Branch Width Research Articles

The role of substrata width and millimeter scale surface micro-structure in the attachment of juvenile mussels

The global mussel aquaculture industry is constrained by the unreliable supply of wild seed mussels and high losses of seed mussels shortly after they are seeded onto coastal farms. The success in the collection of the settling larvae of mussel in the wild and the subsequent on-growing of early seed mussels in aquaculture are largely determined by the settlement and attachment behaviour of the larval and juvenile mussels, which is strongly influenced by the physical structure of their attachment substrata, especially filamentous substrata. This study aimed to identify an ideal set of morphological characteristics of filamentous substrata that would promote the improved attachment of early mussels and contribute to reducing the shortage of seed mussels in the New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) aquaculture industry. Artificial filamentous substrata with varying branch width and textured surfaces were tested for their ability to promote the attachment of wild juvenile mussels. The attachment of early juvenile mussels to 1.6 mm wide filamentous substrate was six times higher than their wider counterparts (i.e., 3.7, 5.6, 7.4, and 9.5 mm). There was also a higher proportion of small-size mussels (<0.99 mm shell length) on the 1.6 mm substrata. Furthermore, the filamentous substrata with regularly ridged surface contours (1 mm spacings) tended to attract more juvenile mussels. However, this preference was not consistent for small-size mussels on filaments of thinner width (i.e., 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, and 3.7 mm). Overall, the dimensions of filamentous substrates identified through this study will be valuable for improving the design of artificial substrata used in mussel aquaculture for improving its effectiveness for the attachment of seed mussels.

MOCNN: A Multiscale Deep Convolutional Neural Network for ERP-Based Brain-Computer Interfaces.

Event-related potentials (ERPs) reflect neurophysiological changes of the brain in response to external events and their associated underlying complex spatiotemporal feature information is governed by ongoing oscillatory activity within the brain. Deep learning methods have been increasingly adopted for ERP-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) due to their excellent feature representation abilities, which allow for deep analysis of oscillatory activity within the brain. Features with higher spatiotemporal frequencies usually represent detailed and localized information, while features with lower spatiotemporal frequencies usually represent global structures. Mining EEG features from multiple spatiotemporal frequencies is conducive to obtaining more discriminative information. A multiscale feature fusion octave convolution neural network (MOCNN) is proposed in this article. MOCNN divides the ERP signals into high-, medium- and low-frequency components corresponding to different resolutions and processes them in different branches. By adding mid- and low-frequency components, the feature information used by MOCNN can be enriched, and the required amount of calculations can be reduced. After successive feature mapping using temporal and spatial convolutions, MOCNN realizes interactive learning among different components through the exchange of feature information among branches. Classification is accomplished by feeding the fused deep spatiotemporal features from various components into a fully connected layer. The results, obtained on two public datasets and a self-collected ERP dataset, show that MOCNN can achieve state-of-the-art ERP classification performance. In this study, the generalized concept of octave convolution is introduced into the field of ERP-BCI research, which allows effective spatiotemporal features to be extracted from multiscale networks through branch width optimization and information interaction at various scales.

Population Characteristics and Habitat Management of the Useful Seaweed Silvetia siliquosa

We aimed to analyze the natural population characteristics and habitat growth conditions of the valuable seaweed Silvetia siliquosa. Its population characteristics and habitat conditions were assessed monthly from May 2022 to April 2023 and April to August 2022, respectively, on selected habitats. The average population density, coverage, and frequency of S. siliquosa were 579 ± 94.18 ind./m2, 27.82 ± 6.92%/m2, and 78.37 ± 5.98/m2, respectively. The average thallus length and width were 47.53 ± 4.35 and 46.33 ± 4.17 mm, respectively, while the branch width, thickness, and frequency were 2.35 ± 0.03 mm, 0.59 ± 0.12 mm, and 2.8 ± 0.2 times, with a receptacle length and width of 24.13 ± 2.07 and 2.81 ± 0.19 mm, respectively. Among the 40 previously known natural habitats of S. siliquosa, growth was confirmed only in Sepo, Sebang, and Bangpo. The causes for the declining S. siliquosa populations could be attributed to habitat changes due to construction, coastal road maintenance projects, habitat disturbances, and increased pollutants. Habitat substrate disturbances and changes were the main causes of the decrease in S. siliquosa growth. Studies on environmental factors and habitat degradation, growth related to environmental factors, mass cultivation, and the marine ecosystem restoration of S. siliquosa are needed.

