bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of summer monsoon diurnal cycle on moisture transport and precipitation over eastern China
Authors: Chen Guixing , Sha Weiming , Sawada Masahiro , Iwasaki Toshiki
Published: April 2013

Diurnal variability of the summer monsoon over China, a key element affecting regional climate, is examined using the latest reanalysis dataset and satellite rain estimates. Diurnal variation of low‐level wind is found to be pronounced over South China during active monsoon days. Mean wind speed attains a maximum (minimum) in early morning (afternoon), with a diurnal range of 2–3 m/s, double that of inactive monsoon days. The largest amplitude typically appears at 850 hPa, consistent with radiosonde observations. Such a monsoon diurnal cycle can strengthen low‐level moisture transport at night by about 20% more than during the day. Nocturnal moisture fluxes converge toward Central China and lead to a meso‐synoptic‐scale moisture sink during the late night and morning, which plays a role in regulating the regional water budget on a diurnal time scale. Monsoon flow also helps provide substantial moisture over low‐lying areas in the morning hours. Correspondingly, morning rainfall undergoes a remarkable increase and greatly contributes to the diurnal cycle of summer rainfall. The strongest response comes from meso‐α‐scale rain events that not only become prominent during active monsoon days but also possess a dominant morning peak. These morning events occur mainly on the basins and plains of Central China, where the monsoon diurnal cycle promotes nighttime mesoscale convection. These tend to shift northward from June to August, with the progress of the monsoon diurnal cycle, thereby producing the morning‐peak summer rainband. The findings point to an efficiency of nocturnal monsoon flow influencing the warm‐season weather and climate over eastern China.
Mercury speciation in a coal‐fired power plant plume: An aircraft‐based study of emissions from the 3640 MW Nanticoke Generating Station, Ontario, Canada
Authors: Deeds Daniel A. , Banic Catharine M. , Lu Julia , Daggupaty Sreerama
Published: April 2013

Coal‐fired power plants are one of the principal sources of mercury to the atmosphere. The form this mercury takes is the predominant factor determining its fate after emission. Recent ground‐level field and modeling studies suggest that oxidized mercury in stack emissions is converted into elemental mercury in the plume. We present here aircraft‐based plume mercury measurements taken by Environment Canada in 2000 at the Nanticoke Generating Station as part of the Health Canada Toxic Substances Research Initiative Metals in the Environment Research Network. Although the average mercury speciation observed in the Nanticoke plume (82% Hg0, 13% Hg(II)(g), 5% Hg(P), by mass) appears to be distinct from the average mercury speciation in the Nanticoke stacks (53% Hg0, 43% Hg(II)(g), 4% Hg(P)), we find that the in‐plume elemental mercury concentrations as a whole can be explained by plume dilution after emission. The discrepancy between in‐stack and in‐plume Hg(II) concentrations is statistically significant, yet is not associated with a transformation of Hg(II) to Hg0. Sampling biases associated with the differing techniques used to measure Hg(II) in‐stack and in‐plume may reconcile the concentration discrepancy without invoking novel chemical reactions or physical processes. Although the mercury speciation of the Nanticoke plume influences local mercury deposition, the majority of the mercury emitted is transported out of the surrounding area.
On the scale estimation using truncated swath measurements from low Earth orbiting satellites
Authors: Liu Qi
Published: April 2013

Truncation effect caused by limited swath width of low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites results in inevitable underestimation of object scale when using pixel‐counting methods. A new approach is proposed to obtain more accurate object scale through truncated measurements. The approach is based upon the mean object area fraction (MOAF), which depicts the relative population of object points in a varying‐size domain and proves to be less sensitive to truncation effect. The MOAF‐equivalent radius (MER) is deduced by comparing the actual MOAF with the standard one inferred from a circle object. Numerical simulations are implemented to demonstrate the MER characteristics. In contrast to area‐equivalent radius (AER) that is merely determined by the absolute amount of object points, MER relies on the overall spatial structure of the object. For objects with irregular shapes, the MER value is generally smaller than AER in the absence of truncation. Nevertheless, taking the actual AER as true scale, MER has significantly reduced biases compared to AER once the object is truncated. This advantage can be reinforced when focusing on size statistics of analogous objects, because negative and positive biases associated with various truncation situations coexist in MER, against the uniform negative biases of AER. When applied to MODIS cloud mask data that are restricted in individual granules, MER has consistently larger values than AER for most truncated clouds. Compared with the explicitly problematic estimation from AER due to truncation, MER offers a notable elevation on the estimated cloud size and gets closer to the truth.
VPR correction of bright band effects in radar QPEs using polarimetric radar observations
Authors: Qi Youcun , Zhang Jian , Zhang Pengfei , Cao Qing
Published: April 2013

