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Introduction: The functions of terrestrial ecosystems are mainly maintained by bacteria, as a key component of microorganisms, which actively participate in the nutrient cycling of ecosystems. Currently, there are few studies have been carried out on the bacteria contributing to the soil multi-nutrient cycling in responding to climate warming, which hampers our obtainment of a comprehensive understanding of the ecological function of ecosystems as a whole. Methods: In this study, the main bacteria taxa contributing to the soil multi-nutrient cycling under the long-term warming in an alpine meadow was determined based onphysichemical properties measurement and high-throughput sequencing, and the potential reasons that warming altered the main bacteria contributing to the soil multi-nutrient cycling were further analyzed. Results: The results confirmed that the bacterial β-diversity was crucial to the soil multi-nutrient cycling. Furthermore, Gemmatimonadetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the main contributors to the soil multi-nutrient cycling, and played pivotal roles as keystone nodes and biomarkers throughout the entire soil profile. This suggested that warming altered and shifted the main bacteria contributing to the soil multi-nutrient cycling toward keystone taxa. Discussion: Meanwhile, their relative abundance was higher, which could make them have the advantage of seizing resources in the face of environmental pressures. In summary, the results demonstrated the crucial role of keystone bacteria in the multi-nutrient cycling under the climate warming in the alpine meadow. This has important implications for understanding and exploring the multi-nutrient cycling of alpine ecosystems under the global climate warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few topics generate as much controversy and confusion in society, therapeutic practice, and science as violence in families, often referred to as domestic violence. There is a neverending dispute around the definition and about the statistics. Is relational violence mainly against women or are women as violent as men in intimate relationships? Outcomes from research are contradictory. When we zoom out, we can be aware that violence is everywhere and that we are part of it. At the same time, we can sense that the world is full of love. Both are part of the destructive dynamics of escalating conflicts in families that are more related to powerlessness than to power. In a therapeutic context we focus on the destructive dynamics in which the languages of perpetrator and victim are not helpful. We suggest the formulation of keystones as light posts to help us find a way to help family members to de‐escalate conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few topics generate as much controversy and confusion in society, therapeutic practice, and science as violence in families, often referred to as domestic violence. There is a neverending dispute around the definition and about the statistics. Is relational violence mainly against women or are women as violent as men in intimate relationships? Outcomes from research are contradictory. When we zoom out, we can be aware that violence is everywhere and that we are part of it. At the same time, we can sense that the world is full of love. Both are part of the destructive dynamics of escalating conflicts in families that are more related to powerlessness than to power. In a therapeutic context we focus on the destructive dynamics in which the languages of perpetrator and victim are not helpful. We suggest the formulation of keystones as light posts to help us find a way to help family members to de‐escalate conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Codex Aquilarensis is the property of Fundacion Santa Maria la Real del Patrimonio Historico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Musei Brukenthal is the property of Brukenthal National Museum and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Networks of trophic interactions provide a lot of information on the functioning of marine ecosystems. Beyond feeding habits, three additional traits (mobility, size, and habitat) of various organisms can complement this trophic view. The combination of traits and food web positions are studied here on a large food web database. The aim is a better description and understanding of ecological roles of organisms and the identification of the most important keystone species. This may contribute to develop better ecological indicators (e.g., keystoneness) and help in the interpretation of food web models. We use food web data from the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) database for 92 aquatic ecosystems. We quantify the network position of organisms by 18 topological indices (measuring centrality, hierarchy, and redundancy) and consider their three, categorical traits (e.g., for mobility: sessile, drifter, limited mobility, and mobile). Relationships are revealed by multivariate analysis. We found that topological indices belong to six different categories and some of them nicely separate various trait categories. For example, benthic organisms are richly connected and mobile organisms occupy higher food web positions.

As a keystone species the concept 'nature' plays a vital role in shaping our world. In this article, we think with the material turn about the concept nature due to its significant performativity in its role within environmental education and research. How nature is conceived is played out on a massive scale as matter itself is morphed through conceptual processes. Therefore, we focus on the matter(ing) of conceptual abstraction, the physical effects – and affects – of thinking a thing into existence. We initiate a pluralistic thought experiment that purposefully diffracts nature into eight performances, to see what it does. The concept nature performs ecologically and enacts trophic cascades. This exploration highlights feats of racism, classism, androcentrism, colonialism, homogenization, and mass extinction. What we are proposing is an environmental literacy that attends to what a concept is capable of, what a concept can do, and perhaps even what a concept can prevent, post-nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Victoria and Albert Museum's founding commitment to popularize design, education and industry has forged an enduring connection to house and home that continues to the present. Its foundations have been built on domesticity – through its collections and through the philosophies of many leading proponents – and have played a leading role in the museum's egalitarian vision of 'art for all'. In this deep‐seated affinity to the everyday arts of living, the V&A's two keystones – the civic and the domestic – have shaped its ambitions and duties, and continue to guide museum life today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and methane (CH4) flux were measured by chamber measurements for five distinct ecotypes (areas with unique eco-hydrological characteristics) at Abbeyleix Bog in the Irish midlands over a 2-year period. The ecotypes ranged from those with high-quality peat-forming vegetation to communities indicative of degraded, drained conditions. Three of these ecotypes were located in an area where peat was extracted by hand and then abandoned and left to revegetate naturally at least 50 years prior to the start of the study. Two of the ecotypes were located on an adjacent raised bog, which although never mined for peat, was impacted by shallow drainage and then restored (by drain blocking) 6 years prior to the start of the study. Other major aspects of the carbon (C) balance, including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and open-water CO2 evasion, were quantified for a catchment area at the study site over the same 2-year period. The ecotype average annual ecotype C balance ranged from a net C sink of -58±60 g C m -2 yr -1 , comparable to studies of intact peatlands, to a substantial C source of +205±80 g C m -2 yr -1 , with NEE being the most variable component of the C balance among the five ecotypes. Ecotype annual CH4 flux ranged from 2.7±1.4 g C- CH4 m -2 yr -1 to 14.2±4.8 g C- CH4 m -2 yr -1. Average annual aquatic C losses were 14.4 g C m -2 yr -1 with DOC, DIC, and CO2 evasion of 10.4 g C m -2 yr -1 , 1.3 g C m -2 yr -1 , and 2.7 g C m -2 yr -1 , respectively. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the mean annual water table (MAWT) and the plot-scale NEE but not the global warming potential (GWP). However, a significant negative correlation was observed between the plot-scale percentage of Sphagnum moss cover and the GWP, highlighting the importance of regenerating this keystone genus as a climate change mitigation strategy in peatland restoration. The data from this study were then compared to the rapidly growing number of peatland C balance studies across boreal and temperate regions. The trend in NEE and CH4 flux with respect to MAWT was compared for the five ecotypes in this study and literature data from degraded/restored/recovering peatlands, intact peatlands, and bare peat sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glutamatergic system plays a central role in both the acute and chronic effects of ethanol. Among all the glutamate receptors the ionotropic NMDA receptors are crucial because of their role in synaptic plasticity. A large body of evidences suggests that short-term and long-term effects of ethanol may change synaptic plasticity via an alteration of the expression of the GluN2B subunit, one constitutive element of the NMDA receptor. The present review is focusing on the role of the GluN2B subunit after ethanol exposure during early life (in utero and adolescence) and also at adulthood. The roles of other NMDA subunits are also discussed in the context of the increasing evidence that the ratio of the different subunits, such as GluN2A-to-GluN2B, seems to better reflect the effects of ethanol and to explain how ethanol exposure can have short lasting and long lasting effects on synaptic plasticity, cognitive processes and some of the ethanol-related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its discovery, G protein-coupled receptor kinase-interacting protein 2, GIT2, and its family member, GIT1, have received considerable interest concerning their potential key roles in regulating multiple inter-connected physiological and pathophysiological processes. GIT2 was first identified as a multifunctional protein that is recruited to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) during the process of receptor internalization. Recent findings have demonstrated that perhaps one of the most important effects of GIT2 in physiology concerns its role in controlling multiple aspects of the complex ageing process. Ageing can be considered the most prevalent pathophysiological condition in humans, affecting all tissue systems and acting as a driving force for many common and intractable disorders. The ageing process involves a complex interplay among various deleterious activities that profoundly disrupt the body’s ability to cope with damage, thus increasing susceptibility to pathophysiologies such as neurodegeneration, central obesity, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis. The biological systems that control ageing appear to function as a series of interconnected complex networks. The inter-communication among multiple lower-complexity signaling systems within the global ageing networks is likely coordinated internally by keystones or hubs, which regulate responses to dynamic molecular events through protein-protein interactions with multiple distinct partners. Multiple lines of research have suggested that GIT2 may act as one of these network coordinators in the ageing process. Identifying and targeting keystones, such as GIT2, is thus an important approach in our understanding of, and eventual ability to, medically ameliorate or interdict age-related progressive cellular and tissue damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Codex Aquilarensis is the property of Fundacion Santa Maria la Real del Patrimonio Historico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper introduces a new time-frequency transform, referred to as the keystone-based cosine transform (KCT), to process real-valued multi-component linear frequency-modulated signals. Theoretical derivation shows that the KCT is a bilinear-based transform, but has a property of asymptotic linearity with negligible cross-terms. It also has high signal energy concentration. Experimental simulations show that compared with fractional cosine transform, the KCT can provide better performance on the distribution concentration and noisy signal detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sexpartite vault was the great protagonist of the beginnings of Gothic architecture in Europe and outstanding vaulting was built using this system in Europe's important cathedrals and monasteries, such as Notre Dame de Paris or Canterbury. By making a comparative study of the principal examples we have been able to bring to light the knowledge of geometry and construction present in Early Gothic architecture and show how it evolved to the remarkable level of stereotomic development achieved in the High Gothic. The carving of the keystone was one of the most complicated challenges of the vault as it received the different tilted ribs at varying angles on plan and in elevation, which entailed considerable knowledge of geometry. The evolution of Gothic stereotomy is reflected in this element and we found three different solutions that show development using diverse techniques to facilitate geometric design and the carving process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamic of business ecosystems (BE) and, more particularly, to identify mechanisms that contribute to their decline. We conduct an historical study of the pinball ecosystem, which experienced steady growth over 60 years and then nearly disappeared. First, it is shown that the pinball case is particularly suitable for the analysis of BE. The major BE characteristics can be identified: a value proposition created by an alignment of partners, the central role played by the platform, the presence of three types of members, and interactions among actors that are based on coopetition. Then, the analysis reveals two factors that explain the decline: keystones' inability to change their business models and their substantial dependence on dominators. The historical perspective also allows us to distinguish certain specific periods in BE decline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A project to save and restore town markers created in the 1920s by the Pennsylvania Department of Highways is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mashups enable end-users to "mix and match" data and services available on the web to create applications. Their creation is supported by a complex ecosystem of i) data providers who offer open APIs to users, ii) users who combine APIs into mashups, and iii) platforms, such as the ProgrammableWeb or Mashape, that facilitate the construction and publication of mashups. In this article, we argue that the evolution of the mashup ecosystem can be explained in terms of ecosystem niches anchored around hub or keystone APIs. The members of a niche are focused on an area of specialization (e.g., mapping applications) and contribute their knowledge to the value proposition of the ecosystem as a whole. To demonstrate the formation of niches in the mashup ecosystem, we model groups of related mashups as species, and we reconstruct the evolution of mashup species through phylogenetic analysis.

