bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The assessment of CD146-based cell sorting and telomere length analysis for establishing the identity of mesenchymal stem cells in human umbilical cord
Authors: Kouroupis Dimitrios , Churchman Sarah M. , McGonagle Dennis , Jones Elena A.
Published: June 2014

Adult stem cells are characterised by longer telomeres compared to mature cells from the same tissue. In this study, candidate CD146+ umbilical cord (UC) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were purified by cell sorting from UC tissue digests and their telomere lengths were measured in comparison to donor-matched CD146-negative fraction.

UC tissue fragments were enzymatically treated with collagenase and the cells were used for cell sorting, colony-forming fibroblast (CFU-F) assay or for long-term MSC cultivation. Telomere lengths were measured by qPCR in both culture-expanded MSCs and candidate native UC MSCs. Immunohistochemistry was undertaken to study the topography of CD146+ cells.

Culture-expanded UC MSCs had a stable expression of CD73, CD90 and CD105, whereas CD146 declined in later passages which correlated with the shortening of telomeres in the same cultures. In three out of four donors, telomeres in candidate native UC MSCs (CD45-CD235α-CD31-CD146+) were longer compared to donor-matched CD146- population (CD45-CD235α-CD31-CD146-). The frequency of CD45-CD235α-CD31-CD146+ cells measured by flow cytometry was ~1000-fold above that of donor-matched CFU-Fs (means 10.4% and 0.01%, respectively). CD146+ cells were also abundant in situ having a broad topography including high levels of positivity in muscle areas in addition to vessels.
CETP inhibitors and cardiovascular disease: Time to think again
Authors: Miller Norman E
Published: June 2014

Inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) lowers plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration and raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, suggesting it might prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD). From the outset, however, the concept has been controversial owing to uncertainty about its effects on HDL function and reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). Although there has long been good evidence that CETP inhibition reduces atherosclerosis in rabbits, the first information on CETP as a CVD risk factor in a prospectively followed cohort was not published until after the first Phase 3 trial of a CETP inhibitor had begun. The worrying finding that CVD incidence was related inversely to plasma CETP has since been reproduced in each of five further prospective cohort studies. Similar results were obtained in subjects on or off statin therapy, for first and second CVD events, and for mortality as well as CVD morbidity. Additionally, two recent studies have found alleles of theCETPgene that lower hepatic CETP secretion to be associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction. Meanwhile,CETPgene transfer in mice was found to increase RCT from peripheral macrophagesin vivo, and human plasma with high CETP activity was shown to have a greater capacity to remove cholesterol from cultured cells than plasma with low activity. This mounting evidence for a protective function of CETP has been given remarkably little attention, and indeed was not mentioned in several recent reviews.  It appears to show that CETP inhibition does not test the HDL hypothesis as originally hoped, and raises a pressing ethical issue regarding two Phase 3 trials of inhibitors, involving more than forty thousand subjects, which are currently in progress. As the weight of evidence now clearly supports an adverse effect of CETP inhibition on CVD, an urgent review is needed to determine if these trials should be discontinued.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in veterinary practice part 1: why they do what they do
Authors: Montefiori Filippo
Published: June 2014

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are extensively used in veterinary practice for the management of both acute and chronic pain. While they are generally fairly effective analgesics, they also have a spectrum of potential side effects ranging from mild to life threatening. This article — the first in a series of two — will discuss how the pharmacology of these agents produces their therapeutic effects, while the second article will expand on their side effects and contraindications.
Neuroglobin – recent developments
Authors: Qiu Xin Yao , Chen Xiao Qian
Published: June 2014

Neuroglobin (Ngb), a monomeric hexacoordinated heme protein of 17 kDa, was identified in 2000 in the nervous system. Accumulative evidence has proved that Ngb is an endogenous neuroprotective molecule against ischemic/hypoxic insults and oxidative stresses, and in most ischemic conditions, Ngb is up-regulated. The underlying mechanisms, however, are not fully clarified. Here we review the recent experimental findings, mainly focusing on the mechanisms of Ngb’s protection and induction during ischemic/hypoxic conditions, the roles of Ngb in astrocytes and tumors, as well as Ngb’s function in neurite outgrowth.
Hot Corrosion Behaviour of Inconel 617 in Mixed Salt Environment at 900 and 1000 °C for Gas Turbine Applications
Authors: Adam Khan M. , Sundarrajan S. , Natarajan S.
Published: June 2014

An attempt is made to study the hot corrosion behaviour of Inconel 617 under mixed salt environment (Na
Kinetic Models of Evaporation and Total Phenolics Degradation during Pomegranate Juice Concentration
Authors: Goula Athanasia M. , Tzika A. , Adamopoulos K.G.
Published: June 2014

