bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Effects of Dexamethasone and Itraconazole on Aspergillus fumigatus-Exacerbated Allergic Airway Inflammation in a Murine Model of Mite-Sensitized Asthma
Authors: Matsuse Hiroto , Fukushima Chizu , Fukahori Susumu , Tsuchida Tomoko , Kawano Tetsuya , Nishino Tomoya , Kohno Shigeru
Published: January 2013

Background: Fungal exposure is associated with particularly severe asthma. Nevertheless, the effects of anti-fungal treatments on fungus-exacerbated asthma need to be determined. Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the effects of itraconazole (ITCZ) and dexamethasone (Dex) on Aspergillus fumigatus (Af)-exacerbated preexisting Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) allergen-sensitized allergic airway inflammation. Methods: Four groups of BALB/c mice were prepared: control, Df-sensitized plus Af-infected mice (Df-Af), and Df-Af mice treated with Dex (Df-Af-Dex) or with ITCZ (Df-Af-ITCZ). Pulmonary pathology and cytokine profiles in the airway were evaluated. In a different set of experiments, the effects of Dex on alveolar macrophage (AM) phagocytosis of Af conidia were determined in Df-sensitized mice. Results:Af infection significantly increased the level of eosinophils and neutrophils in the airway of Df-sensitized mice. While Dex significantly decreased eosinophils, ITCZ significantly decreased both eosinophils and neutrophils in Df-Af mice. Dex significantly decreased IL-5, whereas ITCZ significantly reduced MIP-2 in the airway. Compared to controls, AM isolated from Df-sensitized mice had significantly reduced phagocytotic activity of Af conidia. However, Dex significantly improved phagocytotic activity of AM in Df-sensitized mice. Conclusions: The present study showed that Dex and ITCZ differently regulated Af-exacerbated allergic airway inflammation; the former inhibits eosinophilic inflammation and the latter inhibits neutrophilic as well as eosinophilic inflammation by regulating different cytokines. Additionally, Dex enhanced the phagocytotic activity of AM in allergic asthma. Thus, a combination of Dex and ITCZ might be effective for the management of fungus-exacerbated asthma.
Endoskopische Papillenresektion: Indikation und Grenzen
Authors: Heinzow Hauke Sebastian , Meister Tobias , Domagk Dirk
Published: January 2013

Hintergrund: Adenome der Papilla Vateri sind selten. Prävalenzen von 0,04–0,12% werden beschrieben. Eine maligne Transformation von benignen Adenomen zu Papillenkarzinomen ist möglich und folgt der Adenom-Karzinom-Sequenz. Die meisten Papillenadenome treten sporadisch auf, können jedoch z.B. bei Patienten mit familiärer adenomatöser Polyposis genetisch häufiger vorkommen. Methode: Es erfolgte eine aktuelle PubMed-Recherche zum Thema endoskopische Papillenresektion. Ergebnisse/Schlussfolgerung: Eine endoskopische Papillektomie kann bei Adenomen ohne duktale Infiltration durchgeführt werden, während es in Hinblick auf das papilläre Adenokarzinom noch keinen Konsens gibt. Jedoch konnten neuere Studien zeigen, dass Patienten mit hochgradiger intraepithelialer Neoplasie der Papilla Vateri keine lymphovaskuläre Invasion oder Lymphknotenmetastasen aufweisen, sodass eine endoskopische Papillektomie gerechtfertigt erscheint. Da papilläre Adenome in bis zu 30% der Fälle das Risiko für fokale karzinomatöse Areale beherbergen können, sollte jede Papillektomie «en bloc» durchgeführt werden.
Automated Spectral EEG Analyses of Premature Infants during the First Three Days of Life Correlated with Developmental Outcomes at 24 Months
Authors: Schumacher E.M. , Larsson P.G. , Sinding-Larsen C. , Aronsen R. , Lindeman R. , Skjeldal O.H. , Stiris T.A.
Published: January 2013

Background: Spectral EEG analysis using automated quantification of total absolute band power (tABP) for long-term brain monitoring is reliable. We hypothesised that tABP during the first critical days of life could be a useful tool for predicting later developmental outcomes. Objective: To determine whether measuring EEG background activity in premature infants with automated tABP quantification during the first 3 days of life correlated with their developmental outcomes at 24 months. Methods: Preterm infants (group 1, gestational age, GA 24–28 weeks and group 2, GA 28–31 weeks) were continuously monitored by EEG for 3 days after birth. Their developmental outcomes were assessed using the Bayley-II and Peabody-2 developmental tests at 24 months. Their respective indices were calculated. Normal (index ≥85) and abnormal (index <85) outcomes were correlated with the tABP. Results: In group 1, the tABP was significantly lower in the abnormal infants than in the normal infants. The specificity and negative predictive value were also high for all of the tests that were applied in this group. In group 2, there was no correlation between the tABP and developmental outcome. Conclusion: This study found that extremely premature infants with poor developmental outcomes had significantly lower tABP values in their first days of life compared to infants from the same group with normal outcomes. This method may be useful in predicting later outcomes in extremely premature infants and has the advantage of being automated.
ADAM10 as a Biomarker for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Study with Brazilian Elderly
Authors: Manzine Patricia Regina , de França Bram Jessyka Maria , Barham Elisabeth Joan , Vale Francisco de Assis Carvalho do , Selistre-de-Araújo Heloisa Sobreiro , Cominetti Márcia Regina , Iost Pavarini Sofia Cristina
Published: January 2013

