Spatially distributed water-balance and meteorological data from the Wolverton catchment, Sequoia National Park, California

Accurate water-balance measurements in the seasonal, snow-dominated Sierra Nevada are important for forest and downstream water management. However, few sites in the southern Sierra offer detailed records of the spatial and temporal patterns of snowpack and soil-water storage and the fluxes affecting them, i.e., precipitation as rain and snow, snowmelt, evapotranspiration, and runoff. To explore these stores and fluxes we instrumented the Wolverton basin (2180-2750 m) in Sequoia National Park with distributed, continuous sensors. This 2006-2016 record of snow depth, soil moisture and soil temperature, and meteorological data quantifies the hydrologic inputs and storage in a mostly undeveloped catchment. Clustered sensors record lateral differences with regards to aspect and canopy cover at approximately 2250 and 2625 m in elevation, where two meteorological stations are installed. Meteorological stations record air temperature, relative humidity, radiation, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and snow depth. Data are available at hourly intervals by water year (1 October-30 September) in non-proprietary formats from online data repositories (https://doi.org/10.6071/M3S94T)

Scaffolding School Pupils’ Scientific Argumentation with Evidence-Based Dialogue Maps

This chapter reports pilot work investigating the potential of Evidence-based Dialogue Mapping to scaffold young teenagers’ scientific argumentation. Our research objective is to better understand pupils’ usage of dialogue maps created in Compendium to write scientific ex-planations. The participants were 20 pupils, 12-13 years old, in a summer science course for “gifted and talented” children in the UK. Through qualitative analysis of three case studies, we investigate the value of dialogue mapping as a mediating tool in the scientific reasoning process during a set of learning activities. These activities were published in an online learning envi-ronment to foster collaborative learning. Pupils mapped their discussions in pairs, shared maps via the online forum and in plenary discussions, and wrote essays based on their dialogue maps. This study draws on these multiple data sources: pupils’ maps in Compendium, writings in science and reflective comments about the uses of mapping for writing. Our analysis highlights the diversity of ways, both successful and unsuccessful, in which dialogue mapping was used by these young teenagers

How wry is a wrybill?

The laterally asymmetrical bill of New Zealand’s endemic Wrybill Anarhynchus frontalis is unique among birds and has inspired much debate regarding its evolution and functional significance. Despite this, only one previous study has attempted to quantify the range of individual variation in bill shape, but used a single metric of curvature (bill tip angle). Using standardized digital photographs of 40 live Wrybills, we explored a range of metrics of bill length and curvature to describe the variation in bill shape in greater detail. Like the previous study, we found no sexual dimorphism in bill shape, despite males being slightly longer-billed than females, and recorded similar variation in bill tip angle (16–23°). However, we found that this single metric under-represented overall variation in bill shape, due to significant differences in where curvature began and was most pronounced along the length of the bill. Principal component analysis indicated that at least three independent metrics were required to describe the shape variation among individuals. Subtle differences in bill shape could plausibly affect an individual’s relative success among the range of Wrybill foraging strategies observed in breeding and non-breeding habitats. Elucidating the potential behavioral and fitness consequences of this variation will require detailed foraging and demographic studies with individuals of known bill morphology

A study to develop a mechanized welding procedure to join thick-gage aluminum alloy plate using narrow-gap techniques Final report

Narrow-gap welding procedures for joining thick gauge aluminum alloy plat

MAPPFinder: using Gene Ontology and GenMAPP to create a global gene-expression profile from microarray data

MAPPFinder is a tool that creates a global gene-expression profile across all areas of biology by integrating the annotations of the Gene Ontology (GO) Project with the free software package GenMAPP . The results are displayed in a searchable browser, allowing the user to rapidly identify GO terms with over-represented numbers of gene-expression changes. Clicking on GO terms generates GenMAPP graphical files where gene relationships can be explored, annotated, and files can be freely exchanged

