bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Stable oxygen isotope differences between the areas to the north and south of Qinling Mountains in China reveal different moisture sources
Authors: Yu Wusheng , Yao Tandong , Lewis Stephen , Tian Lide , Ma Yaoming , Xu Baiqing , Qu Dongmei 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTδ18O variability in daily precipitation at two stations (Lanzhou and Zhangye) north of the Qinling Mountains at the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, China, and monthly precipitation δ18O at four stations to the south of the Qinling Mountains were examined. The data show that the δ18O composition of precipitation south of the Qinling Mountains is influenced strongly by the prevailing westerlies during winter and by the summer Asian monsoon during its most active periods. To the north, the westerlies prevail in winter, and δ18O trends coincide strongly with temperature. In summer, the Qinling Mountains block or weaken the Asian monsoon, which crosses them only during the most active periods. In these periods, the stations to the north experience relatively depleted δ18O values (<−7‰). During weak monsoon periods, however, most of the δ18O values in summer precipitation at Lanzhou and Zhangye are relatively enriched (>−5‰, and even as high as +9.2‰). A positive northward weighted average δ18O gradient of summer precipitation with increasing distance from the coast suggests the influence of the prevailing westerlies and of continental recycling of moisture. Both the frequency of these heavily depleted δ18O values and their duration decrease from south to north, reaching minimums at Zhangye, which may have been in the monsoonal tail region during the sampling period. The data reveal that the Qinling Mountains act as an important climatic divide along the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The effects of the Asian summer monsoon and of different moisture sources should be considered for paleoclimatic studies.
Variations in the provenance of sediment from ice sheets surrounding Baffin Bay during MIS 2 and 3 and export to the Labrador Shelf Sea: site HU2008029‐0008 Davis Strait
Authors: ANDREWS JOHN T. , GIBB OLIVIA T. , JENNINGS ANNE E. , SIMON QUENTIN 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTBased on quantitative X‐ray diffraction mineralogical analysis of cores HU2008029‐0006/0008 (857‐m water depth) located south of the Davis Strait sill, we seek answers to two questions: (i) the temporal correlation of NW Labrador Shelf Sea Heinrich (H‐) and Baffin Bay detrital carbonate (BBDC) events, and (ii) the provenance of the sediments? A sediment‐unmixing model (SedUnMix) is used to determine provenance variations. Although 12 radiocarbon dates were obtained there were many age reversals and we favour a depth/age model for HU2008029‐0008PC based on correlations to well‐dated neighbouring cores north and south of Davis Strait. We find no correlation between H‐ and BBDC events except for H‐0, which appears to be a broadly synchronous event along the NE Canadian margin and is correlative with an episode of major moraine building along this flank of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Unmixing of the sediment composition based on six potential glacial source regions indicates that the bulk of the sediment in 0008PC is derived from glacial erosion of West Greenland, but is punctuated by intervals when dolomite‐rich sediments, derived from outcrops north of Baffin Bay, dominate the composition. Estimated dates on these BBDC events are ∼13, 25 and 30–38 cal ka BP.
Supramolecular Hydrogel Capsules Based on PEG: A Step Toward Degradable Biomaterials with Rational Design
Authors: Rossow Torsten , Bayer Sebastian , Albrecht Ralf , Tzschucke C. Christoph , Seiffert Sebastian 
Published: August 2013

Supramolecular microgel capsules based on polyethylene glycol (PEG) are a promising class of soft particulate scaffolds with tailored properties. An approach to fabricate such particles with exquisite control by droplet‐based microfluidics is presented. Linear PEG precursor polymers that carry bipyridine moieties on both chain termini are gelled by complexation to iron(II) ions. To investigate the biocompatibility of the microgels, living mammalian cells are encapsulated within them. The microgel elasticity is controlled by using PEG precursors of different molecular weights at different concentrations and the influence of these parameters on the cell viabilities, which can be optimized to exceed 90% is studied. Reversion of the supramolecular polymer cross‐linking allows the microcapsules to be degraded at mild conditions with no effect on the viability of the encapsulated and released cells.
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Botryoid‐Shaped Reactive Nanoparticles through Spontaneous Structural Reorganization of Terpolymer Micelles
Authors: Deng Junjie , Cai Yuanli 
Published: August 2013

