bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How do tree competition and stand dynamics lead to spatial patterns in monospecific mangroves?
Authors: Khan M. N. I. , Sharma S. , Berger U. , Koedam N. , Dahdouh-Guebas F. , Hagihara A.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Information on mangrove stand development is rare because long-term monitoring data is often lacking. Such information is important in order to plan management measures effectively. Novel approaches based on existing datasets are required to bridge this gap of knowledge. This study uses a unique combination of field data analyses with simulation experiments in order to demonstrate how information on mangrove dynamics can be extracted if data are sparse. The paper provides a baseline characterization of stand development in a monospecific pioneer mangrove stand of Kandelia obovata. Point pattern analyses revealed that in the young stage, self-thinning has started but has not yet lead to a regularity of spatial tree distribution in the entire stand, and trees located in smaller clumps hinder each other in growth but do not lead to a significant size class differentiation. However, after ca. 2 decades the self-thinning and the size class differentiation start to become more visible. A mutual inhibition of growth was observed within 2 m circular distance (r) in the young stage and within 3 m distance after two decades of stand development as confirmed by the negative values of mark correlation function. As a stand grows older the spatial pattern of individuals become more regular from a clustered pattern. In order to understand and predict the future stand development, simulation experiments were carried out by means of the individual-based model KiWi.
Comparing soil biogeochemical processes in novel and natural boreal forest ecosystems
Authors: Quideau S. A. , Swallow M. J. B. , Prescott C. E. , Grayston S. J. , Oh S.-W.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Emulating the variability that exists in the natural landscape prior to disturbance should be a goal of soil reconstruction and land reclamation efforts following resource extraction. Long-term ecosystem sustainability within reclaimed landscapes can only be achieved with the re-establishment of biogeochemical processes between reconstructed soils and plants. In this study, we assessed key soil biogeochemical attributes (nutrient availability, organic matter composition, and microbial communities) in reconstructed, novel, anthropogenic ecosystems covering different reclamation treatments following open-cast mining for oil extraction. We compared the attributes to those present in a range of natural soils representative of mature boreal forest ecosystems in the same area of northern Alberta. Soil nutrient availability was determined in situ with resin probes, organic matter composition was described with 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and soil microbial community structure was characterized using phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Significant differences among natural ecosystems were apparent in nutrient availability and seemed more related to the dominant tree cover than to soil type. When analyzed together, all natural forests differed significantly from the novel ecosystems, in particular with respect to soil organic matter composition. However, there was some overlap between the reconstructed soils and some of the natural ecosystems in nutrient availability and microbial communities, but not in organic matter characteristics. Hence, our results illustrate the importance of considering the range of natural landscape variability, and including several soil biogeochemical attributes when comparing novel, anthropogenic ecosystems to the mature ecosystems that constitute ecological targets.
Using the nonlinear aquifer storage–discharge relationship to simulate the baseflow of glacier and snowmelt dominated basins in Northwest China
Authors: Gan R. , Luo Y.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Baseflow is an important component in hydrological modeling. This process is usually modeled by using the linear aquifer storage–discharge relation approach, although the outflow from groundwater aquifers is nonlinear. To identify the accuracy of baseflow estimates in rivers dominated by snow and/or glacier melt in arid and cold northwestern China, a nonlinear storage–discharge relationship for use in SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tools) modeling was developed and applied to the Manas River basin in the Tianshan Mountains. Linear reservoir models and a digital filter program were used for comparisons. Meanwhile, numerical analysis of flow recession curves from 78 river gauge stations revealed variation in the coefficients of the nonlinear relationship. It was found that the nonlinear reservoir model can improve the streamflow simulation, especially for low-flows. The highest Nash–Sutcliff efficiency and lowest Percent Bias were obtained when compared to the one- or two-linear reservoir approach. The exponent b of the aquifer storage–discharge function varied mostly between 0.0 and 0.1, which is much smaller than the suggested value of 0.5. The coefficient a of the function is related to catchment properties, primarily the basin and glacier areas.
WINDOW DETECTION IN SPARSE POINT CLOUDS USING INDOOR POINTS
Authors: Tuttas S. , Stilla U.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. This paper describes an approach for detecting windows from multi-aspect airborne laser scanning point clouds which were recorded in a forward looking view. Since the resolution of the point cloud is much lower than from terrestrial laser scanning, new methods have to be developed to detect and, in a further step, reconstruct façade structures. The façade planes are detected using point normals and a regiongrowing algorithm. The approach for window detection uses the points which are lying behind the detected façades planes (indoor points). Regularities in the appearance of these points are of special interest to enable the detection of windows which are only weakly represented in the point cloud. Therefore it is checked with a Fourier Transform if a repetitive structure can be extracted. Otherwise peaks in the density of the indoor points are used to detect the windows. The approach is tested on data from four overflights over the area around the TU München. The tests show that windows having a repetitive structure can be detected well for larger façade parts which provide enough samples but the approach shows deficits for small façade parts and in the case of disturbing intrusions.
IMPROVED BUILDING DETECTION USING TEXTURE INFORMATION
Authors: Awrangjeb M. , Zhang C. , Fraser C. S.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. The performance of automatic building detection techniques can be significantly impeded due to the presence of same-height objects, for example, trees. Consequently, if a building detection technique cannot distinguish between trees and buildings, both its false positive and false negative rates rise significantly. This paper presents an improved automatic building detection technique that achieves more effective separation of buildings from trees. In addition to using traditional cues such as height, width and colour, the proposed improved detector uses texture information from both LIDAR and orthoimagery. Firstly, image entropy and colour information are jointly applied to remove easily distinguishable trees. Secondly, a voting procedure based on the neighbourhood information from both the image and LIDAR data is employed for further exclusion of trees. Finally, a rule-based procedure using the edge orientation histogram from the image is followed to eliminate false positive candidates. The improved detector has been tested on a number of scenes from three different test areas and it is shown that the algorithm performs well in complex scenes.
ESTIMATION OF SOLAR RADIATION ON BUILDING ROOFS IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS
Authors: Agugiaro G. , Remondino F. , Stevanato G. , De Filippi R. , Furlanello C.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. The aim of this study is estimating solar radiation on building roofs in complex mountain landscape areas. A multi-scale solar radiation estimation methodology is proposed that combines 3D data ranging from regional scale to the architectural one. Both the terrain and the nearby building shadowing effects are considered. The approach is modular and several alternative roof models, obtained by surveying and modelling techniques at varying level of detail, can be embedded in a DTM, e.g. that of an Alpine valley surrounded by mountains. The solar radiation maps obtained from raster models at different resolutions are compared and evaluated in order to obtain information regarding the benefits and disadvantages tied to each roof modelling approach. The solar radiation estimation is performed within the open-source GRASS GIS environment using r.sun and its ancillary modules.
MOTION COMPONENT SUPPORTED BOOSTED CLASSIFIER FOR CAR DETECTION IN AERIAL IMAGERY
Authors: Tuermer S. , Leitloff J. , Reinartz P. , Stilla U.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Research of automatic vehicle detection in aerial images has been done with a lot of innovation and constantly rising success for years. However information was mostly taken from a single image only. Our aim is using the additional information which is offered by the temporal component, precisely the difference of the previous and the consecutive image. On closer viewing the moving objects are mainly vehicles and therefore we provide a method which is able to limit the search space of the detector to changed areas. The actual detector is generated of HoG features which are composed and linearly weighted by AdaBoost. Finally the method is tested on a motorway section including an exit and congested traffic near Munich, Germany.
Utopias in the Islamic Middle Ages: Ibn Ṭufayl and Ibn al-Nafīs
Authors: Lauri Marco
Published: April 2013