The research reported in this article attempts to discover who holds the power in open source software foundations through the analysis of governance documents. Artificial neural network analysis is used to analyse the content of the bylaws of six open source foundations (Apache, Eclipse, GNOME, Plone, Python, and SPI) for the purpose of identifying power structures. Results of the research suggest that: i) the actions of an open source software foundation are centered around one of three groups: Members, Chairman/President/Executive Director, and Board of Directors; ii) in only one of the six foundations is the Board of Directors responsible for both the community and the product; and iii) artificial neural network analysis of the content of bylaws provides unbiased insights of the power structure of open source software foundations. These results may prove useful to those who contribute to open source foundations and use their products and services.

SCADA control systems are the keystone for reliable performance optimization of wind farms. Processing into knowledge the amount of information they spread is a challenging task, involving engineering, physics, statistics and computer science skills. This work deals with SCADA data analysis methods for assessing the importance of how wind turbines align in patterns to the wind direction. In particular it deals with the most common collective phenomenon causing clusters of turbines behaving as a whole, rather than as a collection of individuality: wake effects. The approach is based on the discretization of nacelle position measurements and subsequent post-processing through simple statistical methods. A cluster, severely affected by wakes, from an onshore wind farm, is selected as test case. The dominant alignment patterns of the cluster are identified and analyzed by the point of view of power output and efficiency. It is shown that non-trivial alignments with respect to the wind direction arise and important performance deviations occur among the most frequent configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new motion parameter estimation algorithm, namely subband dual-frequency conjugate-Lv?s transform, for fast moving targets. This algorithm first constructs two subband signals with different central frequencies. Then, the two signals are shifted by different values and a new signal is constructed by multiplying one with the complex conjugate of the other. Finally, Keystone transform and LVT are performed to obtain the estimates. This method does not need any prior-knowledge of targets and can resolve the Doppler ambiguity problem when Keystone transform does not work, especially when the ambiguity number splits into two numbers. Both simulated and real data demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the indirect effects of reintroduced black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus) on resident kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys) populations. We used the Giving-up Density theory to quantify kangaroo rat foraging on a black-tailed prairie dog colony vs. foraging near the colony edge or in the surrounding native habitat. This approach allowed us to assess the influence of black-tailed prairie dogs on kangaroo rat foraging activity. Our results showed a greater foraging preference off-colony in most seasons. Kangaroo rats visited off-colony feeding trays more frequently and collected a greater mean mass of seed as well. This indicated that kangaroo rats perceived the area off the prairie dog colony as having a lower foraging cost than the on-colony or colony edge locations. Our data suggest that from the perspective of the seed-eating kangaroo rat, the colony is not viewed as high quality habitat. Both prairie dogs and kangaroo rats have been described as keystone modifiers in grassland ecosystems. What impact the reintroduction and management of one keystone species might have on another keystone species deserves additional consideration as we attempt to restore arid grassland ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Energy Emission Design Index (EEDI) is an index indicating the CO emission per transportation effort, for example the emitted tons CO per ton mile, to be calculated for each new design. The required index for new designs will be gradually lowered in the coming years resulting in either improved energy efficiencies or speed reductions. RoRo carriers are key stones in shore based logistical systems and as a result diverse in design speeds and main dimension ratio's. This diversity could be threatened by the relative simplicity of the EEDI regulations. This article aims to estimate the influence of the EEDI approach on 30 existing RoRo cargo carriers. The attained EEDI's per design are determined. Also the costs per transport effort are calculated based on the private costs and based on the social costs, both at the economically optimum speeds based on a uniformly applied sailing profile. The social costs are based on all emissions because the number of Environmental Special Area's is limited and the impact of speed reductions will not be limited to climate change. The expected speed reductions for these designs based on the EEDI, but also the required speed reductions when taking into account the total social costs are used to estimate the effectivity from the EEDI regulations. Amongst others it was concluded that the existing diversity in service speeds and main dimension ratio's will be jeopardized by the EEDI regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006, NASA's Stardust spacecraft delivered to Earth dust particles collected from the coma of comet 81P/Wild 2, with the goal of furthering the understanding of solar system formation. Stardust cometary samples were collected in a low-density, nanoporous silica aerogel making their study technically challenging. This article demonstrates the identification, exposure, and elemental composition analysis of particles analogous to those collected by NASA's Stardust mission using in-situ SEM techniques. Backscattered electron imaging is shown by experimental observation and Monte Carlo simulation to be suitable for locating particles of a range of sizes relevant to Stardust (down to submicron diameters) embedded within silica aerogel. Selective removal of the silica aerogel encapsulating an embedded particle is performed by cryogenic NF3-mediated electron beam-induced etching. The porous, low-density nature of the aerogel results in an enhanced etch rate compared with solid material, making it an effective, nonmechanical method for the exposure of particles. After exposure, elemental composition of the particle was analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy using a high spectral resolution microcalorimeter. Signals from fluorine contamination are shown to correspond to nonremoved silica aerogel and only in residual concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The functions of terrestrial ecosystems are mainly maintained by bacteria, as a key component of microorganisms, which actively participate in the nutrient cycling of