bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Trends in long daily rainfall series of Lombardia (northern Italy) affecting urban stormwater control
Authors: Todeschini S. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractAnalyses of six daily rainfall series (Milano, Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Mantova, and Sondrio) are used to assess trends in yearly precipitation behaviour (precipitation height and number of wet days; precipitation height and number of wet days for different classes of daily precipitation; precipitation height related to one wet day; number of dry days between wet days) over Lombardia, northern Italy. The time series analysis was performed with two non‐parametric rank based tests: the Mann Kendall test and Sen's estimator of slope. Also a new and advantageous procedure that combines a time series model and Bayesian statistics through the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method of Gibbs sampling is adopted to model trends. Globally, the different methods detect the same tendencies. The results point toward a significant decreasing trend in the annual number of wet days and an increasing tendency in the mean and maximum precipitation height related to one day, with a generalized increasing tendency for the number of dry days between wet days. These trends affect the rainfall runoff process and the pollutant dynamics on urban areas and in drainage systems and could provoke a significant efficacy reduction of existing urban quantity and quality control systems. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Intra‐seasonal variability over the northeastern highlands of Tanzania
Authors: Kijazi Agnes L. , Reason C. J. C. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe intra‐seasonal variability of rainfall over the northeastern Highlands (NEH) of Tanzania during the March, April, May (MAM) rainfall season and associated circulation anomalies have been studied for selected wet and dry years. Station rainfall data were used to extract the onset, peak, and cessation dates of the rainfall season and National Center for Atmospheric Research/National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP/NCAR) data were used to study the atmospheric circulation features associated with the intra‐seasonal variability. It was found that the anomalously wet MAM seasons over the NEH of Tanzania tend to result from an earlier onset of the rains and a late cessation and thus, a longer‐than‐average rainfall season, whereas, dry years were characterized by a shorter‐than‐average duration of the rains. The moisture flux plots indicate that the composite wet MAM seasons were associated with advection of moisture from both the Indian Ocean and the Congo Basin. For the dry MAM seasons, a cyclonic anomaly off the Somali coast leads to southerly moisture flux anomalies over Kenya and westerly anomalies over the Indian Ocean which, together with easterly moisture flux anomalies over the Congo Basin, act to divert and transport low‐level moisture away from Tanzania.Lag correlations between time series of moisture over the Congo (0–8°S; 20–29°E) and MAM rainfall over the NEH indicated a phase locking of the two variables that occurred during the years with larger rainfall anomalies. A significant correlation was observed two months before the onset of the rainfall season in January that indicates that some predictability of the MAM seasonal rainfall total based on the Congo Basin zonal wind may exist. However, given the constraints of the available data and the regional atmospheric circulation, it is possible that additional predictors may be required when developing forecast models of the MAM seasonal rainfall. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Atmospheric circulations associated to the interannual variability of cumulonimbus cloud frequency in the southern part of Romania
Authors: Paraschivescu M. , Rambu N. , Stefan S. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractEspecially in summer time, Romania is affected by deep convections associated with severe weather phenomena (hail, wind gusts, flash floods, frequent thunder).The interannual variability of the Cb (cumulonimbus) cloud frequency recorded at 20 weather stations from the southern part of Romania in the 1961–2007 interval was investigated in connection with the atmospheric circulation variability.Using the Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) three types of atmospheric circulations have been identified that control about 60% of the interannual variability of the Cb cloud frequency.The three types of identified circulations facilitate warm and moist air advection from the Mediterranean, and cold air advection from northern Europe towards the south of Romania, creating conditions for Cb clouds to occur. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Use of allogeneic scaffold‐free chondrocyte pellet in repair of osteochondral defect in a rabbit model