This essay examines the utopian features in two related works from the Islamic Middle Ages. Both use the theme of an isolated thinker living alone on a desert island and try to convey different theoretical conclusions about man, society, and the use of reason through this narrative device. Utopian themes common to both books are shown to include the utopian city, utopian education, and utopian transcendence; however, in the end Ibn Ṭufayl tends to dismiss society entirely, while Ibn al-Nafīs endorses social reality as it is.
The Virtuous City: The Iranian and Islamic Heritage of Utopianism
Authors: Bakhsh Alireza Omid
Published: April 2013

Although there are myriad sources on utopia and utopian studies, in none of them is there reference to the Iranian utopia The Virtuous City, written by Abu Nasr Farabi (ca. 870–950), Iranian philosopher, logician, and musician and founder of Islamic philosophy. His ideas are homogeneous with those of Greek philosophers, especially Plato and Aristotle, but a comparison of the dominant ideology of the book with Islamic, especially Shiite, teachings shows that Farabi presents a Shiite utopia. The Virtuous City consists of six sections and nineteen chapters on subjects such as cosmology, man and his physical and spiritual nature, and the structure of human society. However, the greater part of the book is dedicated to “an ‘academic’ description of the structure of human society as it ought to be.” Like many utopias that reflect the unsatisfactory conditions of the status quo, The Virtuous City is viewed as a protest against the Abbasid caliphate. Farabi questions the legitimacy of the Abbasid caliphs who in the name of Islam had made an un-Islamic society. Considering the historical background of The Virtuous City, subversion mostly appears when Farabi presents twelve qualifications for an imam that contrast with the caliphs of the Muslim society.
Presentación No.15
Authors: Moreno Castillo Maria Asunción
Published: April 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/derecho.v0i15.1026 Revista de Derecho No.15 2011
Responsabilidad penal del asesor jurídico
Authors: Peña Diego-Manuel Luzón
Published: April 2013

El presente artículo muestra al lector un panorama de las distintas responsabilidades, genéricas y especificas, en las que puede incurrir un asesor jurídico como consecuencia del ejercicio de las funciones propias de su cargo. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/derecho.v0i15.1028 Revista de Derecho No.15 2011 pp.45-72
La jerarquía normativa de los tratados sobre Derechos Humanos en la Constitución y la jurisprudencia de Nicaragua
Authors: Cárdenas Velásquez Byron G
Published: April 2013

