bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sedimentary architecture of abandoned channel fills
Authors: Toonen Willem H. J. , Kleinhans Maarten G. , Cohen Kim M. 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTChannel fills are common elements of Holocene river systems and older fluvial sequences, but surprisingly little is known about formation and their sedimentary build‐up. Abandoned channels result from channel shifting processes at various scales, including meander cutoff and channel‐belt avulsion. Channel‐fill sequences are of importance as containers of palaeoenvironmental proxy‐records, can be used to reconstruct palaeochannel dynamics and derive palaeoflood records, and contain materials that allow dating the abandonment. Integrated knowledge on the dynamic nature (geometrical and physical insights) of channel abandonment and resultant sedimentary recording is a necessity for comparing and collating records from a series of abandoned channel fills.This paper intends to make channel‐fill sedimentological sequences more useful recorders of channel abandonment processes and palaeofloods, for which improved understanding is needed of the internal build‐up of channel fills. We review oxbow lake infilling along meandering rivers, and supplement this with highly detailed descriptions of two selected field examples of channel fills from the apex‐region of the Netherlands' Rhine delta. From these examples it becomes clear that regional setting and type of abandonment result in different channel‐fill end‐members; oxbow cutoffs generally produce thick laminated clayey fills as the channel entrance is plugged rapidly, avulsion‐abandoned channels are filled with coarse (proximal) deposits as a result of a maintained open river connection.Field examples of channel fills are integrated with knowledge on channel abandonment dynamics in meander cutoff and bifurcating river situations, including insights from recent numerical modelling. We propose a sedimentary‐architecture descriptive scheme that distinguishes elements from two stages of channel‐fill development; (i) the abandonment stage with initial proximal fill, and (ii) the subsequent fully abandoned palaeochannel that collects distal fill. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrological thresholds of soil surface properties identified using conditional inference tree analysis
Authors: Tighe Matthew , Muñoz‐Robles Carlos , Reid Nick , Wilson Brian , Briggs Sue V. 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTThere has been limited success in determining critical thresholds of ground cover or soil characteristics that relate to significant changes in runoff or sediment production at the microscale (<1 m2), particularly in semi‐arid systems where management of ground cover is critical. Despite this lack of quantified thresholds, there is an increasing research focus on the two‐phase mosaic of vegetation patches and inter‐patches in semi‐arid systems. In order to quantify ground cover and soil related thresholds for runoff and sediment production, we used a data mining technique known as conditional inference tree analysis to determine statistically significant values of a range of measured variables that predicted average runoff, peak runoff, sediment concentration and sediment production at the microscale. On Chromic Luvisols across a range of vegetation states in semi‐arid south‐eastern Australia, large changes in runoff and sediment production were related to a hierarchy of different variables and thresholds, but the percentage of bare soil played a primary role in predicting runoff and sediment production in most instances. The identified thresholds match well with previous thresholds found in semi‐arid and temperate regions (including the approximate values of 30%, 50% and 70% total ground cover). The analysis presented here identified the critical role of soil surface roughness, particularly where total ground cover is sparse. The analysis also provided evidence that a two‐phase mosaic of patches and inter‐patches identified via rapid visual assessment could be further delineated into distinct groups of hydrological response, or a multi‐phase rather than a two‐phase system. The approach used here may aid in assessing scale‐dependent responses and address data non‐linearity in studies of semi‐arid hydrology. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interactions between methylmercury and selenomethionine injected into mallard eggs
Authors: Klimstra Jon D. , Yee Julie L. , Heinz Gary H. , Hoffman David J. , Stebbins Katherine R. 
Published: December 2011

