bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Characterizing formation processes of Rimrock Lake, a Late Pleistocene–Holocene playa, Harney Basin, south‐eastern Oregon, USA, using an end‐member mixing analysis
Authors: Collins Joe D. , Gill Thomas E. , Langford Richard 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTPlayas collect sediments from different transported processes, producing grain‐size distributions (GSDs) reflecting changes in environment. End‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) was used to derive end‐members (EMs) from 256 sediment samples from Rimrock Lake (Harney Basin, Oregon, USA) and a nearby relict channel. EMMA identified six EMs representing deposition in fluvial, lacustrine, littoral and colluvial environments. Stratigraphy was time‐correlated using nine radiocarbon dates. Results show that Rimrock Lake existed by ∼ 18 535 cal a BP. A relict playa surface also was exposed along its margin and indicates lake contraction ∼ 6190–5990 cal a BP. In the relict channel, a dominant eolian environment is identified at ∼ 8000 cal a BP. These results represent a shift to a more arid environment in the Harney Basin beginning around the mid‐Holocene and are in general agreement with other studies reported in the Great Basin. This study demonstrates the application of EMMA for analyzing complex playa sediments and for linking environmental response across separate but related geomorphic environments. Our results provide a paleoenvironmental record along Harney Basin's western margin between ∼ 18 500 and 6000 cal a BP and demonstrate the use of small playas in the basin as environmental archives.
Saponins as Natural Raw Materials for Increasing the Safety of Bodywash Cosmetic Use
Authors: Nizioł‐Łukaszewska Zofia , Bujak Tomasz 
Published: August 2018

AbstractSaponins are a class of active substances found in plants. They have gained widespread interest and popularity in the cosmetic industry, where they are used as natural washing, foaming, and emulsifying agents. Extracts of saponin‐rich plants have applications as active ingredients in cosmetics, mainly on account of their antioxidant, regenerative, and antiaging properties. This study was aimed at performing a comprehensive assessment of three saponin‐containing plants (Glycyrrhiza glabra, Viola tricolor, and Solanum dulcamara) as multifunctional cosmetic materials. The highest antioxidant potential was demonstrated for the V. tricolor extract. Isolated saponins were added to the formulations of model bodywash gels based on ingredients of natural origin. Compared to the (saponin‐free) baseline sample, the addition decreases the skin‐irritation potential of bodywash gels by about 40–50%. The strongest ability to reduce the irritant activity was noted for saponins isolated from S. dulcamara.
Effects of Oleic Acid and Phospholipids on the Formation of Lecithin Organogel and Microemulsion
Authors: Murashova Nataliya M. , Prokopova Liliya A. , Trofimova Ekaterina S. , Yurtov Eugeny V. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe formation of organogels and microemulsions of lecithin in the presence of a biocompatible cosurfactant, oleic acid, was studied. Low content of oleic acid ([oleic acid]/[lecithin] < 0.1) in the lecithin–oleic acid–dodecane–water system leads to an expansion of the region of existence and to a decrease in the viscosity of lecithin organogels. At high contents of oleic acid ([oleic acid]/[lecithin] > 0.6), low‐viscosity microemulsion exists in the system. Phosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylcholine, and other phospholipids that are present as impurities in the commercial samples of soybean lecithin can act as cosurfactants. For the first time, the formation of lecithin organogels in the systems containing commercial samples of soybean lecithin with phosphatidylcholine concentrations of 69.3 wt% (Lipoid S75) and 52.9 wt% (Lipoid S45) and saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons is demonstrated. The gelation is observed at T =25 °C in octane, decane, dodecane, and hexadecane for Lipoid S75 and in dodecane and hexadecane for Lipoid S45. A decrease in the degree of purification of lecithin leads to an expansion of the regions of existence of the organogels and to a reduction of their viscosity.
