bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pariñas-Chira Archaeology: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Lothrop S. K.
Published: June 2018

The following account of ancient remains in northern Peru is the result of a reconnaissance during May, 1941 from Cabo Blanco southward to Piura. The surface collections from various archaeological sites, now in the Peabody Museum of Harvard University, have not yet been repaired and will be published subsequently. The present report, however, includes material from local collections, which tells the basic story.

The region of which we write embraces two river valleys: Parinas and Chira (Fig. 44). The Parinas, according to a classification published by Kroeber, is a third-class river which reaches the sea a few miles north of the oil port of Talara. When I saw it, there was considerable flow of water, but automobiles could cross in places.
The Position of Pucara in Titicaca Basin Archaeology
Authors: Kidder Alfred
Published: June 2018

This paper presents the gist of informal remarks made at the Conference on Peruvian Prehistory, with some added comment pertaining to Bennett's views on the revision of the south Titicaca basin sequence. Full documentation, and the illustrative material indispensable for such comparative studies will be presented in the final report on excavations at Pucara.

Since Pucara is the only site in the northern Titicaca basin at which excavation on even a moderate scale has been attempted, its relationship to Tiahuanaco and other sites in Bolivia and southern Puno are of obvious interest, especially since the bulk of the Pucara materials represents a culture obviously sharing many of the ideas expressed in Tiahuanaco art. This being the case, the question then arises as to whether the “Classic” phase of Pucara precedes the Tiahuanaco periods, is contemporaneous with one or all of them as a regional manifestation in the northern basin, or is a later development in the southern basin tradition.
The Bertelson Suquamish Collection
Authors: Smith Marian W.
Published: June 2018

Ernest Bertelson began his collecting twenty or twenty-one years ago on a sandy spit on the former Suquamish Indian Reservation at Suquamish, Washington. Suquamish is on the west shore of Puget Sound almost directly across from Seattle and the spit lies south of the present Seattle-Suquamish ferry landing. On this same point of land, once stood the renowned Old Man House, largest aboriginal structure of the American Northwest. The bulk of the collection consists of chipped stone artifacts, varying in workmanship from beautifully finished points to crudely worked flakes and pecked cores. Some polished stone, a few bone pieces, and one piece of copper are also included. Mr. Bertelson moved away from Suquamish in 1944 and the collection, which has been kept intact, is now housed with his brother in Minnesota. By the summer of 1945 the spit was surveyed and divided into small building lots for the erection of a summer colony so that the possibility of obtaining further information is slight indeed.
Dorset Settlement Patterns in Newfoundland and Southeastern Hudson Bay
Authors: Harp Elmer
Published: June 2018

The history of dorset eskimo archaeological research now spans a half-century and appears to be fully mature. At the outset, progress in this research was sporadic, but in the last two decades momentum has increased and we have achieved many significant clarifications of the general Dorset problem. These include a firm definition of Dorset people as true Eskimos, and further insights with respect to their temporal and geographic spread throughout the central and eastern Arctic, their localized adaptations to changing environments, and, as a persistent theme, their noteworthy cultural conservatism through time. This paper deals primarily with the middle and late stages of Dorset culture as seen in marginal settlements in western Newfoundland and southeastern Hudson Bay.

In reviewing past investigations of Arctic prehistory, I have been struck by our substantive preoccupation with material culture, mainly with artifacts. That is quite natural because our powers of interpretation and reconstruction are circumscribed in well-known ways by the paucity of our field data, particularly so as we are dealing with the cultures of Arctic hunter-gatherers. Therefore, we should be forgiven a natural tendency to submerge in the warm realities of artifacts and the comforting procedures of mensuration and taxonomy. These are legitimate scientific concerns, and they may lead us toward useful statistical formulations, definitions of cultural parameters and complexes, and so on. However, to the extent that we think solely in such statistical and materialistic terms, the fundamental human nature of our quest may be diminished, if not lost altogether.
Some Adena and Hopewell Radiocarbon Dates
Authors: Griffin James B.
Published: June 2018

The Chronological relationship of the Adena and Hopewell cultures and their placement within the temporal column of North American prehistory was considered of sufficient importance by the Committee on Radioactive Carbon 14 to warrant a special effort to obtain dates. Individuals and institutions in the Mississippi Valley were requested to provide samples, with the result that specimens were submitted from an Adena site in Kentucky (126) and one in Ohio (214). Two specimens from a Tchefuncte culture midden in Louisiana thought to be of comparable age and typology to Adena (150 and 151) were processed in order to provide information on a common cultural level over a considerable area. A total of six specimens from the Hopewellian level were dated. These comprise runs on three different kinds of organic material from mound 25 of the Hopewell group (137-139), Ross County, Ohio; a specimen from mound 9 of the Havana group in Mason County, Illinois (152); material from Bynum, a Hopewell period site in northeast Mississippi (154); and from the Crooks site, a Marksville mound in LaSalle Parish, Louisiana (143). It was believed, before the samples were dated, that this would afford satisfactory information not only on the time position of Adena and Hopewell but might also clear up the question as to the priority of appearance in the north or the south of those cultural influences which produced the general stages of early to middle Woodland and their local representations.
The Inland Tlingit
Authors: McClellan Catharine
Published: June 2018

Ethnographers confidently point to the Tlingit-speaking population of southeastern Alaska as an important component of the Northwest Coast culture area. They cite these Indians as a maritime oriented group, sharing a common speech and many distinctive culture traits. About fourteen Tlingit tribes have been listed and in part described for the Alaska coast.

