bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Design of Immersive Virtual Learning Environments Utilizing Problem-Based Learning Templates
Authors: Russell Donna
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the design of template for the design of an immersive virtual learning environment that includes collaborative learning virtual worlds as problem-solving scenarios that engage students in virtual explorations of worlds. The problem-based learning 3d model incorporates a curriculum design model that includes a real-world issue that correlates to the virtual scenarios or games. This virtual PBL design model also includes a learning assessment process that utilizes sociocultural learning theories to develop an ongoing feedback model for assessment of learning in a 3d problem-based learning environment. This problem-based learning model combines the benefits of games, such as high-levels of learner engagement, real-life simulations, with research on cognition and instructional design to create a design model that can be modified to develop advanced knowledge, skills and concepts in multiple educational settings.
Disciplinarily-Integrated Games
Authors: Clark Douglas B. , Sengupta Pratim , Virk Satyugjit
Published: October 2015

Clark, Sengupta, Brady, Martinez-Garza, and Killingsworth (2015) and Sengupta and Clark (submitted) propose disciplinarily-integrated games as a generalizable template for supporting students in interpreting, manipulating, and translating across phenomenological and formal representations in support of a Science as Practice perspective (Pickering, 1995; Lehrer & Schauble, 2006). To explore the generalizability of disciplinarily-integrated games, this chapter proposes other hypothetical examples of disciplinarily-integrated games in physics, biology, chemistry, and the social sciences. We explore disciplinarily-integrated games in three categories, beginning with the category involving the nearest and simplest transfer of the template and extending to the category involving the furthest and most complex transfer: (1) time-series analyses with Cartesian formal representations, (2) constraint-system analyses with Cartesian formal representations, and (3) other model types and non-Cartesian formal representations. We close with the discussion of the implications of this generalizability.
Designing Alien Mysteries in Chatterdale
Authors: Hadjistassou Stella K. , Molka-Danielsen Judith
Published: October 2015

As part of a larger, three-year long European project, Franziska reflected on her experiences in designing and implementing age-appropriate, immersive learning experiences in the virtual village of Chatterdale in OpenSim. Thirteen-year-old German and Norwegian students learning English as a target language engaged in collaborative goal-driven actions, task-oriented activities, and verbal interactions in a quest to solve a mystery involving extraterrestrials and the local residents' disappearance. Building on Barab, Gresalfi, and Arici's (2009) conceptualization of game-oriented environments as transformational activities, the focus was placed on investigating how the emerging affordances can empower learners and enact opportunities to actively participate in these game-driven learning experiences and mold the content and context. The study illustrated that the design of this virtual Chatterdale science fiction scenario was student-instigated, while students' quest to unravel the mystery afforded opportunities for active involvement and collaborative actions, engagement in verbal exchanges, and interaction with content and context.
Using Video Gameplay to Measure Achievement for Students with Disabilities
Authors: Gallegos Benjamin , Kepple Michelle T. , Bukaty Caitlyn A.
Published: October 2015

Video gaming in the classroom offers students and educators the opportunity to conceptualize learning in new ways and address 21st century skills. This construct appears in research-based literature by leading trans-disciplinary experts in the field of special education and video gaming. Empirical research has established the application of video games as leaning tools in schools, and the benefits of video games for students with disabilities (Ke & Abras, 2013). This chapter focuses on the benefits and use of educational video game based learning for students with disabilities. The authors discuss (1) current barriers hindering widespread adoption of video games for learning and assessment, (2) characteristics of video games being used for learning and assessment, (3) how gameplay data represents academic achievement for grading, and (4) the types of assessments available and considerations for implementation. Finally, the authors explore avenues to prepare educators to use video gaming for learning and assessment in classrooms for students with disabilities.
The Creation of a Rubric for the Evaluation of Language Teaching and Learning Videogames
Authors: Agar Douglas A. , Chappell Philip J.
Published: October 2015

This chapter reports on the creation and evaluation of the Language Education Videogame Evaluation Rubric (LEVER) which, it is hoped, will be of benefit to those involved in the teaching and learning of foreign languages. Based upon a sociocultural model of language development, this research is unique in the manner in which it draws on up-to-date best practice in the domains of both language pedagogy and videogame design. This chapter will then report on the application of the LEVER to two titles which have been created to teach a foreign language, in order to both to test the games for quality and the rubric itself for rigour and ease-of-use.
Can Pre-Service Teachers Create Digital Game-Based Activities without Coding Knowledge?
Authors: Vu Phu , Gaskill Martonia
Published: October 2015

