bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The contribution of public capital towards economic growth: A KwaZulu-Natal case study
Authors: Coetzee Clive E. , Kleynhans Ewert P.J.
Published: April 2017

Background: The adequate supply of infrastructure is essential to ensure increasing productivity and economic growth. Research found this relationship to be significantly positive. The external effects that spending on public capital has on the production function of private firms stimulates economic growth overall. This implies that public capital inputs should be incorporated into the production function.Aim: The way provincial or regional growth depends on infrastructure is investigated in this article and it is applied to data from KwaZulu-Natal province, as an illustration.Setting: This study investigates the extent to which infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa leads towards economic growth of the province.Methods: From a theoretical framework, this article develops an endogenous growth model, which investigates the association between provincial public capital stock expenditure and economic growth. Data series for public capital formation are first developed to apply in this study and others to follow. Econometric techniques are then employed, using quarterly data between 2001 and 2015, to assess the set hypothesis that growth in expenditure on public capital leads to national economic growth.Results: The empirical results support the argument of a positive relationship between provincial capital stock and economic growth in the long-term. The findings also suggests that the long-term causality or effect fades over time, albeit slowly.Conclusion: The nature and statistical significance of the long-term equilibrium relationship seems to be ambiguous at best. Some evidence of an equilibrium relationship in the short-term was, however, also observed. In conclusion, there also seems to be some causality between provincial capital stock and provincial gross domestic product in the short-run.
Fusion of time and space in Hans Roosenschoon’s music: A pre-analytical strategy
Authors: Spies Bertha M.
Published: April 2017

n order to promote access to non-tonal music, the fusion of musical time and space may be considered as a point of departure. As a pre-analytical strategy, it relies on direct experience of the music as it is heard instead of on specialised music theoretical knowledge. The music of Hans Roosenschoon is used to illustrate five ways in which the fusion of time and space manifests itself on a metaphorical level, namely the integration of Western and African cultural spaces through music as a temporal art form, the blending of time and space in the music itself and the fusion of art music from the past with everyday life by electronic means. A true story from the South African past that combines with a visual image associated with Cape Town represents another version of fusing time and space, while on a metaphysical level past and present coalesce as melodic references to Schubert’s music are used to signify abstract ideas. Listening to music directly rather than through the filter of a rational analytical system helps to develop an appreciation of non-tonal music, a kind of music that is often regarded as inaccessible.
Indian visceral leishmaniasis with extensive lymphadenopathy – An unusual presentation: A case report with literature review
Authors: Agarwal Poojan , Kumar Vijay , Kaushal Manju , Kumari Manju , Chaudhary Arvind
Published: April 2017

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a life-threatening systemic disease caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan,Leishmania, and transmitted to humans by the female phlebotomine sand fly (Phlebotomus argentipes). The disease is fatal, if left untreated. We report a case of a patient clinically suspected of disseminated tuberculosis, but fine needle aspiration cytology of cervical and axillary lymph nodes yielded a diagnosis of leishmaniasis. Diagnosis of VL was challenging as the disease closely mimicked tuberculosis in the setting of extensive lymphadenopathy including conglomerate of mesenteric lymph nodes, on and off fever, and granulomatous lymphadenitis on aspiration. Bone marrow examination was further performed. A detailed workup revealed patient to be severely immunocompromised and newly diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive. Worldwide, India has the largest number of VL cases, accounting for 40%–50% of world's disease burden and the second largest HIV-infected population, accounting for approximately 10% of the global disease burden. HIV increases the risk of developing VL by 100–2320 times in endemic areas and concurrently VL promotes the clinical progression of HIV disease. Co-infection with HIV alters the body's immune response to leishmaniasis thus leading to unusual presentations. This case highlights the diagnostic problem in the aforesaid setting. Moreover, co-infection with HIV in VL can be a potential source of drug resistance. An early diagnosis and intensified treatment is the key to patient management.
Soil fluxes of carbonyl sulfide (COS), carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in a boreal forest in southern Finland
Authors: Sun Wu , Kooijmans Linda M. J. , Maseyk Kadmiel , Chen Huilin , Mammarella Ivan , Vesala Timo , Levula Janne , Keskinen Helmi , Seibt Ulli
Published: April 2017