Authors: Cheuk Yau‐Chuk , Wong Margaret Wan‐Nar , Lee Kwong‐Man , Fu Sai‐Chuen 
Published: March 2011

AbstractCell‐based therapies are currently being used in treating osteochondral defect (OCD), but technical advances are needed to tackle the problems of scaffold and grafting technique. This study aimed to test the potential of allogeneic scaffold‐free bioengineered chondrocyte pellet (BCP) in treating OCD. BCP was fabricated from rabbit costal cartilage and implanted into 3 mm × 3 mm OCD in medial femoral condyle of 20 rabbits. Samples were harvested at 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks for histology, histological scoring and histomorphometric analysis. At treated side, cartilage score was significantly better at week 4 (p = 0.027), and cartilage thickness measured in histomorphometric analysis was significantly thicker at week 4 (p = 0.028) and week 16 (p = 0.028) compared to the empty controls. At treated side, bone score remained significantly lower from week 8 onwards (p = 0.024 at week 8, p = 0.02 at week 16) whereas bone area was significantly smaller from week 4 onwards compared to the empty controls (p = 0.028 at week 4, 8, 16). No immunorejection was observed throughout the experiment. The results demonstrated that the BCP enhanced cartilage repair at early stage. Press‐fitting of allogeneic BCP was a simple method for OCD repair without immunorejection. Further optimization of the treatment is required before clinical application. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 29: 1343–1350, 2011
Novel quinazoline HMJ‐30 induces U‐2 OS human osteogenic sarcoma cell apoptosis through induction of oxidative stress and up‐regulation of ATM/p53 signaling pathway
Authors: Chiu Yu‐Jen , Hour Mann‐Jen , Lu Chi‐Cheng , Chung Jing‐Gung , Kuo Sheng‐Chu , Huang Wen‐Wen , Chen Hui‐Jye , Jin Yi‐An , Yang Jai‐Sing 
Published: March 2011

AbstractHuman osteogenic sarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor. Despite of the success of frontline therapy, about 40% of patients have disease progression and further therapy is palliative and toxic. In this study, we developed a novel quinazoline HMJ‐30 to investigate the cell growth inhibition and apoptotic responses in U‐2 OS human osteogenic sarcoma cells. Our results demonstrated that HMJ‐30 significantly reduced cell viabilities of U‐2 OS, HOS, and 143B cells in a dose‐dependent manner, but it exhibited low cytotoxicity in normal hFOB cells. HMJ‐30 induced DNA damage and apoptosis in U‐2 OS cells as revealed by morphologic changes, comet assay and DAPI staining. Immuno‐staining, colorimetric assays, and Western blotting analyses indicated that activities of caspase‐8, caspase‐9, and caspase‐3 and the levels of Bcl‐2 family‐related proteins (Bcl‐2, Mcl‐1, Bax, BAD, and t‐Bid) were altered in HMJ‐30‐treated U‐2 OS cells. Pretreatment of cells with caspase‐8, ‐9, and ‐3 specific inhibitors significantly reduced the cell growth inhibition. HMJ‐30‐induced apoptosis was mediated through both death‐receptor and mitochondria‐dependent apoptotic pathways in U‐2 OS cells. HMJ‐30 induced early phosphorylation of p53Ser18 was through the activation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) in U‐2 OS cells. The cell growth inhibition by HMJ‐30 was substantially attenuated either by the pre‐incubation of U‐2 OS cells with N‐acetylcysteine (NAC, an antioxidant) and caffeine (an ATM kinase inhibitor) or by p53 knockdown via RNAi. In conclusion, ROS dependent‐ATM/p53 signaling pathway is involved in HMJ‐30‐induced apoptosis in U‐2 OS cells. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 29: 1448–1456, 2011
Quantifying aggregate stability of a clay soil under annual forage crops
Authors: Yakupoglu Tugrul , Basaran Ugur , Ozdemir Nutullah , Acar Zeki 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThis study explored the influence of 10 annual forage legumes belonging to the Lathyrus and Vicia genera on wet aggregate stability (WAS) and dispersion ratio (DR) indices of a clay soil. Five Lathyrus and five Vicia species were sown in autumn. Seed‐to‐seed and row‐to‐row distance was maintained at 5 cm and 20 cm, respectively. The experiment was planned in a randomized block design with three replications. After 90 d following seed harvest, soil cores were collected from two depths (0–15, 15–30 cm) in each plot and WAS and DR were determined. Annual forage legumes increased WAS of the soil but decreased the DR index. The WAS and DR values were affected at level of p < 0.001 by genus, species, and soil depth. Values of WAS and DR of the control plots without plant on the average were found to be 44.5% and 9.3% for 0–15 cm, and 41.2% and 10.1% for 15–30 cm, respectively. For 0–15 cm depth, the highest WAS (77.7%) and the lowest DR (6.4%) values were found in L. sphaericus L. (wild) plots. For 15–30 cm depth, the highest WAS value (62.6%) was obtained in L. annuus L. (wild) plots and the lowest DR value (6.7%) was in L. sativus L. (Gurbuz‐2001) plots.