This chapter examined five cases of pre-service teachers' abilities and attitudes towards creating and using digital games in their future teaching. Participants included five pre-service teachers at a Midwest public university. The participants underwent the same research procedure including: pre-project open-ended interview, training session, and post-project open-ended interview. The researchers analyzed participants' responses to the interviews and the quality of the games they created, using the Educational Electronic Games Rubric. Results showed that students not only enjoyed learning about digital games, but also were able to create quality games without coding knowledge or advanced technology skills. Five participants indicated that they plan on creating and integrating digital games into their future teaching.
Exploring the Impact of Free-Form and Structured Digital Games on the Player Experience of Kindergarten and Primary School Students
Authors: Kirginas Sotiris , Gouscos Dimitris
Published: October 2015

The paper presents results of a study that was focused on testing the hypothesis that the levels of kindergarten and primary school students' positive emotions, engagement and positive experience will be significantly different while they play free-form and structured digital games. In the context of this study, students' emotion, engagement and experience were assessed through three corresponding questionnaires drawn from the literature. These questionnaires were completed for approx. 500 students of public kindergartens and primary schools located in Athens, Greece. From the analysis of the data collected, free-form digital games are found to lead students towards more positive emotions, higher engagement and more positive player experience. On top of that, a significant correlation is found between positive emotions, engagement and positive experience; the more positive the students' emotion while playing digital games, the higher appears to be their engagement and positive player experience.
Building Bridges
Authors: Rowe Elizabeth , Bardar Erin , Asbell-Clarke Jodi , Shane-Simpson Christina , Roberts Su-Jen
Published: October 2015

This chapter describes the analysis of 729 daily teacher logs from a 2013-14 national classroom implementation study with hundreds of high school physics students using the game, Impulse, finding classrooms using materials to bridge implicit and explicit science learning performed significantly better than control classrooms (Rowe et al., 2014). This effect was moderated by whether or not the class was a Honors/AP class. The authors examine the student and teacher demographics, science content, instructional materials and methods, and game-based pedagogies as potential explanations for those findings. The largest difference among Honors/AP vs. non-Honors/AP classrooms using any Bridge activities was their use of formal, teacher-led discussion.
A Future Focus of Gaming
Authors: Proctor DeAnna , Justice Lenora Jean
Published: October 2015

The authors discuss the instruction of soft skills by games and simulations as a future direction for the use of educational gaming in P-12 education. Technical or hard skills are taught in the educational curriculum; however, soft skills training, such as communication, collaboration, decision-making, problem-solving, negotiation, and leadership, are lacking. Soft skills training through games and simulations have been successful in areas such as the military, medicine, business, and disaster response, as well as those individuals with learning disabilities; therefore, the authors investigate the potential for soft skills training using games and simulations. In addition to instruction of soft skills, this article also addresses the inherent nature of games and simulations as teaching and assessment tools.
No, it did Not Grow Up because of the Internet
Authors: Utman Jorge Saavedra
Published: October 2015

While there is a general agreement on the contribution that Internet has implied for social mobilisation regarding information and networked sociability, there is a strand sustaining that the web and new technologies of communication have the power to liberate people, introduce democracy and democratize nations. In this paper, the author deals with these perspectives with a special focus on Latin America and Latin American quests for democracy. Taking the case of the Chilean students movement of 2011, he describes and analyses a set of “old” and basic communicative practices located within the walled intimacy of houses, occupied schools and assemblies. This description and analysis brings to the fore mediations that being at the very emergence of the movement, underlies and exceeds the Internet, providing elements to light up what technological determinisms shadow: the senses and sensibilities displayed in practices looking for voice, participation and recognition in the middle of neoliberal democracies.
In Murky Waters: Crittercam on Juvenile Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas)
Authors: Meynecke Jan-Olaf , Abernathy Kyler , Marshall Greg
Published: October 2015

AbstractAssessing bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) behavior is relevant for conservation and risk management. However, information on bull sharks—in particular, behavior of juveniles—is very limited in some parts of the world. Studying small-scale habitat use of juvenile bull sharks is challenged by their preferred habitats in estuarine environments with fast-changing environmental conditions. A number of advanced methods including acoustic telemetry, baited remote underwater video, and satellite tagging have been used to shed light on habitat utilization, food preferences, and movement. We tested the application of an underwater video camera recorder (“Crittercam”) combined with acoustic tags on three juvenile bull sharks during daytime and nighttime deployments and demonstrated the feasibility and limitations of this technique for juvenile bull shark research. All three tagged individuals used deeper channels (>5 m) moving alongside the river bank in a crisscross manner. We used additional information on habitat type and depth to support the findings. Our results provide important insights for future tagging studies combining tagging technologies to monitor bull sharks in coastal environments.
Activation of TAK1 by Chemotactic and Growth Factors, and Its Impact on Human Neutrophil Signaling and Functional Responses
Authors: Sylvain-Prévost Stéphanie , Ear Thornin , Simard François A. , Fortin Carl F. , Dubois Claire M. , Flamand Nicolas , McDonald Patrick P.
Published: October 2015

