bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrophysiological monitoring during preoperative angiography to guide decisions regarding permanent occlusion of major radicular arteries in patients undergoing total en bloc spondylectomy
Authors: Salame Khalil , Maimon Shimon , Regev Gilad J. , Kimchi Tali Jonas , Korn Akiva , Mangel Laurence , Lidar Zvi
Published: August 2016

OBJECTIVE

Preoperative embolization is performed before spine tumor surgery when significant intraoperative hemorrhage is anticipated. Occlusion of radicular and segmental arteries may result in spinal ischemia. The goal of this study was to check whether neurophysiological monitoring during preoperative angiography in patients scheduled for total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) of spine tumors improves the safety of vessel occlusion.

METHODS

This was a case series study of patients who underwent tumor embolization under somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) and motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring in preparation for TES in treating spine tumors. The angiography findings, the embolized vessels, and the results are presented.

RESULTS

Five patients whose ages ranged from 33 to 75 years and who had thoracic spine tumors are reported. Four patients suffered from primary tumor and 1 patient had a metastatic tumor. Radicular arteries at the tumor level, 1 level above, and 1 level below were permanently occluded when SSEPs and MEPs were preserved during temporary occlusion. No complications were encountered during or after the angiography procedure and embolization.

CONCLUSIONS

Temporary occlusion with electrophysiological monitoring during preoperative angiography may improve the safety of permanent radicular artery occlusion, including the artery of Adamkiewicz in patients undergoing TES for the treatment of spine tumors.
Spinal meningiomas: clinicoradiological factors predicting recurrence and functional outcome
Authors: Maiti Tanmoy K. , Bir Shyamal C. , Patra Devi Prasad , Kalakoti Piyush , Guthikonda Bharat , Nanda Anil
Published: August 2016

OBJECTIVE

Spinal meningiomas are benign tumors with a wide spectrum of clinical and radiological features at presentation. The authors analyzed multiple clinicoradiological factors to predict recurrence and functional outcome in a cohort with a mean follow-up of more than 4 years. The authors also discuss the results of clinical studies regarding spinal meningiomas in the last 15 years.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological details of patients who underwent surgery for spinal tumors between 2001 and 2015 that were histopathologically confirmed as meningiomas. Demographic parameters, such as age, sex, race, and association with neurofibromatosis Type 2, were considered. Radiological parameters, such as tumor size, signal changes of spinal cord, spinal level, number of levels, location of tumor attachment, shape of tumor, and presence of dural tail/calcification, were noted. These factors were analyzed to predict recurrence and functional outcome. Furthermore, a pooled analysis was performed from 13 reports of spinal meningiomas in the last 15 years.

RESULTS

A total of 38 patients were included in this study. Male sex and tumors with radiological evidence of a dural tail were associated with an increased risk of recurrence at a mean follow-up of 51.2 months. Ventral or ventrolateral location, large tumors, T2 cord signal changes, and poor preoperative functional status were associated with poor functional outcome at 1-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Spine surgeons must be aware of the natural history and risk factors of spinal meningiomas to establish a prognosis for their patients.
MATTER IN THE BEAM: WEAK LENSING, SUBSTRUCTURES, AND THE TEMPERATURE OF DARK MATTER
Authors: Mahdi Hareth S. , Elahi Pascal J. , Lewis Geraint F. , Power Chris
Published: August 2016

Warm dark matter (WDM) models offer an attractive alternative to the current cold dark matter (CDM) cosmological model. We present a novel method to differentiate between WDM and CDM cosmologies, namely, using weak lensing; this provides a unique probe as it is sensitive to all of the “matter in the beam,” not just dark matter haloes and the galaxies that reside in them, but also the diffuse material between haloes. We compare the weak lensing maps of CDM clusters to those in a WDM model corresponding to a thermally produced 0.5 keV dark matter particle. Our analysis clearly shows that the weak lensing magnification, convergence, and shear distributions can be used to distinguish between CDM and WDM models. WDM models increase the probability of weak magnifications, with the differences being significant to ≳5σ, while leaving no significant imprint on the shear distribution. WDM clusters analyzed in this work are more homogeneous than CDM ones, and the fractional decrease in the amount of material in haloes is proportional to the average increase in the magnification. This difference arises from matter that would be bound in compact haloes in CDM being smoothly distributed over much larger volumes at lower densities in WDM. Moreover, the signature does not solely lie in the probability distribution function but in the full spatial distribution of the convergence field.
THE ANGULAR MOMENTUM DISTRIBUTION AND BARYON CONTENT OF STAR-FORMING GALAXIES AT z ∼ 1–3*
Authors: Burkert A. , Schreiber N. M. Förster , Genzel R. , Lang P. , Tacconi L. J. , Wisnioski E. , Wuyts S. , Bandara K. , Beifiori A. , Bender R. , Brammer G. , Chan J. , Davies R. , Dekel A. , Fabricius M. , Fossati M. , Kulkarni S. , Lutz D. , Mendel J. T. , Momcheva I. , Nelson E. J. , Naab T. , Renzini A. , Saglia R. , Sharples R. M. , Sternberg A. , Wilman D. , Wuyts E.
Published: August 2016