I should like to discuss three less well-known Tlingit-speaking bands now located in the interior of northern British Columbia and of southern Yukon Territory. These three neighboring groups are: the Tagish band of Carcross at the junction of lakes Bennett and Nares; the Atlin band on the lake of the same name; and the Teslin band with headquarters on Teslin Lake. This is the farthest inland of the lakes mentioned, and it is little more than a hundred miles from the mild, damp Pacific coast with its abundant sea and shore life.
4. The Surface Survey and Culture Epoch Terminology
Authors: Strong William Duncan
Published: June 2018

The primary purpose of the 1952-53 expedition was to make stratigraphic cuts in order to place the Nazca culture in relation to the Cavernas culture which was known to occur at Paracas and Ocucaje but not, so far as then known, elsewhere in the lea Valley proper nor the Nazca region. My brief survey trips in the Ica-Nazca area in 1940, 1941, and 1949 had not revealed such stratified sites. Therefore, an important part of the 1952-53 expedition was to make a surface survey of the large area, both for its own sake and particularly to select the most promising sites for sondage.
6. The Formative Epoch
Authors: Strong William Duncan
Published: June 2018

The early Paracas culture phase is the earliest Formative horizon we encountered in the Ica-Nazca region. It was briefly studied at the Juan Pablo I site, a burial ground upstream from lea near the head of the valley (Figs. 1; 3 A-G). Our work here was very limited, but confirmed the earlier reports of Pablo Soldi who guided us to the site. Numerous materials from this site are among the more recent additions to the Truel Collection in Ocucaje where we were able to study them. The burials were located on a rocky shelf well above the river and consisted of simple pits from 0.60 to 1.75 m. in depth. The skeletons were flexed and in very poor condition, all but one showing the cabeia larga or general Cavernas type of head deformation. All traces of perishable materials had disappeared save for small, crumbling fragments of plain-weave cloth. Of the 4 burials encountered, one was covered by a rough boulder ceiling or barbacoa, one was seated in a broken olla, and two were side by side alongside a short stone and rough adobe wall. The bodies had originally been seated or flexed, but had collapsed.
8. The Epoch of Fusion
Authors: Strong William Duncan
Published: June 2018

Three cultural phases following the Late , Nazca culture are here included in the epoch of Fusion. These are the newly defined Huaca del Loro, the Coastal Tiahuanaco (and Pacheco?), and the Early lea (or Epigonal) cultures (Table 2). Of these, we made habitation and refuse site excavations only in the first or Huaca del Loro phase. The latter 2 phases we encountered in a few graves and at various surface sites (Table 1). For purposes of the present paper only the Huaca del Loro phase is outlined here. However, the general nature and problems raised by the 2 succeeding phases will be very briefly mentioned.
Some Social Aspects of New England Colonial Mortuary Art
Authors: Deetz James , Dethlefsen Edwin N.
Published: June 2018

The spatial, temporal, and formal controls available in Colonial gravestones permit the investigation of the various social dimensions of their occurrences. Those aspects which can be studied include status, community intermarriage, the social implications of stylistic evolution, and, in the case of the cemeteries, relative importance of community as opposed to familial control of interment practices. Such studies provide an understanding of some of the social factors reflected by measurable data of the type encountered in archaeological research. This paper documents specific responses in the evolution of marker styles to the Great Awakening's effect at Boston.
1. The Conceptual Setting
Authors: Thompson Raymond H.
Published: June 2018

It seems to have become the custom for the author of a paper on archaeological methodology to provide his readers with a review of the theoretical trends of the discipline. The general outline of these trends must by now be the common property of all literate anthropologists. do not consider it improper, therefore, to refrain from repeating a summary of them here. Much more important to this study of the nature of archaeological inference is a statement of the present aims of the discipline and the role which inference is expected to play in achieving these aims.

Phillips and Willey (1953: 616) succinctly describe the proper ends of archaeological research:

The ultimate objective of archeology is the creation of an image of life within the limits of the residue that is available from the past. The procedural objectives toward such a goal may be dichotomized into reconstructions of space-time relationships, on the one hand, and contextual relationships on the other.
3 The Issaquena Phase
Authors: Greengo Robert E.
Published: June 2018

The Issaquena phase is conceived as an archaeological unit in the sense defined by Willey and Phillips (1958: 22). The name derives from that of the county in the State of Mississippi in which this complex has so far appeared in greatest concentration. The type component is that found in the lower levels of the Manny site (22-N-6). Other components of the phase are known from excavations at the Thornton (22-M-1), Leist (22-N-1), Mabin (21-N-4), and Jaketown (20-O-1) sites, all in the southern third of the Lower Yazoo Basin. The fundamental criteria upon which this phase is postulated are a number of ceramic types that appear as an integrated complex. There are several other cultural features associated with the phase, but these are not as well known as the ceramics.

