bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A WRF simulation of the impact of 3-D radiative transfer on surface hydrology over the Rocky–Sierra Mountains
Authors: Liou K. N. , Gu Y. , Leung L. R. , Lee W. L. , Fovell R. G.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Essentially all modern climate models utilize a plane-parallel (PP) radiative transfer approach in physics parameterizations; however, the potential errors that arise from neglecting three-dimensional (3-D) interactions between radiation and mountains/snow on climate simulations have not been studied and quantified. This paper is a continuation of our efforts to investigate 3-D mountains/snow effects on solar flux distributions and their impact on surface hydrology over the Western United States, specifically the Rocky and Sierra-Nevada Mountains. We use the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model applied at a 30 km grid resolution with incorporation of a 3-D radiative transfer parameterization covering a time period from 1 November 2007 to 31 May 2008 during which abundant snowfall occurred. Comparison of the 3-D WRF simulation with the observed snow water equivalent (SWE) and precipitation from Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) sites shows reasonable agreement in terms of spatial patterns and daily and seasonal variability, although the simulation generally has a positive precipitation bias. We show that 3-D mountain features have a profound impact on the diurnal and monthly variation of surface radiative and heat fluxes and on the consequent elevation-dependence of snowmelt and precipitation distributions. In particular, during the winter months, large deviations (3-D–PP) of the monthly mean surface solar flux are found in the morning and afternoon hours due to shading effects for elevations below 2.5 km. During spring, positive deviations shift to earlier morning. Over the mountain tops above 3 km, positive deviations are found throughout the day, with the largest values of 40–60 W m−2 occurring at noon during the snowmelt season of April to May. The monthly SWE deviations averaged over the entire domain show an increase in lower elevations due to reduced snowmelt, leading to a reduction in cumulative runoff. Over higher elevation areas, positive SWE deviations are found because of increased solar radiation available at the surface. Overall, this study shows that deviations of SWE due to 3-D radiation effects range from an increase of 18% at the lowest elevation range (1.5–2 km) to a decrease of 8% at the highest elevation range (above 3 km). Since lower elevation areas occupy larger fractions of the land surface, the net effect of 3-D radiative transfer is to extend snowmelt and snowmelt-driven runoff into the warm season. Additionally, because about 60–90% of water resources originate from mountains worldwide, the aforementioned differences in simulated hydrology due solely to 3-D interactions between solar radiation and mountains/snow merit further investigation in order to understand the implications to modeling mountain water resources and their vulnerability to climate change and air pollution.
Near-surface meteorology during the Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS): evaluation of reanalyses and global climate models
Authors: de Boer G. , Shupe M. D. , Caldwell P. M. , Bauer S. E. , Persson P. O. G. , Boyle J. S. , Kelley M. , Klein S. A. , Tjernström M.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Atmospheric measurements from the Arctic Summer Cloud Ocean Study (ASCOS) are used to evaluate the performance of three reanalyses (ERA-Interim, NCEP/NCAR and NCEP/DOE) and two global climate models (CAM5 and NASA GISS ModelE2) in simulation of the high Arctic environment. Quantities analyzed include near surface meteorological variables such as temperature, pressure, humidity and winds, surface-based estimates of cloud and precipitation properties, the surface energy budget, and lower atmospheric temperature structure. In general, the models perform well in simulating large scale dynamical quantities such as pressure and winds. Near-surface temperature and lower atmospheric stability, along with surface energy budget terms are not as well represented due largely to errors in simulation of cloud occurrence, phase and altitude. Additionally, a development version of CAM5, which features improved handling of cloud macro physics, is demonstrated to improve simulation of cloud properties and liquid water amount. The ASCOS period additionally provides an excellent example of the need to evaluate individual budget terms, rather than simply evaluating the net end product, with large compensating errors between individual surface energy budget terms resulting in the best net energy budget.
Calibration and validation of the advanced E-Region Wind Interferometer
Authors: Kristoffersen S. K. , Ward W. E. , Brown S. , Drummond J. R.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. The advanced E-Region Wind Interferometer (ERWIN II) combines the imaging capabilities of a CCD detector with the wide field associated with field-widened Michelson interferometry. This instrument is capable of simultaneous multi-directional wind observations for three different airglow emissions (oxygen green line (O(1S)) at a height of ~97 km, the PQ(7) and P(7) emission lines in the O2(0–1) atmospheric band at ~93 km and P1(3) emission line in the (6, 2) hydroxyl Meinel band at ~87 km) on a three minute cadence. In each direction, for 45 s measurements for typical airglow volume emission rates, the instrument is capable of line-of-sight wind precisions of ~1 m s−1 for hydroxyl and O(1S) and ~4 m s−1 for O2. This precision is achieved using a new data analysis algorithm which takes advantage of the imaging capabilities of the CCD detector along with knowledge of the instrument phase variation as a function of pixel location across the detector. This instrument is currently located in Eureka, Nunavut as part of the Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) (80°N, 86° W). The details of the physical configuration, the data analysis algorithm, the measurement calibration and validation of the observations from December 2008 and January 2009 are described. Field measurements which demonstrate the capabilities of this instrument are presented. To our knowledge, the wind determinations with this instrument are the most accurate and have the highest observational cadence for airglow wind observations of this region of the atmosphere and match the capabilities of other wind-measuring techniques.
HCl and ClO profiles inside the Antarctic vortex as observed by SMILES in November 2009: comparisons with MLS and ACE-FTS instruments
Authors: Sugita T. , Kasai Y. , Terao Y. , Hayashida S. , Manney G. L. , Daffer W. H. , Sagawa H. , Suzuki M. , Shiotani M. , Walker K. A. , Boone C. D. , Bernath P. F.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. We present vertical profiles of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and chlorine monoxide (ClO) as observed by the Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) inside the Antarctic vortex on 19–24 November 2009. The SMILES HCl value reveals 2.8–3.1 ppbv between 450 and 500 K levels in potential temperature (PT). The high value of HCl is highlighted since it is suggested that HCl was a main component of the total inorganic chlorine (Cly), defined as Cly ≃ HCl + ClO + chlorine nitrate (ClONO2) inside the Antarctic vortex in spring, owing to low ozone values. To confirm the quality of two SMILES Level 2 (L2) data products provided by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) from a view point of the partitioning of Cly, comparisons are made using other satellite data, from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) and Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS). HCl values from the SMILES NICT L2 product agree to within 10% with the MLS HCl data between 425 and 650 K levels in PT and with the ACE-FTS HCl data between 425 and 575 K, respectively. The SMILES JAXA L2 product is 10 to 20% smaller than that from MLS (ACE-FTS) between 400 (500 K) and 700 K. For ClO in daytime, the difference between SMILES (JAXA and NICT) and MLS was less than ±0.05 ppbv between 500 and 650 K with the ClO values less than 0.2 ppbv. ClONO2 values as measured by ACE-FTS also reveal 0.2 ppbv at 475–500 K level, resulting in the HCl/Cly ratios of 0.91–0.95. The high HCl value and HCl/Cly ratio found from the three satellite instruments agree with the past observations inside the Antarctic vortex at this time (October to November) of year in the lower stratosphere.
