bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wild bonobo and chimpanzee females exhibit broadly similar patterns of behavioral maturation but some evidence for divergence
Authors: Lee Sean M. , Murray Carson M. , Lonsdorf Elizabeth V. , Fruth Barbara , Stanton Margaret A. , Nichols Jennifer , Hohmann Gottfried
Published: October 2019

Objectives

Primates exhibit variation in rates of growth and development. Variation in female growth and development across ape species appears to be explained by the Ecological Risk Aversion Hypothesis (ERAH). Indeed, existing data on variation in somatic growth and reproductive maturation between humans' closest living ape relatives, bonobos and chimpanzees, appear to be consistent with this hypothesis. However, existing data on behavioral maturation between the two species appear to contradict this hypothesis. We present novel behavioral data on infant and juvenile females from wild populations of both species in order to further evaluate predictions of the ERAH as it relates to the speed of behavioral maturation.

Materials and methods

We analyzed 3 years of behavioral data on 17 female bonobos (<8 years of age) from LuiKotale, Democratic Republic of the Congo and 40 years of behavioral data on 30 age‐matched female chimpanzees from Gombe, Tanzania. We compared the timing of (a) the attainment of independence from mothers and (b) the development of social skills using the following proxies: proximity between females and their mothers and the time that females spent engaged in eating, suckling, social play, social grooming, and riding on their mothers.

Results

We did not find species differences in the proportion of time that females spent in contact with their mothers or engaged in eating, suckling, social play, or social grooming. Female bonobos spent more time riding on their mothers than did female chimpanzees. Female bonobos spent more time at distances greater than 5 m from their mothers during the ages of 3–8 years, but females did not differ during the ages of 0–3 years.

Discussion

Behavioral maturation is largely similar between females of the two species based on the ages and proxies considered herein. We propose alternative explanations for the differences that we found in proximity and riding that do not invoke differences in underlying rates of maturation.
Comparative morphology, histology, and cytology of odontocete cetaceans prostates
Authors: Suárez‐Santana Cristian M. , Fernández Antonio , Sierra Eva , Arbelo Manuel , Bernaldo de Quirós Yara , Andrada Marisa , Mompeo Blanca , Pérez Lilian , Blanco Alfonso , Méndez Aniceto , Espinosa de los Monteros Antonio , Rivero Miguel A.
Published: October 2019

The prostate is the only male accessory gland in cetaceans. However, little is known about this organ in these species. Anatomical and histological characteristics of the prostate have been described in only a few cetacean species, further, one study reported a high incidence of prostatic pathologies in cetaceans that may impair reproduction. The objective of this work was to describe and compare the morphological, histological, and cytological characteristics of the prostate in different odontocete cetaceans. To this end, the prostate glands of 47 animals from nine different species of cetaceans were macroscopically and microscopically studied. Members of the families Delphinidae, Ziphiidae, and Physeteridae were included. In general, the prostate appeared as a musculo‐glandular organ with two distinct parts—the Corpus prostatae and the Pars disseminata prostatae. In the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) and the Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), the prostate was a discrete gland with a small Corpus prostatae. Microscopically, the prostates of different delphinids species shared similarities; however, the prostate of the pygmy sperm whale revealed significant histological differences compared to those of the delphinids. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using low‐ and high‐molecular‐weight cytokeratin, vimentin, and prostatic specific antigen commercial antibodies. Electron microscopy analysis was performed on the prostate of a bottlenose dolphin and the cytomorphological differences among the major epithelial components of the prostatic epithelium were described. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:2036–2053, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy
Comprehensive analysis of metabolic sensitivity of 1,4‐butanediol producing Escherichia coli toward substrate and oxygen availability
Authors: Pooth Viola , van Gaalen Kathrin , Trenkamp Sandra , Wiechert Wolfgang , Oldiges Marco
Published: October 2019

Nowadays, chemical production of 1,4‐butanediol is supplemented by biotechnological processes using a genetically modified Escherichia coli strain, which is an industrial showcase of successful application of metabolic engineering. However, large scale bioprocess performance can be affected by presence of physical and chemical gradients in bioreactors which are a consequence of imperfect mixing and limited oxygen transfer. Hence, upscaling comes along with local and time dependent fluctuations of cultivation conditions. This study emphasizes on scale‐up related effects of microbial 1,4‐butanediol production by comprehensive bioprocess characterization in lab scale. Due to metabolic network constraints 1,4‐butanediol formation takes place under oxygen limited microaerobic conditions, which can be hardly realized in large scale bioreactor. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which substrate and oxygen availability influence the productivity. It was found, that the substrate specific product yield and the production rate are higher under substrate excess than under substrate limitation. Furthermore, the level of oxygen supply within microaerobic conditions revealed strong effects on product and by‐product formation. Under strong oxygen deprivation nearly 30% of the consumed carbon is converted into 1,4‐butanediol, whereas an increase in oxygen supply results in 1,4‐butanediol reduction of 77%. Strikingly, increasing oxygen availability leads to strong increase of main by‐product acetate as well as doubled carbon dioxide formation. The study provides clear evidence that scale‐up of microaerobic bioprocesses constitute a substantial challenge. Although oxygen is strictly required for product formation, the data give clear evidence that terms of anaerobic and especially aerobic conditions strongly interfere with 1,4‐butanediol production.
Clearance of solvents and small molecule impurities in antibody drug conjugates via ultrafiltration and diafiltration operation
Authors: Gates Travis J. , Lyu Yaqi F. , Fang Xin , Liao Xiaoli
Published: October 2019

