bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An overview of separation methods in starch analysis: The importance of size exclusion chromatography and field flow fractionation
Authors: Rübsam Heinrich , Krottenthaler Martin , Gastl Martina , Becker Thomas
Published: April 2012

Starch is the most important source of human food energy and also an important polymer for biofuels, processed food, and pharmaceutical industries. Precise determination of structural and functional properties of starch has been an outstanding factor for the improvement of dissolution and degradation processes, which are important procedures for commercial applications. Distinct separation techniques coupled with multiple detection methods such as Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), Field Flow fractionation (FFF), Analytical Ultracentrifugation, and Hydrodynamic Chromatography have provided powerful information about starch conformation. In the present review, we describe the usefulness and limitations of different separation methods particularly SEC and FFF, which are currently widely used.
Accuracy of transvaginal sonography and contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance‐colonography for the presurgical staging of deep infiltrating endometriosis
Authors: Vimercati A. , Achilarre M. T. , Scardapane A. , Lorusso F. , Ceci O. , Mangiatordi G. , Angelelli G. , Van Herendael B. , Selvaggi L. , Bettocchi S.
Published: April 2012

Objective

To investigate the accuracy of transvaginal sonography (TVS) and contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance‐colonography (CE‐MR‐C) for the presurgical assessment of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE).

Methods

Ninety women were enrolled prospectively for suspicion of DIE. All patients underwent TVS and CE‐MR‐C, with each operator blinded to the results of the other exam, before laparoscopy. The sites of DIE examined by both imaging techniques were: rectovaginal septum, pouch of Douglas, uterosacral ligaments, vesicouterine pouch, bowel, bladder and vagina. The presence of adhesions and the involvement of adnexa and of a previous abdominal scar, when there was clinical suspicion, were also evaluated. TVS and CE‐MR‐C findings were compared with laparoscopic and histological results.

Results

Endometriosis was confirmed by laparoscopy in 95.6% (86/90) of cases. In 82.2% (74/90) of patients there was DIE. The global accuracy for TVS in the detection of DIE was 89.2%, sensitivity was 81.1%, specificity was 94.2%, positive predictive value was 89.6%, negative predictive value was 89.0%, the positive likelihood ratio was 13.9 and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.2. For CE‐MR‐C, these values were 87.2%, 71.1%, 97.1%, 93.7%, 84.6%, 24.4 and 0.3, respectively. CE‐MR‐C allowed diagnosis of all cases of bowel involvement; the accuracy for infiltration and stenosis was 100%. The accuracy of TVS for rectosigmoid nodules was 91.1% and that for infiltration was 88.9%.

Conclusions

Both TVS and CE‐MR‐C showed satisfactory results for the presurgical assessment of DIE. TVS appears to be a powerful, simple, feasible, cost‐effective tool for preoperative staging of DIE. CE‐MR‐C is an ‘X‐ray free’ technique, which could be reserved for cases with deep infiltrating rectosigmoid lesions and for the prediction of stenosis and involvement of the upper part of the colon and small intestine.
Estimation of climatic factors relating to occurrence of the maize orange leafhopper, Cicadulina bipunctata
Authors: Matsukura Keiichiro , Yoshida Kazuhiro , Matsumura Masaya
Published: April 2012

The maize orange leafhopper, Cicadulina bipunctata is a serious pest of forage maize in East and Southeast Asia. In temperate Japan, the occurrence of this leafhopper fluctuates widely among years. Here, we examined effects of climatic factors (temperature, precipitation and sunlight) on the occurrence of C. bipunctata. Seasonal occurrence of adult C. bipunctata in a census field from July to August, when forage maize was most susceptible to the pest, could be described by a simple exponential function with two parameter: estimated density of C. bipunctata on 1 July (N0) and intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) for each year. Forward stepwise multiple regression analysis using seasonal occurrence data from 2004 to 2009 detected positive contributions of average temperatures in the previous December and February and a negative contribution of total precipitation during the previous winter to N0. The analysis also indicated that average temperature in July of the current year and N0 contributed positively and negatively to r, respectively. These results indicated that high temperature and little precipitation during winter and high temperature in early summer induced high occurrence of C. bipunctata in summer. A prediction model based on these factors supported the actual seasonal occurrence in 2010, suggesting that this prediction model is applicable to C. bipunctata forecasting. The prediction model indicated that further global warming in the future is likely to cause further outbreaks of C. bipunctata.
Fungal succession and decomposition of beech cupule litter
Authors: Fukasawa Y. , Tateno O. , Hagiwara Y. , Hirose D. , Osono T.
Published: April 2012

Beech cupule litter is the second largest (next to leaf litter) component of total annual litterfall in mast years, and makes an important contribution to carbon budgets in beech forest soils. We investigated the decomposition processes of beech cupule litter over a 30‐month period with reference to the role of fungal succession in the decomposition of acid‐unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) and holocellulose. During the study period, weight loss of holocellulose occurred, while there was little weight loss of AUR, and 77 % of the original cupule weight remained at the end of the study period.Xylariasp.1,Geniculosporiumsp. andNigrosporasp. that can attack holocellulose selectively caused mass loss of holocellulose and were responsible for the cupule weight loss. Although the beech cupule is a woody phyllome and its lignocellulose composition is similar to that of coarse woody debris (CWD) rather than leaf litter of beech, the selective decomposition of holocellulose by fungi was similar to the decay process of leaf litter rather than CWD.
Specialty Fats Enriched with Behenic and Medium Chain Fatty Acids from Palm Stearin by Lipase Acidolysis
Authors: Mounika Chandhapuram , Yella Reddy Sunki
Published: April 2012

