bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Genomic diversity of Sri Lankan New Improved Rice Varieties revealed by AFLP markers
Authors: Rajkumar Gowri , Weerasena Jagathpriya , Silva Rangika , Fernando Kumudu 
Published: March 2016

Genetic relationships among 28 new improved rice varieties were established using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Cultivars were analyzed with 10 EcoR1 and MseI primer combinations. A total of 517 fluorescent AFLP markers were generated and analyzed. Of these 480 fragments were polymorphic (92.84%) and 37 (7.16%) fragments were monomorphic. The Jaccard’s similarity indices (J) based on the AFLP profiles of the 28 varieties were computed and Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean (UPGMA) based dendrogram was constructed. The dendrogram separated varieties into three major clusters. Outliers used in the study were uniquely separated from the rest confirming the reliability of data and analysis. The Cophenetic correlation with 0.862 strongly supported the clustering pattern of UPGMA dendrogram. Principal Coordinate analysis and the unrooted tree also confirmed the clustering pattern of the UPGMA dendrogram. Rice varieties in the same cluster showed similar characteristic features (Eg. Grain colour, life span etc). Therefore this genetic diversity data at molecular level will provide detailed estimates of the genetic variation among Sri Lankan new improved rice varieties and also useful in ex situ and in situ genetic conservation, utilization and exchange of genetic material. Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(1): 32-38
Farmers Perception on Effect of Pesticide on Insect Pollinators at Padampur and Jutpani Vdcs, Chitwan, Nepal
Authors: Pudasaini R. , Thapa R. B. , Tiwari S. 
Published: March 2016

A survey was conducted to know the farmers perception on the effect of chemical pesticide on insect pollinators at Jutpani andPadampur VDCs, Chitwan, Nepal in 2013. Thirty households were randomly selected and semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect necessary information by face-to-face interview. Majority of the farmers (60%)applied pesticides on crops during mid day. Half of the farmers (50.00%) rankedpopulation decline as effect of pesticide on pollinators, some farmers (16.67%) also observed dead pollinators in field and hives, affecting their distribution (13.33%) and repelling them from field as mentioned by the respondents (13.33%). Majority of respondents (56.67%) perceived that misuse and overuse of chemical pesticide was the major cause of declining insect pollinators, among other causes, 16.67% farmers replied deforestation, 10.00% environmental pollution and 6.67% less cultivated area responsible for the decline. Very few farmers (6.67%) could realise the incidence of disease on pollinator due to pesticidal effects. Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 4(1): 64-66
Application of a fuzzy expert system for failure load estimation of two serial pinned or bolted sandwich composite plates
Authors: Sen Faruk , Ballı Serkan 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThe present paper reports about the application of fuzzy expert system for estimating failure loads of two serial pinned/bolted sandwich composite plates. Considered composite material for present application was produced by a glass fiber reinforced layer and aluminum sheets to create sandwich structures. Briefly outlines, the experimental data of a previous study were related to different geometrical boundary conditions and also numerous preload moments as 0 (pinned), 2, 3, 4 and 5 (bolted) Nm. Anyway, both a fuzzy expert system and a regression analysis were applied depending on mentioned geometrical parameters and pinned/bolted joint arrangements in this work. Obtained results point out that the fuzzy expert system was more suitable than regression analysis method for modeling and estimation of analyzed sandwich composite. Achievements of the fuzzy expert system and the regression analysis methods were considered in terms of error ratios and mean absolute deviations.
RINGED SUBSTRUCTURE AND A GAP AT 1 au IN THE NEAREST PROTOPLANETARY DISK
Authors: Andrews Sean M. , Wilner David J. , Zhu Zhaohuan , Birnstiel Tilman , Carpenter John M. , Pérez Laura M. , Bai Xue-Ning , Öberg Karin I. , Hughes A. Meredith , Isella Andrea , Ricci Luca 
Published: March 2016

