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The Young's modulus, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio of monolayer arsenene with different sizes were calculated by finite element method, so as to explore the influence of dimension and orientation on the mechanical properties of monolayer arsenene. The calculation results show that the small size has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the monolayer arsenene. The smaller the size, the larger the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of the monolayer arsenene. The size change has a great influence on the Young's modulus of the arsenene handrail direction, and the Young's modulus of the zigzag direction is not sensitive to the size change. Similarly, the size change has a significant effect on the shear modulus of arsenene in the handrail direction, while the shear modulus in the zigzag direction has no significant effect on its size change. For the Poisson's ratio, the situation is just the opposite, and the effect of the size change on the Poisson's ratio of the arsenene zigzag direction is greater than that of the handrail direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Flower morphology results from the interaction of an established genetic program, the influence of external forces induced by pollination systems, and physical forces acting before, during and after initiation. Floral ontogeny, as the process of development from a meristem to a fully developed flower, can be approached either from a historical perspective, as a “recapitulation of the phylogeny” mainly explained as a process of genetic mutations through time, or from a physico-dynamic perspective, where time, spatial pressures, and growth processes are determining factors in creating the floral morphospace. The first (historical) perspective clarifies how flower morphology is the result of development over time, where evolutionary changes are only possible using building blocks that are available at a certain stage in the developmental history. Flowers are regulated by genetically determined constraints and development clarifies specific transitions between different floral morphs. These constraints are the result of inherent mutations or are induced by the interaction of flowers with pollinators. The second (physico-dynamic) perspective explains how changes in the physical environment of apical meristems create shifts in ontogeny and this is reflected in the morphospace of flowers. Changes in morphology are mainly induced by shifts in space, caused by the time of initiation (heterochrony), pressure of organs, and alterations of the size of the floral meristem, and these operate independently or in parallel with genetic factors. A number of examples demonstrate this interaction and its importance in the establishment of different floral forms. Both perspectives are complementary and should be considered in the understanding of factors regulating floral development. It is suggested that floral evolution is the result of alternating bursts of physical constraints and genetic stabilization processes following each other in succession. Future research needs to combine these different perspectives in understanding the evolution of floral systems and their diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small non-migratory mammals with Northern distribution ranges apply a variety of behavioural and physiological wintering strategies. A rare energy-saving strategy is Dehnel's phenomenon, involving a reduction and later regrowth of the body size, several organs and parts of the skeleton in red-toothed shrews (Soricidae). The size extremes coincide with major life stages. However, the physiological consequences for the shrew's metabolism remain poorly understood. In keeping with the energetic limitations that may induce the size changes, we hypothesised that metabolic incorporation rates should remain the same across the shrews' lifetimes. In contrast, fat turnover rates should be faster in smaller subadults than in large juveniles and regrown adults, as the metabolic activity of fat tissue increases in winter individuals (subadults). Measuring the changes in the ratio of exhaled stable carbon isotopes, we found that the baseline diet of shrews changed across the season. A diet switch experiment showed that incorporation rates were consistently rapid (t50=38.2±21.1-69.3± 53.5 min) and did not change between seasons. As predicted, fat turnover rates were faster in size-reduced subadults (t50=2.1±1.3 h) compared with larger juveniles (t50=5.5±1.7 h) and regrown adults (t50=5.0±4.4 h). In all three age/size classes, all body fat was turned over after 9-24 h. These results show that high levels of nutrient uptake are independent of body size, whereas fat turnover rates are negatively correlated with body size. Thus, the shrews might be under higher pressure to save energy in winter and this may have supported the evolution of Dehnel's phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation tests were conducted to investigate the separation performance of fine lignite by enhanced gravity concentrator. Size composition analysis illustrates that ultrafine coal with high ash content is mainly concentrated in clean coal. In addition, it also shows that ultrafine particles content increased after separation. The size composition change was explained by surface property analysis, and results show that adhesion of fragments and surface hydrophilicity that was caused by high content of oxygen functional groups are responsible for the size change. The existence of ultrafine particle is the main reason of low separation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a size-changing method with three-dimensional (3D) garment modeling for various body sizes considering vertical body proportions in addition to horizontal dimensions, while preserving the silhouette and ease of the original garment.Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional dimensions and shapes of one dress form (the standard body) and jacket bodice were obtained by 3D scanning. The authors calculated horizontal multiplication factors of the relationship between the standard body and jacket bodice, and vertical body proportions. A target dress form was deformed using multiplication factors and vertical body proportions to construct a garment model that fitted the dress form. The method was verified using three different dress forms. The bodices of the jackets were compared with those obtained without adjusting vertical proportions.Findings Employing the proposed method, jacket bodices were made and fitted on target bodies while preserving the original shape. Jackets bodices made without considering vertical proportions had many wrinkles and deformed shape and poor fit around the bust line owing to the different vertical proportions. The vertical proportion is thus an important factor in the 3D garment modeling of garments of different size fitted on a body.Research limitations/implications The proposed method is a new size-changing or grading method for a bodice that preserves the original silhouette.Originality/value The proposed modeling method allows the construction of jacket bodice models and jackets of different size considering vertical body proportions. The method is applicable when making individually tailored garments or ready-to-wear garments for different targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragmented landscapes entail important consequences for the evolution of the species confined to them. Isolation of population fragments accelerates selection for narrow local conditions and facilitates morphological divergence. Throughout its range, the European snow vole Chionomys nivalis is restricted to fractured, rocky substrate in mountain regions, which is naturally fragmented into ‘continental archipelagos’. Consequently, its extensive morphological and genetic diversity was categorized into about 20 traditional subspecies and at least eight allopatric phylogenetic lineages. In this study, we aimed toward an integrative understanding of cranial variation throughout the European snow vole range. We analyzed seven linear cranial variables on 326 adult skulls from 27 populations belonging to eight phylogenetic lineages. We confirmed significant variation among the fragmented populations but retrieved little meaningful patterning in morphometric variability. Phenetic distances among populations were not related to the phylogenetic architecture of the species, and traditional subspecies were at odds with morphologically diagnosable populations. The lack of an association between morphometric and geographic distances argued against isolation by distance. Furthermore, mean size did not correlate with climatic variables. Morphological principal components 2 and 3 (loaded by the interorbital width and length of neurocranium, respectively) correlated significantly with geographic coordinates and climatic variables. Shape variables discriminated between the abulensis and nivalis phylogroups, and the European and Asiatic populations, but the largest phylogroups (nivalis and malyi) showed high interpopulation heterogeneity and classification accuracy was low. We suggest that cranial shape or size do not incorporate a signal that is strong enough to be of reliable use for subspecific taxonomy. Skull is seemingly prone to vary according to narrow local conditions, which distorts the underlying phylogenetic signal. A small-scale approach, with detailed knowledge of environmental parameters within each habitat fragment, might be more appropriate for a species whose range is actually a continental archipelago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to produce an upper garment model for three-dimensional (3D) pattern making. This model will take into account ease allowance and silhouette, and will be used to propose a size-changing method. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used two real garment bodices with a surface suitable for pattern development. The garments were fitted to a designated dummy body and scanned. Using the scanned data, the authors made those upper garment basic models suitable for 3D pattern making. Using one model, the authors produced two bodice patterns, one with the original seam lines and the other with seam lines that differed from the original ones, and then compared them with the original jacket bodice. To construct garment models that were different in size from the basic model, the authors calculated multiplication factors of cross-sectional dimensions (in the front, back and lateral directions) between the basic garment and the actual garment shape worn on a body for each basic model. Using the multiplication factors, the authors made two different size garment models from two different size dummies for each basic model. The authors used these models to make patterns and garments. Findings – The reproduced jackets had similar shapes, silhouettes and ease allowances to the original jacket. Two garments of different sizes for each original jacket were made using the multiplication factors, and these garments also had similar silhouettes to the original jacket. Research limitations/implications – The implications of the work could be the new size-changing method. Originality/value – Using the modeling method, the authors were able to make complex new garment models that take into account ease allowance and silhouette. The ability to size these models up or down