We analyze the angular momenta of massive star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at the peak of the cosmic star formation epoch (z ∼ 0.8–2.6). Our sample of ∼360 log(M
*/M
⊙) ∼ 9.3–11.8 SFGs is mainly based on the KMOS3D and SINS/zC-SINF surveys of Hα kinematics, and collectively provides a representative subset of the massive star-forming population. The inferred halo scale angular momentum distribution is broadly consistent with that theoretically predicted for their dark matter halos, in terms of mean spin parameter

 ∼ 0.037 and its dispersion (σ
logλ
∼ 0.2). Spin parameters correlate with the disk radial scale and with their stellar surface density, but do not depend significantly on halo mass, stellar mass, or redshift. Our data thus support the long-standing assumption that on average, even at high redshifts, the specific angular momentum of disk galaxies reflects that of their dark matter halos (j

d
= j
DM). The lack of correlation between λ × (j

d
/j
DM) and the nuclear stellar density Σ*(1 kpc) favors a scenario where disk-internal angular momentum redistribution leads to “compaction” inside massive high-redshift disks. For our sample, the inferred average stellar to dark matter mass ratio is ∼2%, consistent with abundance matching results. Including the molecular gas, the total baryonic disk to dark matter mass ratio is ∼5% for halos near 1012
M
⊙, which corresponds to 31% of the cosmologically available baryons, implying that high-redshift disks are strongly baryon dominated.
Sensing Coverage in Three-Dimensional Space
Authors: Ammari Habib M. , Shaout Adnan , Mustapha Fatme
Published: August 2016

Efficient sensor deployment has been one of the most challenging and interesting research areas. The importance and effectiveness of real-world sensing applications, such as underwater and atmospheric sensing, military applications, health systems, and alert systems, which target specific events, raise the need for adaptable design of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). The main challenge in the design of such networks is the optimal sensor deployment, which helps extend the operational network lifetime. Indeed, by maintaining coverage and connectivity with the least number of active nodes and least communication cost, the operable time of the network is guaranteed to be prolonged. The study of two-dimensional (2D) WSNs introduced a significant advancement to the wireless sensor computing technology for different types of smart environments. Nevertheless, 2D WSNs were not sufficient concerning certain applications that require three-dimensional (3D) design. Previous work focused on the design and analysis of various approaches to cover a 3D field of interest, and expanded existing design from 2D to 3D space. Hence, the complexity of such approaches is a major stumbling block. To alleviate this problem, more efficient solutions for the design of WSNs for 3D space deployment have been introduced. By tessellation of the 3D space, which is one of the proposed solutions, researchers studied the partitioning of the space based on Voronoi tessellation by generating identical space-filling cells. Using space fillers cells, which are represented by polyhedra, to model the sensing range of the sensor nodes is assumed to be an optimal solution since these polyhedra can fill a 3D space without leaving gaps or overlaps among them. In the existing literature, the coverage problem in 3D space is concerned with finding the polyhedron that can best approximate the spherical sensing range and eliminates gaps without scarifying the network connectivity. Therefore, the latter is directly related to the sensor node placement strategy. This book chapter studies various proposed solutions for the design of 3D WSNs, with a focus on coverage and connectivity. More specifically, it presents several space filling polyhedra, including the cube, truncated octahedron, hexagonal prism, and rhombic dodecahedron. Also, it compares all these space filling polyhedra to cover a 3D space.
Techniques to Enhance the Lifetime of MANET
Authors: Rout Suchismita , Turuk Ashok Kumar , Sahoo Bibhudatta
Published: August 2016

Now-a-days more and more devices are getting portable. This has encouraged the development of Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANET). In addition to device portability, MANET does not require a pre-established network infrastructure. As a result they can be easily deployed in situations like emergency rescue and disaster management. However, there are certain issues that are inherent to MANET such as hidden and exposed terminal problem, limited bandwidth, limited processing and battery power. These issues need to be addressed for successful deployment of MANET. Nodes in MANET are run by battery power. Sometimes, it is difficult to replace and/or re-charge the battery. Therefore, to increase the longevity of the network, the available battery power must be judiciously used. In this chapter we focus on different techniques proposed by various researchers to enhance the lifetime of MANET. Along with the same we also give our own contributions as to maximize network lifetime with the effect use of battery source.
What Are the Structures of the Octet Rule Obeying All-Carbon Species Cx (2 ≤ x ≤ 7 and Larger x)?
Authors: McDonald Kori D. , Ojo Evelyn O. , Liebman Joel F.
Published: August 2016

