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Branched amphotericin functional poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide): an antifungal polymer Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Thomas Swift; Emily Caseley; Abbigail Pinnock; Joanna Shepherd; Nagaveni Shivshetty; Prashant Garg; C. W. Ian Douglas; Sheila MacNeil; Stephen Rimmer
Branched poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) was functionalized with Amphotericin B (AmB) at the chain ends to produce an antifungal material. The polymer showed antifungal properties against AmB-sensitive strains of Candida albicans, Fusarium keratoplasticum and Aspergillus flavus (minimal inhibitory concentration ranged from 5 to 500 µg ml−1) but was not effective against an AmB resistant strain of C. albicans
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Removal of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid from water by MIL-101(Cr) metal-organic framework: kinetics, isotherms and statistical models Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Hamza Ahmad Isiyaka; Khairulazhar Jumbri; Nonni Soraya Sambudi; Zakariyya Uba Zango; Bahruddin Saad; Adamu Mustapha
Effective removal of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), an emerging agrochemical contaminant in water with carcinogenic and mutagenic health effects has been reported using hydrothermally synthesized MIL-101(Cr) metal-organic framework (MOF). The properties of the MOF were ascertained using powdered X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric
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Ion release from hydroxyapatite and substituted hydroxyapatites in different immersion liquids: in vitro experiments and theoretical modelling study Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Aurora Mocanu; Oana Cadar; Petre T. Frangopol; Ioan Petean; Gheorghe Tomoaia; Gertrud-Alexandra Paltinean; Csaba Pal Racz; Ossi Horovitz; Maria Tomoaia-Cotisel
Multi-substituted hydroxyapatites (ms-HAPs) are currently gaining more consideration owing to their multifunctional properties and biomimetic structure, owning thus an enhanced biological potential in orthopaedic and dental applications. In this study, nano-hydroxyapatite (HAP) substituted with multiple cations (Sr2+, Mg2+ and Zn2+) for Ca2+ and anion (SiO44−) for PO43− and OH−, specifically HAPc-5%Sr
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A study of bacteria adhesion and microbial corrosion on different stainless steels in environment containing Desulfovibrio vulgaris Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 T. T. T. Tran; K. Kannoorpatti; A. Padovan; S. Thennadil
Stainless steel is an important material used in many applications due to its mechanical strength and corrosion-resistant properties. The high corrosion resistance of stainless steel is provided by the passive film. Different stainless steels have different alloy elements and surface properties which could have a significant influence on bacterial attachment to the surface and thus might result in
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Magnetic transfection with superparamagnetic chitosan-loaded IGFBP5 nanoparticles and their in vitro biosafety Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Yue Tang; Jun Wu; Yuan Zhang; Lingpeng Ju; Xiangyang Qu; Dianming Jiang
We prepared the superparamagnetic chitosan nanoparticles (SPCIONPs) to study the application of them as gene vectors using a magnetic transfection system for the targeted treatment of lung metastasis of osteosarcoma. The SPCIONPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, superconducting quantum interference device and atomic force microscopy. Their
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Effect of pH regulation by sulfate-reducing bacteria on corrosion behaviour of duplex stainless steel 2205 in acidic artificial seawater Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 T. T. T. Tran; K. Kannoorpatti; A. Padovan; S. Thennadil
Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) can regulate environmental pH because of their metabolism. Because local acidification results in pitting corrosion, the potential capacity of pH regulation by SRB would have important consequences for electrochemical aspects of the bio-corrosion process. This study focused on identifying the effect of pH on the corrosion of duplex stainless steel 2205 in a nutrient-rich
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Bi-enzymes treatments attenuate cognitive impairment associated with oxidative damage of heavy metals Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Chao Chen; Xiaoxin Zhang; Hao Huang; Hongyi Bao; Xiaodong Li; Ye Cheng; Jing Zhang; Yin Ding; Yanguang Yang; Haiying Gu; Donglin Xia
Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment. Lead (Pb) is a common environmental toxicant and plays a vital role in oxidative stress activation. In this study, a superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) containing poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) meso-particles ([email protected]) were prepared to attenuate cognitive impairment via inhibiting oxidative