Structured lipids containing behenic and medium chain (MC) fatty acids were prepared from palm stearin using 1,3‐specific lipase‐catalyzed acidolysis. Incorporation of MC and behenic acids was affected by proportion of substrate, type of fatty acids, reaction time, addition of water and quantity of lipase. It was found that incorporation of caproic acid was less compared to other longer chain fatty acids. Caprylic, capric and behenic acids shared similar incorporation (up to 32 %), which increased with the amount of fatty acids added and the time of reaction. The incorporation of these acids increased with addition of 1 % moisture and the increasing amount of enzyme from 5 to 10 % at the beginning of the reaction. Incorporating behenic and MC fatty acids, reduced palmitic and oleic acids considerably from palm stearin, the extent being the same as those incorporated. However, the reduction of linoleic acid was marginal. The solid fats content of the modified palm stearin containing MC and behenic acids were reduced at all temperatures due to a reduction in higher molecular weight triglycerides and an increasing proportion of lower chain triglycerides. The modified products of palm stearin with added capric and behenic acids were similar to commercial bakery shortenings and those with added capric acid were like salad or cooking oils or butter in melting characteristics.
Investment in energy efficiency: do the characteristics of investments matter?
Authors: Cooremans Catherine
Published: April 2012

“Investment in energy efficiency: do the characteristics of firms matter?” In their famous 1998 paper, DeCanio and Watkins raised the question and answered it affirmatively. Our paper addresses a parallel question: “Investment in energy efficiency: do the characteristics of investments matter?” To answer this question, we first describe our new investment decision-making model, applicable to all investment types. We then discuss our research results, based on questionnaires submitted to finance managers of 35 major electricity consumers in various commercial and industrial sectors. We show how characteristics other than profitability play an important role in investment choices. The investment category influences profitability evaluation, profitability requirement, and, ultimately, the decision made. For half of the firms in our study, energy-efficiency investments did not exist as a category. However, wide diversity regarding investment behavior is observed between firms. Our findings lead to a different explanation of the energy-efficiency gap and open the way for a new approach to promoting energy-efficiency investments, which is briefly discussed in the conclusion.
Pulsating pipe flow with large-amplitude oscillations in the very high frequency regime. Part 1. Time-averaged analysis
Authors: Manna M. , Vacca A. , Verzicco R.
Published: April 2012

This paper numerically investigates the effects of a harmonic volume forcing of prescribed frequency on the turbulent pipe flow at a Reynolds number, based on bulk velocity and pipe diameter, of 5900. The thickness of the Stokes layer, resulting from the oscillatory flow component, is a small fraction of the pipe radius and therefore the associated vorticity is confined within a few wall units. The harmonic forcing term is prescribed so that the ratio of the oscillating to the mean bulk velocity ($\ensuremath{\beta} $) ranges between 1 and 10.6. In all cases the oscillatory flow obeys the Stokes analytical velocity distribution while remarkable changes in the current component are observed. At intermediate values $\ensuremath{\beta} = 5$, a relaminarization process occurs, while for $\ensuremath{\beta} = 10. 6$, turbulence is affected so much by the harmonic forcing that the near-wall coherent structures, although not fully suppressed, are substantially weakened. The present study focuses on the analysis of the time- and space-averaged statistics of the first- and second-order moments, vorticity fluctuations and Reynolds stress budgets. Since the flow is unsteady not only locally but also in its space-averaged dynamics, it can be analysed using phase-averaged and time-averaged statistics. While the former gives information about the statistics of the fluctuations about the mean, the latter, postponed to a subsequent paper, shows how the mean is affected by the fluctuations. Clearly, the two phenomena are connected and both of them deserve investigation.
Age structure and life cycles of the Argentine shortfin squid Illex argentinus (Cephalopoda: Ommastrephidae) in southern Brazil
Authors: Schwarz R. , Perez J.A.A.
Published: April 2012

Age structure and hatchling dates of the squid Illex argentinus collected by bottom-trawl fishery in southern Brazilian waters were assessed by the analysis of statolith growth increments. Catches occurred between 2001 and 2002, from 23° to 32°S at depths of 100–700 m. Squid from juvenile to post-spawning stages were collected year round, with age estimated from 98 to 320 days and mantle lengths ranging from 112 to 376 mm. Duration of life cycle events based on statolith growth zones revealed that squids can spend about 14% of their lifespan as paralarva (~30 days), 70% as juvenile (~130 days), leaving maturity and spawning condition to the terminal 10–20% (~30–60 days). The results suggest that, unlike estimates available for Patagonian populations, a general 0.5 year lifespan is predicted for I. argentinus off Brazil. The wide range of size-at-ages implied that catches of shortfin squid off southern Brazil probably include squid hatched throughout the year. Mature and spawning squid caught in summer months hatched in winter and spring, while winter catches revealed mature-spawning individuals hatched both in summer/autumn (~6 months of age) and winter/spring periods (~10–11 months of age). It has been argued that such groups may combine both squid resident of Brazilian outer shelf and slope (22°–34°S) with a six months' lifespan and migrating squid originated from the northern Patagonian shelf (~42°S) with 10–11 months' lifespan.
Trends in extinction and persistence of diurnal primates in the fragmented lowland rainforests of the Upper Brahmaputra Valley, north-eastern India
Authors: Sharma Narayan , Madhusudan M. D. , Sarkar Prabal , Bawri Mayur , Sinha Anindya
Published: April 2012