Botryoid‐shaped reactive terpolymer nanoparticles, whose aldehyde‐functional living domains are miniaturized into small‐sized discrete “grapes” and attached onto the outwardly‐branched scaffolds of fluorinated segments, are reported. These nanostructures can be fabricated by spontaneous structural reorganization of core–shell terpolymer micelles simply by manipulating drying conditions. The miniaturized discrete living domains are stabilized by outwardly‐branched scaffolds and exhibit excellent accessibility to solution media, thus can effectively respond to solution media, which is desired in sensor‐related applications.
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Dextran‐Based Self‐Healing Hydrogels Formed by Reversible Diels–Alder Reaction under Physiological Conditions
Authors: Wei Zhao , Yang Jian Hai , Du Xiao Jing , Xu Feng , Zrinyi Miklos , Osada Yoshihito , Li Fei , Chen Yong Mei 
Published: August 2013

A dextran‐based self‐healing hydrogel is prepared by reversible Diels–Alder reaction under physiological conditions. Cytocompatible fulvene‐modified dextran as main polymer chains and dichloromaleic‐acid‐modified poly(ethylene glycol) as cross‐linkers are used. Both macro‐ and microscopic observation as well as the rheological recovery test confirm the self‐healing property of the dextran‐l‐poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels (“l” means “linked‐by”). In addition, scanning electrochemical microscopy is used to qualitatively and quantitatively in situ track the self‐healing process of the hydrogel for the first time. It is found that the longitudinal depth of scratch on hydrogel surface almost completely healed at 37 °C after 7 h. This work represents a facile approach for fabrication of polysaccharide self‐healing hydrogel, which can be potentially used in several biomedical fields.
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Assessment of forest fire danger in a boreal forest environment: description and evaluation of the operational system applied in Finland
Authors: Vajda Andrea , Venäläinen Ari , Suomi Irene , Junila Päivi , Mäkelä Hanna M. 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTForest fires constitute the second largest form of disturbance to the Finnish boreal forest environment, playing a significant role in vegetation succession and landscape transformation. Warning systems aiming to minimize the risk of fires are based on fire danger estimation methods using weather information. In this study, the operational fire danger rating method used in Finland, the Finnish Forest Fire Index, is introduced and its performance evaluated by analysing the relationship between the predicted daily fire danger and observed fire activity. The Finnish Forest Fire Index is a physically‐based soil surface moisture estimation method employing as input traditional surface observations, numerical weather forecast model fields and weather radar measurements. The fire danger index is found to predict high fire danger conditions well, with some decline in performance northward where the observations network is sparser than in the southern part of the country. The model indicated higher hit rates in the prediction of multiple fire (54%) and large fire days (54.3%), which are less dependent on a human‐dominated fire environment than are single fire days. Highlighted future development priorities include the direct application of numerical analyses of meteorological data in the operational computation procedure. In addition, inclusion of the impact of land cover, such as vegetation type, on the fire danger index is under development.
Soil moisture simulation by JULES in New Zealand: verification and sensitivity tests
Authors: Yang Yang , Uddstrom Michael , Revell Mike , Moore Stuart 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTHourly observations of soil moisture volumetric content (at depths of 0–0.4 m) have been conducted for a few years at 55 climate stations with diverse soil types and annual rainfall in New Zealand. Thirty two of these stations also have surface meteorological observations. In this study, these observations were used for the first time to validate a land surface model (LSM) for soil moisture simulation, the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES). At the 32 stations, the yearly mean absolute differences (MADs) of the simulated soil moisture volumetric ratio were about 5% or smaller, except at four South Island stations, where larger MADs of 8–12% were found. Further analysis of rainfall and soil moisture observations at these four stations showed that the observed soil moisture includes a contribution from lateral soil water flow, which is not considered in the one‐dimensional version of JULES used in this study. For the remaining 28 stations, the relatively small yearly MADs (∼5%) were mainly due to biases. To understand the major factors contributing to the errors/biases, three sensitivity tests were conducted. These tests showed that errors in the soil texture data were the most likely contributor to the errors in simulated soil moisture. This study demonstrates that for a better simulation of soil moisture in New Zealand, especially in the lower South Island, a LSM needs to include lateral soil moisture/water flow, and to use more accurate prescriptions of the hydraulic and thermal properties of the soil.
Kinetics of sulforaphane in mice after consumption of sulforaphane‐enriched broccoli sprout preparation
Authors: Li Yanyan , Zhang Tao , Li Xiaoqin , Zou Peng , Schwartz Steven J. , Sun Duxin 
Published: August 2013