Vertical profile of reflectivity (VPR) correction of bright band (BB) effects has been a challenge for single‐polarization radar quantitative precipitation estimations (QPEs) for mesoscale convective systems and for cool season stratiform precipitation when the freezing level is low. BB is often found in the radar observations of stratiform precipitation, and the inflated reflectivity intensities in the BB often cause positive biases in radar QPEs. A VPR correction is desirable to mitigate the BB contamination and reduce the bias. However, a well‐defined BB bottom, while critical for an effective correction of the bias, is often not found in the VPRs. Fortunately, polarimetric radar variables, especially the copolar correlation coefficient (ρHV), can provide a much better depiction of vertical BB structure than does reflectivity. In the current study, an apparent vertical profile of ρHV (AVPρHV) correction scheme is developed. For each tilt of the radar volume scan data, the precipitation echoes are segregated into convective and stratiform regions. An apparent VPR (AVPR) and AVPρHV are computed for the stratiform region in the given tilt. Then the bright band top, peak, and bottom are identified from the AVPR and AVPρHV, and a linear VPR correction model is fit to the AVPR in the BB layer. VPR corrections are applied to the reflectivity field in the given tilt based on the linear correction model, and radar QPEs are derived from the corrected reflectivity field. The new AVPR and AVPρHV combined scheme was tested on two mesoscale convective system events and one cold season event in the United States and was shown to be more effective in reducing the radar QPE bias associated with the BB than did the AVPR correction alone.
Gravity wave generation by convection and momentum deposition in the mesosphere‐lower thermosphere
Authors: Vincent R. A. , Alexander M. J. , Dolman B. K. , MacKinnon A. D. , May P. T. , Kovalam S. , Reid I. M.
Published: April 2013

The Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment campaign centered on Darwin (12°S, 131°E) in northern Australia in January–February 2006 provided an opportunity to study gravity wave generation by convection and the associated wave propagation and momentum transport. In this study, we discuss wave generation by a single mesoscale convective system (MCS) that occurred on 23 January. The project used a variety of radars to study the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall and the associated latent heat release during the storm. A high‐resolution numerical model utilized the latent heat release derived from radar rainfall measurements to compute the spatial and geographic variation of gravity wave generation and propagation into the lower stratosphere. Gravity wave ray‐tracing techniques were then used to estimate the wave energy flux penetrating to heights near 90 km, where the results were compared with direct measurements made with a meteor wind radar. This comparison is used to calibrate the momentum fluxes derived from the model and the ray‐tracing results using an iterative technique. The momentum was deposited in a relatively compact region. Body forces computed from the flux divergences had their maximum values at heights near 98 km with a peak values of about 400 m s−1h−1. The effects of secondary gravity wave generation are discussed, as is the overall contribution of gravity waves generated by MCSs to the momentum budget of the tropical middle atmosphere.
Chemical and hygroscopic properties of aerosol organics at Storm Peak Laboratory
Authors: Hallar A. Gannet , Lowenthal Douglas H. , Clegg Simon L. , Samburova Vera , Taylor Nathan , Mazzoleni Lynn R. , Zielinska Barbara K. , Kristensen Thomas B. , Chirokova Galina , McCubbin Ian B. , Dodson Craig , Collins Don
Published: April 2013

A combined field and laboratory study was conducted to improve our understanding of the chemical and hygroscopic properties of organic compounds in aerosols sampled in the background continental atmosphere. PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 2.5 µm) aerosols were collected from 24 June to 28 July 2010 at Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) in the Park Range of northwestern Colorado. New particle formation (NPF) was frequent at SPL during this campaign, and the samples were not influenced by regional dust storms. Filter samples were analyzed for organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), water soluble OC (WSOC), major inorganic ions, and detailed organic speciation. WSOC was isolated from inorganic ions using solid phase absorbents. Hygroscopic growth factors (GFs) and cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) activity of the WSOC were measured in the laboratory. Organic compounds compose the majority (average of 64% with a standard deviation (SD) of 9%) of the mass of measured species and WSOC accounted for an average of 89% (with a SD of 21%) of OC mass. Daily samples were composited according to back trajectories. On average, organic acids, sugars, and sugar alcohols accounted for 12.5 ± 6.2% (average ± SD) of WSOC. Based on the composition of these compounds and that of high molecular weight compounds identified using ultra high resolution mass spectrometry, the organic mass to OC ratio of the WSOC is estimated to be 2.04. The average hygroscopic GFs at RH = 80% (GF80) were 1.10 ± 0.03 for particles derived from isolated WSOC and 1.27 ± 0.03 for particles derived from the total water‐soluble material (WSM). CCN activity followed a similar pattern. The critical diameters at a super‐saturation of 0.35% were 0.072 ± 0.009 and 0.094 ± 0.006 µm for particles derived from WSM and isolated WSOC, respectively. These GF results compare favorably with estimates from thermodynamic models, which explicitly relate the water activity (RH) to concentration for the total soluble material identified in this study.
TransCom model simulations of methane: Comparison of vertical profiles with aircraft measurements
Authors: Saito Ryu , Patra Prabir K. , Sweeney Colm , Machida Toshinobu , Krol Maarten , Houweling Sander , Bousquet Philippe , Agusti‐Panareda Anna , Belikov Dmitry , Bergmann Dan , Bian Huisheng , Cameron‐Smith Philip , Chipperfield Martyn P. , Fortems‐Cheiney Audrey , Fraser Annemarie , Gatti Luciana V. , Gloor Emanuel , Hess Peter , Kawa Stephan R. , Law Rachel M. , Locatelli Robin , Loh Zoe , Maksyutov Shamil , Meng Lei , Miller John B. , Palmer Paul I. , Prinn Ronald G. , Rigby Matthew , Wilson Christopher
Published: April 2013

