bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Lagrangian analysis of cold cloud clusters and their life cycles with satellite observations
Authors: Esmaili Rebekah Bradley , Tian Yudong , Vila Daniel Alejandro , Kim Kyu‐Myong
Published: September 2016

Cloud movement and evolution signify the complex water and energy transport in the atmosphere‐ocean‐land system. Detecting, clustering, and tracking clouds as semicoherent clusters enable study of their evolution which can complement climate model simulations and enhance satellite retrieval algorithms, where there are gaps between overpasses. Using a cluster tracking algorithm, in this study we examine the trajectories, size, and brightness temperature of millions of cloud clusters over their lifespan, from infrared satellite observations at 30 min, 4 km resolution, for a period of 11 years. We found that the majority of cold clouds were both small and short lived and that their frequency and location are influenced by El Niño. Also, this large sample of individually tracked clouds shows their horizontal size and temperature evolution. Long‐lived clusters tended to achieve their temperature and size maturity milestones at different times, while these stages often occurred simultaneously in short‐lived clusters. On average, clusters with this lag also exhibited a greater rainfall contribution than those where minimum temperature and maximum size stages occurred simultaneously. Furthermore, by examining the diurnal cycle of cluster development over Africa and the Indian subcontinent, we observed differences in the local timing of the maximum occurrence at different life cycle stages. Over land there was a strong diurnal peak in the afternoon, while over the ocean there was a semidiurnal peak composed of longer‐lived clusters in the early morning hours and shorter‐lived clusters in the afternoon. Building on regional specific work, this study provides a global long‐term survey of object‐based cloud characteristics.
Low sediment‐water gas exchange in a small boreal lake
Authors: Kokic Jovana , Sahlée Erik , Brand Andreas , Sobek Sebastian
Published: September 2016

Boreal lake sediments are carbon sources by producing CO2. CO2 flux from sediments is partly controlled by turbulence in the water column, which is not given the same attention as CO2 production rates in current estimates of CO2 fluxes from sediments. We quantified the in situ CO2 flux across the sediment‐water interface in a small (0.07 km2) lake in Sweden by measuring the in situ O2 flux with the Eddy Correlation (EC) method and using the apparent respiratory quotient (CO2 production:O2 consumption) derived from sediment incubations. We demonstrate that median CO2 flux estimated by EC was ~70% smaller than estimated by sediment incubations with artificial water mixing (1.0 × 10−2 and 3.6 × 10−2 µmol C m−2 s−1, respectively). Additionally, we show that inducing artificial mixing of supernatant water in the incubation experiment has a positive effect on observed fluxes, enhancing CO2 flux by ~30% compared to not mixing supernatant water. We suggest that the difference between the methods is due to the strong artificial water mixing in sediment incubations compared to the turbulent mixing in this small lake. Additionally, low O2 supply to sediment aerobic heterotrophic microbes during extended periods of low water currents can inhibit respiration and thus CO2 production. These findings suggest that the sediment contribution to total lake CO2 emission might currently be overestimated for small boreal lakes. Care should be taken when upscaling sediment CO2 flux derived from incubation experiments to entire basins of small lakes, as incubation experiments are unlikely to accurately mimic in situ bottom water currents and gas exchange.
Historical trends of forest fires and carbon emissions in China from 1988 to 2012
Authors: Zhang Yujin , Qin Dahe , Yuan Wenping , Jia Bingrui
Published: September 2016

A larger amount of carbon is stored in forest ecosystems than in the entire atmosphere. Thus, relatively small changes in forest carbon stocks can significantly impact net carbon exchange between the biosphere and atmosphere. Changes in forest stocks can result from various disturbances, such as insect pests, windstorms, flooding, and especially forest fires. Globally, the impact of forest fires has been enhanced due to ongoing warming of the climate. The current study reported an evaluation of carbon emissions from historical forest fires in China during 1988–2012 with observational data collected from national agriculture statistics. Historical fire trends and fire‐induced carbon emissions were described over space and time at both national and regional levels. The results indicated that no significant increases in fire occurrence and carbon emissions were observed during the study period at the national level. However, at the regional level, there was a significant increasing trend in fire occurrence, and drought severity was a major driver of fire activity. Most carbon emissions were from north and northeast China, and these emissions contributed significantly to total carbon emissions. The results also showed that annual fire‐induced emissions ranged from 0.04 Tg C to 7.22 Tg C, with an average of 1.03 Tg C. Large interannual and spatial variabilities of carbon emissions were also indicated, and these were attributed to spatial and temporal variations in fire regimes. The results improve understanding of fire characteristics and provide significant information for reducing model‐related uncertainty of fire‐induced carbon emissions.
Adaptive Knowledge in Architecture: A Few Notes on the Nature of Transdisciplinarity
Authors: Sprecher Aaron , Ahrens Chandler
Published: September 2016