On the relationship between interplanetary coronal mass ejections and magnetic clouds
Authors: Kilpua E. K. J. , Isavnin A. , Vourlidas A. , Koskinen H. E. J. , Rodriguez L.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. The relationship of magnetic clouds (MCs) to interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) is still an open issue in space research. The view that all ICMEs would originate as magnetic flux ropes has received increasing attention, although near the orbit of the Earth only about one-third of ICMEs show clear MC signatures and often the MC occupies only a portion of the more extended region showing ICME signatures. In this work we analyze 79 events between 1996 and 2009 reported in existing ICME/MC catalogs (Wind magnetic cloud list and the Richardson and Cane ICME list) using near-Earth observations by ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer) and Wind. We perform a systematic comparison of cases where ICME and MC signatures coincided and where ICME signatures extended significantly beyond the MC boundaries. We find clear differences in the characteristics of these two event types. In particular, the events where ICME signatures continued more than 6 h past the MC rear boundary had 2.7 times larger speed difference between the ICME's leading edge and the preceding solar wind, 1.4 times higher magnetic fields, 2.1 times larger widths and they experienced three times more often strong expansion than the events for which the rear boundaries coincided. The events with significant mismatch in MC and ICME boundary times were also embedded in a faster solar wind and the majority of them were observed close to the solar maximum. Our analysis shows that the sheath, the MC and the regions of ICME-related plasma in front and behind the MC have different magnetic field, plasma and charge state characteristics, thus suggesting that these regions separate already close to the Sun. Our study shows that the geometrical effect (the encounter through the CME leg and/or far from the flux rope center) does not contribute much to the observed mismatch in the MC and ICME boundary times.
Modelling the population dynamics of Temora longicornis in the Basin Gdańsk (southern Baltic Sea)
Authors: Dzierzbicka-Glowacka L. , Lemieszek A. , Kalarus M. , Żmijewska I. M.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. The ecosystem model 3-D CEMBS connected with the population model, described in this paper, was used to determine the temporal distributions of T. longicornis in the Gdańsk Basin (the southern Baltic Sea) divided into the coastal zone P2 (the Gulf of Gdańsk) and the open sea P1 (Gdańsk Deep). The population model for T. longicornis consists of twelve equations for twelve states of variables, six for the mass Wi and six for the abundance Zi, i.e. two states of variables Wi and Zi, for each of the six model stages of the development; the stages were grouped as follows: eggs – Egg, stages not taking food – NI–NII, subsequent stages of nauplii – NIII–NVI, two copepodid stages – CI–CIII and CIV–CV and the last stage of adult organisms – CVI. Seasonal dynamics of T. longicornis is described by average changes in the total biomass as a sum of biomass of the examined ontogenesis stages, which are the sum of the products of the mass Wi and the abundance Zi of individual organisms at a given stage. The empirical verification of the population model based on in situ data obtained from the analysis of biological material collected in 2010–2011 in the region of Gdańsk Deep (P1) and in the western part of Gdańsk Bay (P2), and in 2006–2007 – only in Gdańsk Bay (P2). The highest values of the modelled T. longicornis biomass occurred in the period of high temperatures, i.e. in summer, in June 2010 and July 2011 in the Bay of Gdańsk – at station P2, and between late June and early July, and for almost the whole summer in Gdańsk Deep – at station P1, and amounted to respectively ca. 5200 mgw.w. m–2 and 6300 mgw.w. m–2 at station P2 and 24 500 mgw.w. m–2 and 27 800 mgw.w. m–2 at station P1. In 2006 and 2007 at station P2 the highest numerical values were recorded between late July and early August, exactly at the same time as environmental data, and amounted to 4300 mgw.w. m–2 and 5800 mgw.w. m–2, respectively. The results determined from the model are 0.25–2 times higher compared to in situ data. The most similar values were obtained for 2007.
Meiofauna winners and losers of coastal hypoxia: case study harpacticoid copepods
Authors: Grego M. , Riedel B. , Stachowitsch M. , De Troch M.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. The impact of anoxia on meiobenthic copepod species was assessed by means of a field experiment. Four plexiglass chambers were deployed in situ in 24 m depth to simulate an anoxic event of 9 days, 1 month, 2 months and 10 months. From normoxic to anoxic conditions, we recorded a drop in copepod density and species richness. With increasing duration of anoxia the relative abundance of the individuals of the family Cletodidae increased, and they survived the 1 month and 2 month anoxia, the latter with few specimens. They were the true "winners" of the experimentally induced anoxia. Dominance did not increase throughout all deployments because; not one, but several species from this family were tolerant to anoxia. The overall rate of survival was the same for males and females, but no juvenile stages of copepods survived in anoxia. During a recovery phase of 7 days after a short-term anoxia of 9 days, harpacticoid copepod density did not increase significantly, and there was only a slight increase in species diversity. We concluded that there was no substantial colonisation from the surrounding sediment. The survivors, however, showed a high potential for recovery according to the number of gravid females, whose number increased significantly once the oxygen was available again. These finding imply that a substantial amount of energy is allocated to reproduction in the recovery phase.
Flux and accumulation of sedimentary particles off the continental slope of Pakistan: a comparison of water column and seafloor estimates from the oxygen minimum zone, NE Arabian Sea
Authors: Schulz H. , von Rad U.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Due to the lack of bioturbation, the laminated muds from the oxygen-minimum zone (OMZ) off Pakistan provide a unique opportunity to precisely determine the vertical and lateral sediment fluxes in the near shore part of the northeastern Arabian Sea, and to explore the effects of the margin topography and the low oxygen conditions on the accumulation of organic matter and other particles. West of Karachi, in the Hab river area of EPT and WPT (Eastern and Western PAKOMIN Traps), 16 short sediment profiles from water depths between 250 m and 1970 m on a depth transect crossing the OMZ (~ 120 to ~ 1200 m water depth) were investigated, and correlated on the basis of a thick, light-gray- to reddish-colored turbidite layer. Varve counting yielded a date for this layer of AD 1905 to 1888. We adopted the young age which agrees with 210Pb- dating, and used this isochronous stratigraphic marker bed to calculate sediment accumulation rates, that we could directly compare with the flux rates from the sediment traps installed within the water column above. All traps in the area show exceptionally high, pulsed winter fluxes of up to 5000 mg m−2 d−1 in this margin environment. The lithic flux at the sea floor is as high as 4000 mg m−2 d−1 , and agrees remarkably well with the bulk winter flux of material. This holds as well for the individual bulk components (organic carbon, calcium carbonate, opal, lithic fraction). However, the high winter flux events (HFE) by their extreme mass of remobilized matter terminated the recording in the shallow traps by clogging the funnels. Based on our comparisons, we argue that HFE for the past 5000 yr most likely occurred as regular events within the upper OMZ off Pakistan. Coarse fraction and foraminiferal accumulation rates from sediment surface samples along the Hab transect show distribution patterns that seem to be a function of water depth and distance from the shelf. Some of these sediment fractions show sudden shifts at the lower boundary of the OMZ. However, the potential effect of the OMZ on carbon preservation in the area would by masked by high mass of fine-grained matter laterally advected, and by the pulsed nature of the resuspension events.