ABSTRACT
We present long baseline Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the 870 μm continuum emission from the nearest gas-rich protoplanetary disk, around TW Hya, that trace millimeter-sized particles down to spatial scales as small as 1 au (20 mas). These data reveal a series of concentric ring-shaped substructures in the form of bright zones and narrow dark annuli (1–6 au) with modest contrasts (5%–30%). We associate these features with concentrations of solids that have had their inward radial drift slowed or stopped, presumably at local gas pressure maxima. No significant non-axisymmetric structures are detected. Some of the observed features occur near temperatures that may be associated with the condensation fronts of major volatile species, but the relatively small brightness contrasts may also be a consequence of magnetized disk evolution (the so-called zonal flows). Other features, particularly a narrow dark annulus located only 1 au from the star, could indicate interactions between the disk and young planets. These data signal that ordered substructures on ∼au scales can be common, fundamental factors in disk evolution and that high-resolution microwave imaging can help characterize them during the epoch of planet formation.
Pneumococcal Surface Protein A Plays a Major Role in Streptococcus pneumoniae–Induced Immunosuppression
Authors: Saumyaa  , Pujanauski Lindsey , Colino Jesus , Flora Michael , Torres Raul M. , Tuomanen Elaine , Snapper Clifford M. 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
Intact, inactivated Streptococcus pneumoniae [including the unencapsulated S. pneumoniae, serotype 2 strain (R36A)] markedly inhibits the humoral immune response to coimmunized heterologous proteins, a property not observed with several other intact Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we determined the nature of this immunosuppressive property. Because phosphorylcholine (PC), a major haptenic component of teichoic acid in the S. pneumoniae cell wall, and lipoteichoic acid in the S. pneumoniae membrane were previously reported to be immunosuppressive when derived from filarial parasites, we determined whether R36A lacking PC (R36Apc−) was inhibitory. Indeed, although R36Apc− exhibited a markedly reduced level of inhibition of the IgG response to coimmunized chicken OVA (cOVA), no inhibition was observed when using several other distinct PC-expressing bacteria or a soluble, protein–PC conjugate. Further, treatment of R36A with periodate, which selectively destroys PC residues, had no effect on R36A-mediated inhibition. Because R36Apc− also lacks choline-binding proteins (CBPs) that require PC for cell wall attachment, and because treatment of R36A with trypsin eliminated its inhibitory activity, we incubated R36A in choline chloride, which selectively strips CBPs from its surface. R36A lacking CBPs lost most of its inhibitory property, whereas the supernatant of choline chloride–treated R36A, containing CBPs, was markedly inhibitory. Coimmunization studies using cOVA and various S. pneumoniae mutants, each genetically deficient in one of the CBPs, demonstrated that only S. pneumoniae lacking the CBP pneumococcal surface protein A lost its ability to inhibit the IgG anti-cOVA response. These results strongly suggest that PspA plays a major role in mediating the immunosuppressive property of S. pneumoniae.
Philosophy in a Meaningless Life
Authors: Tartaglia James 
Published: March 2016

Philosophy in a Meaningless Life provides an account of the nature of philosophy which is rooted in the question of the meaning of life. It makes a powerful and vivid case for believing that this question is neither obscure nor obsolete, but reflects a quintessentially human concern to which other traditional philosophical problems can be readily related; allowing them to be reconnected with natural interest, and providing a diagnosis of the typical lines of opposition across philosophy’s debates.
James Tartaglia looks at the various ways philosophers have tried to avoid the conclusion that life is meaningless, and in the process have distanced philosophy from the concept of transcendence. Rejecting all of this, Tartaglia embraces nihilism (‘we are here with nothing to do’), and uses transcendence both to provide a new solution to the problem of consciousness, and to explain away perplexities about time and universals. He concludes that with more self-awareness, philosophy can attain higher status within a culture increasingly in need of it.
Stratospheric ozone changes under solar geoengineering: implications for UV exposure and air quality
Authors: Nowack Peer Johannes , Abraham Nathan Luke , Braesicke Peter , Pyle John Adrian 
Published: March 2016