Pomegranate juice was concentrated by conventional heating at different temperatures (45, 50, 55, 60, and 65°C), and the effect of temperature on evaporation rate and on thermal degradation of total phenolics was investigated. Concentration kinetics modeling was developed based on thin-layer drying models. The logarithmic model was found to give better predictions than the others. The temperature dependence of the model constants was expressed by polynomial relationships. In addition, a first-order decay model, with an Arrhenius and a polynomial dependency on temperature and water content, respectively, was used to describe the joint influence of temperature and moisture content on the thermal degradation of total phenolics in a concentration process of pomegranate juice.
Predicting fetal growth deviation in parous women: combining the birth weight of the previous pregnancy and third trimester ultrasound scan
Authors: Papastefanou Ioannis , Souka Athena P. , Eleftheriades Makarios , Pilalis Athanasios , Chrelias Charalambos , Kassanos Dimitrios
Published: June 2014

Aim: To investigate the value of the birth weight of the previous pregnancy (BW1) alone and combined with the third trimester ultrasonographically estimated fetal weight (EFW) and Doppler studies in the prediction of small (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) neonates in the index pregnancy (BW2).

Method: Some 1298 parous women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies who had a third trimester ultrasound scan were considered as samples in this retrospective cohort study. Maternal and pregnancy characteristics, BW1, EFW, umbilical artery, and middle cerebral artery pulsatility indices were investigated as predictors of SGA and LGA.

Results: BW1, maternal weight, mode of conception, and smoking status were associated with BW2 (R
2=0.39) with BW1 being the strongest predictor (R
2=0.37). The addition of EFW conferred significant improvement (R
2=0.63), whereas the addition of the Doppler indices did not. The sensitivity of BW1 alone in the prediction of SGA was 75% for 25% screen positive rate and increased to 92% with the addition of EFW. The equivalent figures for LGA were 68% and 93%, respectively.

Conclusions: BW1 used as a continuous variable is predictive of growth deviations in the index pregnancy. Incorporating EFW enhanced the sensitivity for the detection of both conditions.
The Blasius’ horseshoe bat Rhinolophus blasii (Chiroptera, Rhinolophidae) still extends to Pakistan
Authors: Javid Arshad , Shahbaz Muhammad , Mahmood-ul-Hassan Muhammad , Hussain Syed Makhdoom
Published: June 2014

Specimens of
Evaluation of an extraction chromatographic resin containing CMPO and ionic liquid for actinide ion uptake from acidic feeds: Part
II. Batch actinide sorption, radiolytic degradation and column studies
Authors: Ansari Seraj Ahmed , Mohapatra Prasanta Kumar
Published: June 2014

Extraction chromatographic resin prepared by impregnating CMPO-RTIL (C8mim+·NTf2
−) on Chromosrob-W for
the removal of trivalent actinides and lanthanides from aqueous solutions showed a significant improvement over the previously
reported CMPO-n-dodecane resin. The resin was characterized by thermal analysis, for surface area by BET and for surface
morphology by SEM. The K
d value of Am(III) by CMPO-RTIL resin was found to be 5805 and 3.8E4 with
3 M and 0.01 M HNO3, respectively. The high K
d values at lower acidity
suggested metal ion uptake following a cation exchange mechanism usually seen with ionic liquid based solvents and use of
0.01 M EDTA resulted in a K
d value of 0.11 which was subsequently used as the strippant. Uptake of other
actinide ions such as UO2
2+, Pu4+, Np4+ and fission product element ions such as Eu3+, Sr2+ and
Cs+ was also studied. Column studies using a feed containing 1 g/L Eu(III) in 3 M HNO3
suggested complete uptake of the metal ion up to passing 7 mL of the feed solution which corresponded to a column
capacity of 7 mg of Eu. The loaded Eu(III) from the columns could be efficiently eluted with 0.01 M
EDTA. The column capacity for Eu(III) was measured in the successive cycles of loading and elution and was found to be stable
up to 60 d. The results suggested the possible application of the resins in the treatment of dilute laboratory
radioactive waste.
The relationship between geotechnical index properties and the pore-size distribution of compacted clayey silts
Authors: Ural Nazile
Published: June 2014

In this study, the relationships between geotechnical index properties and the pore-size distribution of compacted natural silt and artificial soil mixtures, namely, silt with two different clays and three different clay percentages (10%, 20%, and 40%), were examined and compared. Atterberg’s limit tests, standard compaction tests, mercury intrusion porosimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface analysis were conducted. The results show that the liquid limit, the cumulative pore volume, and specific surface area of artificially mixed soils increase with an increase in the percentage of clay. The cumulative pore volume and specific surface area with geotechnical index properties were compared. High correlation coefficients were observed between the specific areas and both the liquid limit and the plasticity index, as well as between the cumulative pore volume and both the clay percentage and the S coefficient. In addition, qualitative SEM analyses were conducted.
The Genetics of Immunity
Authors: Lazzaro Brian P , Schneider David S
Published: June 2014

In this commentary, Brian P. Lazzaro and David S. Schneider examine the topic of the Genetics of Immunity as explored in this month's issues of GENETICS and G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics. These inaugural articles are part of a joint Genetics of Immunity collection (ongoing) in the GSA journals.
Effectiveness of an Asthma Quality Improvement Program Designed for Maintenance of Certification
Authors: Vernacchio Louis , Francis Mary E. , Epstein Daniel M. , Santangelo Jean , Trudell Emily K. , Reynolds Meghan E. , Risko Wanessa
Published: June 2014

OBJECTIVE:

Pediatricians are required to perform quality improvement for board recertification. We developed an asthma project within the Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Children’s, an independent practice association affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital, designed to meet recertification requirements and improve asthma care.

