bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Playing Hide and Seek: How Glycosylation of the Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Can Modulate the Immune Response to Infection
Authors: Tate Michelle , Job Emma , Deng Yi-Mo , Gunalan Vithiagaran , Maurer-Stroh Sebastian , Reading Patrick
Published: March 2014

Seasonal influenza A viruses (IAV) originate from pandemic IAV and have undergone changes in antigenic structure, including addition of glycans to the hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein. The viral HA is the major target recognized by neutralizing antibodies and glycans have been proposed to shield antigenic sites on HA, thereby promoting virus survival in the face of widespread vaccination and/or infection. However, addition of glycans can also interfere with the receptor binding properties of HA and this must be compensated for by additional mutations, creating a fitness barrier to accumulation of glycosylation sites. In addition, glycans on HA are also recognized by phylogenetically ancient lectins of the innate immune system and the benefit provided by evasion of humoral immunity is balanced by attenuation of infection. Therefore, a fine balance must exist regarding the optimal pattern of HA glycosylation to offset competing pressures associated with recognition by innate defenses, evasion of humoral immunity and maintenance of virus fitness. In this review, we examine HA glycosylation patterns of IAV associated with pandemic and seasonal influenza and discuss recent advancements in our understanding of interactions between IAV glycans and components of innate and adaptive immunity.
Hepatitis A Immunity in the District of Aveiro (Portugal): An Eleven-Year Surveillance Study (2002–2012)
Authors: Pereira Sara , Linhares Inês , Neves António , Almeida Adelaide
Published: March 2014

Hepatitis A is a common viral liver disease and brings serious health and economic problems as its epidemiologic pattern changes over time. National serosurveys from developed countries have indicated a decline in HAV (hepatitis A virus) seroprevalence over time due to the improvement of economic and sanitation levels. The hepatitis A virus (HAV) immunity rate was surveyed throughout an eleven-year period by sex and age group in Aveiro District. In this retrospective study, blood samples from patients of Aveiro District, in ambulatory regime, collected at the Clinical Analysis Laboratory Avelab between 2002 and 2012 were screened for the presence of antibodies against HAV antigen using a chemiluminescence immunoassay. The global immunity (positive total anti-HAV) was 60% and only 0.3% of the patients presented recent infection by HAV (positive IgM anti-HAV). The HAV immunity was age-dependent (p < 0.05), but no significant differences (p > 0.05) between sexes were observed. The immunity was similar throughout the study period (p > 0.05). The results of this study indicate that young people (especially under 25 years old) from District of Aveiro are susceptible to HAV infection, constituting a high risk group. The elderly should be also a concern in the future of Hepatitis A infection.
Ethnic Cultures, Globalization, and Tourism: Eurasians in Singapore
Authors: Henderson Joan C.
Published: March 2014

The subject of the article is ethnic groups and the manner in which their cultures are presented as tourist attractions, a topic explored within the wider framework of the debate about the relationship between the forces of localization and globalization. Specific reference is made
to conditions in Singapore and its minority community of Eurasians who tend to be overlooked in comparison to the three main races of Chinese, Malays, and Indians. Globalization and international tourism, the latter a cause and consequence of the former, are seen to have the capacity to both
threaten and help safeguard ethnic cultures. Eurasians receive comparatively little attention in destination promotion and this is indicative of the small size of the population and the hybrid nature of the culture. However, they merit attention as an interesting indigenous culture that embodies
local distinctiveness.
Chinois teochew, khmer, français : quelles langues parler à la crèche ?
Authors: Feldman Marion , Navarro-Maous Delphine , Ahovi Jonathan
Published: March 2014

La crèche familiale préventive de l’association Enfant Présent accueille des bébés dont les parents rencontrent des difficultés sociales et/ou psychologiques. L’accueil, dont le but est de procurer aux bébés des soins continus nécessaires à leur bon développement, offre la particularité de proposer un environnement souple et sécurisant tout en travaillant la clinique de la parentalité. À travers la présentation de l’accueil d’un bébé en situation transculturelle et de l’accompagnement familial, nous verrons comment l’enfant peut trouver les ressources nécessaires pour bien grandir. Dans cet article, la situation présentée montre qu’un enfant qui ne parle pas n’est pas nécessairement un enfant qui présente une pathologie, mais qu’il s’agit ici d’un enfant pris dans un tel conflit de langues, qu’il ne sait pas quelle langue choisir.
Mitochondrial DNA markers of loggerhead marine turtles (Caretta caretta) (Testudines: Cheloniidae) nesting at Kyparissia Bay, Greece, confirm the western Greece unit and regional structuring
Authors: Carreras Carlos , Rees ALan F. , Broderick Annette C. , Godley Brendan J. , Margaritoulis Dimitris
Published: March 2014