La incorporación de los tratados internacionales sobre derechos humanos en la Constitución Política de Nicaragua (artículos 46 y 71) ha dado lugar a diversas interpretaciones sobre su posicionamiento normativo en el sistema de fuentes, precisamente por la ambigüedad de la norma en ese sentido. La más reciente jurisprudencia de la Sala Constitucional de la Corte Suprema de Justicia ha entendido que los citados tratados ostentan un rango constitucional; por contra, los instrumentos internacionales del artículo 182 que los ha ubicado a nivel infraconstitucional. No obstante, la Sala Constitucional dejó inconclusa la situación jerárquica de los tratados excluidos de la lista del artículo 46, lo cual, podría encontrar una solución en la interpretación axiológica y progresista de la norma, a partir de los criterios hermenéuticos de las normas internacionales y la jurisprudencia de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Es decir, adoptando criterios similares a los de las salas y cortes constitucionales de Argentina, Colombia y Costa Rica. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/derecho.v0i15.1029 Revista de Derecho No.15 2011 pp.73-94
Anticancer Activity of Oldenlandia Diffusa & Viola Philippica Car
Authors: Wen Deng  , Bo Hu  , Chun-Ling Dai  , Yi-Jun Wang  , Hai-Fan Chen  , S. William Zito  , Li-Wu Fu  , Zhe-Sheng Chen
Published: April 2013

Oldenlandia diffusa (OD, Bai Hua She She Cao) and Viola philippica Car. (VPC, Zi Hua Di Ding) are both commonly used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Although studies have demonstrated their anticancer activities on cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, no systematic reports were carried out. The objective of this study was to examine their cytotoxic activities in vitro. We used the ethanol extracts of these two herbs and examined their cytotoxic effect on four cancer cell lines and two non-cancer cell lines using an MTT cytotoxicity assay. The results showed that the ethanol extracts of OD and VPC effectively inhibited the growth of all the cancer cell lines, particularly MiaPacA-2 cancer cells. Significantly less cytotoxicity was observed in non-cancer cell line NIH3T3. We also tested the drug sensitivity of OD and VPC in a P-glycoprotein (P-gp) overexpressing multidrug resistant cell line KB-C2. Our results showed that OD and VPC can potently inhibit the growth of KB-C2 cells. Therefore, this study has revealed the remarkable anticancer activity of these two TCMs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that shows potential anticancer activity in multidrug resistant cells in extracts of OD and VPC using scientific methods of evaluation.
Les motivations écologiques des PME tunisiennes
Authors: Turki Ahmed
Published: April 2013

La littérature relative à la gestion environnementale suppose l’existence de trois motivations écologiques majeures : les motivations relationnelles, économiques et éthiques. Néanmoins, peu d’importance est accordée à leur processus d’émergence. Ainsi, cette recherche vise trois objectifs. Le premier est d’identifier les motivations écologiques des entreprises tunisiennes. Le deuxième est de comparer les motivations écologiques des PME et des GE. Le troisième est de proposer, à partir de l’enquête, un processus évolutif des motivations écologiques. Par conséquent, une enquête est réalisée sur huit cas, dont six PME, avec 35 entretiens semi-directifs. Les résultats montrent que les motivations écologiques sont essentiellement de nature relationnelle. Aussi, un modèle d’évolution des motivations écologiques en trois étapes est proposé, qui est fonction de la taille de l’entreprise.
Les systèmes de traçabilité dans la filière vitivinicole
Authors: Baillette Paméla , Fallery Bernard , Rahali Naoual
Published: April 2013

Cette recherche se situe dans le domaine vitivinicole où une cave coopérative constitue un réseau de TPE entre les producteurs adhérents.

Sous la pression du marché, des pouvoirs publics et de l’offre technologique, ces coopératives mettent en place des systèmes de traçabilité pour assurer la qualité et la sécurité des produits, mais aussi pour piloter leurs activités internes.

Les systèmes de traçabilité qui sont développés présentent alors une particularité : celle de créer une traçabilité au niveau de la coopérative et une traçabilité au niveau de la filière.

Compte tenu de l’hétérogénéité des acteurs et des technologies, cet article se fonde sur la théorie de l’acteur-réseau en tant que cadre d’analyse de la convergence à construire dans ces processus d’innovation.

Une étude en France auprès de six caves coopératives vitivinicoles montre alors les deux niveaux où s’organisent l’enrôlement des acteurs et la résolution des controverses. Entre les viticulteurs et les caves, la controverse « en amont » a porté sur le pilotage des activités et s’est soldée par une rationalisation au profit des caves. Entre les caves et la distribution, la controverse « en aval » porte sur le contrôle de qualité du produit et continue à se développer.
Nanoceria‐Triggered Synergetic Drug Release Based on CeO2‐Capped Mesoporous Silica Host–Guest Interactions and Switchable Enzymatic Activity and Cellular Effects of CeO2
Authors: Xu Can , Lin Youhui , Wang Jiasi , Wu Li , Wei Weili , Ren Jinsong , Qu Xiaogang
Published: April 2013