To assess horizontal and vertical transports of methane (CH4) concentrations at different heights within the troposphere, we analyzed simulations by 12 chemistry transport models (CTMs) that participated in the TransCom‐CH4 intercomparison experiment. Model results are compared with aircraft measurements at 13 sites in Amazon/Brazil, Mongolia, Pacific Ocean, Siberia/Russia, and United States during the period of 2001–2007. The simulations generally show good agreement with observations for seasonal cycles and vertical gradients. The correlation coefficients of the daily averaged model and observed CH4 time series for the analyzed years are generally larger than 0.5, and the observed seasonal cycle amplitudes are simulated well at most sites, considering the between‐model variances. However, larger deviations show up below 2 km for the model‐observation differences in vertical profiles at some locations, e.g., at Santarem, Brazil, and in the upper troposphere, e.g., at Surgut, Russia. Vertical gradients and concentrations are underestimated at Southern Great Planes, United States, and Santarem and overestimated at Surgut. Systematic overestimation and underestimation of vertical gradients are mainly attributed to inaccurate emission and only partly to the transport uncertainties. However, large differences in model simulations are found over the regions/seasons of strong convection, which is poorly represented in the models. Overall, the zonal and latitudinal variations in CH4 are controlled by surface emissions below 2.5 km and transport patterns in the middle and upper troposphere. We show that the models with larger vertical gradients, coupled with slower horizontal transport, exhibit greater CH4 interhemispheric gradients in the lower troposphere. These findings have significant implications for the future development of more accurate CTMs with the possibility of reducing biases in estimated surface fluxes by inverse modeling.
Linear interference and the Northern Annular Mode response to tropical SST forcing: Sensitivity to model configuration
Authors: Fletcher Christopher G. , Kushner Paul J.
Published: April 2013

Interannual variability in tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) associated with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation is linked to teleconnections with the Northern Annular Mode (NAM). Previous work highlighted that the sign and amplitude of the NAM response to tropical SSTs are controlled by the total wave activity entering the subpolar stratosphere, which depends on the linear interference of planetary wave anomalies with the climatological stationary wave field. This study uses multiple configurations of atmospheric general circulation models to assess the robustness of these linkages to details of the tropical SST forcing and model configuration. Across 23 cases with idealized SST forcing, the amplitudes of the tropical and extratropical wave responses are found to scale approximately linearly with forcing strength. But wave amplitude alone is not sufficient to predict the NAM response. Instead, the spatial structure of the wave response (and hence the linear interference) provides the best explanation of the NAM response in all cases. Linear interference explains most of the total wave activity response even in cases with stronger nonlinear contributions, due to consistent cancellation between quasi‐stationary wave nonlinearity and nonlinearity arising from transient waves. Within this limited set of experiments, there is no evidence for a consistent sensitivity of the NAM response to horizontal resolution or to vertical resolution in the stratosphere. These findings reveal that linear interference provides a robust and reproducible mechanism linking midlatitude wave responses to zonal mean circulation (NAM) responses across a wide variety of forcing cases.
Links between multidecadal and interdecadal climatic oscillations in the North Atlantic and regional climate variability of northern France and England since the 17th century
Authors: Dieppois Bastien , Durand Alain , Fournier Matthieu , Massei Nicolas
Published: April 2013

Knowledge of the variability of climate in the past is essential for understanding current climatic changes. Therefore, we investigated two temperature indices and seven rainfall time series of northwestern Europe since the 17th century. Trends and multidecadal to interdecadal variability are similar in England and northern France for temperature, whereas a strong regional contrast is evident between the two regions for rainfall. Multidecadal and interdecadal variability displays several periods of enhanced amplitude for both temperature and rainfall that may be related to large‐scale climate control. On these scales, temperatures in both England and France display phase opposition with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) before 1800, while they are in‐phase afterward, as determined by wavelet coherence. On the other hand, the relationships between temperature and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are weak across multidecadal and interdecadal scales for the whole period under study. For rainfall, coherence with the AMO is observed for scales at around 30–60 years, whereas coherence with the NAO is detected on 50–80 year scales and interdecadal 16–23 year scales. However, relationships between rainfall variability and North Atlantic climate indices are highly contrasted depending on the region considered. Finally, the results of a mixed spectral/empirical orthogonal function analysis of mean sea level pressure on these co‐oscillation time scales highlight not only NAO regimes but also other patterns, explaining a nonnegligible amount of variance during certain time periods.
Changes in reference evapotranspiration across the Tibetan Plateau: Observations and future projections based on statistical downscaling
Authors: Wang Weiguang , Xing Wanqiu , Shao Quanxi , Yu Zhongbo , Peng Shizhang , Yang Tao , Yong Bin , Taylor John , Singh Vijay P.
Published: April 2013

