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At least 1,189 records · Page 66

Sex ratio of Western Bluebirds ( Sialia mexicana ) is mediated by phenology and clutch size

Mothers may produce more of one sex to maximize their fitness if there are differences in the cost of producing each sex or there are differences in their relative reproductive value. Breeding date and clutch size are known to influence offspring sex ratios in birds through sex differences in dispersal, social behaviours, differential mortality and available food resources. We tested whether breeding date, clutch size and drought conditions influenced offspring sex ratios in a sexually size-monomorphic species, the Western Bluebird Sialia mexicana, by interrogating a 21-year dataset. After controlling for differential mortality, we found that hatch dates late in the breeding season were associated with the production of more females, suggesting that the value of producing males declines as the breeding season progresses. When clutch size was taken into account, small clutches yielded significantly more females late in the breeding season than in the early and middle parts of the breeding season, which produced significantly more males. Here, large clutches early in the season tended to produce more females, although this was not significant. Drought severity was not correlated with sex ratio adjustment. We propose and discuss several explanations for these patterns, including male offspring, but not female offspring, acting as helpers, increased female nestling provisioning late in the breeding season, differences in food abundance and egg-laying order. Future work will help to uncover the mechanisms leading to these patterns. Identifying patterns and mechanisms of sex ratio skew from long-term datasets is important for informing predictions regarding life-history trade-offs in wildlife populations.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

A Vitis vinifera basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor enhances plant cell size, vegetative biomass and reproductive yield

Strategies for improving plant size are critical targets for plant biotechnology to increase vegetative biomass or reproductive yield. To improve biomass production, a codon-optimized helix–loop–helix transcription factor (VvCEB1 opt ) from wine grape was overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana resulting in significantly increased leaf number, leaf and rosette area, fresh weight and dry weight. Cell size, but typically not cell number, was increased in all tissues resulting in increased vegetative biomass and reproductive organ size, number and seed yield. Ionomic analysis of leaves revealed the VvCEB1 opt- overexpressing plants had significantly elevated, K, S and Mo contents relative to control lines. Increased K content likely drives increased osmotic potential within cells leading to greater cellular growth and expansion. To understand the mechanistic basis of VvCEB1 opt action, one transgenic line was genotyped using RNA-Seq mRNA expression profiling and revealed a novel transcriptional reprogramming network with significant changes in mRNA abundance for genes with functions in delayed flowering, pathogen–defence responses, iron homeostasis, vesicle-mediated cell wall formation and auxin-mediated signalling and responses. Direct testing of VvCEB1 opt- overexpressing plants showed that they had significantly elevated auxin content and a significantly increased number of lateral leaf primordia within meristems relative to controls, confirming that cell expansion and organ number proliferation were likely an auxin-mediated process. VvCEB1 opt overexpression in Nicotiana sylvestris also showed larger cells, organ size and biomass demonstrating the potential applicability of this innovative strategy for improving plant biomass and reproductive yield in crops.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Cortical cell size regulates root metabolic cost

SUMMARY It has been hypothesized that vacuolar occupancy in mature root cortical parenchyma cells regulates root metabolic cost and thereby plant fitness under conditions of drought, suboptimal nutrient availability, and increased soil mechanical impedance. However, the mechanistic role of vacuoles in reducing root metabolic cost was unproven. Here we provide evidence to support this hypothesis. We first show that root cortical cell size is determined by both cortical cell diameter and cell length. Significant genotypic variation for both cortical cell diameter (~1.1‐ to 1.5‐fold) and cortical cell length (~ 1.3‐ to 7‐fold) was observed in maize and wheat. GWAS and QTL analyses indicate cortical cell diameter and length are heritable and under independent genetic control. We identify candidate genes for both phenes. Empirical results from isophenic lines contrasting for cortical cell diameter and length show that increased cell size, due to either diameter or length, is associated with reduced root respiration, nitrogen content, and phosphorus content.RootSlice, a functional‐structural model of root anatomy, predicts that an increased vacuolar: cytoplasmic ratio per unit cortical volume causes reduced root respiration and nutrient content. Ultrastructural imaging of cortical parenchyma cells with varying cortical diameter and cortical cell length confirms thein silicopredictions and shows that an increase in cell size is correlated with increased vacuolar volume and reduced cytoplasmic volume. Vacuolar occupancy and its relationship with cell size merits further investigation as a phene for improving crop adaptation to edaphic stress.