The Yazoo Basin, or “Delta” as it is called locally, has been defined geographically and its general environmental conditions described by Phillips and others (1951: 16-17). All the sites considered here as affiliated with the Issaquena phase (Table 2) lie on the Mississippi floodplain.
5 Summary Definition of the Issaquena Phase
Authors: Greengo Robert E.
Published: June 2018

The Issaquena phase is postulated as a discrete culture unit identified at four sites in the southern part of the Yazoo Basin in the Lower Mississippi Valley. The primary criteria distinguishing this culture unit are a number of pottery types within a Lower Mississippi Valley ceramic tradition. The four marker types are: Manny Stamped, characterized by medium-sized open bowls with thickened rims, and decorated by zoned, dentate rocker-stamping outlined by deep U-shaped incisions on the exterior; Yokena Incised, with similar forms, but decorated by bold designs without background roughening; Troyville Stamped, again with the basic open bowls, but decorated with zoned non-dentate rocker-stamping; and Churupa Punctated, a type closely related to the other three but decorated by zones of hemiconical punctations outlined by the above-described type of incised line. These ceramic groups have prototypes in the preceding Marksville phase, apparently centered somewhat to the south in the Lower Mississippi Valley. It may be noted here that all of the pottery of the Issaquena phase has come from occupation deposits and thus may be construed as utility ware.
3 Chronological and Geographical Synthesis of Ceramic Traits
Authors: Wauchope Robert
Published: June 2018

Before I could consider the foregoing processes in various aspects of prehistoric Georgia culture I first had to determine what changes, if any, took place, and in what categories. Also, I had to decide, when it was possible to do' so, to which of my categories of cultural traits each ceramic feature belonged. For example, is fabricmarking a decoration or is it simply a technical product, resulting from wrapping a vessel in a fabric before it was wholly dry? Was surface color of unpainted vessels deliberately controlled by the ancient Indian potters, and thus an aesthetic trait, or were only technical manufacturing motives and accidents of firing involved?
Chapter 8. The Ethnographic Data
Authors: Williams B. J.
Published: June 2018

Before discussing the fit of the Birhor ethnographic data to our model of hunting-gathering society, a few observations are in order to indicate the frequency and distribution of ethnographically known hunting peoples who do, or do not, appear to fit the model. To do this, I shall rely primarily on the surveys of Steward (1936), Service (1962), Lee and DeVore (1968), Damas (1969), and Bicchieri (1972).

Since the objective of this investigation was the intensive investigation of a single test case, no broadly comparative analysis of ethnographies of other hunting societies will be given. I would like to suggest, however, that, if such a comparative survey were undertaken, the observance of three or four strictures in interpreting the data would lead to differing conclusions about some societies now considered exceptions to the patrilocal, patrilineal model.
Chapter V: Houses, Kashims, and Caches
Authors: De Laguna Frederica
Published: June 2018

Not much information about Tena houses can be found in early published accounts. Travelers report permanent villages with semisubterranean houses built of logs, and roofed with bark and turf, from all the Yukon tribes which we visited, with the exception of the Tanana, but give few details of construction. Dall however, specifies for the Un'ā-khō-tanā, between Tanana and Ruby (or, as we should say, between Tanana and the Nowitna), that “their houses are less solidly built and less permanent than those of the Lowlanders [Nulato to Holy Cross].” Of the Tanana Indians, Schwatka reports:

“Their habitations, except among the Indians living near the mouth, are very temporary, being made of moose skins in winter, and generally of a lighter and less substantial character even than this in summer. Near the mouth of the [Tanana] river some of the tribe have underground houses, such as are in use among the Innuits, and are called by the Russians ‘barraboras.’”
Chapter VII: Pottery from Indian and “Eskimo” Sites
Authors: De Laguna Frederica
Published: June 2018

I Have preferred to describe in one section the pottery from the supposedly Eskimo site at Fox Creek and that from the Indian sites above Holy Cross, since there seems to be no real difference in the shapes or general character of the ware. The Eskimo of the lower Yukon and Kuskokwim also make very similar pots and lamps, though there seem to be slight differences in decorative style peculiar to each locality.

Apparently all the Tena groups of the middle and lower Yukon Valley made pottery. Rainey reports potsherds from the fields of the Government Agricultural Experiment Station at Rampart, 80 miles above Tanana, and potsherds and deposits of fine clay used for pottery making at Arlan Jordan's camp six miles below Rampart Rapids, or 34 miles above the mouth of the Tanana. Indians from the lower Tanana used to come to these clay beds, and clay vessels were apparently traded as far up the Tanana as the Delta River, some 425 miles above the mouth of the Tanana. Pottery was not made, however, on the upper Tanana or on the upper Copper River. Our own informants told us of pottery 100 miles (by water) up the Nowitna and on the Innoko about 80 miles above Hologochaket. We found sherds at almost every site investigated from Tanana Mission and Kateel down to Fox Creek below Holy Cross.
The Mesa Verde Loess
Authors: Arrhenius Gustaf , Bonatti Enrico
Published: June 2018

The petrology and stratification of the late Pleistocene and Recent mesa deposits in the Mesa Verde area are described. These deposits are believed to have been formed by eolian deposition. Measurements of present-day dust accumulation are reported. The age relationships of the strata are discussed on the basis of measurements of the radioactivity of organic carbon and carbonate precipitates and with reference to the early Mesa Verde culture.

Our of the dust of time

comes a nation's heritage.