Long‐term changes in historical observations and future projections of reference evapotranspiration (ET0) are of great importance in assessing the potential impacts of climate change on the hydrologic regime as well as water resources systems. In this study, with the aid of nonparametric trend analysis and geographic information system methods, spatial and seasonal patterns of changes in ET0 across the Tibetan Plateau (TP) were investigated using meteorological data of 81 stations for the period of 1961–2010. Almost half of all stations in the plateau, most of which were distributed in the north plateau, and the southwest and southeast corners, were characterized by decreasing trends in ET0 during 1961–2010 at both annual and seasonal scales. The temporal regional average series presented a zigzag increasing–decreasing–increasing pattern with two joint points in 1973 and 1993. The increasing vapor pressure deficit and air temperature dominated the increase in ET0 in the past two decades. The intrinsic mechanism term of hydrological feedback was attempted to be explored by examining the applicability of the Bouchet's hypothesis and Budyko‐type expressions in the TP. Complementary effect existed between potential evaporation and actual evapotranspiration, deviating from theoretic relationship of Bouchet's hypothesis. Water‐limited and energy‐limited evaporation patterns at mean annual scale can be described well by Budyko‐type expressions in the TP, especially Zhang's curve. Changing characteristics of the projected ET0 on the plateau during 2011–2100 from the HadCM3 (Hadley Centre Coupled Model version 3) under A2 and B2 emission scenarios and CGCM3 (the third generation couple global climate model) under A2 and A1B emission scenarios were projected based on a statistical downscaling method (SDSM). The SDSM performed fairly well in reproducing ET0. The continuous increase in ET0 in the 21st century was revealed by both climate models. Concurrently, a larger increasing magnitude in ET0 was generally projected by HadCM3 compared with that by CGCM3. Spatially, projected annual ET0 changes under the different scenarios are similar with the increments in the north and southeast corners of the plateau and low increments over the southwest, northwest, and middle of the plateau. The results can provide beneficial reference to agriculture, water resource, and eco‐environment management strategies in the plateau region for associated policymakers and stakeholders.
Assessment of uncertainty in cloud radiative effects and heating rates through retrieval algorithm differences: Analysis using 3 years of ARM data at Darwin, Australia
Authors: Comstock Jennifer M. , Protat Alain , McFarlane Sally A. , Delanoë Julien , Deng Min
Published: April 2013

Ground‐based radar and lidar observations obtained at the Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program's Tropical Western Pacific site located in Darwin, Australia, are used to retrieve ice cloud properties in anvil and cirrus clouds. Cloud microphysical properties derived from four different retrieval algorithms (two radar‐lidar and two radar‐only algorithms) are compared by examining mean profiles and probability density functions of effective radius (Re), ice water content (IWC), visible extinction coefficient, ice number concentration, ice crystal fall speed, and vertical air velocity. Retrieval algorithm uncertainty is quantified using radiative flux closure exercises. The effect of uncertainty in retrieved quantities on the cloud radiative effect and radiative heating rates is presented. Our analysis shows that IWC compares well among algorithms, but Re shows significant discrepancies, which are attributed primarily to assumptions of particle shape. Uncertainty in Re and IWC translates into sometimes large differences in cloud shortwave radiative effect (CRE) though the majority of cases have a CRE difference of roughly 10 W m−2 on average. These differences, which we believe are primarily driven by the uncertainty in Re, can cause up to 2 K/d difference in the radiative heating rates between algorithms.
Probabilistic assessment of cloud fraction using Bayesian blending of independent datasets: Feasibility study of a new method
Authors: Shen Samuel S.P. , Velado Max , Somerville Richard C. J. , Kooperman Gabriel J.
Published: April 2013

We describe and evaluate a novel method to blend two observed cloud fraction (CF) datasets through Bayesian posterior estimation. The research reported here is a feasibility study designed to explore the method. In this proof‐of‐concept study, we illustrate the approach using specific observational datasets from the U. S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program's Southern Great Plains site in the central United States, but the method is quite general and is readily applicable to other datasets. The total sky image (TSI) camera observations are used to determine the prior distribution. A regression model and the active remote sensing of clouds (ARSCL) radar/lidar observations are used to determine the likelihood function. The posterior estimate is a probability density function (pdf) of the CF whose mean is taken to be the optimal blend of the two observations. The data at hourly, daily, 5‐day, monthly, and annual time scales are considered. Some physical and probabilistic properties of the CFs are explored from radar/lidar, camera, and satellite observations and from simulations using the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM5). Our results imply that (a) the Beta distribution is a reasonable model for CF for both short‐ and long‐time means, the 5‐day data are skewed right, and the annual data are almost normally distributed, and (b) the Bayesian method developed successfully yields a pdf of CF, rather than a deterministic CF value, and it is feasible to blend the TSI and ARSCL data with a capability for bias correction.
Is chlorophyll‐a the best surrogate for organic matter enrichment in submicron primary marine aerosol?
Authors: Rinaldi Matteo , Fuzzi Sandro , Decesari Stefano , Marullo Salvatore , Santoleri Rosalia , Provenzale Antonello , von Hardenberg Jost , Ceburnis Darius , Vaishya Aditya , O'Dowd Colin D. , Facchini Maria Cristina
Published: April 2013

