bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Adsorption isotherms, kinetics and mechanism of Pb(II) ions removal from aqueous solution using chemically modified agricultural waste
Authors: Senthil Kumar P. , Senthamarai C. , Sai Deepthi A.S.L. , Bharani R. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution by chemically surface modified Strychnos potatorum seeds (SMSP) was investigated. The surface modification of the adsorbent was confirmed by the FTIR and SEM analyses. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm model provides a better fit to the adsorption isotherm data. The maximum adsorption capacity of SMSP for Pb(II) ions was found to be 166.67 mg/g at optimum conditions of pH 5.0, contact time of 30 min, SMSP dosage of 2 g/L and temperature of 30°C. The adsorption kinetics for Pb(II) ions removal by the SMSP follows the pseudo‐second order kinetic model. Adsorption mechanism of Pb(II) ions onto the SMSP was explained with the intraparticle diffusion, Boyd kinetic and Shrinking core models (SCM). The effective diffusivity values were calculated from the Boyd kinetic model: 7.723 × 10−12, 8.464 × 10−12, 6.877 × 10−12, 8.358 × 10−12 and 6.983 × 10−12 m2/s for the initial Pb(II) ions concentration from 100 to 500 mg/L, respectively. The diffusivity values were estimated from the SCM: 8.901 × 10−9, 8.586 × 10−9, 8.359 × 10−9, 5.368 × 10−9 and 4.318 × 10−9 m2/s for the initial Pb(II) ions concentration from 100 to 500 mg/L, respectively. The results suggest that SMSP can be used as an effective low‐cost adsorbent for the Pb(II) ions removal.
Visualization of inactive X chromosome in preimplantation embryos utilizing MacroH2A–EGFP transgenic mouse
Authors: Soma Atsumi , Sato Kenzo , Nakanishi Tomoko 
Published: January 2013

SummaryOne of the two X chromosomes is inactivated in female eutherian mammals. MacroH2A, an unusual histone variant, is known to accumulate on the inactive X chromosome (Xi) during early embryo development, and can thus be used as a marker of the Xi. In this study, we produced a transgenic mouse line expressing the mouse MacroH2A1.2–enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fusion protein (MacroH2A–EGFP) under the control of a CAG promoter and verified whether MacroH2A–EGFP would be useful for tracing the process of X chromosome inactivation by visualizing Xi noninvasively in preimplantation embryos. In transgenic female mice, MacroH2A–EGFP formed a fluorescent focus in nuclei throughout the body. In female blastocysts, the MacroH2A–EGFP focus colocalized with Xist RNA, well known as a marker of Xi. Fluorescence marking of Xi was first observed in some embryonic cells between the 4‐ and 8‐cell stages. These results demonstrate that MacroH2A can bind to the Xi by around the 8‐cell stage in female mouse embryos. These MacroH2A–EGFP transgenic mice might be useful to elucidate the process of X chromosome inactivation during the mouse life cycle. genesis 51:259–267. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A novel reporter rat strain that expresses LacZ upon Cre‐mediated recombination
Authors: Fukamachi Katsumi , Tanaka Hajime , Sakai Yuto , Alexander David B. , Futakuchi Mitsuru , Tsuda Hiroyuki , Suzui Masumi 
Published: January 2013

SummaryThe recent widespread application of Cre/loxP technology has resulted in a new generation of conditional animal models that can better recapitulate many salient features of human disease. These models benefit from the ability to monitor the expression and functionality of Cre protein. We have generated a conditional (Cre/loxP dependent) LacZ reporter rat (termed the LacZ541 rat) to monitor Cre in transgenic rats. When LacZ541 rats were bred with another transgenic rat line expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the CAG promoter, LacZ/Cre double transgenic embryos displayed ubiquitous expression of LacZ, and when LacZ541 rats were bred with transgenic rats expressing Cre/loxP‐dependent oncogenic H‐ or K‐ras, LacZ was expressed in the lesions resulting from the activation of the oncogene. The LacZ541 rat enables evaluation of the performance of Cre‐expressing systems which are based upon transgenic rats or somatic gene transfer vectors and provides efficient and simple lineage marking. genesis 51:268–274. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Can wildfire serve as an ecohydrologic threshold‐reversal mechanism on juniper‐encroached shrublands
Authors: Williams C. Jason , Pierson Frederick B. , Al‐Hamdan Osama Z. , Kormos Patrick R. , Hardegree Stuart P. , Clark Patrick E. 
Published: January 2013