The MAP3 kinase, TAK1, is known to act upstream of IKK and MAPK cascades in several cell types, and is typically activated in response to cytokines (e.g., TNF, IL-1) and TLR ligands. In this article, we report that in human neutrophils, TAK1 can also be activated by different classes of inflammatory stimuli, namely, chemoattractants and growth factors. After stimulation with such agents, TAK1 becomes rapidly and transiently activated. Blocking TAK1 kinase activity with a highly selective inhibitor (5z-7-oxozeaenol) attenuated the inducible phosphorylation of ERK occurring in response to these stimuli but had little or no effect on that of p38 MAPK or PI3K. Inhibition of TAK1 also impaired MEKK3 (but not MEKK1) activation by fMLF. Moreover, both TAK1 and the MEK/ERK module were found to influence inflammatory cytokine expression and release in fMLF- and GM-CSF–activated neutrophils, whereas the PI3K pathway influenced this response independently of TAK1. Besides cytokine production, other responses were found to be under TAK1 control in neutrophils stimulated with chemoattractants and/or GM-CSF, namely, delayed apoptosis and leukotriene biosynthesis. Our data further emphasize the central role of TAK1 in controlling signaling cascades and functional responses in primary neutrophils, making it a promising target for therapeutic intervention in view of the foremost role of neutrophils in several chronic inflammatory conditions.
IL-21 and IL-4 Collaborate To Shape T-Dependent Antibody Responses
Authors: McGuire Helen M. , Vogelzang Alexis , Warren Joanna , Loetsch Claudia , Natividad Karlo D. , Chan Tyani D. , Brink Robert , Batten Marcel , King Cecile
Published: October 2015

The selection of affinity-matured Ab-producing B cells is supported by interactions with T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. In addition to cell surface–expressed molecules, cytokines produced by Tfh cells, such as IL-21 and IL-4, provide B cell helper signals. In this study, we analyze how the fitness of Th cells can influence Ab responses. To do this, we used a model in which IL-21R–sufficient (wild-type [WT]) and –deficient (Il21r−/−) Ag-specific Tfh cells were used to help immunodeficient Il21r−/− B cells following T-dependent immunization. Il21r−/− B cells that had received help from WT Tfh cells, but not from Il21r−/− Tfh cells, generated affinity-matured Ab upon recall immunization. This effect was dependent on IL-4 produced in the primary response and associated with an increased fraction of memory B cells. Il21r−/− Tfh cells were distinguished from WT Tfh cells by a decreased frequency, reduced conjugate formation with B cells, increased expression of programmed cell death 1, and reduced production of IL-4. IL-21 also influenced responsiveness to IL-4 because expression of both membrane IL-4R and the IL-4–neutralizing soluble (s)IL-4R were reduced in Il21r−/− mice. Furthermore, the concentration of sIL-4R was found to correlate inversely with the amount of IgE in sera, such that the highest IgE levels were observed in Il21r−/− mice with the least sIL-4R. Taken together, these findings underscore the important collaboration between IL-4 and IL-21 in shaping T-dependent Ab responses.
Perceptions of female teenagers in the Tshwane District on the use of contraceptives in South Africa
Authors: Tabane Ntswaleng S. , Peu Mmapheko D.
Published: October 2015

Background: Perceptions of female teenagers in the Tshwane District contribute to the nonuseand or discontinued use of contraceptives as evidenced by increased levels of unplanned pregnancies.Objective: The objective of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of female teenagers in the Tshwane District on the use of contraceptives.Methods: A qualitative, explorative, descriptive approach was followed in this study. The population comprised of pregnant female teenagers who were purposively selected. Data were collected using unstructured individual interviews on a face-to-face encounter in a natural setting. Data were analysed using the discourse method of data analysis.Results: The following perceptions on the use of contraceptives emerged: Perceptions on the use of contraceptives, emotions, contraceptive effects, social pressure and education on contraceptives. Teenagers’ perceptions were predominantly negative with unfounded fears. Though the teenagers were aware of the importance of the use of contraceptives, motivation to pursue contraception was lacking. Teenagers verbalised to be uncommitted as well.Conclusion: Various perceptions of female teenagers in the Tshwane District on the use of contraceptives were explored and described. It was noted that all the teenagers interviewed had great remorse and feelings of guilt regarding their behaviour of not using contraceptives.Their need for re-education was cited and seen as motivational enough to encourage the use of contraceptives at primary health care settings. Therefore, the study recommended that health education programmes should be restructured to effectively influence the female teenagers’perceptions positively and to promote the use of contraceptives.
Application of Functional Genomics for Bovine Respiratory Disease Diagnostics
Authors: Rai Aswathy N. , Epperson William B. , Nanduri Bindu
Published: October 2015