Genetic markers have been widely used in marine turtles to assess population structuring and origin of individuals in common feeding grounds, which are key elements for understanding their ecology and for developing conservation strategies. However, these analyses are very sensitive to missing information, especially from abundant nesting sites. Kyparissia Bay (western Greece) hosts the second largest Mediterranean nesting aggregation of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), but the genetic profile of this nesting site has not, as yet, been described using the extended version of the historically used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) marker. This marker was genotyped for 36 individuals nesting at Kyparissia Bay and haplotype frequencies obtained were compared with published data from other Mediterranean nesting sites. The results confirmed the connection between Kyparissia and other western Greek nesting sites and the isolation of this western Greek group from other Mediterranean nesting areas. As a consequence of this isolation, this abundant group of nesting aggregations (almost 30% of the Mediterranean stock) is not likely to significantly contribute to the recovery of other declining Mediterranean units.
Genetic divergence of tanaidaceans (Crustacea: Peracarida) with low dispersal ability
Authors: Larsen Kim , Tuya Fernando , Froufe Elsa
Published: March 2014

In this study, the phylogeographic patterns of nuclear, ribosomal and mtDNA gene fragments of five tanaidacean species (Zeuxo, Tanaidae) from the Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean Sea were investigated. We aimed to interpret results in the framework of current hypotheses on the distribution of small invertebrates with very limited dispersal ability. Evidence for a surprisingly high genetic divergence was found for intertidal tanaidaceans from the North Atlantic. This is a result of poor dispersal potential, as tanaidaceans have direct development, no pelagic stage, and very limited swimming capacity. However, lower genetic divergence was found between an intertidal tanaid species from the North Atlantic and two from the North Pacific, which suggests a scenario of recent colonization following the last glacial maximum. The species Zeuxo normani was found to be a species complex consisting, at least, of Z. normani (California), Z. cf. normani (Japan), Z. cf. normani (Australia), Z. sp. A (Korea), and Z. holdichi (Spain and France). Our results showed that traditional species identification underestimates tanaidacean diversity and that what have been previously perceived as reliable diagnostic morphological characters, are, however, variable and unreliable.
First report on the contribution of small-sized species to the copepod community structure of the southern Patagonian shelf (Argentina, 47-55°S)
Authors: Antacli Julieta Carolina , Hernández Daniel Raúl , Sabatini Marina Elena
Published: March 2014

The copepod community structure, with special emphasis on small-sized species, was studied over the southern Patagonian shelf in late summer 2004, applying the first plankton sampling in the region with a fine-mesh (66 μm) net. The key role of the copepods Drepanopus forcipatus and Calanus australis was confirmed, but also the high abundance and frequency of occurrence of the microcopepods Oithona helgolandica and Microsetella norvegica and of the medium-sized copepod Ctenocalanus vanus were revealed. Copepod community structure was nearly homogenous over the entire study area. Drepanopus forcipatus, O. helgolandica and M. norvegica were identified as the typical species of the region, although secondarily C. australis and Oithona atlantica also contributed significantly to community similarity across the area. The study of interspecific relationships of dominant copepods indicated that D. forcipatus and C. australis were associated positively with O. helgolandica, while C. vanus, and M. norvegica constituted a separate assemblage with Clausocalanus brevipes and O. atlantica. The importance of fine-mesh-size nets for collecting the smaller size fractions of mesozooplankton and for accurately portraying the mesozooplankton assemblage structure in the area is stressed by this study.
Effects of water-borne copper on the survival, antioxidant status, metallothionein-I mRNA expression and physiological responses of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis (Decapoda: Brachyura) larvae
Authors: Sun Shengming , Ge Xianping , Zhu Jian , Fu Hongtuo , Jiang Zhiqiang
Published: March 2014

The lethal concentration of water-borne copper in Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis larvae was tested by exposing the animals to 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.8 mg Cu L-1 at 20°C for 96 h. The 96-h median lethal concentration (LC50) and its corresponding 95% confident interval was estimated on zoea 1 larvae and megalopa larvae, respectively. Acute dissolved copper toxicity was higher for zoea 1 larvae (0.16 mg L-1) than for megalopa larvae (0.21 mg L-1). The antioxidant status, metallothionein-I mRNA expression and physiological response of the crab to copper toxicity was further investigated by exposing the megalopa larvae to 0, 0.08 and 0.16 mg Cu L-1 for 96 h. The superoxide dismutase activity, catalase activity, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and lipid peroxidation content of megalopa larvae increased concomitantly with the exposure time and copper concentration. MT-I mRNA expression levels were positively correlated with both the concentration and duration of copper exposure. The oxygen consumption and respiratory quotient of megalopa larvae in response to 0.16 mg L-1 copper were significantly higher than those in the control group after 96 h of exposure (P < 0.05). The results of this study highlight the potential effects of copper as a common stressor in E. sinensis larvae. MT-I and GST appear to be suitable biomarkers of environmental copper exposure stress in E. sinensis larvae
Variability in the structure of epiphytic microalgae assemblages on the leaves of Posidonia oceanica in relation to human disturbance in a meadow off Tunisia
Authors: Mabrouk Lotfi , Ben Brahim Mounir , Hamza Asma , Mahfoudhi Mabrouka , Bradai Med Najmeddine
Published: March 2014

