bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal variability of drought in the northern part of northeast China
Authors: Zhang Xuanwen , Liu Xiaohong , Wang Wenzhi , Zhang Tingjun , Zeng Xiaomin , Xu Guobao , Wu Guoju , Kang Huhu 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe thermal and moisture balance of permafrost regions has been altered by global warming, profoundly influencing vegetation dynamics and forest carbon cycling. To understand the spatial and temporal characteristics and driving forces responsible for changes in moisture conditions in the permafrost region of the Greater and Lesser Hinggan Mountains, northeastern China, we assessed long‐term trends for temperature, precipitation, and the standardized precipitation‐evapotranspiration index. From 1951 to 2014, annual mean temperature had a significant increase trend and the annual precipitation was not with significant trend. Since 1951, the annual standardized precipitation‐evapotranspiration index has decreased significantly at the boundary between regions with seasonal soil freezing and permafrost, suggesting that conspicuous permafrost degradation and moisture loss has occurred. The study area can be divided into 4 parts with a different balance between thermal and moisture conditions: the northern Songnen Plains, the Hulun Buir Sand Land, the middle reaches of the Heilongjiang River, and the Mohe region. However, only the middle reaches of the Heilongjiang River showed an obvious long‐term drying trend. The 4 areas showed quasi‐periodic oscillation and sea surface temperature during the winter half‐year affected drought intensity in the northern of Songnen Plains. When El Niño strengthened, moisture conditions increased in the northern of Songnen Plains, whereas stronger La Niña events decreased water availability. The result of this study will be beneficial for regional water resource management and prepare for potential drought hazards in the northeastern China.
The effects of floods on the temperature of riparian groundwater
Authors: Watson Jeffery A. , Cardenas M. Bayani , Ferencz Stephen B. , Knappett Peter S.K. , Neilson Bethany T. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe transition area between rivers and their adjacent riparian aquifers, which may comprise the hyporheic zone, hosts important biochemical reactions, which control water quality. The rates of these reactions and metabolic processes are temperature dependent. Yet the thermal dynamics of riparian aquifers, especially during flooding and dynamic groundwater flow conditions, has seldom been studied. Thus, we investigated heat transport in riparian aquifers during 3 flood events of different magnitudes at 2 sites along the same river. River and riparian aquifer temperature and water‐level data along the Lower Colorado River in Central Texas, USA, were monitored across 2‐dimensional vertical sections perpendicular to the bank. At the downstream site, preflood temperature penetration distance into the bank suggested that advective heat transport from lateral hyporheic exchange of river water into the riparian aquifer was occurring during relatively steady low‐flow river conditions. Although a small (20‐cm stage increase) dam‐controlled flood pulse had no observable influence on groundwater temperature, larger floods (40‐cm and >3‐m stage increases) caused lateral movement of distinct heat plumes away from the river during flood stage, which then retreated back towards the river after flood recession. These plumes result from advective heat transport caused by flood waters being forced into the riparian aquifer. These flood‐induced temperature responses were controlled by the size of the flood, river water temperature during the flood, and local factors at the study sites, such as topography and local ambient water table configuration. For the intermediate and large floods, the thermal disturbance in the riparian aquifer lasted days after flood waters receded. Large floods therefore have impacts on the temperature regime of riparian aquifers lasting long beyond the flood's timescale. These persistent thermal disturbances may have a significant impact on biochemical reaction rates, nutrient cycling, and ecological niches in the river corridor.