Abstract. Various forms of geoengineering have been proposed to counter anthropogenic climate change. Methods which aim to modify the Earth's energy balance by reducing insolation are often subsumed under the term solar radiation management (SRM). Here, we present results of a standard SRM modelling experiment in which the incoming solar irradiance is reduced to offset the global mean warming induced by a quadrupling of atmospheric carbon dioxide. For the first time in an atmosphere–ocean coupled climate model, we include atmospheric composition feedbacks for this experiment. While the SRM scheme considered here could offset greenhouse gas induced global mean surface warming, it leads to important changes in atmospheric composition. We find large stratospheric ozone increases that induce significant reductions in surface UV-B irradiance, which would have implications for vitamin D production. In addition, the higher stratospheric ozone levels lead to decreased ozone photolysis in the troposphere. In combination with lower atmospheric specific humidity under SRM, this results in overall surface ozone concentration increases in the idealized G1 experiment. Both UV-B and surface ozone changes are important for human health. We therefore highlight that both stratospheric and tropospheric ozone changes must be considered in the assessment of any SRM scheme, due to their important roles in regulating UV exposure and air quality.
Research of Properties and Structure of Boron-modified Roll-foundry Iron
Authors: Vdovin K. N. , Zaitseva A. A. , Feoktistov N. A. 
Published: March 2016

<p class="1Body">The aim of the research is to determine the properties and the structure of boron-alloyed iron used for rolls production. It was found that boron can form different carbides in iron, which significantly improve both hardenability and microhardness. Iron borides Fe<sub>3</sub>(B,C) are also formed in cast iron as only 40% of carbon atoms in cementite matrix can be replaced by boron. Besides, boron influences the temperatures of structural constituents decomposition (increases the rate of cementite decomposition), it also decreases the temperatures of developing phase transformations. The research group determined the kinetics of martensite decomposition, which is formed when chilled cast iron is poured into a metal mold and then undergoes thermal treatment to the temperature of 400 °C. In the temperature range of 210 – 400 °C the main process is decomposition of the retained austenite into bainite, while in the temperature range of 400 – 500 °C, the main process is decomposition of martensite and forming a ferrite-cementite mixture. In order to get the necessary properties of the roll face, it is necessary to provide its thermal treatment (tempering), when it is heated to the temperature of 400 °C to avoid martensite decomposition, because otherwise in the process of roll operation it can result in crack formation. </p>
Accurate energy bands calculated by the hybrid quasiparticle self-consistent GW method implemented in the ecalj package
Authors: Deguchi Daiki , Sato Kazunori , Kino Hiori , Kotani Takao 
Published: March 2016

Abstract
We have recently implemented a new version of the quasiparticle self-consistent GW (QSGW) method in the ecalj package released at http://github.com/tkotani/ecalj. Since the new version of the ecalj package is numerically stable and more accurate than the previous versions, we can perform calculations easily without being bothered with tuning input parameters. Here we examine its ability to describe energy band properties, e.g., band-gap energy, eigenvalues at special points, and effective mass, for a variety of semiconductors and insulators. We treat C, Si, Ge, Sn, SiC (in 2H, 3C, and 4H structures), (Al, Ga, In) × (N, P, As, Sb), (Zn, Cd, Mg) × (O, S, Se, Te), SiO2, HfO2, ZrO2, SrTiO3, PbS, PbTe, MnO, NiO, and HgO. We propose that a hybrid QSGW method, where we mix 80% of QSGW and 20% of LDA, gives universally good agreement with experiments for these materials.
Aging and serum MCP-1 are associated with gut microbiome composition in a murine model
Authors: Conley Melissa N. , Wong Carmen P. , Duyck Kyle M. , Hord Norman , Ho Emily , Sharpton Thomas J. 
Published: March 2016