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Study on pharmacological properties and cell absorption metabolism of novel daidzein napsylates Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Yanxiao Jiao; Jing Peng; Xinglin Ye; Huanan Hu; Lijun Gan; Jianyuan Yang; You Peng
Novel daidzein napsylates (DD4 and DD5) were synthesized by microwave irradiation, according to structural modification of daidzein (DAI) using the principle of pharmacokinetic transformation. The pharmacological properties of DD4 and DD5 were evaluated via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and calculated based on the drug design software ChemAxon 16.1.18. The cell uptake changes of DD4
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Strategies for synthesis of Prussian blue analogues Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Solveig Kjeldgaard; Iulian Dugulan; Aref Mamakhel; Marnix Wagemaker; Bo Brummerstedt Iversen; Anders Bentien
We report a comparison of different common synthetic strategies for preparation of Prussian blue analogues (PBA). PBA are promising as cathode material for a number of different battery types, including K-ion and Na-ion batteries with both aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes. PBA exhibit a significant degree of structural variation. The structure of the PBA determines the electrochemical performance
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Synthesis of a novel amphoteric copolymer and its application as a dispersant for coal water slurry preparation Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Lun Du; Guanghua Zhang; Dongdong Yang; Jie Luo; Yewei Liu; Wanbin Zhang; Ce Zhang; Junguo Li; Junfeng Zhu
In this work, a novel amphoteric copolymer named Poly(sodium p-styrenesulfonate–co-acrylic acid-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (P(SS-co-AA-co-DMDAAC)) was synthesized via free radical polymerization. Afterwards, P(SS-co-AA-co-DMDAAC) was explored for use as a dispersant in coal water slurry (CWS) preparation. The structure of P(SS-co-AA-co-DMDAAC) was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
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How value-sensitive design can empower sustainable consumption Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Thomas Asikis; Johannes Klinglmayr; Dirk Helbing; Evangelos Pournaras
In a so-called overpopulated world, sustainable consumption is of existential importance. However, the expanding spectrum of product choices and their production complexity challenge consumers to make informed and value-sensitive decisions. Recent approaches based on (personalized) psychological manipulation are often intransparent, potentially privacy-invasive and inconsistent with (informational)
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Food and nutrition security under global trade: a relation-driven agent-based global trade model Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Jiaqi Ge; J. Gareth Polhill; Jennie I. Macdiarmid; Nuala Fitton; Pete Smith; Heather Clark; Terry Dawson; Mukta Aphale
This paper addresses the highly relevant and timely issues of global trade and food security by developing an empirically grounded, relation-driven agent-based global trade model. Contrary to most price-driven trade models in the literature, the relation-driven agent-based global trade model focuses on the role of relational factors such as trust, familiarity, trade history and conflicts in countries'
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Bone need not remain an elephant in the room for radiocarbon dating Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Salvador Herrando-Pérez
Radiocarbon (14C) analysis of skeletal remains by accelerator mass spectrometry is an essential tool in multiple branches of science. However, bone 14C dating results can be inconsistent and not comparable due to disparate laboratory pretreatment protocols that remove contamination. And, pretreatments are rarely discussed or reported by end-users, making it an ‘elephant in the room’ for Quaternary
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Flickering body temperature anticipates criticality in hibernation dynamics Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Daniel Oro; Lídia Freixas
Hibernation has been selected for increasing survival in harsh climatic environments. Seasonal variability in temperature may push the body temperatures of hibernating animals across boundaries of alternative states between euthermic temperature and torpor temperature, typical of either hibernation or summer dormancy. Nowadays, wearable electronics present a promising avenue to assess the occurrence
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Microbiota dysbiosis in honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) larvae infected with brood diseases and foraging bees exposed to agrochemicals Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Man-Hong Ye; Shu-Hang Fan; Xiao-Yuan Li; Islam Mohd Tarequl; Chun-Xiang Yan; Wan-Hong Wei; Sheng-Mei Yang; Bin Zhou
