bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Historical Archaeology at the Hacienda San Miguel Acocotla, Puebla, Mexico
Authors: Newman Elizabeth Terese
Published: March 2014

Since 2004, archaeological, ethnographic, and archival investigations at the ex-hacienda San Miguel Acocotla in Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico, have explored the lives of indigenous workers who toiled at the hacienda from 1577 through the twentieth-century Mexican Revolution. The aim of this project is to understand the ways in which incorporation into an industrial capitalist system impacted individual and community identity. This report presents a summary of the archaeological components of the project. Research focused on the area of worker housing, the calpanería, in an effort to expand our understandings of the conditions of daily life of the hacienda's indigenous workers. I describe the completed fieldwork and summarize the results of studies of nineteenth-century domestic architecture andfoodways. These data challenge assumptions about the quotidian experiences of hacienda laborers, often made using incomplete historical records, and allow us to connect the ethnographic present with the prehispanic past by illuminating the transformative processes at work in rural Mexico during the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
Multi-scale Calibration and Validation of MHYDAS-Erosion for A Small Mediterranean Vineyard Catchment: A Case Study
Authors: Gumiere Silvio Jose , Delattre Laurence , Le Bissonnais Yves , Cheviron Bruno , Ben Slimane Abir , Raclot Damien
Published: March 2014

In this work we present a case study of the multi-scale calibration and validation of MHYDAS-Erosion applied to a Mediterranean vineyard. The calibration was performed using expert knowledge in linking physical parameters to land uses with the automatic parameter estimation software PEST. MHYDAS-Erosion was calibrated and validated using spatially distributed observations on total discharge and soil loss. Calibration has been performed within six rainfall events; both hydrological and erosion parameters were calibrated using RMSE, R2 and the modified version of the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency criteria. Calibration results indicate there was good agreement between simulated and observed total discharge and total soil loss at the seven observation points (modified Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (mNSE) ranging between 0.89 and 0.95). Acceptable results were obtained in terms of parameter values, identification of their physical meaning and coherence. However, some limitations were also identified, and could be remedied in more detailed studies involving (i) spatially-distributed rainfall on the catchment, (ii) a description of groundwater exfiltration and (iii) spatially-distributed properties of the ditches over the catchment. Validation results were quite satisfactory for three of the four validation events. The results from this case study suggest that MHYDAS-Erosion may need a specific calibration when applied to another catchment, but once it is calibrated, it could be used for multi-scale soil loss forecasting.
Metodologías en el estudio de la violencia sexual en el marco del conflicto armado colombiano
Authors: Céspedes-Báez Lina M. , Chaparro González Nina , Estefan Vargas Soraya
Published: March 2014

In order to do an accurate legal research on sexual violence in the context of armed conflict it is essential to determine the appropriate methodologies to identify and understand this phenomenon. Since the 2000s, national and international NGOs and activists have approached sexual violence in the context of the Colombian internal armed conflict through the documentation of specific cases and the identification of relevant national and international laws. The Colombian Constitutional Court followed suit, and in 2008 issued Writ 092 (Auto 092) using that very same methodology. In 2009, Consultoría para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento (CODHES) applied a new methodology to study sexual violence in armed conflict context using the category of analysis “massacre”. After testing the usefulness of that category of analysis in three continuous researches, it was evident that this new category also has conceptual downsides. This article elaborates on those disadvantages and proposes a new category to analyze sexual violence in the context of the Colombian armed conflict: Giorgio Agamben’s theorisations of the camp.
Highly efficient out-of-plane optical coupler based on tapered hollow waveguide
Authors: Dalir Hamed , Koyama Fumio
Published: March 2014

We proposed a highly efficient out-of-plane optical coupler based on a tapered hollow waveguide. Modeling shows low polarization and wavelength dependences in a 35 nm wavelength window (C-band). The relative lateral displacements per spot size of the vertical output for the entire C-band are less than 0.13 and 0.38 for TE and TM input modes, respectively. At the same time, the polarization-dependent insertion loss is below 1.35 dB for both TE and TM input modes. Our device functions as a spot size converter, via taper angle modification, which can be used for a variety of applications such as out-of-plane coupling of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), detectors, and so on.
Effects of combined Ar/O2 plasma and microwave irradiation on electrical performance and stability in solution-deposited amorphous InGaZnO thin-film transistors
Authors: Hwang Yeong-Hyeon , Kim Kwan-Soo , Cho Won-Ju
Published: March 2014

We demonstrated the improvement of electrical performance and stability of solution-deposited amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) by combined Ar/O2 plasma and microwave irradiation (MWI) treatment at low temperature. After the combined MWI and Ar/O2 plasma treatments, the bonding between metal and oxygen ions was strengthened, and then the solution-deposited a-IGZO film acted as a semiconductor for transistors. In addition, the Ar/O2 plasma treatment promoted the reliability of solution-deposited a-IGZO TFTs owing to the removal of residual carbon, which easily traps electrons. Consequently, the solution-deposited a-IGZO TFT treated with the combination of Ar/O2 plasma and MWI exhibited excellent electrical stability as well as an improved transfer characteristic. Therefore, the combined Ar/O2 plasma and MWI treatment is a feasible post-treatment to realize flexible electronics with solution-deposited metal oxide thin films.
Ripple formations by gas cluster ion irradiation in reactive gas environments
Authors: Toyoda Noriaki , Sumie Kensuke , Kimura Asahi , Yamada Isao
Published: March 2014

