bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Physiographic and climatic controls on snow cover persistence in the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Authors: Molotch Noah P. , Meromy Leah 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThe persistence of snow cover across mountainous landscapes influences land‐atmosphere energy exchange, water availability, the partitioning of snowmelt into various hydrologic pathways, vegetation productivity, and fluxes of nutrients. Understanding the processes controlling snow cover persistence has been limited as relationships between physiography, climate, and snow persistence are nonlinear and difficult to characterize empirically. The work detailed herein uses 7 years of remotely sensed snow cover persistence observed from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer over the Sierra Nevada Mountains as a dependent variable in binary regression tree models with a suite of independent variables comprised of both physiographic and climatic metrics. Annual snow cover persistence over 2001–2007 revealed significant inter‐annual variability, with domain‐average snow persistence values exceeding 4.01 (i.e. early April) in the wettest year of 2005 and reaching as low as 2.90 (i.e. late February) in the driest year of 2007. Regression tree models revealed that elevation was the most important explanatory variable regarding snow cover persistence, ranking first in the hierarchical models in 10 out of 13 watersheds. Precipitation (Feather and Owens River basins) and temperature (Kern River basin) were the first‐ranking variables in the remaining three watersheds. Second, the order variables of importance included vegetation, which ranked between 2nd and 5th in 10 of 13 watersheds, and slope, which ranked 4th and 5th in 12 of the 13 watersheds. Interestingly, solar radiation and aspect were of tertiary importance but were more influential in watersheds with north–south orientation (e.g. in the Feather, Mokelumne and Stanislaus watersheds). These results have implications for understanding the sensitivity of snow cover persistence to changes in climate as watersheds where elevation and/or temperature strongly influence snow cover persistence may be more sensitive to future warming. Further work is needed to identify associated ecosystem sensitivities to future changes in snow cover persistence. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Effect of Acute Exercise on Undercarboxylated Osteocalcin and Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Men
Authors: Levinger Itamar , Jerums George , Stepto Nigel K , Parker Lewan , Serpiello Fabio R , McConell Glenn K , Anderson Mitchell , Hare David L , Byrnes Elizabeth , Ebeling Peter R , Seeman Ego 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACT

Acute exercise improves insulin sensitivity for hours after the exercise is ceased. The skeleton contributes to glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity via osteocalcin (OC) in its undercarboxylated (ucOC) form in mice. We tested the hypothesis that insulin sensitivity over the hours after exercise is associated with circulating levels of ucOC. Eleven middle-aged (58.1 ± 2.2 years mean ± SEM), obese (body mass index [BMI] = 33.1 ± 1.4 kg/m2) nondiabetic men completed a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp at rest (rest-control) and at 60 minutes after exercise (4 × 4 minutes of cycling at 95% of HRpeak). Insulin sensitivity was determined by glucose infusion rate relative to body mass (GIR, mL/kg/min) as well as GIR per unit of insulin (M-value). Blood samples and five muscle biopsies were obtained; two at the resting-control session, one before and one after clamping, and three in the exercise session, at rest, 60 minutes after exercise, and after the clamp. Exercise increased serum ucOC (6.4 ± 2.1%, p = 0.013) but not total OC (p &gt; 0.05). Blood glucose was ∼6% lower and insulin sensitivity was ∼35% higher after exercise compared with control (both p &lt; 0.05). Phosphorylated (P)-AKT (Ak thymoma) was higher after exercise and insulin compared with exercise alone (no insulin) and insulin alone (no exercise, all p &lt; 0.05). In a multiple-linear regression including BMI, age, and aerobic fitness, ucOC was associated with whole-body insulin sensitivity at rest (β = 0.59, p = 0.023) and after exercise (β = 0.66, p = 0.005). Insulin sensitivity, after acute exercise, is associated with circulating levels of ucOC in obese men. Whether ucOC has a direct effect on skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity after exercise is yet to be determined. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Fracture Risk Is Mediated by Bone Mineral Density
Authors: Chan Mei Y , Frost Steve A , Center Jacqueline R , Eisman John A , Nguyen Tuan V 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACT

The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and fracture risk is controversial. We sought to investigate the effect of collinearity between BMI and bone mineral density (BMD) on fracture risk, and to estimate the direct and indirect effect of BMI on fracture with BMD being the mediator. The study involved 2199 women and 1351 men aged 60 years or older. BMI was derived from baseline weight and height. Femoral neck BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; GE-LUNAR, Madison, WI, USA). The incidence of fragility fracture was ascertained by X-ray reports from 1991 through 2012. Causal mediation analysis was used to assess the mediated effect of BMD on the BMI-fracture relationship. Overall, 774 women (35% of total women) and 258 men (19%) had sustained a fracture. Approximately 21% of women and 20% of men were considered obese (BMI ≥ 30). In univariate analysis, greater BMI was associated with reduced fracture risk in women (hazard ratio [HR] 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85 to 0.99) and in men (HR 0.77; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.88). After adjusting for femoral neck BMD, higher BMI was associated with greater risk of fracture in women (HR 1.21; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.31) but not in men (HR 0.96; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.11). Collinearity had minimal impact on the BMD-adjusted results (variance inflation factor [VIF] = 1.2 for men and women). However, in mediation analysis, it was found that the majority of BMI effect on fracture risk was mediated by femoral neck BMD. The overall mediated effect estimates were −0.048 (95% CI, −0.059 to −0.036; p &lt; 0.001) in women and −0.030 (95% CI, −0.042 to −0.018; p &lt; 0.001) in men. These analyses suggest that there is no significant direct effect of BMI on fracture, and that the observed association between BMI and fracture risk is mediated by femoral neck BMD in both men and women. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Using confocal Raman microscopy to real‐time monitor poplar cell wall swelling and dissolution during ionic liquid pretreatment
Authors: Zhang Xun , Ma Jing , Ji Zhe , Yang Gui‐Hua , Zhou Xia , Xu Feng 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTThe ionic liquids (ILs) are recognized as the potential solvents for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials before biomass conversion. However, little knowledge of how the cell wall of biomass responds to the IL locally and dynamically during the pretreatment is available. In the current work, the process of IL pretreatment of poplar using 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]) was real‐time monitored on a cellular level by employing confocal Raman microscopy. The results showed that the biomass dissolution during the IL pretreatment can be clearly divided into two stages: (1) slow penetration of IL, and (2) rapid dissolution of lignin and carbohydrates. In this case, the onset of the dissolution of these compositions occurred only after the cell wall of biomass swelled to a certain extent. Because the first stage was a slow process which determined the process reaction rate, it can be deduced that enhancing the penetration capacity of IL was crucial for improving the pretreatment efficiency. Based on the obtained results, a model was proposed to better understand how the plant cell wall responds to the IL before, during, and after pretreatment. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:609–618, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Microscopic characters of the leaf and stem of Lavandula dentata L. (Lamiaceae)
Authors: do Rocio Duarte Márcia , Carvalho de Souza Danielle 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTLavandula dentata L. is an aromatic plant used in folk medicine for different purposes and, for this reason, phytochemical surveys have been carried out in the search for bioactive substances aiming to support its uses. Since there is little knowledge on the structural aspects of L. dentata, this work has studied the anatomical characters of the leaf and stem using light and scanning electron microscopy, in order to assist the species identification. As a result, there are different types of trichomes: capitate glandular with uni‐ or bicellular head, peltate glandular with multicellular head, and branched non‐glandular. The leaf is hypostomatic showing diacytic stomata. The epidermis is uniseriate and coated with striate cuticle. The mesophyll is dorsiventral and the midrib is concave–convex and traversed by a single collateral vascular bundle. The stem is quadrangular and has alternating strands of collenchyma and cortical parenchyma as well as a typical endodermis in the cortex. The phloem and xylem cylinders are traversed by narrow rays and there is an incomplete sclerenchymatic sheath adjoining the phloem. These results are a novelty for the species and contribute to distinguish it from other lavenders. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:647–652, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A new stochastic model for simulating daily solar radiation from sunshine hours