Abstract. Soil is a major contributor to the biosphere–atmosphere exchange of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and carbon monoxide (CO). COS is used to improve constraints on terrestrial photosynthesis based on the link between leaf uptake of COS and of CO2, but this use requires the soil COS flux to be well quantified. For CO, soil is a main sink in natural environments that influences the tropospheric CO budget. We measured soil fluxes of COS, CO, and CO2 hourly over the 2015 late growing season in a Scots pine forest in Hyytiälä, Finland. The soil acted as a net sink of COS and CO. Average uptake rates were around 3 pmol m−2 s−1 for COS, and 1 nmol m−2 s−1 for CO, respectively. Soil respiration showed seasonal dynamics controlled by soil temperature, peaking in late August and September with fluxes around 4 μmol m−2 s−1 and dropping to 1–2 μmol m−2 s−1 in October. In contrast, seasonal variations of COS and CO fluxes were weak and mainly driven by soil moisture changes through diffusion limitation. COS and CO fluxes did not appear to respond to temperature, although they both correlated well with soil respiration in specific temperature bins. We found that COS : CO2 and CO : CO2 flux ratios were modulated by temperature, possibly indicating shifts in active COS and CO-consuming microbial groups. Our results show that soil COS and CO uptake do not have strong variations over the late growing season in the boreal forest, and can be well described during the photosynthetically most active period. Well characterized and relatively invariant soil COS fluxes strengthen the case for using COS as a tracer for photosynthesis in this globally important biome.
NOx emission trends over Chinese cities estimated from OMI
observations during 2005 to 2015
Authors: Liu Fei , Beirle Steffen , Zhang Qiang , van der A Ronald J. , Zheng Bo , Tong Dan , He Kebin
Published: April 2017

Abstract. Satellite NO2 observations have been widely used to evaluate emission changes. To determine trends in NOx emission over China, we used a method independent of chemical transport models to quantify the NOx emissions from 48 cities and 7 power plants over China, on the basis of Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) NO2 observations during 2005 to 2015. We found that NOx emissions over 48 Chinese cities increased by 52 % from 2005 to 2011 and decreased by 21 % from 2011 to 2015. The decrease since 2011 could be mainly attributed to emission control measures in power sector; while cities with different dominant emission sources (i.e. power, industrial and transportation sectors) showed variable emission decline timelines that corresponded to the schedules for emission control in different sectors. The time series of the derived NOx emissions was consistent with the bottom-up emission inventories for all power plants (r = 0.8 on average), but not for some cities (r = 0.4 on average). The lack of consistency observed for cities was most probably due to the high uncertainty of bottomup urban emissions used in this study, which were derived from downscaling the regional-based emission data to cities by using spatial distribution proxies.
Ice nucleating particles in Canadian Arctic sea–surface microlayer and bulk seawater
Authors: Irish Victoria E. , Elizondo Pablo , Chen Jessie , Chou Cédric , Charette Joannie , Lizotte Martine , Ladino Luis A. , Wilson Theodore W. , Gosselin Michel , Murray Benjamin J. , Polishchuk Elena , Abbatt Jonathan P. D. , Miller Lisa A. , Bertram Allan K.
Published: April 2017

Abstract. The sea–surface microlayer and bulk seawater can contain ice-nucleating particles (INPs) and these INPs can be emitted into the atmosphere. Our current understanding of the properties, concentrations, spatial and temporal distributions of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater is limited. In this study we investigate the concentrations and properties of INPs in microlayer and bulk seawater samples collected in the Canadian Arctic during the summer of 2014. INPs were ubiquitous in the microlayer and bulk seawater with freezing temperatures as high as −14 °C. A strong negative correlation (R = −0.7, p = 0.02) was observed between salinity and freezing temperatures (after correction for freezing depression by the salts). One possible explanation is that INPs were associated with melting sea ice. Heat and filtration treatments of the samples show that the INPs were likely biological materials with sizes between 0.02 μm and 0.2 μm in diameter, consistent with previous measurements off the coast of North America and near Greenland in the Arctic. The concentrations of INPs in the microlayer and bulk seawater were consistent with previous measurements at several other locations off the coast of North America. However, our average microlayer concentration was lower than previous observations made near Greenland in the Arctic. This difference could not be explained by chlorophyll a concentrations derived from satellite measurements. In addition, previous studies found significant INP enrichment in the microlayer, relative to bulk seawater, which we did not observe in this study. While further studies are needed to understand these differences, we confirm that there is a source of INP in the microlayer and bulk seawater in the Canadian Arctic that may be important for atmospheric INP concentrations.
Alteration of soil carbon and nitrogen pools and enzyme activities as affected by increased soil coarseness
Authors: Wang Ruzhen , Lü Linyou , Creamer Courtney A. , Dijkstra Feike A. , Liu Heyong , Feng Xue , Yu Guoqing , Han Xingguo , Jiang Yong
Published: April 2017

Abstract. Soil coarseness decreases ecosystem productivity, ecosystem carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks, and soil nutrient contents in sandy grasslands subjected to desertification. To gain insight into changes in soil C and N pools, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities in response to soil coarseness, a field experiment was conducted by mixing native soil with river sand in different mass proportions: 0, 10, 30, 50, and 70 % sand addition. Four years after establishing plots and 2 years after transplanting, soil organic C and total N concentrations decreased with increased soil coarseness down to 32.2 and 53.7 % of concentrations in control plots, respectively. Soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN) declined with soil coarseness down to 44.1 and 51.9 %, respectively, while microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) increased by as much as 73.9 %. Soil coarseness significantly decreased the enzyme activities of β-glucosidase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and acid phosphomonoesterase by 20.2–57.5 %, 24.5–53.0 %, and 22.2–88.7 %, used for C, N and P cycling, respectively. However, observed values of soil organic C, dissolved organic C, total dissolved N, available P, MBC, MBN, and MBP were often significantly higher than would be predicted from dilution effects caused by the sand addition. Soil coarseness enhanced microbial C and N limitation relative to P, as indicated by the ratios of β-glucosidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase to acid phosphomonoesterase (and MBC : MBP and MBN : MBP ratios). Enhanced microbial recycling of P might alleviate plant P limitation in nutrient-poor grassland ecosystems that are affected by soil coarseness. Soil coarseness is a critical parameter affecting soil C and N storage and increases in soil coarseness can enhance microbial C and N limitation relative to P, potentially posing a threat to plant productivity in sandy grasslands suffering from desertification.
Estimates of land and sea moisture contributions to the monsoonal rain over Kolkata, deduced based on isotopic analysis of rainwater
Authors: Dar Shaakir Shabir , Ghosh Prosenjit
Published: April 2017