Effects of background gas (N2 or SF6) on ripple formation by oblique incidence gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) irradiation were investigated. When N2 gas was introduced as background gas, both ripple structures and the sputtering yield of Si and SiO2 did not change by Ar-GCIB irradiation at 60° incidence. However, wavelength of ripple became larger when SF6 gas was introduced as background gas. Increase of the sputtering yield in SF6 environment correlates with the change of ripple structures. It is assumed that SF6 molecules adsorbed on ripple structures, and Si or SiO2 ripples were etched preferentially.
Ion densities and magnetic signatures of dust pickup at Enceladus
Authors: Kriegel Hendrik , Simon Sven , Meier Patrick , Motschmann Uwe , Saur Joachim , Wennmacher Alexandre , Strobel Darrell F. , Dougherty Michele K.
Published: March 2014

Encedalus' plume of charged dust has been shown to strongly modify the plasma structures. Therefore, we analyze the magnetic signatures of dust to constrain the dust plume. For the first time, the mutual feedback between the nanograins and their plasma environment is investigated. Our model combines plasma simulations by means of the A.I.K.E.F. (Adaptive Ion‐Kinetic Electron‐Fluid) code with Monte Carlo simulations of the 3‐D profiles of the gas and dust plumes. Data from several instruments of Cassini are considered: the neutral plume model is in good agreement with INMS data, whereas theoretical predictions of the peak ion density are compared against CAPS data, and properties of the dust are obtained by comparing our results with MAG data from the recent E14–E19 flybys. Our main results are (1) due to the ion‐neutral chemistry, H3O+ is the predominant ion species within the plume; (2) the high nanograin densities observed by CAPS require an increased effective ionization frequency to fulfill quasi‐neutrality; (3) the nanograin pickup current makes only a minor contribution to the current systems; i.e., the major contribution of the dust arises from electron absorption; (4) the pickup of nanograins is clearly visible in the magnetic field signatures, even including the distant encounter E15; (5) MAG data indicate a southward extension of the charged dust plume of at least 4 Enceladus radii; (6) the modification of the currents by the nanograins is responsible for the surprising fact that Cassini did not detect a region with a reduced magnetic field strength.
Ionization due to electron and proton precipitation during the August 2011 storm
Authors: Huang Yanshi , Huang Cheryl Y. , Su Yi‐Jiun , Deng Yue , Fang Xiaohua
Published: March 2014

The parameterizations of monoenergetic particle impact ionization in Fang et al. (2010) (Fang2010) and Fang et al. (2013) (Fang2013) are applied to the complex energy spectra measured by DMSP F16 satellite to calculate the ionization rates from electron and ion precipitations for a Northern Hemisphere pass from 0030 UT to 0106 UT on 6 August 2011. Clear enhancement of electron flux is found in the polar cap. The mean electron energy in the polar cap is mostly above 100 eV, while the mean energy in the auroral zone is typically above 1 keV. At the same time, F16 captures a strong Poynting flux enhancement in the polar cap, which is comparable to those in the auroral zone. The particle impact ionization rates using Fang2010 and Fang2013 parameterizations show clear enhancement at F region altitudes mainly due to the low‐energy precipitating electrons, peaking probably in the cusp but also showing enhanced levels throughout most of the polar cap region. The general circulation models (GCMs), National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere‐Ionosphere‐Electrodynamics General Circulation Model, and Global Ionosphere‐Thermosphere Model, using their default empirical formulations of particle impact ionization, do not capture the observed features shown in the total particle ionization rate applying the Fang2010 and Fang2013 parameterizations to DMSP measurements. The difference between GCM simulations and Fang2010 and Fang2013 applied to DMSP data is due to the difference of both the inputs to the models and the parameterization of the ionization rates.
Gravity waves generated by convection during TWP‐ICE: I. Inertia‐gravity waves
Authors: Hankinson Mai C. N. , Reeder M. J. , Lane T. P.
Published: March 2014

Gravity waves are analyzed in radiosonde soundings taken during the Tropical Warm Pool‐International Cloud Experiment (TWP‐ICE) campaign. The properties of the inertia‐gravity waves are analyzed in Part I, whereas Part II focuses on high‐frequency gravity waves. Two groups of inertia‐gravity waves are detected: group L (Long vertical wavelength) in the middle stratosphere during the suppressed monsoon period and group S (Short vertical wavelength) in the lower stratosphere during the monsoon break period. Waves belonging to group L propagate to the southeast with a mean intrinsic period of 35 h and have vertical and horizontal wavelengths of about 5–6 km and 3000–6000 km, respectively. Ray‐tracing calculations indicate that these waves originate from a deep convective region near Indonesia. Waves belonging to group S propagate to the south‐southeast with an intrinsic period, vertical wavelength, and horizontal wavelength of about 45 h, 2 km, and 2000–4000 km, respectively. These waves appear to originate from convection in the vicinity of New Guinea.
Roles of transport and chemistry processes in global ozone change on interannual and multidecadal time scales
Authors: Sekiya T. , Sudo K.
Published: March 2014