Ultrafiltration and diafiltration (UF/DF) processes by tangential flow filtration (TFF) are frequently used for removal of solvents and small molecule impurities and for buffer exchange for biopharmaceutical products. Antibody‐drug conjugates (ADCs) as an important class of biological therapeutics, carry unique solvents and small molecule impurities into the final UF/DF step as compared to standard antibody preparation. The production process of ADCs involves multiple chemical steps, for example, reduction and conjugation. The clearance of these solvents and small molecules by UF/DF, specifically the DF step, has been assessed and described herein. The rates of clearance for all the impurities in this study are close to the ideal clearance with no apparent interaction with either the protein or the TFF membrane and system. The effect of process variables during DF, such as pH, temperature, membrane loading, transmembrane pressure, and cross flow rate, has also been evaluated and found to have minimal impact on the clearance rate. These results demonstrate efficient clearance of solvents and small molecule impurities related to the ADC process by the DF process and provide a general data package to facilitate risk assessments based on the sieving factors and program specific needs.
Matrices (re)loaded: Durability, viability, and fermentative capacity of yeast encapsulated in beads of different composition during long‐term fed‐batch culture
Authors: Gulli Jordan , Yunker Peter , Rosenzweig Frank
Published: October 2019

Encapsulated microbes have been used for decades to produce commodities ranging from methyl ketone to beer. Encapsulated cells undergo limited replication, which enables them to more efficiently convert substrate to product than planktonic cells and which contributes to their stress resistance. To determine how encapsulated yeast supports long‐term, repeated fed‐batch ethanologenic fermentation, and whether different matrices influence that process, fermentation and indicators of matrix durability and cell viability were monitored in high‐dextrose, fed‐batch culture over 7 weeks. At most timepoints, ethanol yield (g/g) in encapsulated cultures exceeded that in planktonic cultures. And frequently, ethanol yield differed among the four matrices tested: sodium alginate crosslinked with Ca2+ and chitosan, sodium alginate crosslinked with Ca2+, Protanal alginate crosslinked with Ca2+ and chitosan, Protanal alginate crosslinked with Ca2+, with the last of these consistently demonstrating the highest values. Young's modulus and viscosity were higher for matrices crosslinked with chitosan over the first week; thereafter values for both parameters declined and were indistinguishable among treatments. Encapsulated cells exhibited greater heat shock tolerance at 50°C than planktonic cells in either stationary or exponential phase, with similar thermotolerance observed across all four matrix types. Altogether, these data demonstrate the feasibility of re‐using encapsulated yeast to convert dextrose to ethanol over at least 7 weeks.
Soil heterogeneity increases plant diversity after 20 years of manipulation during grassland restoration
Authors: Baer Sara G. , Adams Tianjiao , Scott Drew A. , Blair John M. , Collins Scott L.
Published: October 2019

The “environmental heterogeneity hypothesis” predicts that variability in resources promotes species coexistence, but few experiments support this hypothesis in plant communities. A previous 15‐yr test of this hypothesis in a prairie restoration experiment demonstrated a weak effect of manipulated soil resource heterogeneity on plant diversity. This response was attributed to a transient increase in richness following a post‐restoration supplemental propagule addition, occasionally higher diversity under nutrient enrichment, and reduced cover of a dominant species in a subset of soil treatments. Here, we report community dynamics under continuous propagule addition in the same experiment, corresponding to 16–20 yr of restoration, in response to altered availability and heterogeneity of soil resources. We also quantified traits of newly added species to determine if heterogeneity increases the amount and variety of niches available for new species to exploit. The heterogeneous treatment contained a factorial combination of altered nutrient availability and soil depth; control plots had no manipulations. Total diversity and richness were higher in the heterogeneous treatment during this 5‐yr study due to higher cover, diversity, and richness of previously established forbs, particularly in the N‐enriched subplots. All new species added to the experiment exhibited unique trait spaces, but there was no evidence that heterogeneous plots contained a greater variety of new species representing a wider range of trait spaces relative to the control treatment. The richness and cover of new species was higher in N‐enriched soil, but the magnitude of this response was small. Communities assembling under long‐term N addition were dominated by different species among subplots receiving added N, leading to greater dispersion of communities among the heterogeneous relative to control plots. Contrary to the deterministic mechanism by which heterogeneity was expected to increase diversity (greater variability in resources for new species to exploit), higher diversity in the heterogeneous plots resulted from destabilization of formerly grass‐dominated communities in N‐enriched subplots. While we do not advocate increasing available soil N at large scales, we conclude that the positive effect of environmental heterogeneity on diversity can take decades to materialize and depend on development of stochastic processes in communities with strong establishment limitation.
Population genetic simulation study of power in association testing across genetic architectures and study designs
Authors: Tong Dominic M. H. , Hernandez Ryan D.
Published: October 2019

