bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LBP-1.09 Services utilisation and health related variables of person living with HIV/AIDS in community in Taiwan
Authors: Chiou P Y , Lin L C
Published: July 2011

Background

Non-profit organisation (NPO) is a major type to provide the services to response the needs for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) in the community in Taiwan. The purposes of the study were to describe the services and investigate the effect of the services utilisation of the services on health related variables for PLWHA.

Methods

Stratified random sampling and cross-sectional survey methods were used. The self-administered questionnaires include the Demographic, Utilisation and Satisfaction of the Non-Profit Organisation Services Questionnaire, CD4 count and virus load, Customised Adherence Self-Report Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to collect date. In Utilisation and Satisfaction of the Non-Profit Organisation Services Questionnaire, the nine services form NPOs were generalised. Data were analysed using forward stepwise multiple regressions.

Results

There were 202 study subjects (n=178, 88.1% male) and the mean age was 42.54 (SD 10.44) years. The mean virus load and CD4 count were 11 031.07 (SD 67 153.41) m/l and 425.03 (SD 209.30) mm3. The total number of service types which had had accepted by participants was 4.65 (SD 1.67). The services with highest number of users were group or activities (n=174, 86.1%) and counselling (n=137, 67.8%). Of the 137 participants who had used the counselling service, 126 (92%) will keep using counselling service. The result indicated that higher frequency of financial aid and counselling services were predictive to the lower depression level of BDI-II (F=17.51, R2=0.60, p=0.001). Higher frequency of access for medical care service could predict the higher adherence rate to cART of Customised Adherence Self-Report Questionnaire (F=6.85, R2=0.41, p=0.013). Higher frequency of access for medical care service and higher adherence rate for cART were collaboratively the predictors to the higher CD4 count (F=17.24, R2=0.55, p=0.009). The service of access for medical care, BDI-II, and CD4 were significant with quality of life for SF-36 (F=17.31, R2=0.66, p<0.000).

Conclusions

The utilisations of financial aid, counselling, and access for medical care services that provided by NPO in Taiwan were significantly with the health related variables which included the depression, adherence, CD4, and quality of life. The result could provide suggestions about refining the contents of services and promoting their function and the quality of life of PLWHA.
LBP-1.11 Acceptability of short-course AZT prevention regimen by HIV infected pregnant women; should VCT in the antenatal setting be modified
Authors: Aziz S Abdulah , Mubiru D , Rose N
Published: July 2011

Background

Acceptability VCT by pregnant women is critical in the contest of trials accessing interventions to reduce mother to- child transmission of HIV. We studied the logistics and uptake of short–course oral AZT regimen by HIV-infected women after VCT in areas of Uganda.

Methods

From June 2004, a pilot project on the feasibility of short-course AZT was launched in an antenatal clinic in mulago hospital. All pregnant women hear a 15- min talk by clinic nurses a bout mother to- child transmission of HIV and are offered voluntary pre- and post-test counselling by lay community volunteers. Consenting HIV-positive women are offered AZT (300 mg twice daily) from 36 weeks gestation until labour, one tablet at onset of labour, and then every 3 h delivery. HIV positive women are counselled and supported on their choice of infant.

Results

Over a 6-month period, 1062 antenatal women were offered VCT, 247 (22%) underwent pre-test counselling and 206 (18%) agreed to be tested. Among those tested 78 (38%) were HIV-positive, of these 17(83%) returned to collect results, including 65 HIV positive women. As of September 2004, 40 (62%) women consented for AZT, 17 women have completed the regimen, 5 are currently receiving drug, 7 are eligible to start AZT and 11 women dropped out of the study (preterm births, incorrect dates, failure to notify nurses during labour, and non-compliances). Of the 17 women who received AZT, 12 opted for formula feeding and five women chose breast feeding.

Conclusion

HIV prevalence in this setting is estimated at 30% of 332 projected HIV infected women seen, only 40(12%) women actually received AZT. The major barrier appears to be entrance into counselling. When counselled, most HIV-pregnant women choose to receive AZT prophylaxis. New approaches to antenatal HIV counselling and testing are urgently required to improve future acceptance of VCT and the successful implementation of antiretroviral pro-phylaxis.
LBP-1.01 The interdiction project: an innovative program for HIV + persons to reduce HIV and STD co-infection and improve HIV treatment outcomes phase II
Authors: Frimpong S , Wilson M , Mitchell-Samon L M , Azarian T
Published: July 2011

Background/Objectives

STD/HIV field investigations and the initial findings of Interdiction Project reveal that some persons with HIV infection have unprotected sex, multiple anonymous sex partners, and don't disclose their HIV status. Consistent condom use is low; recurrent co-infection with STDs and HIV transmission to sex partners is high. The Interdiction Project is a clinic-based, individual-level HIV intervention that combines linkage for treatment adherence/risk reduction education and testing with ongoing monitoring of patient care and epidemiologic data system. This project targets HIV positive persons who present with a new STD or history of unprotected sex.