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in people above age 65. Platelet studies with ADAM10 have shown that its expression is reduced in AD patients. The aim of this research was to compare the platelet levels of ADAM10 protein in two Brazilian elderly groups, considering the stages of the disease. The SDS-PAGE technique followed by Western blotting was used. Data were analyzed using comparison, correlation and association statistical methods. The results showed reduced platelet ADAM10 levels in AD elderly compared to non-AD subjects. The disease progression intensified this reduction. ADAM10 was the only statistically significant variable (p = 0.01) to increase the AD occurrence probability. The cutoff value of 0.4212 in the receiver operating characteristic curve captured sensitivity and specificity of 70 and 80.77%, respectively. Together with other clinical criteria, ADAM10 seems to be a relevant biomarker tool for early and accurate AD diagnosis.
Cerebrospinal Fluid High-Mobility Group Box Protein 1 in Neuromyelitis Optica and Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Wang Honghao , Wang Kai , Wang Conghui , Xu Fangcheng , Zhong Xiaonan , Qiu Wei , Hu Xueqiang
Published: January 2013

Background: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are two autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating diseases in the central nervous system. Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17 may play important roles in the pathogenesis of these diseases. High-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) can activate the nuclear factor  light chain enhancer of activated B cells and release cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-17. However, whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) HMGB1 levels were altered in NMO and MS patients is still unclear. Objectives: It was our aim to measure the CSF HMGB1 concentration in NMO patients and explore their relationship with IL-6, IL-17 and disease activity. Methods: CSF HMGB1 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in NMO (n = 22) and MS (n = 18) patients as well as in controls (n = 14). Results: CSF HMGB1 was notably higher in the NMO group compared with controls (p = 0.007). CSF HMGB1 positively correlated with IL-6 and IL-17 in NMO patients (IL-6, p = 0.034; IL-17, p < 0.001). Conclusions: In conclusion, our study suggests that CSF levels of HMGB1 are increased in patients with NMO and reflect the neuroinflammatory process.
Ethical Implications of the Increasing Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Authors: Teichfischer Philipp
Published: January 2013

Background: The increasing demand for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) raises ethical questions about specific aspects of both CAM and conventional medicine (COM). Methods: The present article provides a critical survey of the most important ethical aspects in the current debate about CAM. Results: The relevant ethical issues arise mainly in 4 main areas: 1) patient information, 2) research ethics, 3) cost, and 4) education. Most of the contributions used for our purpose are based upon the implicit assumption that, in principle, the ethics of CAM and COM have to be identical because of the same underlying doctor-patient relationship. This premise is shared by the author. Conclusions: Substantial efforts on various levels will have to be made in order to create the conditions necessary for CAM to be ethically justified. But the ethical implications for COM also have to be considered.
Trisomy 21 Mosaicism: We May All Have a Touch of Down Syndrome
Authors: Hultén M.A. , Jonasson J. , Iwarsson E. , Uppal P. , Vorsanova S.G. , Yurov Y.B. , Iourov I.Y.
Published: January 2013

Ever increasing sophistication in the application of new analytical technology has revealed that our genomes are much more fluid than was contemplated only a few years ago. More specifically, this concerns interindividual variation in copy number (CNV) of structural chromosome aberrations, i.e. microdeletions and microduplications. It is important to recognize that in this context, we still lack basic knowledge on the impact of the CNV in normal cells from individual tissues, including that of whole chromosomes (aneuploidy). Here, we highlight this challenge by the example of the very first chromosome aberration identified in the human genome, i.e. an extra chromosome 21 (trisomy 21, T21), which is causative of Down syndrome (DS). We consider it likely that most, if not all, of us are T21 mosaics, i.e. everyone carries some cells with an extra chromosome 21, in some tissues. In other words, we may all have a touch of DS. We further propose that the occurrence of such tissue-specific T21 mosaicism may have important ramifications for the understanding of the pathogenesis, prognosis and treatment of medical problems shared between people with DS and those in the general non-DS population.
Kolonstents als «Bridge to Surgery»
Authors: Grund Karl E. , Zipfel Annette
Published: January 2013