With most carbon structures still unknown and undiscovered, it becomes increasingly important to find a way to discover, characterize, and understand them. This paper discusses the possible structures for all-carbon species in which each carbon obeys the octet rule. The number and structural diversity of such compounds strongly increases with the number of carbons: C2, 1; C3, 1; C4, 3; C5, 6; C6, 15. Only some of the C7 species were drawn -- merely 23 isomers were given. To guarantee structural uniqueness, names and visual inspection appear to be insufficient. Instead, a new method, using the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the structure's adjacency matrix and modified matrices, was introduced and then employed. With this we hoped to gain a better understanding of what was chemically reasonable and realizable for our produced structures.
Up-Converting Nanoparticles
Authors: Petrescu Livia , Avram Speranta , Mernea Maria , Mihailescu Dan Florin
Published: August 2016

Up-converting nanoparticles are dielectric crystalline particles doped with rare-earth ions such as Yb3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Ho3+, Nd3+, etc. When excited in infrared, they emit visible radiation. Used as markers, they present significant advantages in comparison to traditional fluorophores: sharp emission lines, superior photostability, resistence to photobleaching, no blinking and lack of toxicity. Infrared radiation is less harmful to cells avoiding tissue degradation, minimizes auto-fluorescence from endogenous biocomponents offering a good signal-to-background ratio and penetrates tissues deeply. In spite of the great advantages of using up-converting nanoparticles for biomedical applications, there are still some limitations. These refer to identification of optimal size suited for specific samples, prevention of aggregation, water stability/dispersibility, optical efficiency and biocompatibility. This chapter reviews principal characteristics of up-converting nanoparticles and issues related to their use in biomedical applications.
A Theoretical Study of the Refractive Index of KDP Crystal Doped with TiO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Krasnoholovets Volodymyr
Published: August 2016

In the present chapter we study a nonlinear response of an optical matrix formed by the K2HPO4 crystal doped with TiO2 nanoparticles. Such doped matrix is a nonlinear optical system that is characterized by the cubic non-linear optical response at picosecond laser pulses. Laser pulses release photoelectrons from nanoparticles, which emerge as free carriers on the nanoparticles' surface generating an electric field in local area of the K2HPO4 matrix, which results in the phase transition from the paraphase to the ferroelectric phase state. The appeared ferroelectric phase induces a large polarization around TiO2 nanoparticles, which in turn immediately produces a nonlinear optical response to the laser pulse of the inverse sign, such that the laser beam becomes more focused. The gigantic non-linear susceptibility ??(3) responsible for the phenomenon of focusing of the laser beam is calculated by using the pseudospin model for the description of ferroelectric crystals and the expressions for nonlinear-susceptibility tensor components computed by other researchers.
Entropy of Nanostructures
Authors: Ori Ottorino , Cataldo Franco , Putz Mihai V.
Published: August 2016

Recent advances in graphene studies deal with the influence of structural defects on graphene chemical, electrical, magnetic and mechanical properties. Here the complex mechanisms leading to the formation of clusters of vacancies in 2D honeycomb HD lattices are described by a pure topological point of view, aiming to correlate the variation of specific topological invariants, sensible to vacancy concentration, to the structural evolution of the defective networks driven by the topo-thermodynamical Gibbs free energy. Interesting predictions on defect formation mechanisms add details on the topological mechanisms featured by the graphenic structures with defects. Future roles of bondonic particles in defective HD materials are also envisaged.
Atlas of ρ, ρE, and TM–EC for Fullerenes Isomers
Authors: Koorepazan-Moftakhar Fatemeh , Ashrafi Ali Reza , Ori Ottorino , Putz Mihai V.
Published: August 2016

A fullerene graph is a cubic, planar and 3-connected graph that its faces are pentagons and hexagons. These graphs are the best mathematical models for fullerene molecules, which are polyhedral carbon molecules with atoms arranged in pentagons and hexagons. The topological efficiency index ?, the parameter ?E and the Timisoara-eccentricity index (TM-EC)are three recent parameters for studying fullerenes. The aim of this chapter is to report these parameters for fullerenes. The examples given includes at most 50 carbon atoms.
Developing Sustainability
Authors: Venturi Margherita
Published: August 2016

The main types of renewable energies are reviewed in relation with currently available technologies, planet's emergencies and strategies towards sustainable development. The discussed issues are: the limited space for living, the biospheric degradation upon fossil fuels burning, the change of paradigm of human happiness from consumption to cultural development, a continuous improving of conversion of the low density and intermittent sun light on final energy on an industrial scale, the need to reintroduce the concepts of “enough” and “equity” while developing the know-how patrimony and good practices for the next generations.
Learning from Social Collaboration
Authors: Oksanen Kimmo , Lainema Timo , Hämäläinen Raija
Published: August 2016

This chapter focuses on the challenge of evaluating game-based learning. It argues that linking game-based learning with the characteristics of a specific game or game-produced engagement is challenging. It further proposes a framework in which the game-based learning process is approached by considering (business) simulation games as Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) environments and presents an approach on how learning can be approached and evaluated from this perspective. In addition, it highlights how simulation game mechanics appears to be a potential way to promote learners' socio-emotional processes and give rise to social interaction and to structure collaboration among the learners in the game context. The proposed framework of this chapter takes into account both cognitive and socio-emotional perspectives of learning. The results of the chapter will present a contemporary view on the roles of sociability, collaboration and engagement in game-based learning.
Using Video Games to Improve Spatial Skills
Authors: Choi HeeSun , Feng Jing
Published: August 2016