While it is well established that genetics can be a major contributor to population variation of complex traits, the relative contributions of rare and common variants to phenotypic variation remains a matter of considerable debate. Here, we simulate genetic and phenotypic data across different case/control panel sampling strategies, sequencing methods, and genetic architecture models based on evolutionary forces to determine the statistical performance of rare variant association tests (RVATs) widely in use. We find that the highest statistical power of RVATs is achieved by sampling case/control individuals from the extremes of an underlying quantitative trait distribution. We also demonstrate that the use of genotyping arrays, in conjunction with imputation from a whole‐genome sequenced (WGS) reference panel, recovers the vast majority (90%) of the power that could be achieved by sequencing the case/control panel using current tools. Finally, we show that for dichotomous traits, the statistical performance of RVATs decreases as rare variants become more important in the trait architecture. Our results extend previous work to show that RVATs are insufficiently powered to make generalizable conclusions about the role of rare variants in dichotomous complex traits.
Temporal stability of functional brain modules associated with human intelligence
Authors: Hilger Kirsten , Fukushima Makoto , Sporns Olaf , Fiebach Christian J.
Published: October 2019

Individual differences in general cognitive ability (i.e., intelligence) have been linked to individual variations in the modular organization of functional brain networks. However, these analyses have been limited to static (time‐averaged) connectivity, and have not yet addressed whether dynamic changes in the configuration of brain networks relate to general intelligence. Here, we used multiband functional MRI resting‐state data (N = 281) and estimated subject‐specific time‐varying functional connectivity networks. Modularity optimization was applied to determine individual time‐variant module partitions and to assess fluctuations in modularity across time. We show that higher intelligence, indexed by an established composite measure, the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), is associated with higher temporal stability (lower temporal variability) of brain network modularity. Post‐hoc analyses reveal that subjects with higher intelligence scores engage in fewer periods of extremely high modularity — which are characterized by greater disconnection of task‐positive from task‐negative networks. Further, we show that brain regions of the dorsal attention network contribute most to the observed effect. In sum, our study suggests that investigating the temporal dynamics of functional brain network topology contributes to our understanding of the neural bases of general cognitive abilities.
Sex differences in brain connectivity and male vulnerability in very preterm children
Authors: Kozhemiako Nataliia , Nunes Adonay S. , Vakorin Vasily A. , Chau Cecil M. Y. , Moiseev Alexander , Ribary Urs , Grunau Ruth E. , Doesburg Sam M.
Published: October 2019

Evidence indicates better cognitive and behavioral outcomes for females born very preterm (≤32 weeks gestation) compared to males, but the neurophysiology underlying this apparent resiliency of the female brain remains poorly understood. Here we test the hypothesis that very preterm males express more pronounced connectivity alterations as a reflection of higher male vulnerability. Resting state MEG recordings, neonatal and psychometric data were collected from 100 children at age 8 years: very preterm boys (n = 27), very preterm girls (n = 34), full‐term boys (n = 15) and full‐term girls (n = 24). Neuromagnetic source dynamics were reconstructed from 76 cortical brain regions. Functional connectivity was estimated using inter‐regional phase‐synchronization. We performed a series of multivariate analyses to test for differences across groups as well as to explore relationships between deviations in functional connectivity and psychometric scores and neonatal factors for very preterm children. Very preterm boys displayed significantly higher (p < .001) absolute deviation from average connectivity of same‐sex full‐term group, compared to very preterm girls versus full‐term girls. In the connectivity comparison between very preterm and full‐term groups separately for boys and girls, significant group differences (p < .05) were observed for boys, but not girls. Sex differences in connectivity (p < .01) were observed in very preterm children but not in full‐term groups. Our findings indicate that very preterm boys have greater alterations in resting neurophysiological network communication than girls. Such uneven brain communication disruption in very preterm boys and girls suggests that stronger connectivity alterations might contribute to male vulnerability in long‐term behavioral and cognitive outcome.
Interferon‐gamma carrying nanoemulsion with immunomodulatory and anti‐tumor activities
Authors: Ribeiro Elton B. , de Marchi Patricia G.F. , Honorio‐França Adenilda C. , França Eduardo L. , Soler Maria A.G.
Published: October 2019