American foulbrood (AFB) disease and chalkbrood disease (CBD) are important bacterial and fungal diseases, respectively, that affect honeybee broods. Exposure to agrochemicals is an abiotic stressor that potentially weakens honeybee colonies. Gut microflora alterations in adult honeybees associated with these biotic and abiotic factors have been investigated. However, microbial compositions in AFB-
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Dynamic spatio-temporal patterns of metapopulation occupancy in patchy habitats Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 L. E. Bertassello; E. Bertuzzo; G. Botter; J. W. Jawitz; A. F. Aubeneau; J. T. Hoverman; A. Rinaldo; P. S. C. Rao
Spatio-temporal dynamics in habitat suitability and connectivity among mosaics of heterogeneous wetlands are critical for biological diversity and species persistence in aquatic patchy landscapes. Despite the recognized importance of stochastic hydroclimatic forcing in driving wetlandscape hydrological dynamics, linking such effects to emergent dynamics of metapopulation poses significant challenges
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Crowdsourcing snake identification with online communities of professional herpetologists and avocational snake enthusiasts Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 A. M. Durso; I. Bolon; A. R. Kleinhesselink; M. R. Mondardini; J. L. Fernandez-Marquez; F. Gutsche-Jones; C. Gwilliams; M. Tanner; C. E. Smith; W. Wüster; F. Grey; R. Ruiz de Castañeda
Species identification can be challenging for biologists, healthcare practitioners and members of the general public. Snakes are no exception, and the potential medical consequences of venomous snake misidentification can be significant. Here, we collected data on identification of 100 snake species by building a week-long online citizen science challenge which attracted more than 1000 participants
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Surrogate models based on machine learning methods for parameter estimation of left ventricular myocardium Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Li Cai; Lei Ren; Yongheng Wang; Wenxian Xie; Guangyu Zhu; Hao Gao
A long-standing problem at the frontier of biomechanical studies is to develop fast methods capable of estimating material properties from clinical data. In this paper, we have studied three surrogate models based on machine learning (ML) methods for fast parameter estimation of left ventricular (LV) myocardium. We use three ML methods named K-nearest neighbour (KNN), XGBoost and multi-layer perceptron
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The interplay of blood flow and temperature in regional hyperthermia: a mathematical approach Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Jesús J. Bosque; Gabriel F. Calvo; Víctor M. Pérez-García; María Cruz Navarro
In recent decades, hyperthermia has been used to raise oxygenation levels in tumours undergoing other therapeutic modalities, of which radiotherapy is the most prominent one. It has been hypothesized that oxygenation increases would come from improved blood flow associated with vasodilation. However, no test has determined whether this is a relevant assumption or other mechanisms might be acting. Additionally
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Common cuckoo females remove more conspicuous eggs during parasitism Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Longwu Wang; Yuhan Zhang; Wei Liang; Anders Pape Møller
Avian obligate brood parasites gain an advantage by removing the eggs of the cuckoos who have already visited the nest, which can increase the chances of survival for their offspring. Conversely, to prevent their eggs from being picked up by the next parasitic cuckoo, they need to take some precautions. Egg mimicry and egg crypsis are two alternative strategies to prevent the parasitized egg from being
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Eight-year periodical outbreaks of the train millipede Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Keiko Niijima; Momoka Nii; Jin Yoshimura
Periodical cicadas are the only confirmed periodical animals with long life cycles. In Japan, however, 8-year periodicity had been suggested in a species of train millipedes that had frequently obstructed trains in the central mountainous region of Honshu, Japan. This species was identified as Parafontaria laminata armigera Verhoeff (Diplopoda: Xystodesmidae), which is endemic to Japan. We finally
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Social contagion of affiliation in female macaques Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Julia Ostner; Jana Wilken; Oliver Schülke
Social contagion of non-interactive behaviour is widespread among animals including humans. It is thought to facilitate behavioural synchronization and consequently group cohesion, coordination and opportunities for social learning. Contagion of interactive behaviour—particularly affiliation—has received much less attention. Here, we investigated in female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) the effect
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Can Bayesian phylogeography reconstruct migrations and expansions in linguistic evolution? Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Nico Neureiter; Peter Ranacher; Rik van Gijn; Balthasar Bickel; Robert Weibel