Hintergrund: Die Implantation von selbstexpandierenden Metallstents (SEMS) in das Kolorektum – insbesondere als «bridge to surgery» – hat sich zunehmend etabliert, obwohl die Charakteristika des Kolons eine Prothesenimplantation erschweren und bisher noch keine optimalen Stents für diese Lokalisation verfügbar sind. Mit einem Stent lässt sich beim Kolonileus sehr patientenschonend eine sofortige Dekompression des Darms herbeiführen und die sonst notwendige Notfalloperation mit hoher Letalität und Komplikationsrate vermeiden. Methode: Literaturübersicht. Ergebnisse: Trotz zahlreicher positiver Studienergebnisse («... Stenting ist sehr effektiv, sicher und komplikationsarm im Vergleich zur Operation ...») ergibt eine kritische Analyse der Publikationen aufgrund vieler Faktoren (Patientenselektion, Stenttyp, Implantationsmethode usw.) jedoch eine hohe Heterogenität. Schlussfolgerungen: Um gute Resultate zu erzielen, sollte eine Stentimplantation ins Kolon nur nach strenger Indikationsstellung von einem erfahrenen Endoskopiker durchgeführt werden. Dabei ist auch die mögliche Alternative einer endoskopisch eingelegten Dekompressionssonde zu prüfen; ebenso sind onkologische Gesichtspunkte (chirurgische Resektion als einziger kurativer Ansatz) zu beachten.
Caries Prevalence in Swedish 20-Year-Olds in Relation to Their Previous Caries Experience
Authors: Isaksson H. , Alm A. , Koch G. , Birkhed D. , Wendt L.K.
Published: January 2013

Background/Aim: There are few studies of caries development and caries-related factors from early age to young adulthood. The aim of the present study is to analyse caries prevalence in 20-year-olds in relation to their previous caries experience. Method: Oral health from 3 to 20 years of age was followed longitudinally in a cohort of 499 individuals. The clinical and radiographic incidence of caries and restorations in 494 20-year-olds was related to caries data at 3, 6 and 15 years of age. Results: Twenty-six per cent of the 20-year-olds were caries-free. The mean number of initial and manifest lesions and restorations (Di + mFS) was 5.8. Initial lesions comprised 40% of the Di + mFS. Of the occlusal surfaces of molars and premolars, 12 and 4%, respectively, had manifest caries or restorations. Compared with individuals who had been caries-free during childhood (primary dentition) and adolescence, those with a history of caries activity while growing up had statistically significantly more approximal lesions at the age of 20 (DmFSa 0.6 vs. DmFSa 4.6, respectively). Those with manifest caries during childhood but caries-free at 15 years had a low caries prevalence at 20 years of age (DmFSa 1.3). Few new lesions developed after age 15. However, 50% of initial lesions at this age had progressed to manifest lesions at age 20. Conclusion: There is a relationship between caries prevalence at age 20 and early caries experience.
Endoskopische Submukosadissektion: Aktuelle Indikationen und Grenzen
Authors: Probst Andreas , Messmann Helmut
Published: January 2013

Hintergrund: Die Technik der endoskopischen Submukosadissektion (ESD) erlaubt eine En-bloc-Resektion auch großflächiger gastrointestinaler Läsionen. Vorteile sind eine verbesserte histopathologische Beurteilbarkeit der Resektate, eine gestiegene Anzahl von R0-Resektionen und eine verminderte Rezidivrate. Das Verfahren ist allerdings technisch anspruchsvoll und erfordert eine Lernkurve. Unabhängig vom Resektionsverfahren sind onkologische Kriterien bei der Resektion gastrointestinaler Frühkarzinome streng zu beachten. Methode: Literaturübersicht. Ergebnisse: Neben großen Publikationen aus Asien liegen mittlerweile auch aus Europa erste Daten mit vielversprechenden R0-Resektionsraten vor. Für das Magenfrühkarzinom kann die ESD auch außerhalb Asiens als endoskopisches Resektionsverfahren der Wahl betrachtet werden. Die deutsche Leitlinie erlaubt eine endoskopische Resektion von Magenfrühkarzinomen derzeit nur bei ausgewählten kleinen Läsionen (entsprechend den japanischen «guideline resection criteria»). Gegenüber der ESD im Magen ist die ESD im Kolon und im Ösophagus technisch schwieriger und komplikationsträchtiger; hier sollte die Methode aktuell nur in Zentren mit ESD-Erfahrung im Magen angewandt werden. Schlussfolgerung: Studien zur Klärung der Frage, ob eine Ausweitung der Resektionskriterien auch für europäische Magenfrühkarzinome (entsprechend den japanischen «expanded resection criteria») zumindest teilweise möglich ist, sind dringend erforderlich. Der definitive Stellenwert der kolorektalen ESD (insbesondere für Läsionen oberhalb des Rektums, das bezüglich technischer Schwierigkeiten und Komplikationen eine Sonderstellung einnimmt) ist derzeit unklar und muss in den nächsten Jahren evaluiert und definiert werden.
NOTES: Current Status and Recent Developments
Authors: Antoniou Stavros A. , Bartsch Detlef K.
Published: January 2013

Background: The beneficial clinical results of laparoscopic surgery have prompted modern investigations to further minimize surgical trauma and to optimize cosmetic results. Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES®) refers to the surgical concept of entering the surgical field through a body lumen for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes without producing visible scars. Method: A review of the current literature was undertaken by means of the electronic databases Excerpta Medica and EMBASE. Results: Although the level of clinical evidence is low, the concept of NOTES has found clinical application in a variety of abdominal procedures, such as cholecystectomy, appendectomy, and sigmoidectomy. The vagina represents the most frequent access route for NOTES while the stomach, the rectum, and the transoral approach are further options. Several clinical studies have demonstrated the feasibility of a wide variety of NOTES procedures; however, there are currently no hard data supporting the superiority of this approach over conventional laparoscopic techniques. Furthermore, inherent limitations of the NOTES concept, such as the loss of triangulation, difficult tissue manipulation, and the potential contamination of the surgical field, warrant technological advances in medical endoscopy, instrumentation, and endoscopic tissue closure. Conclusions: In its current status, NOTES has to be considered as a stage towards minimization of surgical access trauma rather than as an established surgical concept.
Dysnatremias and Survival in Adult Burn Patients: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Stewart Ian J. , Morrow Benjamin D. , Tilley Molly A. , Snow Brian D. , Gisler Christopher , Kramer Keith W. , Aden James K. , Renz Evan M. , Chung Kevin K.
Published: January 2013

