bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nonenhanced arterial spin labeled carotid MR angiography using three‐dimensional radial balanced steady‐state free precession imaging
Authors: Koktzoglou Ioannis , Meyer Joel R. , Ankenbrandt William J. , Giri Shivraman , Piccini Davide , Zenge Michael O. , Flanagan Oisin , Desai Tina , Gupta NavYash , Edelman Robert R. 
Published: April 2014

PurposeTo optimize and preliminarily evaluate a three‐dimensional (3D) radial balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP) arterial spin labeled (ASL) sequence for nonenhanced MR angiography (MRA) of the extracranial carotid arteries.Materials and MethodsThe carotid arteries of 13 healthy subjects and 2 patients were imaged on a 1.5 Tesla MRI system using an undersampled 3D radial bSSFP sequence providing a scan time of ∼4 min and 1 mm3 isotropic resolution. A hybridized scheme that combined pseudocontinuous and pulsed ASL was used to maximize arterial coverage. The impact of a post label delay period, the sequence repetition time, and radiofrequency (RF) energy configuration of pseudocontinuous labeling on the display of the carotid arteries was assessed with contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) measurements. Faster, higher undersampled 2 and 1 min scans were tested.ResultsUsing hybridized ASL MRA and a 3D radial bSSFP trajectory, arterial CNR was maximized with a post label delay of 0.2 s, repetition times ≥ 2.5 s (P < 0.05), and by eliminating RF energy during the pseudocontinuous control phase (P < 0.001). With higher levels of undersampling, the carotid arteries were displayed in ≤ 2 min.ConclusionNonenhanced MRA using hybridized ASL with a 3D radial bSSFP trajectory can display long lengths of the carotid arteries with 1 mm3 isotropic resolution. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:1150–1156. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of foliar application of organic acids on alleviation of aluminum toxicity in alfalfa
Authors: An Yuan , Zhou Peng , Xiao Qiu , Shi Dongyan 
Published: April 2014

AbstractOrganic acids (OA) may affect plant resistance to aluminum (Al) toxicity in acidic soils. However, limited information is available on the effects of different organic acids on Al resistance in alfalfa. We investigated the effects of foliar application of organic acids (succinic acid, citric acid, malic acid, and oxalic acid) to alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) under Al stress. Seedlings were grown in pH 4.5 nutrient solution containing Al at 0 or 100 μM, and were sprayed with water or 100 μM of oxalic acid, malic acid, citric acid, or succinic acid every 3 d during a 10 d experiment. Aluminum stress caused significant reduction in alfalfa growth (reflected by above‐ground biomass, root weight and root length), root activity, mineral nutrient concentrations (Ca, K, Mg, Mn and Zn), and a significant increase in leaf membrane lipid peroxidation. Foliar application of the four organic acids, especially succinic acid, alleviated Al toxicity, as demonstrated by the increase in plant growth and root activity, as well as reduction in lipid peroxidation. Oxalic acid and malic acid treatments significantly increased oxalate exudation and decreased Al concentration in roots exposed to Al stress. Succinic acid treatment significantly increased accumulation of all four organic acids in roots, accumulation of Ca, K, Mg, Mn and Zn, and up‐regulated the gene transcription of malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in roots. Our results suggest that the promotion of oxalate exudation from roots through exogenous application of oxalate and malate could contribute to the improvement in Al resistance of alfalfa, and the positive effects of exogenous application of succinate on Al resistance may be associated with the increased endogenous accumulation of all four organic acids in roots, which may constitute an organic‐acid detoxification system in alfalfa.
High performance a‐IGZO thin‐film transistors with mf‐PVD SiO2 as an etch‐stop‐layer
Authors: Nag Manoj , Steudel Soeren , Bhoolokam Ajay , Chasin Adrian , Rockele Maarten , Myny Kris , Maas Joris , Fritz Thomas , Trube Jutta , Groeseneken Guido , Heremans Paul 
Published: April 2014