Abstract. Moisture sources responsible for rains over Kolkata during the summer monsoon can be traced using backward air-mass trajectory analysis. A summary of such trajectories between June and September suggest that these moisture parcels originate from the Arabian Sea and travel over the dry continental region and over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) prior to their arrival at Kolkata. We use monthly satellite and ground-based observations of the hydrometeorological variables together with isotopic data of rainwater from Bangalore and Kakinada to quantify the contributions of advected continental and oceanic water vapour in the Kolkata rains. The vapour mass is modified during its transit from its original isotopic value due to addition of evaporated moisture from the BoB, and further modification occurs due to the process of rainout during transport. The evaporated component is estimated using the Craig–Gordon equation. The rainout process is simulated using a Rayleigh fractionation model. In this simulation we assume that the initial isotopic composition of vapour originating from the continent is similar to the rainwater composition measured at Bangalore. In order to explain the monthly isotopic composition in southwest monsoon rainwater at Kolkata, we invoke 65–75 % moisture contribution from the BoB; the remaining moisture is from the continental land mass.
An aerosol activation metamodel of v1.2.0 of the pyrcel cloud parcel model: development and offline assessment for use in an aerosol–climate model
Authors: Rothenberg Daniel , Wang Chien
Published: April 2017

Abstract. We describe an emulator of a detailed cloud parcel model which has been trained to assess droplet nucleation from a complex, multimodal aerosol size distribution simulated by a global aerosol–climate model. The emulator is constructed using a sensitivity analysis approach (polynomial chaos expansion) which reproduces the behavior of the targeted parcel model across the full range of aerosol properties and meteorology simulated by the parent climate model. An iterative technique using aerosol fields sampled from a global model is used to identify the critical aerosol size distribution parameters necessary for accurately predicting activation. Across the large parameter space used to train them, the emulators estimate cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC) with a mean relative error of 9.2 % for aerosol populations without giant cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and 6.9 % when including them. Versus a parcel model driven by those same aerosol fields, the best-performing emulator has a mean relative error of 4.6 %, which is comparable with two commonly used activation schemes also evaluated here (which have mean relative errors of 2.9 and 6.7 %, respectively). We identify the potential for regional biases in modeled CDNC, particularly in oceanic regimes, where our best-performing emulator tends to overpredict by 7 %, whereas the reference activation schemes range in mean relative error from −3 to 7 %. The emulators which include the effects of giant CCN are more accurate in continental regimes (mean relative error of 0.3 %) but strongly overestimate CDNC in oceanic regimes by up to 22 %, particularly in the Southern Ocean. The biases in CDNC resulting from the subjective choice of activation scheme could potentially influence the magnitude of the indirect effect diagnosed from the model incorporating it.
DA AÇÃO PEDAGÓGICA À MUDANÇA DA PRÁTICA DOCENTE: OS JOGOS E AS BRINCADEIRAS EM UMA EXPERIÊNCIA COM O ENSINO MÉDIO
Authors: De Fátima Matias Souza Vânia , Arantes da Costa Luciane Cristina , Barbosa Anversa Ana Luiza , Moreira Sandra Maria
Published: April 2017

Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo apresentar o resultado de uma ação integradora junto aos professores do Ensino Médio de uma escola pública do Município de Maringá-Pr, com foco na ação pedagógica e na mudança provocada na prática docente ao se trabalhar os conteúdos escolares por meio de jogos e brincadeiras. Trabalhamos com um grupo focal com professores de diferentes disciplinas e alunos do ensino médio. A ação interventiva aconteceu em dois momentos: a) grupos de trabalho/estudos semanais com os professores; b) intervenção e aplicação. Após a ação integradora da proposta verificamos um maior interesse dos alunos nas aulas, denotando que quando são oportunizados a participar e interagir, tornam-se mais integrados e interessados em efetivar e consolidar os saberes escolares.
Watch it grow: Esophageal impaction with chia seeds
Authors: Simmelink Andrew , Rawl Rebecca E. , Browne Lauren , Scobey Martin
Published: April 2017