Bayesian phylogeography has been used in historical linguistics to reconstruct homelands and expansions of language families, but the reliability of these reconstructions has remained unclear. We contribute to this discussion with a simulation study where we distinguish two types of spatial processes: migration, where populations or languages leave one place for another, and expansion, where populations
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Bipartite network analysis of ant-task associations reveals task groups and absence of colonial daily activity Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Haruna Fujioka; Yasukazu Okada; Masato S. Abe
Social insects are one of the best examples of complex self-organized systems exhibiting task allocation. How task allocation is achieved is the most fascinating question in behavioural ecology and complex systems science. However, it is difficult to comprehensively characterize task allocation patterns due to behavioural complexity, such as the individual variation, context dependency and chronological
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The development and psychometric properties of a self-report Catastrophizing Questionnaire Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Alexandra C. Pike; Jade R. Serfaty; Oliver J. Robinson
Catastrophizing is a cognitive process that can be defined as predicting the worst possible outcome. It has been shown to be related to psychiatric diagnoses such as depression and anxiety, yet there are no self-report questionnaires specifically measuring it outside the context of pain research. Here we therefore, develop a novel, comprehensive self-report measure of general catastrophizing. We performed
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A liar and a copycat: nonverbal coordination increases with lie difficulty Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Sophie Van Der Zee; Paul Taylor; Ruth Wong; John Dixon; Tarek Menacere
Studies of the nonverbal correlates of deception tend to examine liars' behaviours as independent from the behaviour of the interviewer, ignoring joint action. To address this gap, experiment 1 examined the effect of telling a truth and easy, difficult and very difficult lies on nonverbal coordination. Nonverbal coordination was measured automatically by applying a dynamic time warping algorithm to
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Disparate patterns of movements and visits to points of interest located in urban hotspots across US metropolitan cities during COVID-19 Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-11 Qingchun Li; Liam Bessell; Xin Xiao; Chao Fan; Xinyu Gao; Ali Mostafavi
We examined the effect of social distancing on changes in visits to urban hotspot points of interest. In a pandemic situation, urban hotspots could be potential superspreader areas as visits to urban hotspots can increase the risk of contact and transmission of a disease among a population. We mapped census-block-group to point-of-interest (POI) movement networks in 16 cities in the United States.
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Investigating the interaction of terbinafine with xanthenes dye for its feasible determination applying the resonance Rayleigh scattering technique Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Mohamed A. Abdel-Lateef; Sayed M. Derayea; Deena A. M. Nour El-Deen; Albandary Almahri; Mohamed Oraby
Terbinafine hydrochloride is a potent antifungal drug indicated for oral and topical treatment of mycoses. A resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) method was developed for the determination of terbinafine hydrochloride through a feasible complexation reaction with erythrosine B. In a weakly acidic medium (acetate buffer, pH 5.0), terbinafine hydrochloride can react with erythrosine B through the electrostatic
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Efficient removal of pharmaceuticals from water using graphene nanoplatelets as adsorbent Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Fatin Ahza Rosli; Haslina Ahmad; Khairulazhar Jumbri; Abdul Halim Abdullah; Sazlinda Kamaruzaman; Nor Ain Fathihah Abdullah
Recently, pharmaceutical pollutants in water have emerged as a global concern as they give threat to human health and the environment. In this study, graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were used to efficiently remove antibiotics sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and analgesic acetaminophen (ACM) as pharmaceutical pollutants from water by an adsorption process. GNPs; C750, C300, M15 and M5 were characterized by high-resolution
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Dilatancy behaviour and permeability evolution of sandstone subjected to initial confining pressures and unloading rates Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Honggang Zhao; Chao Liu; Gun Huang
Mechanical response, deformation behaviour and permeability evolution of surrounding rock under unloading conditions are of significant importance in rock engineering activities. In this research, triaxial experiments of sandstone subjected to different initial confining pressures and unloading rates under fixed axial stress were conducted. The results showed that sandstones experienced shear dilatancy