The therapeutic administration of cytokines has been introduced aiming to modulate the immune response system, seeking for different approaches to face pathologies such as cancer, auto immune and infectious diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a stable oil‐in‐water (O/W) nanoemulsion system carrying the cytokine Interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) on the activity of phagocytes and MCF‐7 human breast cancer cells. Nanoemulsions were prepared through ultra‐homogenization, and they consisted of distilled water, triglycerides of capric acid/caprylic, sorbitan‐oleate, polysorbate 80, and 1‐butanol. IFN‐γ (100 ng ml−1) was incorporated into two O/W nanoemulsion formulations, and these formulations were characterized in terms of their preliminary and accelerated physicochemical stability, rheological properties, droplet size, polydispersity and surface charge. We identified the most optimal IFN‐γ nanoemulsion (IFN‐γNE2), which remained stable under extreme temperature variations for 90 days, contained an average dose of 97 ng ml−1 of IFN‐γ and exhibited a biocompatible pH and a relative stable rheological profile. Cell viability and intracellular Ca2+ release assays conducted showed that IFN‐γNE2 reduced the cell viability of MCF‐7 cells without affecting the cell viability of phagocytes. Furthermore, IFN‐γNE2 was able to induce cellular activity of phagocytes as evidenced by increased intracellular Ca2+ release in these cells. Our findings on this IFN‐γ nanoemulsion suggest that it can be a promising therapeutic agent for immunostimulation and cancer treatment.
Laccases as versatile enzymes: from industrial uses to novel applications
Authors: Moreno Antonio D , Ibarra David , Eugenio Maria E , Tomás‐Pejó Elia
Published: October 2019

The application of enzymes offers an enormous potential in the improvement of existing industrial procedures and in the establishment of new processes for obtaining high‐added value products. Enzymes provide cleaner and more efficient industrial processes and contribute to the sustainability concept. In this sense, laccases are very versatile biocatalysts currently used in food, textile and pulp and paper sectors among others. During the last years, scientific efforts have been diverted to the exploitation of such interesting enzymes in novel fields like lignocellulosic biorefineries, biosensors or enzymatic biofuel cells. This review provides a general vision of the use of laccase enzymes describing their main characteristics and mode of action. Furthermore, their current uses in industrial processes are summarized and the most novel potential application of laccases are revealed. The increasing interest on laccases is also demonstrated by the research efforts on enzyme engineering as it is detailed in this review. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3 over iron‐cerium mixed oxide catalyst prepared by different methods
Authors: Ma Yingli , Tang Xiaolong , Gao Fengyu , Yi Honghong , Zhao Shunzheng , Shi Yiran , Wang Chengzhi
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) is one of the important atmospheric pollutants, causing damage to the environment and the human body. Currently, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology is the main denitration method, and SCR catalyst is the key to this technology. Iron (Fe)‐based catalysts have recently been widely studied because of their low cost and good catalytic effect on medium and low temperature effects. In this article, iron‐cerium mixed oxide (FeOx‐CeO2) catalysts were prepared by five common preparation methods, and their physicochemical properties and low temperature NH3‐SCR catalytic activity were studied.

RESULTS

The results show that the preparation method has a certain influence on the catalytic performance [activity and nitrogen (N2) selectivity] of the catalyst. The order of activity is microemulsion method (MM) ≈ sol–gel (SG) method > coprecipitation method > hydrothermal synthesis method > solid‐phase mixing (SPM) method.

CONCLUSION

This result is related to the specific surface area of the catalyst, the microstructure, the valence distribution of the elements, the redox ability and the surface acidic sites. It is worth noting that the activity of the catalyst prepared by the SG method is good, but the selectivity of N2 is poor, which is related to the oxidizing ability of the catalyst. The catalyst prepared by the MM has moderate oxidizing ability and large specific surface area, provides abundant acidic sites and has excellent catalytic performance. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Toward understanding the mechanism of pure CO2‐quenching sonochemical processes
Authors: Merouani Slimane , Hamdaoui Oualid , Al‐Zahrani Saeed M
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas that has a distinguished effect on the sonochemical process. Dissolving pure CO2 in solutions prevented sonochemical action in all laboratory‐scale experiments, reported until know. The mechanism underlying the pure‐CO2 nullifying sonochemical treatment is until now under debate.

RESULTS

Herein, thanks to confronting detailed numerical simulation results for single bubble sonochemistry with literature experimental observations, the mechanism of pure CO2‐quenching sonochemical reaction was clarified. The acoustic generation of free radicals under CO2 atmosphere was simulated for different conditions of frequency (20−1100 kHz), acoustic power (0.5−1 W cm‐2), liquid temperature (20−50 °C) and external pressure (0.6−1.6 atm) and compared with that generated for air‐saturation, for the same conditions. Depending on the sonochemical parameters, it was found that CO2 may enhance, decrease or completely suppress the acoustic generation of hydroxyl radicals. The effect of CO2 was strongly operating conditions‐dependent.