Herein, a pH stimuli‐responsive vehicle for intracellular drug delivery using CeO2 capped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) is reported. β‐Cyclodextrin‐modified CeO2 nanoparticles could cap onto ferrocene‐functionalized mesoporous silica through host–guest interactions. After internalization into A549 cells by a lysosomal pathway, the ferrocenyl moieties are oxidized to ferrocenium ions by CeO2 lids, which could trigger the uncapping of the CeO2 and cause the drugs release. Because of the pH‐dependent toxicity, the CeO2 here behaves as a multi‐purpose entity that not only acts as a lid but also exhibits a synergistic antitumor effect on cancer cells. Meanwhile, the cell protective effect of CeO2 nanoparticles alone is demonstrated, which ensures that the dissolved CeO2 nanoparticles can be non‐toxic to normal cells.
Interrelationships between generalized Tikhonov regularization, generalized net analyte signal, and generalized least squares for desensitizing a multivariate calibration to interferences
Authors: Andries Erik , Kalivas John H.
Published: April 2013

Orthogonal pre‐processing (orthogonal projection) of spectral data is a common approach to generate analyte‐specific information for use in multivariate calibration. The goal of this pre‐processing is to remove from each spectrum the respective sample interferent contributions (spectral interferences from overlap, scatter, noise, etc.). Two approaches to accomplish orthogonal pre‐processing are net analyte signal (NAS) and generalized least squares (GLS). Developed in this paper is the mathematical relationship between NAS and GLS. It is also realized that orthogonal NAS pre‐processing can remove too much analyte signal and that the degree of interferent correction can be regulated. Similar to GLS, the degree of correction is accomplished by using a regularization (tuning) parameter to form generalized NAS (GNAS). Also developed in this paper is an alternative to GNAS and GLS based on generalized Tikhonov regularization (GTR). The mathematical relationships between GTR, GNAS, and GLS are derived. A result is the ability to express the model vector as the sum of two contributions: the orthogonal NAS contribution and a non‐NAS contribution from the interferent components. Thus, rather than the usual situation of sequentially pre‐processing data by either GNAS or GLS followed by model building with the pre‐processed data, the methods of GTR, GNAS, and GLS are expressed as direct computations of model vectors allowing concurrent pre‐processing and model building to occur. Simultaneous pre‐processing and model forming are shown to be natural to the GTR process. Two near‐infrared spectroscopic data sets are studied to compare the theoretical relationships between GTR, GNAS, and GLS. One data set covers basic calibration, and the other data set is for calibration maintenance. Filter factor representation is key to developing the interprocess relationships. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modelling of penetration of horizontal supersonic nozzles in high temperature fluidised beds
Authors: Li Feng , Briens Cedric , Berruti Franco , McMillan Jennifer
Published: April 2013

Supersonic nozzles have been applied in various jet‐induced fluidised bed attrition processes such as jet milling and Fluid Coking. In jet‐induced particle attrition, the penetration length into the bed of the jet issuing from the supersonic nozzle is a critical property that affects the attrition mechanisms. A numerical model was developed to predict the penetration length of jets issuing from a horizontal supersonic nozzle in high temperature fluidised beds, based on an Eulerian–Eulerian multiphase model and Granular kinetic theory. The predicted jet penetration lengths are in very good agreement with the experimental data and the predictions of Li's empirical correlation [Li, “Penetration of High Velocity Horizontal Gas Jets Into a Fluidized Bed at High Temperature”, in Fluidization XIII, S. D. Kim, Y. Kang, J. K. Lee, Y. C. Seo, Eds., Gyeong‐ju, Korea 2010; Engineering Conferences International, Gyeong‐ju, Korea 2010, pp. 893–900.]. The simulation results have also demonstrated that the fluidisation velocity and bed temperature have little influence on jet penetration length. © 2013 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
Application of the ThinPrep imaging system in urine cytology
Authors: van Hemel Bettien M. , Haarsma Jolanda G. , Ruitenbeek Teus , Groen Henk J. , Suurmeijer Albert J. H.
Published: April 2013

BACKGROUND

In this prospective study, for the first time, the authors compared the accuracy of reading urine specimens using the ThinPrep Imager System (TIS) with the accuracy of conventional screening for the detection of abnormal urine cells.

METHODS

ThinPrep slides were made from 1455 urine specimens and were read with conventional screening and with TIS. Findings were categorized as “unsatisfactory or failure to read the slide,” “benign,” or “abnormal.” The Cohen κ coefficient was calculated to determine inter‐rater agreement between both methods. Urine samples that were followed by biopsies were used to compare the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of both methods. From 22 urine specimens, the screening times were measured and compared.

RESULTS

There was substantial agreement between both methods (κ score, 0.77). Of 175 urine specimens that were followed by bladder biopsies, for conventional screening, the sensitivity was 51.3%, specificity was 68.4%, the positive predictive value was 77.2%, and the negative predictive value was 40.2%; for TIS screening, the respective values were 54.6%, 68.4%, 78.3%, and 41.9%. The average time was 5.2 minutes for conventional screening and 3.9 minutes for TIS.