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the most common economically important disease affecting cattle. For developing accurate diagnostics that can predict disease susceptibility/resistance and stratification, it is necessary to identify the molecular mechanisms that underlie BRD. To study the complex interactions among the bovine host and the multitude of viral and bacterial pathogens, as well as the environmental factors associated with BRD etiology, genome-scale high-throughput functional genomics methods such as microarrays, RNA-seq, and proteomics are helpful. In this review, we summarize the progress made in our understanding of BRD using functional genomics approaches. We also discuss some of the available bioinformatics resources for analyzing high-throughput data, in the context of biological pathways and molecular interactions. Although resources for studying host response to infection are available, the corresponding information is lacking for majority of BRD pathogens, impeding progress in identifying diagnostic signatures for BRD using functional genomics approaches.
MicroRNA-155 and Its Role in Malignant Hematopoiesis
Authors: Ranganath Prajnya
Published: October 2015

MicroRNA-155 (miR-155) is a multifunctional molecule involved in both normal and malignant hematopoiesis. It has been found to be involved in the pathogenesis of many different hematological malignancies with either an oncogenic or a tumor-repressor effect, depending on the nature of the cell and the type of malignancy. In particular, it has been strongly implicated in the causation of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. This review focuses on the molecular interactions of miR-155, its oncogenic mechanisms, and its potential as an effective therapeutic target for the associated malignancies.
In Silico Gene Regulatory Network of the Maurer's Cleft Pathway in Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Isewon Itunuoluwa , Oyelade Jelili , Brors Benedikt , Adebiyi Ezekiel
Published: October 2015

The Maurer's clefts (MCs) are very important for the survival of Plasmodium falciparum within an infected cell as they are induced by the parasite itself in the erythrocyte for protein trafficking. The MCs form an interesting part of the parasite's biology as they shed more light on how the parasite remodels the erythrocyte leading to host pathogenesis and death. Here, we predicted and analyzed the genetic regulatory network of genes identified to belong to the MCs using regularized graphical Gaussian model. Our network shows four major activators, their corresponding target genes, and predicted binding sites. One of these master activators is the serine repeat antigen 5 (SERA5), predominantly expressed among the SERA multigene family of P. falciparum, which is one of the blood-stage malaria vaccine candidates. Our results provide more details about functional interactions and the regulation of the genes in the MCs’ pathway of P. falciparum.
Распределение нулей полиномов Паде и аналитическое продолжение
Authors: Suetin Sergey Pavlovich
Published: October 2015

Обсуждается задача аналитического продолжения многозначной аналитической функции с конечным множеством точек ветвления на римановой сфере. Основное внимание уделяется аппроксимациям Паде - классическим (одноточечным), многоточечным аппроксимациям Паде и аппроксимациям Эрмита-Паде. Основной результат работы - теорема о распределении нулей и сходимости аппроксимаций Эрмита-Паде для набора $[1,f,f^2]$, где многозначная функция $f$ принадлежит так называемому классу Лагерра $\mathscr{L}$.
Библиография: 128 названий.
A Reconsideration of Multiple Equilibria in the Analysis of One-Period Government Bonds with Default Risk
Authors: Guo Yanling
Published: October 2015

In this paper, the author considers sovereign debt in the form of one-period government bonds with default risk, which can be purchased by and traded among domestic and foreign investors. She shows that the “good equilibrium” is the only stable equilibrium under some quite general assumptions, while the “bad equilibrium” is an unstable one—a possible explanation for why the former is observed in practice. Given the “good equilibrium”, the author further shows that the domestic debt share also determines the default risk: a higher domestic debt share means a lower default risk, ceteris paribus, which leads to a lower risk premium; while a lower domestic debt share means a higher default risk and a higher risk premium. Finally, she discusses some alternative interpretations of the domestic debt share.
Academic family medicine physicians' confidence and comfort with opioid analgesic prescribing for patients with chronic nonmalignant pain
Authors: Macerollo, MD Allison A. , Mack, MD Donald O. , Oza, MD, MPH Rupal , Bennett, MD, PhD Ian M. , Wallace, PhD Lorraine S.
Published: October 2015