Ultrasonography of the suspensory ligament branches in yearling and 2-year-old Thoroughbred sales horses: Prevalence, progression of findings and associations with racing performance.

Equine suspensory ligament branch (branch) ultrasonography is becoming increasingly commonplace presale. No ultrasonographical branch reference data exists for Thoroughbred sales horses. To define the prevalence of ultrasonographical findings in the forelimb suspensory branches of yearling and 2-year-old sales Thoroughbreds and to analyse associations with racing performance. To track changes in branch findings between 1 and 2 years of age in horses that present for sale at both ages. Prospective cohort study using an enrolled sample. Horses were enrolled from a 2016 yearling sale and five 2017 2-year-old sales with consignor permission. Ultrasonography was performed immediately prior to the sales. Ultrasonographical findings relating to branch size, fibrillar pattern, the presence of hyperechoic foci, periligamentar tissue thickness and the adjacent proximal sesamoid bone surface were examined. Associations with racing performance from 2 to 4 years of age were investigated using multivariate regression analyses. Clinical follow-up was sought to ascertain why horses that did not race never started. A total of 593 sales yearlings and 367 2-year-olds had forelimb branch ultrasonography performed. Grade ≥2 fibrillar branch change was present in 8.9% of yearlings and 14.4% of 2-year-olds. A 0.25 cm increase in branch width was associated with a 49-day delayed start to racing careers (P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 21-77 days). The presence of grade 2 hyperechoic foci was associated with significantly lower total earnings (P = 0.01, 95% CI: $2000-$16 022) and lower earnings per start (P = 0.003, 95% CI: $349-$1718) in United States Dollars. Grade 3 fibrillar branch change had clinically important reductions in the probability of racing, the calibre of racing performance and earnings. Grade 1 fibrillar pattern was associated with significantly higher earnings per start (P = 0.004, 95% CI: $2641-$5759). The findings are applicable to horses prepared for public auction and deemed fit to be entered for sale. The results may underestimate the proportion of severe lesions in horses not entered for sale. Reference values specific to young Thoroughbreds have been established. Grade 1 fibrillar branch change should be regarded as an acceptable appearance in sales yearlings and 2-year-olds. Approximately one-third of grade 2 yearling branches progressed to a grade 3 lesion. Evidence of enlarged branch width and grade 2 hyperechoic foci at 2-year-old sales constitute a risk to racing performance.

Study on the water transport performance of the fractal tree-like structure of nonwoven cotton fabrics

Fractal branching networks are structures that are ubiquitous in nature, possessing multiple transport characteristics, and have been the subject of long-term attention by many researchers. Currently, in the field of textiles, research on the ability of tree-like structures to enhance the water transport property of fabrics is mostly focused on the thickness direction of the fabric. However, there is little research on the liquid water transfer rate in the horizontal direction. In this article, the water transport performance of liquid water in tree-like fractal nonwoven fabrics with different shapes (tree-like and rectangular) was investigated, and the liquid water transport rate was measured using the horizontal wicking method. It was found that when the sum of the cube of the branch width was equal to the cube of the main stem width, the water transport efficiency of liquid water in the fabric is optimal. At the same time, a summary of the experimental data was made by comparing the water transport property of fabrics with corresponding equal areas but different widths or heights. It was found that for nonwoven fabrics with the same area size, tree-like structures can transport liquid water to a farther distance in the same amount of time. Furthermore, the liquid water transport ability of tree-like nonwoven fabrics in the horizontal direction was simulated using finite element analysis in COMSOL Multiphysics, and the results were in good agreement with the experimental values.