Esophageal obstructions are a medical emergency, due to inability to control secretions and risk of perforation. Epidemiology of esophageal foreign-body impaction has evolved to include increasing incidence of non-meat food causes as well as increasing underlying prevalence of pathologies including eosinophilic esophagitis.  Chia seeds, a staple known for health benefits, have an uncanny ability to absorb large quantities of water leading to a hydrated gel-like substance which can cause an obstruction.  We report the first case of chia seed impaction in a patient with likely eosinophilic esophagitis.
Redefining Gravity: Field versus Flow
Authors: Cilek Mehmet Bora
Published: April 2017

General Theory of Relativity constitutes the framework for our understanding of the universe, with an emphasis on gravity. Many of Einstein’s predictions have been verified experimentally but General and Special Theories of Relativity contain several anomalies and paradoxes, yet to be answered. Also, there are serious conflicts with Quantum Mechanics; gravity being the weakest and least understood force, is a major problem.Supported by clear experimental evidence, it is theorised that gravity is not a field or spacetime curvature effect, but rather has a flow mechanism. This is not an alternative theory of gravity with an alternative metric. Established laws and equations from Newton and Einstein are essentially left unchanged. However, spacetime curvature is replaced with flow, producing a refined and compatible theory.
The American College of Surgeons, Minimum Standards for Hospitals, and the Provision of High-Quality Laboratory Services
Authors: Wright James R.
Published: April 2017

Context.—

The first major project of the American College of Surgeons (Chicago, Illinois), founded in 1913, was implementing Minimum Standards for Hospitals. The 1918 standard (1) established medical staff organizations in hospitals; (2) restricted membership to licensed practitioners in good standing; (3) mandated that the medical staff work with hospital administration to develop and adopt regulations and policies governing their professional work; (4) required standardized, accessible medical records; and (5) required availability of diagnostic and therapeutic facilities. One hundred years ago, these were radical expectations.

Objectives.—

To describe the origin, “marketing,” and voluntary adoption of the 1918 standards, and to describe how the evolution of those standards profoundly affected laboratory medicine after 1926.

Design.—

Available primary and secondary historical sources were reviewed.

Results.—

The college had no legal mandate, so it used a highly consultative approach, funded by its membership and the Carnegie Foundation (New York, New York), to establish the Minimum Standards, followed by a nonthreatening mechanism to determine which hospitals met them. Simultaneously, the college educated the public to fuel their expectations. Compliance by more than 100-bed hospitals in the United States and Canada, although entirely voluntary, rose from negligible when first implemented in 1918 to more than 90% in only a few years. From 1922 to 1926, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (Chicago, Illinois) worked creatively with the college to establish Minimum Standards for “adequate” laboratory services.

Conclusions.—

The birth and implementation of this program exemplifies how a consultative approach with full engagement of grassroots stakeholders facilitated a voluntary, rapid, sweeping North America–wide change-management process. This program eventually evolved into the Joint Commission (Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois).
Ecological and pest-management implications of sex differences in scarab landing patterns on grape vines
Authors: González-Chang Mauricio , Boyer Stéphane , Lefort Marie-Caroline , Nboyine Jerry , Wratten Steve D.
Published: April 2017

Background

Melolonthinae beetles, comprising different white grub species, are a globally-distributed pest group. Their larvae feed on roots of several crop and forestry species, and adults can cause severe defoliation. In New Zealand, the endemic scarab pestCostelytra zealandica(White) causes severe defoliation on different horticultural crops, including grape vines (Vitis vinifera). Understanding flight and landing behaviours of this pest can help inform pest management decisions.

Methods

Adult beetles were counted and then removed from 96 grape vine plants from 21:30 until 23:00 h, every day from October 26 until December 2, during 2014 and 2015. Also, adults were removed from the grape vine foliage at dusk 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min after flight started on 2015. Statistical analyses were performed using generalised linear models with a beta-binomial distribution to analyse proportions and with a negative binomial distribution for beetle abundance.

Results

By analysingC. zealandicasex ratios during its entire flight season, it is clear that the proportion of males is higher at the beginning of the season, gradually declining towards its end. When adults were successively removed from the grape vines at 5-min intervals after flight activity begun, the mean proportion of males ranged from 6–28%. The male proportion suggests males were attracted to females that had already landed on grape vines, probably through pheromone release.

Discussion

The seasonal and daily changes in adultC. zealandicasex ratio throughout its flight season are presented for the first time. Although seasonal changes in sex ratio have been reported for other melolonthines, changes during their daily flight activity have not been analysed so far. Sex-ratio changes can have important consequences for the management of this pest species, and possibly for other melolonthines, as it has been previously suggested thatC. zealandicafemales land on plants that produce a silhouette against the sky. Therefore, long-term management might evaluate the effect of different plant heights and architecture on female melolonthine landing patterns, with consequences for male distribution, and subsequently overall damage within horticultural areas.
Avian community structure and habitat use ofPolylepisforests along an elevation gradient
Authors: Sevillano-Ríos C. Steven , Rodewald Amanda D.
Published: April 2017

Background

As one of the highest forest ecosystems in the world,Polylepisforests are recognized both as center of endemism and diversity along the Andes and as an ecosystem under serious threat from habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change due to human activities. Effective conservation efforts are limited, in part, by our poor understanding of the ecology and habitat needs of the ecosystem’s flora and fauna.

