bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Elucidating multidecadal saltwater intrusion and vegetation dynamics in a coastal floodplain with artificial neural networks and aerial photography
Authors: Wan Yongshan , Wan Christopher , Hedgepeth Marion 
Published: May 2014

AbstractSaltwater intrusion has been recognized as a major driver of ecological regime shifts in coastal wetlands, but few studies have incorporated long‐term salinity modelling data into the understanding of vegetation dynamics. This study uniquely combined artificial neural network (ANN) modelling and time series of aerial photographs to elucidate saltwater intrusion and mangrove encroachment into the freshwater floodplain of the Loxahatchee River over a period of six decades. Three ANN models were developed to simulate river salinity on a daily time step using freshwater inflow, rainfall and tide as inputs. With 8 years of measured data for training and testing, the ANN models demonstrated comparable or superior model performance for salinity simulation to their hydrodynamic counterparts. Modelling of historical salinity (1948–2011) using the ANNs indicated that the intensity of saltwater intrusion clearly correlated with watershed hydrology, which, in turn, was linked to historical watershed alterations and regional rainfall variability. Interpretation of the 1940, 1953, 1964, 1979, 1985 and 1995 aerial photographs revealed the progressive encroachment of mangroves and displacement of bald cypress and freshwater communities in the floodplain. The spatial extent of mangrove encroachment was related to the increasing mortality of bald cypress under the chronic effect of cumulative salinity exposure. The ecohydrological controls over vegetation changes in the Loxahatchee River support the ongoing ecosystem restoration programme, which aims to achieve incremental freshwater flow targets to protect and restore the floodplain ecosystem. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
FGF23 regulates renal sodium handling and blood pressure
Authors: Andrukhova Olena , Slavic Svetlana , Smorodchenko Alina , Zeitz Ute , Shalhoub Victoria , Lanske Beate , Pohl Elena E , Erben Reinhold G 
Published: May 2014

AbstractFibroblast growth factor‐23 (FGF23) is a bone‐derived hormone regulating renal phosphate reabsorption and vitamin D synthesis in renal proximal tubules. Here, we show that FGF23 directly regulates the membrane abundance of the Na+:Cl− co‐transporter NCC in distal renal tubules by a signaling mechanism involving the FGF receptor/αKlotho complex, extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), serum/glucocorticoid‐regulated kinase 1 (SGK1), and with‐no lysine kinase‐4 (WNK4). Renal sodium (Na+) reabsorption and distal tubular membrane expression of NCC are reduced in mouse models of Fgf23 and αKlotho deficiency. Conversely, gain of FGF23 function by injection of wild‐type mice with recombinant FGF23 or by elevated circulating levels of endogenous Fgf23 in Hyp mice increases distal tubular Na+ uptake and membrane abundance of NCC, leading to volume expansion, hypertension, and heart hypertrophy in a αKlotho and dietary Na+‐dependent fashion. The NCC inhibitor chlorothiazide abrogates FGF23‐induced volume expansion and heart hypertrophy. Our findings suggest that FGF23 is a key regulator of renal Na+ reabsorption and plasma volume, and may explain the association of FGF23 with cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease patients.