METHODS:

The program was based on the learning collaborative model. We developed practice-based registries of children 5 to 17 years of age with persistent asthma and helped physicians improve processes of asthma care through education, data feedback, and sharing of best practices.

RESULTS:

Fifty-six physicians participated in 3 cohorts; 594 patients were included in the project. In all cohorts, improvements occurred in the use of asthma action plans (62.4%–76.8% cohort 1, 50.6%–88.4% cohort 2, 53.0%–79.6% cohort 3) and Asthma Control Tests (4.6%–55.2% cohort 1, 9.0%–67.8% cohort 2, 15.2%–61.4% cohort 3). Less consistent improvements were observed in seasonal influenza vaccines, controller medications, and asthma follow-up visits. The proportion of patients experiencing ≥1 asthma exacerbation within the year declined in all 3 cohorts (37.8%–19.9%, P = .0002 cohort 1; 27.8%–20.7%, P = .1 cohort 2; 36.6%–26.9%, P = .1 cohort 3). For each cohort, asthma exacerbations declined to a greater extent than those of a comparison group.

CONCLUSIONS:

This asthma quality improvement project designed for maintenance of certification improved processes of care among patients with persistent asthma. The learning collaborative approach may be a useful model for other board-recertification quality improvement projects but requires a substantial investment of organizational time and staff.
Segmenting the betting market in England
Authors: Hand Chris , Singh Jaywant
Published: June 2014

While there are a number of studies focusing on the motivations for betting, less is known about the extent to which the market is segmented. This study investigates patterns of cross-purchasing using a sample of 7,200 adult respondents from a government survey dataset obtained via the UK Data Archive. In doing so, we apply market research techniques to a social research domain, and demonstrate the usefulness of publicly available government survey data to (social) market researchers. While we find some patterns of cross-purchase that are broadly the same as would be predicted by the duplication of purchase law, we also identify clear partitions in the market, implying the existence of behavioural segments. We identify five distinct behavioural segments, each with its own demographic characteristics. Our results have implications for the managers of betting companies, and for the design of future studies into gambling behaviour that could potentially inform public policy.
Wikipedia
Authors: Guldbrandsson Lennart
Published: June 2014

Above my desk is a quote by Albert Einstein: “Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics; I can assure you that mine are still greater.” One of Einstein’s problems, of course, was that since he was a pioneer, there were not many who could give him the correct answers.

Wikipedia is in some ways in the same position. It is presently the 6th most visited website in the world (Alexa 2014), it is the only donor-supported website in the top 50 list, and Mozilla is the only other non-profit in the top 25 list (Gardner 2013). Few other very large websites use only copyright-free material, written and maintained by anyone, with a decision system that has been described as consensus-driven. Even the five-year strategic plan for the Wikimedia Foundation was crowd-sourced (Wikimedia 2011b).
’This One’s for VIP Users!’: Participation and Commercial Strategies in Children’s Virtual Worlds
Authors: Martínez Carolina
Published: June 2014

Through the integrated framework of participation theory and political economy, this article analyzes participatory opportunities in the virtual world Habbo Hotel, and how participation is constrained and framed by the producer’s commercial strategies, which are based on advertising and sales of virtual goods. The study also looks into the ways in which the producer Sulake Corporation discursively represents the virtual world, and how the users with various forms of tactics try to bypass the commercial constraints. The methods used include observations of the English and Swedish language versions of Habbo Hotel, document analysis, and an interview with one designer employed by Sulake. The results show how participation in this virtual world takes minimalist forms, and that it is foremost an arena for interaction and consumption. Users’ participation in the virtual world is constrained by the commercial strategies in numerous ways, and the producer strategically takes advantage of children’s need to gain status in their peer group, in order to get them to purchase on the site. Habbo Hotel is represented by the producer as a safe and creative environment with learning opportunities for the children. Observations of the virtual world instead reveal Habbo as a panopticon-like shopping mall where users, through the practice of begging and other tactics, try to resist the commercial strategies. Virtual worlds could be potential spaces for children’s participation and contribute to a democratization of the social; however, this study shows how participation in this virtual world is clearly structured and limited for commercial purposes.
Responses to Pheromones in a Complex Odor World: Sensory Processing and Behavior
Authors: Deisig Nina , Dupuy Fabienne , Anton Sylvia , Renou Michel
Published: June 2014

