bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complication Risk After Treatment of Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures in the Medicare Population
Authors: Henzman Cameron , Ong Kevin , Lau Edmund , Seligson David , Roberts Craig S. , Malkani Arthur L.
Published: September 2015

The study evaluated the incidence of and complications associated with the use of an intramedullary nail vs open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with a sliding compression hip screw and plate in treating intertrochanteric fractures. The authors hypothesized that the biomechanically stronger and less invasive intramedullary nail would have superior results and fewer complications compared with ORIF. Patients followed for up to 1 year postoperatively were identified from the 5% nationwide sample of Medicare administrative claims data (1998–2007) using the corresponding
International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification
, codes 820.21 and 820.31. There were 9157 patients treated with intramedullary nails and 27,687 treated with compression screw and plate fixation. Intertrochanteric hip fractures treated with an intramedullary nail during this period increased from 3.3% to 63.1% compared with ORIF. Patients treated with an intramedullary nail had a higher adjusted risk of pulmonary embolism at 90 days (
P
=.003) and a higher risk of mortality at 1 year (
P
<.001) compared with those treated with ORIF. Patients who underwent intramedullary nailing during 2006 to 2007 had a lower adjusted risk of conversion to total hip replacement at 1 year (
P
=.037) compared with those who had ORIF. Over the decade of the study, intramedullary nail usage increased 59.8% compared with ORIF. Increased use of intramedullary nails compared with ORIF has not shown improved outcomes or decreased complications in patients with intertrochanteric hip fractures. The increased use of intramedullary nails for intertrochanteric hip fractures appears to be multifactorial, including the less invasive nature of the surgery and increased experience with the closed surgical technique. [
Orthopedics. 2
015; 38(9):e799–e805.]
Management of Humeral Shaft Fractures With Intramedullary Interlocking Nail Versus Locking Compression Plate
Authors: Fan Yu , Li Yue-Wang , Zhang Hong-Bo , Liu Jian-Fei , Han Xiang-Min , Chang Xiao , Weng Xi-Sheng , Lin Jin , Zhang Bao-Zhong
Published: September 2015

Surgical fixation of humeral shaft fractures generally involves plating or nailing. It is unclear whether one method is more effective than the other. The aim of this study was to compare the results of the intramedullary nail and locking compression plate for the treatment of humeral shaft fractures. A total of 60 patients with humeral shaft fractures were randomized to undergo surgery with an intramedullary interlocking nail (n=30) or locking compression plate (n=30). The outcome was assessed in terms of intraoperative blood loss, operative time, hospital stay, union time, union rate, functional outcome, and incidence of complications. Functional outcome was assessed using the Constant score and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score. Intraoperative blood loss, operative time, and hospital stay in group A (intramedullary interlocking nail) were significantly lower than those in group B (locking compression plate). No statistically significant difference was found regarding the union rate, mean Constant score, and mean ASES score between the groups. The average union time was found to be significantly lower for the intramedullary interlocking nail compared with the locking compression plate. The incidence of complications such as radial nerve palsy was found to be higher with the locking compression plate compared with the intramedullary interlocking nail. The intramedullary interlocking nail can be considered a better surgical option for the management of humeral shaft fractures because it offers decreased intraoperative blood loss; shorter operative times, hospital stays, and union times; and a lower incidence of serious complications such as radial nerve palsy. [
Orthopedics.
2015; 38(9):e825–e829.]
Repair of Acute-on-Chronic Subscapularis Insufficiency in an Adolescent Athlete
Authors: Gornitzky Alex L. , Potty Anish G. R. , Carey James L. , Ganley Theodore J.
Published: September 2015

A 13-year-old right-hand–dominant skeletally immature boy presented to the authors’ clinic after being blocked during an overhead dodgeball throw and hearing an abrupt “pop” in the shoulder. He had pain in the subdeltoid region that was most prominent during sports-related activity, particularly throwing. The patient had nonoperative management of a lesser tuberosity avulsion fracture 1 year earlier after a similar injury that occurred during a basketball game. He had returned to normal sporting activity 2 months before the most recent injury. Repeat advanced imaging showed an avulsion fracture of the subscapularis tendon, with a significantly retracted 2-cm component as well as a less retracted component, suggesting acute-on-chronic injury. Given this retraction and the symptoms during throwing, the patient was counseled that surgical management would best facilitate an asymptomatic return to sports-related activity. This case showed acute-on-chronic subscapularis tendon insufficiency with avulsion of the lesser tuberosity and significant retraction of the subscapularis tendon without tearing, a rare injury pattern in adolescents. For fixation of the avulsed lesser tuberosity fracture, an open approach technique was used in which SpeedBridge (Arthrex, Naples, Florida) sutures were passed behind the bone fragment. Four anchors were placed medial and lateral to the subscapularis insertion points to create a knotless double-row footprint. Compared with the published literature, this method of subscapularis fixation offered secure anatomic repair in a time-efficient, user-friendly manner. [
Orthopedics.
2015; 38(9):e844–e848.]
Transfusion-Transmitted Babesiosis During Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Carnevale Joseph , Feller Ross , Shalvoy Robert M.
Published: September 2015