ecosystems. Currently, there are few studies have been carried out on the bacteria contributing to the soil multi-nutrient cycling in responding to climate warming, which hampers our obtainment of a comprehensive understanding of the ecological function of ecosystems as a whole., Methods: In this study, the main bacteria taxa contributing to the soil multi-nutrient cycling under the long-term warming in an alpine meadow was determined based onphysichemical properties measurement and high-throughput sequencing, and the potential reasons that warming altered the main bacteria contributing to the soil multi-nutrient cycling were further analyzed., Results: The results confirmed that the bacterial β-diversity was crucial to the soil multi-nutrient cycling. Furthermore, Gemmatimonadetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the main contributors to the soil multi-nutrient cycling, and played pivotal roles as keystone nodes and biomarkers throughout the entire soil profile. This suggested that warming altered and shifted the main bacteria contributing to the soil multi-nutrient cycling toward keystone taxa., Discussion: Meanwhile, their relative abundance was higher, which could make them have the advantage of seizing resources in the face of environmental pressures. In summary, the results demonstrated the crucial role of keystone bacteria in the multi-nutrient cycling under the climate warming in the alpine meadow. This has important implications for understanding and exploring the multi-nutrient cycling of alpine ecosystems under the global climate warming., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhou, Chen, Qi, Zeng, Guo, Zhuang and Ma.)

Green roofs have received considerable attention for multiple ecosystem services which include stormwater amelioration. Offering sustainable stormwater source-control, green roofs utilize otherwise unused impervious urban surfaces to restore pre-development hydrologic functions such as infiltration and retention. Its ability to retain stormwater is related to external and internal factors. Meteorological conditions prior to a rainfall event can influence antecedent evapotranspiration, the only water-exit pathway of the green-roof system besides discharge. Whereas evapotranspiration may be difficult and costly to measure directly, other common meteorological conditions can be monitored conveniently and inexpensively even prior to actual green-roof installation. Identifying salient on-site meteorological factors may provide valuable insights into hydrologic dynamics, and inform green-roof design and planning decisions. A statistical regression approach identified potential antecedent meteorological factors and moisture indicators of extensive green-roof retention. Continuous field-monitoring data revealed the combined effects of rainfall depth, wind speed, solar radiation, and antecedent dry weather period to explain the measured stormwater retention under a humid subtropical rainfall regime. Amongst the studied environmental factors, solar radiation and wind speed contributed notably to green-roof stormwater retention and may provide a dependable basis to assist green-roof site selection when resources are limited. It is important to incorporate site-specific planning and assessment prior to green infrastructure design and implementation to maximize hydrologic and evaporative cooling services in cities with complex topographical features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bacterial and archaeal community composition and the possible carbon assimilation processes and energy sources of microbial communities in oligotrophic, deep, crystalline bedrock fractures is yet to be resolved. In this study, intrinsic microbial communities from six fracture zones from 180-2300 m depths in Outokumpu bedrock were characterized using high-throughput amplicon sequencing and metagenomic prediction. Comamonadaceae-, Anaerobrancaceae- and Pseudomonadaceae-related OTUs form the core community in deep crystalline bedrock fractures in Outokumpu. Archaeal communities were mainly composed of Methanobacteraceae-affiliating OTUs. The predicted bacterial metagenomes showed that pathways involved in fatty acid and amino sugar metabolism were common. In addition, relative abundance of genes coding the enzymes of autotrophic carbon fixation pathways in predicted metagenomes was low. This indicates that heterotrophic carbon assimilation is more important for microbial communities of the fracture zones. Network analysis based on co-occurrence of OTUs revealed the keystone genera of the microbial communities belonging to Burkholderiales and Clostridiales. Bacterial communities in fractures resemble those found from oligotrophic, hydrogen-enriched environments. Serpentinization reactions of ophiolitic rocks in Outokumpu assemblage may provide a source of energy and organic carbon compounds for the microbial communities in the fractures. Sulfate reducers and methanogens form a minority of the total microbial communities, but OTUs forming these minor groups are similar to those found from other deep Precambrian terrestrial bedrock environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main objective of this paper is to compare the field data measured on a few step-pool reaches of the Aneva River in the Northern Apennines with a reference database including a large number of fields and laboratory data derived from the wide literature on step-pool streams in order to contribute to describe their geomorphology and to understand their generating processes. A field experiment with painted particles is carried out on the Aneva River to investigate the entrainment threshold conditions for particle as large as those making up the steps, and, consequently, for the formation of new or removal of old steps. Theories about the factors controlling the development of these coarse-grained bedforms are tested against the data sets available and the antidune hypothesis is investigated and discusses as well. The reference database and the Aneva data confirm the keystone hypothesis as the most likely to account for the development of step-pool sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The drastic decline in the abundance of Caribbean acroporid corals (Acropora cervicornis, A. palmata) has prompted the listing of this genus as threatened as well as the development of a regional propagation and restoration program. Using in situ underwater nurseries, we documented the influence of coral genotype and symbiont identity, colony size, and propagation method on the growth and branching patterns of staghorn corals in Florida and the Dominican Republic. Methodology/Principal Findings: Individual tracking of> 1700 nursery-grown staghorn fragments and colonies from 37 distinct genotypes (identified using microsatellites) in Florida and the Dominican Republic revealed a significant positive relationship between size and growth, but a decreasing rate of productivity with increasing size. Pruning vigor (enhanced growth after fragmentation) was documented even in colonies that lost 95% of their coral tissue/skeleton, indicating that high productivity