Insects communicating with pheromones, be it sex- or aggregation pheromones, are confronted with an olfactory environment rich in a diversity of volatile organic compounds of which plants are the main releaser. Certain of these volatiles can represent behaviorally relevant information, such as indications about host- or non-host plants; others will provide essentially a rich odor background out of which the behaviorally relevant information needs to be extracted. In an attempt to disentangle mechanisms of pheromone communication in a rich olfactory environment, which might underlie interactions between intraspecific signals and a background, we will summarize recent literature on pheromone/plant volatile interactions. Starting from molecular mechanisms, describing the peripheral detection and central nervous integration of pheromone-plant volatile mixtures, we will end with behavioral output in response to such mixtures and its plasticity.
Natural Products as Source of Potential Dengue Antivirals
Authors: Teixeira Róbson , Pereira Wagner , Oliveira Ana , Da Silva Adalberto , De Oliveira André , Da Silva Milene , Da Silva Cynthia , De Paula Sérgio
Published: June 2014

Dengue is a neglected disease responsible for 22,000 deaths each year in areas where it is endemic. To date, there is no clinically approved dengue vaccine or antiviral for human beings, even though there have been great efforts to accomplish these goals. Several approaches have been used in the search for dengue antivirals such as screening of compounds against dengue virus enzymes and structure-based computational discovery. During the last decades, researchers have turned their attention to nature, trying to identify compounds that can be used as dengue antivirals. Nature represents a vast reservoir of substances that can be explored with the aim of discovering new leads that can be either used directly as pharmaceuticals or can serve as lead structures that can be optimized towards the development of new antiviral agents against dengue. In this review we describe an assortment of natural products that have been reported as possessing dengue antiviral activity. The natural products are organized into classes of substances. When appropriate, structure-activity relationships are outlined. The biological assays used to assess antiviral activity are briefly described.
Truth Be Told—Perspectives on Openness
Authors: Hughes R.E. , Richards J.
Published: June 2014

In the field of oncology, [...]
Fiscal Integration and Growth Stimulation in Europe
Authors: Drèze Jacques , Durré Alain , Drèze Jacques , Carpantier Jean-François
Published: June 2014

Dans le cadre de la crise frappant aujourd’hui les dettes souveraines, le défaut d’intégration économique dans l’Union Économique et Monétaire (UEM) ressort clairement et nourrit un débat intense parmi les chercheurs et les responsables politiques. Le débat concerne surtout la discipline budgétaire et les politiques d’austérité, qui pèsent toutes deux sur les perspectives de croissance. Dans cet article, nous évaluons les principaux défauts structurels de l’UEM à la lumière de la théorie de l’équilibre général. Nous reprenons deux questions centrales pour la stabilité de l’UEM : la répartition internationale des risques macroéconomiques et la coordination des politiques de stimulation de la croissance. Nous proposons : (A) un schéma spécifique d’assurance mutuelle des risques macroéconomiques ; (B) le transfert au niveau UEM de la conduite des politiques de demande, avec comme instrument des programmes ambitieux d’investissements (publics, ou privés mais budgétairement neutres). Classification JEL : E24, E63, H63.
A Base of Knowledge, Mobile, and Web 2.0 Technologies for Connected E-Government
Authors: Yusuf Muhammad , Adams Carl
Published: June 2014

E-Government is an evolving field with continually changing practice and priorities. It is also a global phenomenon, from the richest and most technologically developed nations to the poorer and less technologically developed countries, involving a range of latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and diverse methodologies. In such a dynamic field spanning all sectors of the governments and societies, it is difficult for e-government researchers and practitioners to identify the trends in the e-government activity and learn from previous cases and experiences. In this context, the aim of this chapter is to present an in-depth evaluation of e-government practice and research since 2007, to provide insight on research practicalities and emerging issues in e-government activity, and to identify the trends and technologies. The chapter also focuses on the current mobile and Web 2.0 technologies and examines the practicalities of using mobile technologies in various countries such as USA, Canada, UK, Austria, Japan, and others, as well as the practicalities of Web 2.0 technologies in some domains such as government, regulation, cross-agency cooperation, law enforcement, etc. This chapter presents a framework based on the mobile and Web 2.0 technologies in the context of e-government activity. In addition, the authors propose a framework for a government-people relationship. We hope to make a contribution for researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and people interested in e-government by providing a base of the e-government domain knowledge, practice, and framework. Additionally, the chapter illustrates how the implementation of mobile and Web 2.0 technologies support connected e-government.
Method of Lexical Enrichment in Information Retrieval System in Arabic
Authors: Mallat Souheyl , Zouaghi Anis , Hkiri Emna , Zrigui Mounir
Published: June 2014