Ratios among atmospheric trace gases together with winds imply exploitable information for bird navigation: a model elucidating experimental results
Authors: Wallraff H. G.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. A model of avian goal-oriented navigation is described that is based on two empirical findings: (1) To orient their courses homeward from distant unfamiliar areas, homing pigeons require long-term exposure to undisturbed winds at the home site and olfactory access to the environmental air at home and abroad. (2) Above Germany, ratios among some atmospheric trace gases vary along differently oriented spatial gradients and in dependence on wind direction. The model emulates finding (1) by utilising the analysed air samples on which finding (2) is based. Starting with an available set of 46 omnipresent compounds, virtual pigeons determine the profile of relative weights among them at each of 96 sites regularly distributed around a central home site within a radius of 200 km and compare this profile with corresponding profiles determined at home under varying wind conditions. Referring to particular similarities and dissimilarities depending on home-wind direction, they try to estimate, at each site, the compass direction they should fly in order to approach home. To make the model working, an iterative algorithm imitates evolution by modifying sensitivity to the individual compounds stepwise at random. In the course of thousands of trial-and-error steps it gradually improves homeward orientation by selecting smaller sets of most useful and optimally weighted substances from whose proportional configurations at home and abroad it finally derives navigational performances similar to those accomplished by real pigeons. It is concluded that the dynamic chemical atmosphere most likely contains sufficient spatial information for home-finding over hundreds of kilometres of unfamiliar terrain. The underlying chemo-atmospheric processes remain to be clarified.
Late Neolithic Mondsee Culture in Austria: living on lakes and living with flood risk?
Authors: Swierczynski T. , Lauterbach S. , Dulski P. , Brauer A.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Neolithic and Bronze Age lake dwellings in the European Alps became recently protected under the UNESCO World Heritage. However, only little is known about the cultural history of the related pre-historic communities, their adaptation strategies to environmental changes and particularly about the almost synchronous decline of many of these settlements around the transition from the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. For example, there is an ongoing debate whether the abandonment of Late Neolithic lake dwellings at Lake Mondsee (Upper Austria) was caused by unfavourable climate conditions or a single catastrophic event. Within the varved sediments of Lake Mondsee, we investigated the occurrence of intercalated detrital layers from major floods and debris flows to unravel extreme surface runoff recurrence during the Neolithic settlement period. A combination of detailed sediment microfacies analysis and μXRF element scanning allows distinguishing debris flow and flood deposits. A total of 60 flood and 12 debris flow event layers was detected between 7000 and 4000 varve years (vyr) BP. Compared to the centennial- to millennial-scale average, a period of increased runoff event frequency can be identified between 5900 and 4450 vyr BP. Enhanced flood frequency is accompanied by predominantly siliciclastic sediment supply between ca. 5500 and 5000 vyr BP and enhanced dolomitic sediment supply between 4900 and 4500 vyr BP. A change in the location and the construction technique of the Neolithic lake dwellings at Lake Mondsee can be observed during the period of higher flood frequency. While lake dwellings of the first settlement period (ca. 5800–5250 cal. yr BP) were constructed directly on the wetlands, later constructions (ca. 5400–4700 cal. yr BP) were built on piles upon the water, possibly indicating an adaptation to either increased flood risk or a general increase of the lake level. However, our results also indicate that other than climatic factors (e.g. socio-economic changes) must have influenced the decline of the Mondsee Culture because flood activity generally decreased since 4450 vyr BP, but no new lake dwellings have been established thereafter.
A Site-sPecific Agricultural water Requirement and footprint Estimator (SPARE:WATER 1.0)
Authors: Multsch S. , Al-Rumaikhani Y. A. , Frede H.-G. , Breuer L.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. The agricultural water footprint addresses the quantification of water consumption in agriculture, whereby three types of water to grow crops are considered, namely green water (consumed rainfall), blue water (irrigation from surface or groundwater) and grey water (water needed to dilute pollutants). By considering site-specific properties when calculating the crop water footprint, this methodology can be used to support decision making in the agricultural sector on local to regional scale. We therefore developed the spatial decision support system SPARE:WATER that allows us to quantify green, blue and grey water footprints on regional scale. SPARE:WATER is programmed in VB.NET, with geographic information system functionality implemented by the MapWinGIS library. Water requirements and water footprints are assessed on a grid basis and can then be aggregated for spatial entities such as political boundaries, catchments or irrigation districts. We assume inefficient irrigation methods rather than optimal conditions to account for irrigation methods with efficiencies other than 100%. Furthermore, grey water is defined as the water needed to leach out salt from the rooting zone in order to maintain soil quality, an important management task in irrigation agriculture. Apart from a thorough representation of the modelling concept, we provide a proof of concept where we assess the agricultural water footprint of Saudi Arabia. The entire water footprint is 17.0 km3 yr−1 for 2008, with a blue water dominance of 86%. Using SPARE:WATER we are able to delineate regional hot spots as well as crop types with large water footprints, e.g. sesame or dates. Results differ from previous studies of national-scale resolution, underlining the need for regional estimation of crop water footprints.
Thermodynamic limits of hydrologic cycling within the Earth system: concepts, estimates and implications
Authors: Kleidon A. , Renner M.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. The hydrologic cycle results from the combination of energy conversions and atmospheric transport, and the laws of thermodynamics set limits to both. Here, we apply thermodynamics to derive the limits of the strength of hydrologic cycling within the Earth system and about the properties and processes that shape these limits. We set up simple models to derive analytical expressions of the limits of evaporation and precipitation in relation to vertical and horizontal differences in solar radiative forcing. These limits result from a fundamental trade-off by which a greater evaporation rate reduces the temperature gradient and thus the driver for atmospheric motion that exchanges moistened air from the surface with the drier air aloft. The limits on hydrologic cycling thus reflect the strong interaction between the hydrologic flux, motion, and the driving gradient. Despite the simplicity of the models, they yield estimates for the limits of hydrologic cycling that are within the observed magnitude, suggesting that the global hydrologic cycle operates near its maximum strength. We close with a discussion of how thermodynamic limits can provide a better characterization of the interaction of vegetation and human activity with hydrologic cycling.
Assimilation of surface soil moisture into a multilayer soil model: design and evaluation at local scale