Authors: Lockart Natalie , Kavetski Dmitri , Franks Stewart W. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTMany empirical models have been developed that use sunshine hours (SSH) data to estimate global solar radiation. Most of these models use the Angstrom‐Prescott equation to produce deterministic estimates of monthly radiation and do not provide uncertainty estimates in their predictions. This study develops five stochastic models that use daily SSH data to produce probabilistic simulations of global radiation, including associated uncertainties. These models can be used to estimate historical daily radiation or to estimate radiation without the use of satellite data. Two sources of predictive uncertainty are considered: (1) the timing of the SSH during the day (estimated using Monte Carlo simulation) and (2) external errors such as variability in cloud type and amount (estimated using residual error modelling). The models differ in the parameterization of the diffuse and direct radiation, using either no scaling, linear or quadratic scaling of the radiation by the daily SSH fraction to account for cloud attenuation. The models are calibrated under several residual error assumptions, including constant, linear and quadratic variances dependent on the SSH fraction and simulated radiation. The five models perform equally well in simulating global radiation, with an average error of approximately 9% for all locations studied. The results suggest that SSH uncertainty does not dominate predictive errors in global radiation. The residual errors appear to be best described by a linear heteroscedastic structure with larger variance during cloudy days and smaller variance during sunny days. The developed methodology provides a novel approach for estimating the uncertainty in radiation estimates based on SSH data.
A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomised, clinical study on the effectiveness of collagen peptide on osteoarthritis
Authors: Kumar Suresh , Sugihara Fumihito , Suzuki Keiji , Inoue Naoki , Venkateswarathirukumara Sriraam 
Published: May 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDRecent studies show that enzymatically hydrolysed collagen, the collagen peptide, is absorbed and distributed to joint tissues and has analgesic and anti‐inflammatory properties. A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomised trial with collagen peptides isolated from pork skin (PCP) and bovine bone (BCP) sources was carried out to study the effectiveness of orally supplemented collagen peptide to control the progression of osteoarthritis in patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. Improvement in treatment was assessed with reduction in Western Ontario McMaster Universities (WOMAC), visual analogue scale (VAS) and quality of life (QOL) scores from baseline to 13 weeks (Visit 7). Safety and tolerability were also evaluated.RESULTSThere was significant reduction from baseline to Visit 7 in the primary end points of WOMAC and VAS scores and in the secondary end point of QOL score in subjects with PCP and BCP groups, while in subjects with placebo group the end point indices remained unaltered. Furthermore, all the score levels of WOMAC, VAS and QOL decreased significantly (P < 0.01) in the study group compared to placebo group in Visit 7.CONCLUSIONThe study demonstrated that collagen peptides are potential therapeutic agents as nutritional supplements for the management of osteoarthritis and maintenance of joint health. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Assessment of antioxidant and antiproliferative properties of spinach plants grown under low oxygen availability
Authors: Fornaciari Silvia , Milano Francesco , Mussi Francesca , Pinto‐Sanchez Laura , Forti Luca , Buschini Annamaria , Arru Laura 