In this paper, the authors propose a method for lexical enrichment of Arabic queries in order to improve the performance of the information retrieval systems SRI. This method has two types of enrichment: linguistic and contextual. The first one is based on the linguistic analysis (lemmatization, morphological, syntactic and semantic analysis), whose goal is to generate a descriptive list (list-desc). This list contains a set of linguistic lexicon assigned to each significant term in the query. The second enrichment consists in integrating contextual information derived from the corpus documents. It is based on statistical analysis using Salton weighting functions: TF-IDF and TF-IEF. The TF-IDF function is applied on the list-desc and documents in the corpus in order to identify relevant documents. TF-IEF function is made between the list-desc and sentences belonging to the relevant documents to identify relevant sentences. Then, terms in these sentences are weighted, and those with highest weights are considered rich in terms of informative and contextual importance are added to the original query. The authors' lexical enrichment method was evaluated on a corpus of documents belonging to a specialized domain and results show its interest in terms of precision and recall.
A global process-based study of marine CCN trends and variability
Authors: Dunne E. M. , Mikkonen S. , Kokkola H. , Korhonen H.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Low-level clouds have a strong climate-cooling effect in oceanic regions due to the much lower albedo of the underlying sea surface. Marine clouds typically have low droplet concentrations, making their radiative properties susceptible to changes in cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) concentrations. Here, we use the global aerosol model GLOMAP to investigate the processes that determine variations in marine CCN concentrations, and focus especially on the effects of previously identified wind speed trends in recent decades. Although earlier studies have found a link between linear wind speed trends and CCN concentration, we find that the effects of wind speed trends identified using a dynamic linear model in the Northern Equatorial Pacific (0.56 m s−1 per decade in the period 1990–2004) and the North Atlantic (−0.21 m s−1 per decade) are largely dampened by other processes controlling the CCN concentration, namely nucleation scavenging and transport of continental pollution. A CCN signal from wind speed change is seen only in the most pristine of the studied regions, i.e. over the Southern Ocean, where we simulate 3.4 cm−3 and 0.17 m s−1 increases over the fifteen-year period in the statistical mean levels of CCN and wind speed, respectively. Our results suggest that future changes in wind-speed-driven aerosol emissions from the oceans can probably have a climate feedback via clouds only in the most pristine regions. On the other hand, a feedback mechanism via changing precipitation patterns and intensities could take place over most oceanic regions, as we have shown that nucleation scavenging has by far the largest absolute effect on CCN concentrations.
CO2 fluxes and ecosystem dynamics at five European treeless peatlands – merging data and process oriented modelling
Authors: Metzger C. , Jansson P.-E. , Lohila A. , Aurela M. , Eickenscheidt T. , Belelli-Marchesini L. , Dinsmore K. J. , Drewer J. , van Huissteden J. , Drösler M.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange of five different peatland systems across Europe with a wide gradient in landuse intensity, water table depth, soil fertility and climate was simulated with the process oriented CoupModel. The aim of the study was to find out to what extent CO2 fluxes measured at different sites, can be explained by common processes and parameters implemented in the model. The CoupModel was calibrated to fit measured CO2 fluxes, soil temperature, snow depth and leaf area index (LAI) and resulting differences in model parameters were analysed. Finding site independent model parameters would mean that differences in the measured fluxes could be explained solely by model input data: water table, meteorological data, management and soil inventory data. The model, utilizing a site independent configuration for most of the parameters, captured seasonal variability in the major fluxes well. Parameters that differed between sites included the rate of soil organic decomposition, photosynthetic efficiency, and regulation of the mobile carbon (C) pool from senescence to shooting in the next year. The largest difference between sites was the rate coefficient for heterotrophic respiration. Setting it to a common value would lead to underestimation of mean total respiration by a factor of 2.8 up to an overestimation by a factor of 4. Despite testing a wide range of different responses to soil water and temperature, heterotrophic respiration rates were consistently lowest on formerly drained sites and highest on the managed sites. Substrate decomposability, pH and vegetation characteristics are possible explanations for the differences in decomposition rates. Applying common parameter values for the timing of plant shooting and senescence, and a minimum temperature for photosynthesis, had only a minor effect on model performance, even though the gradient in site latitude ranged from 48° N (South-Germany) to 68° N (northern Finland). This was also true for common parameters defining the moisture and temperature response for decomposition. CoupModel is able to describe measured fluxes at different sites or under different conditions, providing that the rate of soil organic decomposition, photosynthetic efficiency, and the regulation of the mobile carbon (C) pool are estimated from available information on specific soil conditions, vegetation and management of the ecosystems.
Sources and export of particle-borne organic matter during a monsoon flood in a catchment of northern Laos