Authors: Parrens M. , Mahfouf J.-F. , Barbu A. , Calvet J.-C.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Land surface models (LSM) have improved considerably in the last two decades. In this study, the ISBA LSM soil diffusion scheme is used (with 11 soil layers represented). A Simplified Extended Kalman Filter (SEKF) allows surface soil moisture (SSM) to be assimilated in the multi-layer LSM in order to constrain deep soil moisture. In parallel, the same simulations are performed using the ISBA LSM with 2 soil layers (a thin surface layer and a bulk reservoir). Simulations are performed over a 3 yr period (2003–2005) for a bare soil field in southwestern France, at the SMOSREX experimental site. Analyzed soil moisture values correlate better with soil moisture observations when the ISBA LSM soil diffusion scheme is used. The Kalman gain is greater from the surface to 45 cm than below this limit. For dry periods, corrections introduced by the assimilation scheme mainly affect the first 25 cm of soil whereas weaker corrections impact the total soil column for wet periods. Such seasonal corrections cannot be described by the two-layer ISBA LSM. Sensitivity studies performed with the multi-layer LSM show improved results when SSM (0–6 cm) is assimilated into the second layer (1–5 cm) than into the first layer (0–1 cm). The introduction of vertical correlations in the background error covariance matrix is also encouraging. Using a yearly CDF-matching scheme for bias correction instead of matching over the three years permits the seasonal variability of the soil moisture content to be better transcribed. An assimilation experiment has also been performed by forcing ISBA-DF with a local forcing setting precipitation to zero. This experiment shows the benefit of the SSM assimilation for correcting inaccurate atmospheric forcing.
Multifractal analysis of vertical profiles of soil penetration resistance at the field scale
Authors: Siqueira G. M. , Silva E. F. F. , Montenegro A. A. A. , Vidal Vázquez E. , Paz-Ferreiro J.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Soil penetration resistance (PR) is widely used as an indirect indicator of soil strength. Soil PR is linked to basic soil properties and correlated to root growth and plant production, and as such it is extensively used as a practical tool for assessing soil compaction and to evaluate the effects of soil management. This study investigates how results from multifractal analysis can quantify key elements of depth-dependent soil PR profiles and how this information can be used at the field scale. We analysed multifractality of 50 PR vertical profiles, measured from 0 to 60 cm depth and randomly located on a 6.5 ha sugar cane field in northeastern Brazil. The scaling property of each profile was typified by singularity, and Rényi spectra estimated by the method of moments. The Hurst exponent was used to parameterize the autocorrelation of the vertical PR data sets. The singularity and Rènyi spectra showed that the vertical PR data sets exhibited a well-defined multifractal structure. Hurst exponent values were close to 1, ranging from 0.944 to 0.988, indicating strong persistence in PR variation with soil depth. Also, the Hurst exponent was negatively and significantly correlated to coefficient of variation (CV), skewness and maximum values of the depth-dependent PR. Multifractal analysis added valuable information to describe the spatial arrangement of depth-dependent penetrometer data sets, which was not taken into account by classical statistical indices. Multifractal parameters were mapped over the experimental field and compared with mean and maximum values of PR. Combination of spatial variability survey and multifractal analysis appear to be useful to manage soil compaction.
A parameter model of gas exchange for the seasonal sea ice zone
Authors: Loose B. , McGillis W. R. , Perovich D. , Zappa C. J. , Schlosser P.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Carbon budgets for the polar oceans require better constraint on air-sea gas exchange in the sea ice zone (SIZ). Here, we utilize recent advances in the theory of turbulence, mixing and air-sea flux in the ice-ocean boundary layer (IOBL) to formulate a simple model for gas exchange when the surface ocean is partially covered by sea ice. The gas transfer velocity (k) is related to shear-driven and convection-driven turbulence in the aqueous mass boundary layer, and to the mean-squared wave slope at the air–sea interface. We use the model to estimate k along the drift track of Ice-Tethered Profilers (ITPs) in the Arctic. Individual estimates of daily-averaged k from ITP drifts ranged between 1.1 and 22 m d−1, and the fraction of open water (f) ranged from 0 to 0.83. Converted to area-weighted effective transfer velocities (keff), the minimum value of keff was 10−5 m d−1 near f = 0 with values exceeding keff = 5 m d−1 at f = 0.4. The largest values of k occurred during the periods when ice cover around the ITP was changing rapidly; either in advance or retreat. The model indicates that effects from shear and convection in the sea ice zone contribute an additional 40% to the magnitude of keff, beyond what would be predicted from an estimate of keff based solely upon a windspeed parameterization. Although the ultimate scaling relationship for gas exchange in the sea ice zone will require validation in laboratory and field studies, the basic parameter model described here demonstrates that it is feasible to formulate estimates of k based upon properties of the IOBL using data sources that presently exist.
Fully probabilistic seismic source inversion – Part 1: Efficient parameterisation
Authors: Stähler S. C. , Sigloch K.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Seismic source inversion is a non-linear problem in seismology where not just the earthquake parameters themselves, but also estimates of their uncertainties are of great practical importance. Probabilistic source inversion (Bayesian inference) is very adapted to this challenge, provided that the parameter space can be chosen small enough to make Bayesian sampling computationally feasible. We propose a framework for PRobabilistic Inference of Source Mechanisms (PRISM) that parameterises and samples earthquake depth, moment tensor, and source time function efficiently by using information from previous non-Bayesian inversions. The source time function is expressed as a weighted sum of a small number of empirical orthogonal functions, which were derived from a catalogue of >1000 STFs by a principal component analysis. We use a likelihood model based on the cross-correlation misfit between observed and predicted waveforms. The resulting ensemble of solutions provides full uncertainty and covariance information for the source parameters, and permits to propagate these source uncertainties into travel time estimates used for seismic tomography. The computational effort is such that routine, global estimation of earthquake mechanisms and source time functions from teleseismic broadband waveforms is feasible.
Snow thickness retrieval over thick Arctic sea ice using SMOS satellite data
Authors: Maaß N. , Kaleschke L. , Tian-Kunze X. , Drusch M.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. The microwave interferometric radiometer of the European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission measures at a frequency of 1.4 GHz in the L-band. In contrast to other microwave satellites, low frequency measurements in L-band have a large penetration depth in sea ice and thus contain information on the ice thickness. Previous ice thickness retrievals have neglected a snow layer on top of the ice. Here, we implement a snow layer in our emission model and investigate how snow influences L-band brightness temperatures and whether it is possible to retrieve snow thickness over thick Arctic sea ice from SMOS data. We find that the brightness temperatures above snow-covered sea ice are higher than above bare sea ice and that horizontal polarisation is more affected by the snow layer than vertical polarisation. In accordance with our theoretical investigations, the root mean square deviation between simulated and observed horizontally polarised brightness temperatures decreases from 20.0 K to 4.4 K, when we include the snow layer in the simulations. Under cold Arctic conditions we find brightness temperatures to increase with increasing snow thickness. Because dry snow is almost transparent in L-band, this brightness temperature's dependence on snow thickness origins from the thermal insulation of snow and its dependence on the snow layer thickness. This temperature effect allows us to retrieve snow thickness over thick sea ice. For the best simulation scenario and snow thicknesses up to 35 cm, the average snow thickness retrieved from horizontally polarised SMOS brightness temperatures agrees within 0.7 cm with the average snow thickness measured during the IceBridge flight campaign in the Arctic in spring 2012. The corresponding root mean square deviation is 6.3 cm, and the correlation coefficient is r2 = 0.55.
Influence of meter-scale wind-formed features on the variability of the microwave brightness temperature around Dome C in Antarctica
Authors: Picard G. , Royer A. , Arnaud L. , Fily M.
Published: July 2013