Eugene W. Ingle
Entomology: An Aid in Archaeological Studies
Authors: Graham Samuel A.
Published: June 2018

Sampling for insect remains was conducted at ruins under excavation at Wetherill Mesa during 1961 and 1962. The mesa-top samples were unproductive; the more-protected cliff dwellings offered better results. The fragile nature of insect remains requires special procedures in their separation and preservation from the samples of soil, adobe, mortar, fecal matter, and other material collected for study. Insect species were found that could have been pests in stored grain as well as in the farmlands. Other insects, chiefly beetles, were recovered that might be classified as household pests. Scavenger insects, mainly tenebrionids, scarab beetles, and flies, were associated with turkey roosts, pack-rat nests, fecal matter, and burials. Twenty-four specimens of human feces were studied; only one sample contained insect remains (grasshopper parts) that could have been ingested. Insect activity on timbers was observed. It is possible that the Indians felled trees and permitted bark beetles and borers to “work” on the trees, thus loosening the bark for easier stripping. Although this study was not as comprehensive as might have been hoped for, results indicate that entomological study should certainly be useful in archaeological investigations.
Identification of Feather Fragments by Microstudies
Authors: Hargrave Lyndon L.
Published: June 2018

Not much work has been done on identification of feather fragments because of a deficiency in methods and a lack of trained persons. One individual, trained in these techniques, was tested intensively to determine the accuracy of his identifications. Besides identifying archaeological feather fragments, he also identified small fragments from artifacts (such as cotton socks), which is one example of the usefulness of this technique.
3 Houses and Other Features
Authors: Webb Clarence H.
Published: June 2018

Houses 1 to 5 of this site have been described in a previous publication (C. H. Webb 1940), with some comparisons with historic house types among the Caddos, other Southeastern tribes, and Plains groups. Archaeological evidences of Caddoan house types were cited from the descriptions of Jackson (1936) and Harrington (1920). Since that time, however, other excavations in the Caddoan area have given a fuller picture of house structures, hence a repetition of descriptions of houses at the Belcher site together with a more complete comparison seems to be in order. It has been indicated that Houses 1 to 4 were immediately superimposed (in reverse order) in Mound B (Fig. 5), as were Houses 5 and 6 on the village area and 7 and 8 in the lower levels of Mound A (Fig. 6).
Effects of fulvic acids on goat sperm
Authors: Xiao Yu , Wu Zhengmu , Wang Min
Published: June 2018

The effects of adding fulvic acids (FAs) to semen extenders on the quality parameters of frozen–thawed goat buck spermatozoa remain undetermined. Buck semen samples collected from six mature goat bucks once a week were diluted with Tris–egg yolk-based extenders. The diluted semen samples were supplemented with FAs (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%, w/w), cryopreserved, and evaluated for sperm-quality parameters. Addition of FAs to the extender increased progressive motility, acrosome integrity, membrane integrity, and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities and decreased percentage abnormality and sperm malondialdehyde level compared with the control group. However, excessive FA addition (>0.4%, w/w) to semen extenders did not improve the efficiency. The results indicated that FAs could be a promising cryoprotectant for goat buck sperm.
DEBT STABILIZATION IN A NON-RICARDIAN ECONOMY
Authors: Leith Campbell , Moldovan Ioana , Wren-Lewis Simon
Published: June 2018

In models with a representative infinitely lived household, tax smoothing implies that the steady state of government debt should follow a random walk. This is unlikely to be the case in overlapping generations (OLG) economies, where the equilibrium interest rate may differ from the policy maker's rate of time preference. It may therefore be optimal to reduce debt today to reduce distortionary taxation in the future. In addition, the level of the capital stock in these economies is likely to be suboptimally low, and reducing government debt will crowd in additional capital. Using a version of the Blanchard-Yaari model of perpetual youth, with both public and private capital, we show that it is optimal in steady state for the government to hold assets. However, we also show how and why this level of government assets can fall short of both the level of debt that achieves the optimal capital stock and the level that eliminates income taxes. Finally, we compute the optimal adjustment path to this steady state.
Deformation Mechanisms in a Rolled Magnesium Alloy Under Tension Along the Rolling Direction
Authors: Hou Dewen , Liu Tianmo , Shi Meng , Wen Haiming , Zhao Haiyan
Published: June 2018

The twinning and slip modes of a rolled magnesium alloy sheet were investigated through quasi-in-situ tensile tests that were carried out along the rolling direction at room temperature with a constant strain rate. Scanning electron microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction observations were used to identify activated twinning and slip systems. Schmid factors were calculated to analyze different deformation modes. The analyses show that a small number of {10-12} tensile twins were present during deformation, and these twins resulted from the accommodation of compression along the tensile direction. Post-deformation examination revealed the dominance of prismatic  slip.
A Model for the Initiation, Evolution, and Controls on Seismic Behavior of the Garlock Fault, California
Authors: Hatem Alexandra E. , Dolan James F.
Published: June 2018

