bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial decision‐support tools to guide restoration and seed‐sourcing in the Desert Southwest
Authors: Shryock Daniel F. , DeFalco Lesley A. , Esque Todd C.
Published: October 2018

Altered disturbance regimes and shifting climates have increased the need for large‐scale restoration treatments across the western United States. Seed‐sourcing remains a considerable challenge for revegetation efforts, particularly on public lands where policy favors the use of native, locally sourced plant material to avoid maladaptation. An important area of emphasis for public agencies has been the development of spatial tools to guide selection of genetically appropriate seed. When genetic information is not available, current seed transfer guidelines stipulate use of climate‐based or provisional seed transfer zones, which serve as a proxy for local adaptation by representing climate gradients to which plants are commonly adapted. Despite this guidance, little emphasis has been placed on identifying best practices for deriving provisional seed zones or on incorporating predictions from future climate. We describe a flexible, multivariate procedure for deriving such zones that incorporates a broad range of climatic characteristics while accounting for covariation among climate variables. With this approach, we derive provisional seed zones for four regions in the Desert Southwest (the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, Colorado Plateau, and Southern Great Basin). To facilitate future‐resilient restoration designs, we project each zone into its relative position in the future climate based on near‐term, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emissions scenarios. Although provisional seed zones are useful in a variety of contexts, there are also situations in which site‐specific guidance is preferable. To meet this need, we implement Climate Distance Mapper, an interactive decision‐support tool designed to help practitioners match seed sources with restoration sites through an accessible online interface. The application allows users to rank the suitability of seed sources anywhere on the landscape based on multivariate climate distances. Users can perform calculations for either the current or future climates. Additionally, tools are available to guide sample effort in regional‐scale seed collections or to partition the landscape into climate clusters representing suitable planting sites for different seed sources. Our tools and analytic procedures represent a flexible and reproducible framework for advancing native plant development programs in the Desert Southwest and beyond.
Lagged mortality among tree species four years after an exceptional drought in east Texas
Authors: Klockow Paul A. , Vogel Jason G. , Edgar Christopher B. , Moore Georgianne W.
Published: October 2018

In 2011, east Texas experienced the worst drought on record causing extensive tree mortality. Initial mortality estimates for 2012 varied among tree genera. A rapid damage assessment (RDA) estimated that 65.5 (± 7.3) million trees died as a result of the drought in this region one year post‐drought. However, this estimate was untested against established monitoring networks. Moreover, pests and physiological damage can elevate tree mortality multiple years beyond a drought event. Since theRDAwas unable to quantify multi‐year trends, it remained unclear whether these drivers caused increased tree mortality in east Texas beyond one year post‐drought and how different species responded over time. To address these questions, we compared total 2012 standing dead tree (SDT) estimates (i.e., drought‐killed plus all otherSDTexcluding harvested or salvaged trees) derived from theRDAand U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data for east Texas. TotalSDTestimates did not significantly differ between theRDA(120.5 ± 8.5 million) andFIA(108.4 ± 8.7 million). Furthermore, totalSDTestimates for the four most common genera (Pinus,Quercus,Liquidambar,Ulmus), which comprised over 80% of all species, did not significantly differ between theRDAandFIA. Additionally, we used logistic regression andFIAdata from east Texas for 2011 through four years post‐drought (2012–2015) to examine temporal trends in plot‐level drought‐ and pest‐driven tree mortality of seven key species (Pinus taeda,Pinus echinata,Quercus nigra,Quercus stellata,Quercus falcata,Liquidambar styraciflua,Ulmus alata) from the four most common genera. At the plot‐level, drought‐driven mortality was immediate for the threeQuercusspecies (notablyQ. falcata) andL. styracifluawhich significantly increased in 2012 whileP. taedamortality was delayed, not increasing significantly until 2013. Pest‐driven mortality increased from 2013 to 2015 for all species, with the highest mortality observed inQ. falcataand lowest inP. taedaandU. alata. This study affirms the validity and value of independent sampling efforts to quantify mortality immediately following major disturbance and also demonstrates the need for longer‐term species‐level assessments beyond the initial year post‐drought to account for differential impacts from drought and pests.
Landscape heterogeneity strengthens the relationship between β‐diversity and ecosystem function
Authors: Hammill Edd , Hawkins Charles P. , Greig Hamish S. , Kratina Pavel , Shurin Jonathan B. , Atwood Trisha B.
Published: October 2018