Abstract. Space-borne passive microwave radiometers are widely used to retrieve information in snowy regions by exploiting the high sensitivity of microwave emission to snow properties. For the Antarctic Plateau, many studies presenting retrieval algorithms or numerical simulations have assumed, explicitly or not, that the subpixel-scale heterogeneity is negligible and that the retrieved properties were representative of whole pixels. In this paper, we investigate the spatial variations of brightness temperature over a range of a few kilometers in the Dome C area. Using ground-based radiometers towed by a vehicle allowing measurements with meter resolution, we collected brightness temperature transects at 11, 19 and 37 GHz at horizontal and vertical polarizations. The most remarkable observation was a series of regular undulations of the signal with a significant amplitude of up to 10 K at 37 GHz and a quasi-period of 30–50 m. In contrast, the variability at longer length scales seemed to be weak in the investigated area and the mean brightness temperature was close to AMSR-E and WindSat satellite observations for all the frequencies and polarisations. To establish a link between the snow characteristics and undulation-scale variations of microwave emission, we collected detailed snow grain size and density profiles to run the DMRT-ML microwave emission model at two points where opposite extrema of brightness temperature were observed. The numerical simulations revealed that the difference in density of the upper first meter of the snowpack explained most of the brightness temperature variations. In addition, we found in the field that these variations of density were linked to the hardness of the snowpack. Areas of hard snow – probably formed by the wind – were clearly visible and covered as much as 39% of the investigated area. Their brightness temperature was higher than in normal areas. This result implied that the microwave emission measured by satellites over Dome C is more complex than expected and very likely depends on the areal proportion of the two different types of areas having distinct snow properties.
Environmental Bio Economic Impact in Nicaragua
Authors: Blanco-Orozco N. V. , Zúniga-González C. A.
Published: July 2013