Objective: To examine academic family medicine physicians' current practices, experiences, beliefs, level of concern about negative outcomes, and confidence and comfort when prescribing opioid analgesics for chronic nonmalignant pain management. Design: Electronic cross-sectional survey.Participants: This study was part of the Council of Academic Family Medicine (CAFM) Educational Research Alliance omnibus survey of active academic US family physicians.Main outcome measures: Respondents completed survey items addressing their 1) sociodemographic and practice characteristics, 2) current opioid prescribing practices, 3) experiences and beliefs toward prescribing opioid analgesics for chronic nonmalignant pain management, 4) level of concern about negative opioid-related outcomes, and 5) confidence and comfort when prescribing opioid analgesics.Results: The majority of the sample (n = 491) were male (57.8 percent) with 84.1 percent identifying themselves as non-Hispanic white. Nearly all respondents (91.0 percent) reported currently prescribing opioids to patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. Most respondents reported being confident (88.4 percent) and comfortable (76.2 percent) in their prescribing for patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. Family physicians who were comfortable in their opioid prescribing skills were more likely to report satisfaction in prescribing opioids to patients with chronic pain (ρ = 0.494, p < 0.001), while those who were confident in their opioid prescribing skills were more likely to identify pain management as high priority (ρ = -0.287, p < 0.001).Conclusions: Most academic family physicians currently prescribed opioid analgesics to patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. There was a strong inverse relationship between confidence regarding opioid prescription and concern about negative consequences. Similarly, comfort level was tied to increased satisfaction with the overall process of opioid prescription.
Remifentanil target-controlled infusion: A safe rescue protocol for unexpected severe postoperative pain
Authors: Motamed, MD Cyrus , Weil, MD Grégoire , Deschamps, MD Frederic , Billard, MD Valérie
Published: October 2015