CONCLUSIONS

With a κ score of 0.77, the current study demonstrated a good correlation between reading urine specimens with conventional screening and with TIS. Using TIS resulted in slightly increased sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value compared with conventional screening and had the same specificity. These results indicate that reading urine specimens using TIS is equally reliable as conventional cytology. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2013;121:410‐4. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Reynolds stress and sand transport over a foredune
Authors: Chapman Connie , Walker Ian J. , Hesp Patrick A. , Bauer Bernard O. , Davidson‐Arnott Robin G. D. , Ollerhead Jeff
Published: April 2013

Reynolds shear stress (RS = –u′ w′) and sand transport patterns over a vegetated foredune are explored using three‐dimensional velocity data from ultrasonic anemometers (at 0 · 2 and 1 · 2 m) and sand transport intensity from laser particle counters (at 0 · 014 m). A mid‐latitude cyclone on 3–4 May 2010 generated storm‐force winds (exceeding 20 m s–1) that shifted from offshore to obliquely alongshore. Quadrant analysis was used to characterize the spatial variation of RS quadrant components (Q1 through Q4) and their relative contributions were parameterized using the flow exuberance relation, EXFL = (Q1 + Q3)/(Q2 + Q4).

The magnitudes of RS and sand transport varied somewhat independently over the dune as controlled by topographic forcing effects on flow dynamics. A ‘flow exuberance effect’ was evident such that Q2 (ejection‐like) and Q4 (sweep‐like) quadrants (that contribute positively to RS) dominated on the beach, dune toe, and lower stoss, whereas Q1 and Q3 (that contribute negatively to RS) dominated near the crest. This exuberance effect was not expressed, however, in sand transport patterns. Instead, Q1 and Q4, with above‐average streamwise velocity fluctuations (+u′), were most frequently associated with sand transport. Q4 activity corresponded with most sand transport at the beach, toe, and stoss locations (52, 60, 100%). At the crest, 25 to 86% of transport was associated with Q1 while Q4 corresponded with most of the remaining transport (13 to 59%). Thus, the relationship between sand transport and RS is not as straightforward as in traditional equations that relate flux to stress in increasing fashion. Generally, RS was poorly associated with sand transport partly because Q1 and Q4 contributions offset each other in RS calculations. Thus, large amounts of transport can occur with small RS. Turbulent kinetic energy or Reynolds normal stresses (u′2, w′2) may provide stronger associations with sand transport over dunes, although challenges exist on how to normalize and compare these quantities. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reproductive success of belted kingfishers on the upper Hudson River
Authors: Bridge Eli S. , Kelly Jeffrey F.
Published: April 2013

Belted kingfishers (Megaceryle alcyon) are predators in many North American aquatic ecosystems; as such, they are prone to bioaccumulation of certain environmental contaminants. In 2002 and 2004, kingfisher eggs collected near the upper Hudson River in New York had elevated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and the kingfisher population in this area was reported to be at risk because of PCB exposure. From 2007 to 2009, the authors monitored 69 kingfisher nests on the Hudson River to track both nest success and survival of individual nestlings. The study site consisted of 2 adjacent sections of the Hudson River, 1 upstream and 1 downstream of a historic PCB source. The authors compared models of nest success that differentially incorporated the following 4 variables that they deemed most likely to affect reproductive output: 1) river section (upstream vs downstream of PCB source), 2) year, 3) hatch date, and 4) abandonment by 1 parent. After ranking models according to Akaike's information criterion for small sample sizes, it was clear that parental abandonment was the most important of the factors examined. River section was not an important parameter, and overall nesting success was slightly higher in the PCB-contaminated section than in the upstream area. These findings support the conclusion that kingfisher productivity is not adversely impacted by PCB contamination in the upper Hudson River. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1855–1863. © 2013 SETAC
Cathepsin S from both tumor and tumor‐associated cells promote cancer growth and neovascularization
Authors: Small Donna M. , Burden Roberta E. , Jaworski Jakub , Hegarty Shauna M. , Spence Shaun , Burrows James F. , McFarlane Cheryl , Kissenpfennig Adrien , McCarthy Helen O. , Johnston James A. , Walker Brian , Scott Christopher J.
Published: April 2013

Recent murine studies have demonstrated that tumor‐associated macrophages in the tumor microenvironment are a key source of the pro‐tumorigenic cysteine protease, cathepsin S. We now show in a syngeneic colorectal carcinoma murine model that both tumor and tumor‐associated cells contribute cathepsin S to promote neovascularization and tumor growth. Cathepsin S depleted and control colorectal MC38 tumor cell lines were propagated in both wild type C57Bl/6 and cathepsin S null mice to provide stratified depletion of the protease from either the tumor, tumor‐associated host cells, or both. Parallel analysis of these conditions showed that deletion of cathepsin S inhibited tumor growth and development, and revealed a clear contribution of both tumor and tumor‐associated cell derived cathepsin S. The most significant impact on tumor development was obtained when the protease was depleted from both sources. Further characterization revealed that the loss of cathepsin S led to impaired tumor vascularization, which was complemented by a reduction in proliferation and increased apoptosis, consistent with reduced tumor growth. Analysis of cell types showed that in addition to the tumor cells, tumor‐associated macrophages and endothelial cells can produce cathepsin S within the microenvironment. Taken together, these findings clearly highlight a manner by which tumor‐associated cells can positively contribute to developing tumors and highlight cathepsin S as a therapeutic target in cancer.
Reinforcing bioceramic scaffolds with in situ synthesized ε‐polycaprolactone coatings
Authors: Martínez‐Vázquez Francisco J. , Miranda Pedro , Guiberteau Fernando , Pajares Antonia
Published: April 2013