Babesiosis is a potentially life-threatening zoonotic disease that is endemic to the northeastern United States and increasing in prevalence worldwide. Transmitted by the same
Ixodes
tick responsible for Lyme disease, the intraerythrocytic parasite
Babesia
causes a wide range of clinical presentations—from asymptomatic carriage to a fulminant course with rapid deterioration. Symptoms typically present 1 to 6 weeks after inoculation, with the gradual onset of fatigue, malaise, weakness, and intermittent or sustained fever as high as 40.9°C. Severe cases are associated with parasitemia greater than 4%, alkaline phosphatase greater than 125 U/L, and white blood cell counts greater than 5×10
9
/L. Definitive diagnosis is made by microscopic examination of thin blood smears, polymerase chain reaction, and indirect immunofluorescent antibody testing. The increasing frequency of babesiosis paired with a lack of blood-donor screening assays poses a serious threat to the safety of the US blood supply. Although babesiosis is responsible for 3.6% of transfusion-related deaths, the Food and Drug Administration has yet to approve mandatory screening for the parasite in donated blood. Historically, transfusion-transmitted babesiosis has been thought to be isolated to the immunocompromised patient population. However, a recent case of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis in an immunocompetent patient following total hip arthroplasty is the first reported in the literature and may represent a growing risk to a far greater segment of the population than previously thought. This article summarizes the current state of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis and the detrimental impact of this infection on blood transfusion safety. [
Orthopedics.
2015; 38(9):e852–e855.]
Physic-Chemical Characterization of a Waste from Olive Industry
Authors: Ronda Alicia , Blázquez Gabriel , Martínez Carmen , Cotes M. Teresa , Martín-Lara M. Ángeles , Calero Mónica
Published: September 2015

In this work, a waste form olive industry was characterized in terms of its physical–chemical properties, which can be useful for its use in biosorption processes or in pyrolysis units. The characterization results showed that the solid presents a good size distribution to be use as biosorbent or as fuel, although it can be improve with a milled step. The initial moisture content is very high (around 40%), being one of the main characteristics of the solid that makes its direct use as a fuel difficult. However, the low sulfur value (< 0.1%) is very suitable from the environmental point of view, reducing SO2 emissions. The results of the proximate analysis showed a high content of ashes and the gross calorific value within the range of most biomass waste, was 5100 kcal/kg.
Application of Translucent Concrete for Lighting Purposes in Civil Infrastructures and its Optical Characterization
Authors: Peña-García A. , Gil-Martín Luisa María , Rabaza Ovidio
Published: September 2015

The discovery of translucent concrete some years ago, opened a new horizon in Civil Engineering. Many researchers have looked for applications in matter of structural mechanics in order to replace classical concrete by this new and challenging material. However, the scientific and technical communities working in Civil Engineering seem to be still far away from clear ideas and strategies to take profit of one of the main properties of this material: its possibility to transmit light. The reason is complex: on one hand, most of the researchers are mainly interested in the mechanical properties and other researchers, more interested on lighting, maybe find it as a decorative element, but not as a functional one from the point of view of lighting. In this work, two lines concerning its optical characterization (which must be always the first step) and some applications to road tunnels are presented. We will see that more active and multidisciplinary research is still needed before fully understanding and accurately use this material for lighting purposes.
Extracting Metals with Carbon Nanotubes: Environmental Possibilities
Authors: Alguacil Francisco J. , Cerpa Arisbel , Lado Maria Isabel , López Félix
Published: September 2015

This paper presents a review of the environmental possibilities of using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for extracting metals, taken into account the characteristics of carbon nanotubes to be used as adsorbents and the influence of different factors on the adsorption processes, among them: kind of carbon nanotubes used as adsorbent, particle size, pH of solutions and diameter and length of carbon nanotubes. Also, some images of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and molecular modeling (Materials Studio Software) obtained by our research group are presented.
Assessment of water pollution status in Uma Oya, Sri Lanka
Authors: Weerasekara K.A.W.S. , Amarathunga A.A.D. , Shirantha R.R.A.R. , Sureshkumar N. , Wickramaarachchi W.D.N. , Azmy S.A.M.
Published: September 2015

Uma Oya, which has the highest watershed of the Upper Mahaweli discharges into Rantambe reservoir. Uma Oya may have been polluted as it drains a large portion of agricultural lands. A preliminary study was conducted from April to October, 2007 sampling six randomly selected sites to determine the status of water quality of Uma Oya as baseline data. pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and turbidity were measured in situ, whereas the processed water samples were brought to the laboratory to determine using standard methods, nitrate-N, nitrite-N, ammoniacal-N, ortho-phosphate, total suspended solids and chlorophyll-a content.Many water quality parameters were within the tolerance limits for fish and other aquatic life. However, the Chlorophyll-a (19.93±10.4 µg/L) was slightly higher than the standard guidelines perhaps due to epilithic algae washed off from bed rocks under high water flow. Total suspended solids (17.87±17.96 mg/l) and turbidity (37.84±59.88) were higher than the standard limits for fish and aquatic life, indicating high suspended solids transported by Uma Oya water. Further studies are required in relation to the cultivation pattern of the water shed to get a clear picture about Uma Oya.
Fish offal based aqua-feed for rearing post-larvae of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii
Authors: Ariyaratne M.H.S. , Amaraweera Ruchira
Published: September 2015