Three cases are reported here in which remifentanil administered as a target-controlled infusion (TCI) was used in Post Anesthesia Care Unit as a fast rescue treatment for acute and unexpected severe postoperative pain, allowing subsequent clinical evaluation and rational titration of analgesia with longer acting opioids. It illustrates the efficacy of this technique to titrate and compensate for variability in opioid requirements. However, its safety requires full knowledge of TCI technique, continuous monitoring of respiratory function, and assisted ventilation equipment immediately available.
Developing and bounding ice particle mass- and area-dimension expressions for use in atmospheric models and remote sensing
Authors: Erfani E. , Mitchell D. L.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Ice particle mass- and projected area-dimension (m-D and A-D) power laws are commonly used in the treatment of ice cloud microphysical and optical properties and the remote sensing of ice cloud properties. Although there has long been evidence that a single m-D or A-D power law is often not valid over all ice particle sizes, few studies have addressed this fact. This study develops self-consistent m-D and A-D expressions that are not power laws, but can easily be reduced to power laws for the ice particle size (maximum dimension or D) range of interest, and they are valid over a much larger D range than power laws. This was done by combining field measurements of individual ice particle m and D formed at temperature T < −20 °C with 2-dimensional stereo (2D-S) and Cloud Particle Imager (CPI) probe measurements (or estimates) of D, A and m in synoptic and anvil ice clouds at similar temperatures. The resulting m-D and A-D expressions are functions of temperature and cloud type (synoptic vs. anvil), and are in good agreement with m-D power laws developed from recent field studies considering the same temperature range (−60 °C < T < −20 °C).
Fingerprints of a riming event on cloud radar Doppler spectra: observations and modeling
Authors: Kalesse H. , Szyrmer W. , Kneifel S. , Kollias P. , Luke E.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Radar Doppler spectra measurements are exploited to study a riming event when precipitating ice from a seeder cloud sediments through a supercooled liquid water (SLW) layer. The observations were collected during the deployment of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program's (ARM) mobile facility AMF2 at Hyytiälä, Finland during the BAECC (Biogenic Aerosols – Effects on Clouds and Climate Snowfall Experiment) field campaign. The presented analysis of the height evolution of the radar Doppler spectra is a state-of-the-art retrieval with profiling cloud radars in SLW layers beyond the traditional use of spectral moments. Dynamical effects are taken into account by following the particle population evolution along slanted tracks that are caused by horizontal advection of the cloud under wind shear conditions. In the SLW layer, the identified liquid peak is used as an air motion tracer to correct the Doppler spectra for vertical air motion and the ice peak is used to study the radar profiles of rimed particles. A 1-D steady-state bin microphysical model is constrained using the SLW and air motion profiles and cloud top radar observations. The observed radar moment profiles of the rimed snow can be simulated reasonably well by the model, but not without making several assumptions about the ice particle concentration and the relative role of deposition and aggregation. This suggests that in-situ observations of key ice properties are needed to complement the profiling radar observations before process-oriented studies can effectively evaluate ice microphysical parameterizations.
Ambient measurements of aromatic and oxidized VOCs by PTR-MS and GC-MS: intercomparison between four instruments in a boreal forest in Finland
Authors: Kajos M. K. , Rantala P. , Hill M. , Hellén H. , Aalto J. , Patokoski J. , Taipale R. , Hoerger C. C. , Reimann S. , Ruuskanen T. M. , Rinne J. , Petäjä T.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry GC-MS) are commonly used methods for automated in situ measurements of various volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere. In order to investigate the reliability of such measurements, we operated four automated analyzers using their normal field measurement protocol side by side at a boreal forest site. We measured methanol, acetaldehyde, acetone, benzene and toluene by two PTR-MS and two GC-MS instruments. The measurements were conducted in southern Finland between 13 April and 14 May 2012. This paper presents correlations and biases between the concentrations measured using the four instruments. A very good correlation was found for benzene and acetone measurements between all instruments (the mean R value was 0.88 for both compounds), while for acetaldehyde and toluene the correlation was weaker (with a mean R value of 0.50 and 0.62, respectively). For some compounds, notably for methanol, there were considerable systematic differences in the mixing ratios measured by the different instruments, despite the very good correlation between the instruments (mean R = 0.90). The systematic difference manifests as a difference in the linear regression slope between measurements conducted between instruments, rather than as an offset. This mismatch indicates that the systematic uncertainty in the sensitivity of a given instrument can lead to an uncertainty of 50–100 % in the methanol emissions measured by commonly used methods.
Relationships between burned area, forest cover loss, and land cover change in the Brazilian Amazon based on satellite data
Authors: Fanin T. , van der Werf G. R.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Fires are used as a tool in the deforestation process. Yet, the relationship between fire and deforestation may vary temporally and spatially depending on the type of deforestation and climatic conditions. This study evaluates spatiotemporal dynamics of deforestation and fire represented by burned area over the 2002–2012 period in the Brazilian Legal Amazon. As a first step, we compared newly available Landsat-based maps of gross forest cover loss from the Global Forest Change (GFC) project with maps of deforestation extent from the Amazon Deforestation Monitoring Project (PRODES) produced by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE). As a second step, we rescaled the Landsat-based data to the 500 m resolution of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) burned area data (MCD64A1) and stratified this using MODIS land cover data to study the role of burned area in forest cover loss and deforestation. We found that while GFC forest cover loss and PRODES deforestation generally agreed on spatial and temporal dynamics, there were several key differences between the data sets. Both showed a decrease in the extent of forest cover loss or deforestation after 2004, but the drop was larger and more continuous in PRODES than in GFC. The observed decrease in forest cover loss or deforestation rates over our study period was mainly due to lower clearing rates in the evergreen broadleaf forests in the states of Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia. GFC indicated anomalously high forest cover loss in the years 2007 and 2010, which was not reported by PRODES. The burned area data indicated that this was predominantly related to increased burned area occurring outside of the tropical forest area during these dry years, mainly in Pará. This indicated that fire and forest loss dynamics in woodlands or secondary forests may be equally important as deforestation in regulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations. In addition to the decrease in forest cover loss rates, we also found that post-deforestation fire use declined; burned area within 5 years after forest cover loss decreased from 54 to 39 % during our study period.
The mechanism of oxygen isotope fractionation during N2O production by denitrification