Wetland hydroperiod classification in the western prairies using multitemporal synthetic aperture radar
Authors: Montgomery Joshua S. , Hopkinson Chris , Brisco Brian , Patterson Shane , Rood Stewart B. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWetlands represent one of the world's most biodiverse and threatened ecosystem types and were diminished globally by about two‐thirds in the 20th century. There is continuing decline in wetland quantity and function due to infilling and other human activities. In addition, with climate change, warmer temperatures and changes in precipitation and evapotranspiration are reducing wetland surface and groundwater supplies, further altering wetland hydrology and vegetation. There is a need to automate inventory and monitoring of wetlands, and as a study system, we investigated the Shepard Slough wetlands complex, which includes numerous wetlands in urban, suburban, and agricultural zones in the prairie pothole region of southern Alberta, Canada. Here, wetlands are generally confined to depressions in the undulating terrain, challenging wetlands inventory and monitoring. This study applied threshold and frequency analysis routines for high‐resolution, single‐polarization (HH) RADARSAT‐2, synthetic aperture radar mapping. This enabled a growing season surface water extent hyroperiod‐based wetland classification, which can support water and wetland resource monitoring. This 3‐year study demonstrated synthetic aperture radar‐derived multitemporal open‐water masks provided an effective index of wetland permanence class, with overall accuracies of 89% to 95% compared with optical validation data, and RMSE between 0.2 and 0.7 m between model and field validation data. This allowed for characterizing the distribution and dynamics of 4 marsh wetlands hydroperiod classes, temporary, seasonal, semipermanent, and permanent, and mapping of the sequential vegetation bands that included emergent, obligate wetland, facultative wetland, and upland plant communities. Hydroperiod variation and surface water extent were found to be influenced by short‐term rainfall events in both wet and dry years. Seasonal hydroperiods in wetlands were particularly variable if there was a decrease in the temporary or semipermanent hydroperiod classes. In years with extreme rain events, the temporary wetlands especially increased relative to longer lasting wetlands (84% in 2015 with significant rainfall events, compared with 42% otherwise).
Spatio‐temporal analysis of glacial ice area distribution of Hunza River Basin, Karakoram region of Pakistan
Authors: Baig Siddique Ullah , Khan Humaira , Din Ahmad 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThere is a high degree of uncertainty about the state and fate of Pakistan's Karakoram glaciers due to data scarcity in high altitude regions. They are thought to be less vulnerable to climatic change because they behave differently as compared with eastern Himalayas. This study measures the decadal temporal changes in the glacial ice area of Karakoram's Hunza River Basin, one of the eight subbasins of Upper Indus Basin. An attempt has been made to investigate the relationship between glacial ice area changes and calculated values of precipitation, temperature and run‐off. A combination of satellite and field‐based approach is applied. Output includes maps of glacial ice hypsometries of eight glacial ice subregions of Hunza River Basin for 3 years (i.e., 1989, 2002, and 2010). The results show a decreasing trend in the glacial ice‐covered area signifying a reduction of 20.47% with the largest reduction being in the lower elevation bands. There is presently no conclusive answer as to why glacial ice in the Karakoram is acting differently from the near‐global indication of glacial ice changes. Climate data from high altitudes are needed to find answer for this anomalous behaviour.
Developing theory of mind abilities in Swedish pre‐schoolers
Authors: Sundqvist Annette , Holmer Emil , Koch Felix‐Sebastian , Heimann Mikael 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis study explored the development of theory of mind (ToM) in 80 Swedish‐speaking 3‐ to 5‐year‐olds, a previously unstudied language and culture. The ToM scale was translated and tested in a Swedish context. The results show that the ToM abilities improve significantly with age. In addition, a gender difference was observed for the whole sample, girls outperformed boys, but follow‐up analyses revealed that the difference only remained significant for the 4‐year‐olds. No gender differences were observed at 3 and 5 years of age. When conducting a scalability analysis, the overall Wellman and Liu scale showed less than acceptable scalability. However, when removing the last task of the scale (Real–Apparent Emotion), the fit and scalability was good. The reason for this divergent result is discussed in terms of cultural differences, such as parental and pedagogical practices in Sweden, which might especially focus on developing children's socio‐emotional understanding.Highlights

Is the theory of mind (ToM) scale a feasible method to assess preschool‐aged children in a Swedish context?
The scale shows significant development from 3 to 5 years of age. To achieve a good scalability, the final task of the scale was removed.
The scale measures ToM abilities developing in preschoolers. Cultural differences, such as parental and pedagogical practices, may alter the developmental trajectory of ToM abilities.