This study investigates ozone changes and the individual impacts of transport and chemistry on those changes. We specifically examine (1) variation related to El Niño Southern Oscillation, which is a dominant mode of interannual variation of tropospheric ozone, and (2) long‐term change between the 2000s and 2100s. During El Niño, the simulated ozone shows an increase (1 ppbv/K) over Indonesia, a decrease (2–10 ppbv/K) over the eastern Pacific in the tropical troposphere, and an increase (50 ppbv/K) over the eastern Pacific in the midlatitude lower stratosphere. These variations fundamentally agree with those observed by Microwave Limb Sounder/Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer instruments. The model demonstrates that tropospheric chemistry has a strong impact on the variation over the eastern Pacific in the tropical lower troposphere and that transport dominates the variation in the midlatitude lower stratosphere. Between the 2000s and 2100s, the model predicts an increase in the global burden of stratospheric ozone (0.24%/decade) and a decrease in the global burden of tropospheric ozone (0.82%/decade). The increase in the stratospheric burden is controlled by stratospheric chemistry. Tropospheric chemistry reduces the tropospheric burden by 1.07%/decade. However, transport (i.e., stratosphere‐troposphere exchange and tropospheric circulation) causes an increase in the burden (0.25%/decade). Additionally, we test the sensitivity of ozone changes to increased horizontal resolution of the representation of atmospheric circulation and advection apart from any aspects of the nonlinearity of chemistry sensitivity to horizontal resolution. No marked difference is found in medium‐resolution or high‐resolution simulations, suggesting that the increased horizontal resolution of transport has a minor impact.
Transition probability‐based stochastic geological modeling using airborne geophysical data and borehole data
Authors: He Xin , Koch Julian , Sonnenborg Torben O. , Jørgensen Flemming , Schamper Cyril , Christian Refsgaard Jens
Published: March 2014

Geological heterogeneity is a very important factor to consider when developing geological models for hydrological purposes. Using statistically based stochastic geological simulations, the spatial heterogeneity in such models can be accounted for. However, various types of uncertainties are associated with both the geostatistical method and the observation data. In the present study, TProGS is used as the geostatistical modeling tool to simulate structural heterogeneity for glacial deposits in a head water catchment in Denmark. The focus is on how the observation data uncertainty can be incorporated in the stochastic simulation process. The study uses two types of observation data: borehole data and airborne geophysical data. It is commonly acknowledged that the density of the borehole data is usually too sparse to characterize the horizontal heterogeneity. The use of geophysical data gives an unprecedented opportunity to obtain high‐resolution information and thus to identify geostatistical properties more accurately especially in the horizontal direction. However, since such data are not a direct measurement of the lithology, larger uncertainty of point estimates can be expected as compared to the use of borehole data. We have proposed a histogram probability matching method in order to link the information on resistivity to hydrofacies, while considering the data uncertainty at the same time. Transition probabilities and Markov Chain models are established using the transformed geophysical data. It is shown that such transformation is in fact practical; however, the cutoff value for dividing the resistivity data into facies is difficult to determine. The simulated geological realizations indicate significant differences of spatial structure depending on the type of conditioning data selected. It is to our knowledge the first time that grid‐to‐grid airborne geophysical data including the data uncertainty are used in conditional geostatistical simulations in TProGS. Therefore, it provides valuable insights regarding the advantages and challenges of using such comprehensive data.
Accelerated lake expansion on the Tibetan Plateau in the 2000s: Induced by glacial melting or other processes?
Authors: Song Chunqiao , Huang Bo , Richards Keith , Ke Linghong , Hien Phan Vu
Published: March 2014

Alpine lakes on the Tibetan Plateau are minimally disturbed by human activities and are sensitive indicators of climate variability. Accelerated lake expansion in the 2000s has been confirmed by both dramatic lake‐area increases (for 312 lakes larger than 10 km2) derived from optical images, and rapid water‐level rises (for 117 lakes with water‐level data) measured by satellite altimetry. However, the underlying climate causes remain unclear. This paper analyzes the relationship between the water‐level changes of lakes on the plateau and the potential driving factors, such as the glacier meltwater supply and a dependency on precipitation and runoff over the whole plateau and in each zone. The results show that the rates of change of non‐glacier‐fed lakes in the 2000s were as high as those of glacier‐fed lakes across the whole plateau and the lake‐level changes were closely associated with the lake supply coefficients (the basin/lake area ratio). The lake variations agreed well with the spatial pattern of precipitation changes. However, in different zones, especially at around 33°N north of the plateau, glacier‐fed lakes did exhibit faster lake level increases than no‐glacier‐fed lakes, indicating that the presence of a glacier meltwater supply augmented the precipitation‐driven lake expansions in these areas. Despite the absence of quantitative modeling due to limited data availability, this study provides qualitative support that the lake expansions on the Tibetan Plateau in the 2000s have been driven primarily by changes in precipitation and evapotranspiration and not solely by the effect of glacier wastage.
Interannual variability of evapotranspiration and vegetation productivity
Authors: Fatichi Simone , Ivanov Valeriy Y.
Published: March 2014