ABSTRACTWoody plant encroachment on water‐limited lands can induce a shift from biotic (plant)‐controlled resource retention to abiotic (physical)‐driven losses of critical soil resources. The biotic‐to‐abiotic shift occurs where encroachment propagates connectivity of runoff processes and amplified cross‐scale erosion that, in‐turn, promote ecohydrologic resilience of the post‐encroachment community. We investigated these relationships for woodland‐encroached sagebrush steppe in the Great Basin, USA, and evaluated wildfire as a mechanism to reverse the post‐encroachment soil erosion feedback. We measured vegetation, soil properties, and runoff/erosion from experimental plots on burned and unburned areas of a late‐succession woodland 1 and 2 years post‐fire. Our findings suggest that the biotic‐to‐abiotic shift and amplified cross‐scale erosion occur where encroachment‐induced bare ground exceeds 50–60% and bare gaps between plant bases frequently extend beyond 1 m. The trigger for amplified cross‐scale erosion is formation of concentrated flow within the degraded intercanopy between trees. Burning in this study decreased ecohydrologic resilience of the late‐succession woodland through herbaceous recruitment 2 years post‐fire. Increased intercanopy herbaceous productivity decreased connectivity of bare ground, improved infiltration, and reduced erosion, but the study site remained vulnerable to runoff and erosion from high‐intensity rainfall. We conclude that burning can reduce woodland ecohydrologic resilience and that woodland encroachment‐induced structural and functional ecohydrologic attributes may persist during high‐intensity storms for an undetermined period post‐fire. We cannot conclude whether wildfire reverses the woodland‐induced soil erosion feedback on sagebrush rangelands. However, our results suggest that wildfire may provide a restoration pathway for sagebrush steppe by reducing woodland ecohydrologic resilience over time. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Neural Responses to Visual Food Cues: Insights from Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: García‐García I. , Narberhaus A. , Marqués‐Iturria I. , Garolera M. , Rădoi A. , Segura B. , Pueyo R. , Ariza M. , Jurado M. A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to describe the patterns of functional magnetic resonance imaging activation produced by visual food stimuli in healthy participants, as well as in those with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and obesity. We conducted a systematic review of studies published in the last decade on normal and abnormal eating. This review suggested the existence of neural differences in response to the sight of food between healthy individuals, those with an eating disorder and obese subjects. Differences were identified in two brain circuits: (i) limbic and paralimbic areas associated with salience and reward processes and (ii) prefrontal areas supporting cognitive control processes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Higher‐order and adaptive discontinuous Galerkin methods with shock‐capturing applied to transonic turbulent delta wing flow
Authors: Hartmann R. 
Published: January 2013

SUMMARYDiscontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods allow high‐order flow solutions on unstructured or locally refined meshes by increasing the polynomial degree and using curved instead of straight‐sided elements. DG discretizations with higher polynomial degrees must, however, be stabilized in the vicinity of discontinuities of flow solutions such as shocks.In this article, we device a consistent shock‐capturing method for the Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes and k‐ ω turbulence model equations based on an artificial viscosity term that depends on element residual terms. Furthermore, the DG method is combined with a residual‐based adaptation algorithm that targets at resolving all flow features. The higher‐order and adaptive DG method is applied to a fully turbulent transonic flow around the second Vortex Flow Experiment (VFE‐2) configuration with a good resolution of the vortex system.Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pain increases motivational drive to obtain reward, but does not affect associated hedonic responses: A behavioural study in healthy volunteers
Authors: Gandhi W. , Becker S. , Schweinhardt P. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractBackgroundPain and reward have been suggested to interact, and some evidence is provided by a rodent study showing that acutely injured animals are more motivated to reach a food reward while they do not increase food consumption, pointing at unaltered reward liking. Since no data exist in humans, we conducted a psychophysical experiment to test the effects of experimentally induced tonic pain on (1) the motivation to receive reward and (2) hedonic responses when being rewarded.MethodsForty healthy participants underwent two experimental sessions: in one, painful heat stimulation was continuously applied while participants played a monetary reward task; in the other, participants experienced non‐painful warm stimulation while playing the task. In the task, participants needed to react quickly enough to a target cue to win the money associated with the particular trial ($0.04, $1 or $4). Reaction time to the target cue served as measure of motivation. Ratings after each trial on how much the participant liked the trial's outcome served as a measure of hedonic responses.ResultsPain increased the motivation to obtain reward when the incentive was high, indexed by decreased reaction times (repeated‐measures analysis of variance, interaction pain × incentive; p = 0.009). In contrast to motivational drive, hedonic ratings of the rewarding stimuli were not influenced by pain.ConclusionSimilar to existing rodent data, our results suggest a pain‐induced mismatch of increased motivational drive with a lack of increased hedonic responses. This mismatch is discussed as perhaps reflecting a failed coping attempt, which is potentially relevant for chronic pain patients.
Polylactic‐co‐glycolic acid mesh coated with fibrin or collagen and biological adhesive substance as a prefabricated, degradable, biocompatible, and functional scaffold for regeneration of the urinary bladder wall
Authors: Salem Salah Abood , Hwei Ng Min , Saim Aminuddin Bin , Ho Christopher C.K. , Sagap Ismail , Singh Rajesh , Yusof Mohd Reusmaazran , Md Zainuddin Zulkifili , Bt. Hj Idrus Ruszymah 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe chief obstacle for reconstructing the bladder is the absence of a biomaterial, either permanent or biodegradable, that will function as a suitable scaffold for the natural process of regeneration. In this study, polylactic‐co‐glycolic acid (PLGA) plus collagen or fibrin was evaluated for its suitability as a scaffold for urinary bladder construct. Human adipose‐derived stem cells (HADSCs) were cultured, followed by incubation in smooth muscle cells differentiation media. Differentiated HADSCs were then seeded onto PLGA mesh supported with collagen or fibrin. Evaluation of cell‐seeded PLGA composite immersed in culture medium was performed under a light and scanning microscope. To determine if the composite is compatible with the urodynamic properties of urinary bladder, porosity and leaking test was performed. The PLGA samples were subjected to tensile testing was pulled until PLGA fibers break. The results showed that the PLGA composite is biocompatible to differentiated HADSCs. PLGA‐collagen mesh appeared to be optimal as a cell carrier while the three‐layered PLGA‐fibrin composite is better in relation to its leaking/ porosity property. A biomechanical test was also performed for three‐layered PLGA with biological adhesive and three‐layered PLGA alone. The tensile stress at failure was 30.82 ± 3.80 (MPa) and 34.36 ± 2.57 (MPa), respectively. Maximum tensile strain at failure was 19.42 ± 2.24 (mm) and 23.06 ± 2.47 (mm), respectively. Young's modulus was 0.035 ± 0.0083 and 0.043 ± 0.012, respectively. The maximum load at break was 58.55 ± 7.90 (N) and 65.29 ± 4.89 (N), respectively. In conclusion, PLGA‐Fibrin fulfils the criteria as a scaffold for urinary bladder reconstruction. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013.
Subcutaneous tissue response to titanium, poly(ϵ‐caprolactone), and carbonate‐substituted hydroxyapatite‐coated poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) plates: A rabbit study
Authors: Chanchareonsook Nattharee , Tideman Henk , Feinberg Stephen E. , Hollister Scott J. , Jongpaiboonkit Leenaporn , Kin Liao , Jansen John A. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThe aim of this study was to evaluate the soft tissue response to poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) (PCL) implants with and without carbonate‐substituted hydroxyapatite (CHA) coating compared to the commonly used titanium alloy (Ti‐6Al‐4V)‐machined surface. Experimental materials were implanted subcutaneously in New Zealand white rabbits for 5 weeks. The tissue attachment strength, as evaluated by a tissue peel test, histological and histomorphology analysis, as well as scanning electron microscopy were compared between groups. The peel test result revealed no statistically significant difference between groups. Histological analysis found fibrous capsule formation around all implant materials. The fibrous capsule around PCL implants with and without CHA coating was significantly thinner compared with the capsule thickness around the titanium implants. However, the inflammatory cells, as present at the fibrous capsule‐implant interface, were found to be significantly lower in the Ti‐group. In conclusion, the current data do not prove that PCL or PCL with a CHA coating results in a superior soft tissue response compared with a machined titanium implant. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013.
Influence of alkyl chain length on calcium phosphate deposition onto titanium surfaces modified with alkylphosphonic acid monolayers
Authors: Wu Jiang , Hirata Isao , Zhao Xianghui , Gao Bo , Okazaki Masayuki , Kato Koichi 
Published: January 2013