Acceptability of a text message‐based fertility awareness application for family planning in Lucknow, India
Authors: Lerma Klaira , Reyes Griselda , Tiwari Siddharth , Tewari Akhilesh , Hastings Charlotte , Blumenthal Paul D. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractObjectiveTo assess user satisfaction and acceptability toward a cell phone‐based short message system (SMS) application for fertility awareness.MethodsBetween July 1 and September 30, 2013, the present observational study recruited women of reproductive age who were presenting for family planning services in Lucknow, India, who were not pregnant, agreed to use the application, and understood basic English. The application collected information on an individual's menstrual cycle and, using the calendar days approach, predicted fertility. Based on an algorithm, the application sent a daily SMS text indicating the participant's fertility status. Participants completed an acceptability survey at the end of the 60‐day pilot period.ResultsThere were 21 participants enrolled. All reported that the application was highly acceptable, and found it to be private, secure, and convenient. All participants were interested in receiving future SMS reminders for tracking fertility. Most participants (20 [95%]) reported being likely or very likely to recommend the family planning application to friends.ConclusionThe application, with the aims of helping participants to identify their most fertile days once a month during ovulation and make informed decisions regarding fertility and contraception, was highly acceptable and might be useful in low‐resource settings worldwide. Larger studies are needed for software optimization and determination of long‐term effectiveness.
MRI brain image enhancement using brightness preserving adaptive fuzzy histogram equalization
Authors: Subramani Bharath , Veluchamy Magudeeswaran 
Published: March 2018

AbstractIn this article, fuzzy logic based adaptive histogram equalization (AHE) is proposed to enhance the contrast of MRI brain image. Medical image plays an important role in monitoring patient's health condition and giving an effective diagnostic. Mostly, medical images suffer from different problems such as poor contrast and noise. So it is necessary to enhance the contrast and to remove the noise in order to improve the quality of a various medical images such as CT, X‐ray, MRI, and MAMOGRAM images. Fuzzy logic is a useful tool for handling the ambiguity or uncertainty. Brightness Preserving Adaptive Fuzzy Histogram Equalization technique is proposed to improve the contrast of MRI brain images by preserving brightness. Proposed method comprises of two stages. First, fuzzy logic is applied to an input image and then it's output is given to AHE technique. This process not only preserves the mean brightness and but also improves the contrast of an image. A huge number of highly MRI brain images are taken in the proposed method. Performance of the proposed method is compared with existing methods using the parameters namely entropy, feature similarity index, and contrast improvement index and the experimental results show that the proposed method overwhelms the previous existing methods.
State of Knowledge of Irrigation Techniques and Practicalities within Given Socio‐Economic Settings
Authors: Ding Kunlun 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis paper is based on the General Report of Question 61 of the 23rd Congress of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). The Question was entitled ‘State of Knowledge of Irrigation Techniques and Practicalities within Given Socio‐Economic Settings’, covering three sub‐questions: adopting precision irrigation and improving surface irrigation to combat water scarcity; using ICT, remote sensing, control systems and modelling for improved performance of irrigation systems; and adaptability and affordability of new technologies under different socio‐economic scenarios. Under the Question, 64 accepted papers covering a wide range of topics of irrigation techniques and practicalities were summarized and reviewed with valuable views and state‐of‐the‐art information/knowledge on the topics concerned. It was concluded that improving surface irrigation and precision irrigation are still the major areas in which to achieve objectives of higher agricultural water use efficiency and productivity; that new technologies and their applications in the irrigation sector can help to achieve the objectives; and that to address ‘adaptability and affordability’ would ensure the real value achieved in practice. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Combination of blood and biphasic calcium phosphate microparticles for the reconstruction of large bone defects in dog: A pilot study
Authors: Balaguer Thierry , Fellah Borhane H. , Boukhechba Florian , Traverson Marine , Mouska Xavier , Ambrosetti Damien , Dadone Bérengère , Michiels Jean‐François , Amri Ez‐Zoubir , Trojani Christophe , Bouler Jean‐Michel , Gauthier Olivier , Rochet Nathalie 
Published: March 2018

AbstractWe previously reported that biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) microparticles embedded in a blood clot induces ectopic bone formation in mice and repairs a critical femoral defect in rat. The present pilot study aimed to evaluate in dog and in two models of large defects the efficacy of this composite named “blood for reconstruction of bone” (BRB). We show here that BRB is a cohesive biomaterial easy to prepare from dog autologous blood and to mold to fill large bone defects. First in a model of cylindrical femoral condyle defect, the BRB was compared with BCP particles alone. After 8 weeks, this revealed that the amount of mature bone was slightly and significantly higher with BRB than with BCP particles. Second, in a model consisting in a 2 cm‐long critical interruptive defect of the ulna, the BRB was compared with autologous bone. After 6 months, we observed that implantation of BRB can induce the complete reconstruction of the defect and that newly formed bone exhibits high regenerative potential. Comparison with the results obtained with autologous bone grafting strongly suggests that the BRB might be an efficient biomaterial to repair large bone defects, as an alternative or in addition to autologous bone. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1842–1850, 2018.