Interannual variability of precipitation can influence components of the hydrological budget, affecting them directly and indirectly through adjustments in vegetation structure and function. We investigate the effects of fluctuations of annual precipitation on ecohydrological dynamics. Specifically, we use the advanced weather generator, AWE‐GEN, to simulate 200 years of hourly meteorological forcing obtained by imposing four types of precipitation annual process with identical long‐term mean. The generated time series force a mechanistic ecohydrological model, Tethys‐Chloris. Simulations with perturbed precipitation variability are performed for four locations characterized by different vegetation cover and climate. The results indicate that long‐term transpiration (T) and evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes as well as vegetation productivity expressed as Gross Primary Production (GPP) and Aboveground Net Primary Production (ANPP) are essentially unaffected by the imposed climate fluctuations. This finding supports the hypothesis of a relative insensitivity, except for water‐limited environments, of interannual evapotranspiration and vegetation productivity to annual climatic fluctuations, which are mostly reflected in the fluxes of deep leakage and runoff. The occurrence of short periods of favorable meteorological conditions randomly taking place within the year was found to be a better explanatory variable for interannual variability of ET and ANPP than average annual or growing season conditions. The results indicated that local, single‐site sensitivities are considerably smaller than those observed across climatic and vegetation spatial gradients and thus an important role of ecosystem reorganization in modifying ANPP and ET sensitivity in a changing climate is recognized.
A comparative study of physical and numerical modeling of tidal network ontogeny
Authors: Zhou Zeng , Olabarrieta Maitane , Stefanon Luana , D'Alpaos Andrea , Carniello Luca , Coco Giovanni
Published: March 2014

We investigate the initiation and long‐term evolution of tidal networks by comparing controlled laboratory experiments and their associated scaling laws with outputs from a numerical model. We conducted numerical experiments at both the experimental laboratory scale (ELS) and natural estuary scale (NES) and compared these simulations with experimental data and field observations. Sensitivity tests show that initial bathymetry, frictional parametrization, sediment transport, and bed slope terms play an important role in determining the morphodynamic evolution and the final landscape. Consistent with experimental observations, the morphodynamic feedbacks between flow, sediment transport, and bathymetry gradually lead the system to a less dynamic state, finally reaching a stable network configuration. In both the ELS and NES simulations, the initially planar lagoon with large intertidal areas is subject to erosion, indicating ebb‐dominance. Based on quantitative analyses of the ELS and the NES simulations (e.g., geometric characteristics and relationship between modified tidal prism and cross‐sectional area), we conclude that numerical simulations are consistent with laboratory experiments and show that both type of models provide a realistic, albeit simplified, representation of natural systems. The combination of laboratory and numerical experiments also allowed us to explore the possibility of reaching a long‐term morphodynamic equilibrium. Both the physical and numerical models approach a dynamic equilibrium characterized by negligible gradients in sediment fluxes. The equilibrium configuration appears to be consistent with traditional relationships linking tidal prism and cross‐sectional area of the inlet. Finally, this contribution highlights the significance of complementary research between experimental and numerical modeling in investigating long‐term morphodynamics of tidal networks.
Cardiac iron overload in sickle‐cell disease
Authors: Meloni Antonella , Puliyel Mammen , Pepe Alessia , Berdoukas Vasili , Coates Thomas D. , Wood John C.
Published: March 2014

Chronically transfused sickle cell disease (SCD) patients have lower risk of myocardial iron overload (MIO) than comparably transfused thalassemia major (TM) patients. However, cardioprotection is incomplete. We present the clinical characteristics of six patients who have prospectively developed MIO, to identify potential risk factors for cardiac iron accumulation. From 2002 to 2011, cardiac, hepatic, and pancreatic iron overload were assessed by R2 and R2* magnetic resonance imaging techniques in 201 chronic transfused SCD patients as part of their clinical care. At the time, they developed MIO, five of six patients had been on chronic transfusion for more than 11 years; only one was on exchange transfusion. The time to MIO was correlated with reticulocyte and hemoglobin S percentages. All patients had qualitatively poor chelation compliance (<50%). All patients had serum ferritin levels >4600 ng/ml and liver iron concentration >22 mg/g. Pancreatic R2* was >100 Hz in every patient studied (5/6). Cardiac iron rose proportionally to pancreas R2*, with all patients having pancreas R2*>100 Hz when cardiac iron was present. MIO had a threshold relationship with liver iron that was higher than observed in TM patients. In conclusion, MIO occurs in a small percentage of chronically transfused SCD patients and is only associated with exceptionally poor control of total body iron stores. Duration of chronic transfusion is clearly important but other factors, such as levels of effective erythropoiesis, appear to contribute to cardiac risk. Pancreas R2* can serve as a valuable screening tool for cardiac iron in SCD patients. Am. J. Hematol. 89:678–683, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The E180splice mutation in the GHR gene causing Laron syndrome: Witness of a Sephardic Jewish exodus from the Iberian Peninsula to the New World?
Authors: Gonçalves Fernanda T. , Fridman Cintia , Pinto Emília M. , Guevara‐Aguirre Jaime , Shevah Orit , Rosembloom Arlan L. , Hwa Vivian , Cassorla Fernando , Rosenfeld Ron G. , Lins Theresa S.S. , Damiani Durval , Arnhold Ivo J.P. , Laron Zvi , Jorge Alexander A.L.
Published: March 2014

