bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Two‐Photon‐Induced Fluorescence of Isomorphic Nucleobase Analogs
Authors: Lane Richard S. K. , Jones Rosemary , Sinkeldam Renatus W. , Tor Yitzhak , Magennis Steven W. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractFive isomorphic fluorescent uridine mimics have been subjected to two‐photon (2P) excitation analysis to investigate their potential applicability as non‐perturbing probes for the single‐molecule detection of nucleic acids. We find that small structural differences can cause major changes in the 2P excitation probability, with the 2P cross sections varying by over one order of magnitude. Two of the probes, both thiophene‐modified uridine analogs, have the highest 2P cross sections (3.8 GM and 7.6 GM) reported for nucleobase analogs, using a conventional Ti:sapphire laser for excitation at 690 nm; they also have the lowest emission quantum yields. In contrast, the analogs with the highest reported quantum yields have the lowest 2P cross sections. The structure‐photophysical property relationship presented here is a first step towards the rational design of emissive nucleobase analogs with controlled 2P characteristics. The results demonstrate the potential for major improvements through judicious structural modifications.
A 0.8‐V supply bulk‐driven operational transconductance amplifier and Gm‐C filter in 0.18 µm CMOS process
Authors: Abbasalizadeh Soolmaz , Sheikhaei Samad , Forouzandeh Behjat 
Published: March 2014

SummaryA low voltage bulk‐driven operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) and its application to implement a tunable Gm‐C filter are presented. The linearity of the proposed OTA is achieved by nonlinear terms cancelation technique, using two paralleled differential topologies with opposite signs in the third‐order harmonic distortion term of the differential output current. The proposed OTA uses 0.8 V supply voltage and consumes 31.2 μW. The proposed OTA shows a total harmonic distortion of better than −40 dB over the tuning range of the transconductance, by applying 800 mVppd sine wave input signal with 1 MHz frequency. The OTA has been used to implement a third‐order low‐pass Gm‐C filter, which can be used for wireless sensor network applications. The filter can operate as the channel select filter and variable gain amplifier, simultaneously. The gain of the filter can be tuned from −1 to 23 dB, which results in power consumptions of 187.2 to 450.6 μW, respectively. The proposed OTA and filter have been simulated in a 0.18 µm CMOS technology. Simulations of process corners and temperature variations are also included in the paper. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of using DSM‐5 criteria for diagnosing binge eating disorder in bariatric surgery candidates: Change in prevalence rate, demographic characteristics, and scores on the minnesota multiphasic personality inventory – 2 restructured form (MMPI‐2‐RF)
Authors: Marek Ryan J. , Ben‐Porath Yossef S. , Ashton Kathleen , Heinberg Leslie J. 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTObjectiveBinge eating disorder (BED) was recently included in the DSM‐5. The prevalence rate for BED using the DSM‐IV‐TR research criteria tends to be higher in bariatric surgery candidates than the normative population; however, no studies have examined how many more bariatric surgery candidates will meet the new, less conservative criteria of DSM‐5. We explore the current BED prevalence rate change in a sample of bariatric surgery candidates.MethodData were obtained for 1,283 bariatric surgery candidates. 84 men and 213 women were diagnosed with current BED using DSM‐IV‐TR research criteria. A semi‐structured interview, the binge eating scale (BES), and a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory—2 Restructured Form (MMPI‐2‐RF) were given to every patient as part of standard procedures mandated by the facility.Results and DiscussionAn additional 3.43% (p < .001) of bariatric surgery candidates met the diagnostic threshold for BED when using DSM‐5 criteria. These individuals were demographical similar and produced similar MMPI‐2‐RF and BES scores when compared with patients who met DSM‐IV‐TR criteria for BED. Thus, the current investigation indicates that individuals meeting BED criteria based on DSM‐5 are similar to those meeting the more conservative diagnostic threshold outlined in DSM‐IV‐TR in a sample of bariatric surgery candidates. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:553–557)
Soil moisture variations affect short‐term plant‐microbial competition for ammonium, glycine, and glutamate
Authors: Månsson Katarina F. , Olsson Magnus O. , Falkengren‐Grerup Ursula , Bengtsson Göran 
Published: March 2014

AbstractWe tested whether the presence of plant roots would impair the uptake of ammonium (), glycine, and glutamate by microorganisms in a deciduous forest soil exposed to constant or variable moisture in a short‐term (24‐h) experiment. The uptake of 15NH4 and dual labeled amino acids by the grass Festuca gigantea L. and soil microorganisms was determined in planted and unplanted soils maintained at 60% WHC (water holding capacity) or subject to drying and rewetting. The experiment used a design by which competition was tested in soils that were primed by plant roots to the same extent in the planted and unplanted treatments. Festuca gigantea had no effect on microbial N uptake in the constant moist soil, but its presence doubled the microbial uptake in the dried and rewetted soil compared with the constant moist. The drying and rewetting reduced by half or more the uptake by F. gigantea, despite more than 60% increase in the soil concentration of . At the same time, the amino acid and ‐ N became equally valued in the plant uptake, suggesting that plants used amino acids to compensate for the lower acquisition. Our results demonstrate the flexibility in plant‐microbial use of different N sources in response to soil moisture fluctuations and emphasize the importance of including transient soil conditions in experiments on resource competition between plants and soil microorganisms. Competition between plants and microorganisms for N is demonstrated by a combination of removal of one of the potential competitors, the plant, and subsequent observations of the uptake of N in the organisms in soils that differ only in the physical presence and absence of the plant during a short assay. Those conditions are necessary to unequivocally test for competition.