Consensus has emerged in the literature that increased biodiversity enhances the capacity of ecosystems to perform multiple functions. However, most biodiversity/ecosystem function studies focus on a single ecosystem, or on landscapes of homogenous ecosystems. Here, we investigate how increased landscape‐level environmental dissimilarity may affect the relationship between different metrics of diversity (α, β, or γ) and ecosystem function. We produced a suite of simulated landscapes, each of which contained four experimental outdoor aquatic mesocosms. Differences in temperature and nutrient conditions of the mesocosms allowed us to simulate landscapes containing a range of within‐landscape environmental heterogeneities. We found that the variation in ecosystem functions was primarily controlled by environmental conditions, with diversity metrics accounting for a smaller (but significant) amount of variation in function. When landscapes were more homogeneous, α, β, and γ diversity was not associated with differences in primary production, and only γ was associated with changes in decomposition. In these homogeneous landscapes, differences in these two ecosystem functions were most strongly related to nutrient and temperature conditions in the ecosystems. However, as landscape‐level environmental dissimilarity increased, the relationship between α, β, or γ and ecosystem functions strengthened, with β being a greater predictor of variation in decomposition at the highest levels of environmental dissimilarity than α or γ. We propose that when all ecosystems in a landscape have similar environmental conditions, species sorting is likely to generate a single community composition that is well suited to those environmental conditions, β is low, and the efficiency of diversity‐ecosystem function couplings is similar across communities. Under this low β, the effect of abiotic conditions on ecosystem function will be most apparent. However, when environmental conditions vary among ecosystems, species sorting pressures are different among ecosystems, producing different communities among locations in a landscape. These conditions lead to stronger relationships between β and the magnitude of ecosystem functions. Our results illustrate that abiotic conditions and the homogeneity of communities influence ecosystem function expressed at the landscape scale.
Quantitative measure of fitness in tri‐trophic interactions and its influence on diet breadth of insect herbivores
Authors: Vidal Mayra C. , Murphy Shannon M.
Published: October 2018

Herbivore‐plant interactions should be studied using a tri‐trophic approach, but we lack a quantitative measure of the combined effect of top‐down and bottom‐up forces on herbivore fitness. We propose the combination of the bi‐trophic fitness slopes as a tri‐trophic fitness measure. We use the relationship between fitness associated with top‐down and bottom‐up forces and the frequency of host plant use to calculate the top‐down and bottom‐up fitness slopes, which we then combine to obtain three possible directions of tri‐trophic slopes. A positive tri‐trophic slope indicates that herbivores have overall greater tri‐trophic fitness on the more frequently used hosts. A null tri‐trophic fitness slope indicates that herbivores have similar fitness on all host plants. A negative tri‐trophic slope indicates that herbivores have generally lower fitness on the more frequently used hosts. We tested the explanation power of our method using data from the literature that tested herbivore host shifts and experimentally using a generalist herbivore with variable diet breadth across populations. We found that in host shifts, herbivores have higher tri‐trophic fitness on the novel host, while in generalist populations, herbivores use most frequently the best host available. We present applications in other research areas and consider the limitations of our approach. Our approach is a first step towards a comprehensive model of multiple selective forces acting on the evolution of interactions.
The Middle‐Earth between Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis in Water Oxidation with Iridium
Authors: Macchioni Alceo
Published: October 2018

Water oxidation (WO) is considered the ideal reaction to provide electrons and protons for the photo‐ and electrosynthesis of renewable fuels, generating exclusively O2 as a benign by‐product. Besides being demanding from the thermodynamic point of view, WO is also extremely difficult from the kinetic one. This has caused an explosion of interest for developing efficient water oxidation catalysts (WOCs). WOCs based on noble metals usually exhibit much better performance. For that reason, parallel to the search for efficient non‐noble metal WOCs, many efforts are directed toward noble‐metal atom economy in WOCs. Three strategies have been proposed to minimizing the atomic contents of noble metals: (1) exploiting molecular WOCs, under the assumption that all metal centers are catalytically active, differently from what happens in heterogeneous WOCs; (2) anchoring a well‐defined molecular WOC onto a suitable support, thus obtaining a heterogenized WOC, combining the positive aspects of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis; (3) diluting active metal centers in a suitable material with features that maximize the metal‐accessibility and performance. Herein, the results of our efforts aimed at pursuing all three strategies for developing efficient WOCs based on iridium are reviewed.
Heterogeneous Organocatalysts Based on a Triazine‐Triazole Silane Ligand
Authors: Cruz Paula , Pérez Yolanda , del Hierro Isabel
Published: October 2018

Invited for the cover of this issue is Isabel delàHierro from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain. The cover image shows the hexagonal and worm‐like mesoporous structure of the ordered organic‐inorganic hybrid materials reported.
Dielectrophoretic manipulation of nanomaterials: A review
Authors: Liu Linbo , Chen Ke , Xiang Nan , Ni Zhonghua
Published: October 2018

Nanomaterials manipulation using dielectrophoresis (DEP) is one of the major research areas that could potentially benefit the micro/nano science for diverse applications, such as microfluidics, nanomachine, and biosensor. The innovation and development of basic theories, methods or applications will have a huge impact on the entire related field. Specifically, for DEP manipulation of nanomaterials, improvements in comprehensive performance of accuracy, flexibility and scale could promote broader applications in micro/nano science. Therefore, to explore the directions for future research, this paper critically provides an overview on the fundamentals, recent progress, current challenges, and potential applications of DEP manipulation of nanomaterials. This review will also act as a guide and reference for researchers to explore promising applications in relevant research.
Vacuum‐driven fluid manipulation by a piezoelectric diaphragm micropump for microfluidic droplet generation with a rapid system response time
Authors: Oda Yuki , Oshima Hirofumi , Nakatani Masaya , Hashimoto Masahiko
Published: October 2018