The Optimal Branch Width Convergence Ratio to Maximize the Transport Efficiency of the Combined Electroosmotic and Pressure-Driven Flow within a Fractal Tree-like Convergent Microchannel

Building upon the efficient transport capabilities observed in the fractal tree-like convergent structures found in nature, this paper numerically studies the transport process of the combined electroosmotic and pressure-driven flow within a fractal tree-like convergent microchannel (FTCMC) with uniform channel height. The present work finds that the flow rate of the combined flow first increases and then decreases with the increasing branch width convergence ratio under the fixed voltage difference and pressure gradient along the FTCMC, which means that there is an optimal branch width convergence ratio to maximize the transport efficiency of the combined flow within the FTCMC. The value of the optimal branch convergence ratio is highly dependent on the ratio of the voltage difference and pressure gradient to drive the combined flow. By adjusting the structural and dimensional parameters of the FTCMC, the dependencies of the optimal branch convergence ratio of the FTCMC on the branching level convergence ratio, the length ratio, the branching number, and the branching level are also investigated. The findings in the present work can be used for the optimization of FTCMC with high transport efficiency for combined electroosmotic and pressure-driven flow.

Effects of exogenous melatonin on the osmotic regulation and antioxidant capacity of Ginkgo biloba seedlings under salt stress.

We investigated the effects of exogenous melatonin on the osmotic regulation and antioxidant capacity of 4-year-old Ginkgo biloba seedlings under salt stress. There were three treatments, with low (50 mmol·L-1), medium (100 mmol·L-1), and high (200 mmol·L-1) NaCl stress. Leaves were sprayed and the soil was watered with melatonin solution (0, 0.02, 0.1, 0.5 mmol·L-1). The results showed that saline stress significantly inhibited the osmoregulation and antioxidant capacities of G. biloba seedlings. Application of exogenous melatonin at appropriate concentrations (0.02, 0.1 mmol·L-1) under salt stress could promote plant growth, reduce the rate of electrolyte leakage, decrease the content of flavonoids and malonic dialdehyde, and enhance peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities in leaves. High concentration (0.5 mmol·L-1) of exogenous melatonin would aggravate the oxidative and osmotic stresses. The 0.02 and 0.1 mmol·L-1 exogenous melatonin alleviated osmotic stress and oxidative stress in G. biloba seedlings under salt stress, while the 0.02 mmol·L-1 exogenous melatonin treatment had the best effect on NaCl stress alleviation. Ground diameter, branch width, branch length, electrolyte leakage rate, superoxide dismutase activity, and flavonoids content could be used as the key indices for rapid identification of the degree of salt stress in G. biloba seedlings.

Exploiting mechanisms for hierarchical branching structure of lung airway.

The lung airways exhibit distinct features with long, wide proximal branches and short, thin distal branches, crucial for optimal respiratory function. In this study, we investigated the mechanism behind this hierarchical structure through experiments and modeling, focusing on the regulation of branch length and width during the pseudoglandular stage. To evaluate the response of mouse lung epithelium to fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10), we monitored the activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). ERK activity exhibited an increase dependent on the curvature of the epithelial tissue, which gradually decreased with the progression of development. We then constructed a computational model that incorporates curvature-dependent growth to predict its impact on branch formation. It was demonstrated that branch length is determined by the curvature dependence of growth. Next, in exploring branch width regulation, we considered the effect of apical constriction, a mechanism we had previously proposed to be regulated by Wnt signaling. Analysis of a mathematical model representing apical constriction showed that branch width is determined by cell shape. Finally, we constructed an integrated computational model that includes curvature-dependent growth and cell shape controls, confirming their coordination in regulating branch formation. This study proposed that changes in the autonomous property of the epithelium may be responsible for the progressive branch morphology.

Distributed Augmentation, Hypersweeps, and Branch Decomposition of Contour Trees for Scientific Exploration.

Contour trees describe the topology of level sets in scalar fields and are widely used in topological data analysis and visualization. A main challenge of utilizing contour trees for large-scale scientific data is their computation at scale using highperformance computing. To address this challenge, recent work has introduced distributed hierarchical contour trees for distributed computation and storage of contour trees. However, effective use of these distributed structures in analysis and visualization requires subsequent computation of geometric properties and branch decomposition to support contour extraction and exploration. In this work, we introduce distributed algorithms for augmentation, hypersweeps, and branch decomposition that enable parallel computation of geometric properties, and support the use of distributed contour trees as query structures for scientific exploration. We evaluate the parallel performance of these algorithms and apply them to identify and extract important contours for scientific visualization.