Market demand for freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) is high in Sri Lanka. The national agencies stock 20 days old post-larvae (PL20) of this prawns in minor perennial reservoirs but the yield is low due to high mortality. There is a need to develop a low-cost nursing strategy for PL20 before stocking. This research was conducted to evaluate the potential for nursing PL20 in backyard nurseries using low-cost fish offal-based aqua-feed. The trial was carried out in a backyard nursery comprising 6 cement tanks (1.73 m3) each.One hundred PL20 were stocked in each tank (stocking density=57 PL20m-2). There were two feeding treatments each with three replicates: (1) fish offal-based aqua feed (Af), and (2) commercial prawn feed (Cf) at a rate of 5% of body weight. Af was made using a 1:1 mixture of rice bran and boiled fish-offal and Cf was purchased from the market. The feeding rate was adjusted for body weight using bi-weekly sampling and the trial was conducted for 96 days.Average Daily Growth (ADG) of PL20 fed with Af on days 16, 30 and 47 were higher than the ADG of PL20 fed with Cf on same days but not significantly different (p>0.05). However, ADG of PL20 that fed on Af on day 85 and 96 were lower than that were fed on Cf on same days but not significantly different (p>0.05). Nevertheless, ADG of the PL20 that fed on Af on day 63 (0.0038±0.0001 g day-1) was significantly lower (p0.05) from WG of PL20 that fed on Af on same days. However, WG of the PL20 that fed on Cf on days 63 and 85 (0.4551 ± 0.0784 and 1.0117 ± 0.0944 g respectively) were significantly different (p0.05) except the values on day 63 in Af (56.67±1.15) and in Cf (50.3±1.0). However, % survival of PL20 that were fed with Af on days 85 and 96 were lower than that of the PL20 that fed on Cf but not significantly different (p>0.05).Fish offal-based aqua-feed can therefore be effectively used for nursing PL20 of M. rosenbergii for 47 days in backyard nurseries.
Massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding associated with solitary rectal ulcer in a patient with Behçet’s disease
Authors: Bes C. , Dağlı Ü. , Yılmaz F. , Soy M.
Published: September 2015

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome is a rare benign disorder that has a wide range of clinical presentations and variable endoscopic fi ndings which makes it diffi cult to diagnose and treat. The clinical and endoscopic picture in this condition can also mimic malign ulceration, malignancy or Crohn’s disease. Behçet’s disease can affect the gastrointestinal tract. However to the best of our knowledge, no case with solitary rectal ulceration has been reported so far in literature. We herein present a patient diagnosed with Behçet’s disease admitted to our clinic with rectal bleeding due to solitary rectal ulceration.
Magnetic resonance imaging features of hip disorders in an Egyptian pediatric population
Authors: Ragab Y. , Nabih M. , Aly I. , Kamal A. , Abd-Allah M. A. , El-Refai R. , Emad Y. , El-Naggar A. , El-Shaarawy N. , Rasker J.J.
Published: September 2015

Hip disorders in a pediatric population are a diagnostic challenge. The aim of the study is to assess the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of non-traumatic hip disorders in a series of Egyptian patients and to review the literature on the most common hip conditions. Seventy two consecutive patients [40 males (55.6%) and 32 females (44.4)] with acute onset of hip complaints unrelated to trauma or falls were recruited. All patients underwent an initial full clinical assessment and blood tests as well as contrast enhanced MRI of both hips. The most common diagnosis in this group of Egyptian patients was transient synovitis in 29 (40.3%) cases, followed by seronegative enthesopathy and arthropathy syndrome in 8 (11.1%), septic arthritis in 10 (13.9%), tuberculous arthritis in 4 (5.6%), sickle-cell disease in 7 (9.7%), complicated with septic arthritis in 3 (4.2%), transient bone marrow edema (BME) in 3 (4.2%), osteomyelitis in 2 (2.8%), osteosarcoma in 2 (2.8%), sciatic nerve injury in 1 (1.4%), leukemia with BME in 1 (1.4%), coxa vara of both hips and L5/S1 facet joint ankylosis in 1 (1.4%), and a benign bone cyst in 1 (1.4%). MRI studies showed hip effusion in a total of 51 patients (70.8%), joint space narrowing in 9 (12.5%), and BME in 15(20.8%). MRI is a sensitive tool for assessing hip disorders in a pediatric population and can play an important role in both diagnosis and management of different hip disorders, irrespective of the underlying pathology.
Sarcoidosis presenting as orbital pseudotumor
Authors: Kobak S. , Topaloglu A. , Öncel G. , Karaarslan A.
Published: September 2015

Sarcoidosis is a systemic multiorgan disorder of unknown etiology characterized by a non-caseating granuloma reaction. Ocular involvement has been reported in 25-60% of the patients. Seven percent of the patients with sarcoidosis may first see an ophthalmologist due to ocular complaints. This report aims to present our diagnostic and treatment approach to a female patient with significant unilateral lacrimal gland swelling and musculoskeletal involvement, who was diagnosed with sarcoidosis on the basis of tests and histological studies.
Renal unit practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding the safety of unfractionated heparin for chronic haemodialysis
Authors: Ockhuis Debra , Kyriacos Una
Published: September 2015