Authors: Gourdin E. , Huon S. , Evrard O. , Ribolzi O. , Bariac T. , Sengtaheuanghoung O. , Ayrault S.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Tropical rivers of Southeast Asia are characterized by high specific carbon yields and supplies to the ocean. The origin and dynamics of particulate organic matter were studied in the Houay Xon River catchment located in northern Laos during the first erosive flood of the rainy season in May 2012. The partly cultivated catchment is equipped with three successive gauging stations draining areas ranging between 0.2 and 11.6 km2 on the main stem of the permanent stream, and two additional stations draining 0.6 ha hillslopes. In addition, the sequential monitoring of rainwater, overland flow and suspended organic matter compositions was realized at 1 m2 plot scale during a single storm. The composition of particulate organic matter (total organic carbon, total nitrogen, δ13C and δ15N) was determined for suspended sediment, soil surface and subsurface samples collected in the catchment (n = 57, 65 and 11 respectively). Hydrograph separation of event water was conducted using water electric conductivity and δ18O data measured for rainfall, overland flow and river water base flow (n = 9, 30 and 57, respectively). The composition of particulate organic matter indicates that upstream suspended sediments were mainly derived from cultivated soils labelled by their C3 vegetation cover (upland rice, fallow vegetation and teak plantations) but that collapsed riverbanks, characterized by C4 vegetation occurrence (Napier grass), significantly contributed to sediment yields during water level rise and at the downstream station. The highest runoff coefficient (11.7%), sediment specific yield (433 kg ha−1), total organic carbon specific yield (8.3 kg C ha−1) and overland flow contribution (78–100%) were found for the reforested areas covered by teak plantations. Total organic carbon specific yields were up to 2.6-fold higher (at downstream station) than the annual ones calculated 10 years earlier, before the expansion of teak plantations in the catchment. They may be attributed both to the sampling period at the onset of the rainy season (following field clearing by slash and burn) and to the impact of land use change during the past decade.
The extreme runoff index for flood early warning in Europe
Authors: Alfieri L. , Pappenberger F. , Wetterhall F.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Systems for the early detection of floods over continental and global domains have a key role in providing a quick overview of areas at risk, raise the awareness and prompt higher detail analyses as the events approach. However, the reliability of these systems is prone to spatial inhomogeneity, depending on the quality of the underlying input data and local calibration. This work proposes a simple approach for flood early warning based on ensemble numerical predictions of surface runoff provided by weather forecasting centers. The system is based on a novel indicator, referred to as an extreme runoff index (ERI), which is calculated from the input data through a statistical analysis. It is designed for use in large or poorly gauged domains, as no local knowledge or in situ observations are needed for its setup. Daily runs over 32 months are evaluated against calibrated hydrological simulations for all of Europe. Results show skillful flood early warning capabilities up to a 10-day lead time. A dedicated analysis is performed to investigate the optimal timing of forecasts to maximize the detection of extreme events. A case study for the central European floods of June 2013 is presented and forecasts are compared to the output of a hydro-meteorological ensemble model.
Sea level trend and variability around the Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Luu Q. H. , Tkalich P. , Tay T. W.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Peninsular Malaysia is bounded from the west by Malacca Strait and the Andaman Sea both connected to the Indian Ocean, and from the east by South China Sea being largest marginal sea in the Pacific Basin. Resulting sea level along Peninsular Malaysia coast is assumed to be governed by various regional phenomena associated with the adjacent parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. At annual scale, sea level anomalies (SLAs) are generated by the Asian monsoon; interannual sea level variability is determined by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD); while long-term sea level trend is related to global climate change. To quantify the relative impacts of these multi-scale phenomena on sea level trend and variability around the Peninsular Malaysia, long-term tide gauge record and satellite altimetry are used. During 1984–2011, relative sea level rise (SLR) rates in waters of Malacca Strait and eastern Peninsular Malaysia are found to be 2.4 ± 1.6 mm yr−1 and 2.7 ± 1.0 mm yr−1, respectively. Allowing for corresponding vertical land movements (VLM; 0.8 ± 2.6 mm yr−1 and 0.9 ± 2.2 mm yr−1), their absolute SLR rates are 3.2 ± 4.2 mm yr−1 and 3.6 ± 3.2 mm yr−1, respectively. For the common period 1993–2009, absolute SLR rates obtained from both tide gauge and satellite altimetry in Peninsular Malaysia are similar; and they are slightly higher than the global tendency. It further underlines that VLM should be taken into account to get better estimates of SLR observations. At interannual scale, ENSO affects sea level over the Malaysian coast in the range of ±5 cm with a very high correlation. Meanwhile, IOD modulates sea level anomalies mainly in the Malacca Strait in the range of ±2 cm with a high correlation coefficient. Interannual regional sea level drops are associated with El Niño events and positive phases of the IOD index; while the rises are correlated with La Niña episodes and the negative periods of the IOD index. Seasonally, SLAs are mainly monsoon-driven, in the order of 10–25 cm. Geographically, sea level responds differently to the monsoon: two cycles per year are observed in the Malacca Strait, presumably due to South Asian-Indian Monsoon; whereas single annual cycle is noted along east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, mostly due to East Asian-Western Pacific Monsoon. These results imply that a narrow topographic constriction in Singapore Strait may separate different modes of annual and interannual sea level variability along coastline of Peninsular Malaysia.
The Changing Face of Morocco under King Hassan II
Authors: Roberson Jennifer
Published: June 2014