AbstractIn this work, we report on high‐performance bottom‐gate top‐contact (BGTC) amorphous‐Indium‐Gallium‐Zinc‐Oxide (a‐IGZO) thin‐film transistor (TFT) with SiO2 as an etch‐stop‐layer (ESL) deposited by medium frequency physical vapor deposition (mf‐PVD). The TFTs show field‐effect mobility (μFE) of 16.0 cm2/(V.s), sub‐threshold slope (SS−1) of 0.23 V/decade and off‐currents (IOFF) < 1.0 pA. The TFTs with mf‐PVD SiO2 ESL deposited at room temperature were compared with TFTs made with the conventional plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) SiO2 ESL deposited at 300 °C and at 200 °C. The TFTs with different ESLs showed a comparable performance regarding μFE, SS−1, and IOFF, however, significant differences were measured in gate bias‐stress stability when stressed under a gate field of +/−1 MV/cm for duration of 104 s. The TFTs with mf‐PVD SiO2 ESL showed lower threshold‐voltage (VTH) shifts compared with TFTs with 300 °C PECVD SiO2 ESL and TFTs with 200 °C PECVD SiO2 ESL. We associate the improved bias‐stress stability of the mf‐PVD SiO2 ESL TFTs to the low hydrogen content of the mf‐PVD SiO2 layer, which has been verified by Rutherford‐Back‐Scattering‐Elastic‐Recoil‐Detection technique.
Relationships of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Sleep Measures to Cognitive Performance in Young‐Adult African Americans
Authors: Brownlow Janeese A. , Hall Brown Tyish S. , Mellman Thomas A. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractDisturbed sleep is a prominent feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD and disrupted sleep have been independently linked to cognitive deficits; however, synergistic effects of PTSD and poor sleep on cognition have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of PTSD symptoms and objectively measured disruptions to sleep on cognitive function. Forty‐four young‐adult African American urban residents comprised the study sample. The Clinician‐Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS; Blake et al., 1995) was utilized to determine the severity of PTSD symptoms. Participants underwent 2 consecutive nights of polysomnography. The Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (Reeves, Winter, Bleiberg, & Kang, ) was utilized to assess sustained attention and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (Schmidt, ) was used to evaluate verbal memory. PTSD symptom severity, r(42) = .40, p = .007, was significantly associated with omission errors on the sustained attention task, and sleep duration, r(42) = .41, p = .006, and rapid eye movement sleep, r(42) = .43, p = .003, were positively correlated with verbal memory. There was an interaction of PTSD symptom severity and sleep duration on omission errors such that more than 7 hours 12 minutes of sleep mitigated attentional lapses that were associated with PTSD.
Stopover duration of mallards during autumn in the Illinois River valley
Authors: Hagy Heath M. , Yetter Aaron P. , Stodola Kirk W. , Horath Michelle M. , Hine Christopher S. , Ward Michael P. , Benson Thomas J. , Smith Randolph V. , Stafford Joshua D. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTEstimates of time spent at migratory stopovers are often used to develop habitat conservation objectives for a variety of avian species, namely waterfowl. Because of limited previous research and a need for accurate conservation planning objectives, we estimated stopover duration and factors influencing stay of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in Illinois using radio telemetry during autumns 2009 and 2010. Total stopover duration of migrating mallards was approximately 68 days and was approximately twice that of previous studies which could have significant implications on habitat needs used for conservation planning purposes. Duration of stay post‐capture did not vary by sex, body condition, year, or age but was inversely related to capture date. Our results suggest that wetland conservation objectives could increase 16.2% if our contemporary estimates were included in current planning models of the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Habitat‐related variation in carcass mass of a large herbivore revealed by combining hunting and GPS data
Authors: Marchand Pascal , Garel Mathieu , Bourgoin Gilles , Michel Patricia , Maillard Daniel , Loison Anne 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTStudies on habitat–performance relationships that require joint data on fitness and habitat use are still scarce in long‐lived species. Using data from a southern French population of Mediterranean mouflon (Ovis gmelini musimon × Ovis sp.), we proposed an original approach for gaining information on this relationship by combining a fitness proxy (i.e., carcass mass) collected on harvested rams (n = 257) with knowledge on habitat use obtained from other rams (n = 13) fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars. We first evaluated habitat characteristics encountered by harvested animals in hypothesized home ranges corresponding to circles centered on harvest locations. We set circle size to equal an average ram home range. We found that the carcass mass of harvested individuals decreased with aspect diversity (−16.0% from home ranges with the lowest to the highest diversity), mean slope (−9.3% between flat home ranges and steep ones), and decreasing abundance of open areas (−11.3% between the most and the least open areas). We then tested the robustness of our results by simulating circles with variable sizes and whose centers were randomly located around each harvest location. We found similar results confirming that some habitat characteristics that may be related to resource abundance and spatial structure were important drivers of ram carcass mass in this population. Finally, we showed that simulated circles of variable sizes and centered on GPS locations captured well the habitat composition of home ranges of GPS‐collared rams. Combining different sources of information could hence allow drawing robust inference on key habitats in terms of performance, which is of particular interest when including a spatial component in wildlife management and conservation plans and deciding on appropriate habitat improvements. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Video‐based method of quantifying performance and instrument motion during simulated phonosurgery
Authors: Conroy Ellen , Surender Ketan , Geng Zhixian , Chen Ting , Dailey Seth , Jiang Jack 
Published: April 2014