AbstractMuch attention has been paid to the modification of a titanium surface with an alkylphosphonic acid (PA)‐based self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) to accelerate hydroxyapatite (HA) deposition on the surface. In order to further accelerate the rate of HA deposition, we examined here the effect of alkyl chain length of SAMs on the formation of a HA layer. PAs with three different alkyl chain lengths (3, 6, and 16 methylene units) were used for the preparation of a SAM on titanium. The titanium specimens with monolayers were soaked in a simulated body fluid under physiological conditions for 4 weeks. The deposited substances were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. These analyses revealed that the formation of PA SAMs accelerate the deposition of poorly crystallized HA, in an alkyl chain length‐dependent manner. Among PAs studied here, PA containing a 16‐carbon alkyl chain gave rise to the titanium surface most effective for the deposition of HA. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013.
General phenolic characterisation, individual anthocyanin and antioxidant capacity of matured red wines from two Portuguese Appellations of Origins
Authors: Cristino Rosa , Costa Elisa , Cosme Fernanda , Jordão António M 
Published: January 2013

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe main aim of this work was to evaluate the general phenolic composition, individual anthocyanin content and total antioxidant capacity from 20 commercial matured red wine samples (vintage from 2005 to 2008) produced in two Appellations of Origin from the north of Portugal: Douro and Dão.RESULTSThe results showed that the levels of general phenolic compounds, individual anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity in the 20 matured red wine samples analysed differed significantly. In addition, matured red wine samples aged in oak wood had a lower total individual anthocyanin content (from 13.85 to 56.79 mg L−1, averaging 46.13 mg L−1) than wines aged in bottle (from 25.93 to 252.82 mg L−1, averaging 94.17 mg L−1). The total antioxidant capacity values of the analysed wines showed quantitative differences among the values obtained from each antioxidant method applied as well as differences in the range of variation, especially for the values obtained by the DPPH method.CONCLUSIONThe wines used in this study constitute quite a heterogeneous group, made from different Portuguese red grape varieties, with diverse ages and two ageing processes (bottle and oak wood barrels); and accordingly, they showed important differences, especially in their phenolic composition. Finally, the oak wood ageing process before bottling had a negative effect in individual anthocyanins content in contrast to matured red wines submitted only to a bottle ageing process. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Assessment of the impact of the addition of antimicrobial plant extracts to wine: Volatile and phenolic composition
Authors: García‐Ruiz Almudena , Rodríguez‐Bencomo Juan José , Garrido Ignacio , Martín‐Álvarez Pedro J , Moreno‐Arribas M Victoria , Bartolomé Begoña 
Published: January 2013

AbstractBackgroundAntimicrobial plant phenolic‐rich extracts have been proposed as alternative to sulfites in the control of the malolactic fermentation (MLF) during winemaking. This addition may affect wine organoleptic properties. In this paper, we have investigated the changes in wine volatile and phenolic composition, after MLF, of a red wine treated with antimicrobial extracts from eucalyptus leaves and almond skins.ResultsAlthough addition of both extracts led to statistically significant changes (P < 0.05) in the concentration of several esters, alcohols, C13 nor‐isoprenoids and volatile phenols, only few of these volatile compounds showed values of odour activity > 1 aroma unit; that is to say, whose concentrations were higher than their corresponding odour thresholds. With regard to phenolic compounds, the addition of both extracts did not significantly modify the content of anthocyanins, which predicts minor changes in wine colour. However, the content of non‐anthocyanin phenolics was significantly higher in the wines treated with antimicrobial extracts, especially for flavonols, being the dose‐over‐taste factor for these wines significantly higher. Finally, principal component analysis showed that wines were mainly differentiated on the basis of whether MLF was conducted or not, and its method of performance (inoculated/spontaneous).ConclusionAddition of antimicrobial extracts leads to some compositional changes in the wine, whose relevance needs to be addressed in future experiments, including wine sensorial analysis. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Sub‐wavelength interference pattern from volume plasmon polaritons in a hyperbolic medium
Authors: Ishii Satoshi , Kildishev Alexander V. , Narimanov Evgenii , Shalaev Vladimir M. , Drachev Vladimir P. 
Published: January 2013