Incorporating detection probability to estimate pheasant density
Authors: Williamson Lacey T. , Walter W. David , Klinger Scott R. , Diefenbach Duane R. 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTIndices of abundance, such as point counts, commonly are used to monitor trends in bird populations. In some circumstances, however, an index of abundance provides insufficient information for making management decisions and accurate density estimates are necessary. Wild ring‐necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) were translocated to 10 study areas in Pennsylvania from 2007 to 2014 with the goal of establishing female densities of 3.86 pheasants/km2. We developed a population density estimator that used 3‐minute crowing counts adjusted for probability of detection to estimate male pheasant density and flushing surveys to estimate the female:male ratio. To account for detection probability, we estimated the probability a pheasant was available to be detected by monitoring crowing frequency of male pheasants fitted with radio‐transmitters and the probability an observer was able to detect a crowing pheasant at distances from 0 to 0.93 km. We found the probability a pheasant crowed during 3 minutes decreased linearly over our survey period from 0.66 in mid‐April to 0.46 by the end of May. At the farthest distance we were able to accurately detect a crowing pheasant. We estimated the probability of detecting a pheasant at 0.80 km to be 0.019 ± 0.005 (SE), which means that we could not assume any fixed distance beyond which crowing birds could not be detected. Therefore, we replaced the probability of detection in the standard distance sampling estimator with the effective area of detection. The estimation of the effective area of detection is robust to choice of radius of the point and did not require observers to estimate the distance to crowing pheasants. We estimated the female:male ratio to be 1.02:1, despite the ratio of released pheasants being 4.46:1. Only 1 study area achieved the female density goal ( = 4.16); the maximum density at all other study areas was <2 females/km2. The estimator we developed incorporated multiple detection probabilities to provide density estimates and simplified the crowing count protocol by eliminating the need for observers to estimate their distance from a detected bird, which makes the estimator useful for estimation of population abundance when explicit population density objectives must be evaluated. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Rusty blackbird patch use during winter in suburban landscapes
Authors: Newell Wohner Patricia J. , Cooper Robert J. , Schweitzer Sara H. , Greenberg Russell S. 
Published: August 2018

ABSTRACTThe rusty blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) is a species of conservation concern throughout its range because of rapid population decline. During winter, relatively large flocks are in suburban landscapes within the Georgia and South Carolina Piedmont Plateau of the southeastern United States. We studied radio‐tagged blackbirds within flocks that moved daily among 3 distinct patch types: pecan (Carya illinoinensis) and small‐seeded oak (Quercus spp.) groves, shallowly flooded forested wetlands, and residential areas landscaped with turf grass. The patch types used for foraging have varying availability of invertebrate and mast food. We investigated the relationship between daily observations of blackbird flocks and previous, current, and oncoming short‐term weather. Suburban landscapes with the appropriate configuration of shallow wetland, residential lawns, and mast grove patches within a 153–415‐ha area, the size of patch aggregations in this study, likely constitute high quality wintering areas for this species. Blackbird flocks were 1.6–1.8 times more likely to be observed foraging in wetlands with each 10°C increase in current temperature, 1.5 times more likely in wetlands for every 5 days with no previous precipitation, and 3.2 times more likely in wetlands with every 10 extra hours of oncoming cold weather. Blackbirds were 4.1–4.5 times less likely to be observed foraging in forested wetlands with every 5‐mm increase in current precipitation. Blackbirds were 2.2 times more likely to be observed in mast groves with every 5‐mm of oncoming precipitation. Radio‐tagged blackbirds used pecan groves for foraging in 2011 but not 2012, which was an overall warmer winter. Pecan groves may be a sporadically used component of a combination of foraging patches that are rarely near flooded forested wetlands or residential areas. Our results can be used to identify and conserve patch components used by rusty blackbird flocks during winter in suburban nature parks and greenways. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) via ARGET ATRP and study of the effect of solvents and temperatures on its polymerization kinetics
Authors: Dhar Anjana , Koiry Bishnu P. , Haloi Dhruba J. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThis investigation reports the synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate) via activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP) and studies the effect of solvents and temperature on its polymerization kinetics. ARGET ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out in different solvents and at different temperatures using CuBr2 as catalyst in combination with N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine as a ligand. Methyl 2‐chloro propionate was used as ATRP initiator and ascorbic acid was used as a reducing agent in the ARGET ATRP of MMA. The conversion was measured gravimetrically. The semilogarithmic plot of monomer conversion versus time was found to be linear, indicating that the polymerization follows first‐order kinetics. The linear polymerization kinetic plot also indicates the controlled nature of the polymerization. N,N‐Dimethylformamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene, and methyl ethyl ketone were used as solvents to study the effect on the polymerization kinetics. The effect of temperature on the kinetics of the polymerization was also studied at various temperatures. It has been observed that polymerization followed first‐order kinetics in every case. The rate of polymerization was found to be highest (kapp = 6.94 × 10−3 min−1) at a fixed temperature when DMF was used as solvent. Activation energies for ARGET ATRP of MMA were also calculated using the Arrhenius equation.