CONCLUSION

Given that CO2 nullified all sonolytic actions in aqueous solution, it was concluded that owing to its very high solubility in water (46‐fold much higher than that of air), CO2 could suppress the inertial cavitation bubbles responsible of all chemical actions. Gases of too higher solubility could favor the bubble–bubble coalescence rather than the production of inertial cavitation bubbles. The bubble–bubble coalescence in this case could be a suppressor of inertial cavitation. A high extent of bubbles coalescence could take place under CO2 saturation provoking total disappearance of the chemical activity. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Morphological characterization, growth appraisal, and probing biofuels potential of newly isolated Scenedesmus sp. from desert Cholistan
Authors: Alam Muhammad Maqsood , Mumtaz Abdul Samad , Hallenbeck Patrick C. , Shah Sayed Afzal , Abidin Shiekh Zain Ul , Inam Farooq
Published: October 2019

Microalgae have an excellent potential for producing valuable natural products, including biofuels. Therefore, it is imperative to explore and document the existing microalgal flora and utilize their potentials to cope the increasing human needs. The present work aims at exploring and characterizing newly isolated microalgae from desert Cholistan, a habitat with myriad algal diversity. Light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and molecular phylogenetic approaches were used for species‐level identification. Characterization and growth optimization of Scendesmus sp. were analyzed under three different growth modes to determine the most favorable conditions for increasing biomass, growth rate, and lipid content. The results revealed that mixotrophic (MT) mode significantly increases photosynthetic activity, growth rate, and lipid content with glycerol as supplement carbon source. The investigated Scenedesmus dimorphous produced a maximum dry weight of 1.73 g L−1, improved fatty acid methyl esters profile and yield lipid up to 40% of DCW (68 g L−1) under MT mode, which is almost double to that of photoautotrophic cultivation. The glycerol availability in medium has been identified as the critical element for boosting growth and lipid content. Thus, it can reduce the cost of biofuel production.
Association of polymorphisms in the vitamin D receptor gene with susceptibility to and severity of hand, foot, and mouth disease caused by coxsackievirus A16
Authors: Li Ya‐Ping , Wang Mu‐Qi , Deng Hui‐Ling , Li Mei , Zhang Xin , Dang Shuang‐Suo , Zhai Song
Published: October 2019

Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) remains the most common causative agent of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), and is related to high incidence and critical complications. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) activity might affect the outcome of CA16 infection. Our case‐control research aims to evaluate the relationship between VDR polymorphisms in the gene encoding and susceptibility to and severity of HFMD due to CA16. Three single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of VDR gene were selected according to functional prediction and linkage disequilibrium, and were examined utilizing the SNPscan method to identify possible associations with HFMD caused by CA16. A significant relationship was found in the HFMD cases of polymorphism rs11574129 (GA vs GG: odds ratio (OR) = 0.068, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.007‐0.693, P = .023; GA + AA vs GG: OR = 0.322, 95%CI = 0.106‐0.984, P = .047), and vitamin D levels in genotype AA were significantly higher than those in genotype GG (P < .05). These results suggest that VDR rs11574129 may influence genetic susceptibility to CA16‐associated HFMD.
The climatology of cold and heat waves in Brazil from 1961 to 2016
Authors: Bitencourt Daniel P. , Fuentes Márcia V. , Franke Alberto E. , Silveira Rafael B. , Alves Maikon P. A.
Published: October 2019

Extreme temperatures have caused various damages to society around the world. In Brazil, an example of that is the impact of cold and heat waves on public health. In order to analyse the temporal and spatial variability of such events, this study applied a single criterion to identify cold and heat waves. The study collected data on the events from daily temperature records from 264 weather stations over 56 years (1961–2016). The following parameters were used to describe each event: frequency, duration, severity, and intensity. The results showed that in all the Brazilian regions the frequency of heat waves increased and that of cold waves decreased between the years 1961 and 2016. The number of heat waves per year, notably, was greater than that of cold waves, and the mean duration of heat waves was about 1 day longer than that of cold waves. Additionally, it was found that cold waves were more severe and intense in areas often reached by cold air masses with temperatures below zero in most of Southern Brazil. In terms of severity and intensity of heat waves, two different configurations were observed: They were more severe in the Southern region and more intense in the Midwestern region of the country, and not so expressive in the Northern and Northeastern regions. Those findings justify the need for continuous updating of public policies focused on sectors often affected by cold and heat.
Coupling forecast calibration and data‐driven downscaling for generating reliable, high‐resolution, multivariate seasonal climate forecast ensembles at multiple sites
Authors: Schepen Andrew , Everingham Yvette , Wang Quan J.
Published: October 2019