Laron syndrome (LS) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the growth hormone receptor (GHR) gene. The most frequent GHR mutation is E180splice (rs121909360), which was initially found in an inbred population of Spanish descent in Ecuador and subsequently in Israel, Brazil, Chile, and the United States. The aim of the present study is to determine if the E180splice mutation arose from a common origin. We studied 22 patients with LS from Ecuador, Israel (of Moroccan origin), Brazil, Chile, and the United States (of Mexican origin) who were homozygous for the E180splice mutation and compared them to control individuals for markers surrounding the GHR, intragenic polymorphisms, and Y‐chromosome STR. An identical haplotype was found in all but one of the subjects carrying the E180splice mutation: D5S665: 150/150; D5S2082: 192/192; D5S2087: 246/246; rs6179 G/G; and rs6180 C/C. One patient differed from the others only at D5S2082 (168/192). This haplotype is rare (∼1%) in control individuals and confirmed that the E180splice‐associated haplotype was not derived from independent origins but represented recombination from a common ancestor. The analysis of paternal lineage markers showed that 50% belong to haplogroup R1b (found in Portugal and Spain) and 40% to haplogroups J and E (typical in the Middle East and in Eastern European Jews). The germline E180Splice mutation appears to have originated from a single common ancestor. The presence of Y‐chromosome markers associated with Sephardic populations in persons harboring the E180splice mutation provides genetic evidence in support of the historical tracking of the exodus of this specific population. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Isolated terminal limb reduction defects: Extending the clinical spectrum of Adams–Oliver syndrome and ARHGAP31 mutations
Authors: Isrie Mala , Wuyts Wim , Van Esch Hilde , Devriendt Koenraad
Published: March 2014

Adams–Oliver syndrome (AOS; OMIM 100300) typically comprises a combination of congenital scalp defects and terminal transverse limb defects. Recently, mutations in ARHGAP31 and RBPJ have been found causing autosomal dominant forms of AOS. We describe a four‐generation pedigree with isolated terminal limb defects and a truncating mutation in ARHGAP31. This finding underscores the relevance of sequencing ARHGAP31 in similar cases of isolated limb defects, irrespective of the presence of a complete AOS phenotype. We also highlight the variability of clinical features among mutation carriers, ranging from severe reduction defects to mild as well as clinically unaffected cases suggesting reduced penetrance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Capuchin monkey research priorities and urgent issues
Authors: Lynch Alfaro Jessica W. , Izar Patricia , Ferreira Renata G.
Published: March 2014

The “Capuchin research community roundtable: working together towards a comparative biology of Cebus and Sapajus” was held at the International Primatological Society Congress in Cancún, Mexico, August 2012. Goals of the roundtable were to strengthen interactions among the capuchin research community, and to prioritize and coordinate research and training in a more systematic and interactive way in light of increasing conservation urgency. New phylogenetic and biogeographic evidence highlights the distinct evolutionary histories of the two radiations of capuchin monkeys, Cebus (untufted or gracile capuchins) and Sapajus (tufted or robust capuchins), that were formerly lumped under Cebus, and points to a higher number of species, or Evolutionarily Significant Units, in each compared to past capuchin taxonomies. Many of the lesser‐known species face increasing fragmentation and destruction of habitat, and most populations of still non‐threatened species face encroachment from human settlements. Here, we present capuchin research priorities and urgent issues based on the discussion by capuchin researchers in the roundtable. These include a call for the immediate end to the use of the name Cebus apella and the employment of the term Sapajus spp. instead for captive robust capuchins of unknown origin; for the implementation of rapid assessments for previously unstudied capuchin species or populations in biomes of interest; for the development of standardized methods to allow for comparative analyses across capuchin field sites; and for the creation and maintenance of an open‐access website for capuchin monkey data. Finally, we planned the creation of an international Capuchin Action Network, to help disseminate research information; to work as a research community in a more efficient, collaborative manner; to help prioritize research and conservation goals as a community of experts; and to strengthen our political voice. Am. J. Primatol. 76:705–720, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of ancestry on behavioral variation in two species of howler monkeys (Alouatta pigraandA. palliata) and their hybrids
Authors: Ho Lucy , Cortés‐Ortiz Liliana , Dias Pedro Américo D. , Canales‐Espinosa Domingo , Kitchen Dawn M. , Bergman Thore J.
Published: March 2014