Plant Sciences↗

Specimen Size and Geometry Effects on the Master Curve Fracture Toughness Measurements of EUROFER97 and F82H Steels

EUROFER97 and F82H are two leading reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic (RAFM) steels for fusion blanket applications. Exposure to the harsh environment of fusion reactors can result in severe degradation of materials fracture toughness (FT). Thus, the post-irradiation evaluation of FT is critical to understanding the material behavior. Due to the space constraint of irradiation facilities, the development of small specimen test techniques (SSTT) is necessary to evaluate the performance of irradiated materials. In this study, we evaluated the specimen size and geometry effects on the ductile-to-brittle transition FT of EUROFER97 batch-3 and F82H-BA12 steels. The specimen thicknesses ranged from 1.65 to 12.7 mm and the geometries included 1.65 mm bend bar, 4 mm mini-compact tension (miniCT), and 0.5T compact tension (CT) specimens. Fracture toughness testing and evaluations were performed using the Master Curve method in the ASTM E1921-19 standard. After size correction to 1T size using the Master Curve method, no specimen size effect was observed between the 4 mm miniCT and 0.5T CT specimens for the Master Curve reference temperature T0Q, while the bend bars yielded a higher T0Q. A strong effect of fatigue precrack front straightness on T0Q for 0.5T CT specimens was observed. The minimum number of specimens needed for each specimen geometry has been determined.

Chen, Xiang↗

Exploring Failure of Adhesively-Bonded Joints with Different Void Sizes at the Same Void Volume Fraction through A Micro-scale Numerical Modeling

This paper studied the effects of void sizes on the failure behavior of adhesively-bonded materials under global shear via micro-scale computational modeling. The numerical results indicate that large void sizes with increased distances between them at the same void volume fraction can alleviate the reduced joint strength of a weaker adherend-adhesive interface caused by interfacial voids. However, this is not the case for an adherend-adhesive interface with the interfacial tensile strength being sufficiently higher than the adhesive strength, showing the negligible effect on the joint strength due to various void sizes and the amount of interfacial voids. This preliminary investigation provides insightful information for scaling up the void size in the macro-scale computational modeling of joints, and enhances the understanding of the micro-mechanical adhesion in adherend-adhesive interfaces with different levels of bonding.

Qiao, Yao↗

SU-E-I-46: Sample-Size Dependence of Model Observers for Estimating Low-Contrast Detection Performance From CT Images

Purpose: Recently, task-based assessment of diagnostic CT systems has attracted much attention. Detection task performance can be estimated using human observers, or mathematical observer models. While most models are well established, considerable bias can be introduced when performance is estimated from a limited number of image samples. Thus, the purpose of this work was to assess the effect of sample size on bias and uncertainty of two channelized Hotelling observers and a template-matching observer. Methods: The image data used for this study consisted of 100 signal-present and 100 signal-absent regions-of-interest, which were extracted from CT slices. The experimental conditions included two signal sizes and five different x-ray beam current settings (mAs). Human observer performance for these images was determined in 2-alternative forced choice experiments. These data were provided by the Mayo clinic in Rochester, MN. Detection performance was estimated from three observer models, including channelized Hotelling observers (CHO) with Gabor or Laguerre-Gauss (LG) channels, and a template-matching observer (TM). Different sample sizes were generated by randomly selecting a subset of image pairs, (N=20,40,60,80). Observer performance was quantified as proportion of correct responses (PC). Bias was quantified as the relative difference of PC for 20 and 80 image pairs. Results: For n=100, all observer models predicted human performance across mAs and signal sizes. Bias was 23% for CHO (Gabor), 7% for CHO (LG), and 3% for TM. The relative standard deviation, σ(PC)/PC at N=20 was highest for the TM observer (11%) and lowest for the CHO (Gabor) observer (5%). Conclusion: In order to make image quality assessment feasible in the clinical practice, a statistically efficient observer model, that can predict performance from few samples, is needed. Our results identified two observer models that may be suited for this task.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