We investigated the impact of sewage discharge on Posidonia oceanica meadows in Mahdia, eastern Tunisia. We specifically addressed changes in biometric plant parameters and epiphytic microalgae composition on leaves caused by this anthropogenic interference. A hierarchical sampling design was used to compare epiphytic microalgae structure between one disturbed and two control stations. Samples were collected by SCUBA diving at 8 m depth in August 2009. A total of 58 microalgae taxa were identified on leaves. At the disturbed station, leaf length, leaf surface area and the leaf area index decreased, whereas epiphytic dinoflagellate abundances increased compared with the control stations, with more Prorocentrales, Protoperidiniales and potentially toxic species on leaves of the disturbed station. Moderate nutrient enrichment (mainly Si(OH)4 and NH4+) and low water transparency at the disturbed station were associated with the increased abundances of some dinoflagellate species.
PERSONAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT ON A SMARTPHONE PLATFORM
Authors: Hsu Hui-Huang , Yen Neil Y. , Pai Tun-Wen , Chang Min-Ho
Published: March 2014

Personal health management has been an essential issue in recent years. With the mobile information technology, various personalized applications have been developed for the user to manage his/her health anytime, anywhere. With the popularity of smartphones, such applications have been moved to smartphones due to their great computing and networking power. This paper introduces a health management application (app) run on iPhone. The app uses the QR-Code to input calorie and nutrition information of food, snacks and drinks. This is a novel way to record what the user eats/drinks. It is well known that the daily food intake of a person has a great influence on his/her health. But it has been very difficult to have such a record through manual input. Nevertheless, the data recording can be made easy with the QR-Code reading mechanism on smartphone. In addition, a user can also record his/her exercise activities through the app. Finally, a set of rules is built along with an inference engine within the app. With the personal dietary and exercise record, the app can provide personalized recommendations to the user following the rules. The app aims to provide useful recommendations to users who need to monitor his/her diet due to specific diseases or weight control. With this app, we hope to utilize the ease-of-use of the smartphone to achieve personalized health management.
DEGENERATIVE DISC SEGMENTATION AND DIAGNOSIS TECHNOLOGY USING IMPORTANT FEATURES FROM MRI OF SPINE IN IMAGES
Authors: Wu Ming-Chi , Kuo Yu-Liang , Chen Chen-Wei , Fang Cheng-An , Chin Chiun-Li , Tsai Hao-Hung , Tyan Yeu-Sheng , Wei James Cheng-Chung
Published: March 2014

In this paper, we focus on the medical imaging segmentation techniques which are used in the study of spine diseases. In the medical reports, it is shown that common people worry more about the spine diseases caused by the disc degeneration. Because of the complex composition of the spine, which includes the spine bones, cartilage, fat, water and soft tissue, it is hard to correctly and easily find out the position of each cartilage in the spine images. This above problem always causes over-segmentation or unability to extract the cartilages. Thus, we propose an accurate and automated method to detect the abnormal disc. We combine two standard models with the threshold value to accurately identify the cartilage. Among the processing, we also solve the noising problems of spine image through morphological methods, removing the noncartilage areas using our proposed method, and find out the average height of the cartilages. Therefore, we can easily determine whether the disc is degenerated or not. In the experimental result, the segmentation accuracy of the extracted region by the proposed approach is evaluated by two criterions. The first criterion is statistical evaluation indices of image segmentation. It is evaluated by professional physician's manual segmentation, and the results show that our proposed method is easily implemented and has high accuracy, with the highest rate reaching 99.88%. The second criterion is a comparison evaluation index evaluated by our proposed system and other existence system. From this result, we know that our proposed system is better than other existence system.
Engagement Design
Authors: Newbold Curtis R.
Published: March 2014

Evolutions in digital communications since the beginning of the century require information designers to think about the possibilities that digital technologies present and the boundaries they allow communicators to appropriately bend or even subvert. Arguing for a more holistic and humanistic approach to digital communications, this chapter approaches the subject with a proposed theory for “engagement design,” a design process that integrates the expedience of usability, utility, and cognition with human experience, rhetoric, and emotion.
The Persuasive Language of Action
Authors: van Velsen Martin
Published: March 2014

Besides the visual splendor pervasive in the current generation of digital video games, especially those where players roam simulated landscapes and imaginary worlds, few efforts have looked at the resources available to embed human meaning into a game's experience. From the art of persuasion to the mechanics of meaning-making in digital video games and table-top role playing games, this chapter investigates the changes and new opportunities available that can extend our understanding of digital rhetoric. Starting with a breakdown of the role of choice, workable models from psychology and the untapped body of knowledge from table-top role playing games are shown to allow game designers to enrich their products with a deeper human experience.
Digital and Global Literacies in Networked Communities
Authors: Limbu Marohang
Published: March 2014