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Quantitative confocal microscopy and calibration for measuring differences in cyclic-di-GMP signalling by bacteria on biomedical hydrogels Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Jacob Blacutt; Ziyang Lan; Elizabeth M. Cosgriff-Hernandez; Vernita D. Gordon
The growth of bacterial biofilms on implanted medical devices causes harmful infections and device failure. Biofilm development initiates when bacteria attach to and sense a surface. For the common nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and many others, the transition to the biofilm phenotype is controlled by the intracellular signal and second messenger cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP). It is not known
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Analytic reproducibility in articles receiving open data badges at the journal Psychological Science: an observational study Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Tom E. Hardwicke; Manuel Bohn; Kyle MacDonald; Emily Hembacher; Michèle B. Nuijten; Benjamin N. Peloquin; Benjamin E. deMayo; Bria Long; Erica J. Yoon; Michael C. Frank
For any scientific report, repeating the original analyses upon the original data should yield the original outcomes. We evaluated analytic reproducibility in 25 Psychological Science articles awarded open data badges between 2014 and 2015. Initially, 16 (64%, 95% confidence interval [43,81]) articles contained at least one ‘major numerical discrepancy' (>10% difference) prompting us to request input
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The nature effect in motion: visual exposure to environmental scenes impacts cognitive load and human gait kinematics Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 D. Burtan; K. Joyce; J. F. Burn; T. C. Handy; S. Ho; U. Leonards
Prolonged exposure to urban environments requires higher cognitive processing resources than exposure to nature environments, even if only visual cues are available. Here, we explored the moment-to-moment impact of environment type on visual cognitive processing load, measuring gait kinematics and reaction times. In Experiment 1, participants (n = 20) walked toward nature and urban images projected
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Correlating in vitro performance with physico-chemical characteristics of nanofibrous scaffolds for skin tissue engineering using supervised machine learning algorithms Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Lakshmi Y. Sujeeun; Nowsheen Goonoo; Honita Ramphul; Itisha Chummun; Fanny Gimié; Shakuntala Baichoo; Archana Bhaw-Luximon
The engineering of polymeric scaffolds for tissue regeneration has known a phenomenal growth during the past decades as materials scientists seek to understand cell biology and cell–material behaviour. Statistical methods are being applied to physico-chemical properties of polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering (TE) to guide through the complexity of experimental conditions. We have attempted using
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Uncertainty in and around biophysical modelling: insights from interdisciplinary research on agricultural digitalization Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 M. Espig; S. C. Finlay-Smits; E. D. Meenken; D. M. Wheeler; M. Sharifi
Agricultural digitalization is providing growing amounts of real-time digital data. Biophysical simulation models can help interpret these data. However, these models are subject to complex uncertainties, which has prompted calls for interdisciplinary research to better understand and communicate modelling uncertainties and their impact on decision-making. This article develops two corresponding insights
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Seasonal shifts in the competitive ability of macroalgae influence the outcomes of coral–algal competition Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Kristen T. Brown; Dorothea Bender-Champ; Ove Hoegh-Guldberg; Sophie Dove
Understanding the effects of natural processes on coral–algal competition is an important step in identifying the role of macroalgae in perturbed coral reef ecosystems. However, studies investigating coral–algal interactions are often conducted in response to a disturbance, and rarely incorporate seasonal variability. Here, naturally occurring coral–algal interactions were assessed in situ four times
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Forest landscape restoration: state of play Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 John A. Stanturf; Stephanie Mansourian
Tree planting has been widely touted as an inexpensive way to meet multiple international environmental goals for mitigating climate change, reversing landscape degradation and restoring biodiversity restoration. The Bonn Challenge and New York Declaration on Forests, motivated by widespread deforestation and forest degradation, call for restoring 350 million ha by 2030 by relying on forest landscape