Background/Aims: Dysnatremias have been evaluated in many populations and have been found to be significantly associated with mortality. However, this relationship has not been well described in the burn population. Methods: Admissions to the burn center at our institution from January 2003 to December 2008 were examined. Independent variables included gender, age, percentage total body surface area burned (%TBSA), percentage of third-degree burn, inhalation injury, injury severity score (ISS), Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) stage, hypernatremia, and hyponatremia. They were examined via Cox proportional hazard regression models against death. Moderate to severe hypo- and hypernatremia were defined as serum sodium <130 and >150 mmol/l, respectively. Results: In 1,969 subjects with a mean age of 36.3 ± 16.4 years, a median %TBSA of 9 (interquartile range 4–20) and a median ISS of 5 (interquartile range 1–16) hypernatremia occurred in 9.9% (n = 194), while hyponatremia occurred in 6.8% (n = 134) with mortality rates of 33.5 and 13.8%, respectively. Patients without a dysnatremia had a mortality rate of 4.3%. On Cox proportional hazard regression age, %TBSA, ISS, and AKIN stage were found to be significant predictors of mortality. Hypernatremia (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.212–3.31; p = 0.0066), but not hyponatremia (HR 1.72, 95% CI 0.89–3.34; p = 0.1068) was associated with mortality. Conclusions: In the burn population, hypernatremia, but not hyponatremia, is an independent predictor of mortality.
Evaluation of Temperature and Precipitation Trends and Long-Term Persistence in CMIP5 Twentieth-Century Climate Simulations
Authors: Kumar Sanjiv , Merwade Venkatesh , Kinter James L. , Niyogi Dev
Published: January 2013

The authors have analyzed twentieth-century temperature and precipitation trends and long-term persistence from 19 climate models participating in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). This study is focused on continental areas (60°S–60°N) during 1930–2004 to ensure higher reliability in the observations. A nonparametric trend detection method is employed, and long-term persistence is quantified using the Hurst coefficient, taken from the hydrology literature. The authors found that the multimodel ensemble–mean global land–average temperature trend (0.07°C decade−1) captures the corresponding observed trend well (0.08°C decade−1). Globally, precipitation trends are distributed (spatially) at about zero in both the models and in the observations. There are large uncertainties in the simulation of regional-/local-scale temperature and precipitation trends. The models’ relative performances are different for temperature and precipitation trends. The models capture the long-term persistence in temperature reasonably well. The areal coverage of observed long-term persistence in precipitation is 60% less (32% of land area) than that of temperature (78%). The models have limited capability to capture the long-term persistence in precipitation. Most climate models underestimate the spatial variability in temperature trends. The multimodel ensemble–average trend generally provides a conservative estimate of local/regional trends. The results of this study are generally not biased by the choice of observation datasets used, including Climatic Research Unit Time Series 3.1; temperature data from Hadley Centre/Climatic Research Unit, version 4; and precipitation data from Global Historical Climatology Network, version 2.
The Asymmetric Influence of the Two Types of El Niño and La Niña on Summer Rainfall over Southeast China
Authors: Karori Muhammad Afzaal , Li Jianping , Jin Fei-Fei
Published: January 2013

In this study, the authors demonstrate that the two types of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) have asymmetric features with respect to the impact of their positive and negative phases on boreal summer rainfall over the Yangtze River Valley (YRV) and South China (SC). The relationship between rainfall over the YRV and the warm pool (WP) La Niña is positive and significant, whereas the relationship with the WP El Niño is not. In the case of the cold tongue (CT) ENSO, its positive phase has a positive influence, while there is no significant relationship with the negative phase. In contrast, rainfall over SC has a significant positive relationship with WP El Niño, but a nonsignificant relationship with WP La Niña. The positive phase of the CT ENSO has a significant negative influence on SC rainfall, while the negative phase has a nonsignificant impact. An asymmetric atmospheric response to the asymmetric sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) was also observed in the lower troposphere. The location of the center of the anomalous circulations over the study region differs during the opposite phases of the two types of ENSO. This asymmetric response is likely to be linked to the different spatial patterns of the two types of El Niño and La Niña. Atmospheric general circulation models confirm the authors' analysis of the observed data. Numerical simulations show that the asymmetric response of the lower atmosphere is driven mainly by differing SSTA patterns in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Detectability of Changes in the Walker Circulation in Response to Global Warming*
Authors: DiNezio Pedro N. , Vecchi Gabriel A. , Clement Amy C.
Published: January 2013