Introduction.Age is the primary risk factor for major human chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. Chronic, low-grade, systemic inflammation is associated with aging and the progression of immunosenescence. Immunosenescence may play an important role in the development of age-related chronic disease and the widely observed phenomenon of increased production of inflammatory mediators that accompany this process, referred to as “inflammaging.” While it has been demonstrated that the gut microbiome and immune system interact, the relationship between the gut microbiome and age remains to be clearly defined, particularly in the context of inflammation. The aim of our study was to clarify the associations between age, the gut microbiome, and pro-inflammatory marker serum MCP-1 in a C57BL/6 murine model.Results.We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to profile the composition of fecal microbiota associated with young and aged mice. Our analysis identified an association between microbiome structure and mouse age and revealed specific groups of taxa whose abundances stratify young and aged mice. This includes the Ruminococcaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Enterobacteriaceae. We also profiled pro-inflammatory serum MCP-1 levels of each mouse and found that aged mice exhibited elevated serum MCP-1, a phenotype consistent with inflammaging. Robust correlation tests identified several taxa whose abundance in the microbiome associates with serum MCP-1 status, indicating that they may interact with the mouse immune system. We find that taxonomically similar organisms can exhibit differing, even opposite, patterns of association with the host immune system. We also find that many of the OTUs that associate with serum MCP-1 stratify individuals by age.Discussion.Our results demonstrate that gut microbiome composition is associated with age and the pro-inflammatory marker, serum MCP-1. The correlation between age, relative abundance of specific taxa in the gut microbiome, and serum MCP-1 status in mice indicates that the gut microbiome may play a modulating role in age-related inflammatory processes. These findings warrant further investigation of taxa associated with the inflammaging phenotype and the role of gut microbiome in the health status and immune function of aged individuals.
Sources of dissolved inorganic carbon to the Canada Basin halocline: A multitracer study
Authors: Brown Kristina A. , McLaughlin Fiona , Tortell Philippe D. , Yamamoto‐Kawai Michiyo , Francois Roger 
Published: March 2016