Interactive effects of plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria and organic fertilization on P nutrition of Zea mays L. and Brassica napus L.
Authors: Krey Thomas , Caus Maria , Baum Christel , Ruppel Silke , Eichler‐Löbermann Bettina 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThe organic matter supply can promote the dispersal and activity of applied plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), but the complementary effect of organic fertilization and PGPR application on the turnover of P is scarcely known. The effects of the application of two PGPR strains (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain DR54 and Enterobacter radicincitans sp. nov. strain DSM 16656) alone and in combination with organic fertilization (cattle manure and biowaste compost) on growth and P uptake of maize (Zea mays L.) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) were investigated under semi–field conditions. Furthermore, P pools and phosphatase activities in soil and the arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization of maize were examined. The organic‐fertilizer amendments increased the growth and P uptake of both plant species and the soil P pools. The application of the E. radicincitans strain increased P uptake of oilseed rape when no organic fertilizer was added. Furthermore, the application of both bacterial strains increased the activities of phosphatases under both plant species. Here, the effect of the PGPR application even exceeded the effect of organic fertilization. The magnitude of this effect varied between the different fertilizing treatments and between the two bacterial strains. Phosphatase activities were increased to the greatest extent after application of P. fluorescens in the unfertilized soil. Under rape increases of 52% for acid phosphatase activities (ACP), 103% for alkaline phosphatase activities (ALP), and 133% for phosphodiesterase (PDE) were observed therewith. In the unfertilized soil, the application of P. fluorescens also resulted in a strong increase of the arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization of maize. We conclude that application of PGPR can promote the P mobilization and supply of crops in P‐deficient soils, however, in combination with organic fertilization these effects might be masked by a general improved P supply of the crops. Interactive effects of applied bacterial strains and organic fertilization depend on the sort of organic fertilizer and crop species used.
Silicon nutrition of rice is affected by soil pH, weathering and silicon fertilisation
Authors: Tavakkoli Ehsan , Lyons Graham , English Peter , Guppy Chris N. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractSilicon (Si) is a beneficial element for tropical grasses such as rice (Oryza sativa) and responses to applications of Si are common on highly weathered soils. However, the importance of pH (and hence Si speciation), weathering and fertilisation on Si uptake is still poorly understood. The responses of rice to Si fertilisation were studied in two variably weathered basalt soils (Red Ferrosol, Grey Vertosol) adjusted at different pH values (5.5–9.5) with three levels of acidulated wollastonite. Soil Si was extracted using deionised water (H2O), 0.01 M CaCl2, or 0.5 M NH4OAc. Significant increases in Si uptake and rice biomass were observed in the Red Ferrosol following fertilisation (p < 0.01). Greater biomass production was observed at lower pH, due to decreased Si sorption and higher solution Si concentrations. Silicon uptake by rice was greater at low pH, despite similar extractable Si concentrations; suggesting a relationship between Si speciation and uptake. In contrast, Si uptake and rice shoot dry matter in the less weathered Grey Vertosol were unaffected by Si fertilisation (p > 0.05) except at the highest rate and lowest pH (5.5). Solution Si concentrations were controlled by precipitation/polymerisation reactions in equilibrium with specific soil pH values rather than adsorption processes. Silicon speciation effects (monosilicic acid vs. silicate ions) were unable to be measured due to an induced phosphorus deficiency in both soils at pH values > 8.5. In conclusion, weathered soils are more responsive to Si fertilisation and Si uptake is increased at low pH.