Changes in the gradients in sea level pressure (SLP) and sea surface temperature (SST) along the equatorial Pacific are analyzed in observations and 101 numerical experiments performed with 37 climate models participating in the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). The ensemble of numerical experiments simulates changes in the earth’s climate during the 1870–2004 period in response to changes in natural (solar variations and volcanoes) and anthropogenic (well-mixed greenhouse gases, ozone, direct aerosol forcing, and land use) radiative forcings. A reduction in the zonal SLP gradient is present in observational records and is the typical response of the ensemble, yet only 26 out of the 101 experiments exhibit a reduced SLP gradient within 95% statistical confidence of the observed value. The multimodel response indicates a reduction of the Walker circulation to historical forcings, albeit an order of magnitude smaller than the observed value. There are multiple nonexclusive interpretations of these results: (i) the observed trend may not be entirely forced and includes a substantial component from internal variability; (ii) there are problems with the observational record that lead to a spuriously large trend; and (iii) the strength of the Walker circulation, as measured by the zonal SLP gradient, may be less sensitive to external forcing in models than in the real climate system. Analysis of a subset of experiments suggests that greenhouse gases act to weaken the circulation, but aerosol forcing drives a strengthening of the circulation, which appears to be overestimated by the models, resulting in a muted response to the combined anthropogenic forcings.
The Response of Tropical Atmospheric Energy Budgets to ENSO*
Authors: Mayer Michael , Trenberth Kevin E. , Haimberger Leopold , Fasullo John T.
Published: January 2013

The variability of zonally resolved tropical energy budgets in association with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is investigated. The most recent global atmospheric reanalyses from 1979 to 2011 are employed with removal of apparent discontinuities to obtain best possible temporal homogeneity. The growing length of record allows a more robust analysis of characteristic patterns of variability with cross-correlation, composite, and EOF methods. A quadrupole anomaly pattern is found in the vertically integrated energy divergence associated with ENSO, with centers over the Indian Ocean, the Indo-Pacific warm pool, the eastern equatorial Pacific, and the Atlantic. The smooth transition, particularly of the main maxima of latent and dry static energy divergence, from the western to the eastern Pacific is found to require at least two EOFs to be adequately described. The canonical El Niño pattern (EOF-1) and a transition pattern (EOF-2; referred to as El Niño Modoki by some authors) form remarkably coherent ENSO-related anomaly structures of the tropical energy budget not only over the Pacific but throughout the tropics. As latent and dry static energy divergences show strong mutual cancellation, variability of total energy divergence is smaller and more tightly coupled to local sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and is mainly related to the ocean heat discharge and recharge during ENSO peak phases. The complexity of the structures throughout the tropics and their evolution during ENSO events along with their interactions with the annual cycle have often not been adequately accounted for; in particular, the El Niño Modoki mode is but part of the overall evolutionary patterns.
Importance of Regional Climate Model Grid Spacing for the Simulation of Heavy Precipitation in the Colorado Headwaters
Authors: Prein Andreas F. , Holland Gregory J. , Rasmussen Roy M. , Done James , Ikeda Kyoko , Clark Martyn P. , Liu Changhai H.
Published: January 2013

Summer and winter daily heavy precipitation events (events above the 97.5th percentile) are analyzed in regional climate simulations with 36-, 12-, and 4-km horizontal grid spacing over the headwaters of the Colorado River. Multiscale evaluations are useful to understand differences across horizontal scales and to evaluate the effects of upscaling finescale processes to coarser-scale features associated with precipitating systems.

Only the 4-km model is able to correctly simulate precipitation totals of heavy summertime events. For winter events, results from the 4- and 12-km grid models are similar and outperform the 36-km simulation. The main advantages of the 4-km simulation are the improved spatial mesoscale patterns of heavy precipitation (below ~100 km). However, the 4-km simulation also slightly improves larger-scale patterns of heavy precipitation.
Separating Cloud and Drizzle Radar Moments during Precipitation Onset Using Doppler Spectra
Authors: Luke Edward P. , Kollias Pavlos
Published: January 2013

The retrieval of cloud, drizzle, and turbulence parameters using radar Doppler spectra is challenged by the convolution of microphysical and dynamical influences and the overall uncertainty introduced by turbulence. A new technique that utilizes recorded radar Doppler spectra from profiling cloud radars is presented here. The technique applies to areas in clouds where drizzle is initially produced by the autoconversion process and is detected by a positive skewness in the radar Doppler spectrum. Using the Gaussian-shape property of cloud Doppler spectra, the cloud-only radar Doppler spectrum is estimated and used to separate the cloud and drizzle contributions. Once separated, the cloud spectral peak can be used to retrieve vertical air motion and eddy dissipation rates, while the drizzle peak can be used to estimate the three radar moments of the drizzle particle size distribution. The technique works for nearly 50% of spectra found near cloud top, with efficacy diminishing to roughly 15% of spectra near cloud base. The approach has been tested on a large dataset collected in the Azores during the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) Mobile Facility deployment on Graciosa Island from May 2009 through December 2010. Validation of the proposed technique is achieved using the cloud base as a natural boundary between radar Doppler spectra with and without cloud droplets. The retrieval algorithm has the potential to characterize the dynamical and microphysical conditions at cloud scale during the transition from cloud to precipitation. This has significant implications for improving the understanding of drizzle onset in liquid clouds and for improving model parameterization schemes of autoconversion of cloud water into drizzle.
Water Surface Topography Retrieved from Color Images*
Authors: Koskulics Jeffrey , Englehardt Steven , Long Steven , Hu Yongxiang , Ottaviani Matteo , Stamnes Knut
Published: January 2013