The historical deforestation of the Upper Brahmaputra Valley in the Indian state of Assam has resulted in the transformation of its once-contiguous lowland rainforests into many isolated forest fragments that are still rich in species, including primates. We report the recent history and current status of six diurnal primates in one large (2,098 ha) and three small (<500 ha) fragments of the Upper Brahmaputra Valley. We censused primates in the small fragments during 2002, 2005, 2009, in the large fragment in 2008, and used other published census data to derive population trends. We also used key informant surveys to obtain historical occurrence data for these populations. Our analyses reveal the recent extinction of some populations and the simultaneous long-term persistence of others in these fragments over 16 years. Most populations appeared to have declined in the small fragments but primate abundance has increased significantly in the largest fragment over the last decade. Addressing the biomass needs of the local human populations, which appears to drive habitat degradation, and better protection of these forests, will be crucial in ensuring the future survival of this diverse and unique primate assemblage in the last rainforest fragments of the human-dominated Upper Brahmaputra Valley.
Vultures in Cambodia: population, threats and conservation
Authors: CLEMENTS TOM , GILBERT MARTIN , RAINEY HUGO J. , CUTHBERT RICHARD , EAMES JONATHAN C. , BUNNAT PECH , TEAK SENG , CHANSOCHEAT SONG , SETHA TAN
Published: April 2012

Asian vultures have undergone dramatic declines of 90–99% in the Indian Subcontinent, as a consequence of poisoning by veterinary use of the drug diclofenac, and are at a high risk of extinction. Cambodia supports one of the only populations of three species (White-rumped VultureGyps bengalensis, Slender-billed VultureG. tenuirostrisand Red-headed VultureSarcogyps calvus) outside of South Asia where diclofenac use is not widespread. Conservation of the Cambodian sub-populations is therefore a global priority. This study analyses the results of a long-term research programme into Cambodian vultures that was initiated in 2004. Population sizes of each species are estimated at 50–200+ individuals, ranging across an area of approximately 300 km by 250 km, including adjacent areas in Laos and Vietnam. The principal causes of vulture mortality were poisoning (73%), probably as an accidental consequence of local hunting and fishing practices, and hunting or capture for traditional medicine (15%). This represents a significant loss from such a small population of long-lived, slow breeding, species such as vultures. Cambodian vultures are severely food limited and are primarily dependent on domestic ungulate carcasses, as wild ungulate populations have been severely depleted over the past 20 years. Local people across the vulture range still follow traditional animal husbandry practices, including releasing livestock into the open deciduous dipterocarp forest areas when they are not needed for work, providing the food source. Reducing threats through limiting the use of poisons (which are also harmful for human health) and supplementary food provisioning in the short to medium-term through ‘vulture restaurants’ is critical if Cambodian vultures are to be conserved.
Unit Distances in Three Dimensions
Authors: KAPLAN HAIM , MATOUŠEK JIŘÍ , SAFERNOVÁ ZUZANA , SHARIR MICHA
Published: April 2012

We show that the number of unit distances determined bynpoints in ℝ3isO(n3/2), slightly improving the bound of Clarkson, Edelsbrunner, Guibas, Sharir and Welzl [5], established in 1990. The new proof uses the recently introduced polynomial partitioning technique of Guth and Katz [12]. While this paper was still in a draft stage, a similar proof of our main result was posted to the arXiv by Joshua Zahl [28].
Nutrient density score of typical Indonesian foods and dietary formulation using linear programming
Authors: Jati Ignasius Radix AP , Vadivel Vellingiri , Nöhr Donatus , Biesalski Hans Konrad
Published: April 2012

Objective

The present research aimed to analyse the nutrient density (ND), nutrient adequacy score (NAS) and energy density (ED) of Indonesian foods and to formulate a balanced diet using linear programming.

Design

Data on typical Indonesian diets were obtained from the Indonesian Socio-Economic Survey 2008. ND was investigated for 122 Indonesian foods. NAS was calculated for single nutrients such as Fe, Zn and vitamin A. Correlation analysis was performed between ND and ED, as well as between monthly expenditure class and food consumption pattern in Indonesia. Linear programming calculations were performed using the software POM-QM for Windows version 3.

Setting

Republic of Indonesia, 2008.

Subjects

Public households (n68 800).

Results

Vegetables had the highest ND of the food groups, followed by animal-based foods, fruits and staple foods. Based on NAS, the top ten food items for each food group were identified. Most of the staple foods had high ED and contributed towards daily energy fulfillment, followed by animal-based foods, vegetables and fruits. Commodities with high ND tended to have low ED. Linear programming could be used to formulate a balanced diet. In contrast to staple foods, purchases of fruit, vegetables and animal-based foods increased with the rise of monthly expenditure.