Estimating the very fine sand fraction for calculating the soil erodibility K‐factor
Authors: Corral‐Pazos‐de‐Provens Eva , Domingo‐Santos Juan M. , Rapp‐Arrarás Ígor 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe K‐factor of the universal soil loss equation is a core component in many erosion models, as a measure of soil erodibility. It can be estimated by a nomograph, where the summed fractions of silt and very fine sand (VFS) are basic inputs. Frequently, only the three broad particle‐size classes of sand, silt, and clay are measured in laboratories; thus, the VFS fraction must be estimated. Three models are currently available for this estimation, namely, (a) the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation formula, (b) the European Soil Data Centre method, and (c) the Shirazi–Boersma theory, all three use just the sand fraction as explanatory variable. Nevertheless, their accuracy has never been assessed, and this is the main purpose of this study. The data used to test the VFS estimation methods were drawn from the National Cooperative Soil Survey Soil Characterization Database, incorporating data from more than 300,000 soil horizon samples. The test results show a poor performance of the models, all of which were found to be unsuitable for 31.1% of the textural triangle, accounting for 32.3% of the soil samples. Moreover, it is demonstrated that any conceivable model based solely on the broad particle‐size classes would suffer from a high degree of uncertainty. Consequently, the number of explanatory variables should be increased in order to improve the performance of models. An alternative prediction chart is provided for the first approximation of K‐factor, based on the textural triangle.
Quantitation of Human Whole‐Body Synthesis‐Secretion Rates of Docosahexaenoic Acid and Eicosapentaenoate Acid from Circulating Unesterified α‐Linolenic Acid at Steady State
Authors: Lin Yu‐Hong , Hibbeln Joseph R. , Domenichiello Anthony F. , Ramsden Christopher E. , Salem Nicholas M. , Chen Chuck T. , Jin Haksong , Courville Amber B. , Majchrzak‐Hong Sharon F. , Rapoport Stanley I. , Bazinet Richard P. , Miller Bernard V. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe rate at which dietary α‐linolenic acid (ALA) is desaturated and elongated to its longer‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in humans is not agreed upon. In this study, we applied a methodology developed using rodents to investigate the whole‐body, presumably hepatic, synthesis‐secretion rates of esterified n‐3 PUFA from circulating unesterified ALA in 2 healthy overweight women after 10 weeks of low‐linoleate diet exposure. During continuous iv infusion of d5‐ALA, 17 arterial blood samples were collected from each subject at −10, 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, and 210 min, and at 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 h after beginning infusion. Plasma esterified d5‐n‐3 PUFA concentrations were plotted against the infusion time and fit to a sigmoidal curve using nonlinear regression. These curves were used to estimate kinetic parameters using a kinetic analysis developed using rodents. Calculated synthesis‐secretion rates of esterified eicosapentaenoate, n‐3 docosapentaenoate, docosahexaenoic acid, tetracosapentaenate, and tetracosahexaenoate from circulating unesterified ALA were 2.1 and 2.7; 1.7 and 5.3; 0.47 and 0.27; 0.30 and 0.30; and 0.32 and 0.27 mg/day for subjects S01 and S02, respectively. This study provides new estimates of whole‐body synthesis‐secretion rates of esterified longer‐chain n‐3 PUFA from circulating unesterified ALA in human subjects. This method now can be extended to study factors that regulate human whole‐body PUFA synthesis‐secretion in health and disease.