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Roughing it: terrain is crucial in identifying novel translocation sites for the vulnerable brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale pencillata) Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Shane D. Morris; Christopher N. Johnson; Barry W. Brook
Translocations—the movement of species from one place to another—are likely to become more common as conservation attempts to protect small isolated populations from threats posed by extreme events such as bushfires. The recent Australian mega-fires burnt almost 40% of the habitat of the brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale pencillata), a threatened species whose distribution is already restricted
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Face coverings and respiratory tract droplet dispersion Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Lucia Bandiera; Geethanjali Pavar; Gabriele Pisetta; Shuji Otomo; Enzo Mangano; Jonathan R. Seckl; Paul Digard; Emanuela Molinari; Filippo Menolascina; Ignazio Maria Viola
Respiratory droplets are the primary transmission route for SARS-CoV-2, a principle which drives social distancing guidelines. Evidence suggests that virus transmission can be reduced by face coverings, but robust evidence for how mask usage might affect safe distancing parameters is lacking. Accordingly, we set out to quantify the effects of face coverings on respiratory tract droplet deposition.
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Numerical models for assessing the risk of leaflet thrombosis post-transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve implantation Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Romina Plitman Mayo; Halit Yaakobovich; Ariel Finkelstein; Shawn C. Shadden; Gil Marom
Leaflet thrombosis has been suggested as the reason for the reduced leaflet motion in cases of hypoattenuated leaflet thickening of bioprosthetic aortic valves. This work aimed to estimate the risk of leaflet thrombosis in two post-valve-in-valve (ViV) configurations, using five different numerical approaches. Realistic ViV configurations were calculated by modelling the deployments of the latest version
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Detection and tracking of cracks based on thermoelastic stress analysis Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 C. A. Middleton; M. Weihrauch; W. J. R. Christian; R. J. Greene; E. A. Patterson
Thermoelastic stress analysis using arrays of small, low-cost detectors has the potential to be used in structural health monitoring. However, evaluation of the collected data is challenging using traditional methods, due to the lower resolution of these sensors, and the complex loading conditions experienced. An alternative method has been developed, using image decomposition to generate feature vectors
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Experimental evaluation of spectral efficiency from a circular array antenna producing a Laguerre–Gauss mode Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Ben Allen; Timothy D. Drysdale; Chris Stevens
We present the four-dimensional volumetric electromagnetic field measurements (x, y, z and frequency) of the complex radiated field produced by an 8-element circular antenna array. The array is designed to produce a Laguerre–Gauss (LG) mode l = +1 over the frequency range of 9–10 GHz. We evaluate our findings in terms of far-field LG mode purity and spectral efficiency in terms of the quadrature amplitude
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Three-dimensional visualization as a tool for interpreting locomotion strategies in ophiuroids from the Devonian Hunsrück Slate Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 E. G. Clark; J. R. Hutchinson; D. E. G. Briggs
Living brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) employ a very different locomotion strategy to that of any other metazoan: five or more arms coordinate powerful strides for rapid movement across the ocean floor. This mode of locomotion is reliant on the unique morphology and arrangement of multifaceted skeletal elements and associated muscles and other soft tissues. The skeleton of many Palaeozoic
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Phantom of the forest or successful citizen? Analysing how Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) cope with the urban environment Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Manuela Merling de Chapa; Alexandre Courtiol; Marc Engler; Lisa Giese; Christian Rutz; Michael Lakermann; Gerard Müskens; Youri van der Horst; Ronald Zollinger; Hans Wirth; Norbert Kenntner; Oliver Krüger; Nayden Chakarov; Anna-Katharina Müller; Volkher Looft; Thomas Grünkorn; André Hallau; Rainer Altenkamp; Oliver Krone
By 2040, roughly two-thirds of humanity are expected to live in urban areas. As cities expand, humans irreversibly transform natural ecosystems, creating both opportunities and challenges for wildlife. Here, we investigate how the Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is adjusting to urban environments. We measured a variety of behavioural and ecological parameters in three urban and four rural study