Terahertz couplers based on branch lines and waveguide resonators

AbstractThis paper presents two waveguide quadrature hybrids in the WR‐3 band, which are designed to be fabricated by computer numerical control milling process with relaxed branch width requirements. An E‐plane four‐branch directional coupler gives an amplitude imbalance less than 0.8 dB and a phase difference between 88° and 94° from 240 to 324 GHz. Another design is an H‐plane bandpass coupler composed of cavity resonators, showing a bandwidth of 2% near 300 GHz.

Turbulent flow simulations in a simplified channel bend model of Dragon style rivers with constant curvature and different single-short-branch characteristics

This study investigates the turbulent flows in simplified Dragon style river channels with a constant critical curvature and different single-short-branch characteristics, using an effective numerical method based on real geometry statistics. First, when the branch outlet is closed, in the main channel, strong bed shear stresses are concentrated at the inner bend apex and downstream; as the branch widens, more flow enters the branch, reducing the downstream velocities, increasing the helical flow strength (I) and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE); however, when the branch radius is about 3.5 times the main channel width, the opposite occurs. Second, in this non-free-flowing branch, upstream of a critical section, the cross-sectional I and TKE increase with increasing width, but both decrease with increasing radius or decreasing orientation angle (relative to the direction tangent to the main channel). Third, when the branch outlet is open, in the main channel, the bifurcation location primarily affects the main channel flow, moving it upstream creates a more regular low-velocity zone and recirculation zone, and lower shear stresses downstream, and meanwhile, the cross-sectional I, TKE, and shear stresses decrease upstream but increase downstream of the bifurcation location, respectively. Finally, in this free-flowing branch, shear stresses occupy the inner branch; the recirculation zone grows with increasing branch width, reaches a maximum around a relative branch radius of 3.0 (scaled with main-channel width), and disappears at a branch orientation angle of about 67°; both the cross-sectional I and TKE become negative, and the graphical cross-sectional I (along the flow direction) curves downward with increasing width, upward with increasing radius, and straightens with decreasing orientation angle. Findings provide fundamental conditions for harmonious vegetative integration and gradual development of Dragon style river regulation patterns, especially to mitigate crises like the ‘suspended river’ issues in the lower Yellow River.

Astogenetic morphological variation in the bryozoan Prophyllodictya gracilis from the Middle Ordovician of Russia and inferred colony‐wide feeding currents

AbstractThe discovery of a relatively large and complete ptilodictyid bryozoan colony enabled morphometric analysis of astogenetic change from the colony base to the periphery. This enabled us to test the hypothesis that the relative area of feeding and non‐feeding zooids must be relatively constant across astogenetic growth in this colony. The colony is a stenolaemate cryptostome belonging to the cribrate species Prophyllodictya gracilis (Eichwald). It was recovered from the Volkhov Formation (Dapingian Stage of the Middle Ordovician) from the Putilovo Quarry east of St Petersburg, Russia. The colony was digitally imaged so lacuna and branch dimensions could be measured relative to the colony base and colony edge. Branch thickness and width decreased from the colony base to the top of the colony. Lacuna area and the number of autozooecial rows per branch also decreased distally while the number of lacunae per area increased. As a result, there was an astogenetically stable ratio of autozooid‐bearing skeletal branch area to the total lacuna area across the colony. This characteristic is interpreted as a requirement of colony‐wide feeding currents in this cribrate cryptostome colony.

Heritability and genetic variance estimates for agronomic traits and glycoside yield in four elite stevia breeding populations