Initial efforts toward developing a combined organic‐inorganic sea spray source function parameterization for large‐scale models made use of chlorophyll‐a (Chl‐a) and wind speed as input parameters to combine oceanic biology and atmospheric dynamics. These studies reported a modest correlation coefficient (0.55) between chlorophyll‐a and organic matter (OM) enrichment in sea spray, suggesting that chlorophyll‐a is only partially suitable for predicting organic enrichment. A reconstructed chlorophyll‐a field of the North Atlantic Ocean from GlobColour reveals an improved correlation of 0.72 between the fractional mass contribution of organics in sea spray and chlorophyll‐a concentration. A similar analysis, using colored dissolved and detrital organic material absorption and particulate organic carbon concentration, revealed slightly lower correlation coefficients (0.65 and 0.68). These results indicate that to date, chlorophyll‐a is the best biological surrogate for predicting sea spray organic enrichment. In fact, considering the minimal difference between the correlation coefficients obtained with the three ocean color products, there is no reason to substitute chlorophyll‐a, which is the most accurate parameter obtained from ocean color data, with other biological surrogates being generally affected by larger and less known errors. The observed time lag between chlorophyll‐a concentration and organic matter enrichment in aerosol suggests that biological processes in oceanic surface waters and their timescales should be considered when modeling the production of primary marine organic aerosol.
Photochemical aging of volatile organic compounds in the Los Angeles basin: Weekday‐weekend effect
Authors: Warneke Carsten , de Gouw Joost A. , Edwards Peter M. , Holloway John S. , Gilman Jessica B. , Kuster William C. , Graus Martin , Atlas Elliot , Blake Don , Gentner Drew R. , Goldstein Allen H. , Harley Robert A. , Alvarez Sergio , Rappenglueck Bernhard , Trainer Michael , Parrish David D.
Published: April 2013

During the CalNex (California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change) field study in May–June 2010, measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were performed in the Los Angeles (LA) basin onboard a NOAA research aircraft and at a ground site located in Pasadena. A weekday‐weekend effect in ozone, caused by lower NOx emissions due to reduced diesel truck traffic in the weekends, has been previously observed in Los Angeles and other cities. Measurements in the Caldecott tunnel show that emission ratios of VOCs do not vary with the day of the week, but measurements during CalNex2010 show a VOC weekday‐weekend effect through faster photochemical processing at lower ambient NOx mixing ratios. Ambient VOC enhancement ratios of long‐lived species such as benzene are the same between weekdays and weekends, whereas enhancement ratios of short‐lived species, such as trimethyl benzene, are up to a factor of three lower on weekends. Based upon the observed differences in VOC enhancement ratios to CO, we determine that photochemical processing was on average 65%–75% faster on weekends during CalNex2010, which indicates that ambient OH radical concentrations were larger by this factor causing the observed change in VOC composition. A box model calculation based on the Master Chemical Mechanism was used to verify the increase in photochemical processing in the weekends.
Potassium management in rice–maize systems in South Asia
Authors: Timsina Jagadish , Kumar Singh Vinod , Majumdar Kaushik
Published: April 2013

Potassium (K) availability in soils is largely governed by their mineralogical composition. The extent of weathering of primary K‐bearing minerals, the chemical pathways through which weathering takes place, as well as the dynamic equilibrium between various K fractions in soils are factors which determine different soil types of varying K‐supplying capacity. The marked variability of K availability in soils in South Asia needs to be taken into account when formulating K‐management strategies in intensive cereal‐based systems in response to K application. Evidence from long‐term fertilizer experiments in rice–rice (R‐R) or rice–wheat (R‐W) systems strongly indicates significant yield responses to K application and negative K balances where K application is either omitted or applied suboptimally. However, K‐fertilizer recommendations in South Asia are generalized over large areas while farmers neglect K application to crops and remove crop residues from fields. These practices may strongly affect yield and soil K‐fertility status in the emerging rice–maize (R‐M) systems in different locations of South Asia. The dry‐matter yield of the R‐M system is usually much higher than that of the R‐R or R‐W system causing high withdrawal of nutrients from the soil. The current review assesses various K forms and K availability in diverse soil types of South Asia supporting rice‐based systems. Aspects considered include: long‐term crop yield and its response to added nutrients, K balance for intensive rice‐based systems, and the role of crop residues in supplying K to crops. Emerging data from either completed or on‐going experiments on the R‐M systems in India and Bangladesh have revealed very high system productivity and variable responses and agronomic K‐use efficiency of maize and rice. Potassium responses of maize are extremely high and variable for soils in Bangladesh. Finally, a plant‐based strategy for field‐specific nutrient management is presented and the need for models and decision support systems for developing efficient K management of the R‐M system is also discussed.
Early Pleistocene palaeoenvironments at the time of the Homo antecessor settlement in the Gran Dolina cave (Atapuerca, Spain)
Authors: BLAIN HUGUES‐ALEXANDRE , CUENCA‐BESCÓS GLORIA , BURJACHS FRANCESC , LÓPEZ‐GARCÍA JUAN MANUEL , LOZANO‐FERNÁNDEZ IVÁN , ROSELL JORDI
Published: April 2013