Conclusions

People should select food items based on ND and NAS to alleviate micronutrient deficiencies in Indonesia. Dietary formulation calculated using linear programming to achieve RDA levels for micronutrients could be recommended for different age groups of the Indonesian population.
VARIATIONS AROUND A PROBLEM OF MAHLER AND MENDÈS FRANCE
Authors: BUGEAUD YANN
Published: April 2012

We discuss the following general question and some of its extensions. Let (εk)k≥1 be a sequence with values in {0,1}, which is not ultimately periodic. Define ξ:=∑ k≥1εk/2k and ξ′:=∑ k≥1εk/3k. Let 𝒫 be a property valid for almost all real numbers. Is it true that at least one among ξ and ξ′ satisfies 𝒫?
Increased systolic blood pressure in rat offspring following a maternal low-protein diet is normalized by maternal dietary choline supplementation
Authors: Bai S. Y. , Briggs D. I. , Vickers M. H.
Published: April 2012

An adverse prenatal environment may induce long-term metabolic consequences, in particular hypertension and cardiovascular disease. A maternal low-protein (LP) diet is well known to result in increased blood pressure (BP) in offspring. Choline has been shown to have direct BP-reducing effects in humans and animals. It has been suggested that endogenous choline synthesis via phosphatidylcholine is constrained during maternal LP exposure. The present study investigates the effect of choline supplementation to mothers fed a LP diet during pregnancy on systolic BP (SBP) in offspring as measured by tail-cuff plethysmography. Wistar rats were assigned to one of three diets to be fed ad libitum throughout pregnancy: (1) control diet (CONT, 20% protein); (2) an LP diet (9% protein); and (3) LP supplemented with choline (LP + C). Dams were fed the CONT diet throughout lactation and offspring were fed the CONT diet from weaning for the remainder of the trial. At postnatal day 150, SBP and retroperitoneal fat mass was significantly increased in LP offspring compared with CONT animals and was normalized in LP + C offspring. Effects of LP + C reduction in SBP were similar in both males and females. Plasma choline and phosphatidylcholine concentrations were not different across treatment groups, but maternal choline supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in homocysteine concentrations in LP + C offspring compared with LP and CONT animals. The present trial shows for the first time that maternal supplementation with dietary choline during periods of LP exposure can normalize increased SBP and fat mass observed in offspring in later life.
The effect of hypoxia-induced intrauterine growth restriction on renal artery function
Authors: Verschuren M. T. C. , Morton J. S. , Abdalvand A. , Mansour Y. , Rueda-Clausen C. F. , Compston C. A. , Luyckx V. , Davidge S. T.
Published: April 2012

The risk of developing cardiovascular diseases is known to begin before birth and the impact of the intrauterine environment on subsequent adult health is currently being investigated from many quarters. Following our studies demonstrating the impact of hypoxiain uteroand consequent intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) on the rat cardiovascular system, we hypothesized that changes extend throughout the vasculature and alter function of the renal artery. In addition, we hypothesized that hypoxia induces renal senescence as a potential mediator of altered vascular function. We demonstrated that IUGR females had decreased responses to the adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (PE; pEC506.50 ± 0.05 controlv. 6.17 ± 0.09 IUGR,P< 0.05) and the endothelium-dependent vasodilator methylcholine (MCh;Emax89.8 ± 7.0% controlv. 41.0 ± 6.5% IUGR,P< 0.001). In IUGR females, this was characterised by increased basal nitric oxide (NO) modulation of vasoconstriction (PE pEC506.17 ± 0.09 IUGRv. 6.42 ± 0.08 in the presence of the NO synthase inhibitorN-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (l-NAME;P< 0.01) but decreased activated NO modulation (no change in MCh responses in the presence ofl-NAME), respectively. In contrast, IUGR males had no changes in PE or MCh responses but demonstrated increased basal NO (PE pEC506.29 ± 0.06 IUGRv. 6.42 ± 0.12 plusl-NAME,P< 0.01) and activated NO (Emax37.8 ± 9.4% controlv. −0.8 ± 13.0% plusl-NAME,P< 0.05) modulation. No significant changes were found in gross kidney morphology, proteinuria or markers of cellular senescence in either sex. In summary, renal vascular function was altered by hypoxiain uteroin a sex-dependent manner but was unlikely to be mediated by premature renal senescence.
Maternal lipopolysaccharide alters the newborn oxidative stress and C-reactive protein levels in response to an inflammatory stress
Authors: Ginsberg Y. , Lotan P. , Khatib N. , Awad N. , Errison S. , Weiner Z. , Maravi N. , Ross M. G. , Itskovitz-Eldor J. , Beloosesky R.
Published: April 2012