Objectives/HypothesisTo investigate the use of the Video‐Based Phonomicrosurgery Instrument Tracking System to collect instrument position data during simulated phonomicrosurgery and calculate motion metrics using these data. We used this system to determine if novice subject motion metrics improved over 1 week of training.Study DesignProspective cohort study.MethodsTen subjects performed simulated surgical tasks once per day for 5 days. Instrument position data were collected and used to compute motion metrics (path length, depth perception, and motion smoothness). Data were analyzed to determine if motion metrics improved with practice time. Task outcome was also determined each day, and relationships between task outcome and motion metrics were used to evaluate the validity of motion metrics as indicators of surgical performance.ResultsSignificant decreases over time were observed for path length (P < .001), depth perception (P < .001), and task outcome (P < .001). No significant change was observed for motion smoothness. Significant relationships were observed between task outcome and path length (P < .001), depth perception (P < .001), and motion smoothness (P < .001).ConclusionsOur system can estimate instrument trajectory and provide quantitative descriptions of surgical performance. It may be useful for evaluating phonomicrosurgery performance. Path length and depth perception may be particularly useful indicators.Level of EvidenceNA Laryngoscope 124:2332–2337, 2014
Issues in fortification and analysis of omega‐3 fatty acids in foods
Authors: Hernandez Ernesto M. 
Published: April 2014

SummaryIt is extensively documented that omega‐3 fatty acids play important roles in many bioactive processes. Omega‐3 can also influence the onset, prevention, and control of many illnesses, including prevention of cardiovascular disease. The main sources of omega‐3 fatty acids are currently from vegetable oils and cold water fish. New sources such as from microalgae and krill oils are quickly increasing their share in the supplement market. Challenges for the incorporation of omega‐3 into foods and supplements have been gradually overcome by the introduction of new, more effective, antioxidants and by the use of various types of encapsulation technologies. Also, the smaller, micronutrient level, amounts of omega‐3 fatty acids normally added to fortified foods and supplements present several challenges of sample extraction, preparation and analysis of bioactive omega‐3 ingredients.
Synthesis and Electrochromic Properties of Aromatic Polyamides with Pendent Triphenylamine Units
Authors: Hsiao Sheng‐Huei , Chou Yu‐Tan 
Published: April 2014

Three series of electroactive polyamides are prepared, from 4‐(3,5‐diaminobenzamido)triphenylamine (4), 4‐(3,5‐diaminobenzamido)‐4′,4″‐di‐tert‐butyltriphenylamine (t‐Bu‐4), and 4‐(3,5‐diaminobenzamido)‐4′,4″‐dimethoxytriphenylamine (MeO‐4), respectively, with aromatic dicarboxylic acids via phosphorylation polyamidation reactions. The resulting polyamides are easily soluble in polar organic solvents and can be solution‐cast into flexible and strong films. They exhibit high thermal stability with glass transition temperatures (Tg) in the range of 264–306 °C and 10% weight‐loss temperatures in excess of 470 °C. The polyamides derived from diamines t‐Bu‐4 and MeO‐4 exhibit reversible electrochemical oxidation, accompanied by strong color changes with high contrast ratio and electrochromic stability. The remarkable electrochromic behavior of the polymer film is clearly interpreted on the basis of spectro‐electrochemical studies. For the polyamides derived from diamine 4, the triphenylamine radical cations formed during the oxidative process will dimerize to a tetraphenylbenzidine structure, leading to an additional oxidation state and color change.
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The Non‐effect of Polymer‐Network Inhomogeneities in Microgel Volume Phase Transitions: Support for the Mean‐Field Perspective
Authors: Habicht Axel , Schmolke Willi , Lange Frank , Saalwächter Kay , Seiffert Sebastian 
Published: April 2014