Social differences between primate species may result from both flexible responses to current conditions or fixed differences across taxa, yet we know little about the relative importance of these factors. Here, we take advantage of a naturally occurring hybrid zone in Tabasco, Mexico to characterize the variation in social structure among two endangered howler monkey species,Alouatta pigraandA. palliata, and their hybrids. Work in pure populations has suggested thatA. pigrafemales maintain closer proximity, exhibit higher rates of affiliation, and lower rates of agonism thanA. palliatafemales, but we do not know what accounts for this difference. Using identical data collection and analysis methods across three populations, we first seek to confirm previously reported interspecific differences in social structure across all sexes. We next examine: (1) how female social relationships changed with ancestry (by comparing pure and hybrid individuals); (2) how female social relationships changed with group size (A. pigrahave smaller groups thanA. palliata); and (3) whether female social relationships differed between two taxonomic groups within a single forest fragment (thus controlling for ecological variation). We confirmed previously described species differences, including closer proximity among females than among males in all populations. We also found that smaller groups maintained closer proximity. However, even after accounting for variation in group size,A. pigrafemales had closer proximity and more affiliation thanA. palliatafemales. Furthermore, differences betweenpigra‐like andpalliata‐like hybrids paralleled differences between pure populations and persisted even after controlling for ecological variation. Together, our results suggest that flexibility cannot account for all of the social differences betweenA. pigraandA. palliataand indicate an important genetic component in primate social behavior. Am. J. Primatol. 76:855–867, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Black howler monkey (Alouatta pigra) activity, foraging and seed dispersal patterns in shaded cocoa plantations versus rainforest in southern Mexico
Authors: Zárate Diego A. , Andresen Ellen , Estrada Alejandro , Serio‐silva Juan Carlos
Published: March 2014

Recent evidence has shown that primates worldwide use agroecosystems as temporary or permanent habitats. Detailed information on how these primates are using these systems is scant, and yet their role as seed dispersers is often implied. The main objective of this study was to compare the activity, foraging patterns and seed dispersal role of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) inhabiting shaded cocoa plantations and rainforest in southern Chiapas, Mexico. We gathered data on three monkey groups living in shaded cocoa plantations and three groups living in rainforest, using focal sampling, and collecting fecal samples. General activity and foraging patterns were similar in both habitats, with the exception that monkeys in the cocoa habitat spent more time feeding on petioles. Monkeys in shaded cocoa plantations dispersed 51,369 seeds (4% were seeds ≥3 mm width) of 16 plant species. Monkeys in the rainforest dispersed 6,536 seeds (78% were seeds ≥3 mm width) of 13 plant species. Our data suggest that the difference between habitats in the proportion of large versus small seeds dispersed reflects differences in fruit species abundance and availability in cocoa versus forest. Mean seed dispersal distances were statistically similar in both habitats (cocoa = 149 m, forest = 86 m). We conclude that the studied cocoa plantations provide all elements necessary to constitute a long‐term permanent habitat for black howler monkeys. In turn, howler monkeys living in these plantations are able to maintain their functional role as seed dispersers for those native tree and liana species present within their areas of activities. Am. J. Primatol. 76:890–899, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Convenient Photocatalytic Fluorination of Unactivated CH Bonds
Authors: Halperin Shira D. , Fan Hope , Chang Stanley , Martin Rainer E. , Britton Robert
Published: March 2014

Fluorination reactions are essential to modern medicinal chemistry, thus providing a means to block site‐selective metabolic degradation of drugs and access radiotracers for positron emission tomography imaging. Despite current sophistication in fluorination reagents and processes, the fluorination of unactivated CH bonds remains a significant challenge. Reported herein is a convenient and economic process for direct fluorination of unactivated CH bonds that exploits the hydrogen abstracting ability of a decatungstate photocatalyst in combination with the mild fluorine atom transfer reagent N‐fluorobenzenesulfonimide. This operationally straightforward reaction provides direct access to a wide range of fluorinated organic molecules, including structurally complex natural products, acyl fluorides, and fluorinated amino acid derivatives.
Modeling Heat Dissipation at the Nanoscale: An Embedding Approach for Chemical Reaction Dynamics on Metal Surfaces
Authors: Meyer Jörg , Reuter Karsten
Published: March 2014

We present an embedding technique for metallic systems that makes it possible to model energy dissipation into substrate phonons during surface chemical reactions from first principles. The separation of chemical and elastic contributions to the interaction potential provides a quantitative description of both electronic and phononic band structure. Application to the dissociation of O2 at Pd(100) predicts translationally “hot” oxygen adsorbates as a consequence of the released adsorption energy (ca. 2.6 eV). This finding questions the instant thermalization of reaction enthalpies generally assumed in models of heterogeneous catalysis.
Construction of Chiral Bridged Tricyclic Benzopyrans: Enantioselective Catalytic Diels–Alder Reaction and a One‐Pot Reduction/Acid‐Catalyzed Stereoselective Cyclization
Authors: Song Aiguo , Zhang Xishuai , Song Xixi , Chen Xiaobei , Yu Chenguang , Huang He , Li Hao , Wang Wei
Published: March 2014