Maternal infection is associated with oxidative stress (OS) and inflammatory responses. We have previously shown that maternal exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at E18 alters the subsequent offspring immune response. As immune responses are mediated, in part, by OS, we sought to determine if maternal inflammation during pregnancy programs offspring OS and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of saline or LPS at 18 days’ gestation (n= 4), and pups delivered spontaneously at term. At postnatal day 24, male and female offspring received i.p. injection of LPS. Serum lipid peroxides formation (PD) and CRP levels were determined before and at 4 h following the LPS injection. Pups of LPS-exposed dams had significantly higher basal OS (PD 29.4 ± 5.4v.10.1 ± 4.8 nmol/ml) compared with controls. In response to LPS, CRP levels (20.4 ± 2.8v.5.7 ± 1.0 ng/ml) were significantly higher among pups of LPS-exposed dams than controls. Prenatal maternal exposure to LPS increases baseline OS levels in neonates and CRP levels in response to LPS. These results suggest that maternal inflammation during the antenatal period may induce long-term sequelae in the offspring that may predispose to adult disease.
Rising of the lowest place on Earth due to Dead Sea water‐level drop: Evidence from SAR interferometry and GPS
Authors: Nof R. N. , Ziv A. , Doin M.‐P. , Baer G. , Fialko Y. , Wdowinski S. , Eyal Y. , Bock Y.
Published: April 2012

The Dead Sea water‐level has been dropping at an exceedingly increasing rate since 1960, and between 1993 and 2001, the interval of the InSAR data examined in this study, it has dropped at an average rate of 0.88 m per year. Such a water‐level change could potentially give rise to a resolvable lithospheric rebound and regional uplift, with spatial extent and amplitude that are controlled by the effective mechanical properties of the crust and upper mantle combined. We measure that deformation for the years 1993 to 2001, using 149 short baseline interferograms made of 31 ERS‐1 and ERS‐2 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images and continuous GPS data from the Survey of Israel recorded between 1997 and 2011. The uplift rate at the Dead Sea is small (up to 4 mm/year), and the basin topography is almost a mirror of the displacement, introducing a strong trade‐off between uplift and stratified atmosphere noise. To overcome this complication, we impose a linearity constraint on the satellite to ground Line Of Sight (LOS) phase changes based on the steady uplift observed by a continuous GPS station in the area of interest, and simultaneously solve for the LOS change rate, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) errors and the elevation‐phase correlation. While the LOS rate and DEM errors are solved for each pixel independently, the elevation‐phase correlation is solved for each SAR acquisition independently. Using this approach we separated the stratified atmospheric delay from the ground displacement. We observed a regional uplift around the Dead Sea northern basin, with maximum uplift close to the shorelines, and diminishing to zero by the Mediterranean coast. We modeled the effect of water load changes using a homogeneous elastic half‐space, and found a good agreement between modeled and observed ground displacements using elastic properties that are compatible with seismic and gravity data down to a depth of 15 km below the Dead Sea basin, suggesting that the response of the crust to the sea level drop is controlled mainly by the elastic properties of the upper‐crust immediately below the Dead Sea basin.
Latitudinal distributions of atmospheric MSA and MSA/nss‐SO42− ratios in summer over the high latitude regions of the Southern and Northern Hemispheres
Authors: Chen Liqi , Wang Jianjun , Gao Yuan , Xu Guojie , Yang Xulin , Lin Qi , Zhang Yuanhui
Published: April 2012

To characterize the spatial distributions of methane‐sulfonic acid (MSA) as represented by measured aerosol methane sulfonate (MS) and its relationships with non‐sea‐salt (nss) sulfate (SO42−) in the marine atmospheric boundary layer over high‐latitude regions, bulk aerosol samples were collected during eight cruises during the Chinese National Antarctic and Arctic Research Expeditions from 1998 to 2008. The concentrations of MSA (an indicator of marine biogenic sulfur production), sulfate, sodium and chloride in samples were analyzed using ion chromatography. Increases in the aerosol MSA concentrations and MSA/nss‐SO42− ratios were observed as functions of latitudes in the Pacific Ocean, more abruptly near high southern latitudes as compared to those in high northern latitudes. The MSA concentrations increased from 0.011 μg m−3 near the equator to 0.26 μg m−3 at 63°S, 23°W and from 0.0013 μg m−3 at northern midlatitudes to 0.19 μg m−3 at 58°N, 175°E. However, MSA decreased in the latitudes north of 58°N in the Pacific, where air temperature was lower. MSA/nss‐SO42− ratios increased from 0.024 near the equator to 0.93 at 62°S, 4°E and from 0.0031 around northern midlatitudes to 0.39 at 68°N, 169°W. The MSA concentrations were more correlated with MSA/nss‐SO42− (R2 = 0.43, n = 60) in Southern Hemisphere than Northern Hemisphere (R2 = 0.091, n = 40). No significant correlation was found between MSA/nss‐SO42− and air temperature at high latitudes, indicating latitudinal temperature variations were not a main factor responsible for the MSA/nss‐SO42− variation in those regions. Substantial increases in the concentrations of MSA in coastal Antarctica may indicate additional sources of biogenic S besides the emissions of dimethylsulfide from the sea.
Microphysical and macrophysical responses of marine stratocumulus polluted by underlying ships: 2. Impacts of haze on precipitating clouds
Authors: Christensen Matthew W. , Stephens Graeme L.
Published: April 2012