This chapter explores how the concept of literacy, digital literacy, and global literacy is shifting; how technologies (YouTube, Facebook, Skype, blogs, vlogs, and Google Hangouts) and digital literacies facilitate cross-cultural and intercultural communication and global cultural understandings; how technologies engage global citizens to share, collaborate, cooperate, and create their narratives; and how people become able to address local and global socio-cultural and political issues through various global digital engagements. Finally, this chapter investigates how knowledge is produced, disseminated, and consumed across global cultures in digital contexts.
The Arctic summer atmosphere: an evaluation of reanalyses using ASCOS data
Authors: Wesslén C. , Tjernström M. , Bromwich D. H. , de Boer G. , Ekman A. M. L. , Bai L.-S. , Wang S.-H.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The Arctic has experienced large climate changes over recent decades, the largest for any region on Earth. To understand the underlying reasons for this climate sensitivity, reanalysis is an invaluable tool. The Arctic System Reanalysis (ASR) is a regional reanalysis, forced by ERA-Interim at the lateral boundaries and incorporating model physics adapted to Arctic conditions, developed to serve as a state-of-the-art, high-resolution synthesis tool for assessing Arctic climate variability and monitoring Arctic climate change. We use data from Arctic Summer Cloud-Ocean Study (ASCOS) to evaluate the performance of ASR and ERA-Interim for the Arctic Ocean. The ASCOS field experiment was deployed on the Swedish icebreaker Oden north of 87° N in the Atlantic sector of the Arctic during August and early September 2008. Data were collected during the transits from and to Longyearbyen and the 3-week ice drift with Oden moored to a drifting multiyear ice floe. These data are independent and detailed enough to evaluate process descriptions. The reanalyses captures basic meteorological variations coupled to the synoptic-scale systems, but have difficulties in estimating clouds and atmospheric moisture. While ERA-Interim has a systematic warm bias in the lowest troposphere, ASR has a cold bias of about the same magnitude on average. The results also indicate that more sophisticated descriptions of cloud microphysics in ASR did not significantly improve the modeling of cloud properties compared to ERA-Interim. This has consequences for the radiation balance, and hence the surface temperature, and illustrate how a modeling problem in one aspect of the atmosphere, here the clouds, feeds back to other parameters, especially near the surface and in the boundary layer.
Retrieval of methane source strengths in Europe using a simple modeling approach to assess the potential of spaceborne lidar observations
Authors: Weaver C. , Kiemle C. , Kawa S. R. , Aalto T. , Necki J. , Steinbacher M. , Arduini J. , Apadula F. , Berkhout H. , Hatakka J.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. We investigate the sensitivity of future spaceborne lidar measurements to changes in surface methane emissions. We use surface methane observations from nine European ground stations and a Lagrangian transport model to infer surface methane emissions for 2010. Our inversion shows the strongest emissions from the Netherlands, the coal mines in Upper Silesia, Poland, and wetlands in southern Finland. The simulated methane surface concentrations capture at least half of the daily variability in the observations, suggesting that the transport model is correctly simulating the regional transport pathways over Europe. With this tool we can test whether proposed methane lidar instruments will be sensitive to changes in surface emissions. We show that future lidar instruments should be able to detect a 50% reduction in methane emissions from the Netherlands and Germany, at least during summer.
Cloud-scale ice-supersaturated regions spatially correlate with high water vapor heterogeneities
Authors: Diao M. , Zondlo M. A. , Heymsfield A. J. , Avallone L. M. , Paige M. E. , Beaton S. P. , Campos T. , Rogers D. C.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Cirrus clouds have large yet uncertain impacts on Earth's climate. Ice supersaturation (ISS) – where the relative humidity with respect to ice (RHi) is greater than 100% – is the prerequisite condition of ice nucleation. Here we use 1 Hz (~230 m) in situ, aircraft-based observations from 87° N to 67° S to analyze the spatial characteristics of ice-supersaturated regions (ISSRs). The median length of 1-D horizontal ISSR segments is found to be very small (~1 km), which is 2 orders of magnitude smaller than previously reported. To understand the conditions of these small-scale ISSRs, we compare individual ISSRs with their horizontally adjacent subsaturated surroundings and show that 99% and 73% of the ISSRs are moister and colder, respectively. When quantifying the contributions of water vapor (H2O) and temperature (T) individually, the magnitudes of the differences between the maximum RHi values inside ISSRs (RHimax) and the RHi in subsaturated surroundings are largely derived from the H2O spatial variabilities (by 88%) than from those of T (by 9%). These features hold for both ISSRs with and without ice crystals present. Similar analyses for all RHi horizontal variabilities (including ISS and non-ISS) show strong contributions from H2O variabilities at various T, H2O, pressure (P) and various horizontal scales (~1–100 km). Our results provide a new observational constraint on ISSRs on the microscale (~100 m) and point to the importance of understanding how these fine-scale features originate and impact cirrus cloud formation and the RHi field in the upper troposphere (UT).
Size-resolved aerosol composition and its link to hygroscopicity at a forested site in Colorado
Authors: Levin E. J. T. , Prenni A. J. , Palm B. B. , Day D. A. , Campuzano-Jost P. , Winkler P. M. , Kreidenweis S. M. , DeMott P. J. , Jimenez J. L. , Smith J. N.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Aerosol hygroscopicity describes the ability of a particle to take up water and form a cloud droplet. Modeling studies have shown sensitivity of precipitation-producing cloud systems to the availability of aerosol particles capable of serving as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and hygroscopicity is a key parameter controlling the number of available CCN. Continental aerosol is typically assumed to have a representative hygroscopicity parameter, κ, of 0.3; however, in remote locations this value can be lower due to relatively large mass fractions of organic components. To further our understanding of aerosol properties in remote areas, we measured size-resolved aerosol chemical composition and hygroscopicity in a forested, mountainous site in Colorado during the six-week BEACHON-RoMBAS (Bio-hydro-atmosphere interactions of Energy, Aerosols, Carbon, H2O, Organics and Nitrogen–Rocky Mountain Biogenic Aerosol Study) campaign. This campaign followed a year-long measurement period at this site, and results from the intensive campaign shed light on the previously reported seasonal cycle in aerosol hygroscopicity. New particle formation events were observed routinely at this site and nucleation mode composition measurements indicated that the newly formed particles were predominantly organic. These events likely contribute to the dominance of organic species at smaller sizes, where aerosol organic mass fractions were between 70 and 90%. Corresponding aerosol hygroscopicity was observed to be in the range κ = 0.15–0.22, with hygroscopicity increasing with particle size. Aerosol chemical composition measured by an aerosol mass spectrometer and calculated from hygroscopicity measurements agreed very well during the intensive study, with an assumed value of κorg = 0.13 resulting in the best agreement.
Observations of I2 at a remote marine site
Authors: Lawler M. J. , Mahajan A. S. , Saiz-Lopez A. , Saltzman E. S.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Inorganic iodine plays a significant role in the photochemistry of the marine boundary layer, but the sources and cycling of iodine are not well understood. We report the first I2 observations in marine air that is not impacted by coastal macroalgal emissions or sea ice chemistry. The data clearly demonstrate that the very high I2 levels previously reported for coastal air are not representative of open ocean conditions. In this study, gas phase I2 was measured at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory, a semi-remote site in the eastern tropical Atlantic, using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Atmospheric I2 levels typically increased beginning at sunset, leveled off after midnight, and then rapidly decreased at sunrise. There was also a smaller midday maximum in I2 that was probably caused by a measurement artifact. Ambient I2 mixing ratios ranged from <0.02–0.6 pmol mol−1 in May 2007 and <0.03–1.67 pmol mol−1 in May 2009. The sea-air flux implied by the nighttime buildup of I2 is too small to explain the observed daytime IO levels at this site. Iodocarbon measurements made in this region previously are also insufficient to explain the observed 1–2 pmol mol−1 of daytime IO. The observations imply the existence of an unknown daytime source of gas phase inorganic iodine. Carpenter et al. (2013) recently proposed that sea surface emissions of HOI are several times larger than the flux of I2. Such a flux could account for both the nighttime I2 and the daytime IO observations.
Improved model of isoprene emissions in Africa using OMI satellite observations of formaldehyde: implications for oxidants and particulate matter
Authors: Marais E. A. , Jacob D. J. , Guenther A. , Chance K. , Kurosu T. P. , Murphy J. G. , Reeves C. E. , Pye H. O. T.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. We use a 2005–2009 record of isoprene emissions over Africa derived from OMI satellite observations of formaldehyde (HCHO) to better understand the factors controlling isoprene emission on the scale of the continent and evaluate the impact of isoprene emissions on atmospheric composition in Africa. OMI-derived isoprene emissions show large seasonality over savannas driven by temperature and leaf area index (LAI), and much weaker seasonality over equatorial forests driven by temperature. The commonly used MEGAN (version 2.1) global isoprene emission model reproduces this seasonality but is biased high, particularly for equatorial forests, when compared to OMI and relaxed-eddy accumulation measurements. Isoprene emissions in MEGAN are computed as the product of an emission factor Eo, LAI, and activity factors dependent on environmental variables. We use the OMI-derived emissions to provide improved estimates of Eo that are in good agreement with direct leaf measurements from field campaigns (r = 0.55, bias = −19%). The largest downward corrections to MEGAN Eo values are for equatorial forests and semi-arid environments, and this is consistent with latitudinal transects of isoprene over West Africa from the AMMA aircraft campaign. Total emission of isoprene in Africa is estimated to be 77 Tg C a−1, compared to 104 Tg C a−1 in MEGAN. Simulations with the GEOS-Chem oxidant-aerosol model suggest that isoprene emissions increase mean surface ozone in West Africa by up to 8 ppbv, and particulate matter by up to 1.5 μg m−3, due to coupling with anthropogenic influences.
Contrasting roles of interception and transpiration in the hydrological cycle – Part 2: Moisture recycling
Authors: van der Ent R. J. , Wang-Erlandsson L. , Keys P. W. , Savenije H. H. G.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The contribution of land evaporation to local and remote precipitation (i.e., moisture recycling) is of significant importance to sustain water resources and ecosystems. But how important are different evaporation components in sustaining precipitation? This is the first paper to present moisture recycling metrics for partitioned evaporation. In the companion paper, Part 1, evaporation was partitioned into vegetation interception, floor interception, soil moisture evaporation and open water evaporation (constituting the direct, purely physical fluxes, largely dominated by interception), and transpiration (delayed, biophysical flux). Here, we track these components forward as well as backward in time. We also include age tracers to study the atmospheric residence times of these evaporation components. As the main result we present a new image of the global hydrological cycle that includes quantification of partitioned evaporation and moisture recycling as well as the atmospheric residence times of all fluxes. We demonstrate that evaporated interception is more likely to return as precipitation on land than transpired water. On average, direct evaporation (essentially interception) is found to have an atmospheric residence time of eight days, while transpiration typically resides nine days in the atmosphere. Interception recycling has a much shorter local length scale than transpiration recycling, thus interception generally precipitates closer to its evaporative source than transpiration, which is particularly pronounced outside the tropics. We conclude that interception mainly works as an intensifier of the local hydrological cycle during wet spells. On the other hand, transpiration remains active during dry spells and is transported over much larger distances downwind where it can act as a significant source of moisture. Thus, as various land-use types can differ considerably in their partitioning between interception and transpiration, our results stress that land-use changes (e.g., forest to cropland conversion) do not only affect the magnitude of moisture recycling, but could also influence the moisture recycling patterns and lead to a redistribution of water resources. As such, this research highlights that land-use changes can have complex effects on the atmospheric branch of the hydrological cycle.
Sensitivity of phytoplankton distributions to vertical mixing along a North Atlantic transect
Authors: Hahn-Woernle L. , Dijkstra H. A. , Van der Woerd H. J.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Using in situ data of upper ocean vertical mixing profiles along a transect in the North Atlantic and an idealised phytoplankton growth model (PGM), we study the sensitivity of the surface phytoplankton concentration to vertical mixing distributions. Optical parameters in the PGM are calibrated with observations of light attenuation. The calibration of the biological parameters in the PGM is carried out at three different referent stations with observed vertical profiles of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and nutrient concentration. Vertical mixing profiles at all other stations are next used at the reference stations to study the sensitivity of modelled phytoplankton distributions to vertical mixing. We find that shifts in vertical mixing are able to induce a transition from an upper chlorophyll maximum to a deep one and vice-versa. Furthermore, a clear correlation between the surface phytoplankton concentration and the mixing induced nutrient flux is found in nutrient limited regions. This may open up the possibility to extract characteristics of vertical mixing from satellite ocean colour data using data-assimilation methods.
Intersection Recognition and Guide-Path Selection for a Vision-Based AGV in a Bidirectional Flow Network
Authors: Xing Wu , Peihuang Lou , Jun Yu , Xiaoming Qian , Dunbing Tang
Published: March 2014