Seawater‐irrigation effects on growth, ion concentration, and photosynthesis of transgenic poplar overexpressing the Na+/H+ antiporter AtNHX1
Authors: Jiang Chaoqiang , Zheng Qingsong , Liu Zhaopu , Liu Ling , Zhao Gengmao , Long Xiaohua , Li Hongyan 
Published: March 2011

AbstractTonoplast Na+/H+ antiporters increase the salt resistance of various plant species, but very little is known about the role of these antiporters in the salt resistance of trees. Understanding the physiological responses of plants to salinity stress is of paramount importance in examining the salt resistance of transgenic plants. In this study, the wild‐type poplar (WT; Populus × euramericana var. Neva) and its transgenic varieties (TR) that overexpress the AtNHX1 gene were exposed to various seawater concentrations (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) for 30 d to determine the effects of seawater on seedling growth, ion content, and photosynthetic productivity. Results show that TR plants grew much better than WT under saline conditions. Differences between WT and TR in most parameters were significant after 30 d exposure to 20% and 30% seawater concentrations. The dry weight of TR was higher than that of WT for each seawater treatment. Transgenic variety was able to maintain higher photosynthetic ability than WT upon exposure to salinity and maintained higher K+ concentrations and K+ : Na+ ratio but had less Cl– compared with WT. This suggests that AtNHX1 has a critical role in the regulation of K+ homeostasis, which in turn affects plant K+ nutrition and salt resistance.
Soil‐structure development including seasonal dynamics in a long‐term fertilization experiment
Authors: Schlüter Steffen , Weller Ulrich , Vogel Hans‐Jörg 
Published: March 2011

AbstractSoil structure affects all soil functions especially those related to physical and biological processes. On the other hand, soil structure itself is directly affected by these agents. Hence, soil structure—from single pores to the pedon scale—is expected to reflect the capacity of soil to deliver ecosystem functions. We analyzed soil structure including its seasonal dynamics for two plots within the long‐term fertilization experiment in Bad Lauchstädt (Germany). The different plots received very different amounts of mineral and organic fertilizers over a period of 106 y. The quantification of structural properties includes pore‐size distribution and pore connectivity obtained by X‐ray microtomography. We present a methodological approach for image analysis that allows to combine samples of different size and resolution to cover pores within one order of magnitude in diameter. The results for the different plots obtained in spring and summer are compared. We found that the enormous difference in energy input only affects the structure of the topsoil (Ap horizon) towards a higher porosity and pore‐network connectivity and in terms of an increased resilience after tillage. However, the structural properties of the subsoil below the plowed horizon (Ah horizon) are not affected. We hypothesize that the structure of the subsoil reflects soil formation over much longer time scales, it allows for an increased turnover of soil organic matter, and it is rather stable at the time scale of the fertilization experiment.
In‐season calcium‐spray formulations improve calcium balance and fruit quality traits of peach
Authors: Val Jesus , Fernández Victoria 
Published: March 2011

AbstractExperiments to evaluate the effect of in‐season calcium (Ca) sprays on late‐season peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch cv. Calrico) were carried out for a 2‐year period. Calcium formulations (0.5% and 1.0% in 2008 and only 0.5% tested in 2009) supplied either as CaCl2 or Ca propionate in combination with two or three adjuvants (0.05% of the nonionic surfactants Tween 20 and Break Thru, and 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose, CMC) were sprayed four to five times over the growing season. Peach mesocarp and endocarp Ca concentrations were determined on a 15‐day basis from the beginning of May until the end of June. Further tissue analyses were performed at harvest. A decreasing trend in fruit Ca concentrations over the growing season was always observed regardless of the Ca treatments. Both in 2008 and 2009, significant tissue Ca increments associated with the application of Ca‐containing sprays in combination with adjuvants were only observed in June, which may be coincident with the period of pit hardening. In 2008, both at harvest and after cold storage, the total soluble‐solids concentration (° Brix) of fruits supplied with Ca propionate (0.5% and 1.0% Ca) was always lower as compared to the rest of treatments. The application of multiple Ca‐containing sprays increased firmness at harvest and after cold storage, especially when CaCl2 was the active ingredient used. Supplying the adjuvants Tween 20 and CMC increased fruit acidity both at harvest and after cold storage. Evaluation of the development of physiological disorders after cold storage (2 weeks at 0°C) indicated a lower susceptibility of Ca‐treated fruits to internal browning. Fruits treated with multiple CaCl2‐, CMC‐, and Break Thru®‐containing sprays during the growing season were significantly less prone to the development of chilling injuries as compared to untreated peaches.