New digital technologies allow unprecedented levels of collaboration across fields of expertise. The international transdisciplinary practice Open Source Architecture has been exploring the possibilities in this area for over ten years. Two of its cofounders, Aaron Sprecher and Chandler Ahrens, reflect on key related themes – intensity and extensity of information, and potentiality (or collaborative iteration) – through three of its projects.
From Authorship to Ownership: A Historical Perspective
Authors: Picon Antoine
Published: September 2016

Since the notion of copyright first arose in the Renaissance era, the perception and reality of architects' roles has dramatically altered. Guest‐Editor Antoine Picon traces the evolution from lone creative genius to today's ‘star architects’, employing hundreds of designers. Is the concept of authorship still relevant in this new context? Or has the emphasis shifted to ownership, whether of building designs or of the software or templates used to produce them?
A/B Architecture: Publicly Augmented Design
Authors: Ratti Carlo , Claudel Matthew
Published: September 2016

Architects are sometimes criticised for prioritising aesthetics over functionality; but attempts to involve end users in building design all too often encounter apathy. Is a successful participatory design process possible? Carlo Ratti and Matthew Claudel of MIT's Senseable City Lab have been researching ways to make it so. Their solutions include an adaptation of the A/B testing method used in software development, together with means from questionnaires to immersive virtual systems that can draw both conscious and unconscious public feedback while maintaining architects' central role.
Fab‐Union: A Collective Online to Offline Robotic Design Platform
Authors: Yuan Philip , Meng Hao
Published: September 2016

Official architectural education in China remains very traditional and has yet to engage with the digital age. To counter this, Shanghai‐based Fab‐Union was set up in 2014 to establish a cross‐disciplinary community – now over 10,000 strong – that is driving the emergence of digital crafts in the country. Here, its founder Philip Yuan and lead designer Hao Meng describe Fab‐Union's online design platform, its offline collective design space, and its robotic factory that functions as an open research facility and fabrication workshop.
An Art of Connectivity
Authors: Gobin Tristan , Andraos Sebastian , Schwartz Thibault
Published: September 2016

Do building information modelling (BIM) systems sufficiently cater for the subtleties of the architect's role? Tristan Gobin, Sebastian Andraos and Thibault Schwartz of London‐based robot control specialists HAL Robotics think not. They advocate the development of systems that offer more levels of abstraction, allowing architects, engineers and others who are not necessarily familiar with source code to assist in the elaboration of platform languages. Only then will they become true tools for creativity that reinforce continuity between the various actors involved in building design and construction.
VULCAN: Closing the Loop in 3D‐Printed Architectural Design
Authors: Xu Feng
Published: September 2016

Given international differences in copyright law, it is difficult for architects and others working on digital platforms to protect the rights to their work. The VULCAN pavilion, the world's largest 3D‐printed structure, was produced with these concerns in mind. It was originated by the Beijing‐based Laboratory for Creative Design (LCD), which brings together top Chinese creatives across a range of disciplines to foster design innovation, cultural discussion and educational experimentation. LCD cofounder Feng Xu explains.
Architectural Patents and Open‐Source Architectures: The Globalisation of Spatial Design Innovations (or Learning from ‘E99’)
Authors: Garcia Mark
Published: September 2016

Patents are the strongest form of intellectual property rights available internationally, so far unbeaten by open source as a body of innovation and know‐how. Mark Garcia, senior lecturer in the Department of Architecture & Landscape at the University of Greenwich, London, here considers the pros and cons of the patent system for architects in the digital age: from issues over patent categorisation by type, to possibilities of micro‐royalties through the capacity of design software to track every stage of input from multiple contributors.
When Matter Becomes Media: How Our New Tools Are Reinventing Physicality
Authors: Bitonti Francis A
Published: September 2016

According to designer Francis A Bitonti, the full potential of technologies such as 3D printing has barely begun to be discovered. Through three of his studio's projects, he demonstrates benefits such as the infinite variations in product form that are achievable via the use of algorithms, as well as the carbon‐reduction prospects of locally printed customised products. He sees a future where, rather than dictating fashions, brands will become platforms for co‐creation.
Design Signals: The Role of Software Architecture and Paradigms in Design Thinking and Practice
Authors: Michalatos Panagiotis
Published: September 2016

Does the ontology of design software influence built form? Panagiotis Michalatos, lecturer in architectural technology at Harvard Graduate School of Design and a principal research engineer at Autodesk, Inc, here looks at how the move from drawing typologies to digital modelling since the mid‐1990s has affected architectural aesthetics. He goes on to examine two more recent developments that may announce a further paradigm shift: granular tracking of design input, and data organisation practices in biomedics which, transferred to architecture, could allow for a more spatio‐temporal approach.
Opening Up the Future of Open Source: From Open Innovation to the Internet of Things for the Built Environment
Authors: Fok Wendy W
Published: September 2016