Three divergent lineages within an Australian marsupial (Petrogale penicillata) suggest multiple major refugia for mesic taxa in southeast Australia
Authors: Hazlitt Stephanie L. , Goldizen Anne W. , Nicholls James A. , Eldridge Mark D. B. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractMesic southeastern Australia represents the continent's ancestral biome and is highly biodiverse, yet its phylogeographic history remains poorly understood. Here, we examine mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region and microsatellite diversity in the brush‐tailed rock‐wallaby (Petrogale penicillata; n = 279 from 31 sites), to assess historic evolutionary and biogeographic processes in southeastern Australia. Our results (mtDNA, microsatellites) confirmed three geographically discrete and genetically divergent lineages within brush‐tailed rock‐wallabies, whose divergence appears to date to the mid‐Pleistocene. These three lineages had been hypothesized previously but data were limited. While the Northern and Central lineages were separated by a known biogeographic barrier (Hunter Valley), the boundary between the Central and Southern lineages was not. We propose that during particularly cool glacial cycles, the high peaks of the Great Dividing Range and the narrow adjacent coastal plain resulted in a more significant north–south barrier for mesic taxa in southeastern Australia than has been previously appreciated. Similarly, located phylogeographic breaks in codistributed species highlight the importance of these regions in shaping the distribution of biodiversity in southeastern Australia and suggest the existence of three major refuge areas during the Pleistocene. Substructuring within the northern lineage also suggests the occurrence of multiple local refugia during some glacial cycles. Within the three major lineages, most brush‐tailed rock‐wallaby populations were locally highly structured, indicating limited dispersal by both sexes. The three identified lineages represent evolutionarily significant units and should be managed to maximize the retention of genetic diversity within this threatened species.
Correlation between structural and functional connectivity impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Schmidt Ruben , Verstraete Esther , de Reus Marcel A. , Veldink Jan H. , van den Berg Leonard H. , van den Heuvel Martijn P. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive loss of motor function. While the pathogenesis of ALS remains largely unknown, imaging studies of the brain should lead to more insight into structural and functional disease effects on the brain network, which may provide valuable information on the underlying disease process. This study investigates the correlation between changes in structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) of the brain network in ALS. Structural reconstructions of the brain network, derived from diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), were obtained from 64 patients and 27 healthy controls. Functional interactions between brain regions were derived from resting‐state fMRI. Our results show that (i) the most structurally affected connections considerably overlap with the most functionally impaired connections, (ii) direct connections of the motor cortex are both structurally and functionally more affected than connections at greater topological distance from the motor cortex, and (iii) there is a strong positive correlation between changes in SC and FC averaged per brain region (r = 0.44, P < 0.0001). Our findings indicate that structural and functional network degeneration in ALS is coupled, suggesting the pathogenic process affects both SC and FC of the brain, with the most prominent effects in SC. Hum Brain Mapp 35:4386–4395, 2014. © 2014 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Biocompatible electrospun polymer blends for biomedical applications
Authors: Munj Hrishikesh Ramesh , Nelson M. Tyler , Karandikar Prathamesh Sadanand , Lannutti John Joseph , Tomasko David Lane 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBlends of natural and synthetic polymers have received considerable attention as biomaterials due to the potential to optimize both mechanical and bioactive properties. Electrospinning of biocompatible polymers is an efficient method producing biomimetic topographies suited to various applications. In the ultimate application, electrospun scaffolds must also incorporate drug/protein delivery for effective cell growth and tissue repair. This study explored the suitability of a ternary Polymethylmethacrylate‐Polycaprolactone‐gelatin blend in the preparation of electrospun scaffolds for biomedical applications. Tuning the blend composition allows control over scaffold mechanical properties and degradation rate. Significant improvements were observed in the mechanical properties of the blend compared with the individual components. In order to study drug delivery potential, triblends were impregnated with the model compound Rhodamine‐B using sub/supercritical CO2infusion under benign conditions. Results show significantly distinct release profiles of the impregnated dye from the triblends. Specific factors such as porosity, degradation rate, stress relaxation, dye‐polymer interactions, play key roles in impregnation and release. Each polymer component of the triblends shows distinct behavior during impregnation and release process. This affects the aforementioned factors and the release profiles of the dye. Careful control over blend composition and infusion conditions creates the flexibility needed to produce biocompatible electrospun scaffolds for a variety of biomedical applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 1517–1527, 2014.