An asymmetric two‐step approach to chiral bridged tricyclic benzopyrans, core structures featured in various natural products, is described. In the synthesis, an unprecedented enantioselective catalytic decarboxylative Diels–Alder reaction is developed using readily available coumarin‐3‐carboxylic acids and aldehydes as reactants under mild reaction conditions. Notably, the decarboxylation‐assisted release of the catalyst enables the process to proceed efficiently with high enantio‐ and diastereoselectivity. Furthermore, a one‐pot procedure for either a LiAlH4‐ or NaBH4‐mediated reduction with subsequent acid‐catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of the Diels–Alder adducts was identified for the efficient formation of the chiral bridged tricyclic benzopyrans.
Fibrin Accumulation Secondary to Loss of Plasmin‐Mediated Fibrinolysis Drives Inflammatory Osteoporosis in Mice
Authors: Cole Heather A. , Ohba Tetsuro , Nyman Jeffry S. , Hirotaka Haro , Cates Justin M. M. , Flick Matthew J. , Degen Jay L. , Schoenecker Jonathan G.
Published: March 2014

Objective

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass and increased bone fragility associated with aging, menopause, smoking, obesity, or diabetes. Persistent inflammation has been identified as an instigating factor in progressive bone loss. In addition to the role of fibrin in coagulation, inordinate fibrin deposition within a tissue matrix results in increased local inflammation. Given that fibrin accumulation is a hallmark of osteoporosis‐related comorbidities, we undertook this study to test the hypothesis that persistent fibrin deposition causes inflammatory osteoporosis.

Methods

Multiple imaging modalities, bone integrity metrics, and histologic analyses were employed to evaluate skeletal derangements in relation to fibrin deposition, circulating fibrinogen levels, and systemic markers of inflammation in mice that were plasminogen deficient and in plasminogen‐deficient mice that were concomitantly either fibrinogen deficient or carrying a mutant form of fibrinogen lacking the αMβ2 binding motif.

Results

Mice generated with a genetic deficit in the key fibrinolytic protease, plasmin, uniformly developed severe osteoporosis. Furthermore, the development of osteoporosis was fibrin(ogen) dependent, and the derangements in the bone remodeling unit were mechanistically tied to fibrin(ogen)‐mediated activation of osteoclasts via activation of the leukocyte integrin receptor αMβ2 on monocytes and secondary stimulation of osteoblasts by RANKL. Notably, the genetic elimination of fibrin(ogen) or the expression of a mutant form of fibrinogen retaining clotting function but lacking the αMβ2 binding motif prevented the degenerative skeletal phenotypes, resulting in normal local and systemic cytokine levels.

Conclusion

Taken together, these data reveal for the first time that fibrin promotes inflammation‐driven systemic osteoporosis, which suggests a novel association between hemostasis, inflammation, and bone biology.
Aging and Oxidative Stress Reduce the Response of Human Articular Chondrocytes to Insulin‐like Growth Factor 1 and Osteogenic Protein 1
Authors: Loeser Richard F. , Gandhi Uma , Long David L. , Yin Weihong , Chubinskaya Susan
Published: March 2014

Objective

To determine the effects of aging and oxidative stress on the response of human articular chondrocytes to insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) and osteogenic protein 1 (OP‐1).

Methods

Chondrocytes isolated from normal articular cartilage obtained from tissue donors were cultured in alginate beads or monolayer. Cells were stimulated with 50–100 ng/ml of IGF‐1, OP‐1, or both. Oxidative stress was induced using tert‐butyl hydroperoxide. Sulfate incorporation was used to measure proteoglycan synthesis, and immunoblotting of cell lysates was performed to analyze cell signaling. Confocal microscopy was performed to measure nuclear translocation of Smad4.

Results

Chondrocytes isolated from the articular cartilage of tissue donors ranging in age from 24 years to 81 years demonstrated an age‐related decline in proteoglycan synthesis stimulated by IGF‐1 and IGF‐1 plus OP‐1. Induction of oxidative stress inhibited both IGF‐1– and OP‐1–stimulated proteoglycan synthesis. Signaling studies showed that oxidative stress inhibited IGF‐1–stimulated Akt phosphorylation while increasing phosphorylation of ERK, and that these effects were greater in cells from older donors. Oxidative stress also increased p38 phosphorylation, which resulted in phosphorylation of Smad1 at the Ser206 inhibitory site and reduced nuclear accumulation of Smad1. Oxidative stress also modestly reduced OP‐1–stimulated nuclear translocation of Smad4.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate an age‐related reduction in the response of human chondrocytes to IGF‐1 and OP‐1, which are 2 important anabolic factors in cartilage, and suggest that oxidative stress may be a contributing factor by altering IGF‐1 and OP‐1 signaling.
Measurement of boundary layer ozone concentrations on‐board a Skywalker unmanned aerial vehicle
Authors: Illingworth Sam , Allen Grant , Percival Carl , Hollingsworth Peter , Gallagher Martin , Ricketts Hugo , Hayes Harry , Ładosz Paweł , Crawley David , Roberts Gareth
Published: March 2014

This study demonstrates novel measurements of in situ ozone (O3) concentrations and thermodynamics sampled on‐board an instrumented Skywalker Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Small spatial and temporal gradients were observed over a localized region, which nearby ground‐based in situ measurements lack the ability to resolve. It was found that the UAV‐measured O3 concentrations provided a useful additional indicator of O3 variability at the sub‐urban scale. The ability to sample subtle variability over a localized area highlights the important and novel capabilities of UAVs to rapidly characterize local area micrometeorology and chemistry.
Bayesian inferences for beta semiparametric‐mixed models to analyze longitudinal neuroimaging data
Authors: Wang Xiao‐Feng , Li Yingxing
Published: March 2014