Submerged objects viewed through wavy water surfaces appear distorted by refraction. An imaging system exploiting this effect is implemented using a submerged planar light source designed so that color images reveal features of small-amplitude waves in a wind-wave tank. The system is described by a nonlinear model of image formation based on the geometry of refraction, spectral emission from the light source, radiative transfer through the water and surface, and camera spectral response. Surface normal vector components are retrieved from the color image data using an iterative solution to the nonlinear model. The surface topography is then retrieved using a linear model that combines surface normal data with a priori constraints on elevation and curvature. The high-resolution topographic data reveal small-amplitude waves spanning wavelength scales from capillary through short gravity wave regimes. The system capabilities are demonstrated in the retrieval of test surfaces, and of a case of wind-driven waves, using data collected at high spatial and temporal resolution in a wave tank. The approach of using a physical model of image formation with inverse solution methods provides an example of how surface topography can be retrieved and may be applicable to data from other similar instruments.
Detection of Optically Thin Mineral Dust Aerosol Layers over the Ocean Using MODIS
Authors: Cho Hyoun-Myoung , Nasiri Shaima L. , Yang Ping , Laszlo Istvan , Zhao Xuepeng “Tom”
Published: January 2013

Analyses show that several existing Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) dust detection techniques, including an approach based on simple brightness temperature difference thresholds, the D-parameter method, and the multichannel image (MCI) algorithm, may be more effective for detection of highly concentrated dust plumes than for thin dust layers. Using the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) cloud and aerosol classification as a reference, the sensitivities of six MODIS radiative parameters (including brightness temperature differences, and standard deviation and ratios of reflectances) to cloud, clear sky, and dust layers are examined in this paper. Reflectance ratios and the standard deviation of reflectances were confirmed to be useful in the discrimination of dust from cloud and underlying ocean surface, while brightness temperature differences alone were not sufficient to separate dust from cloud and clear sky over the ocean surface. Using a collocated MODIS and CALIPSO training dataset from 2008, visible and infrared MODIS radiative parameters from six latitude bands and four seasons were combined using linear and quadratic discriminant analyses to develop a new algorithm for the detection of optically thin dust over the ocean. The validation using collocated MODIS and CALIPSO data from 2009 shows that the present algorithm is effective in detecting thin dust layers having optical thicknesses between 0.1 and 2.0, but that it tends to misclassify optically thicker dust layers as clouds.
A Variational Assimilation System for Nearshore Wave Modeling
Authors: Orzech Mark D. , Veeramony Jayaram , Ngodock Hans
Published: January 2013

A variational data assimilation system is developed for the stationary, homogeneous portion of the wave model Simulating Waves Nearshore (SWAN). The system is based on a numerical adjoint constructed for the discrete forward SWAN code; its performance is compared to that of an earlier system based on a discretized analytical adjoint (Walker; Veeramony et al.). This paper describes the development and validation of individual numerical adjoint subroutines, followed by the testing and evaluation of the assimilation system as a whole with an idealized twin experiment and with data from Duck, North Carolina. In the twin experiment, the present system performs on par with that of Walker. Estimates of wave spectra and spectral statistics also compare well to measured spectral data at Duck, North Carolina. The error in these estimates is partly due to the exclusion of nonlinear source and sink terms from the adjoint and partly due to different spectral processing techniques used for different types of instruments.
Monthly Crustal Loading Corrections for Satellite Altimetry
Authors: Ray R. D. , Luthcke S. B. , van Dam T.
Published: January 2013

Satellite altimeter measurements of sea surface height include a small contribution from vertical motion of the seafloor caused by crustal loading. Loading by ocean tides is routinely allowed for in altimeter data processing. Here, loading by nontidal fluids of the atmosphere, ocean, and terrestrial hydrosphere is examined. The crustal deformation can be computed from either geophysical models or from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) gravity inversions of mass variability. The loading corrections are found to be very small, rarely exceeding a few millimeters. Nonetheless, they form a significant correction to altimetric determinations of global mean sea level. The correction is most important at the annual cycle and should be accounted for when attempting to balance the global sea level budget.
Real-Time Detection and Filtering of Chaff Clutter from Single-Polarization Doppler Radar Data
Authors: Kim Yong Hyun , Kim Sungshin , Han Hye-Young , Heo Bok-Haeng , You Cheol-Hwan
Published: January 2013