Thermoresponsive polymer gels exhibit pronounced swelling and deswelling upon changes in temperature, making them attractive for applications in sensing and actuation. This volume phase transition can be discussed in terms of mean‐field theoretical pictures to assess at which conditions it occurs continuously or discontinuously. However, this treatment disregards static nano‐ and micrometer‐scale inhomogeneities in gel polymer networks, which are a common feature of these materials. To check for the impact of such structural complexity, droplet‐based microfluidics are used to fabricate sub‐millimeter‐sized gel particles that exhibit critical compositions at the border between continuous to discontinuous volume phase transitions, along with determined static spatial polymer‐network heterogeneity on the nano­meter and micrometer length scales, which is characterized by low‐field NMR. These different microgels are then used to study their swelling and deswelling volume phase transitions from a sub‐millimeter perspective. In this investigation, microgel particles with similar content of crosslinker exhibit similar swelling and deswelling, independent of their extent of static polymer‐network inhomogeneity, in agreement with mean‐field theoretical predictions.
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Excess α‐tocopherol decreases extrahepatic phylloquinone in phylloquinone‐fed rats but not menaquinone‐4 in menaquinone‐4‐fed rats
Authors: Hanzawa Fumiaki , Sakuma Eri , Nomura Saki , Uchida Tomono , Oda Hiroaki , Ikeda Saiko 
Published: April 2014

ScopeThe effects of vitamin E on vitamin K metabolism were elucidated by comparing the effect of tocopherol intake on vitamin K concentrations in rats fed phylloquinone (PK) or menaquinone (MK)‐4.Methods and resultsInitially, the dietary effect of RRR‐α‐tocopherol, but not RRR‐γ‐tocopherol, in decreasing extrahepatic PK concentrations was confirmed. Subsequently, rats were fed a PK or MK‐4‐containing diet (0.75 mg/kg) with RRR‐α‐tocopherol (0, 10, 50, or 500 mg/kg) for 6 weeks. In rats fed PK, α‐tocopherol consumption decreased PK in kidney, lung, heart, muscle, testis, and brain but not in serum and liver. However, in rats fed MK‐4, α‐tocopherol consumption did not decrease MK‐4 in serum and tissues. Finally, vitamin K‐ and E‐depleted rats were administered PK or MK‐4 (0.2 mg) with RRR‐α‐tocopherol (0, 1, or 10 mg) by gavage. After PK administration, α‐tocopherol was observed to decrease PK in kidney, adrenal gland, lung, testis, and brain but not in serum and liver, whereas, after MK‐4 administration, α‐tocopherol did not affect MK‐4 in serum and tissues.ConclusionExcess α‐tocopherol decreased extrahepatic PK in rats fed PK but not MK‐4 in rats fed MK‐4.
Concise Review: Androgen Receptor Differential Roles in Stem/Progenitor Cells Including Prostate, Embryonic, Stromal, and Hematopoietic Lineages
Authors: Huang Chiung-Kuei , Luo Jie , Lee Soo Ok , Chang Chawnshang 
Published: April 2014

AbstractStem/progenitor (S/P) cells are special types of cells that have the ability to generate tissues throughout their entire lifetime and play key roles in the developmental process. Androgen and the androgen receptor (AR) signals are the critical determinants in male gender development, suggesting that androgen and AR signals might modulate the behavior of S/P cells. In this review, we summarize the AR effects on the behavior of S/P cells, including self-renewal, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation in normal S/P cells, as well as proliferation, invasion, and self-renewal in prostate cancer S/P cells. AR plays a protective role in the oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in embryonic stem cells. AR inhibits the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, bone marrow stromal cells, and prostate S/P cells, but promotes their differentiation except for adipogenesis. However, AR promotes the proliferation of hematopoietic S/P cells and stimulates hematopoietic lineage differentiation. In prostate cancer S/P cells, AR suppresses their self-renewal, metastasis, and invasion. Together, AR differentially influences the characteristics of normal S/P cells and prostate cancer S/P cells, and targeting AR might improve S/P cell transplantation therapy, especially in embryonic stem cells and bone marrow stromal cells. Stem Cells 2014;32:2299–2308
Are visible and strong legal frameworks always necessary to sustain irrigation institutions?: some wider lessons for water resource management
Authors: Palerm‐Viqueira Jacinta 
Published: April 2014