Authors: Lewicka-Szczebak D. , Dyckmans J. , Kaiser J. , Marca A. , Augustin J. , Well R.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. The isotopic composition of soil-derived N2O can help differentiate between N2O production pathways and estimate the fraction of N2O reduced to N2. Until now, δ18O of N2O has been rarely used in the interpretation of N2O isotopic signatures because of the rather complex oxygen isotope fractionations during N2O production by denitrification. The latter process involves nitrate reduction mediated through the following three enzymes: nitrate reductase (NAR), nitrite reductase (NIR) and nitric oxide reductase (NOR). Each step removes one oxygen atom as water (H2O), which gives rise to a branching isotope effect. Moreover, denitrification intermediates may partially or fully exchange oxygen isotopes with ambient water, which is associated with an exchange isotope effect. The main objective of this study was to decipher the mechanism of oxygen isotope fractionation during N2O production by denitrification and, in particular, to investigate the relationship between the extent of oxygen isotope exchange with soil water and the δ18O values of the produced N2O. We performed several soil incubation experiments. For the first time, Δ17O isotope tracing was applied to simultaneously determine the extent of oxygen isotope exchange and any associated oxygen isotope effect. We found bacterial denitrification to be typically associated with almost complete oxygen isotope exchange and a stable difference in δ18O between soil water and the produced N2O of δ18O(N2O / H2O) = (17.5 ± 1.2) ‰. However, some experimental setups yielded oxygen isotope exchange as low as 56 % and a higher δ18O(N2O / H2O) of up to 37 ‰. The extent of isotope exchange and δ18O(N2O / H2O) showed a very significant correlation (R2 = 0.70, p < 0.00001). We hypothesise that this observation was due to the contribution of N2O from another production process, most probably fungal denitrification. An oxygen isotope fractionation model was used to test various scenarios with different magnitudes of branching isotope effects at different steps in the reduction process. The results suggest that during denitrification the isotope exchange occurs prior to the isotope branching and that the mechanism of this exchange is mostly associated with the enzymatic nitrite reduction mediated by NIR. For bacterial denitrification, the branching isotope effect can be surprisingly low, about (0.0 ± 0.9) ‰; in contrast to fungal denitrification where higher values of up to 30 ‰ have been reported previously. This suggests that δ18O might be used as a tracer for differentiation between bacterial and fungal denitrification, due to their different magnitudes of branching isotope effects.
Estimating fast and slow reacting component in surface and groundwater using 2R model
Authors: Jamwal P. , Naveen M. N. , Javeed Y.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Maintaining residual chlorine levels in a water distribution networks is a challenging task; especially in the context of developing countries where water is usually supplied intermittently. To model chlorine decay in water distribution networks, it is very important to understand chlorine kinetics in bulk water. Recent studies suggested that chlorine decay rate depends on initial chlorine levels and type of organic and inorganic matter present in water, indicating that first order decay model is unable to accurately predict chlorine decay in bulk water. In this study, we employed two reactant model (2R) to estimate the fast and slow reacting components in surface water and groundwater. We carried out bench scale test for surface and groundwater at initial chlorine level of 1, 2 and 5 mg L−1. We used decay datasets to estimate optimal parameter values for both surface water and groundwater. After calibration, the 2R model was validated with two decay dataset with varying initial chlorine concentration (ICC). This study came up with three important findings (a) the ratio of slow to fast reacting components in groundwater was thirty times greater than that of the surface water, (b) 2R model can accurately predict chlorine decay in surface water, 98 % of the variance in the chlorine decay test was explained by the model and (c) in case groundwater, 2R model prediction accuracy reduced with the decrease in ICC levels, only 87 % variance in data was explained by the model. This could be attributed to high slow to fast reactant ratio in groundwater.
A parallelization scheme to simulate reactive transport in the subsurface environment with OGS#IPhreeqc 5.5.7-3.1.2
Authors: He W. , Beyer C. , Fleckenstein J. H. , Jang E. , Kolditz O. , Naumov D. , Kalbacher T.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. The open-source scientific software packages OpenGeoSys and IPhreeqc have been coupled to set up and simulate thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical coupled processes with simultaneous consideration of aqueous geochemical reactions faster and easier on high-performance computers. In combination with the elaborated and extendable chemical database of IPhreeqc, it will be possible to set up a wide range of multiphysics problems with numerous chemical reactions that are known to influence water quality in porous and fractured media. A flexible parallelization scheme using MPI (Message Passing Interface) grouping techniques has been implemented, which allows an optimized allocation of computer resources for the node-wise calculation of chemical reactions on the one hand and the underlying processes such as for groundwater flow or solute transport on the other. This technical paper presents the implementation, verification, and parallelization scheme of the coupling interface, and discusses its performance and precision.
Sensitivity of the WRF model to PBL parametrisations and nesting techniques: evaluation of wind storms over complex terrain
Authors: Gómez-Navarro J. J. , Raible C. C. , Dierer S.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Simulating surface wind over complex terrain is a challenge in regional climate modelling. Therefore, this study aims at identifying a set-up of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) model that minimises systematic errors of surface winds in hindcast simulations. Major factors of the model configuration are tested to find a suitable set-up: the horizontal resolution, the planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterisation scheme and the way the WRF is nested to the driving data set. Hence, a number of sensitivity simulations at a spatial resolution of 2 km are carried out and compared to observations. Given the importance of wind storms, the analysis is based on case studies of 24 historical wind storms that caused great economic damage in Switzerland. Each of these events is downscaled using eight different model set-ups, but sharing the same driving data set. The results show that the lack of representation of the unresolved topography leads to a general overestimation of wind speed in WRF. However, this bias can be substantially reduced by using a PBL scheme that explicitly considers the effects of non-resolved topography, which also improves the spatial structure of wind speed over Switzerland. The wind direction, although generally well reproduced, is not very sensitive to the PBL scheme. Further sensitivity tests include four types of nesting methods: nesting only at the boundaries of the outermost domain, analysis nudging, spectral nudging, and the so-called re-forecast method, where the simulation is frequently restarted. These simulations show that restricting the freedom of the model to develop large-scale disturbances slightly increases the temporal agreement with the observations, at the same time that it further reduces the overestimation of wind speed, especially for maximum wind peaks. The model performance is also evaluated in the outermost domains, where the resolution is coarser. The results demonstrate the important role of horizontal resolution, where the step from 6 to 2 km significantly improves model performance. In summary, the combination of a grid size of 2 km, the non-local PBL scheme modified to explicitly account for non-resolved orography, as well as analysis or spectral nudging, is a superior combination when dynamical downscaling is aimed at reproducing real wind fields.
A flexible importance sampling method for integrating subgrid processes
Authors: Raut E. K. , Larson V. E.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Numerical models of weather and climate need to compute grid-box-averaged rates of physical processes such as microphysics. These averages are computed by integrating subgrid variability over a grid box. For this reason, an important aspect of atmospheric modeling is integration. The needed integrals can be estimated by Monte Carlo integration. Monte Carlo integration is simple and general but requires many evaluations of the physical process rate. To reduce the number of function evaluations, this paper describes a new, flexible method of importance sampling. It divides the domain of integration into eight categories, such as the portion that contains both precipitation and cloud, or the portion that contains precipitation but no cloud. It then allows the modeler to prescribe the density of sample points within each of the eight categories. The new method is incorporated into the Subgrid Importance Latin Hypercube Sampler (SILHS). The resulting method is tested on drizzling cumulus and stratocumulus cases. In the cumulus case, the sampling error can be considerably reduced by drawing more sample points from the region of rain evaporation.
Numerical simulation of formation and preservation of Ningwu ice cave, Shanxi, China
Authors: Yang S. , Shi Y.
Published: October 2015