Recently, we developed a convenient microfluidic droplet generation device based on vacuum‐driven fluid manipulation with a piezoelectric diaphragm micropump. In the present study built on our previous work, we investigate the influence of settings applied to the piezoelectric pump, such as peak‐to‐peak drive voltage (Vp‐p) and wave frequency, on droplet generation characteristics. Stepwise adjustments to the drive voltage in ±10‐Vp‐p increments over the range of 200−250 Vp‐p during droplet creation revealed that the droplet generation rate could be reproducibly controlled at a specific drive voltage. The droplet generation rate switched within <0.5 s after the input of a new voltage. Although the droplet generation rate depended on the drive voltage, this setting had almost no influence on droplet size. The frequency over the selected range (50−60 Hz) did not markedly influence the droplet generation rate or droplet size. We show that the current fluid manipulation system can be conveniently used for both droplet generation and for rapid droplet reading, which is required in many microfluidic‐based applications.
Linear regression with left‐censored covariates and outcome using a pseudolikelihood approach
Authors: Jones Michael P.
Published: October 2018

Environmental toxicology studies often involve sample values that fall below a laboratory procedure's limit of quantification. Such left‐censored data give rise to several problems for regression analyses. First, both covariates and outcome may be left censored. Second, the transformed toxicant levels may not be normal but mixtures of normals because of differences in personal characteristics, for example, exposure history and demographic factors. Third, the outcome and covariates may be linear functions of left‐censored variates, such as averages and differences. Fourth, some toxicant levels may be functions of other toxicant levels resulting in a recursive system. In this paper, marginal and pseudolikelihood‐based methods are proposed for estimation of the means and covariance matrix of variates found in these four settings. Next, linear regression methods are developed allowing outcomes and covariates to be linear combinations of left‐censored measures. This is extended to a recursive system of modeling equations. Bootstrap standard errors and confidence intervals are used. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed methods are accurate for a wide range of study designs and left‐censoring probabilities. The proposed methods are illustrated through the analysis of an ongoing community‐based study of polychlorinated biphenyls, which motivated the proposed methodology.
A review on biological systems for CO2 sequestration: Organisms and their pathways
Authors: Mistry Avnish Nitin , Ganta Upendar , Chakrabarty Jitamanyu , Dutta Susmita
Published: October 2018

The concentration of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, has been increasing in the atmosphere due to various anthropogenic activities. This review aims at summarizing different organisms, including eukaryotes and prokaryotes that have the ability to assimilate CO2. In addition, the metabolic pathway via which an organism sequesters CO2 is explained in brief. The adaptations of different organisms for efficient CO2 sequestration have also been explained in the current review. An important advantage of applying biological systems to manage CO2 is that it synthesizes industrially useful byproducts such as bioplastics, medicinal compounds, and biofuels. Hence, this review helps in understanding diverse biological systems that can be utilized to develop a sustainable technology to mitigate CO2 at an industrial level. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: 127–136, 2019
Catalytic and noncatalytic gasification of wood–coconut shell blend under different operating conditions
Authors: Inayat M. , Sulaiman S. A. , Kurnia J. C. , Naz M. Y.
Published: October 2018

The formation of tar during biomass gasification is a main barrier to establishing reliable gasification technologies. Different catalysts are being used for tar abatement from the biomass gasification. In this study, catalytic and noncatalytic cogasification of wood‐coconut shell blends was carried out in a downdraft gasifier. The effect of the operating parameters on syngas quality, performance of cogasification, and tar reduction was investigated. The biomass blending ratio (BR) was varied as W20:CS80, W50:CS50, and W80:CS20, equivalence ratio (ER) was varied from 0.19 to 0.35, gasification temperature from 700 to 900 °C and catalyst loading (CL) from 5 to 30%. Dolomite, limestone, and Portland cement were used as a catalyst. The results revealed that under noncatalytic conditions, the blend with higher proportion of coconut shells produces better syngas composition with higher HHV and lower tar content. The high ER reduced H2, tar formation, cold gas efficiency and gas yield. It also improved the carbonaceous gas species and carbon conversion efficiency. Increasing gasification temperature significantly improved the syngas quality, cogasification performance and reduced the tar content. The 30% CL significantly improved the gas composition content, gas yield, cold gas efficiency and reduced the tar content up to 52%. Better syngas quality and cogasification performance was possible with calcined cement catalyst whereas a reduction in tar content was observed in the presence of limestone. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: 688–698, 2019
Optimized preparation of activated carbon from municipal sewage sludge and application to the adsorption of azo dye from aqueous solutions
Authors: Jung Kyung‐Won , Lee Seon Yong , Lee Young Jae
Published: October 2018