Vision recognition and RFID perception are used to develop a smart AGV travelling on fixed paths while retaining low-cost, simplicity and reliability. Visible landmarks can describe features of shapes and geometric dimensions of lines and intersections, and RFID tags can directly record global locations on pathways and the local topological relations of crossroads. A topological map is convenient for building and editing without the need for accurate poses when establishing a priori knowledge of a workplace. To obtain the flexibility of bidirectional movement along guide-paths, a camera placed in the centre of the AGV looks downward vertically at landmarks on the floor. A small visual field presents many difficulties for vision guidance, especially for real-time, correct and reliable recognition of multi-branch crossroads. First, the region projection and contour scanning methods are both used to extract the features of shapes. Then LDA is used to reduce the number of the features' dimensions. Third, a hierarchical SVM classifier is proposed to classify their multi-branch patterns once the features of the shapes are complete. Our experiments in landmark recognition and navigation show that low-cost vision systems are insusceptible to visual noises, image breakages and floor changes, and a vision-based AGV can locate itself precisely on its paths, recognize different crossroads intelligently by verifying the conformance of vision and RFID information, and select its next pathway efficiently in a bidirectional flow network.
Experimental and Simulation Results for the Impact of a Rotating Flexible Link with a Granular Material
Authors: Marghitu Dan , Lee Seunghun , Marghitu Daniela
Published: March 2014