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Comparative analysis of spontaneous blinking and the corneal reflex Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Julián Espinosa; Jorge Pérez; David Mas
Ocular surface health, the cognitive status, psychological health or human neurological disorders, among others, can be assessed by studying eye blinking, which can be differentiated in spontaneous, reflex and voluntary. Its diagnostic potential has provided a great number of works that evaluate their characteristics and variations depending on the subject's condition (sex, tiredness, health, …). The
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Computational animal welfare: towards cognitive architecture models of animal sentience, emotion and wellbeing Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Sergey Budaev; Tore S. Kristiansen; Jarl Giske; Sigrunn Eliassen
To understand animal wellbeing, we need to consider subjective phenomena and sentience. This is challenging, since these properties are private and cannot be observed directly. Certain motivations, emotions and related internal states can be inferred in animals through experiments that involve choice, learning, generalization and decision-making. Yet, even though there is significant progress in elucidating
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Sex differences in vocalizations to familiar or unfamiliar females in mice Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Eri Sasaki; Yuiri Tomita; Kouta Kanno
Mice, both wild and laboratory strains, emit ultrasound to communicate. The sex differences between male to female (male–female) and female to female (female–female) ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) have been discussed for decades. In the present study, we compared the number of USVs emitted to familiar and unfamiliar females by both males (male–female USVs) and females (female–female USVs). We found
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Unimpaired perception of relative depth from perspective cues in strabismus Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Giedre Zlatkute; Vanessa Charlotte Sagnay de la Bastida; Dhanraj Vishwanath
Strabismus is a relatively common ophthalmological condition where the coordination of eye muscles to binocularly fixate a single point in space is impaired. This leads to deficits in vision and particularly in three-dimensional (3D) space perception. The exact nature of the deficits in 3D perception is poorly understood as much of understanding has relied on anecdotal reports or conjecture. Here,
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Asymmetric contextual effects in age perception Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Deema Awad; Colin W. G. Clifford; David White; Isabelle Mareschal
Perception is context dependent. For example, the perceived orientation of a bar changes depending on the presence of oriented bars around it. Contextual effects have also been demonstrated for more complex judgements, such as facial attractiveness or expression, although it remains unclear how these contextual facial effects depend on the types of faces surrounding the target face. To examine this
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A linear systems approach to protect the night sky: implications for current and future regulations Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Fabio Falchi; Salvador Bará
The persistent increase of artificial light emissions is causing a progressive brightening of the night sky in most regions of the world. This process is a threat for the long-term sustainability of the scientific and educational activity of ground-based astronomical observatories operating in the optical range. Huge investments in building, scientific and technical workforce, equipment and maintenance
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Three-dimensional segmentation of computed tomography data using Drishti Paint: new tools and developments Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Yuzhi Hu; Ajay Limaye; Jing Lu
Computed tomography (CT) has become very widely used in scientific and medical research and industry for its non-destructive and high-resolution means of detecting internal structure. Three-dimensional segmentation of computed tomography data sheds light on internal features of target objects. Three-dimensional segmentation of CT data is supported by various well-established software programs, but
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In-water observations highlight the effects of provisioning on whale shark behaviour at the world's largest whale shark tourism destination Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Christine Legaspi; Joni Miranda; Jessica Labaja; Sally Snow; Alessandro Ponzo; Gonzalo Araujo
The whale shark is the world's largest fish that forms predictable aggregations across its range, many of which support tourism industries. The largest non-captive provisioned whale shark destination globally is at Oslob, Philippines, where more than 500 000 tourists visit yearly. There, the sharks are provisioned daily, year-round, allowing the human–shark interaction in nearshore waters. We used