using multiplication factors could be a substitute for the grading method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most diatoms undergo a cyclical process of size reduction and size restoration, which is used to time their life cycle. However, the effect of this on population dynamics of natural populations is poorly understood. Therefore, their interaction was investigated over several life cycles of a planktonic diatom (Aulacoseira baicalensis) in Lake Baikal as part of a multidisciplinary study lasting 10 years. Changes in abundance and diameter were affected in a complex way by a number of interacting factors that included silica availability, the number of divisions in a growing season, diameter-dependent sedimentation losses, grazing, limited frustule lifetime and faster size decline than predicted in stressed cells. There was also a density-dependent effect on size restoration and the recruitment of large cells into the population, which interacted with the other factors to cause large changes in annual cell abundance observed in the lake over the last 60 years. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ABSTRACT The European fallow deer ( Dama dama dama) is native to the eastern Mediterranean and whilst it is clear that its dispersion from this region was the result of human transportation, the timing and circumstances of its post-glacial diffusion are still uncertain. Archaeological fallow deer remains offer perhaps the best opportunity to understand the deep history of the species, with measurements of ancient bones providing important information about an individual's sex and size. Unfortunately, the fragmentary nature of archaeological remains means that metrical samples are usually too small to draw any meaningful conclusions. Biometrical scaling techniques can increase the size of the sample available for comparison and in this paper log ratios are used in combination with traditional metrical analysis to provide new information about archaeological fallow deer populations, in particular highlighting the size variations across time and space and shifts in hunting and management practices. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aulacoseira baicalensis (K. Meyer) Simonsen is a freshwater planktonic diatom that undergoes large seasonal changes in cell morphology related to changes in vertical mixing. Short cells (10-20 µm) with thin walls were formed under the ice of Lake Baikal but cell lengths increased up to 150 µm by the time mixing depth reached over 100 m in June. These long cells became resting stages that were packed with reserve products and had siliceous walls up to 4 µm thick. Increase in mixing depth gave access to sufficient silica for completion of resting stages in most years but not in high biomass years, which has long-term implications for the population. Wall thickening reduced the risk of dissolution during dormancy but it also reduced cell volume. Therefore, by increasing length, cells maintained storage space for reserves. Seasonal changes in valve length showed that individual valves did not last more than 6 months, equivalent to 5 to 10 divisions. Separation valves were important in determining the number of cells per filament during spring growth but cell breakage became more important during summer dormancy. Resting stages survived in cool, intermediate depths (50-150 m) during summer stratification and were returned to the surface during autumn overturn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neuronal responsiveness to three-dimensional (3D) motion in cat posteromedial lateral suprasylvian (PMLS) cortex was studied using a computer-controlled, stereoscopic 3D graphic display capable of reproducing the major visual cues for natural 3D motion, including motion disparity, size, texture, and shading changes. The animals were anesthetized with nitrous oxide supplemented with alphaxalone, and paralysis prevented eye movement. Systematic investigation of neuronal responsiveness to 3D motions in 26 different directions revealed that more than half of the PMLS cells were selectively responsive to approaching (AP cells, 112 of 271) or recessive motion (RC cells, 64 of 271). The remaining cells were selectively responsive to frontoparallel motion (FP cells, 49 of 271) or nonselectively responsive to motion in multiple directions (NS cells, 46 of 271). The dependency on these visual cues was investigated as a reduction in the response amplitude or the response selectivity for the removal of a single cue from the motion stimuli containing the full visual cues. The AP and RC cells showed a strong dependency on the motion disparity cue, moderate dependency on the size cue, and weak dependency on the texture and shading cues. The FP cells showed no dependency on those visual cues. The cue dependency analysis indicated the existence of nonlinear interactions between those visual cues. Comparison of the responses to a combination of the motion disparity and size cues with the summed responses to each of the individual cues revealed that the responses to the combined cues are roughly predicted as a linear sum between the preferred responses. This comparison also showed nonlinear summation between the nonpreferred responses, i.e., responses to the combined cues were smaller than the summed responses. A similar quasilinear summation of the preferred responses between the two eyes and a nonlinear summation of the nonpreferred responses were found in the AP and RC cells for the motion disparity stimulus. All of these observations indicate that quasilinear and nonlinear interactions of the responses to various stimulus elements underlie the 3D motion responsiveness of the PMLS cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]