Abstract
Methylmercury chloride and seleno-L-methionine were injected separately or in combinations into mallard eggs (Anas platyrhynchos), and embryo mortality and teratogenic effects (deformities) were modeled using a logistic regression model. Methylmercury was injected at doses that resulted in concentrations of 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 µg/g Hg in the egg on a wet weight basis and selenomethionine at doses that resulted in concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 µg/g Se in the egg, also on a wet weight basis. When selenomethionine and methylmercury were injected separately, hatching probability decreased in both cases. However, when methylmercury was injected at 1.6 µg/g in combination with selenomethionine at 0.2 µg/g, the presence of the methylmercury resulted in less embryo mortality than had been seen with 0.2 µg/g Se by itself, but it increased the number of deformed embryos and hatchlings. Selenomethionine appeared to be more embryotoxic than equivalent doses of methylmercury when injected into eggs, and both injected methylmercury and selenomethionine were more toxic to mallard embryos than when deposited naturally in the egg by the mother. The underlying mechanisms behind the interactions between methylmercury and selenomethionine and why methylmercury appeared to improve hatching probability of Se-dosed eggs yet increased deformities when the two compounds were combined are unclear. These findings warrant further studies to understand these mechanisms in both laboratory and field settings. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:579–584. © 2011 SETAC
Development of lateral meristem and pattern of secondary growth in stems and roots of Spinacia oleracea Linn (Amaranthaceae)
Authors: Rajput K. S. , Patil V. S. , Kapadane K. K. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractDevelopment of lateral meristem and pattern of secondary growth in the stems and roots of Spinacia oleracea Linn (Amaranthaceae) were studied anatomically. Maturing stems and roots increased in thickness by developing successive rings of cambia which produce secondary vascular elements embedded in the groundmass of thin walled parenchymatous conjunctive tissues. Second ring of the cambium was originated outside the first ring of the cambium and gave rise to parenchyma cells and sieve tube elements on the outer side whereas it gave rise to conjunctive tissue and secondary xylem on the inner side. Prior to the development of second ring of cambium, parenchyma cells located outside to the previous cambium dedifferentiated and acquired meristematic property which led to the formation of meristematic bands of radially arranged cells. Later on each successive ring of cambium developed in similar fashion as described above. The groundmass of the stems and roots was mostly composed of thin walled conjunctive tissue on both the outer and inner side of each cambium, whereas formation of thick walled conducting elements of secondary xylem and secondary phloem remained restricted to the small segments of the vascular cambium. Secondary xylem was composed of vessel elements, tracheids and libriform fibres whereas secondary phloem comprised of sieve tube elements, companion cells and axial parenchyma with no typical rays even in the mature stems. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The development of a rat in vitro model of spinal cord injury demonstrating the additive effects of rho and ROCK inhibitors on neurite outgrowth and myelination
Authors: Boomkamp Stephanie D. , Riehle Mathis O. , Wood Jenifer , Olson Michael F. , Barnett Susan C. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractIt is currently thought that treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI) will involve a combined pharmacological and biological approach; however, testing their efficacy in animal models of SCI is time‐consuming and requires large animal cohorts. For this reason we have modified our myelinating cultures as an in vitro model of SCI and studied its potential as a prescreen for combined therapeutics. This culture comprises dissociated rat embryonic spinal cord cells plated onto a monolayer of astrocytes, which form myelinated axons interspaced with nodes of Ranvier. After cutting the culture, an initial cell‐free area appears persistently devoid of neurites, accompanied over time by many features of SCI, including demyelination and reduced neurite density adjacent to the lesion, and infiltration of microglia and reactive astrocytes into the lesioned area. We tested a range of concentrations of the Rho inhibitor C3 transferase (C3) and ROCK inhibitor Y27632 that have been shown to promote SCI repair in vivo. C3 promoted neurite extension into the lesion and enhanced neurite density in surrounding areas but failed to induce remyelination. In contrast, while Y27632 did not induce significant neurite outgrowth, myelination adjacent to the lesion was dramatically enhanced. The effects of the inhibitors were concentration‐dependent. Combined treatment with C3 and Y27632 had additive affects with an enhancement of neurite outgrowth and increased myelination adjacent to the lesion, demonstrating neither conflicting nor synergistic effects when coadministered. Overall, these results demonstrate that this culture serves as a useful tool to study combined strategies that promote CNS repair. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nijmegen Observer‐Rated Depression scale for detection of depression in nursing home residents
Authors: Leontjevas Ruslan , Gerritsen Debby L. , Vernooij‐Dassen Myrra J. F. J. , Teerenstra Steven , Smalbrugge Martin , Koopmans Raymond T. C. M. 
Published: December 2011

ObjectiveThis study aims to test the accuracy of the Nijmegen Observer‐Rated Depression (NORD) scale, a new short scale for screening of depression in nursing home (NH) residents with and without dementia.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study with 103 residents with dementia (N = 19 depressed) and 72 residents without dementia (N = 10 depressed) was undertaken in 13 Dutch NH units. An elderly care physician and a psychologist of each unit assessed residents for the presence of clinical depression. Primary professional caregivers administered the NORD scale.ResultsFive of the six proposed items showed acceptable performance in screening for depression. Receiver operating characteristic analyses revealed significant areas under the empirical curve (AUC) for the 5‐item NORD scale in the total sample (AUC = 0.83, p < 0.001), as well as in residents with dementia (AUC = 0.84, p < 0.001) and without dementia (AUC = 0.84, p < 0.001). The cutoff score of >1 showed the highest sum of sensitivity (100) and specificity (69) in non‐dementia and >2 the highest sum of sensitivity (79) and specificity (77) in dementia. The cutoff score of >1 showed the lowest negative likelihood ratio of 0.0 in non‐dementia and of 0.2 in dementia. The highest positive likelihood ratios were found for the cutoff of >2 in non‐dementia (3.4) and for >4 in dementia (26.5).ConclusionThe 5‐item NORD scale showed acceptable accuracy comparable with those of more extensive scales in other studies. It is easy and quick to administer and can be used for screening of depression in NH residents with or without dementia. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Latent class‐derived subgroups of depressive symptoms in a community sample of older adults: the Cache County Study
Authors: Lee Chien‐Ti , Leoutsakos Jeannie‐Marie , Lyketsos Constantine G. , Steffens David C. , Breitner John C. S. , Norton Maria C. 
Published: December 2011