The architecture, engineering and construction industry is increasingly operating within the merging of physical and digital that defines our era of connectivity. Meanwhile, new semi‐open‐source platforms such as WikiHouse and Resilient Modular Systems, together with the prospect of traditional supply chains being replaced by localised digital manufacturing, are challenging notions of design ownership. Guest‐Editor Wendy W Fok considers what questions designers should be asking themselves in this climate
Chitosan‐finished Antheraea mylitta silk fibroin nonwoven composite films for wound dressing
Authors: Srivastava Chandra Mohan , Purwar Roli
Published: September 2016

In this study, we aimed to produce nonwoven wound‐dressing films made of Antheraea mylitta (tasar) silk fibroin by a solution‐casting method. These nonwoven films were finished with chitosan solutions of different concentrations ranging from 0.75 to 2% w/v with a pad–dry method to fabricate nonwoven composite films. Chitosan‐finished tasar fibroin nonwoven composite films (CMTFFs) showed higher mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties as compared to nonwoven tasar fibroin. The physical, structural, and thermal properties of the films were investigated. The hemocompatibility, cytocompatibility, and biodegradation tests showed that the CMTFF was a promising material for use as a wound dressing. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44341.
Turkish university students' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes toward biotechnological applications
Authors: Öztürk‐Akar Ebru
Published: September 2016

This study questions the presumed relation between formal schooling and scientific literacy about biotechnologies. Comparing science and nonscience majors' knowledge of and attitudes toward biotechnological applications, conclusions are drawn if their formal learnings improve pupils' understandings of and attitudes toward biotechnology applications. Sample of the study consists of 403 undergraduate and graduate students, 198 nonscience, and 205 science majors. The Biotechnology Knowledge Questionnaire and the Biotechnology Attitude Questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics (mean and percentages), t test, and correlations were used to examine the participants' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes toward biotechnological applications and differences as regards their majors. Although the science majors had higher knowledge and attitude scores than the nonscience majors, it is not possible to say that they have sufficient knowledge of biotechnologies. Besides, the participants' attitudes toward biotechnological applications were not considerably related to their knowledge of biotechnology. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):115–125, 2017.
Pop‐it beads to introduce catalysis of reaction rate and substrate depletion effects
Authors: Gehret Austin U.
Published: September 2016

A kinesthetic classroom activity was designed to help students understand enzyme activity and catalysis of reaction rate. Students served the role of enzymes by manipulating Pop‐It Beads as the catalytic event. This activity illuminates the relationship between reaction rate and reaction progress by allowing students to experience first‐hand the effect of substrate depletion on catalyzed reaction rate. Preliminary findings based on survey results and exam performance suggest the activity could prove beneficial to students in the targeted learning outcomes. Unique to previous kinesthetic approaches that model Michaelis‐Menten kinetics, this activity models the effects of substrate depletion on catalyzed reaction rate. Therefore, it could prove beneficial for conveying the reasoning behind the initial rate simplification used in Michaelis‐Menten kinetics. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):179–183, 2017.
Mechanisms of light‐induced liposome permeabilization
Authors: Miranda Dyego , Lovell Jonathan F.
Published: September 2016

Liposomes have been widely studied for drug delivery applications. The inclusion of photoactive molecules into liposomes opens the possibility of light‐controlled cargo release to enhance drug biodistribution or bioavailability at target sites. Membrane permeabilization induced by light can be an effective strategy for enhancing cargo delivery with spatial and temporal control, which holds potential for chemophototherapy approaches. Several diverse mechanisms have been reported including light‐induced oxidation, photocrosslinking, photoisomerization, photocleavage, and photothermal release. Here, we review selected recent reports of light‐triggered cargo release from liposomes.
Ensure your student‐athletes receive appropriate medical care
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: September 2016

DALLAS — You want to protect your athletics department from liability and your student‐athletes from preventable injuries. But many athletics departments overlook or downplay one of the most effective ways you can accomplish both of those goals — providing appropriate medical care.
Gain insight into managing a dysfunctional manager
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: September 2016

If you work in a dysfunctional environment, you're not alone. In fact, research shows that about a third of employees work for a dysfunctional leader and 35 percent of workers have been bullied, while more than half of U.S. employers lack policies addressing workplace bullying.
Innovative strategies allow student‐athletes to access study abroad, summer internships
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: September 2016

From study abroad and summer internships to career planning, student‐athletes' schedules often cause them to miss out on opportunities to participate in certain aspects of college life that have long been available to the general student population.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis as an unusual cause of prolonged bicytopenia after chemotherapy
Authors: Schalk Enrico , Fischer Thomas
Published: September 2016

Key Clinical Message

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare cause of cytopenia and is often associated with lymphoma. The occurrence of HLH in the course of lymphoma treatment could be an indicator for refractory disease.
A pregnancy‐associated nonfamilial case of PAPA (pyogenic sterile arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, acne) syndrome
Authors: Horiuchi Isao , Fukatsu Yuko , Ushijima Junko , Nakamura Eishin , Samajima Koki , Kadowaki Kanako , Takagi Kenjiro
Published: September 2016