In this study, the conditions for preparation of active carbon from municipal sewage sludge (MSS) were optimized from application to the efficient removal of the azo dye, Acid Orange 7 (AO7), from aqueous solutions. To maximize the adsorption capacity (response variable) of the MSS‐derived activated carbon (MSS‐AC), a 3
k Box–Behnken design based on response surface methodology was used to simultaneously optimize five important conditions (independent variables), that is, carbonizing temperature (400–600°C), carbonizing time (0.5–2.0 h), impregnation ratio (1.0–3.5 g KOH/g MSS), activating temperature (600–800°C), and activating time (0.5–2.0 h). The optimal conditions were established as carbonizing temperature: 509°C, carbonizing time: 1.25 h, impregnation ratio: 2.3 g KOH/g MSS, activating temperature: 681°C, and activating time: 1.21 h, with an overall desirability function of 0.991. Further, the effects of various key parameters (solution pH, ionic strength, adsorbent dosage, initial concentration, contact time, and temperature) on the adsorption of AO7 on the as‐synthesized MSS‐AC were elucidated through a series of batch experiments. Adsorption kinetics and isotherm studies revealed that the adsorption process is accurately described by the pseudo‐second order and Sips models. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of AO7 was found to be ~1410 mg/g at 25°C, which is superior to that of the other adsorbents reported to date. Additionally, the intraparticle diffusion model suggested that the adsorption was controlled by both external surface adsorption and intraparticle diffusion. Thermodynamic studies also suggested that the adsorption of AO7 by MASS‐AC is exothermic and is governed by physisorption. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: S267–S276, 2019
The effects of variable geometry turbine opening on reactivity controlled compression ignition combustion
Authors: Xu Yuanli , Zhang Shanhong , Gong Jian , Li Xucong
Published: October 2018

The article studied the effects of VGT opening on combustion characteristics and emission characteristics of a gasoline/diesel dual‐fuel engine, including in‐cylinder combustion pressure and temperature, heat release rate and combustion phasing, maximum pressure rise rate and combustion stability, and fuel consumption and emissions. The results showed that with the increasing of VGT opening, peak combustion pressure increased and its phasing was advanced; CA10, CA50, and left exothermic peak phasing were also advanced; peak average in‐cylinder temperature was reduced; peak pressure rise rate increased for SOI1‐15 strategy, while VGT opening had little influence on it for SOI1‐18 strategy but the most of their values were higher more than 0.75 MPa/°CA so that causing the engine to work roughly; the COVimep decreased, indicating the combustion tended to stability; brake‐specific fuel consumption decreased first and increased, and there was a minimum value at VGT60;both NO
x and soot emissions were simultaneously reduced, while CO emission was increased and HC emissions had little changes. This research can be helpful to guide future works on dual fuel RCCI combustion strategies. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13059, 2019
Adsorptive removal of resorcinol onto surface modified ordered mesoporous carbon: Kinetics and equilibrium study
Authors: Uddin Ahmad Zaki , Lian Qiyu , Zappi Mark E. , Buchireddy Prashanth R. , Gang Daniel D.
Published: October 2018

Ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC), a new member of carbonaceous family, has been able to attract substantial attention due to its unique attributes which are high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, narrow pore size distribution, large pore volume and thermal stability. A novel ordered mesoporous carbon was synthesized using COK‐19 silica template for the first time and doped with cerium (III) chloride for the removal of resorcinol from aqueous solution. Traditional multistage technique was employed for the synthesis of OMC. Nitrogen Adsorption–desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to characterize the modified OMCs. Adsorption behavior of resorcinol was studied using batch adsorption method. Results from adsorption kinetics and isotherms suggest that pseudo‐second‐order model and Langmuir isotherm well described the experimental data. The adsorption capacities of ordered mesoporous adsorbents decrease in the following order: OMC‐5Ce (61 mg g−1) > OMC‐3Ce (54 mg g−1) > OMC‐1Ce (46 mg g−1) > OMC‐0.5Ce (39.4 mg g−1) > OMC (34.5 mg g−1). Adsorption capacity increased by 76.8% with increasing the cerium content from 0% to 5%. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: S386–S397, 2019
Discovery and validation of blood microRNAs as molecular biomarkers of epilepsy: Ways to close current knowledge gaps
Authors: Enright Noelle , Simonato Michele , Henshall David C.
Published: October 2018

There is a major unmet need for biomarkers of epilepsy. Biofluids such as blood offer a potential source of molecular biomarkers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) fulfill several key requirements for a blood‐based molecular biomarker being enriched in the brain and dysregulated in epileptic brain tissue, and manipulation of miRNAs can have seizure‐suppressive and disease‐modifying effects in preclinical models. Biofluid miRNAs also possess qualities that are favorable for translation, including stability and easy and cheap assay techniques. Herein we review findings from both clinical and animal models. Studies have featured a mix of unbiased profiling and hypothesis‐driven efforts. Blood levels of several brain‐enriched miRNAs are altered in patients with epilepsy and in patients with drug‐resistant compared to drug‐responsive seizures, with encouraging receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses, both in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Both focal and generalized epilepsies are associated with altered blood miRNA profiles, and associations with clinical parameters including seizure burden have been reported. Results remain preliminary, however. There is a need for continued discovery and validation efforts that include multicenter studies and attention to study design, sample collection methodology, and quality control. Studies focused on epileptogenesis as well as associations with covariables such as sex, etiology, and timing of sampling remain limited. We identify 10 knowledge gaps and propose experiments to close these. If adequately addressed, biofluid miRNAs may be an important future source of diagnostic biomarkers that could also support forthcoming trials of antiepileptogenesis or disease‐modifying therapies.
How do we use in vitro models to understand epileptiform and ictal activity? A report of the TASK1‐WG4 group of the ILAE/AES Joint Translational Task Force
Authors: Dulla Chris G. , Janigro Damir , Jiruska Premysl , Raimondo Joseph V. , Ikeda Akio , Lin Chou‐Ching K. , Goodkin Howard P. , Galanopoulou Aristea S. , Bernard Christophe , de Curtis Marco
Published: October 2018