AbstractHeritability estimates of traits assist breeders in optimizing cultivar development and can help predict gain from selection in breeding programs. Narrow‐sense heritabilities were measured in agronomic traits and glycoside concentration in four elite stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) populations using half‐sib family analysis. Gain from selection at 20% selection intensity was estimated for morphological, yield, and glycoside traits. Experiments were conducted in two field locations in North Carolina. Variation was observed across cultigens for agronomic traits including stem height, branch width, and leaf size, for both subjective and objective measurements. Yield, lodging resistance, disease resistance, and percent survival showed a high genetic variation across cultigens. In addition, glycosides including Reb A, Reb C, and Reb D also showed high variation by cultigen. Heritability estimates for plant morphological traits were highest for stem height, and moderate for yield and branch width. However, other traits such as leaf area and lodging resistance showed low heritability (0.10). Glycosides including Reb A, Reb C, Reb D, stevioside and total steviol glycosides (TSG) showed high heritability. The estimated gain from selection per year for stem height (24 mm/year), leaf area (131 mm2/year) and yield (dry weight) (1.2 Mg/ha per year) suggest significant improvements are possible per breeding cycle. The estimated gain for glycoside concentration and percent of TSG of Reb A (26.44 mg/g, 14.51%), Reb C (20.20 mg/g, 20.17%), Reb D (1.70 mg/g, 1.49%), stevioside (6.73 mg/g, 10.72%), and TSG (20.90 mg/g), similarly, indicate significant gains are possible per breeding cycle.

A new red alga preserved with possible reproductive bodies from the 518‐million‐year‐old Qingjiang biota

AbstractMacroalgae have been a key ecological component of marine ecosystems since the Proterozoic period and are common fossil forms in Cambrian Burgess Shale‐type Lagerstätten. However, in most cases, it is difficult to place these early fossil algae into modern groups because little distinctive morphology is preserved. Here, we describe a new form of macroalgae, Qingjiangthallus cystocarpium gen. &amp; sp. nov., from the Qingjiang biota of South China. The new taxon is represented by 546 specimens remarkably preserved with characteristics that allow a phylogenetic placement into crown groups of red algae. Centimeter‐sized thalli resemble members of the extant Rhodymeniophycidae (a subclass of the class Florideophyceae), and hence suggest a florideophycean affinity, which indicates that ahnfeltiophycidaen and rhodymeniophycidaen algae may have diverged at least 518 Ma, accordant with estimations of molecular studies. The presence of possible cystocarps on Qingjiangthallus thalli suggests that evolutionary innovation of a triphasic life cycle in red algae may have occurred no later than the Early Cambrian. The branching patterns and branch width of Qingjiangthallus are consistent with the coarsely dichotomously branched morphogroup, which was previously present in the Ediacaran, Ordovician, and afterward, but absent in the Cambrian.

The roles for branch shelters and sheep manure to accelerate the restoration of degraded grasslands in northern China

New strategies are desperately needed for restoring the millions of hectares of degraded grasslands in arid and semiarid areas of northern China. This study evaluated using different combinations of manure amendments and shrub branch shelters for their impacts on soil moisture, nutrient availability, and plant growth over two growing seasons in a degraded grassland in Ningxia, China. A two-factor experiment was conducted, with three concentrations of 1.2 g m−2, 442 g m−2, and 884 g m−2 native Tan sheep manure as the main plots. Cut caragana (Caragana intermedia) branches were used to create branch shelters covering 0%, 20%, 40%, and 60% of ground area, and these acted as sub-main plots. Soil water storage, soil temperature, manure decomposition, branch decomposition, soil nutrients, and plant growth were monitored for 2 years. Results indicated that soil water storage was significantly increased, and soil temperature decreased, under the 40% and 60% branch shelters. Decomposition rate of manure and shrub branches also increased with increasing soil water availability associated with the higher branch sheltering effects, although soil carbon and nitrogen concentrations were primarily driven by the decomposing manure. The combination of high levels of shrub branch shelter and manure application significantly enhanced plant production, although the bulk of the biomass was concentrated in one species, Artemisia scoparia. In conclusion, our study successfully demonstrated feasible and inexpensive solution for the restoration of degraded grasslands, which takes advantage of resources associated with overgrazing Tan sheep and Caragana shrub encroachment in arid and semiarid areas.