In this chapter, we explore why and how to use video games for educational purpose to enhance spatial skills. We review the history and trends of the educational use of video games, introduce the concept of spatial skills, and present the importance of spatial skills in STEM education. We outline existing research on spatial training using video games, discuss the methodological issues in these research, and summarize speculated underlying mechanisms of spatial learning. We also discuss considerations in designing video games to maximize the training outcomes of improving spatial skills. We hope that this chapter will not only provide a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge on the importance of learning spatial skills and the potential of video games in facilitating the learning, but also inform about the effective design of video games to accelerate the acquisition of spatial skills.
Islamic Modernism in the Works of Jamaluddin Al-Afghani and Syed Ahmed Khan
Authors: Chandra Priyanka
Published: August 2016

Linkages between religion and politics have engaged the interest of scholars for centuries. Two thinkers, whose works are central to these inter-linkages are Jamaluddin al-Afghani and Syed Ahmed Khan. Both were Islamic modernists in the late nineteenth century who sought to reform religion by engaging with modernity. They have also contributed significantly to shaping the nationalist movements in West Asia and India respectively. This chapter will examine their ideas on important issues like religious and educational reform, nationalism and Pan-Islamism, differences and contrasts in their ideologies and their contributions to Islamic modernism. Through this examination this chapter will highlight the relevance of their contributions to the study of contemporary political Islam.
(SET) Smart Energy Management and Throughput Maximization
Authors: El Alami Hassan , Najid Abdellah
Published: August 2016

Energy efficiency and throughput are critical factors in the design routing protocols of WSNs. Many routing protocols based on clustering algorithm have been proposed. Current clustering algorithms often use cluster head selection and cluster formation to reduce energy consumption and maximize throughput in WSNs. In this chapter, the authors present a new routing protocol based on smart energy management and throughput maximization for clustered WSNs. The main objective of this protocol is to solve the constraint of closest sensors to the base station which consume relatively more energy in sensed information traffics, and also decrease workload on CHs. This approach divides network field into free area which contains the closest sensors to the base station that communicate directly with, and clustered area which contains the sensors that transmit data to the base station through cluster head. So due to the sensors that communicate directly to the base station, the load on cluster heads is decreased. Thus, the cluster heads consume less energy causing the increase of network lifetime.
On the Role of Game Theory in Modelling Incentives and Interactions in Mobile Distributed Systems
Authors: Yahaya Mohammed Onimisi
Published: August 2016

Advances in wireless networking has led to a new paradigm of Mobile Distributed Systems (MDS), where data, devices and software are mobile. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks is a form of distributed system in which sharing of resources has some similarities to our traditional market in terms of goods and relationship. Game theory provides a mathematical framework for understanding the complexity of interdependent decision makers with similar or conflicting objectives. Games could be characterized by number of players who interact, possibly threaten each other and form coalitions, take actions under uncertain conditions. The players receive some reward or possibly some punishment or monetary loss. Our primary objective is to provide an insight into the role and suitability of game theory in the study of Economics of P2P systems. In order to achieve this objectives, we investigate different classes of game theory, review and analyze their use in the modelling of P2P system.
Weak Ties and Value of a Network in the New Internet Economy
Authors: Di Fatta Davide , Musotto Roberto , D'Aleo Vittorio , Vesperi Walter , Morabito Giacomo , Lo Bue Salvatore
Published: August 2016

The rapid rise in internet economy is reflected in increased scholarly attention on the topic, with researchers increasingly exploring the marketing approaches and strategies now available through social media. The network provides a value for companies, thus becomes essential acquire greater awareness to evaluate and quantify its value. What are practical implications for managers? Social network analysis is nowadays an essential tool for researchers: the aim of this chapter is to extend the internet economy research to network theories. Today, there are emerging observations on the global internet economy, but there is a big gap in literature indeed. At first, literature focused on people. Now, on digitalized information. Firms are connected in a virtual network and there are undefined distances in terms of space and time. Traditional methods of analysis are no more efficient: to analyze the relationship in the network society, we need a different paradigm to approach network issue.
Applied Analytical “Distant Reading” using NVivo 11 Plus™
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: August 2016

NVivo 11 Plus, a qualitative data analysis software tool, enables some types of “distant reading” albeit within the text data processing limits of the desktop machine. Some “distant reading” applications include the following: (1) word frequency counts (visualized as word clouds, tree maps, cluster analyses graphs, dendrograms, and ring graphs/circle graphs), (2) text searches (as word trees), (3) theme and sub-theme extractions (as bar charts), (4) matrix queries (as various types of data visualizations), (5) sentiment analyses (as bar charts, hierarchical treemaps, hierarchical sunburst diagrams, and text sets), (6) autocoding by existing pattern, and (7) geolocational mapping. While “distant reading” is still evolving, these unsupervised and semi-supervised machine reading approaches broaden the capabilities of researchers and may serve as a bridge to even more complex distant reading methods.
Creating “(Social) Network Art” with NodeXL
Authors: Hai-Jew Shalin
Published: August 2016