In this paper, a rotating flexible link impacting a granular media is studied. The influences of initial impact velocity and impact angle are examined. The resistance forces are expressed as the sum of a dynamic frictional force (velocity-dependent) and a static resistance force (depth dependent). The penetrating angle increases with initial impact velocity as expected. However, the stopping time decreases with initial impact velocity for all initial impact angles for the considered system.
Effect of pesticide types on community structure of arthropod in soy crops
Authors: Ristyadi Dwi , Andrew Nigel , Waugh Rachel
Published: March 2014

This study was carried out on three soybean farms located in the Liverpool Plains Shire in New South Wales, Australia. The soybean farms were different in terms of pesticide type used. One of the soy crops was sprayed with broad spectrum synthetic pesticides (synthetic pyrethroids), one site of soy crop was sprayed with natural pyrethrum - an organically certified pesticide, and one of the soy crops was not treated with any pesticides. Arthropod samples were collected on three occasions at every site except in the third site of soy crops which was not treated with any pesticides. Samplings were done using sweep nets and beat sheets. There were no significant differences of community structure change between farms treated with different pesticide regimes (F2,5= 4.2599, P(perm)= 0.188), and no significant differences in arthropod species richness. The abundance of arthropods was significantly different for site treated with biopesticide and site treated with synthetic pyrethroids (G6 = 284.36, P <0.0001), non-sprayed site and site treated with synthetic pyrethroids (G6 = 2110, P < 0.0001), and non-sprayed site to site treated with biopesticide (G6 = 2027, P < 0.0001). The use of synthetic pesticides in agriculture has been found to suppress pests and beneficial arthropods, while the use of biopesticides or without pesticide, to some extent, may let beneficials thrive in the system and also may suppress pest arthropods.
A Preoperative Marking Template for Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator Flap Perforators in Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Miranda Benjamin H , Pywell Matthew , Floyd David
Published: March 2014