The 94‐GHz cloud profiling radar on the CloudSat satellite was used to examine the precipitation response of marine stratocumulus clouds to the increased aerosol burden from oceangoing vessels. Aerosol plumes generated by ships sometimes influence cloud microphysics and, to a largely undetermined extent, precipitation. To assess this response, the locations of over one thousand ship tracks coinciding with the radar were meticulously logged by hand from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery. Although precipitation detectable by the radar was infrequent, drizzle rates were often suppressed (72% of cases) and lighter in the ship tracks compared to the clouds adjacent to them. Ship plumes primarily decreased average rain rates through reducing the spatial coverage of precipitation. However, larger liquid water paths in ship tracks seldom coincided with the reduced cloud water sink from the suppression of precipitation (in less than 20% of cases). The sign and strength of the precipitation response was primarily tied to the mesoscale convective structure of the clouds. When closed cellular clouds were identified, significant decreases in the relative average liquid water path, rain rate (an average relative decrease of 68%), and rain cover fraction were observed in ship tracks compared to the surrounding clouds. The opposite occurred in the open cell regime where it was more common to find enhanced precipitation in the perturbed clouds. Ship plumes ingested into this regime resulted in significantly deeper and brighter clouds with higher liquid water amounts and rain rates (an average relative increase of 89%).
Hydrological projections of climate change scenarios over the 3H region of China: A VIC model assessment
Authors: Dan Li , Ji Jinjun , Xie Zhenghui , Chen Feng , Wen Gang , Richey Jeffrey E.
Published: April 2012

To examine the potential sensitivity of the Huang‐Huai‐Hai Plain (3H) region of China to potential changes in future precipitation and temperature, a hydrological evaluation using the VIC hydrological model under different climate scenarios was carried out. The broader perspective is providing a scientific background for the adaptation in water resource management and rural development to climate change. Twelve climate scenarios were designed to account for possible variations in the future with respect to the baseline of historic climate patterns. Results from the six representative types of climate scenarios (+2°C and +5°C warming, and 0%, +15%, −15% change in precipitation) show that rising temperatures for normal precipitation and for wet scenarios (+15% precipitation) yield greater increased evapotranspiration in the south than in the north, which is confirmed by the remaining six scenarios described below. For a 15% change in precipitation, the largest increase or decrease of evapotranspiration occurs between 33 and 36°N and west of 118°E, a region where evapotranspiration is sensitive to precipitation variation and is affected by the amount of water available for evaporation. Rising temperatures can lead to a south‐to‐north decreasing gradient of surface runoff. The six scenarios yield a large variation of runoff in the southern end of the 3H, which means that this zone is sensitive to climate change through surface runoff change. The Jiangsu province in the southeastern part of the 3H region shows an obvious sensitivity in soil moisture to climate change. On a regional mean scale, the hydrological change induced by the increasing precipitation from 15% to 30% is more obvious than that induced by greater warming of +5°C relative to +2°C. These simulations identify key regions of sensitivity in hydrological variation to climate change in the provinces of 3H, which can be used as guides in implementing adaptation.
A mechanistic ecohydrological model to investigate complex interactions in cold and warm water‐controlled environments: 1. Theoretical framework and plot‐scale analysis
Authors: Fatichi S. , Ivanov V. Y. , Caporali E.
Published: April 2012

Numerous studies have explored the role of vegetation in controlling and mediating hydrological states and fluxes at the level of individual processes, which has led to improvements in our understanding of plot‐scale dynamics. Relatively less effort has been directed toward spatially‐explicit studies of vegetation‐hydrology interactions at larger scales of a landscape. Only few continuous, process‐oriented ecohydrological models had been proposed with structures of varying complexity. This study contributes to their further evolution and presents a novel ecohydrological model, Tethys‐Chloris. The model synthesizes the state‐of‐the‐art knowledge on individual processes and coupling mechanisms drawn from the disciplines of hydrology, plant physiology, and ecology. Specifically, the model reproduces all essential components of the hydrological cycle: it resolves the mass and energy budgets in the atmospheric surface layer at the hourly scale, while representing up to two layers of vegetation; it includes a module of snowpack evolution; it describes the saturated and unsaturated soil water dynamics, processes of runoff generation and flow routing. The component of vegetation dynamics parameterizes life cycle processes of different plant functional types, including photosynthesis, phenology, carbon allocation, and tissue turnover. This study presents a confirmation of the long‐term, plot‐scale model performance by simulating two types of ecosystems corresponding to different climate conditions. A consistent and highly satisfactory model skill in reproducing the energy and water budgets as well as physiological cycles of plants with minimum calibration overhead is demonstrated. Furthermore, these applications demonstrate that the model permits the identification of data types and observation frequencies crucial for appropriate evaluation of modeled dynamics. More importantly, through a synthesis of a wide array of process representations, the model ensures that climate, soil, vegetation, and topography collectively identify essential modes controlling ecohydrological systems, i.e., that satisfactory performance is a result of appropriate mimicking of internal processes.
Estimating the spatiotemporal distribution of geochemical parameters associated with biostimulation using spectral induced polarization data and hierarchical Bayesian models
Authors: Chen Jinsong , Hubbard Susan S. , Williams Kenneth H. , Flores Orozco Adrián , Kemna Andreas
Published: April 2012