We develop a model for the evolution and activity of the Garlock fault that combines elements of three previously proposed mechanisms: (1) conjugate slip to the San Andreas fault, (2) extension in the Basin and Range, and (3) bending from oblique shear in the eastern California shear zone (ECSZ). Conjugate slip is greatest in the west and decreases eastward. Conversely, extension‐induced slip increases westward from the eastern termination of the fault, reaching a maximum at and to the west of the intersection with the Sierra Nevada frontal fault. Oroclinal bending provides only a small contribution to Garlock slip that increases eastward from the east‐central segment. These spatiotemporally complex loading patterns may explain alternating periods of fault activity along the Garlock and neighboring faults. Moreover, these complex kinematic relationships demonstrate that the Garlock fault acts as an efficient mechanical bridge linking slip on the northern ECSZ and San Andreas fault that may have delayed or even obviated the long‐hypothesized development of a new Pacific‐North America plate boundary along the ECSZ‐Walker Lane.
The Distinct Contributions of the Seasonal Footprinting and Charged‐Discharged Mechanisms to ENSO Complexity
Authors: Yu Jin‐Yi , Fang Shih‐Wei
Published: June 2018

This study finds the seasonal footprinting (SF) mechanism to be a key source of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) complexity, whereas the charged‐discharged (CD) mechanism acts to reduce complexity. The CD mechanism forces El Niño and La Niña to follow each other, resulting in a more cyclic and less complex ENSO evolution, while the SF mechanism involves subtropical forcing and results in an ENSO evolution that is more episodic and irregular. The SF mechanism also has a tendency to produce multiyear La Niña events but not multiyear El Niño events, contributing to El Niño‐La Niña asymmetries. The strength of CD mechanism has been steady, but SF mechanism has intensified during the past two decades, making ENSO more complicated. Most Climate Model Intercomparison Project version 5 models overestimate the strength of the CD mechanism but underestimate the strength of the SF mechanism, causing their simulated ENSOs to be too regular and symmetric.
Giant Pulsations Excited by a Steep Earthward Gradient of Proton Phase Space Density: Arase Observation
Authors: Yamamoto Kazuhiro , Nosé Masahito , Kasahara Satoshi , Yokota Shoichiro , Keika Kunihiro , Matsuoka Ayako , Teramoto Mariko , Takahashi Kazue , Oimatsu Satoshi , Nomura Reiko , Vellante Massimo , Heilig Balázs , Fujimoto Akiko , Tanaka Yoshimasa , Shinohara Manabu , Shinohara Iku , Miyoshi Yoshizumi
Published: June 2018

We present observational evidence of drift resonance between westward propagating odd mode standing ultralow frequency waves and energetic protons. Compressional ∼13 mHz (Pc4 band) waves and proton flux oscillations at >50 keV were detected at ∼03 hr magnetic local time by the Arase satellite on 15 April 2017. The azimuthal wave number (m number) is estimated to be ∼−50 from ground observations, while the theory of drift resonance gives m ∼− 49 for odd mode waves and ∼110‐keV protons, providing evidence that the drift resonance indeed took place in this event. We also found a steep earthward gradient of proton phase space density, which can quantitatively explain the wave excitation. The observed waves show typical features of giant pulsations (Pgs), regarding local time, m number, and flux oscillations. This study, therefore, has great implications to the field line mode structure and excitation mechanism of Pgs.
Detrital Zircons Dismember Sibumasu in East Gondwana
Authors: Zhang Xiaoran , Chung Sun‐Lin , Lai Yu‐Ming , Ghani Azman A. , Murtadha Sayed , Lee Hao‐Yang , Hsu Chun‐Chieh
Published: June 2018

Sibumasu is inferred to have developed as a united terrane in East Gondwana, with West Sumatra linked to Cathaysia. New detrital zircon U‐Pb and Hf isotopic data from Sumatra, complemented by literature data, challenge the above views. The scarcity of early Neoproterozoic zircons in West Sumatra argues against a direct connection between West Sumatra and Cathaysia. Detrital zircons from East Sumatra exhibit age profiles similar to those of Lhasa, West Burma, and Western Australia, with detritus most probably sourced from Western Australia. By contrast, Sibusima (Sibumasu excluding East Sumatra) shows detrital zircon age patterns resembling those of the South Qiangtang and the Tethyan and High Himalaya terranes, whose detrital materials are most likely derived from northern India. Our observations require disaggregation of Sibumasu and a new configuration of northern East Gondwana in the early Paleozoic, with East Sumatra and West Burma occupying a position outboard the Lhasa terrane along the NW Australian margin and Sibusima situated on the northern Greater Indian margin.
Assessing the Potential Robustness of Conceptual Rainfall‐Runoff Models Under a Changing Climate
Authors: Guo Danlu , Johnson Fiona , Marshall Lucy
Published: June 2018