In this article the Bio economy of power plants connected to the national interconnected system of Nicaragua is analyzed, through the study of environmental effects of greenhouse gases emissions from the use of solid biomass from sugarcane bagasse and oil to generate electricity. In addition, an analysis of Cost - Benefit of investments to the electricity generation using fossil fuel and bagasse is done. The Methodology EX-Ante Carbon-balance Tool (EX-ACT) was used; this methodology was proposed by the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture (FAO) to determine the overall greenhouse gases (GHG) emission balance. Additionally, the WinDASI program, also developed by FAO, was used for the Cost - Benefit Analysis of investment in power plants. Furthermore, we performed marginal costing GHG reduction. The results show, that all plants are sources of GHG emissions, however the impact of sugar mills is partially positive by reforestation components and annual crops. However, the component inputs had negative environmental and socially impact. In the case of thermal power generation plants based on petroleum connected to the national grid, they were found to be sources of greenhouse gases. The analysis of the Benefit Cost in their investment indicates that there is a positive financially impact except in ALBANISA power plant and sugar Mills power plants.
Acquired Retinoschisis with Giant Outer Layer Break and Retinal Detachment
Authors: Giansanti Fabrizio , Bitossi Alice , Giacomelli Giovanni , Abbruzzese Giacomo , Giuntoli Matteo , Menchini Ugo
Published: July 2013