TU-F-18A-09: CT Number Stability Across Patient Sizes Using Virtual-Monoenergetic Dual-Energy CT

Purpose: Virtual-monoenergetic imaging uses dual-energy CT data to synthesize images corresponding to a single photon energy, thereby reducing beam-hardening artifacts. This work evaluated the ability of a commercial virtual-monoenergetic algorithm to achieve stable CT numbers across patient sizes. Methods: Test objects containing a range of iodine and calcium hydroxyapatite concentrations were placed inside 8 torso-shaped water phantoms, ranging in lateral width from 15 to 50 cm, and scanned on a dual-source CT system (Siemens Somatom Force). Single-energy scans were acquired from 70-150 kV in 10 kV increments; dual-energy scans were acquired using 4 energy pairs (low energy: 70, 80, 90, and 100 kV; high energy: 150 kV + 0.6 mm Sn). CTDIvol was matched for all single- and dual-energy scans for a given phantom size. All scans used 128×0.6 mm collimation and were reconstructed with 1-mm thickness at 0.8-mm increment and a medium smooth body kernel. Monoenergetic images were generated using commercial software (syngo Via Dual Energy, VA30). Iodine contrast was calculated as the difference in mean iodine and water CT numbers from respective regions-of-interest in 10 consecutive images. Results: CT numbers remained stable as phantom width varied from 15 to 50 cm for all dual-energy data sets (except for at 50 cm using 70/150Sn due to photon starvation effects). Relative to the 15 cm phantom, iodine contrast was within 5.2% of the 70 keV value for phantom sizes up to 45 cm. At 90/150Sn, photon starvation did not occur at 50 cm, and iodine contrast in the 50-cm phantom was within 1.4% of the 15-cm phantom. Conclusion: Monoenergetic imaging, as implemented in the evaluated commercial system, eliminated the variation in CT numbers due to patient size, and may provide more accurate data for quantitative tasks, including radiation therapy treatment planning. Siemens Healthcare.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗

SU-E-T-432: Field Size Influence On the Electron and Photon Spectra Within Small MV Field Detectors

Purpose: To investigate the influence of photon field size on the electron and photon fluence spectra in the active volume of small field detectors. Methods: The PENELOPE MC system based usercode PenEasy was used to calculate the material influence on the spectra by scoring the differential fluence in inserts of silicon, carbon, phosphorus and aluminium having 3 mm diameter and height. The spectra were then calculated inside the active volume of eleven detectors (ion chambers and solid-state detectors) whose geometry was simulated with great detail. The inserts/detectors were placed at 10 cm depth in a 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm water phantom and irradiated with 2.5 MeV photons and Varian Clinac 6 MV beams of small, medium and large size. Results: For all configurations, photon spectra in the scoring volume were similar to that in a small water volume except for additional characteristic x-ray peaks resulting from the material itself and from the materials surrounding the detectors (i.e. high-Z shielding the silicon). Electron fluence calculated in the inserts were up to 60% larger than in water; the difference increased with material density and decreasing field size. MC-calculated doses were compared to analytically determined collision kerma and restricted cema (cut-off=15keV). For the inserts, with large and medium fields K-col agreed with MC-dose, but K-col overestimated the dose for small fields due to lack of lateral CPE. For the detectors, up to 15% differences between K-col and the MC-dose were found. For all configurations the C-delta and MC-dose agreed within ±2%. Conclusion: The most relevant findings were that shielding affects substantially the photon spectra and material conditions the electron spectra, their field size dependence varying with the geometry configuration. These affect the values of factors entering into relative dosimetry.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

SU-F-J-75: Accuracy and Stability of Electron Density Measurements Across Patient Size Using Dual Energy CT

