optical rectification, a 0.33 mm thick PMB crystal generates intense THz pulses with peak‐to‐peak THz electric field of 430 kV cm−1 and extremely broad flat spectrum with upper cut‐off frequency of above 8.0 THz. In addition, compared to inorganic standard 1.0 mm thick ZnTe crystals, the PMB crystal delivers a 24 times higher THz electric field and about 3 times broader bandwidth. Therefore, hydroxy benzothialzolium PMB crystals are highly desired novel materials for various nonlinear optical applications including THz photonics.