In situ ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL) was performed to coat β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) scaffolds fabricated by robocasting in order to enhance their mechanical performance while preserving the predesigned macropore architecture. Concentrated colloidal inks prepared from β‐TCP commercial powders were used to fabricate porous structures consisting of a three‐dimensional mesh of interpenetrating rods. Then, ε‐CL was in situ polymerized within the ceramic structure using a lipase as catalyst and toluene as solvent, to obtain a highly homogeneous coating and full impregnation of in‐rod microporosity. The strength and toughness of scaffolds coated by ε‐polycaprolactone (ε‐PCL) were significantly increased (twofold and fivefold increase, respectively) over those of the bare structures. Enhancement of both properties is associated to the healing of preexisting microdefects in the bioceramic rods. These enhancements are compared to results from previous work on fully impregnated structures. The implications of the results for the optimization of the mechanical and biological performance of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications are discussed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 101A: 3551–3559, 2013.
Degree‐ and Orbit‐Balanced Γ‐Designs When Γ Has Five Vertices
Authors: Bonvicini Simona
Published: April 2013

A Γ‐design of the complete graph is a set of subgraphs isomorphic to Γ (blocks) whose edge‐sets partition the edge‐set of . is balanced if the number of blocks containing x is the same number of blocks containing y for any two vertices x and y. is orbit‐balanced, or strongly balanced, if the number of blocks containing x as a vertex of a vertex‐orbit A of Γ is the same number of blocks containing y as a vertex of A, for any two vertices x and y and for every vertex‐orbit A of Γ. We say that is degree‐balanced if the number of blocks containing x as a vertex of degree d in Γ is the same number of blocks containing y as a vertex of degree d in Γ, for any two vertices x and y and for every degree d in Γ. An orbit‐balanced Γ‐design is also degree‐balanced; a degree‐balanced Γ‐design is also balanced. The converse is not always true. We study the spectrum for orbit‐balanced, degree‐balanced, and balanced Γ‐designs of when Γ is a graph with five vertices, none of which is isolated. We also study the existence of balanced (respectively, degree‐balanced) Γ‐designs of which are not degree‐balanced (respectively, not orbit‐balanced).
Deceleration in the Earth's oblateness
Authors: Cheng Minkang , Tapley Byron D. , Ries John C.
Published: April 2013

For over three decades, satellite laser ranging (SLR) has recorded the global nature of the long‐wavelength mass change within the Earth system. Analysis of the most recent time series of 30 day SLR‐based estimates of Earth's dynamical oblateness, characterized by the gravitational degree‐2 zonal spherical harmonic J2, indicates that the long‐term variation of J2 appears to be more quadratic than linear in nature. The superposition of a quadratic and an 18.6 year variation leads to the “unknown decadal variation” reported by Cheng and Tapley (2004). Although the primary trend is expected to be linear due to global isostatic adjustment, there is an evident deceleration () in the rate of the decrease in J2 during the last few decades, likely due to changes in the rate of the global mass redistribution from melting of the glaciers and ice sheets as well as mass changes in the atmosphere and ocean.
Velocity structure of the uppermost mantle beneath East Asia from Pn tomography and its dynamic implications
Authors: Wang Suyun , Niu Fenglin , Zhang Guomin
Published: April 2013

East Asia is one of the most tectonically active regions on Earth's surface due to the collision from the India plate and the suctions induced by the subduction of the Pacific and Philippine plates. To better understand the complicated deformation and active seismicity of the area, we conducted a Pn traveltime tomography to estimate the compressive wave speed of the uppermost mantle beneath East Asia. We collected a total of 296,334 Pn arrivals recorded by 1354 stations from 27,777 earthquakes in a rectangular area from 60°E to 145°E in longitude, 15°N to 60°N in latitude. The data set was carefully integrated from three different catalogs after examining potential systematic biases in the catalogs. The inversion results revealed a large‐scale velocity perturbation in the study area. Pn velocity in the region west to ~108°E is approximately 10% higher than that in the east. In each region, stable blocks tend to have high Pn velocity while the boundary regions, which show a high level of seismicity and surface deformation, appear to have low Pn velocity. We further computed the Benioff strain rate in the two regions and found it correlates negatively with the averaged Pn velocity. Our observations here suggest that Pn velocity, which is predominantly determined by Moho temperature, is a good indicator of lithosphere strength.
Correlation of river water and local sea‐ice melting on the Laptev Sea shelf (Siberian Arctic)
Authors: Bauch Dorothea , Hölemann Jens A. , Nikulina Anna , Wegner Carolyn , Janout Markus A. , Timokhov Leonid A. , Kassens Heidemarie
Published: April 2013