If human-created objects of art are historically contingent, then the emergence of (social) network art may be seen as a product of several trends: the broad self-expression and social sharing on Web 2.0; the application of network analysis and data visualization to understand big data, and an appreciation for online machine art. Social network art is a form of cyborg art: it melds data from both humans and machines; the sensibilities of humans and machines; and the pleasures and interests of people. This chapter will highlight some of the types of (social) network art that may be created with Network Overview, Discovery and Exploration for Excel (NodeXL Basic) and provide an overview of the process. The network graph artwork presented here were all built from datasets extracted from popular social media platforms (Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Wikipedia, and others). This chapter proposes some early aesthetics for this type of electronic artwork.
Map-based Visual Analytics of Moving Learners
Authors: Sailer Christian , Kiefer Peter , Schito Joram , Raubal Martin
Published: August 2016

Location-based mobile learning (LBML) is a type of mobile learning in which the learning content is related to the location of the learner. The evaluation of LBML concepts and technologies is typically performed using methods known from classical usability engineering, such as questionnaires or interviews. In this paper, the authors argue for applying visual analytics to spatial and spatio-temporal visualizations of learners' trajectories for evaluating LBML. Visual analytics supports the detection and interpretation of spatio-temporal patterns and irregularities in both, single learners' as well as multiple learners' trajectories, thus revealing learners' typical behavior patterns and potential problems with the LBML software, hardware, the didactical concept, or the spatial and temporal embedding of the content.
Notification Display Choice for Smartphone Users
Authors: Norrie Lauren , Murray-Smith Roderick
Published: August 2016

Notification displays have the potential to make smartphone notifications easier to manage when a user is committed to a primary task. The authors investigate the impact of negotiating notifications with six notification displays on a typing task. The results from their lab experiment with 30 participants show that desktop pop-ups were preferred significantly most, the display choice that required the fewest actions to read notifications, and the most actions to respond. The notification bar was least preferred, which required the most actions to read a notification, and the fewest actions to respond. This work is a well-controlled pre-cursor to the application of notification displays in social scenarios. The results motivate the use of external notification displays to manage attention around a smartphone.
Challenges Caring for Adults With Congenital Heart Disease in Pediatric Settings: How Nurses Can Aid in the Transition
Authors: Anton Kristin
Published: August 2016

As surgery for complex congenital heart disease is becoming more advanced, an increasing number of patients are surviving into adulthood, yet many of these adult patients remain in the pediatric hospital system. Caring for adult patients is often a challenge for pediatric nurses, because the nurses have less experience and comfort with adult care, medications, comorbid conditions, and rehabilitation techniques. As these patients age, the increased risk of complications and comorbid conditions from their heart disease may complicate their care further. Although these patients are admitted on a pediatric unit, nurses can aid in promoting their independence and help prepare them to transition into the adult medical system. Nurses, the comprehensive medical teams, and patients’ families can all effectively influence the process of preparing these patients for transition to adult care.
Associations between plasma tenofovir concentration and renal function markers in HIV-infected women
Authors: Mulubwa Mwila , Rheeders Malie , Fourie Carla , Viljoen Michelle
Published: August 2016

Background: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) has been associated with kidney tubulardys function and reduced renal function. Limited studies were performed in Europe and Asia that related plasma tenofovir (TFV) concentration with renal function; no such studies to date have been performed on Africans.Objective: To investigate the correlation between plasma tenofovir (TFV) concentration and certain renal function markers in HIV-infected women on TDF antiretroviral therapy (ART).These markers were also compared to a HIV-uninfected control group.Methods: HIV-infected women (n = 30) on TDF-based ART were matched with 30 controls forage and body mass index. Renal markers analysed were estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), creatinine clearance (CrCl), serum creatinine, albuminuria, glucosuria, serum urea, serum uric acid, urine sodium and maximum tubular reabsorption of phosphate. Baseline eGFR and CrCl data were obtained retrospectively for the HIV-infected women. Plasma TFV was assayed using a validated HPLC-MS/MS method. Step wise regression, Mann–Whitney test, unpaired and paired t-tests were applied in the statistical analyses.Results: TFV concentration was independently associated with albuminuria (adjusted r2 = 0.339; p = 0.001) in HIV-infected women. In the adjusted (weight) analysis, eGFR (p = 0.038),CrCl (p = 0.032) and albuminuria (p = 0.048) were significantly higher in HIV-infected compared to the uninfected women, but eGFR was abnormally high in HIV-infected women. Both eGFR (p < 0.001) and CrCl (p = 0.008) increased from baseline to follow-up in HIV-infected women.Conclusion: Plasma TFV concentration was associated with increased albuminuria in HIV infected women in this sub-study. Both eGFR and CrCl were increased in HIV-infected women from baseline. These findings should be confirmed in larger studies, and hyperfiltration in HIV-infected women warrants further investigation.
Luzin-type Holomorphic Approximation on Closed Subsets of Open Riemann Surfaces
Authors: Gauthier Paul M. , Sharifi Fatemeh
Published: August 2016