Spatial relationship of groundwater–phosphorus interaction in the Kissimmee river basin, South Florida
Authors: Assegid Y. , Melesse A. M. , Naja G. M. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractFluctuations of groundwater levels were used to predict soluble phosphorus concentrations. In‐situ observations showed a decrease in soluble phosphorus during groundwater recession and an increase with groundwater rise. A spatial analysis of the simulated soluble phosphorus and groundwater levels indicated similarity of patterns (spatial correlation) 99% of the time. A geographically weighted multivariate analysis of soluble phosphorus using groundwater levels, phosphorus levels of the Kissimmee River, and distance from the Kissimmee River as predictors showed a goodness of fit (R2) ranging from 0.2 to 0.7. Results indicated no significant difference between the simulated and observed soluble phosphorus levels at a p value of 0.01. Among the parameters, the groundwater level explained 70% of the soluble phosphorus variability. The distance to surface waterbodies and their phosphorus levels had significant weights only within a 5‐km range from the waterbody. A model generalization is further required to simulate the spatiotemporal groundwater–phosphorus dynamics over meaningful temporal ranges – at least for 3 to 5 years – for conclusiveness of the data. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A linear systems approach to watershed transport simulation
Authors: Carleton James N. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractModels that simulate loadings of pollutants from agricultural landscapes to surface waters often operate at time scales that are relatively coarse (e.g. daily) compared with how fast water moves in streams, suggesting a commensurate physical scale that is substantially larger than typical agricultural fields. In general, as pollutants enter water and move downstream, longitudinal dispersive effects and travel time de‐synchronization tend to cause flattening and broadening of concentration peaks—an effect with implications for potential impacts on ecological and human health, and for which adequate representation is thus important for risk assessment. In‐stream transport is often approximated in practice using numerical implementation of the one‐dimensional advection–dispersion equation (ADE), with streams discretized into linked homogeneous segments. However, when a daily time step is employed, limitations inherent in the finite difference methodology may constrain simulated dispersion in lotic waters to unrepresentative or unrealistic magnitudes. In this paper, a convolution‐based approach to surface water transport is suggested as an alternative to the ADE, for use in combination with daily input loading models. This approach offers the advantage of greater flexibility in representing longitudinal mixing by using impulse response functions (IRF) to represent inter‐segment transport. Networks of stream segments are represented using nested convolutions, implemented using forward and inverse discrete Fourier transform to simplify calculations. Enhanced representational flexibility arises from the freedom afforded the modeller in selecting each segment's IRF, which may be chosen to represent dispersive regimes ranging from pure advection (plug flow) to compete mixing, and beyond to the sort of long‐tailed mixing characterized by fractal inverse frequency power‐law scaling. The approach is explored in proof‐of‐concept exercises that make use of atrazine monitoring data sets collected over common time periods from upstream and downstream locations within the same watersheds. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
The role of crust thickness in runoff generation from microbiotic crusts
Authors: Kidron Giora J. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractContrary to humid areas where runoff takes place following the saturation of the soil column, runoff in arid and semiarid zones takes place when rain intensities exceed the infiltration capability of the upper soil crust, whether physical crust or microbiotic crust (MC). This type of overland flow, known as Hortonian overland flow (HOF), is not fully understood, especially in the case of MC. In particular, little is known regarding the effect of crust thickness and its fine (silt and clay) content on runoff generation, with some scholars claiming that runoff generation is positively correlated with crust thickness and fine content. In an attempt to determine the effect of crust thickness and to assess the role played by the silt and clay on runoff generation, a set of field and lab experiments were undertaken on MCs inhabiting sand dunes in the Negev Desert (Israel). These included sprinkling experiments coupled with measurements of the physical (thickness, silt and clay) and biological (chlorophyll, protein, total carbohydrates) properties of 0.5–10‐mm‐thick crusts. The data showed that runoff generation took place on surfaces as thin as ~0.5–0.7 mm only, and was not correlated with the fine (silt and clay) content. The implications for HOF and for arid ecosystems are discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrological sensitivity of a northern mountain basin to climate change