AbstractInside of a hyperbolic medium, the principal components of the permittivity tensor have opposite signs causing the medium to exhibit a ‘metallicbr’ type of response to light wave sin one direction, and a ‘dielectric’ response in the other. Our study shows that inside hyperbolic media, volume plasmon polaritons (VPPs) propagate along the characteristic planes, forming distinct, directionally dependent optical responses. This is similar to the propagation of conventional surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) along the planar interfaces separating the isotropic dielectrics and metallic slabs. Interestingly, the plasmon polariton propagates along the resonance cone in a volume of hyperbolic metamaterial crossing the interfaces of the constitutive materials. The Young's double‐slit scheme is used to study the spatially‐confined diffraction in a hyperbolic slab, made of many thin planar layers of a metal and dielectric, to obtain the sub‐wavelength interference pattern at the output interface. Proof‐of‐concept systems for producing such patterns applicable to nanolithography and subwavelength probes are demonstrated.
A Density Functional Theory Study of Secondary Reactions in n‐Butyl Acrylate Free Radical Polymerization
Authors: Cuccato Danilo , Mavroudakis Evangelos , Dossi Marco , Moscatelli Davide 
Published: January 2013

AbstractIn this work, secondary reactions involved in the free radical polymerization of butyl acrylate are investigated using quantum chemistry. First, various backbiting reactions are studied by adopting a simplified molecular model suitable for treating long polymer chains. The predicted reaction kinetics suggest the possibility of a radical migration along the poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) chain as a consequence of subsequent j:j + 4 hydrogen abstractions, which are characterized by a low activation energy. Moreover, branching propagation and β‐scission reactions originating from mid‐chain radicals are investigated using a complete PBA model composed of five monomer units. The reaction kinetics involving short‐branch radicals are also examined, and a novel backbiting step leading to the formation of short branches is proposed. magnified image
Applying human computation mechanisms to information retrieval
Authors: Harris Christopher G. , Srinivasan Padmini 
Published: January 2013

AbstractCrowdsourcing and Games with a Purpose (GWAP) have each received considerable attention in recent years. These two human computation mechanisms assist with tasks that cannot be solved by computers alone. Despite this increased attention, much of this transformation has been limited to a few aspects of Information Retrieval (IR). In this paper, we examine these two mechanisms' applicability to IR. Using an IR model, we apply criteria to determine the suitability of these crowdsourcing and GWAP mechanisms to each step of the model. Our analysis illustrates that these mechanisms can apply to several of these steps with good returns.
Information seeking through microblog questions: The impact of social capital and relationships
Authors: Zhang Pengyi 
Published: January 2013

AbstractThis paper investigates how users of Sina Weibo, a popular microblogging service in China, request information by posting questions to their online social networks. The fast development of social networks and social media such as microblogging sites has greatly impacted how people access and share information. Previous research has focused on how users share information on microblogging sites, but relatively less is known about how users use such networks to seek information. This paper addresses the gap. The data set contains 1969 question messages from 1939 users (information seekers) and 7997 responses to these questions from 3296 users (information providers), the profiles of the information seekers and providers, and their immediate social network (followings and followers). This paper examined the social capital and demographic characteristics of the information seekers, and the relationships between the information seekers and providers with regards to response rates and number of responses as indicators for information and social benefits of information seeking. Results show that 1) questions posted by female users and verified users and messages using the “@” sign have higher response rates; 2) about 70%‐80% of information seeker‐provider pairs are physically close and have reciprocal relationships. The study demonstrates the impact of the information seekers' social capital and their relationships with the information providers in regards to the outcomes of information seeking in Weibo social networks.