In countries with frequent aerial military exercises, chaff particles that are routinely spread by military aircraft represent significant noise sources for ground-based weather radar observation. In this study, a cost-effective procedure is proposed for identifying and removing chaff echoes from single-polarization Doppler radar readings in order to enhance the reliability of observed meteorological data. The proposed quality control procedure is based on three steps: 1) spatial and temporal clustering of decomposed radar image elements, 2) extraction of the clusters’ static and time-evolution characteristics, and 3) real-time identification and removal (or censoring) of target echoes from radar data. Simulation experiments based on this procedure were conducted on site-specific ground-echo-removed weather radar data provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), from which three-dimensional (3D) reflectivity echoes covering hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of South Korean territory within an altitude range of 0.25–10 km were retrieved. The algorithm identified and removed chaff clutter from the South Korean data with a novel decision support system at an 81% accuracy level under typical cases in which chaff and weather clusters were isolated from one another with no overlapping areas.
Tornado Pathlength Forecasts from 2010 to 2011 Using Ensemble Updraft Helicity
Authors: Clark Adam J. , Gao Jidong , Marsh Patrick T. , Smith Travis , Kain John S. , Correia James , Xue Ming , Kong Fanyou
Published: January 2013

Examining forecasts from the Storm Scale Ensemble Forecast (SSEF) system run by the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms for the 2010 NOAA/Hazardous Weather Testbed Spring Forecasting Experiment, recent research diagnosed a strong relationship between the cumulative pathlengths of simulated rotating storms (measured using a three-dimensional object identification algorithm applied to forecast updraft helicity) and the cumulative pathlengths of tornadoes. This paper updates those results by including data from the 2011 SSEF system, and illustrates forecast examples from three major 2011 tornado outbreaks—16 and 27 April, and 24 May—as well as two forecast failure cases from June 2010. Finally, analysis updraft helicity (UH) from 27 April 2011 is computed using a three-dimensional variational data assimilation system to obtain 1.25-km grid-spacing analyses at 5-min intervals and compared to forecast UH from individual SSEF members.
Environments of Northeast U.S. Severe Thunderstorm Events from 1999 to 2009
Authors: Hurlbut Melissa M. , Cohen Ariel E.
Published: January 2013

An investigation of the environments and climatology of severe thunderstorms from 1999 through 2009 across the northeastern United States is presented. A total of 742 severe weather events producing over 12 000 reports were examined. Given the challenges that severe weather forecasting can present in the Northeast, this study is an effort to distinguish between the more prolific severe-weather-producing events and those that produce only isolated severe weather. The meteorological summer months (June–August) are found to coincide with the peak severe season. During this time, 850–500- and 700–500-hPa lapse rates, mixed layer convective inhibition (MLCIN), and downdraft convective available potential energy (DCAPE) are found to be statistically significant in discriminating events with a large number of reports from those producing fewer reports, based on observed soundings. Composite synoptic pattern analyses are also presented to spatially characterize the distribution of key meteorological variables associated with severe weather events of differing magnitudes. The presence of a midlevel trough and particular characteristics of its tilt, along with an accompanying zone of enhanced flow, are found in association with the higher-report severe weather events, along with cooler midlevel temperatures overlaying warmer low-level temperatures (i.e., contributing to the steeper lapse rates). During the meteorological fall and winter months (September–February), large-scale ascent is often bolstered by the presence of a coupled upper-level jet structure.
Agricultural Advisors: A Receptive Audience for Weather and Climate Information?
Authors: Prokopy Linda Stalker , Haigh Tonya , Mase Amber Saylor , Angel Jim , Hart Chad , Knutson Cody , Lemos Maria Carmen , Lo Yun-Jia , McGuire Jean , Morton Lois Wright , Perron Jennifer , Todey Dennis , Widhalm Melissa
Published: January 2013

As the climate in the midwestern United States becomes increasingly variable because of global climate change, it is critical to provide tools to the agricultural community to ensure adaptability and profitability of agricultural cropping systems. When used by farmers and their advisors, agricultural decision support tools can reduce uncertainty and risks in the planning, operation, and management decisions of the farm enterprise. Agricultural advisors have historically played a key role in providing information and guidance in these decisions. However, little is known about what these advisors know or think about weather and climate information and their willingness to incorporate this type of information into their advice to farmers. In this exploratory study, a diverse set of professionals who advise corn growers, including government, nonprofit, for-profit, and agricultural extension personnel, were surveyed in four states in the midwestern Corn Belt. Results from the survey indicate that advisors are more influenced by current weather conditions and 1–7-day forecasts than longer-term climate outlooks. Advisors predominantly consider historical weather trends and/or forecasts in their advice to farmers on short-term operational decisions versus longer-term tactical and strategic decisions. The main conclusion from this analysis is that opportunities exist to further engage the advisor community on weather and climate issues and, through them, the farmers who are managing the land.
Book Review: Clinical Management of Intestinal Failure
Authors: Green‐Corkins Kelly
Published: January 2013

Dugan CP, Gura KM, Jaksic T (Editors). Clinical Management of Intestinal Failure. New York: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC (CRC Press); 2012. 524 pages with illustrations; $129.95 [nonmember price: $139.95]. ISBN 978‐1‐4398‐1390‐4 (hardback).
Nutrition Assessment and Management in Advanced Liver Disease
Authors: Johnson Tammy M. , Overgard Erin B. , Cohen Ashley E. , DiBaise John K.
Published: January 2013