Silk fibroin enhances peripheral nerve regeneration by improving vascularization within nerve conduits
Authors: Wang Chunyang , Jia Yachao , Yang Weichao , Zhang Cheng , Zhang Kuihua , Chai Yimin 
Published: March 2018

AbstractSilk fibroin (SF)‐based nerve conduits have been widely used to bridge peripheral nerve defects. Our previous study showed that nerve regeneration in a SF‐blended poly (l‐lactide‐co‐ɛ‐caprolactone) [P(LLA‐CL)] nerve conduit is better than that in a P(LLA‐CL) conduit. However, the involved mechanisms remain unclarified. Because angiogenesis within a nerve conduit plays an important role in nerve regeneration, vascularization of SF/P(LLA‐CL) and P(LLA‐CL) conduits was compared both in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we observed that SF/P(LLA‐CL) nanofibers significantly promoted fibroblast proliferation, and vascular endothelial growth factor secreted by fibroblasts seeded in SF/P(LLA‐CL) nanofibers was more than seven‐fold higher than that in P(LLA‐CL) nanofibers. Conditioned medium of fibroblasts in the SF/P(LLA‐CL) group stimulated more human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) to form capillary‐like networks and promoted faster HUVEC migration. The two kinds of nerve conduits were used to bridge 10‐mm‐length nerve defects in rats. At 3 weeks of reparation, the blood vessel area in the SF/P(LLA‐CL) group was significantly larger than that in the P(LLA‐CL) group. More regenerated axons and Schwann cells were also observed in the SF/P(LLA‐CL) group, which was consistent with the results of blood vessels. Collectively, our data revealed that the SF/P(LLA‐CL) nerve conduit enhances peripheral nerve regeneration by improving angiogenesis within the conduit. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2070–2077, 2018.
Bioactivity of novel functionally structured titanium‐ceramic composites in contact with human osteoblasts
Authors: Peñarrieta‐Juanito Gabriella M. , Costa Mafalda , Cruz Mariana , Miranda Georgina , Henriques Bruno , Marques Joana , Magini Ricardo , Mata Antonio , Caramês João , Silva Filipe , Souza Júlio C. M. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe aim of this study was to analyze the osteogenic cell behavior on the surface of novel functionally graded titanium‐based composites containing bioactive ceramics. Titanium grade V discs (8 × 3 mm) embedding gradual content of hydroxyapatite (TiAlV‐HA) or beta‐tricalcium phosphate (TiAlV‐βTCP) were produced by hot‐pressing technique. Titanium‐ceramic composite discs and Ti grade V (control group) were placed in contact with human osteoblast culture assays. The morphology and adhesion of osteoblasts were inspected by field emission guns scanning electron microscopy (FEGSEM) while cell viability was assessed by fluorometric method. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and fluorescent microscopic analyses were used to evaluate mineralization on the test and control discs. FEGSEM images showed cells adhered to Ti6Al4V‐ceramic and Ti6Al4V surfaces over a period of 24 h, and therefore, an intense proliferation of osteoblasts and spreading cells was noticed for 7 days. Cell viability increased with time on all the surfaces although TiAlV‐βTCP revealed significant higher percentage of cell viability than that recorded for TiAlV‐HA (p < 0.01). TiAlV‐βTCP also showed the highest hydrophilic character. ALP levels increased on the Ti6Al4V‐ceramic surfaces when compared to the control group. Also, a qualitative analysis of mineralization evidenced an increase in mineral content on TiAlV‐HA or TiAlV‐βTCP groups. Novel functionally graded composites based on Ti grade V and hydroxyapatite or βTCP showed a higher bioactivity in presence of osteoblasts than that recorded on Ti grade V. Also, such functionally graded materials can prevent risks of failures by detachment of bioactive ceramic materials during implant placement. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1923–1931, 2018.