Key Clinical Message

Little is known about the influence of pregnancy on pyogenic sterile arthritis, pyoderma gangrenosum, acne (PAPA) syndrome. We experienced a rare case of pregnancy complicated with PAPA syndrome. The patient had various histories of skin and joint disorders and experienced subarachnoid hemorrhage during pregnancy; however, her skin lesion was unaffected.
[{Pd(μ‐OH)Cl(IPr)}2]—A Highly Efficient Precatalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling also Able To Act under Base‐Free Conditions
Authors: Ostrowska Sylwia , Lorkowski Jan , Kubicki Maciej , Pietraszuk Cezary
Published: September 2016

[{Pd(μ‐OH)Cl(IPr)}2] [IPr=N,N‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene] was found to be a highly efficient precatalyst for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling that is able to act under base‐free conditions.
Emerging roles for motor proteins in progenitor cell behavior and neuronal migration during brain development
Authors: Dantas Tiago J. , Carabalona Aurelie , Hu Daniel Jun‐Kit , Vallee Richard B.
Published: September 2016

Over the past two decades, substantial progress has been made in visualizing and understanding neuronal cell migration and morphogenesis during brain development. Distinct mechanisms have evolved to support migration of the various cell types that compose the developing neocortex. A specific subset of molecular motors, so far consisting of cytoplasmic dynein 1, Kif1a and myosin II, are responsible for cytoskeletal and nuclear transport in these cells. This review focuses on the emerging roles for each of these motor proteins in the migratory mechanisms of neocortical cell types. We discuss how migration can be cell cycle regulated and how coordination of motor activity is required to ensure migratory direction. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A novel multi–graphics processing unit parallel optimization framework for the sparse matrix‐vector multiplication
Authors: Gao Jiaquan , Wang Yu , Wang Jun
Published: September 2016

The sparse matrix‐vector multiplication (SpMV) is of great importance in scientific computations. Graphics processing unit (GPU)‐accelerated SpMVs for large‐sized problems have attracted considerable attention recently. We observe that on a specific multi‐GPU platform, the SpMV performance can usually be greatly improved when a matrix is partitioned into several blocks according to a predetermined rule and each block is assigned to a GPU with an appropriate storage format. This motivates us to propose a novel multi‐GPU parallel SpMV optimization framework, which involves the following parts: (1) a simple rule is defined to divide any given matrix among multiple GPUs; (2) a performance model, which is independent of the problems and dependent on the resources of devices, is proposed to accurately predict the execution time of SpMV kernels; and (3) a selection algorithm is suggested to automatically select the most appropriate one from the storage formats that are involved in the framework for the matrix block that is assigned to each GPU on the basis of the performance model. The objective of our framework does not construct a new storage format or algorithm but automatically and rapidly generates an optimally parallel SpMV for any sparse matrix on a specific multi‐GPU platform by integrating the existing storage formats and their corresponding kernels. We take 5 popular storage formats, for example, to present the idea of constructing the framework. Theoretically, we validate the correctness of our proposed SpMV performance model. This model is constructed only once for each type of GPU. Moreover, this framework is general and easy to be extensible. For a storage format that is not included in our framework, once the performance model of its corresponding SpMV kernel is successfully constructed, it can be incorporated into our framework. The experiments validate the efficiency of our proposed framework.
Running state of the high energy consuming equipment and energy saving countermeasure for chinese petroleum industry in cloud computing
Authors: Zhao Haihui , Qi Yaoguang , Du Hongwei , Wang Ningning , Zhang Guofu , Liu Wenbao , Lu Hailong
Published: September 2016

The energy consumption of the high energy consuming petroleum equipment in oil field possesses a high proportion in the total energy consumption of oil industry, so these equipment act as an important role in oil field energy saving. This paper analyzes the energy consumption constitutions in different production process. It is based on the study focusing on the running state and energy saving countermeasure of the high energy consuming mechanical equipment. The research is organized by the Chinese Academy of Engineering. The high energy consumption cause is studied by investigating and analyzing the running state of the principle energy consuming equipment in oil field and the design and manufacture level of the key large equipment in cloud computing. This thesis provides concurrent data processing model for shortening the production cycle and the fuzzy weighting subspace clustering algorithm to implement the equipment comparability, applying the big data on the running status statistics and applying cloud computation analysis on the corresponding energy saving countermeasure. The proposed approach is providing the method of eliminating equipment and the advice of the research directions in order to address the energy saving counter measure issues. The findings of this paper can be referenced as the energy saving counter measure in the petroleum industry. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deadline‐constrained coevolutionary genetic algorithm for scientific workflow scheduling in cloud computing
Authors: Liu Li , Zhang Miao , Buyya Rajkumar , Fan Qi
Published: September 2016