GenMAPP 2: New features and resources for pathway analysis

BACKGROUND: Microarray technologies have evolved rapidly, enabling biologists to quantify genome-wide levels of gene expression, alternative splicing, and sequence variations for a variety of species. Analyzing and displaying these data present a significant challenge. Pathway-based approaches for analyzing microarray data have proven useful for presenting data and for generating testable hypotheses. RESULTS: To address the growing needs of the microarray community we have released version 2 of Gene Map Annotator and Pathway Profiler (GenMAPP), a new GenMAPP database schema, and integrated resources for pathway analysis. We have redesigned the GenMAPP database to support multiple gene annotations and species as well as custom species database creation for a potentially unlimited number of species. We have expanded our pathway resources by utilizing homology information to translate pathway content between species and extending existing pathways with data derived from conserved protein interactions and coexpression. We have implemented a new mode of data visualization to support analysis of complex data, including time-course, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and splicing. GenMAPP version 2 also offers innovative ways to display and share data by incorporating HTML export of analyses for entire sets of pathways as organized web pages. CONCLUSION: GenMAPP version 2 provides a means to rapidly interrogate complex experimental data for pathway-level changes in a diverse range of organisms

Regression games

The solution of a TU cooperative game can be a distribution of the value of the grand coalition, i.e. it can be a distribution of the payo (utility) all the players together achieve. In a regression model, the evaluation of the explanatory variables can be a distribution of the overall t, i.e. the t of the model every regressor variable is involved. Furthermore, we can take regression models as TU cooperative games where the explanatory (regressor) variables are the players. In this paper we introduce the class of regression games, characterize it and apply the Shapley value to evaluating the explanatory variables in regression models. In order to support our approach we consider Young (1985)'s axiomatization of the Shapley value, and conclude that the Shapley value is a reasonable tool to evaluate the explanatory variables of regression models

Identifying genetic networks underlying myometrial transition to labor

BACKGROUND: Early transition to labor remains a major cause of infant mortality, yet the causes are largely unknown. Although several marker genes have been identified, little is known about the underlying global gene expression patterns and pathways that orchestrate these striking changes. RESULTS: We performed a detailed time-course study of over 9,000 genes in mouse myometrium at defined physiological states: non-pregnant, mid-gestation, late gestation, and postpartum. This dataset allowed us to identify distinct patterns of gene expression that correspond to phases of myometrial 'quiescence', 'term activation', and 'postpartum involution'. Using recently developed functional mapping tools (HOPACH (hierarchical ordered partitioning and collapsing hybrid) and GenMAPP 2.0), we have identified new potential transcriptional regulatory gene networks mediating the transition from quiescence to term activation. CONCLUSIONS: These results implicate the myometrium as an essential regulator of endocrine hormone (cortisol and progesterone synthesis) and signaling pathways (cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP stimulation) that direct quiescence via the transcripitional upregulation of both novel and previously associated regulators. With term activation, we observe the upregulation of cytoskeletal remodeling mediators (intermediate filaments), cell junctions, transcriptional regulators, and the coordinate downregulation of negative control checkpoints of smooth muscle contractile signaling. This analysis provides new evidence of multiple parallel mechanisms of uterine contractile regulation and presents new putative targets for regulating myometrial transformation and contraction

Cell-bound complement activation products associate with lupus severity in SLE.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between lupus severity and cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPs) or low complement proteins C3 and C4. METHODS: All subjects (n=495) fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria for SLE. Abnormal CB-CAPs (erythrocyte-bound C4d or B-lymphocyte-bound C4d levels \u3e99th percentile of healthy) and complement proteins C3 and C4 were determined using flow cytometry and turbidimetry, respectively. Lupus severity was estimated using the Lupus Severity Index (LSI). Statistical analysis consisted of multivariable linear regression and groups comparisons. RESULTS: Abnormal CB-CAPs were more prevalent than low complement values irrespective of LSI levels (62% vs 38%, respectively, p CONCLUSION: Abnormalities in complement activation as measured by CB-CAPs are associated with increased LSI