Hominin remains unearthed from level TD6‐2 of Gran Dolina have been dated to slightly more than 0.8 Ma. Owing to the importance of this discovery, every effort is being made to reconstruct the environment where these hominins once lived. In this paper, the mutual climatic range and habitat weighting methods are applied to the herpetofaunal assemblages in order to estimate climatic and environmental parameters. TD6‐2 is thus characterized by a warm and humid climate. Mean annual temperature is estimated at 2.1°C higher than at present in Burgos, with a greater increase in temperature during summer (+3.1°C) than during winter (+1.4°C). Rainfall was more abundant than at present (+407.2 mm), occurring as at present principally during spring and autumn. Humid meadows and riparian woody habitats were common. The association between warm climatic conditions and the not fully developed forest suggests that the several episodes of high‐intensity occupation in TD6‐2 may correspond to a recolonization by Homo antecessor of the high inland plateaus of the Iberian Peninsula from the Mediterranean seashore, using the Ebro valley as a savannah‐type corridor after a cold glacial period. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relationship between polyphenol oxidase activity and nutrition, maturity and quality parameters in flat peach
Authors: Pascual Miquel , Villar Josep M , Lordan Joan , Fonseca Francisco , Falguera Víctor , Rufat Josep
Published: April 2013

BACKGROUND

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is one of the main factors that determine postharvest stability and therefore commercial possibilities of peach orchards. Since the activity of this enzyme depends on several variables of different nature, stating the relationships among them is essential to manage crop inputs so as to achieve the desired quality.

RESULTS

Multivariate projection techniques were used to identify these relationships throughout on‐tree maturation in flat peach samples that had received different fertilisation doses, but harvested in equal conditions of soluble solids, fruit weight, diameter, firmness and skin and flesh colour. A relatively low fertilisation dose that was enough to avoid any lack of nutrients provided the lowest crop yield, but also with the lowest PPO activity. Fruit N/Ca ratio turned out to be a better indicator of PPO activity than isolated nitrogen or calcium content. Nutrient analyses on leaves did not have strong correlations with any significant parameter. The most useful variables to predict PPO activity before harvest were fruit firmness and skin colour, both of them read at the onset of on‐tree maturation.

Conclusion

High fertilisation doses resulted in greater yields, but also with higher PPO activity, which is detrimental for the commercial chances of the fruit. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Overexpression of RING box protein‐1 (RBX1) associated with poor prognosis of non‐muscle‐invasive bladder transitional cell carcinoma
Authors: Wang Wei , Qiu Jianxin , Liu Zhihong , Zeng Yigang , Fan Jie , Liu Yong , Guo Yifeng
Published: April 2013

Background and Objective

RING box protein‐1 (RBX1) is a key subunit of the ubiquitin E3 ligase Skp1/Cullin1/Rbx1/F‐box protein complex. Altered expression RBX1 is shown to associate with tumorigenesis and tumor progression. This study detected RBX1 expression for association with clinical significance (such as clinicopathological data and survival of the patients) in non‐muscle‐invasive bladder transitional cell carcinoma (NMIBC).

Methods

A total of 70 primary NMIBC tissue specimens and 24 normal tissue specimens were recruited and analyzed immunohistochemically for expression of RBX1 protein and associated with clinicopathological data and survival of the patients.

Results

RBX1 was highly expressed in NMIBC, but was lowly expressed in the normal tissue. RBX1 expression was associated with high tumor grade and advanced clinical stage (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Moreover, patients with high RBX1 expression had shorter recurrence‐free survival and progression‐free survival rates (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that RBX1 expression is an independent prognostic factor for tumor recurrence and progression of NMIBC (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Overexpression of RBX1 protein contributes to tumor progression and poor prognosis of NMIBC. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:758–761. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Celebrity Scandal Fallout: How Attribution Style Can Protect the Sponsor
Authors: Um Nam‐Hyun
Published: April 2013

An attribution is an inference about why an event occurred or about a person's disposition or other psychological state. This study is designed to examine the effects of consumers’ attribution styles (i.e., dispositional and situational) and moderating role of celebrity identification and brand commitment in the evaluation of negative information about a celebrity endorser. The study finds that people who make dispositional attributions judge the endorsed brand more negatively than do those who make situational attributions. The findings also suggest that consumers with a higher level of identification with the celebrity are less likely to react negatively to the bad publicity. Finally, the study found that, when faced with a celebrity scandal, people with high brand commitment showed more favorable attitudes toward the brand as well as higher purchase intention than those with low brand commitment.
A New Type of Thermoresponsive Copolymer with UCST‐Type Transitions in Water: Poly(N‐vinylimidazole‐co‐1‐vinyl‐2‐(hydroxymethyl)imidazole)
Authors: Meiswinkel Georg , Ritter Helmut
Published: April 2013

1‐Vinyl‐2‐(hydroxymethyl)imidazole (2) is synthesized by a procedure described in the literature. Corresponding copolymers with upper critical solution temperature (UCST)‐type transitions in water and high‐glass transition temperatures (Tg) are prepared by free radical copolymerization with N‐vinylimidazole (1). Depending on the copolymer composition, the cloud point can be varied between 19 and 41 °C. As the copolymer composition is identical with the monomer feed ratio, the cloud point can be easily tuned in the desired range. Furthermore, a distinctive pH‐dependence and salt effect can be observed.