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Complexity and critical thresholds in the dynamics of visceral leishmaniasis Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Shakir Bilal; Rocio Caja Rivera; Anuj Mubayi; Edwin Michael
We study a general multi-host model of visceral leishmaniasis including both humans and animals, and where host and vector characteristics are captured via host competence along with vector biting preference. Additionally, the model accounts for spatial heterogeneity in human population and heterogeneity in biting behaviour of sandflies. We then use parameters for visceral leishmaniasis in the Indian
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Synchronization-based control for a collaborative robot Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Henry Eberle; Slawomir J. Nasuto; Yoshikatsu Hayashi
This article introduces a new control scheme for controlling a robotic manipulator in a collaborative task, allowing it to respond proactively to its partner’s movements. Unlike conventional robotic systems, humans can operate in an unstructured, dynamic environment due to their ability to anticipate changes before they occur and react accordingly. Recreating this artificially by using a forward model
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Portable smartphone-integrated paper sensors for fluorescence detection of As(III) in groundwater Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Sha Liu; Yong Li; Chao Yang; Liqiang Lu; Yulun Nie; Xike Tian
Arsenic contamination in groundwater is a supreme environmental problem, and levels of this toxic metalloid must be strictly monitored by a portable, sensitive and selective analytical device. Herein, a new system of smartphone-integrated paper sensors with Cu nanoclusters was established for the effective detection of As(III) in groundwater. For the integration system, the fluorescence emissive peak
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Data-driven strategies for optimal bicycle network growth Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Luis Guillermo Natera Orozco; Federico Battiston; Gerardo Iñiguez; Michael Szell
Urban transportation networks, from pavements and bicycle paths to streets and railways, provide the backbone for movement and socioeconomic life in cities. To make urban transport sustainable, cities are increasingly investing to develop their bicycle networks. However, it is yet unclear how to extend them comprehensively and effectively given a limited budget. Here we investigate the structure of
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Learned valuation during forage decision-making in cuttlefish Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Tzu-Hsin Kuo; Chuan-Chin Chiao
Decision-making, when humans and other animals choose between two options, is not always based on the absolute values of the options but can also depend on their relative values. The present study examines whether decision-making by cuttlefish is dependent on relative values learned from previous experience. Cuttlefish preferred a larger quantity when making a choice between one or two shrimps (1 versus
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Increased sperm production linked to competition in the maternal social environment Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Liane Hobson; Jane L. Hurst; Paula Stockley
Maternal or early life effects may prepare offspring for similar social conditions to those experienced by their mothers. For males, the ability to achieve mating and fertilization success is a key social challenge. Competitive conditions may therefore favour increased body size or ejaculate production in male offspring. We tested this experimentally by comparing reproductive traits of adult male bank
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Geometric morphometrics of endophytic oviposition traces of Odonata (Eocene, Argentina) Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Eugenia Romero-Lebrón; Raquel M. Gleiser; Julián F. Petrulevičius
The insertion of the Odonata ovipositor in the plant tissue generates a scar that surrounds the eggs (trace). In insects, individual egg traces are known to vary in size, but their variation in individual shape is mostly unknown. Twenty-four specimens were obtained from the Laguna del Hunco (Lower Eocene, Chubut) and Río Pichileufú (Middle Eocene, Río Negro), Argentina, which had 1346 oviposition traces
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Wing wettability gradient in a damselfly Lestes sponsa (Odonata: Lestidae) reflects the submergence behaviour during underwater oviposition Royal Soc. Open Sci. (IF 2.647) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Hana Šigutová; Martin Šigut; Alexander Kovalev; Stanislav N. Gorb
The phenomenon of hydrophobicity of insect cuticles has received great attention from technical fields due to its wide applicability to industry or medicine. However, in an ecological/evolutionary context such studies remain scarce. We measured spatial differences in wing wettability in Lestes sponsa (Odonata: Lestidae), a damselfly species that can submerge during oviposition, and discussed the possible
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