Published: May 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDIn the human diet, the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is important in maintaining good health and in preventing chronic diseases. It is known that plant‐derived food is a powerful source of chemopreventive molecules, i.e. antioxidants, and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L., Chenopodiaceae) possesses a wide range of metabolites with such biological activity. Plant stress response could lead to the production of metabolites with high value for human health and this could be a tool to enhance the production of molecules with antioxidant activity in plants.RESULTSData reported in this paper confirm the antioxidant properties of spinach plants, and show a strong antiproliferative activity of leaf extract on HT‐29 human cell line. Besides, the hypoxic stress seems to affect the pool of antioxidant molecules present in spinach leaves, as verified by means of HPLC‐MS/MS analysis and the aluminium chloride and ABTS assays.CONCLUSIONOur findings represent a basis for improving the biological and pharmacological properties of spinach plants, including the use of different growth conditions to modulate the phytocomplex profile of spinach. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Post‐harvest control of gray mold in table grapes using volatile sulfur compounds from Allium sativum
Authors: Gándara‐Ledezma Azucena , Corrales‐Maldonado Consuelo , Rivera‐Domínguez Marisela , Martínez‐Téllez Miguel Ángel , Vargas‐Arispuro Irasema 
Published: May 2014

AbstractBACKGROUNDThis study proposes the use of volatile sulfur compounds derived from garlic (Allium sativum) extracts applied via gas for the control of Botrytis cinerea, which causes post‐harvest disease in table grapes. The effects of the volatile compounds emitted by garlic extract and sodium metabisulfite on conidia germination of B. cinerea were evaluated in vitro to assess their effectiveness at controlling grey mold on grapes stored at different temperatures.RESULTSDiallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide and allicin were identified and quantified in a garlic extract using reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. The volatile compounds emitted by the garlic extract in the form of allicin and diallyl trisulfide inhibited conidia germination of B. cinerea in vitro and significantly reduced the lesion diameters on stored grapes, which were similar to the effects of sodium metabisulfite, while the diallyl disulfide did not have any effect. The sulfhydryl groups of cysteine or reduced glutathione completely reversed the antifungal effect of these compounds.CONCLUSIONThe antifungal activity that allicin and diallyl trisulfide, which are the volatile compounds emitted by a garlic extract, exerted on conidia germination of B. cinerea may be considered as an alternative for the control of gray mold in table grapes after harvest. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Lambert–Eaton syndrome antibodies target multiple subunits of voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels
Authors: Hajela Ravindra K. , Huntoon Kristin M. , Atchison William D. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is an autoimmune presynaptic neuromuscular disorder. Autoantibodies against subunits of voltage‐gated calcium channels (VGCCs) associated with acetylcholine release are thought to cause LEMS. Methods: HEK293 cells expressing specific individual recombinant subunits of α1A, α1B, α1C, and α1E; β3; and α2δ of human neuronal VGCCs were exposed to antibodies from 3 LEMS patients, 1 patient with small‐cell lung carcinoma, and 1 with myasthenia gravis. Results: All LEMS patient antibodies bound to cells containing any of the α1 or β3 subunits alone or combined with α2δ subunits, but not α2δ alone. Autoantibodies from the patient with small‐cell lung carcinoma but not the myasthenia gravis patient targeted the same VGCC subunits. Conclusions: Autoantibodies from LEMS patients bind directly to multiple VGCC α1 subunits as well as the β3 subunit. Thus, multiple components of the presynaptic VGCC complex are prospective targets for antibodies in LEMS. Muscle Nerve 51: 176–184, 2015
Supply licensing when the manufacturer strategically commits to invest in R&D
Authors: Usta Mericcan , Erhun Feryal , Hausman Warren H. 
Published: May 2014

AbstractThis article proposes a strategic reason for a proprietary component supplier to license her technology to a competitor or a manufacturer: her anticipation of the manufacturer's strategic commitment to invest in research and development (R&D). We address this phenomenon with a game theoretic model. Our results show that the manufacturer's full commitment to invest in R&D enables the supplier to license, sell a larger quantity through the supply chain, and charge lower prices. These results are robust to the type of demand uncertainty faced by the manufacturer within the class of increasing generalized failure rate distributions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 61: 341–350, 2014