can be maintained within nurseries by sequentially fragmenting corals. A significant effect of coral genotype was documented for corals grown in a common-garden setting, with fast-growing genotypes growing up to an order of magnitude faster than slow-growing genotypes. Algal-symbiont identity established using qPCR techniques showed that clade A (likely Symbiodinium A3) was the dominant symbiont type for all coral genotypes, except for one coral genotype in the DR and two in Florida that were dominated by clade C, with A- and C-dominated genotypes having similar growth rates. Conclusion/Significance: The threatened Caribbean staghorn coral is capable of extremely fast growth, with annual productivity rates exceeding 5 cm of new coral produced for every cm of existing coral. This species benefits from high fragment survivorship coupled by the pruning vigor experienced by the parent colonies after fragmentation. These life-history characteristics make A. cervicornis a successful candidate nursery species and provide optimism for the potential role that active propagation can play in the recovery of this keystone species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improper camera orientation produces convergent vertical lines (keystone distortion) and skewed horizon lines (horizon distortion) in digital pictures; an a-posteriori processing is then necessary to obtain appealing pictures. We show here that, after accurate calibration, the camera on-board accelerometer can be used to automatically generate an alternative perspective view from a virtual camera, leading to images with residual keystone and horizon distortions that are essentially imperceptible at visual inspection. Furthermore, we describe the uncertainty on the position of each pixel in the corrected image with respect to the accelerometer noise. Experimental results show a similar accuracy for a smartphone and for a digital reflex camera. The method can find application in customer imaging devices as well as in the computer vision field, especially when reference vertical and horizontal features are not easily detectable in the image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article showcases the unique position accorded to the terras tree (Eusideroxylon zwageri Teijsm. & Binn. Lauraceae) in the Berawan culture. We collaborated with the Berawan people of the Loagan Bunut region of Sarawak, to uncover the most important tree in their culture. In a group interview, the participants ranked the terras as the most important tree. The Identified Cultural Influence of Cultural Keystone Species (ICI) and the Use Value Index (UV) was found to be extraordinarily high at 35 and 6.05 respectively. The multidimensional use value of the tree, stemming from its hardy timber, could be the reason behind its cultural importance. We conclude that the terras tree should be protected even outside the national parks for its ecological and cultural value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reply to the comments of De Natale and Pino (2013) on the paper ‘Are the source models of the M 7.1 1908 Messina Straits earthquake reliable? Insights from a novel inversion and sensitivity analysis of levelling data’ by Aloisi et al. (2012, Geophys. J. Int., 192, 1025–1041). We entirely reject their speculative comments and confirm our viewpoint about the impossibility of discriminating between the two oppositely dipping fault models on the basis of the levelling data alone; we state again that their role as a keystone for modellers is untenable. The comments of De Natale and Pino (2013) are welcomed insofar they give us the possibility to improve our previous analysis, and to criticize the mainstream hypothesis favouring to a low-angle East dipping fault in the Sicilian side of the Messina Straits as responsible of the 1908 destructive earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A fair exchange protocol allows two parties to exchange items in a fair way, such that either both parties obtain the other's item or neither party does. In this paper, we propose a time sequence protocol for exchanging participants' warrants without a trusted third party (TTP). Then, each participant is able to sign a proxy signature on behalf of its opponent. Owing to the proxy signature's restriction, the scheme achieves the desired effect of fair exchange of digital signatures. Our scheme is based on a time sequence rather than computation, and can be realized without the use of a TTP, thus differing from the existing fair exchange schemes. Compared with a concurrent signature, the proposed scheme does not need to release a keystone to wake the signatures when they exchange information fairly. The only advantage to the initial party is that it has the right to determine whether the exchanged warrants are valid before a designated time. However, because of the properties of proxy signatures, the initial party ultimately derives no benefit from this advantage. After the designated time, there is no additional advantage to benefit the initial party. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present paper we would like to share some experiences of building new education in Sports Technology at Mid Sweden University and the results of 10 years of successfully running it in Östersund. The Sports Technology education at Mid Sweden University started at Campus Östersund in 2003 as a part of the curriculum of the Engineering Department. This specialization was initially at the three-year Bachelor level, and later it was extended to an additional two-year Master level. Aiming at the quality of Sports Technology education, three keystones are underlying its process, representing the solid knowledge base, capacity to be flexible in problem solving and the use an innovative approaches. The Department unites researches with a background in both natural sciences and engineering disciplines, having a wide experience of working with and within the industry, equally active in research and teaching. The unique constellation of the profiles forming the Department include not only the SportsTech® group, being “the backbone”, but also the Ecology and Eco-technology, and Quality Technology groups bringing the excellence and extra competence needed to assure the quality of the Sports Technology education. We were the first higher education institution in Sweden to give this kind of education program and now some other Swedish Universities have followed us. Our success can be measured by a number of graduates taking good jobs in the industry. We also enjoy a steady flow of new students coming from all parts of Sweden, and Sports Technology education stays among the most desirable ones in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network security processors are critical components of high-performance systems built for cybersecurity. Development of a network security processor requires multi-domain experience in semiconductors and complex software security applications, and multiple iterations of both software and hardware implementations. Limited by the business models in use today, such an arduous task can be