Calibration and downscaling of ensemble GCM forecasts is becoming increasingly important for hydrological and agricultural modelling in support of the management and protection of valuable natural resources. Moreover, skilful and reliable daily forecast sequences are required to drive decision support models that operate on a daily time step. While downscaling of daily GCM outputs has been developed extensively in climate impacts studies, much less attention has been paid to the downscaling of ensemble GCM forecasts, which has the confronting aspect of low and diminishing skill with increasing lead time. Evidence is building that simple bias‐correction methods that do not model correlation between forecasts and observations, nor attempt to correct spatial, temporal and inter‐variable correlations, produce downscaled forecasts that perform poorly in applications models. Thus downscaling GCM forecasts requires inclusion of a full calibration component to reduce bias, improve reliability, capture skill where it is available and remove negative skill. In this study, we propose a new methodology for coupling a full GCM forecast calibration with empirical methods to (a) instil correct temporal, spatial and inter‐variable correlations in ensembles and (b) perform a multivariate downscaling of ensembles to daily sequences at multiple sites. Through a case study application, the proposed methodology is shown to produce skilful monthly–seasonal forecasts of rainfall, temperature and solar radiation at regional spatial scales. It also produces realistic and coherent multivariate daily sequences at multiple sub‐grid locations. The new methodology can be applied to more effectively integrate climate forecasts into hydrological and crop models and to support proactive decision‐making in agriculture and natural resources management.
Extraction of matrine from soil with matrix solid‐phase dispersion by molecularly imprinted polymers derived from lignin‐based Pickering emulsions
Authors: Yin Ran , Chen Ligang , Ma Ling
Published: October 2019

Molecularly imprinted polymers prepared by Pickering emulsion method with lignin as stable particle were used as dispersants in matrix solid‐phase dispersion, followed by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry to research the degradation behavior of matrine in soil. The molecularly imprinted polymers have regular morphology and uniform particles. Moreover, the adsorption experiments and the conditions of matrix solid‐phase dispersion were discussed. With the optimal conditions of matrix solid‐phase dispersion, the recoveries of matrine were 95.4–98.2%, relative standard deviations were 0.6–5.1%, and the detection limit was 5 ng/g. Moreover, the degradation behavior of matrine in soil was researched, it indicated the half‐life of matrine was 2.7–3.2 days, and it was an environmentally friendly botanical pesticide. The method was successfully applied to separate and analyze matrine in soil samples can decrease analysis time, save organic solvents, and improve the selectivity.
Quantifying the potential for improved management of weather risk using sub‐seasonal forecasting: The case of UK telecommunications infrastructure
Authors: Brayshaw David J. , Halford Alan , Smith Stefan , Jensen Kjeld
Published: October 2019

Reliable and affordable telecommunications are an integral part of service‐based economies, but the nature of the associated physical infrastructure leads to considerable exposure to weather. With unique access to observational records of the UK fixed‐line telecommunications infrastructure, an end‐to‐end demonstration of how extended range forecasts can be used to improve the management of weather risk is presented, assessing forecast value on both short‐term “operational” (weeks) and long‐term “planning” timeframes (months/years). A robust long‐term weather‐related fault‐rate climatology is first constructed at weekly resolution, based on the ERA‐Interim reanalysis. A clear dependence of winter fault rates on large‐scale atmospheric circulation indices is demonstrated. The European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) sub‐seasonal forecast system is subsequently shown to produce skilful forecast of winter weekly fault rates at lead times of three to four weeks ahead (i.e. days 14–20 and 21–28). Forecast skill at a given lead time is, however, a necessary rather than a sufficient condition for improved risk management. It is shown that practical decision‐making leads to dependencies across multiple forecasts times that cannot be modelled using traditional “cost‐loss matrix” methods as errors in previous forecasts influence the value of subsequent forecasts. A parsimonious model representing operational decision‐making for fault repair scheduling is therefore constructed to show that fault‐rate forecast skill does improve both short‐ and long‐term management outcomes (in this case meeting performance targets more often in the short term, or reducing the resources required to achieve these targets in the long term). Consequently, it is argued that new methods are needed for forecast skill assessment in complex decision environments.
Prediction of landfalling Bay of Bengal cyclones during 2013 using the high resolution Weather Research and Forecasting model
Authors: Singh K. S. , Bhaskaran Prasad K.
Published: October 2019

The present study investigated the capability of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in the forecast/simulation of five landfalling Bay of Bengal (BoB) cyclones during 2013. A 3D variational (3DVar) method of data assimilation of the WRF model was used to assimilate the Global Telecommunication System and satellite radiances to improve the initial conditions. The results demonstrated that the model has the ability to simulate the cyclone track, intensity and structure. The study also indicates that predicted storm track, landfall and intensity improved with the 3DVar technique compared to without it. This was due to better initial conditions in the 3DVar experiment. The predicted track errors of the five storms were compared to available global and regional forecasting systems and the results show that the model has the capability for prediction of cyclones over the BoB region. The forecasted mean track errors were about 70, 114, 182 and 184 km; minimum centre pressure was about 8, 10, 13, 13 hPa and maximum surface wind was about 6, 10, 9, 8 m·s−1 on day 1 to day 4 forecast respectively. The study also presents some of the important predicted diagnostic parameters such as temperature anomaly, divergence, heating rate, frozen hydrometeors, vorticity field, equivalent potential temperature, maximum reflectivity, accumulated rainfall and horizontal wind fields compared to available observations for the extremely severe cyclonic storm Phailin. The warm core structure of the Phailin cyclone was resolved in the model between 9 and 15 km compared to satellite observations. The statistical analysis, distribution and magnitude of forecasted accumulated rainfall are also compared to the rainfall of 174 automatic weather stations.
Treatment planning optimization with beam motion modeling for dynamic arc delivery of SBRT using Cyberknife with multileaf collimation
Authors: Bedford James L. , Tsang Henry S. , Nill Simeon , Oelfke Uwe
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The use of dynamic arcs for delivery of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) on Cyberknife is investigated, with a view to improving treatment times. This study investigates the required modeling of robot and multileaf collimator (MLC) motion between control points in the trajectory and then uses this to develop an optimization method for treatment planning of a dynamic arc with Cyberknife. The resulting plans are compared in terms of dose‐volume histograms and estimated treatment times with those produced by a conventional beam arrangement.