The cloud infrastructures provide a suitable environment for the execution of large‐scale scientific workflow application. However, it raises new challenges to efficiently allocate resources for the workflow application and also to meet the user's quality of service requirements. In this paper, we propose an adaptive penalty function for the strict constraints compared with other genetic algorithms. Moreover, the coevolution approach is used to adjust the crossover and mutation probability, which is able to accelerate the convergence and prevent the prematurity. We also compare our algorithm with baselines such as Random, particle swarm optimization, Heterogeneous Earliest Finish Time, and genetic algorithm in a WorkflowSim simulator on 4 representative scientific workflows. The results show that it performs better than the other state‐of‐the‐art algorithms in the criterion of both the deadline‐constraint meeting probability and the total execution cost.
A list scheduling algorithm for heterogeneous systems based on a critical node cost table and pessimistic cost table
Authors: Zhou Naqin , Qi Deyu , Wang Xinyang , Zheng Zhishuo , Lin Weiwei
Published: September 2016

This paper presents a novel list‐based scheduling algorithm called Improved Predict Earliest Finish Time for static task scheduling in a heterogeneous computing environment. The algorithm calculates the task priority with a pessimistic cost table, implements the feature prediction with a critical node cost table, and assigns the best processor for the node that has at least 1 immediate successor as the critical node, thereby effectively reducing the schedule makespan without increasing the algorithm time complexity. Experiments regarding aspects of randomly generated graphs and real‐world application graphs are performed, and comparisons are made based on the scheduling length ratio, robustness, and frequency of the best result. The results demonstrate that the Improved Predict Earliest Finish Time algorithm outperforms the Predict Earliest Finish Time and Heterogeneous Earliest Finish Time algorithms in terms of the schedule length ratio, frequency of the best result, and robustness while maintaining the same time complexity.
High herbivore pressure favors constitutive over induced defense
Authors: Bixenmann Ryan J. , Coley Phyllis D. , Weinhold Alexander , Kursar Thomas A.
Published: September 2016

Theoretical and empirical studies show that, when past or current herbivory is a reliable cue of future attack and defenses are costly, defenses can be induced only when needed and thereby permit investment in other functions such as growth or reproduction. Theory also states that, in environments where herbivory is constantly high, constitutive defenses should be favored. Here, we present data to support the second aspect of the induced resistance hypothesis. We examined herbivore‐induced responses for four species ofInga(Fabaceae), a common canopy tree in Neotropical forests. We quantified chemical defenses of expanding leaves, including phenolic, saponin and toxic amino acids, in experimental field treatments with and without caterpillars. Because young leaves lack fiber and are higher in protein than mature leaves, they typically lose >25% of their leaf area during the few weeks of expansion. We predicted that the high rates of attack would select for investment in constitutive defenses over induction. Our data show that chemical defenses were quite unresponsive to herbivory. We demonstrated that expanding leaves showed no or only small increases in investment in secondary metabolites, and no qualitative changes in the phenolic compound profile in response to herbivory. The proteinogenic amino acid tyrosine, which can be toxic at high concentrations, showed the greatest levels of induction.Synthesis: These results provide some of the first support for theoretical predictions that the evolution of induced vs. constitutive defenses depends on the risk of herbivory. In habitats with constant and high potential losses to herbivores, such as tropical rainforests, high investments in constitutive defenses are favored over induction.
Cyto‐nuclear discordance suggests complex evolutionary history in the cave‐dwelling salamander, Eurycea lucifuga
Authors: Edgington Hilary A. , Ingram Colleen M. , Taylor Douglas R.
Published: September 2016

Our understanding of the evolutionary history and ecology of cave‐associated species has been driven historically by studies of morphologically adapted cave‐restricted species. Our understanding of the evolutionary history and ecology of nonrestricted cave species, troglophiles, is limited to a few studies, which present differing accounts of troglophiles’ relationship with the cave habitat, and its impact on population dynamics. Here, we used phylogenetics, demographic statistics, and population genetic methods to study lineage divergence, dates of divergence, and population structure in the Cave Salamander, Eurycea lucifuga, across its range. In order to perform these analyses, we sampled 233 individuals from 49 populations, using sequence data from three gene loci as well as genotyping data from 19 newly designed microsatellite markers. We find, as in many other species studied in a phylogeographic context, discordance between patterns inferred from mitochondrial relationships and those inferred by nuclear markers indicating a complicated evolutionary history in this species. Our results suggest Pleistocene‐based divergence among three main lineages within E. lucifuga corresponding to the western, central, and eastern regions of the range, similar to patterns seen in species separated in multiple refugia during climatic shifts. The conflict between mitochondrial and nuclear patterns is consistent with what we would expect from secondary contact between regional populations following expansion from multiple refugia.
Human‐modified habitats change patterns of population genetic structure and group relatedness in Peter's tent‐roosting bats
Authors: Sagot Maria , Phillips Caleb D. , Baker Robert J. , Stevens Richard D.
Published: September 2016