AbstractWe examine the dissolved inorganic carbon maximum in the Canada Basin halocline using a suite of geochemical tracers to gain insight into the factors that contribute to the persistence of this feature. Hydrographic and geochemical samples were collected in the upper 500 m of the southwestern Canada Basin water column in the summer of 2008 and fall of 2009. These observations were used to identify conservative and nonconservative processes that contribute dissolved inorganic carbon to halocline source waters, including shelf sediment organic matter remineralization, air‐sea gas exchange, and sea‐ice brine export. Our results indicate that the remineralization of organic matter that occurs along the Bering and Chukchi Sea shelves is the overwhelming contributor of dissolved inorganic carbon to Pacific Winter Water that occupies the middle halocline in the southwestern Canada Basin. Nonconservative contributions from air‐sea exchange and sea‐ice brine are not significant. The broad salinity range associated with the DIC maximum, compared to the narrow salinity range of the nutrient maximum, is due to mixing between Pacific and Atlantic water and not abiotic addition of DIC.
On the composite response of the MLT to major sudden stratospheric warming events with elevated stratopause
Authors: Limpasuvan Varavut , Orsolini Yvan J. , Chandran Amal , Garcia Rolando R. , Smith Anne K. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractBased on a climate‐chemistry model (constrained by reanalyses below ~50 km), the zonal‐mean composite response of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) to major sudden stratospheric warming events with elevated stratopauses demonstrates the role of planetary waves (PWs) in driving the mean circulation in the presence of gravity waves (GWs), helping the polar vortex recover and communicating the sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) impact across the equator. With the SSW onset, strong westward PW drag appears above 80 km primarily from the dissipation of wave number 1 perturbations with westward period of 5–12 days, generated from below by the unstable westward polar stratospheric jet that develops as a result of the SSW. The filtering effect of this jet also allows eastward propagating GWs to saturate in the winter MLT, providing eastward drag that promotes winter polar mesospheric cooling. The dominant PW forcing translates to a net westward drag above the eastward mesospheric jet, which initiates downwelling over the winter pole. As the eastward polar stratospheric jet returns, this westward PW drag persists above 80 km and acts synergistically with the return of westward GW drag to drive a stronger polar downwelling that warms the pole adiabatically and helps reform the stratopause at an elevated altitude. With the polar wind reversal during the SSW onset, the westward drag by the quasi‐stationary PW in the winter stratosphere drives an anomalous equatorial upwelling and cooling that enhance tropical stratospheric ozone. Along with equatorial wind anomalies, this ozone enhancement subsequently amplifies the migrating semidiurnal tide amplitude in the winter midlatitudes.
Dryland, calcareous soils store (and lose) significant quantities of near‐surface organic carbon
Authors: Cunliffe Andrew M. , Puttock Alan K. , Turnbull Laura , Wainwright John , Brazier Richard E. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractSemiarid ecosystems are susceptible to changes in dominant vegetation which may have significant implications for terrestrial carbon dynamics. The present study examines the distribution of organic carbon (OC) between particle size fractions in near‐surface (0–0.05 m) soil and the water erosion‐induced redistribution of particle‐associated OC over a grass‐shrub ecotone, in a semiarid landscape, subject to land degradation. Coarse (>2 mm) particles have comparable average OC concentrations to the fine (<2 mm) particles, accounting for ~24–38% of the OC stock in the near‐surface soil. This may be due to aggregate stabilization by precipitated calcium carbonate in these calcareous arid soils. Critically, standard protocols assuming that coarse fraction particles contain no OC are likely to underestimate soil OC stocks substantially, especially in soils with strongly stabilized aggregates. Sediment eroded from four hillslope scale (10 × 30 m) sites during rainstorm events was monitored over four annual monsoon seasons. Eroded sediment was significantly enriched in OC; enrichment increased significantly across the grass‐shrub ecotone and appears to be an enduring phenomenon probably sustained through the dynamic replacement of preferentially removed organic matter. The average erosion‐induced OC event yield increased sixfold across the ecotone from grass‐dominated to shrub‐dominated ecosystems, due to both greater erosion and greater OC enrichment. This erosional pathway is rarely considered when comparing the carbon budgets of grasslands and shrublands, yet this accelerated efflux of OC may be important for long‐term carbon storage potentials of dryland ecosystems.
Association of dissolved mercury with dissolved organic carbon in U.S. rivers and streams: The role of watershed soil organic carbon
Authors: Stoken Olivia M. , Riscassi Ami L. , Scanlon Todd M. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractStreams and rivers are important pathways for the export of atmospherically deposited mercury (Hg) from watersheds. Dissolved Hg (HgD) is strongly associated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in stream water, but the ratio of HgD to DOC is highly variable between watersheds. In this study, the HgD:DOC ratios from 19 watersheds were evaluated with respect to Hg wet deposition and watershed soil organic carbon (SOC) content. On a subset of sites where data were available, DOC quality measured by specific ultra violet absorbance at 254 nm, was considered as an additional factor that may influence HgD:DOC . No significant relationship was found between Hg wet deposition and HgD:DOC, but SOC content (g m−2) was able to explain 81% of the variance in the HgD:DOC ratio (ng mg−1) following the form: HgD:DOC=17.8*SOC−0.41. The inclusion of DOC quality as a secondary predictor variable explained only an additional 1% of the variance. A mathematical framework to interpret the observed power‐law relationship between HgD:DOC and SOC suggests Hg supply limitation for adsorption to soils with relatively large carbon pools. With SOC as a primary factor controlling the association of HgD with DOC, SOC data sets may be utilized to predict stream HgD:DOC ratios on a more geographically widespread basis. In watersheds where DOC data are available, estimates of HgD may be readily obtained. Future Hg emissions policies must consider soil‐mediated processes that affect the transport of Hg and DOC from terrestrial watersheds to streams for accurate predictions of water quality impacts.
Ice cap melting and low‐viscosity crustal root explain the narrow geodetic uplift of the Western Alps
Authors: Chéry J. , Genti M. , Vernant P. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractMore than 10 years of geodetic measurements demonstrate an uplift rate of 1–3 mm/yr of the high topography region of the Western Alps. By contrast, no significant horizontal motion has been detected. Two uplift mechanisms have been proposed: (1) the isostatic response to denudation responsible for only a fraction of the observed uplift and (2) the rebound induced by the Wurmian ice cap melting which predicts a broader uplifting region than the one evidenced by geodetic observations. Using a numerical model to fit the geodetic data, we show that a crustal viscosity contrast between the foreland and the central part of the Alps, the latter being weaker with a viscosity of 1021 Pa s, is needed. The vertical rates are enhanced if the strong uppermost mantle beneath the Moho is interrupted across the Alps, therefore allowing a weak vertical rheological anomaly over the entire lithosphere.