Conceptual rainfall‐runoff (CRR) models are commonly used to assess the potential impact of climate change on water resources systems. However, they are often characterized by poorer performance when used to simulate a different climate compared to that of the calibration period. This is generally referred to as low model robustness, and these issues have been thoroughly explored using historical data. However, the implications of robustness are unknown for a changing climate where models may have to operate under conditions that lie beyond existing observations. This study extends these ideas to evaluate the “potential robustness” of different CRR models in the context of a changing climate. To achieve this aim, we combine a generalized split‐sample test framework with a stochastic weather generator. This allows us to assess the variabilities in runoff predictions obtained from using different calibration periods within each CRR model. We tested the potential robustness on three catchments with contrasting hydroclimatic conditions. We observed a consistent higher potential robustness in all models under drier conditions at all catchments. The three catchments illustrate contrasting patterns in the relative potential robustness of the three CRR models, which are related to both the structures of the CRR models and the unique catchment characteristics, highlighting the need of case‐specific assessment. This study illustrates a transferable empirical testing strategy to understanding variabilities in CRR model predictions. This approach can improve our knowledge of model behavior and thus informs the suitability of alternative models to simulate catchments hydrology under a changing climate.
In situ plasmonic optical fiber detection of the state of charge of supercapacitors for renewable energy storage
Authors: Lao Jiajie , Sun Peng , Liu Fu , Zhang Xuejun , Zhao Chuanxi , Mai Wenjie , Guo Tuan , Xiao Gaozhi , Albert Jacques
Published: June 2018

In situ and continuous monitoring of electrochemical activity is key to understanding and evaluating the operation mechanism and efficiency of energy storage devices. However, this task remains challenging. For example, the present methods are not capable of providing the real-time information about the state of charge (SOC) of the energy storage devices while in operation. To address this, a novel approach based on an electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical fiber sensor is proposed here. This approach offers the capability of in situ comprehensive monitoring of the electrochemical activity (the electrode potential and the SOC) of supercapacitors (used as an example). The sensor adopted is a tilted fiber Bragg grating imprinted in a commercial single-mode fiber and coated with a nanoscale gold film for high-efficiency SPR excitation. Unlike conventional “bulk” detection methods for electrode activity, our approach targets the “localized” (sub-μm-scale) charge state of the ions adjacent to the electrode interface of supercapacitors by monitoring the properties of the SPR wave on the fiber sensor surface located adjacent to the electrode. A stable and reproducible correlation between the real-time charge–discharge cycles of the supercapacitors and the optical transmission of the optical fiber has been found. Moreover, the method proposed is inherently immune to temperature cross-talk because of the presence of environmentally insensitive reference features in the optical transmission spectrum of the devices. Finally, this particular application is ideally suited to the fundamental qualities of optical fiber sensors, such as their compact size, flexible shape, and remote operation capability, thereby opening the way for other opportunities for electrochemical monitoring in various hard-to-reach spaces and remote environments.
Raspberry alleviates obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance in skeletal muscle through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α1
Authors: Zhao Liang , Zou Tiande , Gomez Noe Alberto , Wang Bo , Zhu Mei-Jun , Du Min
Published: June 2018

OBJECTIVE

Through dynamic means, etiological factors, including chronic inflammation and insulin resistance have the potential to perpetuate metabolic incidences such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. Abatement of such syndromes can be achieved by complex mechanisms initiated through bioactive compounds such as polyphenols derived from fruits. Using a whole-fruit approach, the effects of dietary red raspberry, which is rich in polyphenols, on inflammatory responses and insulin resistance in the skeletal muscles of Mus musculus were studied along with the potential role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to act as a key mediator.

SUBJECTS

Wild-type (WT) mice and mice deficient in the catalytic subunit (α1) of AMPK (AMPKα1−/−) were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) or HFD supplemented with raspberry (5% dry weight) for 10 weeks. Factors involved in inflammatory responses, insulin signaling transduction, and mitochondrial biogenesis were evaluated.

RESULTS

Dietary raspberry reduced ectopic lipid storage, alleviated inflammation responses, improved whole-body insulin sensitivity, and promoted mitochondrial biogenesis in the skeletal muscle of WT mice, but not AMPKα1−/− mice.

CONCLUSIONS

AMPKα1 is an important mediator for the beneficial effects of raspberry through alleviating inflammatory responses and sensitizing insulin signaling in skeletal muscle of HFD-fed mice.
Development and validation of a new rating scale for perimenopausal depression—the Meno-D
Authors: Kulkarni Jayashri , Gavrilidis Emorfia , Hudaib Abdul-Rahman , Bleeker Caitlin , Worsley Roisin , Gurvich Caroline
Published: June 2018

The menopause transition is a time when women experience an increased risk for new onset depression, as well as relapse of depression. While there are overlapping symptoms between major depression and depression during menopause, differences suggest ‘perimenopausal depression’ may be a unique subtype of depression associated with characteristic symptoms. There is currently no validated scale designed to measure perimenopausal depression. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate the ‘Meno-D’, a self-reporting or clinician rated questionnaire, designed to rate the severity of symptoms of perimenopausal depression. The development phase of the Meno-D involved literature review, clinical observation, and focus groups. A 12-item questionnaire was developed and clinically reviewed for face validity for content. The Meno-D was administered to women experiencing symptoms of perimenopausal depression as part of a larger baseline assessment battery. Validation involved confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The development of the Meno-D resulted in 12 items. A total of 93 participants with perimenopausal depression were involved in the baseline assessments, 82 completed the Meno-D. Factor analysis identified five sub-scales of the Meno-D “somatic; cognitive; self; sleep; sexual” with high-internal consistency; discriminant validity and a good construct and convergent validity. The Meno-D provides a unique tool for clinicians and researchers to measure the presence of perimenopausal depression.
Parkin regulates NF-κB by mediating site-specific ubiquitination of RIPK1
Authors: Wang Yu , Shan Bing , Liang Yaosi , Wei Huiting , Yuan Junying
Published: June 2018