We developed a hierarchical Bayesian model to estimate the spatiotemporal distribution of aqueous geochemical parameters associated with in‐situ bioremediation using surface spectral induced polarization (SIP) data and borehole geochemical measurements collected during a bioremediation experiment at a uranium‐contaminated site near Rifle, Colorado (USA). The SIP data were first inverted for Cole‐Cole parameters, including chargeability, time constant, resistivity at the DC frequency, and dependence factor, at each pixel of two‐dimensional grids using a previously developed stochastic method. Correlations between the inverted Cole‐Cole parameters and the wellbore‐based groundwater chemistry measurements indicative of key metabolic processes within the aquifer (e.g., ferrous iron, sulfate, uranium) were established and used as a basis for petrophysical model development. The developed Bayesian model consists of three levels of statistical submodels: (1) data model, providing links between geochemical and geophysical attributes, (2) process model, describing the spatial and temporal variability of geochemical properties in the subsurface system, and (3) parameter model, describing prior distributions of various parameters and initial conditions. The unknown parameters were estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. By combining the temporally distributed geochemical data with the spatially distributed geophysical data, we obtained the spatiotemporal distribution of ferrous iron, sulfate, and sulfide, and their associated uncertainty information. The obtained results can be used to assess the efficacy of the bioremediation treatment over space and time and to constrain reactive transport models.
Volume reconstruction of point cloud data sets derived from computational geodynamic simulations
Authors: May D. A.
Published: April 2012

One of the most widely used numerical modeling techniques in geodynamics to study the evolution of geomaterials is the “marker‐and‐cell” technique. In such methods the material lithology is represented by Lagrangian particles (markers), while the continuum equations are solved on a background mesh. Significant research has been devoted to improving the efficiency and scalability of these numerical methods to enable high‐resolution simulations to be performed on modest computational resources. In contrast, little attention has been given to developing visualization techniques suitable for interrogation high‐resolution 3D particle data sets. We describe an efficient algorithm for performing a volume reconstruction of the lithology field defined via particles (code available upon request from the author). The algorithm generates an Approximate Voronoi Diagram (AVD) which transforms particle data sets into a cell‐based, volumetric data set. The volumetric representation enables cross sections of the material configuration to be constructed efficiently and unambiguously, thereby enabling the interior material structure of the simulation results to be analyzed. Examples from geodynamic simulations are used to demonstrate visual results possible using this visualization technique. Performance comparisons are made between existing implementations of exact and approximate Voronoi diagrams. Overall, the AVD developed herein is found to be extremely competitive as a visualizing tool for massive particle data sets as it is extremely efficient, has low memory requirements and can be trivially used in a distributed memory computing environment.
Sediment supply, grain protrusion, and bedload transport in mountain streams
Authors: Yager E. M. , Turowski J. M. , Rickenmann D. , McArdell B. W.
Published: April 2012

Steep streams occupy a large fraction of mountainous drainage basins and partially control the sediment supplied to downstream rivers. In these channels, sediment transport equations typically over‐predict bedload flux by several orders of magnitude because they do not account for sediment‐supply limited conditions. Thus, accurate predictions of bedload flux require an estimate of the sediment available for transport in a given event. We demonstrate through field measurements that boulder step protrusion is a proxy for sediment availability. Protrusion is also a function of the time elapsed since an extreme event and this simple relationship can be used to estimate the relative sediment availability at any given time. In addition, bedload transport predictions in a steep channel were only accurate if they included this variable protrusion. Predictions of sedimentation hazards, water quality, river restoration success, long‐term channel network evolution, and channel stability may therefore require estimates of sediment availability for transport.
Interseismic seafloor crustal deformation immediately above the source region of anticipated megathrust earthquake along the Nankai Trough, Japan
Authors: Tadokoro Keiichi , Ikuta Ryoya , Watanabe Tsuyoshi , Ando Masataka , Okuda Takashi , Nagai Satoru , Yasuda Kenji , Sakata Tsuyoshi
Published: April 2012

We monitored seafloor crustal deformation using the GPS/acoustic seafloor geodetic observation technique at three sites on the Kumano Basin, off southwestern Japan, which is located immediately above the source region of the anticipated Tonankai megathrust earthquake. We directly measured landward crustal movements of ∼40 mm/y in the ∼N80°W direction with respect to the Amurian Plate on the seafloor. The directions were found to be the same as those measured at the on‐land GPS stations. The magnitudes of the velocity vectors indicated significant crustal shortenings of approximately 10–20 mm/y between the Kumano Basin and the southeastern coast of the Kii peninsula of the Japanese Islands. The present observational results show strong and direct evidence for interplate locking during the interseismic period. Coupling ratios were roughly estimated at ∼0.6–0.8 on the plate interface up to at least 10 km in depth.
HF beam parameters in ELF/VLF wave generation via modulated heating of the ionosphere
Authors: Cohen M. B. , Golkowski M. , Lehtinen N. G. , Inan U. S. , McCarrick M. J.
Published: April 2012