Background: Chronic haemodialysis for adult patients with end-stage kidney failure requires a patent extracorporeal circuit, maintained by anticoagulants such as unfractionated heparin (UFH). Incorrect administration of UFH has safety implications for patients.Objectives: Firstly, to describe renal practitioners’ self-reported knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) regarding the safe use of UFH and its effects; secondly, to determine an association between KAP and selected independent variables.Method: A cross-sectional descriptive survey by self-administered questionnaire and non-probability convenience sampling was conducted in two tertiary hospital dialysis units and five private dialysis units in 2013.Results: The mean age of 74/77 respondents (96.1%), was 41.1 years. Most (41/77, 53.2%) had 0–5 years of renal experience. The odds of enrolled nurses having poorer knowledge of UFH than registered nurses were 18.7 times higher at a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) (1.9–187.4) and statistically significant (P = 0.013). The odds of delivering poor practice having ≤ five years of experience and no in-service education were 4.6 times higher at a 95% CI (1.4–15.6), than for respondents who had ≥ six years of experience (P = 0.014) and 4.3 times higher (95% CI 1.1–16.5) than for respondents who received in-service education (P = 0.032), the difference reaching statistical significance in both cases.Conclusion: Results suggest that the category of the professional influences knowledge and, thus, safe use of UFH, and that there is a direct relationship between years of experience and quality of haemodialysis practice and between having in-service education and quality of practice.
Simultaneous monitoring of stable oxygen isotope composition in water vapour and precipitation over the central Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Yu W. , Tian L. , Ma Y. , Xu B. , Qu D.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. This study investigated daily δ18O variations of water vapour (δ18Ov) and precipitation (δ18Op) simultaneously at Nagqu on the central Tibetan Plateau for the first time. Data show that the δ18O tendencies of water vapour coincide strongly with those of associated precipitation. The δ18O values of precipitation affect those of water vapour not only on the same day, but also for the following several days. In comparison, the δ18O values of local water vapour may only partly contribute to those of precipitation. During the entire sampling period, the variations of δ18Ov and δ18Op at Nagqu did not appear dependent on temperature, but did seem significantly dependent on the joint contributions of relative humidity, pressure, and precipitation amount. In addition, the δ18O changes in water vapour and precipitation can be used to diagnose different moisture sources, especially the influences of the Indian monsoon and convection. Moreover, intense activities of the Indian monsoon and convection may cause the relative enrichment of δ18Op relative to δ18Ov at Nagqu (on the central Tibetan Plateau) to differ from that at other stations on the northern Tibetan Plateau. These results indicate that the effects of different moisture sources, including the Indian monsoon and convection currents, need be considered when attempting to interpret paleoclimatic records on the central Tibetan Plateau.
Technical Note: A proposal for ice nucleation terminology
Authors: Vali G. , DeMott P. J. , Möhler O. , Whale T. F.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Terminology dealing with ice nucleation in the atmosphere, in biological systems, and in other areas has not kept pace with the growth of empirical evidence and the development of new ideas over recent decades. Ambiguities and misinterpretations could be seen in the literature. This paper offers a set of definitions for various terms in common use, adds some qualifications, and introduces some new ones. Input has been received on the interpretation of various terms from a fair number of researchers; diverse views have been accommodated with some success. It is anticipated that the terminology proposed here will be helpful both to those who adopt it and to those who wish to explain a different perspective.
High resolution inventory of re-estimating ammonia emissions from agricultural fertilizer in China from 1978 to 2008
Authors: Xu P. , Lin Y. H. , Liao Y. J. , Zhao C. X. , Wang G. S. , Luan S. J.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. The quantification of ammonia (NH3) emissions is essential to the more accurate quantification of atmospheric nitrogen deposition, improved air quality and the assessment of ammonia-related agricultural policy and climate mitigation strategies. The quantity, geographic distribution and historical trends of these emissions remain largely uncertain. In this paper, a new Chinese agricultural fertilizer NH3 (CAF_NH3) emissions inventory has been compiled that exhibits the following improvements: (1) a 1 km × 1 km gridded map on the county level was developed for 2008, (2) a combined bottom-up and top-down method was used for the local correction of emission factors (EFs) and parameters, (3) the spatial and temporal patterns of historical time trends for 1978–2008 were estimated and the uncertainties were quantified for the inventories, and (4) a sensitivity test was performed in which a province-level disaggregated map was compared with CAF_NH3 emissions for 2008. The total CAF_NH3 emissions for 2008 were 8.4 Tg NH3 yr−1 (a 6.6–9.8 Tg interquartile range). From 1978 to 2008, annual NH3 emissions fluctuated with three peaks (1987, 1996 and 2005), and total emissions increased from 3.2 to 8.4 Tg at an annual rate of 3.0 %. During the study period, the contribution of livestock manure spreading increased from 37.0 to 45.5 % because of changing fertilization practices and the rapid increase in egg, milk and meat consumption. The average contribution of synthetic fertilizer, which has a positive effect on crop yields, was approximately 38.3 % (minimum: 33.4 %; maximum: 42.7 %). With rapid urbanization causing a decline in the rural population, the contribution of the rural excrement sector varied widely between 20.3 and 8.5 %. The average contributions of cake fertilizer and straw returning were approximately 3.8 and 4.5 %, respectively, thus small and stable. Collectively, the CAF_NH3 emissions reflect the nation's agricultural policy to a certain extent. An effective approach to decreasing PM2.5 concentrations in China would be to simultaneously decrease NOx, SO2 and NH3 emissions.
Exploring the uncertainty associated with satellite-based estimates of premature mortality due to exposure to fine particulate matter