Although coloniality is widespread among mammals, it is still not clear what factors influence composition of social groups. As animals need to adapt to multiple habitat and environmental conditions throughout their range, variation in group composition should be influenced by adaptive adjustment to different ecological factors. Relevant to anthropogenic disturbance, increased habitat modification by humans can alter species’ presence, density, and population structure. Therefore, it is important to understand the consequences of changes to landscape composition, in particular how habitat modification affects social structure of group‐forming organisms. Here, we combine information on roosting associations with genetic structure of Peter's tent‐roosting bats,Uroderma bilobatumto address how different habitat characteristics at different scales affect structure of social groups. By dividing analyses by age and sex, we determined that genetic structure was greater for adult females than adult males or offspring. Habitat variables explained 80% of the variation in group relatedness (mainly influenced by female relatedness) with roost characteristics contributing the most explained variation. This suggests that females using roosts of specific characteristics exhibit higher relatedness and seem to be philopatric. These females mate with more males than do more labile female groups. Results describe ecological and microevolutionary processes, which affect relatedness and social structure; findings are highly relevant to species distributions in both natural and human‐modified environments.
Linking leaf veins to growth and mortality rates: an example from a subtropical tree community
Authors: Iida Yoshiko , Sun I‐Fang , Price Charles A. , Chen Chien‐Teh , Chen Zueng‐Sang , Chiang Jyh‐Min , Huang Chun‐Lin , Swenson Nathan G.
Published: September 2016

A fundamental goal in ecology is to link variation in species function to performance, but functional trait–performance investigations have had mixed success. This indicates that less commonly measured functional traits may more clearly elucidate trait–performance relationships. Despite the potential importance of leaf vein traits, which are expected to be related to resource delivery rates and photosynthetic capacity, there are few studies, which examine associations between these traits and demographic performance in communities. Here, we examined the associations between species traits including leaf venation traits and demographic rates (Relative Growth Rate, RGR and mortality) as well as the spatial distributions of traits along soil environment for 54 co‐occurring species in a subtropical forest. Size‐related changes in demographic rates were estimated using a hierarchical Bayesian approach. Next, Kendall's rank correlations were quantified between traits and estimated demographic rates at a given size and between traits and species‐average soil environment. Species with denser venation, smaller areoles, less succulent, or thinner leaves showed higher RGR for a wide range of size classes. Species with leaves of denser veins, larger area, cheaper construction costs or thinner, or low‐density wood were associated with high mortality rates only in small size classes. Lastly, contrary to our expectations, acquisitive traits were not related to resource‐rich edaphic conditions. This study shows that leaf vein traits are weakly, but significantly related to tree demographic performance together with other species traits. Because leaf traits associated with an acquisitive strategy such as denser venation, less succulence, and thinner leaves showed higher growth rate, but similar leaf traits were not associated with mortality, different pathways may shape species growth and survival. This study suggests that we are still not measuring some of key traits related to resource‐use strategies, which dictate the demography and distributions of species.
Early warning signals detect critical impacts of experimental warming
Authors: Jarvis Lauren , McCann Kevin , Tunney Tyler , Gellner Gabriel , Fryxell John M.
Published: September 2016

Earth's surface temperatures are projected to increase by ~1–4°C over the next century, threatening the future of global biodiversity and ecosystem stability. While this has fueled major progress in the field of physiological trait responses to warming, it is currently unclear whether routine population monitoring data can be used to predict temperature‐induced population collapse. Here, we integrate trait performance theory with that of critical tipping points to test whether early warning signals can be reliably used to anticipate thermally induced extinction events. We find that a model parameterized by experimental growth rates exhibits critical slowing down in the vicinity of an experimentally tested critical threshold, suggesting that dynamical early warning signals may be useful in detecting the potentially precipitous onset of population collapse due to global climate change.
High‐resolution photo‐mosaic time‐series imagery for monitoring human use of an artificial reef
Authors: Wood Georgina , Lynch Tim P. , Devine Carlie , Keller Krystle , Figueira Will
Published: September 2016