Parkin (Park2), a RING-between-RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, has been implicated in regulating NF-κB. Mutations in Parkin are associated with Parkinson’s disease. Here we investigated the interaction of Parkin with Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) kinase, a key mediator of multiple signaling pathways activated by TNFR1 including NF-κB pathway. We report that Parkin interacts with RIPK1 and mediates K63 ubiquitination of RIPK1 on K376 in TNFR1-signaling pathway. The expression of Parkin promotes the recruitment of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) essential molecule (NEMO), Sharpin and A20 in complex I associated with TNFR1 upon TNFα stimulation. Ubiquitination of RIPK1 by Parkin increases the activation of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) by promoting the phosphorylation of inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKK)α/β and IκBα and nuclear translocation of p65. Thus, we conclude that Parkin modulates the K63 ubiquitination status of RIPK1 to promote the activation of NF-κB and MAPKs.
BRD4 inhibitor JQ1 inhibits and reverses mechanical injury-induced corneal scarring
Authors: Qu Mingli , Zhang Xiaoping , Hu Xiaoli , Dong Muchen , Pan Xiaojing , Bian Jiang , Zhou Qingjun
Published: June 2018

Corneal scarring is characterized by the improper deposition of extracellular matrix components and myofibroblast differentiation from keratocytes. The bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) inhibitor JQ1 has been shown to attenuate pathological fibrosis. The present study aimed to explore the potential therapeutic effect of JQ1 on mechanical injury-induced mouse corneal scarring and TGFβ-induced human corneal myofibroblast differentiation and the related mechanism. The corneal scarring and myofibroblast differentiation were evaluated with clinical observation and fibrosis-related gene expression analysis. In mice, subconjunctivally injected JQ1 suppressed the initial development and reversed the established progression of corneal scarring, while having no impairment on the epithelial regenerative capacity. BRD4 inhibition with either JQ1 or small-interfering RNA inhibited the differentiation and promoted the dedifferentiation of human corneal myofibroblasts. Moreover, JQ1 attenuated the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species induced by TGFβ treatment, induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation and activated the expression of Nrf2-ARE downstream antioxidant genes. In conclusion, this study implicates that JQ1 suppresses and reverses corneal scarring through the regulation of BRD4 inhibition and Nrf2-dependant antioxidant induction.
Subtype-specific response of retinal ganglion cells to optic nerve crush
Authors: Daniel S. , Clark AF , McDowell CM
Published: June 2018

Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease with retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss, optic nerve degeneration and subsequent vision loss. There are about 30 different subtypes of RGCs whose response to glaucomatous injury is not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the response of 4 RGC subtypes in a mouse model of optic nerve crush (ONC). In this study, we also evaluated the pattern of axonal degeneration in RGC subtypes after nerve injury. We found that out of the 4 subtypes, transient-Off α RGCs are the most susceptible to injury followed by On–Off direction selective RGCs (DSGC). Non-image forming RGCs are more resilient with ipRGCs exhibiting the most resistance of them all. In contrast, axons degenerate irrespective of their retinal soma after ONC injury. In conclusion, we show that RGCs have subtype specific cell death response to ONC injury and that RGC axons disintegrate in an autonomous fashion undergoing Wallerian degeneration. These discoveries can further direct us towards effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to treat optic neuropathies, such as glaucoma.
Discovery of a strain-stabilised smectic electronic order in LiFeAs
Authors: Yim Chi Ming , Trainer Christopher , Aluru Ramakrishna , Chi Shun , Hardy Walter N. , Liang Ruixing , Bonn Doug , Wahl Peter
Published: June 2018

In many high temperature superconductors, small orthorhombic distortions of the lattice structure result in surprisingly large symmetry breaking of the electronic states and macroscopic properties, an effect often referred to as nematicity. To directly study the impact of symmetry-breaking lattice distortions on the electronic states, using low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy we image at the atomic scale the influence of strain-tuned lattice distortions on the correlated electronic states in the iron-based superconductor LiFeAs, a material which in its ground state is tetragonal with four-fold (C4) symmetry. Our experiments uncover a new strain-stabilised modulated phase which exhibits a smectic order in LiFeAs, an electronic state which not only breaks rotational symmetry but also reduces translational symmetry. We follow the evolution of the superconducting gap from the unstrained material with C4 symmetry through the new smectic phase with two-fold (C2) symmetry and charge-density wave order to a state where superconductivity is completely suppressed.
Acoustic analog computing system based on labyrinthine metasurfaces
Authors: Zuo Shuyu , Wei Qi , Tian Ye , Cheng Ying , Liu Xiaojun
Published: June 2018