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A cost‐effective approach for rapid manufacturing a low pressure wax injection mold with high surface finish and high dimensional accuracy
Authors: Kuo C.‐C. , Su S.‐J.
Published: April 2013

Investment casting process is considered as an economic method for mass production of metal parts. Improvement of mold surface quality and geometric accuracy in the fused deposition rapid tooling is a major concern. In this paper, a new technique is proposed for rapid manufacturing a low pressure wax injection mold with high surface finish and high dimensional accuracy. Wax patterns produced from this mold have not only better dimensional accuracy but also better surface finish. The average relative error of dimension of wax patterns can be reduced from 1.76% to 0.66%. Surface roughness improvement rate of wax patterns of up to 85.71% can be achieved. Advantages of this technique include low manufacturing cost, simple manufacturing process and flexible process capability.
3D deformations by means of monogenic functions
Authors: Morais J. , Ferreira M.
Published: April 2013

In this paper, the authors compute the coefficient of quasiconformality for monogenic functions in an arbitrary ball of the Euclidean space . This quantification may be needed in applications but also appears to be of intrinsic interest. The main tool used is a 3D Fourier series development of monogenic functions in terms of a special set of solid spherical monogenics. Ultimately, we present some examples showing the applicability of our approach. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design, synthesis and spectroscopic characterisation of a focused library based on the polyandrocarpamine natural product scaffold
Authors: Baron Paul S. , Neve Juliette E. , Camp David , Suraweera Lekha , Lam Ann , Lai John , Jovanovic Lidija , Nelson Colleen , Davis Rohan A.
Published: April 2013

A focused library based on the marine natural products polyandrocarpamines A (1) and B (2) has been designed and synthesised using parallel solution‐phase chemistry. In silico physicochemical property calculations were performed on synthetic candidates in order to optimise the library for drug discovery and chemical biology. A library of ten 2‐aminoimidazolone products (3–12) was prepared by coupling glycocyamidine and a variety of aldehydes using a one‐step stereoselective aldol condensation reaction under microwave conditions. All analogues were characterised by NMR, UV, IR and MS. The library was evaluated for cytotoxicity towards the prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP, PC‐3 and 22Rv1. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Capturing protein sequence–structure specificity using computational sequence design
Authors: Mach Paul , Koehl Patrice
Published: April 2013

It is well known that protein fold recognition can be greatly improved if models for the underlying evolution history of the folds are taken into account. The improvement, however, exists only if such evolutionary information is available. To circumvent this limitation for protein families that only have a small number of representatives in current sequence databases, we follow an alternate approach in which the benefits of including evolutionary information can be recreated by using sequences generated by computational protein design algorithms. We explore this strategy on a large database of protein templates with 1747 members from different protein families. An automated method is used to design sequences for these templates. We use the backbones from the experimental structures as fixed templates, thread sequences on these backbones using a self‐consistent mean field approach, and score the fitness of the corresponding models using a semi‐empirical physical potential. Sequences designed for one template are translated into a hidden Markov model‐based profile. We describe the implementation of this method, the optimization of its parameters, and its performance. When the native sequences of the protein templates were tested against the library of these profiles, the class, fold, and family memberships of a large majority (>90%) of these sequences were correctly recognized for an E‐value threshold of 1. In contrast, when homologous sequences were tested against the same library, a much smaller fraction (35%) of sequences were recognized; The structural classification of protein families corresponding to these sequences, however, are correctly recognized (with an accuracy of >88%). Proteins 2013; © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Malaria haplotype frequency estimation
Authors: Wigger Leonore , Vogt Julia E. , Roth Volker
Published: April 2013

We present a Bayesian approach for estimating the relative frequencies of multi‐single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotypes in populations of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum by using microarray SNP data from human blood samples. Each sample comes from a malaria patient and contains one or several parasite clones that may genetically differ. Samples containing multiple parasite clones with different genetic markers pose a special challenge. The situation is comparable with a polyploid organism. The data from each blood sample indicates whether the parasites in the blood carry a mutant or a wildtype allele at various selected genomic positions. If both mutant and wildtype alleles are detected at a given position in a multiply infected sample, the data indicates the presence of both alleles, but the ratio is unknown. Thus, the data only partially reveals which specific combinations of genetic markers (i.e. haplotypes across the examined SNPs) occur in distinct parasite clones. In addition, SNP data may contain errors at non‐negligible rates. We use a multinomial mixture model with partially missing observations to represent this data and a Markov chain Monte Carlo method to estimate the haplotype frequencies in a population. Our approach addresses both challenges, multiple infections and data errors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Field and numerical determinations of pneumatic flow parameters of unsaturated fractured porous rocks on various scales
Authors: Guillon S. , Vu M. T. , Pili E. , Adler P. M.
Published: April 2013

Key Points

Comparison of pneumatic injection tests and pressure fluctuation monitoring

Interpretation of field data with 3D numerical simulations

Influence of fracture density and size of tested volume on air permeability
Type II superstring field theory: geometric approach and operadic description
Authors: Jurčo Branislav , Münster Korbinian
Published: April 2013