Successful marine management relies on understanding patterns of human use. However, obtaining data can be difficult and expensive given the widespread and variable nature of activities conducted. Remote camera systems are increasingly used to overcome cost limitations of conventional labour‐intensive methods. Still, most systems face trade‐offs between the spatial extent and resolution over which data are obtained, limiting their application. We trialed a novel methodology, CSIRO Ruggedized Autonomous Gigapixel System (CRAGS), for time series of high‐resolution photo‐mosaic (HRPM) imagery to estimate fine‐scale metrics of human activity at an artificial reef located 1.3 km from shore. We compared estimates obtained using the novel system to those produced with a web camera that concurrently monitored the site. We evaluated the effect of day type (weekday/weekend) and time of day on each of the systems and compared to estimates obtained from binocular observations. In general, both systems delivered similar estimates for the number of boats observed and to those obtained by binocular counts; these results were also unaffected by the type of day (weekend vs. weekday). CRAGS was able to determine additional information about the user type and party size that was not possible with the lower resolution webcam system. However, there was an effect of time of day as CRAGS suffered from poor image quality in early morning conditions as a result of fixed camera settings. Our field study provides proof of concept of use of this new cost‐effective monitoring tool for the remote collection of high‐resolution large‐extent data on patterns of human use at high temporal frequency.
Snowbeds are more affected than other subalpine–alpine plant communities by climate change in the Swiss Alps
Authors: Matteodo Magalì , Ammann Klaus , Verrecchia Eric Pascal , Vittoz Pascal
Published: September 2016

While the upward shift of plant species has been observed on many alpine and nival summits, the reaction of the subalpine and lower alpine plant communities to the current warming and lower snow precipitation has been little investigated so far. To this aim, 63 old, exhaustive plant inventories, distributed along a subalpine–alpine elevation gradient of the Swiss Alps and covering different plant community types (acidic and calcareous grasslands; windy ridges; snowbeds), were revisited after 25–50 years. Old and recent inventories were compared in terms of species diversity with Simpson diversity and Bray–Curtis dissimilarity indices, and in terms of community composition with principal component analysis. Changes in ecological conditions were inferred from the ecological indicator values. The alpha‐diversity increased in every plant community, likely because of the arrival of new species. As observed on mountain summits, the new species led to a homogenization of community compositions. The grasslands were quite stable in terms of species composition, whatever the bedrock type. Indeed, the newly arrived species were part of the typical species pool of the colonized community. In contrast, snowbed communities showed pronounced vegetation changes and a clear shift toward dryer conditions and shorter snow cover, evidenced by their colonization by species from surrounding grasslands. Longer growing seasons allow alpine grassland species, which are taller and hence more competitive, to colonize the snowbeds. This study showed that subalpine–alpine plant communities reacted differently to the ongoing climate changes. Lower snow/rain ratio and longer growing seasons seem to have a higher impact than warming, at least on plant communities dependent on long snow cover. Consequently, they are the most vulnerable to climate change and their persistence in the near future is seriously threatened. Subalpine and alpine grasslands are more stable, and, until now, they do not seem to be affected by a warmer climate.
Weak cell cycle dependency but strong distortive effects of transfection with Lipofectamine 2000 in near‐physiologically synchronized cell culture
Authors: Fuge Grischa , Zeng An‐Ping , Jandt Uwe
Published: September 2016

Previously, we reported a method to generate and validate cell cycle‐synchronized cultures of multiple mammalian suspension cell lines under near‐physiological conditions. This method was applied to elucidate the putative interdependencies of the cell cycle and recombinant protein expression in the human producer cell line HEK293s using Lipofectamine 2000 and the reporter plasmid pcDNA3.3 enhanced green fluorescent protein, destabilized using PEST sequence. A population‐resolved modeling approach was applied to quantitatively assess putative variations of cell cycle dependent expression rates based on the obtained experimental data. We could not confirm results published earlier by other groups, based on nonphysiological synchronization attempts, reporting transfection efficiency being strongly dependent on the cell cycle phase at transfection time point. On the other hand, it is demonstrated that transfection and protein expression distort the progression of the cell cycle.
Towards electroenzymatic processes involving old yellow enzymes and mediated cofactor regeneration
Authors: Tosstorff Andreas , Kroner Cora , Opperman Diederik J. , Hollmann Frank , Holtmann Dirk
Published: September 2016

Old yellow enzymes are able to catalyze asymmetric C=C reductions. A mediated electroenzymatic process to regenerate the NADPH in combination with an old yellow enzyme was investigated. Due to the fact that the overall process was affected by a broad set of parameters, a design of experiments (DoE) approach was chosen to identify suitable process conditions. Process conditions with high productivities of up to 2.27 mM/h in combination with approximately 90% electron transfer efficiency were identified.
Long‐term mortality of patients with West syndrome
Authors: Sillanpää Matti , Riikonen Raili , Saarinen Maiju M. , Schmidt Dieter
Published: September 2016

Objective

To study long‐term survival and mortality among patients with West syndrome.

Methods

The study population included all children born in 1960–1976 and treated for West syndrome in three tertiary care hospitals in Helsinki, Finland. The participants were prospectively followed for five decades for survival. Death data were derived from the National Causes of Death Register of the Population Register Center of Statistics Finland.