undertaken only by large incumbent companies and government organizations. Neither the "fabless semiconductor" models nor the silicon intellectual-property licensing ("IP-licensing") models allow small technology companies to successfully compete. This article describes an alternative approach that produces an ongoing stream of novel network security processors for niche markets through continuous innovation by both large and small companies. This approach, referred to here as the "business ecosystem model for network security processors", includes a flexible and reconfigurable technology platform, a "keystone" business model for the company that maintains the platform architecture, and an extended ecosystem of companies that both contribute and share in the value created by innovation. New opportunities for business model innovation by participating companies are made possible by the ecosystem model. This ecosystem model builds on: i) the lessons learned from the experience of the first author as a senior integrated circuit architect for providers of public-key cryptography solutions and as the owner of a semiconductor startup, and ii) the latest scholarly research on technology entrepreneurship, business models, platforms, and business ecosystems. This article will be of interest to all technology entrepreneurs, but it will be of particular interest to owners of small companies that provide security solutions and to specialized security professionals seeking to launch their own companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some landscape characters put great influences on the aesthetic preferences of a river. Finding out these characters will provide for river landscape design and management with explicit keystones. In this paper, 23 sample areas of rivers were selected in Xuzhou, China, and 15 landscape characters of rivers were identified. The photos taken at the sample areas were as stimuli, and undergraduate students were respondents. The results demonstrate that the aesthetic preferences of photos judged one-by-one and judged together receive similar results; the preference scores of deflective views are significantly higher than the ones of opposite views; for urban rivers, "river accessibility" and "number of colours" are reliably positive predictors to aesthetic preferences, "wood diversity index" and "plants on water" are negative ones; for rural rivers, "coverage of riparian vegetation", "perspective" and "wood diversity index" are reliably positive predictors to aesthetic preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mashups enable end-users to "mix and match" data and services available on the web to create applications. Their creation is supported by a complex ecosystem of i) data providers who offer open APIs to users, ii) users who combine APIs into mashups, and iii) platforms, such as the ProgrammableWeb or Mashape, that facilitate the construction and publication of mashups. In this article, we argue that the evolution of the mashup ecosystem can be explained in terms of ecosystem niches anchored around hub or keystone APIs. The members of a niche are focused on an area of specialization (e.g., mapping applications) and contribute their knowledge to the value proposition of the ecosystem as a whole. To demonstrate the formation of niches in the mashup ecosystem, we model groups of related mashups as species, and we reconstruct the evolution of mashup species through phylogenetic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Species distributions reflect limiting factors, particularly near the margins of their range where density and abundance decrease as environmental factors decrease or increase to non-optimal conditions. I test whether the keystone saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea), a shallow-rooted species, is indeed distributed disproportionately in areas of concentrated drainage (runnels) in a water-limited population. Carnegiea and a common nurse were sampled at a marginal site in and out of areas with concentrated surface water and chi-square analysis was used to determine the pattern of distribution. In this study I found that, surprisingly, near the hot, water-limited edge of their range, C. gigantea are found significantly less often in areas where more water would be available to them. For example, while only 20% of nurses were on interfluves, half of Carnegiea protégé were there. One possible explanation is that the subsequent redistribution of seeds by water away from preferred microsites may be important in shaping the final pattern of successful establishment. The shallow-rooted Carnegiea relies entirely on surface water for its moisture; it is thus paradoxical that the surface water so fundamentally essential to its survival throughout its life appears to hinder its establishment in precisely those sites where the greatest surface water would be available, particularly near the water-limited edge of its range. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study focuses on the assessment of the stratigraphic architecture of the proximal and distal Jurassic Alpine Tethys rifted margins. The aim of the study was to reconcile the major observations performed in the Alps through time with what is observed in present-day magma-poor rifted margins. The proximal and distal rifted margins reflect two evolutionary phases of rifting involving different structures and isostatic evolutions leading to different stratigraphic records. The proximal rifted margins formed from Upper Triassic to Pliensbachian times and resulted in the formation of classical half graben basins. Rift evolution changed drastically during Pliensbachian to Toarcian times when extension started to localize in the future distal rifted margins. Low-angle detachment faults become the new elementary structure controlling final crustal tapering and eventually mantle exhumation to the sea floor. New structural elements controlling the stratigraphic architecture of the distal rifted margins include extensional allochthons and breakaway blocks, both resulting from the delamination of a keystone block, also referred to as hangingwall block, during hyper-extension processes. To define the stratigraphic architecture of the proximal and distal rifted margins, three stratigraphic marker horizons are used, namely the top of the pre-rift sequences, the top of the proximal margin syn-tectonic sequence and the base of post-rift sequences. Based on the distribution of these stratigraphic marker horizons across the Alpine units and a structural re-evaluation of the rift structures, a synthetic tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Alpine Tethys domain is proposed that reconciles old and new ideas about how rift systems may evolve in space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various entities have been designated keystone resources, but few tests have been attempted and we are unaware of any experimental manipulations of purported keystone resources. Mistletoes (Loranthaceae) provide structural and nutritional resources within canopies, and their pervasive influence on diversity led to their