How important is a long‐term legal framework for irrigators' organizations to manage their irrigation systems? Countries that have a consistent long‐term legal framework appear also to have strong self‐managed irrigation institutions (e.g., Spain, Japan, Chile, and the US). A lack of this legal framework appears to correlate with lack of or weak irrigators' organizations. In Mexico, however, in spite of a changing and chaotic legal framework, informal or nonofficial irrigators' organizations and horizontal agreements actually do exist. Some of these organizations were officially suppressed, others lost their legal framework, and still others never received official recognition. There is continuity for some cases dating back to 16th century institutions, as well as new organizational efforts. The irrigators' organizations and horizontal agreements are not missing but invisible. These results emphasize that research based around the analysis of official information and official organizations may overlook what is revealed by considering local arrangements on the ground. While a consistent legal framework for self‐managed irrigation institutions may provide increased visibility, and probably make them stronger and more capable of operating effectively, legal frameworks are not necessary—not least because such institutions may actually be very resilient in the face of external pressures. These issues are of much wider importance for water resource management, questioning the assumption that a strong top‐down response is necessary to guarantee water security, and emphasizing the importance of sustaining specific local circumstances in water resource management, which may be invisible without careful investigation.This article is categorized under:

Human Water > Water Governance
Use of isotopic sulfur to determine whitebark pine consumption by Yellowstone bears: A reassessment
Authors: Schwartz Charles C. , Teisberg Justin E. , Fortin Jennifer K. , Haroldson Mark A. , Servheen Christopher , Robbins Charles T. , van Manen Frank T. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTUse of naturally occurring stable isotopes to estimate assimilated diet of bears is one of the single greatest breakthroughs in nutritional ecology during the past 20 years. Previous research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), USA, established a positive relationship between the stable isotope of sulfur (δ34S) and consumption of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) seeds. That work combined a limited sample of hair, blood clots, and serum. Here we use a much larger sample to reassess those findings. We contrasted δ34S values in spring hair and serum with abundance of seeds of whitebark pine in samples collected from grizzly (Ursus arctos) and American black bears (U. americanus) in the GYE during 2000–2010. Although we found a positive relationship between δ34S values in spring hair and pine seed abundance for grizzly bears, the coefficients of determination were small (R2 ≤ 0.097); we failed to find a similar relationship with black bears. Values of δ34S in spring hair were larger in black bears and δ34S values in serum of grizzly bears were lowest in September and October, a time when we expect δ34S to peak if whitebark pine seeds were the sole source of high δ34S. The relationship between δ34S in bear tissue and the consumption of whitebark pine seeds, as originally reported, may not be as clean a method as proposed. Data we present here suggest other foods have high values of δ34S, and there is spatial heterogeneity affecting the δ34S values in whitebark pine, which must be addressed. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Integrated damage management reduces grazing of wild rice by resident Canada geese in New Jersey
Authors: Nichols Theodore C. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTTidal freshwater marshes of the Maurice River, New Jersey, USA, have been long renowned for robust stands of wild rice (Zizania aquatica). During the 1990s, these marshes experienced an apparent decline in wild rice. During 2000–2002, I used paired fenced exclosures and open control plots to measure herbivory by the Atlantic Flyway Resident Population of Canada geese (Branta canadensis) on wild rice and response of rice to an integrated damage management program (IDMP). The IDMP consisted of rendering goose nests unhatchable, shooting, and culling molting geese. The IDMP reduced the number of goslings by 60% during the first year and essentially eliminated recruitment during the second year. Prior to the IDMP, grazing by geese reduced the density of rice by 78% and the height of plants surviving grazing by 17%. With implementation of an IDMP, rice density between exclosures and control plots did not differ. Wetland managers should consider the grazing impacts that resident population Canada geese can incur on native plant communities and develop a plan for mitigating that damage. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.