In vitro and in vivo effects of a novel bioactive glass‐based cement used as a direct pulp capping agent
Authors: Hanada Kaori , Morotomi Takahiko , Washio Ayako , Yada Naomi , Matsuo Kou , Teshima Hiroki , Yokota Kazuyoshi , Kitamura Chiaki 
Published: March 2018

AbstractDirect pulp capping is an important procedure for preserving pulp viability. The pulp capping agent must possess several properties, including usability, biocompatibility, and the ability to induce reparative dentin formation. In this study, a novel bioactive glass‐based cement was examined to determine whether the cement has the necessary properties to act as a direct pulp capping agent. Physicochemical properties of the bioactive glass‐based cement and in vitro effects of the cement on odontoblast‐like cells, as well as in vivo effects on the exposed dental pulp, were analyzed. The cement immersed in water stabilized at pH10, and hydroxyapatite‐like precipitation was induced on the surface of the cement in simulate body fluid. There were no cytotoxic effects on the viability, alkaline phosphatase activity, or calcium deposition ability of odontoblast‐like cells. In the in vivo rat study of an exposed dental pulp model, the cement induced a sufficient level of reparative dentin formation by odontoblast‐like cells expressing odontoblastic markers at the exposed area of the dental pulp. These results suggest that the newly developed bioactive glass‐based cement provides favorable biocompatibility with the dental pulp and may be useful as a direct pulp capping agent. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 107B: 161–168, 2019.
The effect of combined pulsed wave low‐level laser therapy and mesenchymal stem cell‐conditioned medium on the healing of an infected wound with methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcal aureus in diabetic rats
Authors: Kouhkheil Reza , Fridoni Mohammadjavad , Piryaei Abbas , Taheri Soudabeh , Chirani Alireza S. , Anarkooli Iraj J. , Nejatbakhsh Reza , Shafikhani Sasha , Schuger Lucia A. , Reddy Vijaya B. , Ghoreishi Seyed Kamran , Jalalifirouzkouhi Reza , Chien Sufan , Bayat Mohammad 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the combined effects of Pulsed wave low‐level laser therapy (PW LLLT) and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell‐conditioned medium (hBM‐MSC‐CM) on the microbial flora and tensiometrical properties of an infected wound model with methicillin‐resistant staphylococcal aureus (MRSA) in an experimental model for Type 1 diabetes mellitus (TIDM). TIDM was induced in rats by streptozotocin (STZ). One full‐thickness excision was made on the backs of the rats. Next, the rats were divided into the following groups: Group 1 was the control (placebo) group; Group 2 received hBM‐MSCs‐CM four times; Group 3 were laser PWLLLT (890 nm, 80 Hz, 0.2 J/cm2); and Group 4 received hBM‐MSCs‐CM +LASER. Wounds were infected with MRSA. Microbiological examinations were performed on days 4, 7, and 15. Tensiometerical examinations were carried out on the 15th day. One‐way analysis of variance showed that laser and CM alone and/or in combination significantly increases the tensiomerical properties of the repaired wounds compared with control wounds. A combination of PW laser and CM was statistically more effective than other treated groups. Two‐way analysis of variance showed that laser and CM alone and/or in combination significantly decreases the colony‐forming units (CFUs) compared with the control group. The application of hBM‐MSC‐CM and PWlaser alone and/or together significantly accelerates the wound‐healing process in MRSA‐infected cutaneous wounds in TI DM in rats. Additionally, a combined application of hBM‐MSC‐CM and PWlaser demonstrates a synergistic effect on the wound‐healing process in MRSA‐infected cutaneous wounds in Type I DM rats.