designation as keystone resources. We quantified the effect of mistletoe on diversity with a woodland-scale experiment, comparing bird diversities before and after all mistletoe plants were removed from 17 treatment sites, with those of 11 control sites and 12 sites in which mistletoe was naturally absent. Three years after mistletoe removal, treatment woodlands lost, on average, 20.9 per cent of their total species richness, 26.5 per cent of woodland-dependent bird species and 34.8 per cent of their woodland-dependent residents, compared with moderate increases in control sites and no significant changes in mistletoe-free sites. Treatment sites lost greater proportions of birds recorded nesting in mistletoe, but changes in species recorded feeding on mistletoe did not differ from control sites. Having confirmed the status of mistletoe as a keystone resource, we suggest that nutrient enrichment via litter-fall is the main mechanism promoting species richness, driving small-scale heterogeneity in productivity and food availability for woodland animals. This explanation applies to other parasitic plants with high turnover of enriched leaves, and the community-scale influence of these plants is most apparent in low productivity systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

- Keystones removed from the Stardust cometary collector show varying degrees of visible fluorescence when exposed to UV light, with the brightest fluorescence associated with the space-exposed surface. We investigated the spatial characteristics of this phenomenon further by using fluorescence microscopy, confocal Raman microscopy, and synchrotron Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectromicroscopy. Twenty-four keystones, extracted from the Stardust cometary collector, were analyzed. Fluorescence measurements show two distributions with different excitation characteristics, indicating the presence of at least two distinct fluorophores. The first distribution is confined to within about 10 μm of the space-exposed surface, whereas the second distribution is much broader with a maximum that is typically about 30-50 μm below the surface. Confocal Raman measurements did not reveal any changes associated with the surface; however, only features associated with aliphatic hydrocarbons were strong enough to be observed. FTIR measurements, on the other hand, show two distinct distributions at the space-exposed surface: (1) a narrow, surface-confined distribution originating from −O3SiH groups and (2) a broader, sub-surface distribution originating from −O2SiH2 groups. These functional groups were not observed in keystones extracted from the cometary flight spare or from the Stardust interstellar collector, indicating that they may result at least partially from cometary exposure. The presence of O3SiH and O2SiH2 groups at the comet-exposed surface suggests that the enhanced surface fluorescence is caused by defects in the O-Si-O network and not by organic contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like its last verse (Jn 1.18), the Prologue of the Johannine Gospel has a double meaning: christological and soteriological. The christological one is mainly connected with John 1–20, the soteriological with John 21, and both are linked to 1 John. Indeed, while the Prologue interacts with the Gospel narrative and with the Epilogue (Jn 21), it works also as a ‘relecture’ (re-reading) of 1 John. It recapitulates the promise by Jesus to lead the believers ‘where he is’—i.e. ‘in(to) the bosom of the Father’ (Jn 1.18//Jn 12.26; 14.2–3, 6; 17.24)—as well as the assertion of the Letter regarding the children of God (Jn 1.12//1 Jn 3.1–2). In adding a Prologue and an Epilogue, the last redactor of Jn created a huge meta-historical arch evoking the whole Divine design, from the Alpha before the Creation (ἐν ἀρχῇ, Jn 1.1–2) to the Omega of the eschatological coming of the Risen One (ἕως ἔρχομαι, Jn 21.22, 23; cf. the παρουσία of 1 Jn 2.28). The Prologue is then the keystone and the reading key of the Johannine literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High dorsal deflection of the nasal septum around the bony-cartilaginous junction ('keystone area') is often missed and difficult to treat because of the importance of septal support. This study introduces a new technique of septoplasty to correct this dorsal deviation. Methods: Forty-two patients with severe dorsal septal deviation around the bony-cartilaginous junction were included in the study. The surgical process was as follows: after elevation of mucoperichondrial flap, deflected bony septum and surplus cartilage were removed. Then, partial thickness scorings were performed on the concave side of the deviated cartilaginous septum. For correcting the dorsal deviation around bony-cartilaginous junction, greenstick fracture and two suture holes were made at higher bony septum. Modified mattress suture was performed across the deflected bony-cartilaginous junction while pushing the deviated septum to the midline gently. Subjective and objective improvements were evaluated with questionnaires and acoustic rhinometry at least 3 months after the surgery. Results: Significant improvements in nasal obstruction (4.61-2.42) and discomfort (1.82-1.39) were achieved. On acoustic rhinometry, cross-sectional area (CSA1; 0.41 ± 0.18 to 0.64 ± 0.22 cm2) and CSA2 (0.83 ± 0.37 to 1.39 ± 0.36 cm2) at the narrower sides showed significant improvements and the ratio of the wider to narrower sides in CSA1 (2.61 ± 1.91 to 1.47 ± 0.61) and CSA2 (2.07 ± 1.51 to 1.33 ± 0.40) showed significant improvements. Conclusion: The proposed 'modified mattress suture technique' provides positive initial results for correction of the high dorsal deviation of septum around the bony-cartilaginous junction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Previous evidence has shown that active tool-use remaps agents’ reaching space with far objects being perceived as reachable and graspable. To date, however, there is no evidence that tool-use observation might also be effective in reaching space remapping. The present six experiments show that not only performing but also observing tool actions may extend the representation of reaching space, useful for grasping objects. In addition, like active tool-use, tool-use observation also impacts on visual distance judgment. Interestingly, these effects only occurred when observers shared the same action potentialities with the agent, i.e., while passively holding a tool compatible with the goal and the spatial range of the observed action. The present findings demonstrate that observing someone else acting with a tool may actually shape the way we map the objects and the space around us, suggesting that such a mapping could provide us with a keystone for coordinating and integrating our actions with those of others. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A detailed microwear study was performed on several assemblages from Northeast Africa to provide an anthropological scenario of late middle and upper Pleistocene populations in the Nile Valley and adjacent zones. Results are presented from the wear analysis of five sites, and an interpretation is provided of the keystones of MSA behaviour and its evolution throughout about 150,000 years. Locally available raw materials were predominantly used. Different tool uses were identified based on wear evidence, and it was demonstrated that stone tools were hafted from at least the early MSA onwards. In particular stone tools for which hafting was a necessity for their use, such as percussion implements and projectiles, were hafted. Both tool functions remain important throughout the Middle Stone Age. For tools with other uses, such as knives, hafting was demonstrated in certain cases. Hafting proved to be integrated into the stone tool production process, indicating a certain degree of anticipation and planning. Ochre was present at most of the sites in different forms, and mainly seems to have served a utilitarian function, and a possible symbolic use. The included sites could be interpreted as specialised sites, and in all but one case were situated in a production context. The evidence indicates the existence of a regional settlement system with different logistic nodes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We studied a cohort-based, long-lived species to determine whether favorable periods that promote regeneration are driven by local, regional, or global-scale factors. Limited demographic data exist for the keystone species Carnegiea gigantea over its range. We obtained a data set collected for 12,232 plants over an area of more than 11 km2 at a restricted military zone, located far from any other studied population. We developed the establishment pattern for the species over the last 200 yr and compared population growth trends with those for other sites and with global-scale volcanism, which has been previously linked to the regeneration of the species. This population was significantly related to the two closer sites, suggesting a regional influence in regeneration and cohort establishment. Other eastern sites like ours also exhibited a regeneration peak in the 1920s. This population was not significantly related to volcanic eruptions, as has been documented elsewhere, though this may be due to subsequent mortality at the site, which would have effectively erased the record of establishment in past periods. Unlike past work, our study goes beyond a single population. We synthesized data from other known populations in order to produce, for the first time, a coherent picture of the patterns of regeneration over much of the species' range. Large-scale climatic (e.g., unusually rainy periods) and geologic (global-scale volcanism) events promote the establishment of cohorts during the same time periods historically, though to differing extents in different populations: hot, western populations have particularly large cohorts in response to volcanism, while more eastern sites may have observable cohorts during known wetter periods. Thus, these different large-scale phenomena appear to be of varying significance in a population on the basis of the population's location and associated environment. This provides insight into global climate change impacts on the species, whose keystone status will ultimately affect the success of and changes in the entire biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to establish linkages between growth by a keystone wetland plant, Panicum hemitomon Schultes, and the independent and interactive effect of nutrient and hydrologic regime to inform management and rehabilitation of thick-mat floating marsh (TMFM). To do so a manipulative glasshouse experiment employing created TMFM similar to that under consideration for field trials and two levels each of N, P and hydrology was conducted. P. hemitomon grew vigorously under saturated (flooding level with the surface of the mat) when compared to inundated (+15 cm flooding) hydrologic conditions, and under enriched (50 g m−2 year−1) when compared to non-enriched (25 g m−2 year−1) N. Further, and as inferred from net CO2 assimilation, shoot biomass and rhizome biomass and length, N-enriched conditions seemed to lessen inundation stress. For all variables the interaction between N and hydrology was non-significant and there was no observable effect of P. We were unable to infer root or mat buoyancy from root specific gravity measurements but it was evident at harvest that saturation or minimal flooding is required for vigorous root and rhizome growth. This study provides insight to the notion that decreased mat buoyancy (and increased flooding level) resulting from sediment deposition associated with Mississippi River diversions could adversely affect TMFM sustainability, but more clearly demonstrates the need to maintain saturated hydrologic conditions for achieving the type of root and rhizome growth we feel is required for TMFM rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We investigate the range-wide population structure and phylogeography of thuriferous juniper (Juniperus thurifera L.), a species with a highly disjunct distribution in the western Mediterranean. We genotyped a total of 327 individuals from 20 populations using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP). Different analyses such as principal co-ordinate analysis (PCoA), nonmetric multidimensional scaling of F ST distances among populations, unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA), and Bayesian clustering revealed that the Strait of Gibraltar acted as an efficient barrier against gene flow between the Moroccan and European populations for a very long time, and consequently support that the Moroccan populations should be recognised as a distinct subspecies (J. thurifera L. subsp. africana (Maire) Romo and Boratyńsky). The Algerian population was genetically more closely related to the European than to the Moroccan ones, probably due to dispersal events from Europe to Algeria. With respect to the mainland European populations, our data are not conclusive to reject any of the two following hypotheses: (1) the Iberian Peninsula was subdivided into different gene pools, and was the source for the colonisation of the Pyrenees and the Alps; and (2) the pattern we see today is partly the result of immigration into the Iberian Peninsula, e.g. from the Alps. Finally, the Corsican population was closely related genetically to two northern Iberian populations most probably due to relatively recent long-distance dispersal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study on the dynamics of sedimentary structures at the reach scales using a field approach. The aims of the study are to determine the processes of sedimentary structures development from a manipulated bed surface and to show the impact of keystones in the evolution of the sedimentary structures by monitoring the displacement of individual tagged particles. The author states that the initial manipulations of the bed headed to a more fragmented surface in the experimental section. Sedimentary structures, however, developed very fast, with an equilibrium bed surface developing only two sediment transport events of low magnitude discharge.