It is known that if E is a closed subset of an open Riemann surface R and f is a holomorphic function on a neighbourhood of E, then it is “usually” not possible to approximate f uniformly by functions holomorphic on all of R. We show, however, that for every open Riemann surface R and every closed subset E ⸦ R, there is closed subset F ⸦ E that approximates E extremely well, such that every function holomorphic on F can be approximated much better than uniformly by functions holomorphic on R.
Trends in normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) associated with
urban development in northern West Siberia
Authors: Esau Igor , Miles Victoria V. , Davy Richard , Miles Martin W. , Kurchatova Anna
Published: August 2016

Abstract. Exploration and exploitation of oil and gas reserves of northern West Siberia has promoted rapid industrialization and urban development in the region. This development leaves significant footprints on the sensitive northern environment, which is already stressed by the global warming. This study reports the region-wide changes in the vegetation cover as well as the corresponding changes in and around 28 selected urbanized areas. The study utilizes the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from high-resolution (250 m) MODIS data acquired for summer months (June through August) over 15 years (2000–2014). The results reveal the increase of NDVI (or “greening”) over the northern (tundra and tundra-forest) part of the region. Simultaneously, the southern, forested part shows the widespread decrease of NDVI (or “browning”). These region-wide patterns are, however, highly fragmented. The statistically significant NDVI trends occupy only a small fraction of the region. Urbanization destroys the vegetation cover within the developed areas and at about 5–10 km distance around them. The studied urbanized areas have the NDVI values by 15 to 45 % lower than the corresponding areas at 20–40 km distance. The largest NDVI reduction is typical for the newly developed areas, whereas the older areas show recovery of the vegetation cover. The study reveals a robust indication of the accelerated greening near the older urban areas. Many Siberian cities become greener even against the wider browning trends at their background. Literature discussion suggests that the observed urban greening could be associated not only with special tending of the within-city green areas but also with the urban heat islands and succession of more productive shrub and tree species growing on warmer sandy soils.
Development and Assessment of a High Spatial Resolution (4.4 km) MISR Aerosol Product Using AERONET-DRAGON Data
Authors: Garay Michael J. , Kalashnikova Olga V. , Bull Michael A.
Published: August 2016

Abstract. Since early 2000, the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite has been acquiring data that has been used to produce aerosol optical depth (AOD) and particle property retrievals at 17.6 km spatial resolution. Capitalizing on the capabilities provided by multiangle viewing, the current operational (Version 22) MISR algorithm performs well with about 75 % of MISR AOD retrievals globally falling within 0.05 or 20 % × AOD of paired validation data from the ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). This paper describes the development and assessment of a prototype version of a higher spatial resolution, 4.4 km MISR aerosol product compared against multiple AERONET Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observations Network (DRAGON) deployments around the globe.
Coupling slope-area analysis, integral approach and statistic tests to
steady state bedrock river profile analysis
Authors: Wang Yizhou , Zhang Huiping , Zheng Dewen , Yu Jingxing , Pang Jianzhang , Ma Yan
Published: August 2016

Abstract. Slope-area analysis and the integral approach both have been widely used in stream profile analysis. However, channel steepness derived from the former one is characterized by large uncertainties and deviated concavities and false knickpoints may occur when utilizing the integral approach. Limited work has been done to couple the advantages of the two methods and remedy such drawbacks. Here we show the merit of the log-transformed slope-area plot to identify colluvial, bedrock and alluvial channels along river profiles. Via the integral approach, we can get bedrock channel concavity and steepness with high precision. In addition, we run bi-variant linear regression statistic tests for the two methods to examine and eliminate serial correlation of residuals. Therefore, the coupled process, combining the advantages of slope-area analysis and the integral approach, can be a more robust and capable method for bedrock river profile analysis.
Partial reactivation of a huge deep-seated ancient rock slide: recognition, formation mechanism, and stability
Authors: Tang Minggao , Xu Qiang , Li Yusheng , Huang Runqiu , Rengers Niek , Zhu Xing
Published: August 2016

Abstract. About 18 years ago, a large-scale discontinuous layer in properties and colour was found in the new Fengjie town at the shore of the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China. There are many resettled residents and buildings on the sloping area, the safety of which is potentially affected by this layer, so it has become the focus of attention. Before this study started there were two viewpoints regarding the origin of this layer. One was that is was from a huge ancient slide and the other was that is was from a fault graben. In order to find out how it was formed and to be able to carry out a stability analysis of the slope the authors have carried out a research program, including geological field investigations and mapping, a deep drilling hole, a geotechnical centrifuge model test, and a simulation analysis. The results of the research led to the conclusion that the layer is the sliding plane of a huge deep-seated ancient rock slide, which we called the Sanmashan landslide. An important argument for the conclusion is the recognition of a regional compressive tectonic stress field in this area, which cannot lead to the formation of a fault graben because it needs a tensional tectonic stress field. Moreover, numerous unique geological features, sliding marks, and other relics of the ancient slide have been discovered in the field. The formation process of the ancient slide could be repeated in a large geotechnical centrifuge model test. The test shows that a deformation and failure process of "creep–crack–cut" has occurred. The type of the ancient slide can be classified as a "successive rotational rock slide". Finally, the role of seepage in the stability of the Sanmashan landslide has been analysed. Our final conclusions are that, during rainfall and filling–drawdown cycles in the Three Gorges Reservoir, the Sanmashan landslide as a whole is dormant and stable and the secondary landslides in the toe area of the slope are presently stable but can be reactivated. This research provides an important basis for the remedial measures and land use planning in the new Fengjie town, and a well-documented case history for researchers worldwide.
Freshening of Antarctic Intermediate Water in the South Atlantic Ocean in 2005–2014
Authors: Yao Wenjun , Shi Jiuxin
Published: August 2016

Abstract. Basin-scaled freshening of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is reported to have dominated South Atlantic Ocean during period from 2005 to 2014, as shown by the gridded monthly means Argo (Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography) data. The relevant investigation was also revealed by two transatlantic occupations of repeated section along 30° S, from World Ocean Circulation Experiment Hydrographic Program. Freshening of the AAIW was compensated by the opposing salinity increase of thermocline water, indicating the contemporaneous hydrological cycle intensification. This was illustrated by the precipitation less evaporation change in the Southern Hemisphere from 2000 to 2014, with freshwater input from atmosphere to ocean surface increasing in the subpolar high-precipitation region and vice versa in the subtropical high-evaporation region. Against the background of hydrological cycle augment, the decreased transport of Agulhas Leakage (AL) was proposed to be one of the contributors for the associated freshening of AAIW. This indirectly estimated variability of AL, reflected by the weakening of wind stress over the South Indian Ocean since the beginning of 2000s, facilitates the freshwater input from source region and partly contributes to the observed freshened AAIW. Both of our mechanical analysis is qualitative, but this work would be helpful to validate and test predictably coupled sea-air model simulations.
An automated methodology for differentiating rock from snow, clouds and sea
in Antarctica from Landsat 8 imagery: a new rock outcrop map and area
estimation for the entire Antarctic continent
Authors: Burton-Johnson Alex , Black Martin , Fretwell Peter T. , Kaluza-Gilbert Joseph
Published: August 2016

Abstract. As the accuracy and sensitivity of remote-sensing satellites improve, there is an increasing demand for more accurate and updated base datasets for surveying and monitoring. However, differentiating rock outcrop from snow and ice is a particular problem in Antarctica, where extensive cloud cover and widespread shaded regions lead to classification errors. The existing rock outcrop dataset has significant georeferencing issues as well as overestimation and generalisation of rock exposure areas. The most commonly used method for automated rock and snow differentiation, the normalised difference snow index (NDSI), has difficulty differentiating rock and snow in Antarctica due to misclassification of shaded pixels and is not able to differentiate illuminated rock from clouds. This study presents a new method for identifying rock exposures using Landsat 8 data. This is the first automated methodology for snow and rock differentiation that excludes areas of snow (both illuminated and shaded), clouds and liquid water whilst identifying both sunlit and shaded rock, achieving higher and more consistent accuracies than alternative data and methods such as the NDSI. The new methodology has been applied to the whole Antarctic continent (north of 82°40′ S) using Landsat 8 data to produce a new rock outcrop dataset for Antarctica. The new data (merged with existing data where Landsat 8 tiles are unavailable; most extensively south of 82°40′ S) reveal that exposed rock forms 0.18 % (21 745 km2) of the total land area of Antarctica: half of previous estimates.
Signature of Arctic first-year ice melt pond fraction in
X-band SAR imagery
Authors: Fors Ane S. , Divine Dmitry V. , Doulgeris Anthony P. , Renner Angelika H. H. , Gerland Sebastian
Published: August 2016

Abstract. In this paper we investigate the potential of melt pond fraction retrieval from X-band polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on drifting first-year sea ice. Melt pond fractions retrieved from a helicopter-borne camera system were compared to polarimetric features extracted from four dual polarimetric X-band SAR scenes, revealing significant relationships. The correlations were strongly dependent on wind speed and SAR incidence angle. Co-polarisation ratio was found to be the most promising SAR feature for melt pond fraction estimation at intermediate wind speeds (6.2 m/s), with a correlation coefficient of 0.46. At low wind speeds (0.6 m/s), this relation disappeared due to low backscatter from the melt ponds, and backscatter VV-polarisation intensity had the strongest relationship to melt pond fraction with a correlation coefficient of −0.53. From the results, an intermediate and a low-wind speed empirical model for melt pond fraction estimation were suggested and evaluated. The models gave good estimates of mean melt pond fraction for the full satellite scenes, deviating with less than 4 % from the airborne retrieved melt pond fractions in the investigated area. A smoothing window of 51 × 51 pixels gave the best reproduction of the width of the melt pond fraction distribution. A considerable part of the backscatter signal was below the noise floor at SAR incidence angles above ~ 40 degree, restricting the information gain from polarimetric features above this threshold. Compared to previous studies in C-band, limitations concerning wind speed and noise floor set stricter constraints on melt pond fraction retrieval in X-band. Despite this, our findings demonstrate new possibilities in melt pond fraction estimation from SAR, opening for expanded monitoring of melt ponds during melt season. In the next step, melt pond estimation from SAR may supplement surveillance from optical satellites, providing melt pond information to climate applications during cloudy conditions.
Escenas de locura: pensar la literatura desde el psicoanálisis
Authors: Lombardo Martín
Published: August 2016

A partir de algunos conceptos psicoanalíticos desarrollados por Sigmund Freud y Jacques Lacan, en el presente trabajo se analizan textos literarios de Julio Cortázar, Guy de Maupassant, Marguerite Duras, Adolfo Bioy Casares y Enrique Vila-Matas que centran su historia en el pasaje hacia la locura. Se estudia la representación del espacio y del cuerpo del personaje, las circunstancias en que irrumpe la locura así como las diferentes maneras en que el texto ficcional propone una resolución a esa locura.
Más allá de lo real y la ficción. La imagen y la palabra en "Bajo este sol tremendo" de Carlos Busqued.
Authors: Martins de Vasconcellos Ellen Maria
Published: August 2016

En Bajo este sol tremendo, de Carlos Busqued (2009), lo primero que se nota es que la narrativa ficcional está construida con diversas referencias a los medios, principalmente a los documentales televisivos exhibidos en Discovery e History Channel. Y no sólo los temas, sino que los recursos audiovisuales de estos programas también son transferidos a la forma verbal, haciendo que la narrativa sea exhibida con recursos del formato televisivo. La construcción de la propia visualidad del texto al relacionarse con la proliferación de imágenes exteriores que también tienen espacio en la novela es la fórmula que juega con nuevos regímenes de lo sensible y del sentido que necesita ser analizada. El objetivo de este trabajo es, por lo tanto, realizar el análisis de la relación entre la imagen y la palabra en la obra de Busqued, que disuelve las fronteras de los campos del arte y los massmedia, para apropiarse de sus lugares, herramientas y poderes.
Systemic sclerosis-related calcinosis
Authors: Herrick Ariane L. , Gallas Andrzej
Published: August 2016

Purpose

To provide an update on the clinical burden of calcinosis (subcutaneous or intracutaneous deposition of calcium salts) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and discuss advances in our understanding of pathogenesis, associates, and measurement techniques, as well as an overview of the current approach to management.

Methods

Four case scenarios are presented, to illustrate the clinical spectrum of calcinosis. Epidemiology (including associates), pathogenesis, imaging and measurement, and treatment are reviewed.

Results

Calcinosis represents a major clinical problem in patients with SSc. Up to 40% of patients are affected, the proportion depending in part on how carefully calcinosis is looked for. Associates of calcinosis include longer disease duration, anticentromere antibody, and digital ulceration. When severe, calcinosis causes pain, disability, and disfigurement. Pathogenesis is unknown, but tissue ischaemia, microtrauma, and loss of balance between calcification stimulants and inhibitors are likely contributors. Calcinosis deposits are mainly composed of hydroxyapatite. They are very visible on plain radiographs, and radiographic scoring systems are being developed, and other imaging modalities (including computed tomography and ultrasound) are being explored. Despite a number of proposed treatments, currently there is no effective ‘disease-modifying’ therapy for calcinosis and the main aspects of management are antibiotics, analgesics, multidisciplinary team input, and surgical debulking.

Conclusions

Up until recently, SSc-related calcinosis has received very little attention in terms of research into pathogenesis, measurement, and treatment. This imbalance is now being redressed and although we still do not have an effective treatment, progress is being made.
Wall Paintings in the Qadisha Valley, Lebanon: Various Styles and Dates
Authors: Hajj May
Published: August 2016

This article offers a new approach to the study of paintings from four churches in the Qadisha Valley, Lebanon, including the paintings of Deir es-Salib and Saydet Qannubine, where a large part of the paintings are still in situ—albeit in a bad state of preservation; those in the church of Mart Shmuni, which were destroyed in the 1980s and are only known from photographs and the small fragments still visible today; and the paintings in the church of Deir Mar Asya, where the only remaining parts require immediate conservation. The focus here will be on the plaster used in these paintings, especially from the church of Deir es-Salib as it reveals many phases of intervention. Comparing the paintings and their iconography will also help define their styles and establish their dating.