Methods

In 2014–2015, we studied bird communities and 19 associated local and landscape attributes within five forested glacial valleys within the Cordillera Blanca and Huascaran National Park, Peru. We surveyed birds during the dry (May–August) and wet (January–April) seasons at 130 points distributed along an elevational gradient (3,300–4,700 m) and analyzed our data using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA).

Results

We associated a total of 50 species of birds, including 13 species of high conservation concern, with four basic habitat types: (1)Polylepis sericeaforests at low elevations, (2)P. weberbaueriforests at high elevations, (3) Puna grassland and (4) shrublands. Four species of conservation priority (e.g., Microspingus alticola) were strongly associated with large forest patches (∼10-ha) ofP. sericeaat lower elevations (<3,800 m), whereas another four (e.g., Anairetes alpinus) were associated with less disturbed forests ofP. weberbaueriat higher elevations (>4,200 m).

Discussion

Results suggest two key strategies form the cornerstones of conservation efforts: (a) protect large remnant (>10-ha)P. sericeaforests at lower elevations and (b) maintain all relicts ofP. weberbaueri, irrespective of size, at high elevations (>4,200 m).
Oxytetracycline induces DNA damage and epigenetic changes: a possible risk for human and animal health?
Authors: Gallo Adriana , Landi Rosaria , Rubino Valentina , Di Cerbo Alessandro , Giovazzino Angela , Palatucci Anna Teresa , Centenaro Sara , Guidetti Gianandrea , Canello Sergio , Cortese Laura , Ruggiero Giuseppina , Alessandrini Andrea , Terrazzano Giuseppe
Published: April 2017

Background

Oxytetracycline (OTC), which is largely employed in zootechnical and veterinary practices to ensure wellness of farmed animals, is partially absorbed within the gastrointestinal tract depositing in several tissues. Therefore, the potential OTC toxicity is relevant when considering the putative risk derived by the entry and accumulation of such drug in human and pet food chain supply. Despite scientific literature highlights several OTC-dependent toxic effects on human and animal health, the molecular mechanisms of such toxicity are still poorly understood.

Methods

Here, we evaluated DNA damages and epigenetic alterations by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, chromatin immuno-precipitation and Western blot analysis.

Results

We observed that human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) expressed DNA damage features (activation of ATM and p53, phosphorylation of H2AX and modifications of histone H3 methylation of lysine K4 in the chromatin) after thein vitroexposure to OTC. These changes are linked to a robust inflammatory response indicated by an increased expression of Interferon (IFN)-γand type 1 superoxide dismutase (SOD1).

Discussion

Our data reveal an unexpected biologicalin vitroactivity of OTC able to modify DNA and chromatin in cultured human PBMC. In this regard, OTC presence in foods of animal origin could represent a potential risk for both the human and animal health.
A simple equation to estimate body fat percentage in children with overweightness or obesity: a retrospective study
Authors: Cortés-Castell Ernesto , Juste Mercedes , Palazón-Bru Antonio , Monge Laura , Sánchez-Ferrer Francisco , Rizo-Baeza María Mercedes
Published: April 2017

Background

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) provides separate measurements of fat mass, fat-free mass and bone mass, and is a quick, accurate, and safe technique, yet one that is not readily available in routine clinical practice. Consequently, we aimed to develop statistical formulas to predict fat mass (%) and fat mass index (FMI) with simple parameters (age, sex, weight and height).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational cross-sectional study in 416 overweight or obese patients aged 4–18 years that involved assessing adiposity by DXA (fat mass percentage and FMI), body mass index (BMI), sex and age. We randomly divided the sample into two parts (construction and validation). In the construction sample, we developed formulas to predict fat mass and FMI using linear multiple regression models. The formulas were validated in the other sample, calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient via bootstrapping.

Results

The fat mass percentage formula had a coefficient of determination of 0.65. This value was 0.86 for FMI. In the validation, the constructed formulas had an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.77 for fat mass percentage and 0.92 for FMI.

Conclusions

Our predictive formulas accurately predicted fat mass and FMI with simple parameters (BMI, sex and age) in children with overweight and obesity. The proposed methodology could be applied in other fields. Further studies are needed to externally validate these formulas.
Microbial communities in sediment from Zostera marina patches, but not the Z. marina leaf or root microbiomes, vary in relation to distance from patch edge
Authors: Ettinger Cassandra L. , Voerman Sofie E. , Lang Jenna M. , Stachowicz John J. , Eisen Jonathan A.
Published: April 2017

Background

Zostera marina (also known as eelgrass) is a foundation species in coastal and marine ecosystems worldwide and is a model for studies of seagrasses (a paraphyletic group in the order Alismatales) that include all the known fully submerged marine angiosperms. In recent years, there has been a growing appreciation of the potential importance of the microbial communities (i.e., microbiomes) associated with various plant species. Here we report a study of variation in Z. marina microbiomes from a field site in Bodega Bay, CA.