Development and comparison of circulation type classifications using the COST 733 dataset and software
Authors: Philipp Andreas , Beck Christoph , Huth Radan , Jacobeit Jucundus 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTIn order to examine correspondence between different methods for circulation type classification, a dataset of classification catalogs for 12 different European regions has been created using a specially developed software package. Twenty‐seven basic automatic classification methods have been applied in several variants to different input datasets describing atmospheric circulation. Together with six manual classifications a total of 33 methods are available for inter‐comparison.Pattern correlation, frequency time‐series correlation and the adjusted Rand index have been used for comparison. Highly significant correspondence has been detected only for two clustering techniques while the remaining classification methods show surprisingly low similarity. A Monte‐Carlo test with 1000 classifications of randomly defined types even shows that most of the methods are not more similar among each other than any arbitrarily chosen types.The predominant dissimilarity between the methods is interpreted to be a result of a lack of inherent structures of the input data. Only simulated annealing clustering and self‐organizing maps get nearly identical results because they can optimally fit the partitioning to the outer shape of the data cloud in the phase space. Also methods based on pre‐defined types come to very different results because small changes in the definition of thresholds may lead to large differences in the partitioning.It is concluded that because of the missing inner structure of the data there is no clear statistical reason to prefer any of the examined methods. For practice in synoptic climatology this means that finding a suited classification for a certain purpose may require a broad comparison of methods. The software package cost733class for development, comparison and evaluation of classifications which was developed and used in this study is available at http://cost733.geo.uni‐augsburg.de to facilitate this task.
Analyses of trends in air temperature in the United Kingdom using gridded data series from 1910 to 2011
Authors: Prior M. John , Perry Matthew C. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractGridded temperature datasets covering the UK at 5 km × 5 km resolution have been analysed for temporal and spatial patterns of change and variability. Decadal‐scale variability is visualized by smoothing the data series using a kernel smoother. Trends have been analysed by comparing averages for a baseline period with averages for a recent period, as well as using linear regression. Spatial patterns of change have been mapped by calculating trends for each grid point.Monthly gridded datasets of daily maximum, minimum and mean air temperatures are available from 1910 to date. These show statistically significant increases for all parts of the UK, with the rate of change increasing from the north and west to the south and east. Seasonally, the least significant changes have occurred in the winter, with significant increases for most districts for all of the other seasons.Derived indices based on daily temperature are available from 1961 onwards. There have been significant decreases in heating degree days and increases in growing degree days for all districts, while changes in cooling degree days are less significant as the values are low and inter‐annual variability dominates. There have been significant decreases in frost days, especially in spring and autumn, and this is linked to significant increases in growing season length, especially for Scotland.
Observed changes in dry day frequency and prolonged dry episodes in Northeast China
Authors: Liu Xiaodong , Liu Binhui , Henderson Mark , Xu Ming , Zhou Daowei 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTDaily precipitation data from 34 weather stations in Northeast China from 1960 to 2008 are used to examine trends in the occurrence of dry days and prolonged dry episodes. Trends in the mean length and frequency of prolonged dry episodes, as well as the number of dry days within prolonged dry episodes (DDPDE), are computed regionally and for individual stations at the threshold levels of 1 and 2 mm day−1. Regionally, the number of dry days is increasing in the summer half‐year and decreasing in the winter half‐year. DDPDE is significantly increasing in the summer half‐year; the increased frequency of dry spells has the greatest effect. The mean length of prolonged dry episodes in the winter half‐year has decreased significantly. Our results indicate that neither the frequency nor the mean length of prolonged dry episodes, alone, can adequately describe the short‐term dry conditions of an area. Multiple characteristics of dry spells, including frequency, length, and the number of DDPDE should be considered. DDPDE is a function of both the frequency and length of dry episodes, but may be more influenced by one or the other characteristics of dry spells, depending on the season or region.