Preoperative perforator marking for deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flaps is vital to the success of the procedure in breast reconstruction. Advances in imaging have facilitated accurate identification and preselection of potentially useful perforators. However, the reported imaging accuracy may be lost when preoperatively marking the patient, due to 'mapping errors', as this relies on the use of 2 reported vectors from a landmark such as the umbilicus. Observation errors have been encountered where inaccurate perforator vector measurements have been reported in relation to the umbilicus. Transcription errors have been noted where confusing and wordy reports have been typed or where incorrect units have been given (millimetres vs. centimetres). Interpretation errors have also occurred when using the report for preoperative marking. Furthermore, the marking process may be unnecessarily time-consuming. We describe a bespoke template, created using an individual computed tomography angiography image, that increases the efficiency and accuracy of preoperative marking. The template is created to scale, is individually tailored to the patient, and is particularly useful in cases where multiple potential suitable perforators exist.
Terapia fotodinâmica na consolidação de fratura de carapaça em tartaruga-verde (Chelonia mydas)
Authors: Sellera Fábio Parra , Fernandes Lorie Tukamoto , Teixeira Carlos Roberto , Pogliani Fabio Celidonio , Dutra Gustavo Henrique Pereira , Nascimento Cristiane Lassálvia
Published: March 2014

As tartarugas marinhas apresentam grande longevidade e exibem uma complexa história de vida que inclui pronunciadas mudanças em seu desenvolvimento. Todas as espécies de tartarugas marinhas encontram-se na lista vermelha da União Internacional para a Conservação da Natureza e dos Recursos Naturais (IUCN), classificadas como vulneráveis, ameaçadas ou criticamente ameaçadas de extinção. Dentre alterações traumáticas que acometem quelônios, destacam-se as fraturas de carapaça e plastrão, que podem ocorrer principalmente como consequência de mordida de animais predadores, hélices de barcos, entre outros. O presente relato teve como objetivo avaliar a ação da Terapia Fotodinâmica na consolidação de fratura de carapaça em um espécime de tartaruga-verde (Chelonia mydas).
Avaliação de Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, e Zn em pescado da região do Laranjal, Laguna dos Patos, Pelotas (RS)
Authors: Sanches Filho Pedro José , Betemp Glauco Rasmussen , Fonseca Vanice Koschier da , Holbig Luciane
Published: March 2014

Com o objetivo de investigar os níveis de metais tóxicos de peixes coletados no Saco do Laranjal-Laguna dos Patos, em Pelotas-RS (Brasil), foram escolhidos três espécies abundantes na Região, Micropogonias furnieri (Corvina), Mugil platanus (Tainha) e Netuma barba (Bagre). As amostras de sua musculatura sofreram digestão ácida nítrica perclórica, sendo os extratos analisados por - Espectrometria de Emissão Óptica (ICP-OES) sendo determinados os conteúdos de Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb e Zn). Os níveis de cromo encontrados nas três espécies analisadas estavam acima dos níveis estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira (Decreto-Lei 55,871-65), que determinam como um nível máximo tolerado para cromo 0,1 mg kg-1, bem como os níveis de zinco no a espécie Netuma barba, também acima do limite permitido a pela legislação já citada, 50 mg kg-1. E a concentração de cádmio encontrada na espécie Micropogonias furnieri ficou perto do limite recomendada por esta lei, 1mg kg-1, e todos os outros analitos, em ambas as espécies, estavam abaixo dos níveis máximos estabelecidos pelo Ministério da Saúde e ANVISA.
Copper accumulation and toxicity in the yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides DESAHYES 1854 (BIVALVIA, MESODESMATIDAE)
Authors: Martins Samantha Eslava Gonçalves , Bianchini Adalto
Published: March 2014

The yellow clam Mesodesma mactroides depends on the intertidal zone of the southernmost Brazilian sandy beaches for recruitment or settlement. Studies aiming to evaluate any kind of alteration of this ecosystem are very important because of the growing industrial and urban development observed around this region over the last decades. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to evaluate copper accumulation and toxicity in M. mactroides to verify its response to increased environmental levels of this metal. Yellow clams were acutely (96 h) exposed to copper for determination of copper accumulation and toxicity (LC50). Results showed that M. mactroides accumulated copper in its tissues (gills and digestive gland) and was quite tolerant to copper, suggesting this species as a suitable model for future biomonitoring programs of copper contamination in sandy beaches.
Avaliação do impacto ambiental causado pelo turismo às tartarugas marinhas na Praia de Porto de Galinhas (PE)
Authors: Oliveira Gabriela Rayara A. Lima Sales de , Silva Maria Da Salete Horácio da
Published: March 2014