Authors: Rasouli Kabir , Pomeroy John W. , Janowicz J. Richard , Carey Sean K. , Williams Tyler J. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe hydrological sensitivity of a northern Canadian mountain basin to change in temperature and precipitation was examined. A physically based hydrological model was created and included important snow and frozen soil infiltration processes. The model was discretized into hydrological response units in order to simulate snow accumulation and melt regimes and basin discharge. Model parameters were drawn from scientific studies in the basin except for calibration of routing and drainage. The model was able to simulate snow surveys and discharge measurements with very good accuracy. The forcing inputs of the hourly air temperatures and daily precipitation were scaled linearly to examine the model sensitivity to conditions included in a range of climate change scenarios: warming of up to 5 °C and change in precipitation of +/− 20%. The results show that peak seasonal snow accumulation, snow season length, evapotranspiration, runoff, peak runoff, and the timing of peak runoff have a pronounced sensitivity to both warming and precipitation change, where the impact of warming is partly compensated for by increased precipitation and dramatically enhanced by decreased precipitation. The snow regime, including peak snow accumulation, snow‐free period, intercepted snow sublimation, and blowing snow transport, was most sensitive to temperature, and the impact of a warming of 5 °C could not be compensated for by a precipitation increase of 20%. However, basin discharge was more sensitive to precipitation, and the impact of warming could be compensated for by a slight increase in precipitation. The impacts of 5 °C warming with a +/−20% change in precipitation resulted in snow accumulation, runoff, and peak streamflow decreasing by from one half to one fifth and the snow‐free period lengthening by from 46 to 60 days; in both cases, the smaller change is associated with increased precipitation and the larger change with decreased precipitation. These results show that mountain hydrology in Northern Canada is extremely sensitive to warming, that snow regime is more sensitive to warming than streamflow and that changes in precipitation can partly modulate this response. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antidiabetic activity of Sedum dendroideum: Metabolic enzymes as putative targets for the bioactive flavonoid kaempferitrin
Authors: Da Silva Daniel , Casanova Livia Marques , Marcondes Mariah Celestino , Espindola‐Netto Jair Machado , Paixão Larissa Pereira , De Melo Giany Oliveira , Zancan Patricia , Sola‐Penna Mauro , Costa Sônia Soares 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate the antidiabetic potential of a leaf extract and flavonoids from Sedum dendroideum (SD). Additionally, our goals were to establish a possible structure/activity relationship between these flavonoids and to assess the most active flavonoid on the glycolytic enzyme 6‐phosphofructo‐1‐kinase (PFK). SD juice (LJ), a flavonoid‐rich fraction (BF), and separately five flavonoids were evaluated intraperitoneally for their acute hypoglycemic activity in normal and streptozotocin‐induced diabetic mice. First, the major flavonoids kaempferol 3,7‐dirhamnoside or kaempferitrin (1), kaempferol 3‐glucoside‐7‐rhamnoside (2), and kaempferol 3‐neohesperidoside‐7‐rhamnoside (3) were tested. Then, the monoglycosides kaempferol 7‐rhamnoside (5) and kaempferol 3‐rhamnoside (6) were assayed to establish their structure/activity relationship. The effect of 1 on PFK was evaluated in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue from treated mice. LJ (400 mg/kg), BF (40 mg/kg), and flavonoid 1 (4 mg/kg) reduced glycemia in diabetic mice (120 min) by 52, 53, and 61%, respectively. Flavonoids 2, 3, 5, and 6 were inactive or showed little activity, suggesting that the two rhamnosyl moieties in kaempferitrin are important requirements. Kaempferitrin enhanced the PFK activity chiefly in hepatic tissue, suggesting that it is able to stimulate tissue glucose utilization. This result is confirmed testing kaempferitrin on C2C12 cell line, where it enhanced glucose consumption, lactate production, and the key regulatory glycolytic enzymes. The hypoglycemic activity of kaempferitrin depends on the presence of both rhamnosyl residues in the flavonoid structure when intraperitoneally administered. Our findings show for the first time that a flavonoid is capable of stimulating PFK in a model of diabetes and that kaempferitrin stimulates glucose‐metabolizing enzymes. This study contributes to the knowledge of the mechanisms by which this flavonoid exerts its hypoglycemic activity. © 2014 IUBMB Life, 66(5):361–370, 2014