Purpose

To evaluate the natural history of a case of retinoschisis with giant outer layer break and retinal detachment.

Methods

A 42-year-old patient with a sudden paracentral scotoma in the visual field of the right eye underwent the following examinations: best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, optical coherence tomography, ocular echography, and fundus photography.

Results

The eye examination revealed inferotemporal retinoschisis-detachment with a giant outer retinal layer break and absence of foveal involvement. No breaks in the internal retinal layer were noted. No treatment was advised in the right eye. During the 3-year follow-up, a progressive reabsorption of subretinal fluid was detected and visual acuity remained unchanged.

Conclusions

Deliberate nontreatment of a case of nonprogressive retinoschisis-detachment carries less risk of serious complications or loss of vision than does either surgical or prophylactic treatment.
Fournier's Gangrene: A Fifteen-Year Survey. Three Cases Treated by Aggressive Surgical Management
Authors: Repetto Umberto , Donelli Alessandro
Published: July 2013

Objectives

To analyze our data with regard to the treatment of Fournier's Gangrene, a necrotizing subcutaneous infection of the male genitalia. This disease needs a pharmacological antibiotic and surgical treatment. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is useful too.

Methods

Our case record of fifteen years consists of 23 male patients.

Results

The present article describes the last three cases that required an aggressive surgical management.

Conclusions

We have observed a probable worsening of the prognosis of Fournier's Gangrene related to a possible increase of drug resistance.
Role of the Combined Regimen with Local Chemotherapy and Mw-Induced Hyperthermia for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Management. A Systematic Review
Authors: Colombo Renzo , Moschini Marco
Published: July 2013

Objectives

To give an updated review concerning the role of combined regimen (CT) based on microwave-induced hyperthermia (MwHT, CT-MwHT) with intravesical chemotherapy (ICT) as a treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Evidence Acquisition

The review process followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. An electronic search of the Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, CancerLit, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases was undertaken. Relevant conference abstracts and urology journals were also included. The primary end-point was the time to recurrence. Secondary end-points included time to progression, bladder preservation rate, and adverse event (AE) rate.

Evidence Synthesis

A total of 24 studies met inclusion criteria and underwent data extraction. When feasible, data were combined using random-effects meta-analytic techniques. Recurrence was seen 59% less after CT-MwHT than after MMC alone, however, due to the short follow-up, no definitive conclusions can be drawn about the impact on the time to recurrence and progression. The overall bladder preservation rate after CT-MwHT was 87.6%. This rate appeared higher than after MMC alone, but valid comparison studies could not be drawn due to the absence of randomized trials in neo-adjuvant settings. AEs were higher with CT-MwHT than with MMC alone, but this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Published data suggest that recurrence rates for chemo-hyperthermia are substantially reduced compared with chemotherapy alone in adjuvant settings. Patients with refractory disease fare worse than those being treated with chemo-hyperthermia for their first tumor. Progression rates to muscle-invasive disease are markedly lower after combination treatment than after chemotherapy alone, with very high rates of bladder preservation. Tolerability is good, with few dropouts in the clinical trials. The results support CT-MwHT in the future as a standard procedure for high-risk recurrent patients, for subjects in whom the treatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin is contraindicated, and those unsuitable for radical cystectomy.
Innovative Tratments of Non Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
Authors: Racioppi Marco , D'Agostino Daniele , Pugliese Dario , Ragonese Mauro , Di Gianfrancesco Luca , Bassi PierFrancesco
Published: July 2013