Acoustic computing devices, including switches, logic gates, differentiator and integrator, have attracted extensive attentions in both academic research and engineering. However, no scheme of acoustic computing device with more complex functionality has been proposed, such as ordinary differential equation (ODE) solver. Here, we propose an acoustic analog computing (AAC) system based on three cascaded metasurfaces to solve the nth-order ODEs. The metasurfaces are constructed with layered labyrinthine units featuring broad amplitude and phase modulation ranges. The simulated transmitted pressure of the AAC system agrees well with the theoretical solution of ODE, demonstrating the excellent functionality. Unlike the optical ODE solver based on differentiator or integrator, whose geometry becomes more complicated for solving higher order ODE, the proposed AAC system with fixed geometry can be designed for arbitrary nth-order ODE in principle. The proposal may find applications in various scenarios such as acoustic communication, analog computing and signal processing.
Exploiting sorghum genetic diversity for enhanced aluminum tolerance: Allele mining based on the AltSB locus
Authors: Hufnagel Barbara , Guimaraes Claudia T. , Craft Eric J. , Shaff Jon E. , Schaffert Robert E. , Kochian Leon V. , Magalhaes Jurandir V.
Published: June 2018

Root damage due to aluminum (Al) toxicity restricts crop production on acidic soils, which are extensive in the tropics. The sorghum root Al-activated citrate transporter, SbMATE, underlies the Al tolerance locus,AltSB, and increases grain yield under Al toxicity. Here,AltSBloci associated with Al tolerance were converted intoAmplification Refractory Mutation System(ARMS) markers, which are cost effective and easy to use. A DNA pooling strategy allowed us to identify accessions harboring rare favorableAltSBalleles in three germplasm sets while greatly reducing genotyping needs. Population structure analysis revealed that favorableAltSBalleles are predominantly found in subpopulations enriched with guinea sorghums, supporting a possible Western African origin ofAltSB. The efficiency of allele mining in recovering Al tolerance accessions was the highest in the largest and highly diverse germplasm set, with a 10-fold reduction in the number of accessions that would need to be phenotyped in the absence of marker information. Finally, Al tolerant accessions were found to rely onSbMATEto exclude Al3+from sensitive sites in the root apex. This study emphasizes gene-specific markers as important tools for efficiently mining useful rare alleles in diverse germplasm, bridging genetic resource conservation efforts and pre-breeding for Al tolerance.
Dissecting Distinct Roles of NEDDylation E1 Ligase Heterodimer APPBP1 and UBA3 Reveals Potential Evolution Process for Activation of Ubiquitin-related Pathways
Authors: Malik-Chaudhry Harbani Kaur , Gaieb Zied , Saavedra Amanda , Reyes Michael , Kung Raphael , Le Frank , Morikis Dimitrios , Liao Jiayu
Published: June 2018

Despite the similar enzyme cascade in the Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-like peptide(Ubl) conjugation, the involvement of single or heterodimer E1 activating enzyme has been a mystery. Here, by using a quantitative Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) technology, aided with Analysis of Electrostatic Similarities Of Proteins (AESOP) computational framework, we elucidate in detail the functional properties of each subunit of the E1 heterodimer activating-enzyme for NEDD8, UBA3 and APPBP1. In contrast to SUMO activation, which requires both subunits of its E1 heterodimer AOS1-Uba2 for its activation, NEDD8 activation requires only one of two E1 subunits, UBA3. The other subunit, APPBP1, only contributes by accelerating the activation reaction rate. This discovery implies that APPBP1 functions mainly as a scaffold protein to enhance molecular interactions and facilitate catalytic reaction. These findings for the first time reveal critical new mechanisms and a potential evolutionary pathway for Ubl activations. Furthermore, this quantitative FRET approach can be used for other general biochemical pathway analysis in a dynamic mode.
Fossilized Melts in Mantle Wedge Peridotites
Authors: Naemura Kosuke , Hirajima Takao , Svojtka Martin , Shimizu Ichiko , Iizuka Tsuyosi
Published: June 2018

The shallow oxidized asthenosphere may contain a small fraction of potassic silicate melts that are enriched in incompatible trace elements and volatiles. Here, to determine the chemical composition of such melt, we analysed fossilized melt inclusions, preserved as multiphase solid inclusions, from an orogenic garnet peridotite in the Bohemian Massif. Garnet-poor (2 vol.%) peridotite preserves inclusions of carbonated potassic silicate melt within Zn-poor chromite (<400 ppm) in the clinopyroxene-free harzburgite assemblage that equilibrated within the hot mantle wedge (Stage 1, > 1180 °C at 3 GPa). The carbonated potassic silicate melt, which has a major element oxide chemical composition of K2O = 5.2 wt.%, CaO = 17 wt.%, MgO = 18 wt.%, CO2 = 22 wt.%, and SiO2 = 20 wt.%, contains extremely high concentrations of large ion lithophile elements, similar to kimberlite melts. Peridotites cooled down to ≅800 °C during Stage 2, resulted in the growth of garnet relatively poor in pyrope content, molar Mg/(Mg + Fe + Ca + Mn), (ca. 67 mol.%). This garnet displays a sinusoidal REE pattern that formed in equilibrium with carbonatitic fluid. Subsequently, subduction of the peridotite resulted in the formation of garnet with a slightly higher pyrope content (70 mol.%) during the Variscan subduction Stage 3 (950 °C, 2.9 GPa). These data suggest the following scenario for the generation of melt in the mantle wedge. Primarily, infiltration of sediment-derived potassic carbonatite melt into the deep mantle wedge resulted in the growth of phlogopite and carbonate/diamond. Formation of volatile-bearing minerals lowered the density and strength of the peridotite. Finally, phlogopite-bearing carbonated peridotite rose as diapirs in the mantle wedge to form carbonated potassic silicate melts at the base of the overriding lithosphere.