As tartarugas marinhas são répteis, de aproximadamente 220 milhões de anos, que surgiram no período triássico. No mundo existem sete espécies de tartarugas, destas, cinco aparecem no Brasil: Dermochelys coriácea, Chelonia mydas, Caretta, Eretmochelys imbricata, Lepidochelys olivacea, (SANCHES, 1999). Essas espécimes estão com risco de extinção, sendo protegidas por leis nacionais e internacionais de acordo com a União Internacional de Conservação da Natureza (IUCN). Avaliar e enumerar o impacto ambiental causado pelo desenvolvimento e turismo não sustentável, através de ações antrópicas responsáveis por estes impactos que atingem as tartarugas marinhas e seu ecossistema. Descrever formas de turismo sustentável, ecologicamente correto que preservem a vida destas espécies na praia de Porto de Galinhas – PE. A presente pesquisa realizou-se através de um amplo levantamento bibliográfico através de material impresso, digital, contido nas revistas científicas, artigos, livros, web que tratam deste assunto. Explorar através de procedimentos o meio ambiente danificando-o menos possível quanto ao turismo sustentável, já que poder político e o capitalismo se sobre põem diante do meio ambiente e dos animais. Nos locais de desova da tartaruga, existir a sinalização nas praias que impeça o deslocamento de pessoas e automóveis, as construções de casas, devido à iluminação artificial que desorienta as mesmas, neste período, preservando a fase de nascimento das tartarugas marinhas. As tartarugas marinhas são importantes elos da cadeia alimentar, como consumidores, atingem diversos níveis na cadeia. Nas ultimas décadas, elas veem sofrendo ameaça de extinção, principalmente pelo impacto ambiental negativo causado no seu habitat por ação antrópica. Preservar as espécies de animais e as das tartarugas marinhas é preservar a própria história da evolução da vida e do mundo.
Otimização de métodos para digestão pseudo total de sedimento na análise de metais traços
Authors: Garcia John Felipe da Cruz , Tessmann Clarice , Sanches Filho Pedro José , Rosa Nathaly Nunes da , Nunes Lucineia Volter
Published: March 2014

Esse trabalho realizou o estudo de diferentes métodos comparativos na seleção para otimizar a avaliação dos metais Cr, Pb, Zn, nas analises não foi possível verificar a diferença nos resultados entre os métodos para as metodologias de extração do ultra som e a de quantificação em sistema fechado permitiram obter resultados com boa precisão. A amostra foi coletada no ponto de encontro do Canal Santa Bárbara com o Canal São Gonçalo na cidade de Pelotas/ RS, no período de março de 2012. O sedimento superficial (0-5 cm de profundidade) foi coletado com o auxílio da draga tipo “Van Veen”, armazenado adequadamente sob refrigeração a temperatura de ± 4ºC. O sedimento foi seco em estufa a temperatura de 60 ºC pelo período de 48 horas, logo foram macerados e peneirados sendo utilizada a fração com a granulometria menor que 0,75 mm, cerca de 2 gramas da amostra foram pesadas, digeridas com 4 mL de água régia (3:1 HCl: HNO3), 4 mL de água milli-q e 1 mL de HClO4, sofrendo aquecimento no períodos de 30 minutos em triplicata (HORTELLANI et al, 2008). Quatro experimentos foram conduzidos, 1º sistema fechado em frascos de vidro e tampa rosqueada de plástico, 2º sistema aberto em béquer com vidro de relógio em banho maria, 3º sistema fechado em frascos de vidro e tampa rosqueada de plástico 4º sistema aberto em béquer com vidro de relógio, em banho de ultra som da marca Unique, modelo USC-4800, todos conduzidos a 80 °C. As solução resultantes foram filtradas e avolumadas com água milli-q em balão volumétrico de 25 mL. Todos os reagentes utilizados foram de grau analítico. Ácido nítrico concentrado (65% p/p), ácido perclórico (HClO4) (70 % p/p) e ácido clorídrico (38 % p/p) foram utilizados na digestão das amostras. Os padrões foram preparados a partir das soluções estoque de 1000 mg L-1 de Cr, Pb e Zn todos da marca Titrisol® Merck. Os analitos foram determinados por espectrometria de absorção atômica por chama com equipamento da marca GBC, modelo 932 plus, utilizando chama ar/acetileno. O limite de quantificação (LQ) e o limite de detecção (LD), foram calculados considerando o sinal médio do branco (obtido a partir de 5 leituras) mais 10 vezes o desvio padrão (SD) para o LQ e o sinal médio do branco mais 3 vezes o SD para o LD, conforme IUPAC (1997). O uso do ultra som em sistema fechado apresentou melhor de exatidão comparado com os outros métodos, sendo esse mais apropriado para extração dos metais. Mas será realizado novos testes com métodos alternativos para verificar seu grau de confiabilidade e eficiência.
Avaliação preliminar da presença de micronúcleos em bagres de estuários tropicais
Authors: Abreu Fiamma Eugênia Lemos , Santana Lígia Maria Borges Marques , Costa-Lotufo Letícia Veras , Abessa Denis Moledo de Souza
Published: March 2014

O teste de Micronúcleos é usado para identificar danos em moléculas de DNA e empregado também como uma ferramenta simples de biomonitoramento. Essa técnica foi aplicada em estuários do Ceará para verificar danos genotóxicos em bagres. Os resultados preliminares mostraram baixa ocorrência de micronúcleos, sendo as maiores frequências no período seco nos estuários do Rio Pacoti e Rio Jaguaribe e no período chuvoso para o estuário do Rio Ceará. Fatores como metabolismo do organismo e drenagem da água pluvial podem estar relacionados a esses resultados. Outros biomarcadores destes mesmos organismos ainda estão sendo analisados e poderão dar suporte ao uso do teste do micronúcleo para o monitoramento biomonitoramento.