ScopeSulforaphane (SF) is a natural isothiocyanate in broccoli sprouts with cancer chemopreventive activity. This study is aimed to use different methods to develop broccoli sprout preparations to compare their ability to deliver SF to the mice and to evaluate the kinetics and biodistribution of SF.Methods and resultsThe SF‐enriched sprout preparation generated by two‐step procedure (quick‐steaming followed by myrosinase treatment) contained the highest level of SF, which was 11 and 5 times higher than the freeze‐dried fresh broccoli sprouts and the quick‐steamed, freeze‐dried broccoli sprouts, respectively. After oral administration of 2.5 mg/g body weight of the broccoli sprout preparations, SF was quickly absorbed and distributed throughout the tissues. The SF‐rich preparation resulted in the highest exposure, with peak plasma SF concentration of 337 ng/mL, which is 6.0 times and 2.6 times higher compared to the other two preparations. A whole body physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (developed with ADAPT 5 software) suggests that distribution of SF is perfusion‐limited in all organs.ConclusionThis study provides a broccoli sprout preparation that can serve as a good source of SF, and the model can be utilized to guide the dose designed for the use of broccoli sprout preparation in chemoprevention.
Selective co‐stimulation of pudendal afferents enhances bladder activation and improves voiding efficiency
Authors: McGee Meredith J. , Grill Warren M. 
Published: August 2013

AbstractAimsClinical application of pudendal nerve (PN) afferent stimulation to restore bladder emptying in persons with neurological disorders requires increased stimulation‐evoked voiding efficiencies (VEs). We tested the hypothesis that selective co‐stimulation of multiple PN branches, either bilateral dorsal nerve of the penis (DNP) stimulation or selective stimulation of both the cranial sensory nerve (CSN) and DNP, will evoke larger reflex bladder contractions and result in higher VEs than stimulation of any single afferent pathway alone.MethodsWe measured the strength of bladder contractions, threshold volumes, and VEs produced by unilateral and bilateral stimulation of the DNP as well as singular and selective unilateral co‐stimulation of the DNP and CSN in cats anesthetized with α‐chloralose.ResultsCo‐stimulation of afferent pathways generated significantly larger isovolumetric bladder contractions and evoked contractions at lower threshold volumes than individual stimulation. Co‐stimulation of pudendal afferents also suppressed dyssynergic activity in the external anal sphincter produced by low frequency individual stimulation. VE was significantly improved with co‐stimulation (172 ± 6% of distention evoked volumes) over individual stimulation (141 ± 6%).ConclusionsBoth types of co‐stimulation evoked larger bladder contractions and increased VE over individual branch PN afferent stimulation and distention‐evoked voiding. The decreased threshold volumes required for reflex bladder activation and increased VEs with co‐stimulation support the use of stimulation of multiple individual stimulation‐evoked reflexes to improve voiding efficiency. Neurourol. Urodynam. 33:1272–1278, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Actuation design for high‐performance shape memory polyurethanes
Authors: Kim Min Ji , Kim Byung Kyu 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTA series of shape memory polyurethanes were synthesized from poly(tetramethylene glycol), 4,4‐methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, and 1,3‐butanediol. The prepolymers with different molecular weights (Mc) were capped with 2‐hydroxyl ethylacrylate or 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and crosslinked by UV curing or a sol–gel reaction. Variations of the crosslinker functionality (f), subchain density (N), and hard segment content (HSC) produced systematic variations of the glass transition temperature (6–45 °C), accompanied by changes in the mechanical, dynamic mechanical and shape memory properties. More than 95% of shape fixity and 98% of shape recovery up to the fourth cycles were obtained with APTES crosslinked 3000Mc with 30% of HSC. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1473–1479
PSA enzymatic activity: A new biomarker for assessing prostate cancer aggressiveness
Authors: Ahrens Michael J. , Bertin Paul A. , Vonesh Edward F. , Meade Thomas J. , Catalona William J. , Georganopoulou Dimitra 
Published: August 2013