Malnutrition commonly complicates the course of patients with cirrhosis and has a multifactorial etiology. Despite the important role that nutrition plays in the prognosis of those with cirrhosis, the nutrition assessment process can be challenging in this setting. A number of tools are available to aid in the nutrition assessment of the cirrhotic patient; however, none are without limitations. Although the assessment process can be difficult, the ability to properly manage the nutrient needs of the patient presents an additional set of challenges because of the catabolic nature of the disease process and common occurrence of anorexia and other symptoms leading to poor oral intake. In this review, the nutrition assessment tools and general guidelines for nutrition management in patients with advanced liver disease are discussed to promote recognition of the nutrition issues affecting this patient population and lead to their improved survival and reduced morbidity.
Transperineal Sonography Evaluation of Muscles and Vascularity in the Male Pelvic Floor
Authors: Roll Shawn C. , Kutch Jason J.
Published: January 2013

Idiopathic chronic male pelvic pain is difficult to diagnose and treat. Currently, diagnosis relies on subjective symptoms; objective measures of neuromuscular mechanisms have not been investigated. Sonographic imaging has been used to investigate these neuromuscular mechanisms in the female pelvic floor, but neither research nor books describe sonography evaluation of the male pelvic floor. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a perineal sonographic technique for the examination of the male pelvic floor muscles. Anatomic landmarks were identified with images collected from two subjects, one with intermittent reports of pelvic pain and one with no history of pain in the pelvic region. A description of the equipment settings, the examination protocol, and the resulting comparative image analysis is included. A validated protocol such as this may be useful in documenting differences in the soft tissue structures between asymptomatic individuals and patients with chronic pelvic pain to aid in diagnosis and treatment. This is the first known study to report sonographic findings of the individual muscles in the male pelvic floor, and additional research is needed to validate the techniques that have been deemed feasible.
Some inequalities for the Hadamard product of an M-matrix and an inverse M-matrix
Authors: Zhou Duanmei , Chen Guoliang , Wu Guoxing , Zhang Xiangyun
Published: January 2013

Let A and B be nonsingular M-matrices. Some new lower bounds on the minimum eigenvalue

q
(
A
∘

B

−
1

)

for the Hadamard product of A and

B

−
1

are given. These bounds improve the corresponding results of Chen (Linear Algebra Appl. 378:159-166, 2004) and Huang (Linear Algebra Appl. 428:1551-1559, 2008) and generalize the corresponding result of Xiang (Linear Algebra Appl. 367:17-27, 2003).

MSC:15A06, 15A15, 15A48.
A knowledge-based decision support system in bioinformatics: an application to protein complex extraction
Authors: Fiannaca Antonino , La Rosa Massimo , Urso Alfonso , Rizzo Riccardo , Gaglio Salvatore
Published: January 2013

Background

We introduce a Knowledge-based Decision Support System (KDSS) in order to face the Protein Complex Extraction issue. Using a Knowledge Base (KB) coding the expertise about the proposed scenario, our KDSS is able to suggest both strategies and tools, according to the features of input dataset. Our system provides a navigable workflow for the current experiment and furthermore it offers support in the configuration and running of every processing component of that workflow. This last feature makes our system a crossover between classical DSS and Workflow Management Systems.

Results

We briefly present the KDSS' architecture and basic concepts used in the design of the knowledge base and the reasoning component. The system is then tested using a subset of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Protein-Protein interaction dataset. We used this subset because it has been well studied in literature by several research groups in the field of complex extraction: in this way we could easily compare the results obtained through our KDSS with theirs. Our system suggests both a preprocessing and a clustering strategy, and for each of them it proposes and eventually runs suited algorithms. Our system's final results are then composed of a workflow of tasks, that can be reused for other experiments, and the specific numerical results for that particular trial.

Conclusions

The proposed approach, using the KDSS' knowledge base, provides a novel workflow that gives the best results with regard to the other workflows produced by the system. This workflow and its numeric results have been compared with other approaches about PPI network analysis found in literature, offering similar results.
A multi-state model to estimate incidence of heroin use
Authors: Sánchez-Niubò Albert , Aalen Odd O , Domingo-Salvany Antònia , Amundsen Ellen J , Fortiana Josep , Røysland Kjetil
Published: January 2013

Background

Existing incidence estimates of heroin use are usually based on one information source. This study aims to incorporate more sources to estimate heroin use incidence trends in Spain between 1971 and 2005.

Methods

A multi-state model was constructed, whereby the initial state “heroin consumer” is followed by transition to either “admitted to first treatment” or to “left heroin use” (i.e. permanent cessation or death). Heroin use incidence and probabilities of entering first treatment ever were estimated following a back-calculation approach.

Results

The highest heroin use incidence rates in Spain, around 1.5 per 1,000 inhabitants aged 10–44, occurred between 1985 and 1990; subdividing by route of administration reveals higher incidences of injection between 1980 and 1985 (a mean of 0.62 per 1.000) and a peak for non-injectors in 1990 (0.867 per 1,000).

Conclusions

A simple conceptual model for heroin users’ trajectories related to treatment admission, provided a broader view of the historical trend of heroin use incidence in Spain.