Methods

Five SBRT patient cases (prostate A — conventional, prostate B — brachytherapy‐type, lung, liver, and partial left breast) were retrospectively studied. A suitable arc trajectory with control points spaced at 5° was proposed and treatment plans were produced for typical clinical protocols. The optimization consisted of a fluence optimization, segmentation, and direct aperture optimization using a gradient descent method. Dose delivered by the moving MLC was either taken to be the dose delivered discretely at the control points or modeled using effective fluence delivered between control points. The accuracy of calculated dose was assessed by recalculating after optimization using five interpolated beams and 100 interpolated apertures between each optimization control point. The resulting plans were compared using dose‐volume histograms and estimated treatment times with those for a conventional Cyberknife beam arrangement.

Results

If optimization is performed based on discrete doses delivered at the arc control points, large differences of up to 40% of the prescribed dose are seen when recalculating with interpolation. When the effective fluence between control points is taken into account during optimization, dosimetric differences are <2% for most structures when the plans are recalculated using intermediate nodes, but there are differences of up to 15% peripherally. Treatment plan quality is comparable between the arc trajectory and conventional body path. All plans meet the relevant clinical goals, with the exception of specific structures which overlap with the planning target volume. Median estimated treatment time is 355 s (range 235–672 s) for arc delivery and 675 s (range 554–1025 s) for conventional delivery.

Conclusions

The method of using effective fluence to model MLC motion between control points is sufficiently accurate to provide for accurate inverse planning of dynamic arcs with Cyberknife. The proposed arcing method produces treatment plans with comparable quality to the body path, with reduced estimated treatment delivery time.
Dynamic multiatlas selection‐based consensus segmentation of head and neck structures from CT images
Authors: Haq Rabia , Berry Sean L. , Deasy Joseph O. , Hunt Margie , Veeraraghavan Harini
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Manual delineation of head and neck (H&N) organ‐at‐risk (OAR) structures for radiation therapy planning is time consuming and highly variable. Therefore, we developed a dynamic multiatlas selection‐based approach for fast and reproducible segmentation.

Methods

Our approach dynamically selects and weights the appropriate number of atlases for weighted label fusion and generates segmentations and consensus maps indicating voxel‐wise agreement between different atlases. Atlases were selected for a target as those exceeding an alignment weight called dynamic atlas attention index. Alignment weights were computed at the image level and called global weighted voting (GWV) or at the structure level and called structure weighted voting (SWV) by using a normalized metric computed as the sum of squared distances of computed tomography (CT)‐radiodensity and modality‐independent neighborhood descriptors (extracting edge information). Performance comparisons were performed using 77 H&N CT images from an internal Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center dataset (N = 45) and an external dataset (N = 32) using Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Hausdorff distance (HD), 95th percentile of HD, median of maximum surface distance, and volume ratio error against expert delineation. Pairwise DSC accuracy comparisons of proposed (GWV, SWV) vs single best atlas (BA) or majority voting (MV) methods were performed using Wilcoxon rank‐sum tests.

Results

Both SWV and GWV methods produced significantly better segmentation accuracy than BA (P < 0.001) and MV (P < 0.001) for all OARs within both datasets. SWV generated the most accurate segmentations with DSC of: 0.88 for oral cavity, 0.85 for mandible, 0.84 for cord, 0.76 for brainstem and parotids, 0.71 for larynx, and 0.60 for submandibular glands. SWV’s accuracy exceeded GWV's for submandibular glands (DSC = 0.60 vs 0.52, P = 0.019).

Conclusions

The contributed SWV and GWV methods generated more accurate automated segmentations than the other two multiatlas‐based segmentation techniques. The consensus maps could be combined with segmentations to visualize voxel‐wise consensus between atlases within OARs during manual review.
Effects of iso‐α‐acids, the hop‐derived bitter components in beer, on the MRI‐based Brain Healthcare Quotient in healthy middle‐aged to older adults
Authors: Kita Masahiro , Yoshida Satoshi , Kondo Keiji , Yamakawa Yoshinori , Ano Yasuhisa
Published: October 2019

Aim

Neurological disorders are a major public health issue worldwide and are often associated with structural changes in the brain. We have previously demonstrated that iso‐α‐acids (IAAs), the hop‐derived bitter components in beer, improve memory impairment in aged and Alzheimer's disease mouse models. In this study, we evaluated the effects of IAA intake on the brain structure in healthy middle‐aged to older adults. This study was conducted under the Impulsing Paradigm Change through Disruptive Technologies Program (ImPACT) study launched by the Cabinet office of Japan.