Dissolved inorganic nitrogen fluxes from common Florida Bay (U.S.A.) sponges
Authors: Hoer Daniel R. , Tommerdahl Jake P. , Lindquist Niels L. , Martens Christopher S. 
Published: August 2018

AbstractSponge biomass represents the largest heterotrophic component of benthic biota in the Florida Bay ecosystem. These organisms can significantly alter the water quality of their surrounding environment through biogeochemical transformations of nutrient elements resulting from their dynamic pumping, water filtration, and respiration processes. Ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate plus nitrite (NO3− + NO2−; NO
x−) fluxes were obtained for 11 ecologically important species at three sites within Florida Bay, Florida (U.S.A.) utilizing chamber incubations on undisturbed individual sponges. Significant dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) effluxes ranging between 9.0 ± 2.2 μmol N h−1 Lsponge−1 and 141 ± 26 μmol N h−1 Lsponge−1 were observed for eight of the 11 tested sponges; specifically, from six of eight tested high‐microbial abundance (HMA) sponges, and from two of three tested low‐microbial abundance (LMA) sponges. The abundant HMA species Chondrilla nucula showed the highest, volume‐normalized rate of DIN release. These fluxes represent a continuation of the previously observed dichotomy in the chemical speciation of DIN in exhalent waters of LMA and HMA sponges, with NH4+ and NO
x− dominating their respective exhalent jets. Surprisingly, we found that dissolved organic matter (DOM) appeared to make a negligible contribution to the total released N, but we hypothesize that the lack of DOM utilization or production was due to methodological limitations. Our flux data combined with sponge biomass estimates indicate that sponges, particularly HMA species, are a large, and potentially dominant, source of inorganic nitrogen to Florida Bay waters.
On the fluorometric measurement of ammonium in oligotrophic seawater: Assessment of reagent blanks and interferences
Authors: Zhu Yifan , Liu Jing , Huang Tao , Wang Lifang , Trull Thomas W. , Dai Minhan 
Published: August 2018

AbstractDynamically distributed at trace levels in the open ocean, ammonium is one of the most important and reactive nitrogen compounds in the marine environment. Obtaining reliable measurements of ammonium concentrations is thus a prerequisite to fully understand its role in marine biogeochemical processes, but remains challenging. Among others, quantification and identification of different sources of blanks is an outstanding issue, due partly to the fact that ammonium‐free water is very difficult to prepare and/or preserve. Building on a recently developed method using solid phase extraction combined with fluorescence detection (SPE‐Flu), we examined the kinetics of the ortho‐phthaldialdehyde‐sulfite‐ammonium reaction and introduce a new approach to quantifying reagent blanks via a “reagents addition” method. The reagent blank of the method, equivalent to 6.7 ± 1.5 nmol L−1 of ammonium under our experimental settings, accounted for up to 27% of the ammonium background in seawater samples collected from the oligotrophic ocean. We also showed that the SPE‐Flu method is highly specific, with negligible interference from three types of amines and 15 types of amino acids at nanomolar concentrations, which are typical of open ocean regimes. The determination of the reagent blank allowed for optimized data reduction, which was applied to a study in the oligotrophic South China Sea. Water column profiles showed a very well‐defined structure and smooth distribution of ammonium concentrations, consistent with the distribution of other parameters. We thus contend that our proposed approach provides a way to further optimize the quantification of ammonium concentrations in natural seawater via the SPE‐Flu method.