Sonographic diagnosis of primary hydatid disease in the breast: The scroll sign
Authors: Jha Abhishek , Gupta Prakhar , Wahab Shagufta , Chauhan Narendra , Haroon Mohd. , Raghuwanshi Rajkumar Singh , Gupta Gagan , Gupta Ajay , Shah Gaurav , Raghav Deepak , Mittal Somit 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTPrimary hydatid disease of breast is a rare entity and is caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. The disease is more commonly seen in sheep‐rearing populations and imaging plays a pivotal role in its diagnosis. Several imaging signs have been described in relation to hydatid cysts. However, the “scroll sign,” due to the infolding of the endocyst, has rarely been encountered, with only one similar case in literature, in which the imaging findings were inconclusive. We present a case of primary hydatid disease of breast in a young Asian woman, with the sonographic scroll sign. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42:502–504, 2014
Assessing climate change impacts on Upper Grande River Basin hydrology, Southeast Brazil
Authors: Viola M. R. , de Mello C. R. , Chou S. C. , Yanagi S. N. , Gomes J. L. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTBrazilian electric power is mostly based on hydraulics sources through hydropower plant reservoirs that are fed by rivers located in Southeast Brazil. Possible changes in climate can affect the energy supply of the country. The objective of this work is to assess the possible changes in the hydrology of the Upper Grande River Basin (UGRB) under a future climate change scenario, using the Lavras Simulation of Hydrology (LASH) model forced by the outputs of the Eta model, a regional climate model, which was driven by HadCM3 A1B scenario for three time slices in the period between 2011 and 2099. Owing to the surface heterogeneity of the region, the hydrologic model was previously calibrated for four watersheds of the UGRB, which are located in its headwater region and evaluated against observational time series of the present climate period, 1961–1990. In the first future time slice, 2011–2040, the results showed a small reduction in the annual run‐off, but for the other time slices, the trend changed to strong increase in most of the watersheds. The water budget in the region calculated from the Eta model agreed with the run‐off trends, as water excess reduced in the first time slice and gradually increased towards the end of the century. The run‐off components showed intraseasonal variability. The reduction of rains in the end of winter, the dry period in the region, and in the beginning of spring, may cause a change in the dynamics of the groundwater recharge, affecting the base flow, which can extend and intensify the flow recession period, and therefore affect the availability of water resources. On the other hand, the increase of rains during the summer, the rainy season of the region, caused an increase of the direct surface run‐off, which can modify the flood regimes of the rivers in the region.
Assessing changes in observed and future projected precipitation extremes in South Korea
Authors: Seo Yun Am , Lee Youngsaeng , Park Jeong‐Soo , Kim Maeng‐Ki , Cho ChunHo , Baek Hee‐Jeong 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTAttempts to assess the changes between the observed (or historical) and future projected daily rainfall extremes for 59 stations throughout Korea have been made with descriptive statistics and extreme value analysis. For the comparison, three different periods and four different data sets are considered: observation and historical data from 1976 to 2005 (period 0), simulation from 2021 to 2050 (period 1) and from 2066 to 2095 (period 2). The historical and projected rainfalls are obtained fromRCP4.5 andRCP8.5 scenarios, which are based on a regional climate modelHadGEM3‐RA. For the comparison of extreme values, the 20‐ and 50‐year return levels and the return period estimates are obtained by using the best one between two extreme value distributions, the method of L‐moments and the regional frequency analysis. From the descriptive statistics, we find that the numbers of heavy rainfall events will increase in the future. The total precipitation is projected to remain unchanged or slightly increased, compared to the observation. From the extreme value analysis, we realize that a 1‐in‐20 year and a 1‐in‐50 year annual maximum daily precipitation will likely become a 1‐in‐10 year and a 1‐in‐16 year event, respectively, when compared to the observation (a 1‐in‐5 year and a 1‐in‐7 year event, compared to the historical data), by the end of the 21st century. But this finding is based on only one simulation model, which confines the confidence of the result and suggests an ensemble approach based on multiple models to get more reliable result.
Micro‐Raman spectroscopy analysis of the 17th century panel painting ‘Servilius Appius’ by Isaac van den Blocke
Authors: Pięta Ewa , Proniewicz Edyta , Szmelter‐Fausek Bożena , Olszewska‐Świetlik Justyna , Proniewicz Leonard M. 