The Hassan II Mosque, in Casablanca, Morocco (completed 1993), is well known for its size, historic appearance, and cutting-edge technologies. While the mosque clearly symbolizes Islam and Morocco, scholars have argued that it was also designed to support the legitimacy of the monarch who built it and gave it his name: King Hassan II. While the mosque's significance has been examined, its context within Hassan's decades-long building program has received little attention. It is argued here that the mosque's historic appearance, although not surprising, was not a given but rather the result of an ever-increasing dependence on Moroccan craft as a way to shape Moroccan identity.
Alisma plantago-aquatica L.: the cytoskeleton of the suspensor development
Authors: Świerczyńska Joanna , Bohdanowicz Jerzy
Published: June 2014

The actin and the tubulin cytoskeleton organization during the differentiation of the embryo-suspensor in Alisma plantago-aquatica was studied in comparison with the development of embryo, using immunofluorescence detection and rhodamine-phalloidin assay. At the early stage of the suspensor basal cell development (from 2- to ~10-celled embryos) microfilaments form an abundant network in the cytoplasm of the basal cell, while the microtubules form a delicate network. At the mature stage of development (from a dozen to several dozen-celled embryos), in the suspensor basal cell, the microfilaments and microtubules were localized from micropylar to chalazal pole of the cell. At the micropylar end of the basal cell a high amount of actin and tubulin material was observed. The microfilaments were mainly arranged parallel whereas numerous bundles of microtubules distributed longitudinally or transversally to the long axis of the cell. At this stage of basal cell functioning, some bundles of microtubules appeared to pass close to the nucleus surface. Microtubules were also observed distributed at the chalazal pole of the basal cell. At the senescence stage of the suspensor basal cell (>100-celled embryos) the actin and tubulin filaments disorganize, some disrupted microfilaments and microtubules were observed in the cytoplasm of the basal cell. At all stages of the suspensor basal cell development in the embryo cells an extensive actin and tubulin network was observed.
‘Metabolism‘—Beyond the Preserve of Biological Sciences
Authors: Venkatesh Govindarajan , Govindarajan Ramprakash
Published: June 2014

Metabolism modeling is being adopted as a structured and systematic approach to analyses in colleges, universities, and research institutes in many parts of the world. This article attempts to elucidate the analogy that exists between urban water systems and the human body ‐ pointing out the similarities (which justify the analogy) and the differences (which make one ponder).
Impacts of spatial mismatch on commuting time of urban residents in China
Authors: Bao Danwen , Guo Tangyi , Xia Hongshan
Published: June 2014

In much of studies on spatial mismatch between residential and employer locations, job accessibility has been measured. However, the apparent disadvantages of the traditional measurement methods on the studies of Chinese cities have been noted.  This paper proposed an optimized method for job accessibility measurement by introducing the weigh coefficient of job opportunity, which quantifies the degree of uneven distribution of job opportunity in the Chinese cities. Take Nanjing city for example, this new method was used to measure the spatial distribution of job opportunity, investigate the spatial patterns and analyze the influences of job accessibility on commuting behavior. The results show that the distribution of job accessibility in Nanjing exhibits the different spatial patterns and mechanisms compared with US cases.
How robust is the recent strengthening of the Tropical Pacific trade winds?
Authors: de Boisséson E. , Balmaseda M. A. , Abdalla S. , Källén E. , Janssen P. A. E. M.
Published: June 2014

The persistent strengthening of the trade winds over the Pacific Ocean over the past 20 years has recently been proposed as a driver for the increase of ocean heat uptake linked to the hiatus in surface global warming. Crucial aspects in this argument are the reliability of the wind signal, usually derived from atmospheric reanalyses, and the ability of models to represent it. This study addresses these two aspects by comparing various observations with reanalyses and model integrations from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts system. We show that the strengthening of trades over the Pacific is a robust feature in several observational data sets as well as in the reanalyses based on full and limited sets of observations. The wind trend is also reproduced in an atmospheric model integration forced by sea surface temperature analysis, a result that opens the doors to further investigation on the nature of the changes.
Distribution of Collagen Fiber Orientation in the Human Lung
Authors: Tomoda Koichi , Kimura Hiroshi , Osaki Shigeyoshi
Published: June 2014

Collagen fiber, a major component of the extracellular matrix in the human lung, is crucial in maintaining the lung structure mechanically. It is necessary to study the collagen fiber orientation which the mechanical function is closely related to. In the present study the collagen fiber orientation in the lung was quantitatively measured by Osaki's microwave method. We succeeded in preparing sheet samples cut in a coronal direction from the lung for the measurements. It was found that the collagen fibers were, on average, orientated parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spine. The void spaces in the lung sample observed using an optical microscope was not circular but ellipsoidal. The direction of the long axes of ellipsoidal voids coincided with that of the collagen fiber orientation. The results suggested that collagen fiber orientation is closely related to the respiratory movement of the human lung. Anat Rec, 296:846–850, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Phylogenic Relationship of Labridae Species Deduced from Comparative Dissection
Authors: Mikami Yoshikazu
Published: June 2014

Labridae is a family of shallow‐water coastal fish that belong to the Labroidei suborder in the Perciformes order. There has however been little comparative dissection or phylogenetic research on this family, which resulted in confusion regarding species classification. Therefore morphological characters of 12 species of Labridae containing three subfamilies and seven genera were compared for the purpose of determining the characteristics of the subfamilies and genera of Labridae and deducing their phylogenic relationship. We compiled a phylogenetic tree by using the computer program PAUP 4.0b10 and a data set composed of 17 meristic and osteological characters. In our phylogenic tree, the two species of Bodianinae, three species of Cheilininae and seven species of Corinae each formed monophyletic groups, supporting the conventional classification by lateral line shape. Furthermore, the group of three species of Cheilininae and the group of two species of Bodianinae were shown to be more closely related, because they have several common morphological characteristics, such as neuroarticular processes and anterior teeth on premaxilla. Between seven species of Corinae, not only was the group of two species of Halichoeres more closely related to Coris dorsomacula, but also, this group of three species may be closely related to the three species of Thalassoma. Suezichthys gracilis was also found to have separated from the other Corinae species at the earliest stage. Anat Rec, 296:788–797, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Denervation and Castration Effects on the Cross‐Sectional Area of Pubococcygeus Muscle Fibers in Male Rats
Authors: Alvarado Mayvi , Lara‐García Miguel , Cuevas Estela , Berbel Pere , Pacheco Pablo
Published: June 2014