Influence of commercial DNA extraction kit choice on prokaryotic community metrics in marine sediment
Authors: Ramírez Gustavo A. , Graham Dennis , D'Hondt Steven 
Published: August 2018

AbstractCommercial DNA extraction kits are widely used for cultivation‐free surveys of marine sediment. However, the consequences of popular extraction‐kit choices for sequence‐based biological inferences about marine sedimentary communities have not previously been exhaustively assessed. To address this issue, we extracted DNA from multiple paired subsamples of marine sediment using two popular commercial extraction kits (MO BIO Laboratories PowerSoil® DNA isolation kit and MP Biomedicals FastDNATM Spin Kit for Soil). We report comparisons of (1) total DNA yield, (2) extract purity, (3) gene‐targeted quantification, and (4) post‐sequencing ecological inferences in near‐seafloor (< 1 meter below seafloor [mbsf]) and subsurface (> 1 mbsf) marine sediment. In near‐seafloor sediment, the MP Biomedicals FastDNATM Spin Kit for Soil exhibits higher extraction yields, higher 16S rRNA gene loads, higher taxonomic diversity, and lower contaminant loads. In subseafloor sediment, both kits yield similar values for all of these parameters. The MO BIO Laboratories PowerSoil® DNA isolation kit generally co‐extracts less protein with the DNA in both near‐seafloor and subseafloor sediment. For samples from all depths, both kits exhibit similar depth‐dependent community richness patterns, taxonomic composition, and ordination‐based similarity trends. We conclude that, despite kit‐specific differences in extract yields, purity and reagent contaminant loads, ecological inferences based on next‐generation sequencing of DNA extracted using these popular commercial kits are robustly comparable, particularly for subseafloor sediment samples.
Data and knowledge standards for learning health: A population management example using chronic kidney disease
Authors: Cameron Blake , Douthit Brian , Richesson Rachel 
Published: August 2018

AbstractThe widespread creation of learning health care systems (LHSs) will depend upon the use of standards for data and knowledge representation. Standards can facilitate the reuse of approaches for the identification of patient cohorts and the implementation of interventions. Standards also support rapid evaluation and dissemination across organizations. Building upon widely‐used models for process improvement, we identify specific LHS activities that will require data and knowledge standards. Using chronic kidney disease (CKD) as an example, we highlight the specific data and knowledge requirements for a disease‐specific LHS cycle, and subsequently identify areas where standards specifications, clarification, and tools are needed. The current data standards for CKD population management recommendations were found to be partially ambiguous, leading to barriers in phenotyping, risk identification, patient‐centered clinical decision support, patient education needs, and care planning. Robust tools are needed to effectively identify patient health care needs and preferences and to measure outcomes that accurately depict the multiple facets of CKD. This example presents an approach for defining the specific data and knowledge representation standards required to implement condition‐specific population health management programs. These standards specifications can be promoted by disease advocacy and professional societies to enable the widespread design, implementation, and evaluation of evidence‐based health interventions, and the subsequent dissemination of experience in different settings and populations.
Liver Transplantation for Propionic Acidemia and Methylmalonic Acidemia: Perioperative Management and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Critelli Kristen , McKiernan Patrick , Vockley Jerry , Mazariegos George , Squires Robert H. , Soltys Kyle , Squires James E. 
Published: August 2018

Abstract
Propionic acidemia (PA) and methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) comprise the most common organic acidemias and account for profound morbidity in affected individuals. Although liver transplantation (LT) has emerged as a bulk enzyme‐replacement strategy to stabilize metabolically fragile patients, it is not a metabolic cure because patients remain at risk for disease‐related complications. We retrospectively studied LT and/or liver‐kidney transplant in 9 patients with PA or MMA with additional focus on the optimization of metabolic control and management in the perioperative period. Metabolic crises were common before transplant. By implementing a strategy of carbohydrate minimization with gradual but early lipid and protein introduction, lactate levels significantly improved over the perioperative period (P < 0.001). Posttransplant metabolic improvement is demonstrated by improvements in serum glycine levels (for PA; P < 0.001 × 10–14), methylmalonic acid levels (for MMA; P < 0.001), and ammonia levels (for PA and MMA; P < 0.001). Dietary restriction remained after transplant. However, no further metabolic crises have occurred. Other disease‐specific comorbidities such as renal dysfunction and cardiomyopathy stabilized and improved. In conclusion, transplant can provide a strategy for altering the natural history of PA and MMA providing stability to a rare but metabolically brittle population. Nutritional management is critical to optimize patient outcomes.