Published: May 2014

Micro‐Raman spectroscopy and optical microscopy under visible and ultraviolet light were applied to characterize the pigments, state of conservation, and painting techniques used in the 17th century panel painting ‘Servilius Appius’, attributed to Isaac van den Blocke. This Golden Age work of art is located at the Gdańsk History Museum.Briefly, individual layers of six samples from different parts of the aforementioned painting were analyzed. A rich palette of white, yellow, red, blue, and black pigments was identified using micro‐Raman spectroscopy. Optical microscopy was also employed to observe and analyze these layers. The obtained results were compared with the art history knowledge of the painting. Consequently, these studies enabled precise characterization of the type of lead tin yellow, the admixture of pigments used in the painting layers, and the type of ground layers, as well as the determination of the pictorial technique used in the process of creating this work of art. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The inferior thyroid veins — the ultimate guardians of the trachea
Authors: Krausen Anthony S. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe inferior thyroid veins and their multiple tributaries are the ultimate guardians of the cervical trachea. Deeply embedded in the pretracheal fat pad, this plexus of veins is consistently encountered during low tracheostomy that accompanies conservation laryngeal procedures as well as in tracheal reconstruction. In a high tracheotomy, the handling of the thyroid isthmus is simplified by an appreciation of these veins. Even cricothyrotomy is potentially complicated by hemorrhage subsequent to a tear in a tributary of the inferior thyroid venous system.A cadaver study, employing 10 embalmed head and neck specimens, was performed to elucidate the tributary patterns of these veins. In every dissection there was at least one and as many as five veins overlying the trachea just below the thyroid isthmus. In 7 of 10 dissections a confluence of right and left inferior thyroid veins formed a large thyroid ima vein draining into the left innominate vein, and in 1 of 10 cases the thyroid ima vein drained into the right innominate. This confluence was present at a level which would be encountered in low tracheostomy or tracheal repair procedures. Six of 10 dissections presented large tributaries of the inferior thyroid veins overlying the cricothyroid membrane.An awareness of such anatomical considerations should result in safer surgical procedure performed in a dry operative field.
Neuro‐otologic manifestations of sarcoidosis
Authors: Hybels Roger L. , Rice Dale H. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractSarcoidosis is an idiopathic disease which presents in anatomic areas of concern to otorhinolaryngologists. It can cause dysfunction of both auditory and vestibular systems. In patients known previously to have sarcoidosis, this disease should be seriously considered. In patients presenting with otologic disorders and associated facial nerve paralysis or other neuropathies, uveitis, granulomatous meningitis or diabetes insipidus, sarcoidosis should be suspected. An examination of the eyes as well as a chest X‐ray is imperative. Sudden and fluctuating neurosensory hearing loss has been reported. There is a great need for the study of temporal bones from sarcoidosis patients.
Ultrasound of the cervical roots and brachial plexus in neonates
Authors: Pillen Sigrid , Semmekrot Ben , Meulstee Jan , Verrips Aad , Van Alfen Nens 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTIntroduction: In this exploratory study we investigated whether ultrasound can visualize the neonatal cervical roots and brachial plexus. Methods: In 12 healthy neonates <2 days old, the neck region was studied unilaterally with ultrasound using a small‐footprint 15–7‐MHz transducer. Results: The C5–C8 nerve roots and brachial plexus could be imaged with sufficient delineation of the root exits to assess their integrity. The brachial plexus was more difficult to discern from the surrounding area in neonates compared with adults, especially in the interscalene region because of the smaller amount of connective tissue in and surrounding muscles and nerves. In addition, the large deposits of brown fat make for a different ultrasound appearance of the neonatal neck compared with adults. Conclusions: Ultrasound of the neonatal cervical nerve roots is feasible and may be used as a non‐invasive screening technique to assess nerve root integrity in obstetric brachial plexus injury. Muscle Nerve 51: 35–41, 2015
Three‐dimensional simulations of tensile cracks in geomaterials by coupling meshless and finite element method
Authors: Peng Chong , Wu Wei , Zhang Bingyin 
Published: May 2014

SummaryFailure in geotechnical engineering is often related to tension‐induced cracking in geomaterials. In this paper, a coupled meshless method and FEM is developed to analyze the problem of three‐dimensional cracking. The radial point interpolation method (RPIM) is used to model cracks in the smeared crack framework with an isotropic damage model. The identification of the meshless region is based on the stress state computed by FEM, and the adaptive coupling of RPIM and FEM is achieved by a direct algorithm. Mesh‐bias dependency, which poses difficulties in FEM‐based cracking simulations, is circumvented by a crack tracking algorithm. The performance of our scheme is demonstrated by two numerical examples, that is, the four‐point bending test on concrete beam and the surface cracks caused by tunnel excavation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.