Authors: Ford B. , Heald C. L.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. The negative impacts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure on human health are a primary motivator for air quality research. However, estimates of the air pollution health burden vary considerably and strongly depend on the datasets and methodology. Satellite observations of aerosol optical depth (AOD) have been widely used to overcome limited coverage from surface monitoring and to assess the global population exposure to PM2.5 and the associated premature mortality. Here we quantify the uncertainty in determining the burden of disease using this approach, discuss different methods and datasets, and explain sources of discrepancies among values in the literature. For this purpose we primarily use the MODIS satellite observations in concert with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model. We contrast results in the United States and China for the years 2004–2011. We estimate that in the United States, exposure to PM2.5 accounts for approximately 4 % of total deaths compared to 22 % in China (using satellite-based exposure), which falls within the range of previous estimates. The difference in estimated mortality burden based solely on a global model vs. that derived from satellite is approximately 9 % for the US and 4 % for China on a nationwide basis, although regionally the differences can be much greater. This difference is overshadowed by the uncertainty in the methodology for deriving PM2.5 burden from satellite observations, which we quantify to be on order of 20 % due to uncertainties in the AOD-to-surface-PM2.5 relationship, 10 % due to the satellite observational uncertainty, and 30 % or greater uncertainty associated with the application of concentration response functions to estimated exposure.
Pointing errors in solar absorption spectrometry – correction scheme and its validation
Authors: Reichert A. , Hausmann P. , Sussmann R.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. A method for quantification of sun-pointing inaccuracies in solar absorption spectrometry is presented along with a correction scheme for the resulting errors in trace gas vertical column or profile retrievals. A posteriori correction of pointing errors requires knowledge of both coordinates of the mispointing vector on the solar disk. In principle, quantitative information on the mispointing can be retrieved from Doppler shifts of solar lines derived from measured spectra. However, this yields only one component of the mispointing vector, namely the one which is perpendicular to the solar rotation axis. Missing information on the second vector component has hindered a posteriori correction of mispointing errors so far. Our idea of how to overcome this problem is to obtain estimates of both coordinates of the mispointing by combining subsequent measurements with differing orientations of the solar rotation axis relative to the zenith direction. The proposed concept is suitable in the case of systematic mispointing, i.e., if the mispointing is approximately constant within a given set of measurements. An implementation of this original concept is demonstrated using measurements from the solar absorption Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer at the Zugspitze (47.42° N, 10.98° E, 2964 m a.s.l.). Soundings in the September 2012–September 2014 time interval were impacted by mispointing problems due to a non-optimum solar tracking optics configuration. They show a mean mispointing in the zenith direction of −0.063°. This causes biases in vertical soundings of trace gases, e.g., −2.82 ppb in monthly means of dry-air column-averaged mole fractions of methane (XCH4). Measurements made with the more stable pre-September 2012 and post-September 2014 optics configurations show considerably smaller mispointing effects. Applying the mispointing correction, the April 2006–March 2014 XCH4 trend determined from Zugspitze measurements is reduced from 6.45 [5.84, 7.04] to 6.07 [5.55, 6.59] ppb yr−1. The correction thereby restores consistency with results from the nearby Garmisch FTIR site (47.48° N, 11.06° E, 743 m a.s.l.). The mispointing correction is applicable to solar absorption measurements in the mid-infrared and near infrared. It will be of particular benefit for refining existing records of high-accuracy-and-precision greenhouse gas soundings for the purpose of improved trend analysis or source–sink inversions.
Accuracy and precision of 14C-based source apportionment of organic and elemental carbon in aerosols using the Swiss_4S protocol
Authors: Mouteva G. O. , Fahrni S. M. , Santos G. M. , Randerson J. T. , Zhang Y.-L. , Szidat S. , Czimczik C. I.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Aerosol source apportionment remains a critical challenge for understanding the transport and aging of aerosols, as well as for developing successful air pollution mitigation strategies. The contributions of fossil and non-fossil sources to organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in carbonaceous aerosols can be quantified by measuring the radiocarbon (14C) content of each carbon fraction. However, the use of 14C in studying OC and EC has been limited by technical challenges related to the physical separation of the two fractions and small sample sizes. There is no common procedure for OC/EC 14C analysis, and uncertainty studies have largely focused on the precision of yields. Here, we quantified the uncertainty in 14C measurement of aerosols associated with the isolation and analysis of each carbon fraction with the Swiss_4S thermal–optical analysis (TOA) protocol. We used an OC/EC analyzer (Sunset Laboratory Inc., OR, USA) coupled to a vacuum line to separate the two components. Each fraction was thermally desorbed and converted to carbon dioxide (CO2) in pure oxygen (O2). On average, 91 % of the evolving CO2 was then cryogenically trapped on the vacuum line, reduced to filamentous graphite, and measured for its 14C content via accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). To test the accuracy of our setup, we quantified the total amount of extraneous carbon introduced during the TOA sample processing and graphitization as the sum of modern and fossil (14C-depleted) carbon introduced during the analysis of fossil reference materials (adipic acid for OC and coal for EC) and contemporary standards (oxalic acid for OC and rice char for EC) as a function of sample size. We further tested our methodology by analyzing five ambient airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) samples with a range of OC and EC concentrations and 14C contents in an interlaboratory comparison. The total modern and fossil carbon blanks of our setup were 0.8 ± 0.4 and 0.67 ± 0.34 μg C, respectively, based on multiple measurements of ultra-small samples. The extraction procedure (Swiss_4S protocol and cryo-trapping only) contributed 0.37 ± 0.18 μg of modern carbon and 0.13 ± 0.07 μg of fossil carbon to the total blank of our system, with consistent estimates obtained for the two laboratories. There was no difference in the background correction between the OC and EC fractions. Our setup allowed us to efficiently isolate and trap each carbon fraction with the Swiss_4S protocol and to perform 14C analysis of ultra-small OC and EC samples with high accuracy and low 14C blanks.
Measurement of aerosol optical depth and sub-visual cloud detection using the optical depth sensor (ODS)
Authors: Toledo D. , Rannou P. , Pommereau J.-P. , Sarkissian A. , Foujols T.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. A small and sophisticated optical depth sensor (ODS) has been designed to work in the atmosphere of Earth and Mars. The instrument measures alternatively the diffuse radiation from the sky and the attenuated direct radiation from the sun on the surface. The principal goals of ODS are to retrieve the daily mean aerosol optical depth (AOD) and to detect very high and optically thin clouds, crucial parameters in understanding the Martian and Earth meteorology and climatology. The detection of clouds is undertaken at twilight, allowing the detection and characterization of clouds with opacities below 0.03 (sub-visual clouds). In addition, ODS is capable to retrieve the aerosol optical depth during night-time from moonlight measurements. In order to study the performance of ODS under Mars-like conditions as well as to evaluate the retrieval algorithms for terrestrial measurements, ODS was deployed in Ouagadougou (Africa) between November 2004 and October 2005, a sahelian region characterized by its high dust aerosol load and the frequent occurrence of Saharan dust storms. The daily average AOD values retrieved by ODS were compared with those provided by a CIMEL Sun-photometer of the AERONET (Aerosol Robotic NETwork) network localized at the same location. Results represent a good agreement between both ground-based instruments, with a correlation coefficient of 0.79 for the whole data set and 0.96 considering only the cloud-free days. From the whole dataset, a total of 71 sub-visual cirrus (SVC) were detected at twilight with opacities as thin as 1.10−3 and with a maximum of occurrence at altitudes between 14 and 20 km. Although further analysis and comparisons are required, results indicate the potential of ODS measurements to detect sub-visual clouds.
Seasonal methane accumulation and release from a gas emission site in the central North Sea
Authors: Mau S. , Gentz T. , Körber J.-H. , Torres M. E. , Römer M. , Sahling H. , Wintersteller P. , Martinez R. , Schlüter M. , Helmke E.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. We investigated dissolved methane distributions along a 6 km transect crossing active seep sites at 40 m water depth in the central North Sea. These investigations were done under conditions of thermal stratification in summer (July 2013) and homogenous water column in winter (January 2014). Dissolved methane accumulated below the seasonal thermocline in summer with a median concentration of 390 nM, whereas during winter, methane concentrations were typically much lower (median concentration of 22 nM). High-resolution methane analysis using an underwater mass-spectrometer confirmed our summer results and was used to document prevailing stratification over the tidal cycle. We contrast estimates of methane oxidation rates (from 0.1 to 4.0 nM day−1) using the traditional approach scaled to methane concentrations with microbial turnover time values and suggest that the scaling to concentration may obscure the ecosystem microbial activity when comparing systems with different methane concentrations. Our measured and averaged rate constants (k') were on the order of 0.01 day−1, equivalent to a turnover time of 100 days, even when summer stratification led to enhanced methane concentrations in the bottom water. Consistent with these observations, we could not detect known methanotrophs and pmoA genes in water samples collected during both seasons. Estimated methane fluxes indicate that horizontal transport is the dominant process dispersing the methane plume. During periods of high wind speed (winter), more methane is lost to the atmosphere than oxidized in the water. Microbial oxidation seems of minor importance throughout the year.
Combining two complementary micrometeorological methods to measure CH4 and N2O fluxes over pasture
Authors: Laubach J. , Barthel M. , Fraser A. , Hunt J. E. , Griffith D. W. T.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. New Zealand's largest industrial sector is pastoral agriculture, giving rise to a large fraction of the country's emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). We designed a system to continuously measure CH4 and N2O fluxes at the field scale on two adjacent pastures that differed with respect to management. At the core of this system was a closed-cell Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), measuring the mole fractions of CH4, N2O and carbon dioxide (CO2) at two heights at each site. In parallel, CO2 fluxes were measured using eddy-covariance instrumentation. We applied two different micrometeorological ratio methods to infer the CH4 and N2O fluxes from their respective mole fractions and the CO2 fluxes. The first is a variant of the flux-gradient method, where it is assumed that the turbulent diffusivities of CH4 and N2O equal that of CO2. This method was reliable when the CO2 mole-fraction difference between heights was at least 4 times greater than the FTIR's resolution of differences. For the second method, the temporal increases of mole fractions in the stable nocturnal boundary layer, which are correlated for concurrently-emitted gases, are used to infer the unknown fluxes of CH4 and N2O from the known flux of CO2. This method was sensitive to "contamination" from trace gas sources other than the pasture of interest and therefore required careful filtering. With both methods combined, estimates of mean daily CH4 and N2O fluxes were obtained for 60 % of days at one site and 77 % at the other. Both methods indicated both sites as net sources of CH4 and N2O. Mean emission rates for one year at the unfertilised, winter-grazed site were 8.2 (± 0.91) nmol CH4 m−2 s−1 and 0.40 (± 0.018) nmol N2O m−2 s−1. During the same year, mean emission rates at the irrigated, fertilised and rotationally-grazed site were 7.0 (± 0.89) nmol CH4 m−2 s−1 and 0.57 (± 0.019) nmol N2O m−2 s−1. At this site, the N2O emissions amounted to 1.19 (± 0.15) % of the nitrogen inputs from animal excreta and fertiliser application.
Climate model uncertainty versus conceptual geological uncertainty in hydrological modeling
Authors: Sonnenborg T. O. , Seifert D. , Refsgaard J. C.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Projections of climate change impact are associated with a cascade of uncertainties including in CO2 emission scenarios, climate models, downscaling and impact models. The relative importance of the individual uncertainty sources is expected to depend on several factors including the quantity that is projected. In the present study the impacts of climate model uncertainty and geological model uncertainty on hydraulic head, stream flow, travel time and capture zones are evaluated. Six versions of a physically based and distributed hydrological model, each containing a unique interpretation of the geological structure of the model area, are forced by 11 climate model projections. Each projection of future climate is a result of a GCM–RCM model combination (from the ENSEMBLES project) forced by the same CO2 scenario (A1B). The changes from the reference period (1991–2010) to the future period (2081–2100) in projected hydrological variables are evaluated and the effects of geological model and climate model uncertainties are quantified. The results show that uncertainty propagation is context-dependent. While the geological conceptualization is the dominating uncertainty source for projection of travel time and capture zones, the uncertainty due to the climate models is more important for groundwater hydraulic heads and stream flow.
The Development of Transferable Skills in a Variety of Economics Courses
Authors: Deal John , Hegde S. Aaron
Published: September 2015

Surveys of business leaders indicate that they believe colleges generally do a poor job of developing transferable skills (e.g., writing, critical and analytical thinking) in their graduates. Economics instructors often attempt to convey these skills as a secondary benefit of content delivery and efforts to get students to ‘think like an economist’. We argue that the development of the skills that transfer across disciplines and into the job market should be more purposeful, particularly since most students take only one or two economics classes in college. In this paper, we present two examples of projects – an integrated data/writing project for a Principles of Microeconomics class and a real-world simulation project for an Agricultural Finance class – designed to help students develop skills that transfer across classes and into the job market. These projects are designed to build skills in a sequential and integrated manner (i.e., scaffolding), giving students an opportunity to build upon and practice previously developed skills. We provide a description of each project and a brief review of the outcomes and issues (e.g., benefits and limitations) of each project. Our initial experiences would indicate that students perceive value from the approach of placing explicit emphasis on the development of transferable skills.
The Impact of Watching Captioned TV Series on Vocabulary Development of EFL Students
Authors: Shabani Karim , Pasha Zanussi Marjan
Published: September 2015

Second language development could be achieved through various teaching and learning processes; however, applying multimedia technology has facilitated this process. This study aimed at examining the effect of captioned TV series on developing vocabulary knowledge of EFL students. There were forty intermediate male students learning English in Shokouh institute of Nowshahr, Mazandaran, Iran. The classes were held two sessions a week. The participants were randomly selected into control and experimental groups. Before the experiment, a 20-item vocabulary matching test was conducted as the pre-test. The vocabularies including in this test were chosen from a TV series in order to investigate their knowledge of vocabulary. After the pre-test ‘Friends’, An American TV series, was shown to both groups. English captioned episode was shown to the experimental group and non-captioned episode to the control one. After that, a post-test was conducted to examine the development in each group. Both independent and paired t-tests were carried out. The results of this study revealed that the participants in experimental outperformed those in control group in terms of their vocabulary development. The findings may be shared with other teachers in order to inform how captions affect the vocabulary learning of Iranian EFL students.
Home in the Making:
Authors: Sun Jiena
Published: September 2015

Abraham Verghese's My Own Country demonstrates the density and complexity of the entangled relationship between racial identity and professional identity in the sensitive context of the AIDS epidemic. Verghese appropriates the model minority myth to interpret his own lived experience as a foreign doctor in the early stage of the epidemic. Verghese's narrative addresses the double bind accompanying the model minority myth: the acknowledgment of a “minority” status, or rather his otherness in order to fit into the rubrics of the model minority myth; and the desire for acceptance as a full-fledged member of the Southern society, which inevitably leads to his resistance or denial of his minority status. Verghese's horizontal affiliation with the hidden “problem community” of gay men and those suffering from AIDS and the eventual collapse of this affiliation lead him to recognize that there is no essential difference between the “model minority” and “problem minority” within the dominant hegemonies of whiteness, heterosexuality and healthiness.
Hoe bestuurskundig is de bestuurskunde?
Authors: Gadellaa Stefanie , Curry Dion , Van de Walle Steven
Published: September 2015

Public administration as a discipline? Dutch public administration scholars compared to their European colleagues

As long as the existence of public administration, there is discussion whether public administration should focus on practice or mainly be a purely scientific field. Opinions of public administration scholars are divided on the matter. Moreover, the question is whether public administration is a discipline in itself or part of other disciplines such as political science, law or the management sciences. This article shows how public administration scholars see the discipline and the developments therein, based on a survey among scholars. Dutch public administration scholars are compared with their European colleagues. There are major differences between the Netherlands and the rest of Europe with regard to the status of the discipline. Firstly, as a separate discipline, public administration in the Netherlands is more important in comparison with other European countries. In the rest of Europe, in particular political sciences play an important role. Secondly, regarding the tension within the discipline, the public administration in the Netherlands is developing less towards practitioners than public administration in other European countries.
Mezinárodní výzkum kompetencí dospělých PIAAC: hlavní zjištění a implikace pro vzdělávací politiku
Authors: Straková Jana , Veselý Arnošt
Published: September 2015

Cílem této přehledové studie je představit výzkum PIAAC, shrnout základní zjištění z tohoto výzkumu z hlediska České republiky a diskutovat možné implikace pro vzdělávací politiku. Zároveň rozebíráme, jak výsledky výzkumu PIAAC doplňují poznatky získané z výzkumu PISA, TIMSS a dalších. Klademe si přitom otázku, zda (a co) přináší nad rámec těchto výzkumů. V první části studie je popsána metodologie a základní charakteristika výzkumu PIAAC. Ve druhé části popisujeme výsledky českých dospělých v mezinárodním srovnání. Ve třetí části vybíráme některá zásadní zjištění výzkumu PIAAC. V závěrečné části pak diskutujeme implikace těchto zjištění pro nastavení vzdělávací politiky. Výzkum PIAAC potvrdil některá zjištění z předcházejících výzkumů PISA a TIMSS, například vysokou míru podmíněnosti kompetencí socioekonomickým statusem v České republice. Jiné závěry z těchto výzkumů ovšem nepotvrdil. Ukázalo se například, že výsledky mladých Češek a Čechů ve věku 16–25 let (kam spadá kohorta z výzkumů TIMSS 2007 a PISA 2009) jsou spíše nadprůměrné. Výzkum PIAAC je důležitým a nepostradatelným doplňkem výzkumů, zkoumajících kompetence žákovské populace. Ačkoli s výsledky z výzkumů PISA nebo TIMSS se často pracuje jako s definitivním ukazatelem gramotnosti a lidského kapitálu dané země, výzkum PIAAC ukázal, že v 15 letech zdaleka nejsou kompetence definitivně zformovány.
Důraz školy na akademický úspěch: TIMSS 2011 jako sonda do reformy v České republice
Authors: Dvořák Dominik
Published: September 2015

V šetření TIMSS 2011 se objevil index nazvaný „důraz školy na studijní úspěch“ (SEAS). Cílem článku je osvětlit skutečnost, že české školy vykazují poměrně nápadné hodnoty tohoto indexu. Dále pomocí SEAS analyzuje vztah mezi postoji českých škol k reformě a znalostmi a dovednostmi jejich žáků. Teoretický úvod popisuje konstrukt akademický optimismus a index SEAS zavedený v šetření TIMSS. Následně je provedena explorativní sekundární analýza dat o úrovni složek SEAS v případě českých škol se zaměřením na nápadné odchylky hodnot. Práce vychází z výsledků žáků čtvrtých ročníků v matematickém testu TIMSS 2011 a z odpovídajících učitelských a ředitelských dotazníků. Pro analýzu vztahů v datech jsou použity základní prostředky popisné a inferenční statistiky. Zjištění ukazují na disproporčně nízkou důvěru ředitelů ve snahu žáků ve škole dobře prospívat, která je společná regionálnímu klastru zemí. Dále analýza přinesla nečekaná zjištění o vztahu mezi postoji ředitelů a učitelů ke kurikulární reformě a výsledky jejich žáků v matematice. Z literatury známá i naše původní zjištění o komponentách indexu SEAS v podmínkách českých škol přinášejí zajímavé pohledy mj. na vnímání reformních procesů v českých školách a doplňují tak literaturu o implementaci, resp. recepci reformy.