Purpose: Dual energy (DE) CT can be used to characterize tissue composition. One application of DE CT is to measure electron density (ED, rho) and atomic number (Z) for use in radiation therapy treatment planning. This work evaluated the accuracy and stability of ED estimation as patient size varied for both single-energy (SE) and DE CT. Methods: An ED phantom (CIRS) and four torso-shaped water tanks (lateral widths 15, 25, 35 and 45 cm) containing 8 tissue-simulating cylinders of known ED were scanned on a dual-source CT system (Siemens Somatom Force) in SE (120 kV) and DE (90/150Sn) modes. Additional scans were performed on the 15 and 25 cm water tanks using DE techniques of 70/150Sn and 80/150Sn, respectively. CTDIvol was matched for all SE and DE scans for a given phantom size. Images were reconstructed using quantitative kernels to preserve CT number accuracy. ED was estimated in each test cylinder and in solid and liquid water using calibration measurements acquired in the CIRS phantom (SE) and a Rho-Z algorithm (DE). Results: ED estimates showed good agreement with the nominal ED values when using Rho-Z (slope = 1.0051, R2 = 0.9982). Mean percent error was similar between SE (1.21%) and DE (1.28%). Mean deviation across patient size decreased 34% (1.43% with SE, 0.95% with DE). When compared to 90/150Sn, DE techniques of 70/150Sn and 80/150Sn showed mean differences in ED of 0.43% and 0.15%, respectively. Conclusion: While both DE Rho-Z and SE CT number calibration methods are both accurate for estimating ED, Rho-Z offers the advantages of having less variability across patient size, not requiring a phantom calibration, and being able to distinguish between materials of similar attenuation, but different chemical composition. Low kV DE pairs are an option in small patients due to lack of effect on ED accuracy. This research was supported by Siemens Healthcare.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

SU-F-T-158: Experimental Characterization of Field Size Dependence of Dose and Lateral Beam Profiles of Scanning Proton and Carbon Ion Beams for Empirical Model in Air

Purpose: The Gaussian model for the lateral profiles in air is crucial for an accurate treatment planning system. The field size dependence of dose and the lateral beam profiles of scanning proton and carbon ion beams are due mainly to particles undergoing multiple Coulomb scattering in the beam line components and secondary particles produced by nuclear interactions in the target, both of which depend upon the energy and species of the beam. In this work, lateral profile shape parameters were fitted to measurements of field size dependence dose at the center of field size in air. Methods: Previous studies have employed empirical fits to measured profile data to significantly reduce the QA time required for measurements. From this approach to derive the weight and sigma of lateral profiles in air, empirical model formulations were simulated for three selected energies for both proton and carbon beams. Results: The 20%–80% lateral penumbras predicted by the double model for proton and single model for carbon with the error functions agreed with the measurements within 1 mm. The standard deviation between measured and fitted field size dependence of dose for empirical model in air has a maximum accuracy of 0.74% for proton with double Gaussian, and of 0.57% for carbon with single Gaussian. Conclusion: We have demonstrated that the double Gaussian model of lateral beam profiles is significantly better than the single Gaussian model for proton while a single Gaussian model is sufficient for carbon. The empirical equation may be used to double check the separately obtained model that is currently used by the planning system. The empirical model in air for dose of spot scanning proton and carbon ion beams cannot be directly used for irregular shaped patient fields, but can be to provide reference values for clinical use and quality assurance.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Disentangling the size-dependent geometric and electronic effects of palladium nanocatalysts beyond selectivity

The prominent size effect of metal nanoparticles shapes decisively nanocatalysis, but entanglement of the corresponding geometric and electronic effects prevents exploiting their distinct functionalities. In this work, we demonstrate that in palladium (Pd)–catalyzed aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol, the geometric and electronic effects interplay and compete so intensively that both activity and selectivity showed in volcano trends on the Pd particle size unprecedentedly. By developing a strategy of site-selective blocking via atomic layer deposition along with first principles calculations, we disentangle these two effects and unveil that the geometric effect dominates the right side of the volcano with larger-size Pd particles, whereas the electronic effect directs the left of the volcano with smaller-size Pd particles substantially. Selective blocking of the low-coordination sites prevents formation of the undesired by-product beyond the volcano relationship, achieving a remarkable benzaldehyde selectivity and activity at the same time for 4-nm Pd. Disentangling the geometric and electronic effects of metal nanoparticles opens a new dimension for rational design of catalysts.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Control over the Size Effect in the Spectroscopic Properties of Zn{sub x}Cd{sub 1–} {sub x}S Colloidal Quantum Dots