In vitro brain tissue preparations allow the convenient and affordable study of brain networks and have allowed us to garner molecular, cellular, and electrophysiologic insights into brain function with a detail not achievable in vivo. Preparations from both rodent and human postsurgical tissue have been utilized to generate in vitro electrical activity similar to electrographic activity seen in patients with epilepsy. A great deal of knowledge about how brain networks generate various forms of epileptiform activity has been gained, but due to the multiple in vitro models and manipulations used, there is a need for a standardization across studies. Here, we describe epileptiform patterns generated using in vitro brain preparations, focusing on issues and best practices pertaining to recording, reporting, and interpretation of the electrophysiologic patterns observed. We also discuss criteria for defining in vitro seizure‐like patterns (i.e., ictal) and interictal discharges. Unifying terminologies and definitions are proposed. We suggest a set of best practices for reporting in vitro studies to favor both efficient across‐lab comparisons and translation to in vivo models and human studies.
Biotransport of metallic trace elements from marine to terrestrial ecosystems by seabirds
Authors: Shoji A. , Elliott K.H. , Aris-Brosou S. , Mizukawa H. , Nakayama S.M.M. , Ikenaka Y. , Ishizuka M. , Kuwae T. , Watanabe K. , Escoruela Gonzalez J. , Watanuki Y.
Published: October 2018

Physical systems, such as currents and winds, have traditionally been considered responsible for transporting contaminants. Although evidence is mounting that animals play a role in this process through their movements, we still know little about how such contaminant biotransport occurs and the extent of effects at deposition sites. In the present study, we address this question by studying how rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata), a seabird that occurs in immense colonies (∼300 000 pairs at our study site, Teuri Island), affect contaminant levels at their colony and at nearby sites. More specifically, we hypothesize that contaminants are transported and deposited by seabirds at their colony and that these contaminants are passed on locally to the terrestrial ecosystem. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the concentration of 9 heavy metal and metalloids, as well as δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes, in bird tissues, plants, and soil, both within and outside of the colony. The results show that rhinoceros auklets transport marine-derived mercury (Hg), possibly from their wintering location, and deposit Hg via their feces at their breeding site, thereby contaminating plants and soils within the breeding colony. The present study confirms not only that animals can transport contaminants from marine to terrestrial ecosystems, potentially over unexpectedly long distances, but also that bird tissues contribute locally to plant contamination. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:106–114. © 2018 SETAC
Cable tray FIRE tests simulations in open atmosphere and in confined and mechanically ventilated compartments with the CALIF3S/ISIS CFD software
Authors: Bascou Sophie , Zavaleta Pascal , Babik Fabrice
Published: October 2018

Fire hazard in nuclear power plants (NPPs) is particularly often investigated as potential cause of safety equipment failure and confinement loss. Many fire events recorded in NPPs involve electric cables, widely used throughout facilities. IRSN is developing the CALIF3S/ISIS computational fluid dynamics software devoted to fire simulation in large‐scale confined and mechanically ventilated compartments. This paper presents two aspects of the CALIF3S/ISIS code ability to simulate fires. The first one concerns vertical and horizontal spreading of a cable tray fire in open atmosphere using an approach based on the FLASH‐CAT cable fire spread model. Resorting to the suitable parameters of the FLASH‐CAT model based on video fire analyses of tests enables to properly compute the heat release rate of the fire. The second aspect concerns the ability to simulate the evolution and consequences of fires in confined and mechanically ventilated compartments. For these cases, the heat release rate measured during the corresponding experiment is used as input data for the calculations. The predicted evolutions of pressure or gas temperatures are in relatively good accordance with the experiments. The major discrepancy concerns gas concentrations in the fire room which is attributed to a lack of information about the properties of the fuel material.
Ecological, economic, and environmental assessments of integrated pest management in potato: A case study from the Cañete Valley, Peru
Authors: Mujica Norma , Kroschel Jürgen
Published: October 2018

Integrated pest management (IPM) versus farmers’ pest management practices were evaluated in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in the central coast of Peru. IPM technologies consisted of seed treatment, insect pest, and disease scouting using action thresholds for decision making to apply pesticides, and the use of trapping devices and selective insecticides versus chemical control by potato farmers. An ecological, environmental, and economic analysis of both approaches was carried out by using biodiversity indices, environmental impact indicators, and partial budget analysis. The leafminer fly Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard) and the bud midge Prodiplosis longifila (Gagne) were the most important pests during the cropping season. Larval infestation of both pests and leafminer foliar damage were less in IPM plots. Almost twice as many pesticide (insecticide and fungicide) applications per season were carried out on farmers’ practices plots with 16.7 sprayings compared to 9.7 sprayings in IPM plots. The total quantity of pesticides used per season was higher under farmers’ practices (4,614.3 g a.i./ha) than in IPM (2,042.6 g a.i./ha) plots. Likewise, farmers applied five times more insecticides (3,620.3 g a.i./ha) than IPM (722.55 g a.i./ha). Methamidophos and chlorpyrifos accounted for 65% of the environmental impact (EI) value of 137/ha in farmers’ fields. IPM strategies reduced the EI to 42.4/ha, which represents a reduction of 69.2%. Further, IPM achieved 35% higher marketable potato yield than farmers’ practices. Partial budget analysis showed a higher net profit in all IPM plots, with an average increase of US$1,410/ha. The field trials demonstrated the environmental and economic viability of IPM for potato in the central coast of Peru. However, while there are effective integrated components for leafminer fly management, there is a clear need to develop and integrate more sustainable and ecological pest management strategies for other economically important pests such as the bud midge.
Palaeoceanographic regime during the Oxfordian–Kimmeridgian in the Western Tethys recorded by radiolarian assemblages in the siliceous sediments of the Pieniny Klippen Belt, Carpathians
Authors: Bąk Marta , Bąk Krzysztof
Published: October 2018