Methods

We characterized and then compared the microbial communities of root, leaf and sediment samples (using 16S ribosomal RNA gene PCR and sequencing) and associated environmental parameters from the inside, edge and outside of a single subtidal Z. marina patch. Multiple comparative approaches were used to examine associations between microbiome features (e.g., diversity, taxonomic composition) and environmental parameters and to compare sample types and sites.

Results

Microbial communities differed significantly between sample types (root, leaf and sediment) and in sediments from different sites (inside, edge, outside). Carbon:Nitrogen ratio and eelgrass density were both significantly correlated to sediment community composition. Enrichment of certain taxonomic groups in each sample type was detected and analyzed in regard to possible functional implications (especially regarding sulfur metabolism).

Discussion

Our results are mostly consistent with prior work on seagrass associated microbiomes with a few differences and additional findings. From a functional point of view, the most significant finding is that many of the taxa that differ significantly between sample types and sites are closely related to ones commonly associated with various aspects of sulfur and nitrogen metabolism. Though not a traditional model organism, we believe that Z. marina can become a model for studies of marine plant-microbiome interactions.
A Profile Hidden Markov Model to investigate the distribution and frequency of LanB-encoding lantibiotic modification genes in the human oral and gut microbiome
Authors: Walsh Calum J. , Guinane Caitriona M. , O’ Toole Paul W. , Cotter Paul D.
Published: April 2017

Background

The human microbiota plays a key role in health and disease, and bacteriocins, which are small, bacterially produced, antimicrobial peptides, are likely to have an important function in the stability and dynamics of this community. Here we examined the density and distribution of the subclass I lantibiotic modification protein, LanB, in human oral and stool microbiome datasets using a specially constructed profile Hidden Markov Model (HMM).

Methods

The model was validated by correctly identifying known lanB genes in the genomes of known bacteriocin producers more effectively than other methods, while being sensitive enough to differentiate between different subclasses of lantibiotic modification proteins. This approach was compared with two existing methods to screen both genomic and metagenomic datasets obtained from the Human Microbiome Project (HMP).

Results

Of the methods evaluated, the new profile HMM identified the greatest number of putative LanB proteins in the stool and oral metagenome data while BlastP identified the fewest. In addition, the model identified more LanB proteins than a pre-existing Pfam lanthionine dehydratase model. Searching the gastrointestinal tract subset of the HMP reference genome database with the new HMM identified seven putative subclass I lantibiotic producers, including two members of the Coprobacillus genus.

Conclusions

These findings establish custom profile HMMs as a potentially powerful tool in the search for novel bioactive producers with the power to benefit human health, and reinforce the repertoire of apparent bacteriocin-encoding gene clusters that may have been overlooked by culture-dependent mining efforts to date.
Territorial black-capped chickadee males respond faster to high- than to low-frequency songs in experimentally elevated noise conditions
Authors: LaZerte Stefanie E. , Slabbekoorn Hans , Otter Ken A.
Published: April 2017

Low-frequency urban noise can interfere with avian communication through masking. Some species are able to shift the frequency of their vocalizations upwards in noisy conditions, which may reduce the effects of masking. However, results from playback studies investigating whether or not such vocal changes improve audibility in noisy conditions are not clear; the responses of free-ranging individuals to shifted signals are potentially confounded by functional trade-offs between masking-related audibility and frequency-dependent signal quality. Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) naturally sing their songs at several different frequencies as they pitch-shift to match conspecifics during song-matching contests. They are also known to switch to higher song frequencies in response to experimental noise exposure. Each male produces both high- and low-frequency songs and absolute frequency is not a signal of aggression or dominance, making this an interesting species in which to test whether higher-frequency songs are more audible than lower-frequency songs in noisy conditions. We conducted playback studies across southern and central British Columbia, Canada, using paired song stimuli (high- vs low-frequency songs, n = 24 pairs) embedded in synthetic background noise created to match typical urban sound profiles. Over the course of each playback, the signal-to-noise ratio of the song stimuli was gradually increased by raising the amplitude of the song stimuli while maintaining background noise at a constant amplitude. We evaluated variation in how quickly and aggressively territorial males reacted to each of the paired stimuli. We found that males responded more quickly to playbacks of high- than low-frequency songs when high-frequency songs were presented first, but not when low-frequency songs were first. This difference may be explained by high-frequency songs being more audible combined with a carry-over effect resulting in slower responses to the second stimulus due to habituation. We observed no difference in overall aggression between stimuli. These results suggest that high-frequency songs may be more audible under noisy conditions.
Prediction of post-translational modification sites using multiple kernel support vector machine
Authors: Wang BingHua , Wang Minghui , Li Ao
Published: April 2017