Approaches are developed for controlling the size effect in the absorption and photoluminescence properties of colloidal CdS and Zn{sub 0.5}Cd{sub 0.5}S quantum dots (QDs) in a gelatin matrix and thioglycolic acid. We analyze spectroscopic manifestations of dark Ostwald ripening and size-selective photoetching and demonstrate that the illumination of molten colloidal CdS and Zn{sub 0.5}Cd{sub 0.5}S QD solutions at a wavelength lying at the optical absorption edge in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as a catalyst for photoetching leads to a blue shift of the optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra of the QDs. Analysis of TEM images of QD samples leads us to conclude that photoetching reduces the average QD size as a consequence of the photodissolution of the CdS and Zn{sub 0.5}Cd{sub 0.5}S compounds. We demonstrate that, by contrast, heat treatment of the synthesized CdS and Zn{sub 0.5}Cd{sub 0.5}S QD sols at a temperature between 75 and 90°C leads to an increase in nanocrystal size through recrystallization, which shows up as a redshift of the optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra of the corresponding samples.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Effect of dust size distribution on ion-acoustic solitons in dusty plasmas with different dust grains

Theoretical studies are carried out for ion acoustic solitons in multicomponent nonuniform plasma considering the dust size distribution. The Korteweg−de Vries equation for ion acoustic solitons is given by using the reductive perturbation technique. Two special dust size distributions are considered. The dependences of the width and amplitude of solitons on dust size parameters are shown. It is found that the properties of a solitary wave depend on the shape of the size distribution function of dust grains.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Analysis of Size Effects during Martensitic Transitions in Epitaxial Films and Microparticles of the Ni–Mn–Sn Alloy

Abstract—: The available literature data on the effect of the thickness of the epitaxial films and size of the crystallites in the microparticles of the Ni–Mn–Sn alloy powder on the parameters of the martensitic transitions in this alloy have been analyzed in the framework of the theory of defuse martensitic transitions (DMT), which is based on thermodynamic and kinetic ratios. The purpose of the analysis is to establish an explicit (functional) dependence of these parameters on the film thickness D and the size of nanocrystallites d in the film and microparticles. The results of the R-diffraction analysis show that internal elastic microdeformations and stresses arise in films and microparticles of the alloy powder due to the coherent coupling of the epitaxial film with a solid substrate or as a result of severe plastic deformation of the alloy during its grinding in a ball mill. The analysis shows that the local microstresses significantly affect the type of the dependence of the temperature interval (diffusity) ΔT of the transition on the size factors D or d. In the absence of microstresses, these dependences have the form ΔT ∼ 1/D{sup 2} or ΔT ∼ 1/d{sup 2}. In the presence of microstresses, the temperature transition interval depends on the size factors as ΔT ∼ 1/D or ΔT ∼ 1/d.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Finite-size effects in heavy halo nuclei from effective field theory

Abstract Halo/Cluster Effective Field Theory describes halo/cluster nuclei in an expansion in the small ratio of the size of the core(s) to the size of the system. Even in the point-particle limit, neutron-halo nuclei have a finite charge radius, because their center of mass does not coincide with their center of charge. This point-particle contribution decreases as $$1/A_\mathrm {c}$$ 1 / A c , where $$A_\mathrm {c}$$ A c is the mass number of the core, and diminishes in importance compared to other effects, e.g., the size of the core to which the neutrons are bound. Here we propose that for heavy cores the EFT expansion should account for the small factors of $$1/A_\mathrm {c}$$ 1 / A c . As a specific example, we discuss the implications of this organizational scheme for the inclusion of finite-size effects in expressions for the charge radii of halo nuclei. We show in particular that a short-range operator could be the dominant effect in the charge radius of one-neutron halos bound by a P-wave interaction. The point-particle contribution remains the leading piece of the charge radius for one-proton halos, and so Halo EFT has more predictive power in that case.