Hydrographic and stable isotope (δ18O) data from four summer surveys in the Laptev Sea are used to derive fractions of sea‐ice meltwater and river water. Sea‐ice meltwater fractions are found to be correlated to river water fractions. While initial heat of river discharge is too small to melt the observed 0–158 km3 of sea‐ice meltwater, arctic rivers contain suspended particles and colored dissolved organic material that preferentially absorb solar radiation. Accordingly, heat content in surface waters is correlated to river water fractions. But in years when river water is largely absent within the surface layer, absolute heat content values increase to considerably higher values with extended exposure time to solar radiation and sensible heat. Nevertheless, no net sea‐ice melting is observed on the shelf in years when river water is largely absent within the surface layer. The total freshwater volume of the central‐eastern Laptev Sea (72–76°N, 122–140°E) varies between ~1000 and 1500 km3 (34.92 reference salinity). It is dominated by varying river water volumes (~1300–1800 km3) reduced by an about constant freshwater deficit (~350–400 km3) related to sea‐ice formation. Net sea‐ice melt (~109–158 km3) is only present in years with high river water budgets. Intermediate to bottom layer (>25 salinities) contain ~60% and 30% of the river budget in years with low and high river budgets, respectively. The average mean residence time of shelf waters was ~2–3 years during 2007–2009.
Gulf Stream's induced sea level rise and variability along the U.S. mid‐Atlantic coast
Authors: Ezer Tal , Atkinson Larry P. , Corlett William B. , Blanco Jose L.
Published: April 2013

Recent studies indicate that the rates of sea level rise (SLR) along the U.S. mid‐Atlantic coast have accelerated in recent decades, possibly due to a slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and its upper branch, the Gulf Stream (GS). We analyzed the GS elevation gradient obtained from altimeter data, the Florida Current transport obtained from cable measurements, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, and coastal sea level obtained from 10 tide gauge stations in the Chesapeake Bay and the mid‐Atlantic coast. An Empirical Mode Decomposition/Hilbert‐Huang Transformation (EMD/HHT) method was used to separate long‐term trends from oscillating modes. The coastal sea level variations were found to be strongly influenced by variations in the GS on timescales ranging from a few months to decades. It appears that the GS has shifted from a 6–8 year oscillation cycle to a continuous weakening trend since about 2004 and that this trend may be responsible for recent acceleration in local SLR. The correlation between long‐term changes in the coastal sea level and changes in the GS strength was extremely high (R = −0.85 with more than 99.99% confidence that the correlation is not zero). The impact of the GS on SLR rates over the past decade seems to be larger in the southern portion of the mid‐Atlantic Bight near Cape Hatteras and is reduced northward along the coast. The study suggests that regional coastal sea level rise projections due to climate change must take into account the impact of spatial changes in ocean dynamics.
Numerical simulations of oceanic pCO2 variations and interactions between Typhoon Choi‐wan (0914) and the ocean
Authors: Wada Akiyoshi , Cronin Meghan F. , Sutton Adrienne J. , Kawai Yoshimi , Ishii Masao
Published: April 2013

On 19 September 2009, Typhoon Choi‐wan passed ∼40 km to the southeast of the Kuroshio Extension Observatory (KEO) surface mooring, located at 32.3°N, 144.5°E. We use an atmosphere‐wave‐ocean coupled model that incorporated an oceanic carbon equilibrium model to investigate the typhoon‐induced CO2 outgassing observed by the KEO mooring. KEO data are used to provide atmospheric surface boundary conditions for partial pressure of CO2 (
) and to validate the numerical results. The model simulated the observed sea‐level pressure variations reasonably well, although the simulated‐typhoon translation was 3 h slower than the estimated best track. The simulation resulted in lower than observed sea‐surface temperature (SST), sea‐surface salinity (SSS), and partial pressure of surface ocean CO2 (
). Better agreement was found with the grid point south of the buoy that corresponded roughly to the buoy location in the simulated‐typhoon reference frame. In situ observations show CO2 outgassing during the Choi‐wan's passage. Forty percent of observed outgassing was explained by decreasing
(∼20 µatm), and thus, the remainder (∼30 µatm) must be explained by increasing
. The model simulated only one third of the increase in observed surface
variation (∼9.6 µatm), suggesting that not only SST but also high salinity and dissolved inorganic carbon caused by vertical turbulent mixing and horizontal advection are important in simulating surface
variation. The simulations also reveal that surface roughness length affects surface wind asymmetry during the passage and variation in SSS and
(∼1 µatm) after the passage.
AVHRR, MODIS, and VIIRS radiometric stability and consistency in SST bands
Authors: Liang XingMing , Ignatov Alexander
Published: April 2013

Monitoring of IR Clear‐Sky Radiances over Oceans for SST (MICROS; www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/sod/sst/micros) is NESDIS near‐real time web‐based radiance monitoring system. It analyzes Model (Community Radiative Transfer Model, CRTM) minus Observation (M‐O) biases in brightness temperatures (BT) in three bands centered at 3.7 (IR37), 11 (IR11), and 12 µm (IR12), for several AVHRR (NOAA‐16, ‐17, ‐18, ‐19, Metop‐A, ‐B), VIIRS (Suomi National Polar Partnership, S‐NPP), and MODIS (Terra, Aqua) sensors. Double‐differences (DD) are employed to check BTs for radiometric stability and consistency. All sensors are stable, with the exception of two AVHRRs, onboard NOAA‐16 and to a lesser extent NOAA‐18, and generally consistent. VIIRS onboard S‐NPP, launched in October 2011, is well in‐family, especially after its calibration was fine‐tuned on 7 March 2012. MODIS M‐O biases were initially out‐of‐family by up to −0.6 K, due to incorrect CRTM transmittance coefficients. Following MICROS feedback, CRTM Team updated coefficients and brought MODIS back in‐family. Terra and Aqua BTs are very consistent in IR11 and IR12 but show cross‐platform bias of 0.3 K in IR37, likely attributed to MODIS characterization. Work with MODIS Characterization Support Team is underway to resolve this. Initial analyses of AVHRR onboard Metop‐B launched in September 2012 suggest that its BTs are offset from Metop‐A by up to ∼0.3 K. Overall, MICROS DDs are well suited to evaluate the sensors stability, but dedicated effort is needed to ensure consistent radiative transfer modeling (RTM) calculations for various sensors before DDs can be used in Global Space‐based Inter‐Calibration System (GSICS) quantitative applications.
The distribution and origin of smooth plains on Mercury
Authors: Denevi Brett W. , Ernst Carolyn M. , Meyer Heather M. , Robinson Mark S. , Murchie Scott L. , Whitten Jennifer L. , Head James W. , Watters Thomas R. , Solomon Sean C. , Ostrach Lillian R. , Chapman Clark R. , Byrne Paul K. , Klimczak Christian , Peplowski Patrick N.
Published: April 2013