Evaluation of a starch‐based double layer scaffold for bone regeneration in a rat model
Authors: Requicha Joao F. , Moura Tiago , Leonor Isabel B. , Martins Teresa , Muñoz Fernando , Reis Rui L. , Gomes Manuela E. , Viegas Carlos A. 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTDamages in the maxillofacial bones are frequent in humans following trauma, metabolic diseases, neoplasia, or inflammatory processes. Many of the available treatments to regenerate bone are often ineffective. The goal of this work was to assess the in vivo behavior of an innovative double‐layered scaffold based on a blend of starch and polycaprolactone (SPCL) that comprises a membrane obtained by solvent casting, which aims to act as a guided tissue regeneration membrane, and a wet‐spun fiber mesh (in some cases functionalized with osteoconductive silanol groups) targeting bone regeneration. The behavior of the double layer scaffold, functionalized with silanol groups (SPCL‐Si) or without (SPCL), was assessed in a mandibular rodent model and compared to a commercial collagen membrane (positive control) and to empty defects (negative control). After 8 weeks of implantation, the micro‐computed tomography and the histomorphometric analysis revealed that the SPCL‐Si scaffolds induced significantly higher new bone formation compared to the collagen membrane and to the empty defects, although they had a similar performance when compared to the SPCL scaffolds. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:904–909, 2014.
Language impairment in cerebellar ataxia
Authors: van Gaalen Judith , de Swart Bert J.M. , Oostveen Judith , Knuijt Simone , van de Warrenburg Bart P.C. , Kremer Berry (H.) P.H 
Published: March 2014

ABSTRACTBackgroundSeveral studies have suggested that language impairment can be observed in patients with cerebellar pathology. The aim of this study was to investigate language performance in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6).MethodsWe assessed speech and language in 29 SCA6 patients with standardized linquistic tests and correlated this with the severity of ataxia, as quantified by the Scale of Assessment and Rating of Ataxia.ResultsIndividual patients show mild‐to‐moderate linguistic impairment. Linguistic abnormalities were most distinct on the writing and comprehension subtests. A strong correlation between severity of ataxia and linguistic performance was consistently found.ConclusionsThis study confirms the occurrence of linguistic impairments in patients with cerebellar degenerative diseases, such as SCA6. The relation between linguistic abnormalities and severity of ataxia provides further evidence for a role of the cerebellum in linguistic processing. © 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Tidal‐breathing measurement of exhaled breath temperature (EBT) in schoolchildren
Authors: Barreto M. , Piacentini G. , Chiossi L. , Ruggeri F. , Caiazzo I. , Campisano M. , Martella S. , Villa M.P. 
Published: March 2014

SummaryBackgroundNon‐invasive assessment of airway inflammation is particularly useful in children. The exhaled breath temperature (EBT) may reflect inflammatory vasodilation and serve to assess respiratory symptoms and therapy with inhaled corticosteroids (ICs).AimsTo compare EBT with other non‐invasive measurements in unselected schoolchildren in relation to respiratory symptoms and IC‐therapy, as well as to assess reproducibility, and potentially influencing factors.MethodsIn 298 Italian schoolchildren, we assessed tidal‐EBT, FENO, spirometry, skin‐prick tests, questionnaires on chronic respiratory symptoms, and medication. Subjects were divided as follows: reported wheeze, respiratory symptoms other than wheeze, and without symptoms.ResultsSubjects with reported wheeze (n = 30) more frequently presented atopy, respiratory symptoms, higher FENO, lower lung function than subjects with symptoms other than wheeze (n = 141) and those without symptoms (n = 127), but had a similar EBT. IC‐treated children (5 wheeze, 9 respiratory symptoms other than wheeze, 4 without chronic symptoms) had lower median (interquartile range) EBT levels than IC‐untreated children (n = 280) [EBT: 31.7 (30.1–32.5) vs. 32.6 (31.4–33.4), P = 0.027]. Duplicate EBT measurements were highly reproducible (ICC = 0.94). In a multiple linear‐regression model, EBT was explained by age, weight, duration of EBT measurement, FENO, and ambient temperature (r = 0.63, P < 0.001).ConclusionTidal‐EBT measurements are easy to perform, reproducible, though symptom misclassification may affect the results obtained regarding the effect of IC therapy. Factors influencing EBT should be addressed in further epidemiological studies. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:1196–1204. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.