Results

During follow‐up, 102 (49%) of 207 patients had died at the mean age of 19 years. The mean overall annual mortality rate was 15.3 per 1,000 patient‐years. The rates ranged from 18.2 per 1,000 after 10 years to 17.2 per 1,000 after 20 years and 15.4 per 1,000 patient‐years after 40 years of follow‐up. One fourth (25%) had died by 17.2 (95% CI 11.8–22.7) years and 50% by 48.6 (95% CI 38.5–NA) years of follow‐up. Etiology at onset was symptomatic in 87% patients and cryptogenic in 13%; 6 of the latter 26 patients later turned out to be symptomatic. The mean annual mortality rate was 3.7 per 1,000 for 4 patients with cryptogenic etiology and 17.6 per 1,000 for those with symptomatic etiology. The hazard of death was fivefold in patients with symptomatic etiology versus cryptogenic etiology. The overall autopsy rate was 73%. Pneumonia was the most frequent cause of death (46%). All patients who died of pneumonia had symptomatic etiology. SUDEP occurred in 10 patients and was the most common epilepsy‐related cause of death (10%).

Significance

Risk of excess death of participants with West syndrome is not limited to early age but continues into adulthood, particularly in those with symptomatic etiology, and leads to death in half the cases at around 50 years of age. Measures should be directed to prevent pneumonia, the most common overall cause, and SUDEP, the most frequent seizure‐related cause, of death.
Assessing neuronal density in peri‐infarct cortex with PET: Effects of cortical topology and partial volume correction
Authors: Funck Thomas , Al‐Kuwaiti Mohammed , Lepage Claude , Zepper Peter , Minuk Jeffrey , Schipper Hyman M. , Evans Alan C. , Thiel Alexander
Published: September 2016

The peri‐infarct cortex (PIC) is the site of long‐term physiologic changes after ischemic stroke. Traditional methods for delineating the peri‐infarct gray matter (GM) have used a volumetric Euclidean distance metric to define its extent around the infarct. This metric has limitations in the case of cortical stroke, i.e., those where ischemia leads to infarction in the cortical GM, because the vascularization of the cerebral cortex follows the complex, folded topology of the cortical surface. Instead, we used a geodesic distance metric along the cortical surface to subdivide the PIC into equidistant rings emanating from the infarct border and compared this new approach to a Euclidean distance metric definition. This was done in 11 patients with [F‐18]‐Flumazenil ([18‐F]‐FMZ) positron emission tomography (PET) scans at 2 weeks post‐stroke and at 6 month follow‐up. FMZ is a PET radiotracer with specific binding to the alpha subunits of the type A γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABAA) receptor. Additionally, we used partial‐volume correction (PVC) of the PET images to compensate for potential cortical thinning and long‐term neuronal loss in follow‐up images. The difference in non‐displaceable binding potential (BPND) between the stroke unaffected and affected hemispheres was 35% larger in the geodesic versus the Euclidean peri‐infarct models in initial PET images and 48% larger in follow‐up PET images. The inter‐hemispheric BPND difference was approximately 17–20% larger after PVC when compared to uncorrected PET images. PET studies of peri‐infarct GM in cortical strokes should use a geodesic model and include PVC as a preprocessing step. Hum Brain Mapp 38:326–338, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sonographic evaluation of patellar clunk syndrome following total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Geannette Christian , Miller Theodore , Saboeiro Gregory , Parks Michael
Published: September 2016

Patellar clunk syndrome is a painful mechanical phenomenon that may develop following total knee arthroplasty. The diagnosis is usually made clinically, but cross‐sectional imaging may be needed to confirm the clinical suspicion. Sonographic confirmation of patellar clunk syndrome can be obtained by directly visualizing the soft tissue proliferation deep to the distal quadriceps tendon and by dynamically demonstrating the clunking tissue during flexion and extension of the knee. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:105–107, 2017;
Cysts of the canal of Nuck: A rare sonographic diagnosis
Authors: Lai Ingrid , Page Andrea , Hamidinia Fereshteh , Rahmani Rose
Published: September 2016

The canal of Nuck is a remnant of a peritoneal evagination associated with the round ligament in women. Rarely, the canal of Nuck can remain patent allowing for development of cysts. These cysts are difficult to diagnose due to their rare incidence and because they are often mistaken for other causes of inguinal pain in women. This case series of three women presenting with groin or labial masses highlights the role of sonography as the primary imaging modality in the diagnosis of canal of Nuck cysts. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:175–178, 2017
Diagnosis and laparoscopic management of a rudimentary horn pregnancy: Role of three‐dimensional ultrasound
Authors: Blancafort Claudia , Graupera Betlem , Pascual Maria Àngela , Hereter Lourdes , Browne Jean Laurent , Cusidó Maria Teresa
Published: September 2016

Rudimentary horn pregnancy occurs in 1 in 76,000–150,000 pregnancies and causes uterine rupture in about 80% of cases. The use of three‐dimensional transvaginal ultrasound seems to be useful for its early detection. We present a case of an 8‐week pregnancy in a rudimentary horn, managed by laparoscopic excision. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:112–115, 2017;