Orbital images from the MESSENGER spacecraft show that ~27% of Mercury's surface is covered by smooth plains, the majority (>65%) of which are interpreted to be volcanic in origin. Most smooth plains share the spectral characteristics of Mercury's northern smooth plains, suggesting they also share their magnesian alkali‐basalt‐like composition. A smaller fraction of smooth plains interpreted to be volcanic in nature have a lower reflectance and shallower spectral slope, suggesting more ultramafic compositions, an inference that implies high temperatures and high degrees of partial melting in magma source regions persisted through most of the duration of smooth plains formation. The knobby and hummocky plains surrounding the Caloris basin, known as Odin‐type plains, occupy an additional 2% of Mercury's surface. The morphology of these plains and their color and stratigraphic relationships suggest that they formed as Caloris ejecta, although such an origin is in conflict with a straightforward interpretation of crater size–frequency distributions. If some fraction is volcanic, this added area would substantially increase the abundance of relatively young effusive deposits inferred to have more mafic compositions. Smooth plains are widespread on Mercury, but they are more heavily concentrated in the north and in the hemisphere surrounding Caloris. No simple relationship between plains distribution and crustal thickness or radioactive element distribution is observed. A likely volcanic origin for some older terrain on Mercury suggests that the uneven distribution of smooth plains may indicate differences in the emplacement age of large‐scale volcanic deposits rather than differences in crustal formational process.
High‐altitude dust layers on Mars: Observations with the Thermal Emission Spectrometer
Authors: Guzewich Scott D. , Talaat Elsayed R. , Toigo Anthony D. , Waugh Darryn W. , McConnochie Timothy H.
Published: April 2013

Limb‐scanning observations of Martian atmospheric dust with the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) over 3 Mars years indicate two distinct altitude layers with persistent maxima in the dust mixing ratio vertical profile. The first, lower maximum in the dust distribution profile is the “high‐altitude tropical dust maximum” (HATDM) centered at 20–30 km, previously detected by the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS). Through the observation period, the HATDM followed a repeatable seasonal cycle with a brief absence in early northern spring and reached its highest altitudes and largest amplitude during the dust storm season in southern spring and summer. The HATDM is likely maintained during the day by a combination of convective and topographic updrafts and then degraded at night by scavenging from water ice clouds. The second, upper maximum in the dust distribution profile, which we refer, for convenience, to as the upper dust maximum (UDM), is centered at 45–65 km and is only detected in daytime observations. We see additional evidence of its presence in the limited number of MCS aerosol opacity retrievals available at these altitudes. Comparable dust mixing ratios are nearly absent from this altitude range at night. This upper maximum is generally a northern hemisphere phenomenon, peaking in amplitude in northern summer and nearly absent from the TES observational domain during the dust storm season. We suggest topographic updrafts over Martian volcanoes, small particle size, diurnal transport associated with thermal tides, and scavenging by water ice as probable key factors in the creation of the UDM.
Effects of asymmetry on the strength of the chelonian shell: A comparison of three species
Authors: Rivera Gabriel , Stayton C. Tristan
Published: April 2013

A major focus of the field of organismal biology is to understand how morphology impacts performance. Although the functional implications of certain aspects of shape have been widely examined, the functional implications of a related parameter, symmetry, remain mostly unknown. We used finite‐element models to examine the effects of turtle shell asymmetry on shell strength across three morphologically distinct emydid species. The goals of this study were to: 1) test the hypothesis that increased asymmetry (independent of differences in shape) is associated with increased stress levels for a given load, and thus with weaker shells, 2) ascertain how asymmetry and the position of load application interact to influence shell strength, and 3) determine how interspecific differences in shape influence the effect of asymmetry. We found that increased asymmetry does produce higher stresses for both midline and non‐midline loads. Non‐midline loads produce slightly larger and more variable stresses. Species‐specific shell shape can mitigate the effects of asymmetry; stronger shapes are potentially more resistant to the negative effects of asymmetry. Our findings indicate that changes in asymmetry associated with relatively small changes in shape can have as much of an effect on stress incurred by the shell as the changes in shape themselves. J. Morphol. 274:901–908, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.