Abstract

We outline the construction of type II superstring field theory leading to a geometric and algebraic BV master equation, analogous to Zwiebach’s construction for the bosonic string. The construction uses the small Hilbert space. Elementary vertices of the non-polynomial action are described with the help of a properly formulated minimal area problem. They give rise to an infinite tower of superstring field products defining a
$ \mathcal{N} $
= 1 generalization of a loop homotopy Lie algebra, the genus zero part generalizing a homotopy Lie algebra. Finally, we give an operadic interpretation of the construction.
Activities of Daily Living and Health
Authors: Füzéki Eszter , Banzer Winfried
Published: April 2013

Activities of daily living, such as household, gardening, stair climbing, walking and cycling are now acknowledged as a major health resource, and explicitly advocated by many health authorities. Of activities of daily living, walking has received by far the most scientific interest both in prevention and therapy of chronic diseases. A considerable body of scientific evidence suggests that activities of daily living yield health benefits meaningful at the public health level. Promotion of these activities might be a promising way to improve health in unfit and elderly population disinclined to exercise.
Körperliche Aktivität und Gesundheit
Authors: Manz Kristin , Krug Susanne
Published: April 2013

Einleitung

Die positiven Effekte körperlicher Aktivität auf die physische und psychische Gesundheit sind unumstritten. Ergebnisse bundesweiter Surveys des Robert Koch-Instituts zeigen, dass allerdings nur ein geringer Anteil der erwachsenen und jugendlichen Bevölkerung aktuelle Bewegungsempfehlungen erreicht und jedes vierte Kind sportlich inaktiv ist. Zur Förderung der körperlichen Aktivität sollten zukünftig evaluierte Maßnahmen, die verhaltens- und verhältnispräventive Ansätze beinhalten, etabliert werden.
Bewegung in der Rehabilitation – ICF-Bezug, Kompetenzorientierung, Nachhaltigkeit
Authors: Sudeck Gorden , Pfeifer Klaus
Published: April 2013

Einleitung

Besonderes Potenzial von Bewegungstherapie liegt darin, über den meist kurzen Interventionsrahmen auf somatischer Ebene hinaus, eine Änderung des Bewegungsverhaltens zu erzielen. Verhaltensbezogene Bewegungstherapie adressiert den Aufbau bewegungsbezogener Gesundheitskompetenz, die als personale Ressource für alltägliche Bewegungsanforderungen, für eigenständige gesundheitsförderliche körperliche Aktivität sowie zur Bewältigung von Gesundheitsstörungen bzw. Erkrankungen verstanden wird.
Global Advocacy for Physical Activity
Authors: Titze Sylvia , Oja Pekka
Published: April 2013

The Global Advocacy for Physical Activity (GAPA) is an Advocacy Council of the International Society of Physical Activity and Health. GAPA's aim is to increase physical activity globally. GAPA like other global advocacy boards develop documents - e.g. The Toronto Charter - and other measures to inform which principles and action areas should be taken into account to influence and unite decision makers in order to successfully increase health-enhancing behaviors on a population level.
Einfluss des Wohnumfeldes auf die körperliche Aktivität
Authors: Wallmann-Sperlich Birgit
Published: April 2013

Einleitung

Um Bewegungsmangel entgegenzuwirken, folgten bisher die meisten Bewegungsinterventionen kognitiv-verhaltensorientierten Ansätzen, die allerdings zusammenfassend betrachtet nicht substanziell zu einem langfristigen und nachhaltigen Effekt der erfolgreichen Bewegungsförderung beitragen konnten. In diesem Zuge ist der Einbezug der Wohnumwelt als möglicher Einflussfaktor auf das Bewegungsverhalten jüngst in den Blickpunkt der Forschung gerückt und wird nachstehend für den Erwachsenenbereich näher beleuchtet.
An Unusual Complication in a 9‐Year‐Old Patient With Hereditary Multiple Osteochondromatosis
Authors: Calvo Carlos E. , Cruz Maricarmen , Ramos Edwardo
Published: April 2013

This case report describes the presentation of a 9‐year‐old boy with a history of hereditary multiple osteochondromatosis who presented to the outpatient setting with progressive difficulty in ambulation. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine revealed a thoracic spinal tumor, which was surgically removed. After surgery, the boy's ambulation and spasticity/contractures improved. This case is unique because this complication of hereditary multiple osteochondromatosis was identified at an age and in a region that are not typical. From a clinical standpoint, early identification of this complication is important because surgical treatment typically leads to good outcomes.
Analytic Theory of Abelian Varieties
Authors: Swinnerton-Dyer H. P. F.
Published: April 2013

The study of abelian manifolds forms a natural generalization of the theory of elliptic functions, that is, of doubly periodic functions of one complex variable. When an abelian manifold is embedded in a projective space it is termed an abelian variety in an algebraic geometrical sense. This introduction presupposes little more than a basic course in complex variables. The notes contain all the material on abelian manifolds needed for application to geometry and number theory, although they do not contain an exposition of either application. Some geometrical results are included however.