Physics↗

Temperature-Swing Synthesis of Large-Size Single-Crystal LiNi 0.6 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 O 2 Cathode Materials

Single-crystal lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide (SC-NMC) has recently emerged as a promising battery cathode material due to its outstanding cycle performance and mechanical stability over the tradional polycrystalline NMC. It is favorable to further increase the grain size of SC-NMC particles to achieve a higher volumetric energy density and minimize surface-related degradations. However, the preparation of large-size yet high performance SC-NMC particles faces a challenge in choosing a suitable temperature for sintering. High temperature promotes grain growth but induces cation mixing that negatively impacts the electrochemical performance. Here we report a temperature-swing sintering (TSS) strategy with two isothermal stages that fulfils the needs for grain growth and structural ordering sequentially. A high-temperature sintering is first used for a short period of time to increase grain size and then the reaction temperature is lowered and kept constant for a longer period of time to improve structural ordering and complete the lithiation process. SC-LiNi 0.6 Mn 0.2 Co 0.2 O 2 materials prepared via TSS exhibit large grain size (~4 μm), a low degree of cation mixing (~0.9%), and outperform the control samples prepared by the conventional sintering method. Furthermore, this work highlights the importance of understanding the process-structure-property relationships and may guide the synthesis of other SC Ni-rich cathode materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Size and Charge Effects on Crossover of Flow Battery Reactants Evaluated by Quinone Permeabilities Through Nafion

Organic reactants are promising candidates for long-lifetime redox flow batteries, and synthetic chemistry unlocks a wide design space for new molecules. Minimizing crossover of these molecules through ion exchange membranes is one important design consideration, but the ways in which the crossover rate depends on the structure of the crossing species remain unclear. Here, we contribute a systematic evaluation of size- and charge-based effects on dilute-solution small molecule permeability through the Nafion NR212 cation exchange membrane. We found that increasing the magnitude of charge number z with the same sign as membrane fixed charges, achieved here by successive sulfonation of quinone redox cores, results in more than an order of magnitude permeability reduction per sulfonate. Size-based effects, understood by comparing the Stokes radii of the quinones studied, also reduces permeability with increasing effective molecule size, but doubling the effective size of the redox reactants resulted in a permeability decrease of less than a factor of three.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Empirical Relations between Size Parameters of Ice Hydrometeor Populations and Radar Reflectivity

Empirical power-law relations between the equivalent radar reflectivity factor Z e and the slope parameter of the gamma function Λ (i.e., Λ = cZ $^{d}_{e}$ used to describe ice hydrometeor size distributions) are derived. The Λ parameter can also be considered as a size parameter since it is proportional to the inverse of the hydrometeor characteristic size, which is an important geophysical parameter describing the entire distribution. Two datasets from two-dimensional microphysical probes, collected during aircraft flights in subtropical and midlatitude regions, were used to obtain Λ by fitting measured size distributions. Reflectivity for different radar frequencies was calculated from microphysical probe data by using nonspherical-particle models. The derived relations have exponent d values that are approximately from -0.35 to -0.40, and the prefactors c are approximately between 30 and 55 (Λ: cm -1 ; Z e : mm 6 m -3 ). There is a tendency for d and c to decrease when radar frequency increases from K u band (~14 GHz) to W band (~94 GHz). Correlation coefficients between Z e and Λ can be very high (~0.8), especially for lower frequencies. Such correlations are similar to those for empirical relations between reflectivity and ice water content (IWC), which are used in many modeling and remote sensing applications. Close correspondences of reflectivity to both Λ and IWC are due to a relatively high correlation between these two microphysical parameters. Finally, expected uncertainties in estimating Λ from reflectivity could be as high as a factor of 2, although estimates at lower radar frequencies are more robust. Stratifying retrievals by temperature could result in relatively modest improvement of Λ estimates.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