Modelling internal tree attributes for breeding applications in Douglas-fir progeny trials using RPAS-ALS

Coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) is one of the most commercially important softwood species in North America. In British Columbia, Canada, breeding has increased volume gains between 20 and 30%, while 97% of seedlings come from improved seed sources. Branching traits in particular, have a strong influence on strength and stiffness of Douglas-fir wood; however, they are rarely measured. Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems and Airborne Laser Scanning Systems (RPAS-LS) produce high-density three-dimensional point clouds that can be used for the creation of internal geometric features describing individual tree branching structures. We analyzed a Coastal Douglas-fir progeny test trial located in British Columbia, Canada, and developed a new method to estimate branch attributes from RPAS-LS data for inclusion as selection criteria in tree improvement programs. Branch length, angle, width, and volume were estimated for each tree. Narrow-sense heritability (the proportion of variation due to genetics) and genetic correlations were also estimated. The method extracted branch length with a correlation (r) of 0.93 compared to manual measurements. Using these branch attributes, results then show that branch angle had the highest heritability (0.277), while tree height and branch length had the highest genetic correlation (0.668). These findings are encouraging for forest managers as they indicate that branch level metrics should be considered when selecting trees in breeding programs.

Wicking dynamics into two-rail open channel with periodical branches

Wicking into open channels with branches is frequently adopted in multiple assays for medical testing. The penetration velocity plays a key role in improving efficiency. However, it is significantly reduced in the bifurcation microfluidic systems. As a result, understanding and enhancing wicking dynamics in bifurcation capillary flow is imperative. Capillary imbibition into a two-rail channel with periodical branches is investigated by many-body dissipative particle dynamics. The influences of the branch width and surface wettability on the penetration velocity and imbibition flow rate are examined. Four different types of spontaneous capillary flows are observed, including no invasion into branches, reduction in the penetration velocity, stick-slip motion, and inter-branch gap covered by liquid. Four regimes are identified accordingly, the phase diagram relates the flow behavior to the branch width, and surface wettability is established. As the branch width is significantly large (small gap), the penetration velocity is found to be greater than that without branches. It is attributed to the partial covering behavior, which leads to the effective width more than the main channel width.

Variability in Morphology and Essential Oil Profile for 30 Populations of Satureja Species with Respect to Climatic Paramours Using Multivariate Analysis: An Opportunity for Industrial Products

Around the world, different parts of most Satureja species are traditionally used to control a wide range of human diseases. The pharmacological and ethnomedical properties of most Satureja species have been evaluated; however, there is no document on the morphological and essential oil (EO) profile of the plants concerning environmental variations. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the variability and correlation of morphological traits and EO compositions of 30 Satureja populations (from 10 species) in various climates of Iran. The plants were collected at the flowering stage in a completely randomized block design (CRBD) in 2018 and were evaluated based on multivariate analysis. The permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) results showed significant differences in morphological traits as well as EO composition in different populations. The redundancy analysis (RDA) showed EO profiles were significantly affected by maximum and minimum temperature and humidity, while changes in morphological characteristics were more related to a maximum temperature, humidity, average maximum temperature, and minimum temperature. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that among 29 morphometric traits, only seven significantly changed the EO quality, and also RDA identified the number of the main branch and vegetative leaf width as the main responsible traits representing the changes in EO profile. According to the significant effects of climatic parameters on morphological and phytochemical compounds of Satureja species, selecting effective environmental factors in the habitats to access the more elevated amount of active substances and desired morphological traits can help breeders to grow and cultivate suitable populations.

Effects of fractal network channel on heat and mass transfer in methanol steam reforming

Hydrogen production by methanol steam reforming is one of the best choices for portable proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The channel is a dominant role in hydrogen production performance as the main reaction site. In this study, a fractal network channel architecture was designed and a three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulation was conducted in accordance with the Uniform Latin Hypercube design simulation scheme to explore the influence mechanism of branch grade (m), branch angle (θ), branch length ratio (α) and branch width ratio (β) on hydrogen production performance. Furthermore, four factors (m, θ, α, β) for the hydrogen production performance of fractal network channel were optimized by combining response surface method and non dominated sorting genetic algorithm II. The results showed that the hydrogen production performance is most sensitive to changes in β with the growth of the fractal network, followed by m, α, and θ. And the optimum parameter combination in terms of yield hydrogen is m of 3, θ of 134°, α of 0.88, and β of 0.85. The mechanism of the influence of fractal network structure parameters on the methanol reforming reaction as revealed in this study may provide a workable guideline for effective heat and mass transfer in new fractal reaction channel.

Discharge Distribution in Open-Channel T-Shape Bifurcations: Effect of a Reduced Side Branch Width

Discharge Distribution in Open-Channel T-Shape Bifurcations: Effect of a Reduced Side Branch Width