Protein post-translational modification (PTM) is an important mechanism that is involved in the regulation of protein function. Considering the high-cost and labor-intensive of experimental identification, many computational prediction methods are currently available for the prediction of PTM sites by using protein local sequence information in the context of conserved motif. Here we proposed a novel computational method by using the combination of multiple kernel support vector machines (SVM) for predicting PTM sites including phosphorylation, O-linked glycosylation, acetylation, sulfation and nitration. To largely make use of local sequence information and site-modification relationships, we developed a local sequence kernel and Gaussian interaction profile kernel, respectively. Multiple kernels were further combined to train SVM for efficiently leveraging kernel information to boost predictive performance. We compared the proposed method with existing PTM prediction methods. The experimental results revealed that the proposed method performed comparable or better performance than the existing prediction methods, suggesting the feasibility of the developed kernels and the usefulness of the proposed method in PTM sites prediction.
Evolution of developmental sequences in lepidosaurs
Authors: Skawiński Tomasz , Borczyk Bartosz
Published: April 2017

Background

Lepidosaurs, a group including rhynchocephalians and squamates, are one of the major clades of extant vertebrates. Although there has been extensive phylogenetic work on this clade, its interrelationships are a matter of debate. Morphological and molecular data suggest very different relationships within squamates. Despite this, relatively few studies have assessed the utility of other types of data for inferring squamate phylogeny.

Methods

We used developmental sequences of 20 events in 29 species of lepidosaurs. These sequences were analysed using event-pairing and continuous analysis. They were transformed into cladistic characters and analysed in TNT. Ancestral state reconstructions were performed on two main phylogenetic hypotheses of squamates (morphological and molecular).

Results

Cladistic analyses conducted using characters generated by these methods do not resemble any previously published phylogeny. Ancestral state reconstructions are equally consistent with both morphological and molecular hypotheses of squamate phylogeny. Only several inferred heterochronic events are common to all methods and phylogenies.

Discussion

Results of the cladistic analyses, and the fact that reconstructions of heterochronic events show more similarities between certain methods rather than phylogenetic hypotheses, suggest that phylogenetic signal is at best weak in the studied developmental events. Possibly the developmental sequences analysed here evolve too quickly to recover deep divergences within Squamata.
First report of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the Gray Fossil Site (late Miocene or early Pliocene), Tennessee, USA
Authors: Czaplewski Nicholas J.
Published: April 2017

Thousands of vertebrate fossils have been recovered from the Gray Fossil Site, Tennessee, dating to the Miocene-Pliocene boundary. Among these are but eight specimens of bats representing two different taxa referable to the family Vespertilionidae. Comparison of the fossils with Neogene and Quaternary bats reveals that seven of the eight specimens pertain to a species ofEptesicusthat cannot be distinguished from recent North AmericanEptesicus fuscus. The remaining specimen, a horizontal ramus with m3, is from a smaller vespertilionid bat that cannot confidently be assigned to a genus. Although many vespertilionid genera can be excluded through comparisons, and many extinct named taxa cannot be compared due to nonequivalence of preserved skeletal elements, the second taxon shows morphological similarities to small-bodied taxa with three lower premolar alveoli, three distinct m3 talonid cusps, and m3 postcristid showing the myotodont condition. It resembles especiallyNycticeius humeralisand small species ofEptesicus.Eptesicuscf.E. fuscuspotentially inhabited eastern North America continuously since the late Hemphillian land mammal age, when other evidence from the Gray Fossil Site indicates the presence in the southern Appalachian Mountains of a warm, subtropical, oak-hickory-conifer forest having autochthonous North American as well as allochthonous biogeographical ties to eastern Asia and tropical-subtropical Middle America.
Les perceptions des professionnels et professionnelles sur l’égalité et l’inégalité dans les processus de partenariat en action communautaire : une étude de cas dans le domaine de la petite enfance
Authors: Quiroz Rodrigo , Brunson Liesette , Bigras Nathalie
Published: April 2017

Cet article explore, par le biais d’une étude de cas qualitative, les perceptions des professionnels et professionnelles sur l’égalité et l’inégalité dans les processus de partenariat en action communautaire dans le domaine de la petite enfance. La théorie de l’action communautaire en coalition (TACC) de Butterfoss et Kegler (2009) a été utilisée pour examiner spécifiquement les processus de communication, de prise de décisions, de gestion des conflits et d’administration. Les données ont été recueillies par le biais de trois sources : les entretiens individuels, les observations et l’analyse documentaire. Le matériel obtenu a été soumis à une analyse thématique. Les résultats mettent en évidence que les professionnels et professionnelles utilisent des indicateurs d’égalité et d’inégalité dans deux niveaux distincts de partenariat : le niveau de la haute sphère administrative où le rapport entre la contribution financière des institutions partenaires et les bénéfices que les partenaires retirent modulent les perceptions d’inégalité; et le niveau du terrain où la nature des échanges, la prise de décisions par consensus, la distribution des tâches ainsi que l’interdépendance en ce qui concerne les besoins, les contributions et les retombées conditionnent les perceptions d’égalité.
South Asian summer monsoon breaks: Process‐based diagnostics in HIRHAM5
Authors: Hanf Franziska S. , Annamalai H. , Rinke Annette , Dethloff Klaus
Published: April 2017