Water temperature and productivity patterns during the middle Oxfordian through the late Kimmeridgian on the intrabasinal high in the Pieniny Basin, a part of the Western Tethys, have been identified by qualitative and quantitative analyses of radiolarian assemblages. These analyses have been conducted on cherts (radiolarites), siliceous limestones, and shales from the Polish part of the Pieniny Klippen Belt, Carpathians, in order to establish the habitat of radiolarian groups and use them to evaluate temperature and productivity changes over the time interval characterized by abundant siliceous deposition. A significant enrichment of well‐diversified radiolarians, dominated by a thermocline radiolarian species group, was recognized within the middle Oxfordian–earliest Kimmeridgian interval. This coincides with a decrease in deeper dwelling radiolarian taxa, high radiolarian diversity, and fluctuating values of the thermocline surface radiolarian index, as a consequence of a shallowing thermocline and more intense nutrient supply from deeper water masses. This was interpreted to record a prevailing upwelling regime in this area. We suggest that it might have been induced by seasonal changes in direction and position of trade and monsoon winds in the western sector of the Tethys, and we propose a model of oceanic circulation during this time interval.
Seasonal variation in stable isotope compositions of waters from a Himalayan river: Estimation of glacier melt contribution
Authors: Laskar Amzad H. , Bhattacharya Sourendra K. , Rao Damerla K. , Jani Rashmikant A. , Gandhi Naveen
Published: October 2018

Stable isotopic compositions (δ18O and δD) in water samples collected from Parbati River in Himachal Pradesh, India, during 2002–2005 were measured to delineate the contributions from different sources in different seasons. A seasonal cycle with high δ18O and δD values (in ‰) during the spring (March to May; −9.2, −58.6), intermediate values during the winter (December to February; −10.1, −65.6), and low values during the south‐west monsoon (July to September; −10.9, −71.8) is observed. The d‐excess values (15.2 ± 2.1‰) are higher compared with the global meteoric waters indicating significant contribution (~26%) of moisture carried by western disturbances. Higher δ‐values during the spring are ascribed to enhanced contribution from snow melt. The lower δ‐values during the monsoon are due to various Rayleigh effects (altitude, continental, and amount effects) and large‐scale convection effect on rains. A three component‐mixing model using the isotopic data and some plausible end member isotopic values was applied to identify contributions to the river discharge from different sources such as groundwater or subsurface base flow, glacier/surface snow melt, and the monsoon rain. Meltwater from glacier and snow combines with the base flow in spring season. South‐west monsoon rain and glacier melt along with the base flow constitute the monsoon discharge. The post‐monsoon season and winter are dominated by groundwater contribution. About 80% of the discharge is contributed by glacier melts in spring season. In the rainy monsoon season, glacier/snow melt contributes ~41% of the discharge. The mean annual glacier melt contribution to the river water is estimated to be 44 ± 15%. The present estimate along with some previous studies suggest that glacier contribution to the river discharge increased from ~35% to 50% during the period 1990 to 2011. This is consistent with recent data on glacier retreats in the Himalayan region.
An analysis of a multiple biomarker panel to better predict prostate cancer metastasis after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Zhang Alison Y. , Chiam Karen , Haupt Ygal , Fox Stephen , Birch Simone , Tilley Wayne , Butler Lisa M. , Knudsen Karen , Comstock Clay , Rasiah Krishan , Grogan Judith , Mahon Kate L. , Bianco‐Miotto Tina , Ricciardelli Carmela , Böhm Maret , Henshall Susan , Delprado Warick , Stricker Phillip , Horvath Lisa G. , Kench James G.
Published: October 2018

A plethora of individual candidate biomarkers for predicting biochemical relapse in localized prostate cancer (PCa) have been proposed. Combined biomarkers may improve prognostication, and ensuring validation against more clinically relevant endpoints are required. The Australian PCa Research Centre NSW has contributed to numerous studies of molecular biomarkers associated with biochemical relapse. In the current study, these biomarkers were re‐analyzed for biochemical relapse, metastatic relapse and PCa death with extended follow‐up. Biomarkers of significance were then used to develop a combined prognostic model for clinical outcomes and validated in a large independent cohort. The discovery cohort (n = 324) was based on 12 biomarkers with a median follow‐up of 16 years. Seven biomarkers were significantly associated with biochemical relapse. Three biomarkers were associated with metastases: AZGP1, Ki67 and PML. Only AZGP1 was associated with PCa death. In their individual and combinational forms, AZGP1 and Ki67 as a dual BM signature was the most robust predictor of metastatic relapse (AUC 0.762). The AZPG1 and Ki67 signature was validated in an independent cohort of 347 PCa patients. The dual BM signature of AZGP1 and Ki67 predicted metastasis in the univariable (HR 7.2, 95% CI, 1.6–32; p = 0.01) and multivariable analysis (HR 5.4, 95% CI, 1.2–25; p = 0.03). The dual biomarker signature marginally improved risk prediction compared to AZGP1 alone (AUC 0.758 versus 0.738, p < 0.001). Our findings indicate that biochemical relapse is not an adequate surrogate for metastasis or PCa death. The dual biomarker signature of AZGP1 and Ki67 offers a small benefit in predicting metastasis over AZGP1 alone.
Inhibition of NF‐κB improves sensitivity to irradiation and EGFR‐TKIs and decreases irradiation‐induced lung toxicity
Authors: Wang Rong , Peng Shunli , Zhang Xiaojuan , Wu Zhenming , Duan Hezhen , Yuan Yawei , Wang Wei
Published: October 2018

Resistance to radiotherapy and to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs), as well as therapy‐related lung toxicity, are serious problems in the treatment of lung cancer. NF‐κB has been reported to be associated with radioresistance. Therefore, we evaluated its effects on sensitivity to irradiation and to EGFR‐TKIs; irradiation‐induced lung toxicity; and the effects of irradiation on sensitivity to EGFR‐TKIs. We used IKKβ inhibitor IMD 0354 or p65 depletion to explore their effects on sensitivity to irradiation and to EGFR‐TKIs in vitro and in vivo. We evaluated the efficacy of IMD 0354 in a radiation‐induced pulmonary‐fibrosis mouse model. Irradiation enhanced activation and expression of MET and therefore suppressed the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to irradiation or EGFR‐TKIs. Inhibition of NF‐κB by IMD 0354 or by p65 depletion reversed irradiation‐induced MET activation and increased the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to irradiation, to EGFR‐TKIs and to the combination thereof in vitro and in vivo. In addition, IMD 0354 significantly reduced lung toxicity in a murine model of irradiation‐induced pneumonia and lung fibrosis. These findings indicated that NF‐κB inhibition can improve sensitivity to irradiation and to EGFR‐TKIs and can decrease irradiation‐induced lung toxicity in lung cancer.
Thioridazine inhibits autophagy and sensitizes glioblastoma cells to temozolomide
Authors: Johannessen Tor‐Christian , Hasan‐Olive Md Mahdi , Zhu Huaiyang , Denisova Oxana , Grudic Amra , Latif Md Abdul , Saed Halala , Varughese Jobin K. , Røsland Gro Vatne , Yang Ning , Sundstrøm Terje , Nordal Anne , Tronstad Karl Johan , Wang Jian , Lund‐Johansen Morten , Simonsen Anne , Janji Bassam , Westermarck Jukka , Bjerkvig Rolf , Prestegarden Lars
Published: October 2018

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has a poor prognosis with an overall survival of 14–15 months after surgery, radiation and chemotherapy using temozolomide (TMZ). A major problem is that the tumors acquire resistance to therapy. In an effort to improve the therapeutic efficacy of TMZ, we performed a genome‐wide RNA interference (RNAi) synthetic lethality screen to establish a functional gene signature for TMZ sensitivity in human GBM cells. We then queried the Connectivity Map database to search for drugs that would induce corresponding changes in gene expression. By this approach we identified several potential pharmacological sensitizers to TMZ, where the most potent drug was the established antipsychotic agent Thioridazine, which significantly improved TMZ sensitivity while not demonstrating any significant toxicity alone. Mechanistically, we show that the specific chemosensitizing effect of Thioridazine is mediated by impairing autophagy, thereby preventing adaptive metabolic alterations associated with TMZ resistance. Moreover, we demonstrate that Thioridazine inhibits late‐stage autophagy by impairing fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes. Finally, Thioridazine in combination with TMZ significantly inhibits brain tumor growth in vivo, demonstrating the potential clinical benefits of compounds targeting the autophagy‐lysosome pathway. Our study emphasizes the feasibility of exploiting drug repurposing for the design of novel therapeutic strategies for GBM.
Effects of Irrigation Systems on Physicochemical Properties of Soil at Different Depths: A Case Study at a Farm Near Ziway Lake, Ethiopia
Authors: Teffera Zebene Lakew , Li Jianhua , Astatkie Tessema , Gebru Zinabu Marsie
Published: October 2018

Irrigation, regardless of its possible negative impacts on the environment, is the prime choice to combat poverty and sustain food security. Changes in soil physicochemical properties and subsequent loss of productivity are the main challenges associated with irrigation practices. This study investigated the effect of furrow and basin irrigation systems on surface and subsurface soil physicochemical properties in comparison with properties in non‐irrigated fields. The soil properties were analysed as repeated measures using appropriate covariance structure. The results showed significant interaction between irrigation and depth on electrical conductivity, pH, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, soluble cations and organic carbon; but only the main effect of irrigation system was significant on K+, HCO3−, Cl−, SO42−, soluble anions and sodium adsorption ratio. Both irrigation systems had lower soluble salt content on the surface than at the subsurface layer with basin irrigation having slightly higher, but the non‐irrigated fields showed the opposite. The soil pH was high, particularly in the non‐irrigated fields, which could affect the availability of important soil constituents like Ca, Mg, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn, and increase Na hazard and boron (B) toxicity that would impair crop productivity. Therefore, the effects of the irrigation method on the soil properties should be well understood and appropriate precautions should be taken when choosing irrigation methods. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Massive mitochondrial DNA content in diplonemid and kinetoplastid protists
Authors: Lukeš Julius , Wheeler Richard , Jirsová Dagmar , David Vojtěch , Archibald John M.
Published: October 2018

The mitochondrial DNA of diplonemid and kinetoplastid protists is known for its suite of bizarre features, including the presence of concatenated circular molecules, extensive trans‐splicing and various forms of RNA editing. Here we report on the existence of another remarkable characteristic: hyper‐inflated DNA content. We estimated the total amount of mitochondrial DNA in four kinetoplastid species (Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanoplasma borreli, Cryptobia helicis, and Perkinsela sp.) and the diplonemid Diplonema papillatum. Staining with 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole and RedDot1 followed by color deconvolution and quantification revealed massive inflation in the total amount of DNA in their organelles. This was further confirmed by electron microscopy. The most extreme case is the ∼260 Mbp of DNA in the mitochondrion of Diplonema, which greatly exceeds that in its nucleus; this is, to our knowledge, the largest amount of DNA described in any organelle. Perkinsela sp. has a total mitochondrial DNA content ~6.6× greater than its nuclear genome. This mass of DNA occupies most of the volume of the Perkinsela cell, despite the fact that it contains only six protein‐coding genes. Why so much DNA? We propose that these bloated mitochondrial DNAs accumulated by a ratchet‐like process. Despite their excessive nature, the synthesis and maintenance of these mtDNAs must incur a relatively low cost, considering that diplonemids are one of the most ubiquitous and speciose protist groups in the ocean. © 2018 The Authors. IUBMB Life published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology., 70(12):1267–1274, 2018
Autophagy induction plays time‐dependent role in viral load of HCV infected Huh7.5 cell line
Authors: Abdoli Mohsen , Abdoli Asghar , Aryan Ehsan , Meshkat Zahra
Published: October 2018

Autophagy provides an initial membranous platform for incoming hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA translation and immune evasion. Once HCV replication is established, this infrastructure will be unnecessary for translation of HCV RNA progeny. So, the autophagy plays key role in the replication and immune pathogenesis of HCV virus. The aim of this study was to study the effect of autophagy induction in Huh7.5 cell on virus titer. The Huh7.5 cell was transfected with recombinant pcDNA‐Beclin1. The autophagy induction was evaluated via microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 staining as autophagy formation marker using flow cytometry. The HCV (JFH1) was inoculated 12‐h post‐transfection. Next, to evaluate the viral load, viral RNA was extracted after 24 and 48 h and virus titer was calculated using real‐time PCR. The result of the current study shows that the induction of autophagy before virus infection was able to enhance virus yield from 4 × 103 copies/mL to 1 × 104 copies/mL at 24‐h post‐infection, but reduced viral load after 48 h up to 6 × 103 copies/mL. The study of cross‐talk between autophagy and HCV may bring new hope for human intervention and treatment of HCV. Also, it opens new avenue to improve virus cultivation in cell culture and understanding HCV and host cell responses. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 71(1):41–44, 2019
Suppressing inflammation and enhancing osteogenesis using novel CS‐EC@Ca microcapsules
Authors: Li Xiaoman , Han Bing , Wang Xiaoyan , Gao Xuejun , Liang Fuxin , Qu Xiaozhong , Yang Zhenzhong
Published: October 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the suppression of inflammation and enhancement of osteogenesis using chitosan‐coated calcium hydroxide‐loaded microcapsules (CS‐EC@Ca microcapsules) in vivo. Circular defects were created in the mandibular bones of rabbits and filled with Ca(OH)2, Bio‐oss, or CS‐EC@Ca microcapsules, and rabbits without drug implantation served as the controls. Lipopolysaccharides were injected in situ daily in all groups for 7 days. Mandibular bones were investigated at 4 and 12 weeks after surgery using micro‐CT, histological observations, and real‐time PCR analysis. At the postoperation, there was more substantial nascent bone in the microcapsule and Bio‐oss groups than in the control group. The recovery of the rabbits in the Ca(OH)2 group was slower than the control group, as determined using micro‐CT and histological staining. Osteocalcin and collagen type I production was not significantly different between the microcapsule and Bio‐oss groups (p > 0.05), but the expression levels of the two molecules were significantly increased compared to the control and Ca(OH)2 groups at postoperation (p < 0.05). The mRNA transcript levels of inflammatory factors in the microcapsule group had the most reduced expression of IL‐6 and TNF‐α (p < 0.05). The microcapsules significantly reduced inflammation and promoted osteogenesis in this rabbit model of inflammatory bone destruction. Our findings indicate that CS‐EC@Ca microcapsules hold potential for use in apical periodontitis treatment. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 3222–3230, 2018.