Bladder cancer represents the second most common neoplasm of the urinary tract and the fourth in general among all the neoplastic pathologies for the male gender; in females, it is the eighth most frequent among all cancers. At the initial diagnosis, 70% of bladder tumors are non-muscle invasive. Treatment of this stage is multimodal, both surgical and pharmacological; the aim is not only to remove the tumor completely but also to prevent tumor recurrence and to inhibit its progression. The treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is a current topic in the scientific community and it is represented by the endoscopic resection of the tumor, which is generally followed by the adjuvant intravesical treatment with chemotherapy or immunotherapy agents, according to the different risk groups. Benefits and limits of intravesical therapies have been known for long; the aim of this study is to present new drugs or new treatment patterns which could emerge as a valid therapeutic alternative to conventional treatments, given the fact that, regardless of the type of treatment, 2/3 of the patients with a diagnosis of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer have a disease recurrence, and the 10–20% of these show a progression to a muscle-invasive tumor. Furthermore, the failure of intravesical therapy implies another therapeutic option, such as radical cystectomy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. According to this fact, new strategies include the activation of host immune system and the optimization of cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. Although most of these studies are still in a pre-clinical phase, the experimental outcomes and the initial results in humans are encouraging.
Personalising the professional in the TVET SAC
Authors: Gear Kirsten
Published: July 2013

By 2036, UNESCO (2012) has estimated that there will be more people with college and university
diplomas and degrees than ever before in history combined. However, many people are getting
better qualifications of higher prestige for less work and of poorer quality. So, having such
credentials not only no longer makes graduates marketable, but possessing this caliber of
aptitude also makes individuals tremendously liable as accomplices and culprits in perpetuating
real world problems (RWPs) unless they opt to instead use gained knowledge to participate in
constructive conversations towards their reduction, remediation and resolution.
Business Transformation and Innovation using Storytelling
Authors: Grant Ginger
Published: July 2013

The demand for innovation within organizations is a worldwide concern. In order for innovation
to occur, creativity must first be unleashed in the individual. Education is under heavy criticism
for failure to produce the workforce needed to meet the innovation challenge. The solution lies in
the human imagination.
Outbound Train: The Instructor Support Project, Universal Design for Learning and the Role of Technology
Authors: Cavanagh Donnacha
Published: July 2013

The technological revolution that global society has undergone during the last few decades has
completely transformed the way in which people interact with each other and their environment.
Digital technology has permeated every corner of the globe and has permanently changed the
way in which we function. The importance of technology for individuals in our society is ever
increasing and creating a scenario where people, institutions and organizations are forced to
adapt or be left behind. As Marshall McLuhan, the eminent Canadian Sociologist and scholar
famously wrote, “the message of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace
or pattern that it introduces into human affairs. The railway did not introduce movement or
transportation or wheel or road into human society, but it accelerated and enlarged the scale of
previous human functions, creating totally new kinds of cities and new kinds of work and leisure”
(1968) ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMEC_HqWlBY&feature=related ). For education our
medium is dynamic, vivid, flexible digital technology. Like the railroad, or the airplane before it,
the world is not as it once was.
Acceptability of an Alimentary Supplement of Whey-Protein Concentrate and TGF-β in Patients with Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Davanço Taciana , Silva Luciano Bruno de Carvalho , Sampaio Karina de Lemos , Coy Cláudio Saddy Rodrigues , Vilela Maria Marluce dos Santos , Pinto Elizete Aparecida Lomazi da Costa
Published: July 2013

The objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of an alimentary supplement of bovine whey-protein concentrate (WPC) and TGF-β, unavailable commercially, by patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and determine the chemical composition, solubility, and total amino acids content. The supplement was diluted in water, and an acceptance test was done to evaluate the aroma, flavour, and viscosity of the product using facial hedonic scale (nine-point scale), applied on 54 CD patients. The supplement composition indicated 73.3% protein, 10.5% fat, 2.2% ash, 6.3% water, and 7.7% carbohydrate. The supplement is presented as a good protein source and high content of essential amino acids. The average acceptance for all the attributes was between 5.0 and 6.0, and the flavour was mainly associated with soybean/grain, sour milk, and sweet/vanilla flavour. The results indicated that the supplement provided important nutritional properties for CD patients; however, for a large number of individuals to be encouraged to perform supplementation, it is essential to improve the sensory quality of the product. In order to do so, additional research is necessary to prevent the formation of volatiles which cause off-flavours or to mask undesirable aromas/flavours found in it.