This study assesses the ability of a high‐resolution downscaling simulation with the regional climate model (RCM) HIRHAM5 in capturing the monsoon basic state and boreal summer intraseasonal variability (BSISV) over South Asia with focus on moist and radiative processes during 1979–2012. A process‐based vertically integrated moist static energy (MSE) budget is performed to understand the model's fidelity in representing leading processes that govern the monsoon breaks over continental India. In the climatology (June–September) HIRHAM5 simulates a dry bias over central India in association with descent throughout the free troposphere. Sources of dry bias are interpreted as (i) near‐equatorial Rossby wave response forced by excess rainfall over the southern Bay of Bengal promotes anomalous descent to its northwest and (ii) excessive rainfall over near‐equatorial Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal anchor a “local Hadley‐type” circulation with descent anomalies over continental India. Compared with observations HIRHAM5 captures the leading processes that account for breaks, although with generally reduced amplitudes over central India. In the model too, anomalous dry advection and net radiative cooling are responsible for the initiation and maintenance of breaks, respectively. However, weaker contributions of all adiabatic MSE budget terms, and an inconsistent relationship between negative rainfall anomalies and radiative cooling reveals shortcomings in HIRHAM5's moisture‐radiation interaction. Our study directly implies that process‐based budget diagnostics are necessary, apart from just checking the northward propagation feature to examine RCM's fidelity to simulate BSISV.
Semi‐Latin Squares
Authors: Bailey R. A.
Published: April 2017

Semi‐Latin squares are generalizations of Latin squares with more than one letter in each cell. Various names given to them in the twentieth century are reviewed, along with their applications in several different areas. Methods of constructing them are given, as are the proper methods of randomization and data analysis. Some results are presented about which semi‐Latin squares are optimal when considered as incomplete‐block designs.
Incomplete Data in Astrostatistics
Authors: Chattopadhyay Asis K.
Published: April 2017

During the past two decades, the interdisciplinary field of astrostatistics has newly emerged in order to study important astrophysical issues through appropriate statistical analysis. Statistical analysis with missing data is an important problem as the problem of incomplete information is very common in many situations. Missing values occur for a variety of reasons, from recording problems to instrument limitations. In particular, when data are combined from multiple archives or instruments, it is virtually certain that some objects will not be present in all of the contributing sources. Standard techniques of missing data analysis may not be equally applicable for astronomical data analysis as the concept of “missing at random” is not likely to be true for such type of data. In the present study, a review of the papers related to missing information in astronomical data and techniques for analysis of missing data have been considered. A new method developed by Deet al. (2016) has also been discussed.
Adaptive neural control for nonstrict‐feedback stochastic nonlinear time‐delay systems with input and output constraints
Authors: Si Wen‐Jie
Published: April 2017

This paper investigates an adaptive neural tracking control for a class of nonstrict‐feedback stochastic nonlinear time‐delay systems with input saturation and output constraint. First, the Gaussian error function is used to represent a continuous differentiable asymmetric saturation model. Second, the appropriate Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional and the property of hyperbolic tangent functions are used to compensate the time‐delay effects, the neural network is used to approximate the unknown nonlinearities, and a barrier Lyapunov function is designed to ensure that the output parameters are restricted. At last, based on Lyapunov stability theory, a robust adaptive neural control method is proposed, and the designed controller decreases the number of learning parameters and thus reduces the computational burden. It is shown that the designed neural controller can ensure that all the signals in the closed‐loop system are 4‐Moment (or 2 Moment) semi‐globally uniformly ultimately bounded and the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of the origin. Two examples are given to further verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Bioresorbable Fe–Mn and Fe–Mn–HA Materials for Orthopedic Implantation: Enhancing Degradation through Porosity Control
Authors: Heiden Michael , Nauman Eric , Stanciu Lia
Published: April 2017

Resorbable, porous iron–manganese–hydroxyapatite biocomposites with suitable degradation rates for orthopedic applications are prepared using salt‐leaching for the first time. These transient biomaterials have the potential to replace inert, permanent implants that can suffer from long‐term complications, or have to be surgically removed, leaving an unfavorable void. Fe30Mn‐10HA materials are newly developed to address inadequate resorption rates of degradable materials proposed for orthopedic environments in the past. In this study, controllable porosities with 300 µm diameter pores are introduced into Fe30Mn alloys and Fe30Mn‐10HA composites, which enhance tissue ingrowth. For the composites, a Ca2Mn7O14phase generated within the Fe30Mn matrix during the sintering process greatly increases degradability. The combination of this second phase and added porosity is found to contribute to increased bone‐like apatite layer formation, mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell attachment, and reduction of detrimental oxide layer flaking. Remarkably, after thirty days in vitro, there is a significant increase in degradation up to 0.82 ± 0.04 mm per year for 30 wt% porous Fe30Mn‐10HA biocomposites, compared to 0.02 ± 0.00 mm per year for traditional nonporous Fe30Mn, thereby increasing the viability of these materials for future clinical studies.