Abstract. Ice caves exist in locations where annual average air temperature is higher than 0 °C. An example is Ningwu ice cave, Shanxi Province, the largest ice cave in China. In order to quantitatively investigate the mechanism of formation and preservation of the ice cave, we use the finite-element method to simulate the heat transfer process at this ice cave. There are two major control factors. First, there is the seasonal asymmetric heat transfer. Heat is transferred into the ice cave from outside very inefficiently by conduction in spring, summer and fall. In winter, thermal convection occurs that transfers heat very efficiently out of the ice cave, thus cooling it down. Secondly, ice–water phase change provides a heat barrier for heat transfer into the cave in summer. The calculation also helps to evaluate effects of global warming, tourists, colored lights, climatic conditions, etc. for sustainable development of the ice cave as a tourism resource. In some other ice caves in China, managers have installed airtight doors at these ice caves' entrances with the intention of "protecting" these caves, but this in fact prevents cooling in winter and these cave ices will entirely melt within tens of years.
RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY: A TOOL FOR ASSESSING THE ROLE OF COMPOUNDING INGREDIENTS IN PEROXIDE VULCANIZATION OF NATURAL RUBBER
Authors: Rajan Rejitha , Varghese Siby , Balachandran Meera , George K. E.
Published: October 2015

Response surface methodology was used for assessing the role of various compounding ingredients, including zinc oxide, antioxidant, coagent, oil, and filler, in peroxide vulcanization of natural rubber. A face-centered central composite design with four factors at three different levels was used to obtain the relationship between vulcanizate properties and the level of ingredients. The four factors selected were filler and oil ratio and the contents of zinc oxide, antioxidant, and coagent. The filler and oil ratio was kept constant throughout the experiment. The vulcanizates were evaluated for their mechanical properties: tensile strength, elongation, modulus (M100), tear strength, hardness, compression set (70 and 100 °C), and crosslink density. Regression equations were generated to model the properties of interest, and response surfaces and contour diagrams were plotted.
Population aging and physician maldistribution: A longitudinal study in Japan
Authors: Matsumoto Kunichika , Seto Kanako , Fujita Shigeru , Kitazawa Takefumi , Hasegawa Tomonori
Published: October 2015

Background: Over the past two decades, population aging and the introduction of the new postgraduate medical education program in 2004 have impacted on the geographic maldistribution of physicians in Japan. The purpose of this study was to evaluate recent changes in physician distribution across municipalities from 1996 to 2012 using Gini coefficients and to clarify the impact of the new medical education program on physician distribution.Methods: We extracted the number of physicians classified by type of medical institution and municipal bodies. Gini coefficients were calculated using both population and demand for medical services. We calculated the contribution ratio (CR) of maldistribution within each type of medical institution to the whole maldistribution using Rao’s method. In addition, we calculated the incremental difference in Gini coefficients between 2002 and 2010, and calculated the CR of the incremental Gini coefficient difference for each medical institution type using Seki’s method.Results: Both Gini coefficients decreased from 1996 to 2002, and increased after 2006. The CR of other hospitals increased from 2004. The incremental difference in the Gini coefficient using demand between 2002 and 2010 was 0.012, and the CR of each type of medical institution was -25.1% (university hospitals), 131.0% (other hospitals) and -5.9% (clinics).Conclusions: Our analysis showed that the geographic maldistribution of physicians has worsened since the introduction of the new postgraduate medical education program, and the CR of maldistribution in other hospitals was high. Our study suggested that new medical resource distribution policies should be discussed to improve maldistribution.