The number of fibers in skeletal muscles changes little through life; however, the cross‐sectional area of its fibers is modified as result of denervation and in some muscles by castration. The pubococcygeus muscle (Pcm) participates in micturition and ejaculatory processes and its fibers cross‐sectional area is reduced in castrated rats, but denervation effects remained unknown. Here, we used a model in which unilateral denervation of this muscle in gonadally intact and castrated male rats, allowed us to explore the neural and gonadal hormone effects on the cross‐sectional area of its fibers. Denervation significantly reduced the mean cross‐sectional area values; likewise, the percentage distribution of its fibers. We found that castration had a greater effect than denervation. Castration resulted in a lack of fibers from 2,000 to 3,999 μm2, while in denervation it was from 2,500 to 3,999 μm2. It was interpreted that the castration effect was due to a lack of the direct gonadal hormone effect on muscle fibers, and to a reduction of the indirect hormonal action in its neuromuscular complex. In denervated Pcm of gonadally intact animals these effects were present; however, in denervated but castrated animals these were absent. Thus, combined surgeries resulted in the lowest mean cross‐sectional area values with a restricted fiber distribution from 500 to 1,499 μm2. In conclusion, the study in this important muscle showed that cross‐sectional area of its fibers depends on neural and direct/indirect gonadal hormone effects. Anat Rec, 296:1634–1639, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
First Records of Talon Cusps on Baboon Maxillary Incisors Argue for Standardizing Terminology and Prompt a Hypothesis of Their Formation
Authors: Heaton Jason L. , Pickering Travis Rayne
Published: June 2014

Dental characters can provide vital clues for understanding intra‐ and intertaxonomic morphological variation and its underlying genetic and environmental components. However, the unambiguous identification of particular traits and their comparative study is often confounded by lack of consistent terminology in the relevant literature. This difficulty is exacerbated when the etiologies are not completely understood, as is the case with talon cusps. To date, research on talon cusps has focused on modern humans. In many instances, descriptions of talon cusps appear in clinical case studies focusing on their treatment and removal. What is lacking in those discussions, though, is a comparative framework, in which the occurrence of talon cusps in nonhuman primates, and possibly other mammals, is established and understood. Here, we report on a taloned upper central incisor of a wild baboon (Papio hamadryas ursinus) from South Africa. The anomalous incisor of this individual includes an exaggerated accessory cusp diagnosed as a Type II talon. Microcomputed tomographic and radiographic analyses show that the taloned cusp possesses enamel, dentin, and pulp. In addition, we identified an unclassifiable talon cusp on a central maxillary incisor of a baboon skull housed in the Smithsonian Institution's Natural History Museum collection. Our observations of talon cusps on baboon incisors demonstrate that, with regard to this phenomenon, systematic study of nonhuman primates is much needed, along with a consistent use of terminology in the anatomical and anthropological literature. Finally, we present a hypothesis of the formation of talon cusps on mammalian incisors. Anat Rec, 296:1874–1880, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ontogenetic Study of Allometric Variation in Homo and Pan Mandibles
Authors: Singh Nandini
Published: June 2014

Investigating ontogenetic variation and allometry in the mandible can provide valuable insight and aid in addressing questions related to the ontogeny of the skull. Here, patterns of ontogenetic shape change and allometric trajectories were examined in the mandible of 187 sub‐adult and adult humans, bonobos, and chimpanzees. Procrustes‐based geometric morphometrics was employed to quantify and analyze mandibular form. Thirty three‐dimensional landmarks were used to capture the overall morphology of the mandible, and the landmarks were analyzed as a whole and subdivided into separate anterior and posterior units. Principal component analyses in Procrustes shape–space and form–space, and multivariate regressions were used to examine patterns of ontogenetic and allometric shape change. Results suggest that humans are distinct from Pan both in their mandibular morphology, particularly in the anterior‐alveolar region, and direction of allometric trajectory. Chimpanzees and bonobos have parallel ontogenetic trajectories, but also show differences in mandibular shape. Species‐specific features and adult mandibular shape are established before or by the eruption of the deciduous dentition. This suggests that developmental processes prior to deciduous teeth eruption have a stronger effect establishing taxa‐specific phenotypes than later postnatal effects. This additionally implies that divergent trajectories between Pan and Homo do not contribute much to the adult mandibular shape after deciduous teeth eruption. Separate analyses of the anterior‐alveolar region and ascending ramus show that these regions are semi‐independent in their developmental pattern of shape change and allometry. This implies that allometric variation and ontogenetic shape change in the hominoid mandible is decoupled. Anat Rec, 297:261–272, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.