ObjectiveWe sought to identify possible subgroups of elders that varied in depressive symptomatology and to examine symptom patterns and health status differences between subgroups.MethodsThe Cache County Memory Study is a population‐based epidemiological study of dementia with 5092 participants. Depressive symptoms were measured with a modified version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule‐Depression. There were 400 nondemented participants who endorsed currently (i.e., in the past 2 weeks) experiencing at least one of the three “gateway” depressive symptoms and then completed a full depression interview. Responses to all nine current depressive symptoms were modeled using the latent class analysis.ResultsThree depression subgroups were identified: a significantly depressed subgroup (62%), with the remainder split evenly between a subgroup with low probability of all symptoms (21%), and a subgroup with primarily psychomotor changes, sleep symptoms, and fatigue (17%). Latent class analysis derived subgroups of depressive symptoms and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition depression diagnostic group were nonredundant. Age, gender, education, marital status, early or late onset, number of episodes, current episode duration, and functional status were not significant predictors of depression subgroup. The first subgroup was more likely to be recently bereaved and had less physical health problems, whereas the third subgroup were less likely to be using antidepressants compared with the second subgroup.ConclusionsThere are distinct subgroups of depressed elders, which are not redundant with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition classification scheme, offering an alternative diagnostic approach to clinicians and researchers. Future work will examine whether these depressive symptom profiles are predictive of incident dementia and earlier mortality. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quasicrystals in Soft Matter
Authors: Dotera Tomonari 
Published: December 2011

AbstractTwo decades after the first publication on quasicrystals in aluminum manganese alloys by Shechtman et al., a “soft quasicrystal” was found in nature. Since then a number of materials successively joined the family of soft quasicrystals, including liquid crystals, polymers, nanoparticles, colloids, mesoporous silica, and even water and silicon. In this article, important experimental advances are reviewed to introduce readers to the emerging research front of soft quasicrystalline materials. The world of quasicrystals opened by Daniel Shechtman extends its reach into the twenty‐first century chemistry.
Control of mitochondrial activity by miRNAs
Authors: Li Peifeng , Jiao Jianqing , Gao Guifeng , Prabhakar Bellur S. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractMitochondria supply energy for physiological function and they participate in the regulation of other cellular events including apoptosis, calcium homeostasis, and production of reactive oxygen species. Thus, mitochondria play a critical role in the cells. However, dysfunction of mitochondria is related to a variety of pathological processes and diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs about 22 nucleotides long, and they can bind to the 3′‐untranslated region (3′‐UTR) of mRNAs, thereby inhibiting mRNA translation or promoting mRNA degradation. We summarize the molecular regulation of mitochondrial metabolism, structure, and function by miRNAs. Modulation of miRNAs levels may provide a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of mitochondria‐related diseases. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1104–1110, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Leptin regulates estrogen receptor gene expression in ATDC5 cells through the extracellular signal regulated kinase signaling pathway
Authors: Wang Shan‐Jin , Li Xin‐Feng , Jiang Lei‐Sheng , Dai Li‐Yang 
Published: December 2011

AbstractBoth estrogen and leptin play an important role in the regulation of physiological processes of endochondral bone formation in linear growth. Estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) are known as members of the superfamily of nuclear steroid hormone receptors and are detected in all zones of growth plate chondrocytes. They can be regulated in a ligand‐independent manner. Whether leptin regulates ERs in the growth plate is still not clear. To explore this issue, chondrogenic ATDC5 cells were used in the present study. Messenger RNA and protein analyses were performed by quantitative PCR and Western blotting. We found that both ERα and ERβ were dynamically expressed during the ATDC5 cell differentiation for 21 days. Leptin (50ng/ml) significantly upregulated ERα and ERβ mRNA and protein levels 48 h after leptin stimulation (P < 0.05) at day 14. The up‐regulation of ERα and ERβ mRNA by leptin was shown in a dose‐dependent manner, but the most effective dose of leptin was different (100 and 1,000 ng/ml, respectively). Furthermore, we confirmed that leptin augmented the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in a time‐dependent manner. A maximum eightfold change was observed at 15 min. Finally, a specific ERK1/2 inhibitor, UO126, blocked leptin‐induced ERs regulation in ATDC5 cells, indicating that ERK1/2 mediates, partly, the effects of leptin on ERs. These data demonstrate, for the first time, that leptin regulates the expression of ERs in growth plate chondrocytes via ERK signaling pathway, thereby suggesting a crosstalk between leptin and estrogen receptors in the regulation of bone formation. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1323–1332, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MMP‐3 provokes CTGF/CCN2 production independently of protease activity and dependently on dynamin‐related endocytosis, which contributes to human dental pulp cell migration
Authors: Muromachi Koichiro , Kamio Naoto , Narita Takanori , Annen‐Kamio Motoyo , Sugiya Hiroshi , Matsushima Kiyoshi 
Published: December 2011