AbstractBACKGROUNDWith the advent of widespread prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) testing in recent decades, prostate cancer (PCa) has emerged as the most frequently diagnosed non‐skin cancer among men in the U.S. and Europe [1]. Greater screening rates coupled with improved detection methods have caused a controversial upsurge in the number of men undergoing prostate biopsy and subsequent treatment. However, current diagnostic techniques generally suffer from limited ability to identify which seemingly indolent cancers are biologically aggressive [2].METHODSWe collected prostatic fluid from 778 post‐radical prostatectomy specimens and randomly selected samples from both the clinically confirmed aggressive (n = 50) and non‐aggressive (n = 50) prostate cancer populations. We measured the level of proteolytic enzyme activity of PSA (aPSA) in each sample and used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to correlate aPSA levels with prostate cancer aggressiveness.RESULTSWe found aPSA in prostatic fluid to be inversely proportional to disease stage, such that patients with the most aggressive PCa have on average significantly reduced aPSA compared to those with less aggressive disease. Significantly, our results suggest that many (22% in our study population) of the diagnosed patients with non‐aggressive PCa could have averted or delayed radical prostatectomy.CONCLUSIONSGiven the high level of debate surrounding PSA screening effectiveness [3–5] and the recent U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommendation to discontinue PSA screening [6], our results provide renewed hope that a clinical monitoring tool may emerge that truly refines PCa treatment decision‐making. Prostate 73:1731–1737, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Regulation of high‐voltage‐activated Ca2+ channel function, trafficking, and membrane stability by auxiliary subunits
Authors: Felix Ricardo , Calderón‐Rivera Aida , Andrade Arturo 
Published: August 2013

Voltage‐gated Ca2+ (CaV) channels mediate Ca2+ ions influx into cells in response to depolarization of the plasma membrane. They are responsible for initiation of excitation‐contraction and excitation‐secretion coupling, and the Ca2+ that enters cells through this pathway is also important in the regulation of protein phosphorylation, gene transcription, and many other intracellular events. Initial electrophysiological studies divided CaV channels into low‐voltage‐activated (LVA) and high‐voltage‐activated (HVA) channels. The HVA CaV channels were further subdivided into L, N, P/Q, and R‐types which are oligomeric protein complexes composed of an ion‐conducting CaVα1 subunit and auxiliary CaVα2δ, CaVβ, and CaVγ subunits. The functional consequences of the auxiliary subunits include altered functional and pharmacological properties of the channels as well as increased current densities. The latter observation suggests an important role of the auxiliary subunits in membrane trafficking of the CaVα1 subunit. This includes the mechanisms by which CaV channels are targeted to the plasma membrane and to appropriate regions within a given cell. Likewise, the auxiliary subunits seem to participate in the mechanisms that remove CaV channels from the plasma membrane for recycling and/or degradation. Diverse studies have provided important clues to the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of CaV channels by the auxiliary subunits, and the roles that these proteins could possibly play in channel targeting and membrane stabilization. WIREs Membr Transp Signal 2013, 2:207–220. doi: 10.1002/wmts.93Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Habitat use by spruce grouse in northern Wisconsin
Authors: Anich Nicholas M. , Worland Mike , Martin Karl J. 
Published: August 2013

ABSTRACTSpruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) habitat use varies widely across their range and is not well‐understood near the southern extent of their range. Threats to conifers from climate change make understanding habitat use at the southern edge of the range increasingly important. We obtained habitat information on 55 radiocollared spruce grouse in northern Wisconsin, USA from 16 May 2007 to 10 July 2012. Black spruce (Picea mariana) and tamarack (Larix laricina) were the most common habitat components. Some of our findings differed from previous reports, including little use of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) or northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), use of tamarack in summer more than any other tree species, and winter roosting and feeding in red pine (Pinus resinosa), especially where jack pine (P. banksiana) was not available. Male display points contained fewer small broadleaf saplings ( = 652 trees/ha), greater percent conifer (87%), more jack pine ( = 148 trees/ha), and denser canopy ( = 65% closure) compared with random points (3,288 small broadleaf saplings/ha, 70% conifer, 7 jack pine/ha, and 51% closure). Dense ground cover was the best predictor of brood points, although brood points were similar to random points. Winter flock points were typified by dense canopy cover ( = 76% closure) and more jack pine ( = 407/ha). Management should be focused on areas with extensive conifer, especially near black spruce–tamarack swamps. Retaining or establishing closed‐canopy coniferous uplands, especially jack pine stands 15–30 years old, adjacent to lowland conifer swamps should benefit spruce grouse populations. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
A Novel Production Method for Nitridosilicate‐type Phosphors
Authors: Cakmak Hasan , Jansen Martin 
Published: August 2013

AbstractM2–xEuxSi5N8 (M = Ca, Sr, and Eu), well performing orange‐to‐red phosphors for white‐LED applications, were prepared with a novel production route based on employing molecular and polymeric precursors. The procedure presented allows a one‐pot, solution‐based synthesis of the desired phosphors by reacting SiCl4 with liquid NH3, in which Ca, Sr, and Eu metals are dissolved, or Eu[N(Si(CH3)3)2]3 is suspended. The significant advantages of this new approach over the conventional solid state syntheses are easily achievable high purities of the starting compounds, and thus of the final phosphors, as well as processing at mild conditions, avoiding laborious handling and complex equipments.
The role of carbon flux and biometric observations in constraining a terrestrial ecosystem model: a case study in disturbed forests in East Asia
Authors: Kondo Masayuki , Ichii Kazuhito , Ueyama Masahito , Mizoguchi Yasuko , Hirata Ryuichi , Saigusa Nobuko 
Published: August 2013

AbstractThe process of confining unnecessary freedom is a step toward advanced ecosystem modeling. This study demonstrates the importance of carbon flux and biometric observation in constraining a terrestrial ecosystem model with a simple optimization scheme. At the selected sites from AsiaFlux network, a simultaneous optimization scheme for both carbon flux and biomass was compared with carbon flux‐oriented and biomass‐oriented optimization schemes using the Biome‐BGC model. The optimization scheme oriented to either carbon flux or biomass provided simulation results that were consistent with observations, but with reduced performance in unconstrained variables. The simultaneous optimization scheme yielded results that were consistent with observations for both carbon flux and biomass. By comparing long‐term projections simulated by three schemes, it was found that the optimization oriented only to carbon flux has limited performance because misrepresented biomass significantly affected a projection of carbon exchange through heterotrophic respiration. From these experiments, we found that (1) a process model like Biome‐BGC is capable of reproducing both carbon flux and biomass within acceptable proximity, (2) constraining biomass is importance not just because it is one of carbon cycle components, but also it significantly affects simulations of carbon flux. Thus, it is important to invest more effort to improve simulation of biomass as well as carbon flux.