Method

This study employed an open‐labeled, single‐arm, before and after design. Healthy middle‐aged to older adults consumed a beverage containing IAAs (3 mg/190 mL) for 4 weeks.Recently developed magnetic resonance imaging‐based brain health indicators were used to evaluate the following brain conditions: the Brain Healthcare Quotient (BHQ) based on gray matter volume (GM‐BHQ) and white matter fractional anisotropy (FA‐BHQ).

Results

In total, 25 subjects were recruited, and GM‐BHQ and FA‐BHQ were measured before and after intervention. In all subjects, no significant differences in GM‐BHQ and FA‐BHQ were observed. In subjects aged ≥ 60 years (mean 54.5; standard deviation 3.9) (n = 8), GM‐BHQ was significantly increased 4 weeks after intervention compared with that before intervention.

Conclusion

Intake of beverages containing IAAs might affect brain aging, particularly in healthy older adults, which may prevent the development of neurological disorders. Future studies employing more robust designs can elucidate the effects of IAAs on GM‐BHQ and cognitive functions.
Mapping bedrock topography and moraine deposits by transient electromagnetic sounding: Oslo graben, Norway
Authors: Barsukov Pavel O. , Fainberg Edward B.
Published: October 2019

In this research, we have studied the capabilities and limitations of the transient electromagnetic sounding applied to investigate the structure and composition of the moraine deposits covering a crystalline basement. It has been experimentally demonstrated that using the ungrounded antennas one can not only determine the electrical resistivity of different layers in the alluvium deposits and map the surface topography of the crystalline basement down to a depth of 70–100 m, but can also minimize the costs and the damage done to the environment. Additionally, transient electromagnetics helps to reveal the layers within the moraine strata that often have different resistivities and depths. The use of single antennas of size 12 m × 12 m–25 m × 25 m for field excitation and registration of transient responses allows for maximum localization of the targets and provides a high horizontal resolution in strongly heterogeneous media. The limitations of the method due to the induced polarization effect have also been investigated. Overall, despite some limitations, the transient electromagnetic method appears to be effective in the mapping, assessment and analysis of hazards in landslide‐prone areas, prior to geotechnical soundings in wells.
Profile Extrusion: Experimental Assessment of a Numerical Code to Model the Temperature Evolution in the Cooling/Calibration Stage
Authors: Rajkumar A. , Habla F. , Fernandes C. , Mould S. , Sacramento A. , Carneiro O.S. , Nóbrega J.M.
Published: October 2019

Designing an industrial calibration system that ensures fast and uniform cooling of a complex extruded profile is always a difficult task. Numerical tools are a valuable aid for the design of these systems in order to achieve fast, low‐cost, and effective solutions. This work comprises the experimental validation of a numerical code, previously developed to support the design of profile extrusion calibration systems, using data collected from an industrial extrusion line. The referred numerical code was developed in the open‐source computational library, OpenFOAM, being able to predict the heat exchanges between the polymer and the calibrator during the profile extrusion cooling stage. The good agreement obtained between the numerical code predictions and the experimental measurements allowed us to confirm the code accuracy. Subsequently, and in order to demonstrate the usefulness of the numerical code, a numerical study was carried out based on an optimization algorithm aimed at improving the performance of the studied calibration system. As a result, the study led to the proposal of an alternative setup, which presents a simpler constructive solution and a better performance than the existing one. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:2367–2376, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Degradation of EPDM and FPM elastomers irradiated at very high dose rates in mixed gamma and neutron fields
Authors: Ferrari Matteo , Pandini Stefano , Zenoni Aldo , Donzella Giorgio , Battini Davide , Avanzini Andrea , Salvini Andrea , Zelaschi Fabio , Andrighetto Alberto , Bignotti Fabio
Published: October 2019

Elastomers are widely used in radioactive environments, where ionizing radiations induce a deterioration of their properties due to degradative phenomena occurring in the polymer structure. Their radiation resistance is usually assessed using γ‐rays and relatively low dose rates, but in actual applications, they are often exposed to mixed radiation fields and higher dose rates. Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) is known for its excellent resistance to γ‐rays but absorbs a larger dose by neutron interactions than fluoroelastomer (FPM). In this work, EPDM and FPM were irradiated in mixed neutron and gamma fields, using high dose rates (from 22 to 700 kGy h−1) and total absorbed doses between 0.2 and 3.5 MGy. The effects of irradiation were assessed by swelling tests, differential scanning calorimetry analysis and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and tensile tests. The results show that, even if irradiations were carried out in air, degradation took place under nonoxidative conditions owing to the high dose rates employed. Under such conditions, crosslinking is the dominant radiation‐induced reaction in both elastomers. Moreover, material degradation seems to be influenced mostly by the total absorbed dose and not by the type of radiation. Contrary to what observed at the lower dose rates employed with γ‐rays, major dose rate effects are not observed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:2522–2532, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers