bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How is silicic acid transported in plants?
Authors: Exley Christopher , Guerriero Gea , Lopez Xabier 
Published: January 2020

AbstractPlants accumulate silicon in their tissues as amorphous silica. The form of silicon taken up by plants is silicic acid, a neutral molecule that passes through membrane channels with water. After seminal work on rice identified an aquaporin that appeared to mediate the passage of silicic acid, several papers followed and classified similar channels (referred to as “transporters”) in a number of plant species. These channels have been described as essential for silicon uptake and specific for the metalloid. Herein, we critically review the published data on the characterisation of one channel in particular, Lsi1, and identify possible caveats in results and limitations in methods used. Our analysis does not support the suggestion that the identified channels are specific for silicic acid. Computational analyses of the size of the Lsi1 pore additionally suggest that it may not play a significant role in mediating the movement of silicic acid in planta. We suggest that to avoid further confusion, channels currently implicated in the transport of silicic acid in planta are not referred to as silicon-specific transporters. Future research including the use of molecular dynamics simulations will enable the unequivocal identification of channels involved in silicon transport in plants.
Alkaline Ethanol Oxidation Reaction on Carbon Supported Ternary PdNiBi Nanocatalyst using Modified Instant Reduction Synthesis Method
Authors: Cermenek Bernd , Genorio Boštjan , Winter Thomas , Wolf Sigrid , Connell Justin G. , Roschger Michaela , Letofsky-Papst Ilse , Kienzl Norbert , Bitschnau Brigitte , Hacker Viktor 
Published: January 2020

AbstractDirect ethanol fuel cells (DEFC) still lack active and efficient electrocatalysts for the alkaline ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). In this work, a new instant reduction synthesis method was developed to prepare carbon supported ternary PdNiBi nanocatalysts with improved EOR activity. Synthesized catalysts were characterized with a variety of structural and compositional analysis techniques in order to correlate their morphology and surface chemistry with electrochemical performance. The modified instant reduction synthesis results in well-dispersed, spherical Pd85Ni10Bi5 nanoparticles on Vulcan XC72R support (Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(II-III)), with sizes ranging from 3.7 ± 0.8 to 4.7 ± 0.7 nm. On the other hand, the common instant reduction synthesis method leads to significantly agglomerated nanoparticles (Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(I)). EOR activity and stability of these three different carbon supported PdNiBi anode catalysts with a nominal atomic ratio of 85:10:5 were probed via cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry using the rotating disk electrode method. Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(II) showed the highest electrocatalytic activity (150 mA⋅cm−2; 2678 mA⋅mg−1) with low onset potential (0.207 V) for EOR in alkaline medium, as compared to a commercial Pd/C and to the other synthesized ternary nanocatalysts Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(I) and Pd85Ni10Bi5/C(III). This new synthesis approach provides a new avenue to developing efficient, carbon supported ternary nanocatalysts for future energy conversion devices.
Assessment of water quality status of Doyang River, Nagaland, India, using Water Quality Index
Authors: Lkr Akumtoshi , Singh M. R. , Puro Neizo 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe Doyang River of Wokha district, Nagaland, NE India, has a strong economic and traditional attachment to the local people. It provides sufficient fertile plains and slopes for cultivation, good grounds for community fishing and hunting. It is not only important for the people of Wokha but also for the state of Nagaland because of the rich natural resources it provides. This study was conducted to assess the Water Quality Index (WQI) of the Doyang River from eight selected sampling stations. Maximum WQI values were recorded during monsoon season in all the stations followed by pre-monsoon and post-monsoon. Sampling stations located in the upstream of the river experience deteriorating WQI due to the presence of hydroelectric dam, changing landuse practices, increasing settlements and deforestation in the catchment and river banks. The overall WQI values showed good water quality status indicating suitability for different human uses. The present study points out that pH, DO and BOD played a central role in affecting the WQI of the river; however, in case of nutrient elements no such significant roles were observed in affecting the water quality of the river. The condition of water quality in our present study felt the necessity to adopt proper management policy and conservation efforts along the riparian zones of Doyang River.
Analyzing multi-stakeholder collaborative governance practices in urban water projects in Addis Ababa City: procedures, priorities, and structures
Authors: Woldesenbet Wassihun Gebreegiziaber 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThough different technical approaches have been applied, Addis Ababa water bodies are persistently facing problems that affect their biological, economic, sociological, and ecological assets. To fill the technical gaps, multi-stakeholder collaborative governance approaches are unfolding, in the academia, as the important tools or methods of dealing with water problems. Thus, the basic objective of this qualitative exploratory study is analyzing the processes and outcomes of multi-stakeholder collaboration structures on the governance of urban water projects, and developing potential pathways of building collaboration among stakeholders for the governance of water bodies. The results of this study show that the processes of multi-stakeholder dialogues are handicapped by the absence of prehistory of collaborations, asymmetrical pre-deliberation communication, and the representation of stakeholders by individuals with no experience or the required expertise, and the lack of willingness among stakeholders to engage in the process of dialogues. The activities of supervision, evaluation, river assessment programs, and the establishment of stable and secured governance frameworks are loaded in a few government sectors, leading to the eruption of multiple problems. On the other hand, the potential pathways of building strong collaboration among stakeholders require a systematic procedure that establishes legal, political, and administrative commonality among stakeholders. This guides to instill responsibility, ownership, and commitment on the leaders, directors, and experts to work with others. The study concludes that urban water problems could not be well addressed unless the governance structures are built in advance by making the pre-deliberation and deliberation processes that combine the principles of simplicity, symmetrical communication with all stakeholders, the appointment of experts, and the development of a regular collaboration system. Further, these would enable to govern water governance projects effectively by combining the ecological, social, political, and economic perspectives. Besides, considering cultural, legal, social, and political contexts and establishing individual and organization sensitive committees at various levels is crucial for sustainability and adaptability.
Comparative study of the explosion pressure characteristics of micro- and nano-sized coal dust and methane–coal dust mixtures in a pipe
Authors: Tan Bo , Liu Huilin , Xu Bin , Wang Tian 
Published: January 2020

AbstractCoal dust explosion accidents often cause substantial property damage and casualties and frequently involve nano-sized coal dust. In order to study the impact of nano-sized coal on coal dust and methane–coal dust explosions, a pipe test apparatus was used to analyze the explosion pressure characteristics of five types of micro-nano particle dusts (800 nm, 1200 nm, 45 μm, 60 μm, and 75 μm) at five concentrations (100 g/m3, 250 g/m3, 500 g/m3, 750 g/m3, and 1000 g/m3). The explosion pressure characteristics were closely related to the coal dust particle size and concentration. The maximum explosion pressure, maximum rate of pressure rise, and deflagration index for nano-sized coal dust were larger than for its micro-sized counterpart, indicating that a nano-sized coal dust explosion is more dangerous. The highest deflagration index Kst for coal dust was 13.97 MPa/(m·s), indicating weak explosibility. When 7% methane was added to the air, the maximum deflagration index Kst for methane–coal dust was 42.62 MPa/(m·s), indicating very strong explosibility. This indicates that adding methane to the coal dust mixture substantially increased the hazard grade.
The homalonotid trilobiteBurmeisteriaSalter, 1865 in the Lower Devonian of Argentina: new data in the context of southwestern Gondwana
Authors: Rustán Juan José , Waisfeld Beatriz G. , Vaccari N. Emilio 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe homalonotid trilobiteBurmeisteriaSalter, 1865 is revised from material from the Lower Devonian of central western Argentina (the Talacasto Formation in the Precordillera Basin). In contrast to other closely related Devonian marine basins from South America (mainly Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay), the only species recognized in Argentina includeBurmeisteria herschelii(Murchison, 1839) andB.notica(Clarke, 1913). New observations on the structure of the carapace indicate that structures sometimes interpreted as granules with taxonomic meaning are, in fact, taphonomic characters that represent the fillings of pore canals exposed by decortication. The antero-ventral process of the rostral plate may be a locking device during enrollment, which allowed long-term defensive behavior with a minimum of muscular energy.Burmeisteriais an upper Silurian to Middle Devonian endemic representative of southwestern Gondwanan (Malvinokaffric) basins. In the Argentine Precordillera Basin, this genus is virtually restricted to a sandy, Pragian, stratigraphic interval capped by a marker bed first reported by Keidel in 1921.
The role of reference frames in memory recollection
Authors: Riva Giuseppe , Di Lernia Daniele , Serino Andrea , Serino Silvia 
Published: January 2020

Abstract
In this commentary on Bastin et al., we suggest that spatial context plays a critical role in the encoding and retrieval of events. Specifically, the translation process between the viewpoint-independent content of a memory and the viewpoint-dependent stimuli activating the retrieval (mental frame syncing) plays a critical role in spatial memory recollection. This perspective also provides an explanatory model for pathological disturbances such as Alzheimer's disease.
Interactions with the integrative memory model
Authors: Bastin Christine , Besson Gabriel , Delhaye Emma , Folville Adrien , Geurten Marie , Simon Jessica , Willems Sylvie , Salmon Eric 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe integrative memory model formalizes a new conceptualization of memory in which interactions between representations and cognitive operations within large-scale cerebral networks generate subjective memory feelings. Such interactions allow to explain the complexity of memory expressions, such as the existence of multiples sources for familiarity and recollection feelings and the fact that expectations determine how one recognizes previously encountered information.
Teaching Chinese as a second or foreign language to non-Chinese learners in mainland China (2014–2018)
Authors: Gong Yang (Frank) , Gao Xuesong (Andy) , Lyu Boning 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis review involved 60 articles chosen from 336 empirical studies identified in five leading journals on the learning and teaching of Chinese as a second or foreign language in mainland China during the period 2014–2018. The selected studies document Chinese researchers' efforts to improve the teaching and learning of the Chinese language in terms of language pedagogy, language learning and teacher development. We contend that these studies on the teaching and learning of Chinese as a second or foreign language (CSL/CFL) can contribute to the advancement of second/foreign language education theories even though they were largely conducted to address local needs and interests in the Chinese context. Unfortunately, the impact of these studies on international language education research and pedagogical development remains limited and peripheral. For this reason, this review concludes with recommendations for Chinese researchers and journal editors in the field of Chinese language teaching and learning research on how to promote quality empirical research and enhance their contributions to second/foreign language education research.
Early caregiving quality predicts consistency of competent functioning from middle childhood to adolescence following early psychosocial deprivation
Authors: Guyon-Harris Katherine L. , Humphreys Kathryn L. , Miron Devi , Tibu Florin , Fox Nathan A. , Nelson Charles A. , Zeanah Charles H. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractAdverse developmental outcomes for some children following institutional care are well established. Removal from institutional care and placement into families can promote recovery. However, little is known about how positive outcomes are sustained across adolescence among children with histories of severe deprivation. The present study examined the caregiving conditions that are associated with attaining and maintaining competent functioning (i.e., outcomes within typical levels) from middle childhood to adolescence following exposure to early institutional care. The participants included children with and without a history of institutional care who had competence assessed at ages 8, 12, and 16 years across seven domains: family relationships, peer relationships, academic performance, physical health, mental health, substance use (ages 12 and 16 years only), and risk-taking behavior. The participants were grouped based on whether they were always versus not always competent and never versus ever competent at ages 8 through 16 years. Adolescents with a history of institutional care were less likely to be consistently competent than those who were family reared. Among those who were exposed to early institutional rearing, maintaining competent functioning from 8 to 16 years was associated with spending less time in institutions and receiving higher-quality caregiving early in life. Ensuring high quality early caregiving may promote competent functioning following early deprivation.
Incorporating Posterior‐Informed Approximation Errors Into a Hierarchical Framework to Facilitate Out‐of‐the‐Box MCMC Sampling for Geothermal Inverse Problems and Uncertainty Quantification
Authors: Maclaren Oliver J. , Nicholson Ruanui , Bjarkason Elvar K. , O'Sullivan John P. , O'Sullivan Michael J. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWe consider geothermal inverse problems and uncertainty quantification from a Bayesian perspective. Our main goal is to make standard, “out‐of‐the‐box” Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling more feasible for complex simulation models by using suitable approximations. To do this, we first show how to pose both the inverse and prediction problems in a hierarchical Bayesian framework. We then show how to incorporate so‐called posterior‐informed model approximation error into this hierarchical framework, using a modified form of the Bayesian approximation error approach. This enables the use of a “coarse,” approximate model in place of a finer, more expensive model, while accounting for the additional uncertainty and potential bias that this can introduce. Our method requires only simple probability modeling, a relatively small number of fine model simulations and only modifies the target posterior—any standard MCMC sampling algorithm can be used to sample the new posterior. These corrections can also be used in methods that are not based on MCMC sampling. We show that our approach can achieve significant computational speedups on two geothermal test problems. We also demonstrate the dangers of naively using coarse, approximate models in place of finer models, without accounting for the induced approximation errors. The naive approach tends to give overly confident and biased posteriors while incorporating Bayesian approximation error into our hierarchical framework corrects for this while maintaining computational efficiency and ease of use.
A Detectable Anthropogenic Shift Toward Intensified Summer Hot Drought Events Over Northeastern China
Authors: Li Huixin , Chen Huopo , Sun Bo , Wang Huijun , Sun Jianqi 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThis study investigates the influence of external forcings on the various summer hot drought events (SHDEs) over northeastern China (NEC). SHDEs are represented by the probability‐based index (PI), which considers precipitation and temperature anomalies. The results show that SHDEs over NEC increased from 1961 to 2005, and the experiments for historical forcing (ALL), increased greenhouse gases emission forcing (GHG), and anthropogenic forcing (ANT) can largely reproduce the spatial and temporal features of the trends of SHDEs over NEC. Based on the optimal fingerprinting method, the impact of increased anthropogenic activities can be detected at the 90% confidence level. In addition, the attributable changes of PI in response to GHG and ANT forcings resemble the observation, implying that the increasing trends of SHDEs over NEC are primarily attributed to the increased anthropogenic activity. Furthermore, the occurrence probability of SHDEs over NEC will be further increased under different Representative Concentration Pathways in the future. Additional strict control regulations on GHG emissions are thus suggested to mitigate its impact on regional climate changes.
Cloud Resolving WRF Simulations of Precipitation and Soil Moisture Over the Central Tibetan Plateau: An Assessment of Various Physics Options
Authors: Lv Meizhao , Xu Zhongfeng , Yang Zong‐Liang 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe evaluation of the regional climate model is of great importance for model's developments and applications. We assessed the performance of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) cloud resolving simulations with various physics options in terms of precipitation and soil moisture over the central Tibetan Plateau (TP) for a 2‐month simulation from July to August in 2015. The simulated precipitation is most sensitive to the microphysics scheme, followed by the land surface model, which plays a vital role in the soil moisture simulation, while the planetary boundary layer and radiation schemes have relatively minor impacts on the precipitation and soil moisture. Specifically, the heavy precipitation event has a close relationship with the land surface model. Among the different WRF schemes, the new Thompson microphysics scheme, the Noah land surface model, the GFDL radiation scheme, and the Mellor–Yamada planetary boundary layer scheme perform relatively better than other options over the central TP. In contrast, the Lin and WRF Single‐Moment 6‐class microphysics schemes tend to simulate an earlier precipitation peak in the diurnal cycle, excessively higher intensities, and greater frequencies for high precipitation events. The Rapid Update Cycle model performs the worst in the spatiotemporal pattern of precipitation and markedly exaggerates the diurnal variation of soil moisture. These results can provide valuable guidance for further fine‐scale simulation studies of land–atmosphere interaction over the TP.
Coseismic Rupture Geometry and Slip Rupture Process During the 2018 Mw 7.1 Anchorage, South‐Central Alaska Earthquake: Intraplate Normal Faulting by Slab Tear Constrained by Geodetic and Teleseismic Data
Authors: He Ping , Wen Yangmao , Chen Yunguo , Xu Caijun , Ding Kaihua 
Published: January 2020

AbstractThe Mw 7.1 Anchorage earthquake on 30 November 2018 beneath the south‐central Alaska is a rare intermediate‐depth event larger than Mw 7 that occurred in a complex subduction region, where the young Yakutat oceanic terrane wedges in the continental‐oceanic plate collisional region between the Pacific oceanic plate and the North American plate. We use both ascending and descending Sentinel‐1 satellite Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) images to construct the coseismic displacement associated with this earthquake, which shows a nearly circular deformation pattern with a subsidence of ~4 cm in line of sight direction. Combining coseismic GPS data, we determine the focal mechanism of this event dominated by normal faulting with N‐S striking of 186°and westward dipping of 64°by using a uniform slip model. Then we find a preferred slip model with both geodetic data and teleseismic data, suggesting the main slips are concentrated on a depth of 55–75 km. The total released moment of our preferred slip model is 5.32 × 1019N·m, equivalent to Mw 7.1. The rupture process includes two peaks terminating at about 18 s and indicates a unilateral rupture with its front propagating northwestward direction at an average speed of 2.5 km/s. In comparison with the detailed seismic image in this region, this event just occurred in the Yakutat terrane beneath a low velocity zone, suggesting it was caused by slab tear but not slab boundary breaking and determining the lower boundary of shallow thrust‐slip in the Alaska subduction zone.
A Multifidelity Framework and Uncertainty Quantification for Sea Surface Temperature in the Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays
Authors: Babaee H. , Bastidas C. , DeFilippo M. , Chryssostomidis C. , Karniadakis G. E. 
Published: January 2020

AbstractWe present a multifidelity framework to analyze and hindcast predictions of sea surface temperature (SST) in the Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays, which is a critical area for its ecological significance, sustaining fisheries and the blue economy of the region. Currently, there is a lack of accurate and continuous SST prediction for this region due to the high cost of collecting the samples (e.g., cost of buoys, maintenance, severe weather). In this work, we use SST data from satellite images and in situ measurements collected by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to develop multifidelity forecasting models. This multifidelity framework is based on autoregressive Gaussian process schemes that systematically exploit all correlations between data from multiple heterogeneous spatiotemporal sources with various degrees of fidelity. This enables us to obtain implicitly their functional relationships and, at the same time, quantify the uncertainty of the data‐driven predictions. Specifically, in the current work, we develop and validate progressively more complex models, including temporal, spatial, and spatiotemporal multifidelity hindcast predictions of SST in the Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays. Together with these predictions, we present for the first time uncertainty maps for the region.