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging technique that measures the three‐dimensional diffusion of water molecules within tissue through the application of multiple diffusion gradients. This technique is rapidly increasing in popularity for studying white matter properties and structural connectivity in the living human brain. One of the major outcomes derived from the DTI process is known as fractional anisotropy, a continuous measure restricted on the interval (0,1). Motivated from a longitudinal DTI study of multiple sclerosis, we use a beta semiparametric‐mixed regression model for the neuroimaging data. This work extends the generalized additive model methodology with beta distribution family and random effects. We describe two estimation methods with penalized splines, which are formalized under a Bayesian inferential perspective. The first one is carried out by Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations while the second one uses a relatively new technique called integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA). Simulations and the neuroimaging data analysis show that the estimates obtained from both approaches are stable and similar, while the INLA method provides an efficient alternative to the computationally expensive MCMC method.
Long-term cost-effectiveness analysis of endovascular versus open repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm based on four randomized clinical trials
Authors: Epstein D , Sculpher M J , Powell J T , Thompson S G , Brown L C , Greenhalgh R M
Published: March 2014

Background

A number of published economic evaluations of elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) versus open repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) have come to differing conclusions about whether EVAR is cost-effective. This paper reviews the current evidence base and presents up-to-date cost-effectiveness analyses in the light of results of four randomized clinical trials: EVAR-1, DREAM, OVER and ACE.

Methods

Markov models were used to estimate lifetime costs from a UK perspective and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) based on the results of each of the four trials. The outcomes included in the model were: procedure costs, surveillance costs, reintervention costs, health-related quality of life, aneurysm-related mortality and other-cause mortality. Alternative scenarios about complications, reinterventions and deaths beyond the trial were explored.

Results

Models based on the results of the EVAR-1, DREAM or ACE trials did not find EVAR to be cost-effective at thresholds used in the UK (up to £30 000 per QALY). EVAR seemed cost-effective according to models based on the OVER trial. These results seemed robust to alternative model scenarios about events beyond the trial intervals.

Conclusion

These analyses did not find that EVAR is cost-effective compared with open repair in the long term in trials conducted in European centres. EVAR did appear to be cost-effective based on the OVER trial, conducted in the USA. Caution must be exercised when transferring the results of economic evaluations from one country to another.
Starch‐Powered Biofuel Cell Activated by Logically Processed Biomolecular Signals
Authors: Mailloux Shay , MacVittie Kevin , Privman Marina , Guz Nataliia , Katz Evgeny
Published: March 2014

An overview of the application of signal‐switchable electrodes in biofuel cells is provided, concentrating on sophisticated systems where logically processed biomolecular signals can activate power production by switchable biofuel cells. The discussion is directed to the formulation of a new concept of physiologically controlled biofuel cells with the power production on demand, particularly in the case of implantable biofuel cells operating in vivo under physiological conditions. The practical realization of the novel concept may be in separating the signal‐processing and power‐producing sub‐systems which communicate electronically. The general conceptual discussion is exemplified with a system where a biomolecular logic system represented by a single Boolean OR logic gate is used to activate enzyme‐release to produce glucose‐biofuel from starch to activate power generation by a biofuel cell. The presented example is aiming at the concept demonstration rather than immediate practical application. Further sophistication of the given example is possible based on the rapidly developing biocomputing approach and integration of signal‐processing systems with switchable materials, electrodes and biofuel cells.
Thermal‐ and Photo‐Induced Phase‐Transition Behaviors of a Tapered Dendritic Liquid Crystal with Photochromic Azobenzene Mesogens and a Bicyclic Chiral Center
Authors: Kim Dae‐Yoon , Lee Sang‐A , Choi Yu‐Jin , Hwang Seok‐Ho , Kuo Shiao‐Wei , Nah Changwoon , Lee Myong‐Hoon , Jeong Kwang‐Un
Published: March 2014

A ribbon‐shaped chiral liquid crystalline (LC) dendrimer with photochromic azobenzene mesogens and an isosorbide chiral center (abbreviated as AZ3DLC) was successfully synthesized and its major phase transitions were studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and linear polarized optical microscopy (POM). Its ordered structures at different temperatures were further identified through structure‐sensitive diffraction techniques. Based on the experimental results, it was found that the AZ3DLC molecule exhibited the low‐ordered chiral smectic (Sm*) LC phase with 6.31 nm periodicity at a high‐temperature phase region. AZ3DLC showed the reversible photoisomerization in both organic solvents and nematic (N) LC media. As a chiral‐inducing agent, it exhibited a good solubility, a high helical‐twisting power, and a large change in the helical‐twisting power due to its photochemical isomerization in the commercially available N LC hosts. Therefore, we were able to reversibly “remote‐control” the colors in the whole visible region by finely tuning the helical pitch of the spontaneously formed helical superstructures.