Relative effects of ammonia and nitrite on the germination and early growth of aerobic rice
Authors: Haden Van R. , Xiang Jing , Peng Shaobing , Bouman Bas A. M. , Visperas Romeo , Ketterings Quirine M. , Hobbs Peter , Duxbury John M. 
Published: March 2011

AbstractRecent studies have documented adverse affects of urea on the establishment and growth of aerobic rice when applied at seeding. The following experiments were conducted to examine the relative importance of ammonia and nitrite (NO$ _2^- $) toxicities as mechanisms contributing to poor germination and early growth of aerobic rice. Soil was collected from an experiment in the Philippines where aerobic rice was grown continuously for 7 years. Subsamples of the soil were: (1) pretreated with sulfuric acid (0.5 M H2SO4 added at 75 mL kg–1), (2) oven‐heated at 120°C for 12 h, or (3) left untreated. In a greenhouse study N was applied to the untreated, acidified, and oven‐heated soils as either urea or ammonium sulfate (0.0 or 0.3 g N kg–1). Plant height, root length, total biomass, and number of seminal roots were evaluated after 10 d. Microdiffusion incubations were used to assess the effects of soil pretreatment, N source, and N rate (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 g N kg–1) on ammonia (NH3) volatilization and germination. Nitrite incubations were conducted to establish a critical level for NO$ _2^- $ toxicity and measure the extractable NO$ _2^- $ and germination trends as affected by soil pretreatment, N source, and N rate. On untreated soil, urea reduced early growth and germination while ammonium sulfate caused no adverse effects. Progressively higher rates of urea increased NH3 volatilization and inhibited germination, while oven‐heating and acidification minimized the adverse effects. All treatment combinations (soil pretreatment, N source, N rate) had extractable NO$ _2^- $ levels below the critical level of 0.2 g N kg–1, suggesting that ammonia and not NO$ _2^- $ toxicity was the principal cause of inhibition. Since the risk of NH3 toxicity is highest just following urea hydrolysis, strategies to optimize the timing and placement of urea should be considered.
Methodological aspects of determining soil particle‐size distribution using the laser diffraction method
Authors: Ryżak Magdalena , Bieganowski Andrzej 
Published: March 2011

AbstractThis paper presents the influence of selected methodological aspects on the results of particle‐size distribution (PSD) as measured by the laser diffraction method (LDM). The investigations were carried out using the Mastersizer 2000 with Hydro MU attachment (Malvern Ltd., UK). It was found that for the investigated soils: (1) optimal speed of pump and stirrer was 2500 rpm, (2) optimal measurement time was ≈ 1 min, (3) there are two, practically equivalent methods for soil‐sample dispersion: chemical (with the use of a solution of sodium hexametaphosphate) or physical (by means of ultrasound application for 4 min at a maximum power of 35W), (4) one must not use the chemical and physical dispersing methods simultaneously, because this can lead to aggregation (not dispersion) of soil particles, (5) the Fraunhofer theory (physical models) can be used to convert scattered‐light data to PSD. In the case of the Mie theory, the best results were obtained for a refractive index (RI) in the range of 1.5–1.6 and an absorption index (AI) of 1.0. It was also found that most of the discussed parameters depend on design of the measuring device and on the type and volume of the investigated suspensions. It is necessary, therefore, to explain how the data was obtained every time and to specify the details in the methodological part of the paper.