AbstractMatrix metalloproteinase‐3 (MMP‐3) expression is promoted after pulpotomy, and application of MMP‐3 to dental pulp after pulpotomy accelerates angiogenesis and hard tissue formation. However, the mechanism by which MMP‐3 promotes dental pulp wound healing is still unclear. Connective tissue growth factor/CCN family 2 (CTGF/CCN2), a protein belonging to the CCN family, is considered to participate in wound healing, angiogenesis, and cell migration. In this study, we examined the involvement of CTGF/CCN2 in MMP‐3‐induced cell migration in human dental pulp (fibroblast‐like) cells. In human dental pulp cells, MMP‐3 promoted cell migration, but this effect was clearly blocked in the presence of anti‐CTGF/CCN2 antibody. MMP‐3 provoked mRNA and protein expression and secretion of CTGF/CCN2 in a concentration‐ and time‐dependent manner. The MMP‐3 inhibitor NNGH failed to suppress MMP‐3‐induced CTGF/CCN2 protein expression. The potent dynamin inhibitor dynasore clearly inhibited MMP‐3‐induced CTGF/CCN2 expression. These results strongly suggest that MMP‐3 induces CTGF/CCN2 production independently of the protease activity of MMP‐3 and dependently on dynamin‐related endocytosis, which is involved in cell migration in human dental pulp cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1348–1358, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Procyanidins from grape pomace are suitable inhibitors of human endothelial NADPH oxidase
Authors: Álvarez Ezequiel , Rodiño‐Janeiro Bruno K. , Jerez María , Ucieda‐Somoza Rafael , Núñez María J. , González‐Juanatey José R. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractProcyanidins have been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this benefit are not fully understood. Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production generated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase is a common problem in different cardiovascular diseases. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of procyanidin‐rich fractions from distilled grape pomace on NADPH oxidase activity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Three differently polymerized and galloylated procyanidin fractions were analyzed for their NADPH oxidase inhibitory activity in cell lysates and in HUVEC cultures. All of the three fractions, up to 1 µg/ml, equally inhibited isolated NADPH oxidase in HUVEC lysates in a concentration‐dependent manner and independently of any superoxide anion scavenging activities. The procyanidin fractions even blocked NADPH oxidase activity in intact HUVEC, inhibiting ROS production at both extra‐ and intracellular levels. The fractions achieved the same effects that known NADPH oxidase inhibitors, such as diphenylene iodonium and apocynin, but they presented better hydrosolubility. Our results demonstrated that procyanidin from grape pomace inhibit human endothelial NADPH oxidase regardless of their polymerization degree and galloylation percentage. Therefore, procyanidins are suitable NADPH oxidase inhibitors which could serve as models for therapeutic alternatives for cardiovascular diseases. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1386–1396, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hypoxia inhibits the spontaneous calcification of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Huang Yong‐Can , Zhu Hong‐Ming , Cai Jia‐Qin , Huang Yi‐Zhou , Xu Jin , Zhou Yi , Chen Xiao‐He , Li Xiu‐Qun , Yang Zhi‐Ming , Deng Li 
Published: December 2011

AbstractBone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM‐MSCs) are the popular seed cells for regenerative medicine, and there has been a rapid increase in the number of BM‐MSC‐based clinical trials. However, the safety of these cells should also be closely studied. In this study, spontaneous calcification of BM‐MSCs from rats was evaluated in normoxia (20% O2) without osteogenic medium after continuous culture for 21 days; obvious mineralized nodules were observed, which were positive for Alizarin Red, collagen‐I (Col‐I), osteocalcin (OC) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and mainly consisted of C, O and Ca elements. Interestingly, hypoxia (2% O2) significantly inhibited this spontaneous calcification. In addition, the ALP and calcium content of rBM‐MSCs were sharply reduced. Based on RT‐PCR results, the expression of osteogenic genes (Cbfa1/Runx2, Col‐I, ALP, and OC) was reduced compared to that in normoxia. These results demonstrate a natural and unique characterization of rat BM‐MSCs in normoxia after continuous culture and highlight the inhibiting effects of hypoxia. Finally, this study contributes to the information regarding the application of BM‐MSCs in the regeneration of various tissues. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1407–1415, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.