Assessment of pulmonary vascular reactivity to oxygen using fractional moving blood volume in fetuses with normal lung development and pulmonary hypoplasia in congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Authors: DeKoninck Philip , Jimenez Julio , Russo Francesca M. , Hodges Ryan , Gratacós Eduard , Deprest Jan 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe objective of this study is to evaluate whether assessment pulmonary vascular reactivity in response to maternal hyperoxygenation using fractional moving blood volume (FMBV) is associated with lesser variability between individual measurements than what is observed with direct Doppler measurements.Study designForty‐five measurements were performed in 15 singleton fetuses with normal lung development at three time points in the latter half of pregnancy (range: 25.9–36.7 weeks). We further evaluated five fetuses with severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Lung perfusion was assessed using power Doppler ultrasound, and images were stored for offline FMBV calculation, both at base line and during oxygen administration (9 L/min for 10 min). The proportionate difference between both measurements is further referred to as deltaFMBV.ResultsOverall, 91% of images were of sufficient quality for further analysis. There was no correlation between pulmonary reactivity to oxygen (deltaFMBV) and gestational age in controls (12.9 ± 32.1%). Moreover, deltaFMBV showed large variability between subjects, as well as within the same fetus throughout gestation. We observed good intraobserver (0.88; 0.84) and interobserver (0.88; 0.77) reproducibility for both controls and congenital diaphragmatic hernia, respectively (intraclass correlation coefficients).ConclusionDespite being a reproducible method to study the lung vasculature, the large variability of FMBV following hyperoxygenation limits its clinical translation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Routine noninvasive prenatal screening for fetal RHD in plasma of RhD‐negative pregnant women—2 years of screening experience from Denmark
Authors: Banch Clausen F. , Steffensen R. , Christiansen M. , Rudby M. , Jakobsen M. A. , Jakobsen T. R. , Krog G. R. , Madsen R. D. , Nielsen K. R. , Rieneck K. , Sprogøe U. , Homburg K. M. , Baech J. , Dziegiel M. H. , Grunnet N. 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTObjectivePrenatal and postnatal RhD prophylaxis reduces the risk of RhD immunization in pregnancies of RhD‐negative women. Based on the result from prenatal screening for the fetal RHD gene, prenatal RhD prophylaxis in Denmark is targeted to RhD‐negative women who carry an RhD‐positive fetus. Here, we present a 2‐year evaluation of a nationwide prenatal RHD screening.MethodsBlood samples were drawn from RhD‐negative women in gestational week 25. DNA was extracted from maternal plasma and analyzed for the RHD gene. The prenatal RHD results were compared with the serological typing of newborns in 12,668 pregnancies. Early compliance was assessed for 690 pregnancies.ResultsThe sensitivity for the detection of fetal RHD was 99.9% (95% CI: 99.7–99.9%). Unnecessary recommendation of prenatal RhD prophylaxis was avoided in 97.3% of the women carrying an RhD‐negative fetus. Fetuses that were seropositive for RhD were not detected in 11 pregnancies (0.087%). The sample uptake percentage was 84.2%, and the compliance for prenatal anti‐D administration was 93.2%.ConclusionThe high sensitivity, maintained over 2 years, underlines the reliability of routine prenatal fetal RHD screening in RhD‐negative pregnant women, specifically at 25 weeks of gestation. The remaining challenges are logistical and are related to program compliance. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Screening for Down syndrome – incidental diagnosis of other aneuploidies
Authors: Davis Carla , Cuckle Howard , Yaron Yuval 
Published: May 2014

ABSTRACTObjectiveDown syndrome screening programmes lead to the prenatal diagnosis of other chromosomal abnormalities, some of which would not be detected by the secondary use of cell‐free (cf)DNA testing in screen positives. This study aims to assess the number of these incidental diagnoses.MethodThis study is a systematic review of the literature to identify large prospective screening studies that reported diagnoses other than trisomies 21 and 18.ResultsThere were ten informative prospective studies in which a total of 1 500 999 women were screened, and there were 3689 aneuploidy cases detected in the screen positives. Trisomy 21 was estimated to comprise only 58% of detected aneuploidies, trisomies 21 and 18 comprised 72%, and the common trisomies – 21, 18 and 13 – comprised 76%. Common trisomies and sex chromosome abnormalities, now included in all commercial cfDNA tests, were estimated to comprise 87% of aneuploidies in the Down syndrome screen positives. All these proportions were higher for second trimester protocols compared with those carried out wholly or partly in the first trimester.ConclusionSecondary use of cfDNA testing will lead to about one‐fifth reduction in diagnoses, taking account of both undetectable aneuploidies and false‐negatives. This loss might be overcome by contingent cfDNA testing. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.