ELF/VLF (0.3–30 kHz) wave generation is achievable via modulated HF (3–30 MHz) heating of the lower ionosphere in the presence of natural currents such as the auroral electrojet. Using the 3.6 MW High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility near Gakona, AK, we investigate the effect of HF frequency and beam size on the generated ELF/VLF amplitudes, as a function of modulation frequency, and find that generation in the Earth‐ionosphere waveguide generally decreases with increasing HF frequency between 2.75–9.50 MHz. HAARP is also capable of spreading the HF power over a wider area, and we find that a larger beam area yields larger generated amplitudes on the ground. Measurements are shown to generally agree with a theoretical model, which is then applied to also predict the effect of HF beam parameters on magnetospheric injection with HAARP.
The 2010 Mw 7.8 Mentawai earthquake: Very shallow source of a rare tsunami earthquake determined from tsunami field survey and near‐field GPS data
Authors: Hill Emma M. , Borrero Jose C. , Huang Zhenhua , Qiu Qiang , Banerjee Paramesh , Natawidjaja Danny H. , Elosegui Pedro , Fritz Hermann M. , Suwargadi Bambang W. , Pranantyo Ignatius Ryan , Li LinLin , Macpherson Kenneth A. , Skanavis Vassilis , Synolakis Costas E. , Sieh Kerry
Published: April 2012

The Mw 7.8 October 2010 Mentawai, Indonesia, earthquake was a “tsunami earthquake,” a rare type of earthquake that generates a tsunami much larger than expected based on the seismic magnitude. It produced a locally devastating tsunami, with runup commonly in excess of 6 m. We examine this event using a combination of high‐rate GPS data, from instruments located on the nearby islands, and a tsunami field survey. The GPS displacement time series are deficient in high‐frequency energy, and show small coseismic displacements (<22 cm horizontal and <4 cm subsidence). The field survey shows that maximum tsunami runup was >16 m. Our modeling results show that the combination of the small GPS displacements and large tsunami can only be explained by high fault slip at very shallow depths, far from the islands and close to the oceanic trench. Inelastic uplift of trench sediments likely contributed to the size of the tsunami. Recent results for the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoko‐Oki earthquake have also shown shallow fault slip, but the results from our study, which involves a smaller earthquake, provide much stronger constraints on how shallow the rupture can be, with the majority of slip for the Mentawai earthquake occurring at depths of <6 km. This result challenges the conventional wisdom that the shallow tips of subduction megathrusts are aseismic, and therefore raises important questions both about the mechanical properties of the shallow fault zone and the potential seismic and tsunami hazard of this shallow region.
Long‐range correlations in Fourier transform infrared, satellite, and modeled CO in the Southern Hemisphere
Authors: Morgenstern Olaf , Zeng Guang , Wood Stephen W. , Robinson John , Smale Dan , Paton‐Walsh Clare , Jones Nicholas B. , Griffith David W. T.
Published: April 2012

We use Fourier transform infrared ground‐based measurements and satellite and model data to assess long‐range correlations in tropospheric carbon monoxide. We find that CO columns measured in New Zealand correlate well with those measured in Antarctica, if a transport‐related lag is taken into account. The model suggests that this long‐range correlation is part of a mode of anomalous CO comprising almost the whole southern extratropics, which is linked to biomass burning in the southern continents. No such mode is modeled for the Northern Hemisphere. The area of long‐range correlations maximizes for the southern subtropical Pacific, which is identified as an advantageous location for a hypothetical new measurement station. The satellite data (produced by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument) partially confirm these findings but with generally reduced correlations. In particular, the satellite data suggest no long‐range correlation at high latitudes. This is partially explained in terms of retrieval limitations and partially reflects a model deficiency.
Pharmacologic Reduction of Angiographic Vasospasm in Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zoerle Tommaso , Ilodigwe Don C , Wan Hoyee , Lakovic Katarina , Sabri Mohammed , Ai Jinglu , Macdonald R Loch
Published: April 2012

Animal models have been developed to simulate angiographic vasospasm secondary to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and to test pharmacologic treatments. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of pharmacologic treatments that have been tested in humans and in preclinical studies to determine if animal models inform results reported in humans. A systematic review and meta-analysis of SAH studies was performed. We investigated predictors of translation from animals to humans with multivariate logistic regression. Pharmacologic reduction of vasospasm was effective in mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, nonhuman primates (standard mean difference of −1.74; 95% confidence interval −2.04 to −1.44) and humans. Animal studies were generally of poor methodologic quality and there was evidence of publication bias. Subgroup analysis by drug and species showed that statins, tissue plasminogen activator, erythropoietin, endothelin receptor antagonists, calcium channel antagonists, fasudil, and tirilazad were effective whereas magnesium was not. Only evaluation of vasospasm >3 days after SAH was independently associated with successful translation. We conclude that reduction of vasospasm is effective in animals and humans and that evaluation of vasospasm >3 days after SAH may be preferable for preclinical models.
Small copper clusters studied by x-ray absorption near-edge structure
Authors: Oyanagi H. , Sun Z. H. , Jiang Y. , Uehara M. , Nakamura H. , Yamashita K. , Orimoto Y. , Zhang L. , Lee C. , Fukano A. , Maeda H.
Published: April 2012

The local structure of copper nanoparticles grown in organic solution by reducing Cu(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate [Cu(hfac)2] was studied as-grown by the Cu K-edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES). Comparison of the experimental XANES spectra with reference materials indicated small copper clusters are formed by ligand-exchange with oleylamine and subsequent reducing by diphenylsilane. The multiple-scattering (MS) calculation for various model clusters consisting of 13–135 atoms suggests that small (13–19 atom) Cu clusters are stabilized without a large deformation.