Methods

This is a prospective STD intervention follow-up study of 69 patients referred by HIV/AIDS and STD clinic providers and STD/HIV investigation specialist. Project staff conducted initial HIV/AIDS and STD transmission prevention and treatment monitoring knowledge plus risk assessment, intensive practical STD and HIV/AIDS health education, condom negotiation, condom skill training, sex partner elicitation for rapid HIV testing and linkage to care. STD and STD morbidity rates 18 months prior to follow-up were compared to 18 months of follow-up after referral. We analysed follow-up data to determine the STD rates, undetectable HIV viral loads and how Interdiction Project may help reduce the spread of HIV and STD co-infections.

Results

Initial findings revealed high STD morbidity since HIV diagnosis and 26 clients had 48 STDs before referral. Overall STD rate was 50.7% (35/69) at referral, 14% consistent condom use always but 96% intend to use condoms and sex partner HIV positivity rate was 30% (6/20). HIV genotype resistance was 34% (14/41). At 18 months of follow-up, significant overall STD morbidity rate reduced from 74.3% to 25.4%, RR 0.34 (95% CI 0.22 to 0.52) and RR of STD reduced from 72.5% to 23.2%, RR 0.32 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.50). Achieving higher perfect knowledge score from pre- to post-education knowledge assessment correlated with reduction in STD and STD morbidity. Significant STD rates reduction was noted for many risk categories. Clients who had undetectable viral load on HAART increased from 50% (17/34) at referral to 88.2% (30/34) at 6–9 months and 77.4% (24/31) from 13 to 18 months of follow-up.

Conclusion/Implication

Interdiction Project applies concepts of clinical epidemiology similar to in-patient hospital infection control processes and may help HIV/AIDS patients to achieve undetectable HIV viral load, reduce STD co-infection and HIV transmission. The findings suggest that epidemiologic work to reduce the spread of HIV, STD co-infection and resistant HIV must be an important component of HIV/AIDS programs and will require collaborative work by medical providers and intensive practical health education by knowledgeable HIV/AIDS health educator/epidemiologist.
LIGHT EMITTING DIODES: TOWARD SMART LIGHTING
Authors: SHUR MICHAEL , ŽUKAUSKAS ARTURAS
Published: July 2011

We review the history and state-of-the-art of light emitting diode (LED). Unique properties of LEDs– high efficiency, long life time, flexibility in obtaining customized spectral power distribution, fast modulation rate, compact form factor, ability to generate radiation with wavelengths outside the visible range (infrared and ultraviolet, including deep ultraviolet) enable multiple applications for signage, display, general lighting, biology, medicine, agriculture, communications, industrial controls, security, and transportation. Many of emerging LED applications will be in "smart lighting", which are applications that are not possible or difficult to achieve using more traditional lighting sources.
LEDs IN LIGHTING WITH TAILORED COLOR QUALITY
Authors: ŽUKAUSKAS ARTŪRAS , VAICEKAUSKAS RIMANTAS
Published: July 2011

Polychromatic lighting sources that are composed of at least four different colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) offer versatility in color quality of illumination. In this paper, different methods of assessment of color quality of white light are discussed and a general approach to the solution of the color-mixing problem by means of optimization in respect of several color rendition characteristics is considered. Spectral power distributions of model tetrachromatic solid-state sources obtained by maximizing various figures of merit, such as color rendering index, gamut area index, color quality scale, and indices based on the statistical analysis of the just perceivable chromaticity differences for a large number of test color samples, are demonstrated. A concept tetrachromatic lighting source that can be operated within a dynamical trade-off between two opposing color rendition characteristics, the ability to render colors with high fidelity and the ability to render colors with increased chromatic saturation, is introduced. Such "smart" sources with tailored color quality can meet individual needs and preferences of color vision and find numerous applications in lighting.
LIGHT EMITTING DIODES IN BIO-IMAGING
Authors: COLE RICHARD W.
Published: July 2011

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can and are currently integrated into light microscopes. They have numerous advantages as illumination sources. Most notably, they provide intensity (brightness) and spectral control during bio-imaging. For transmitted light imaging, LEDs can replace the traditional tungsten filament bulb, while offering longer life, little-to-no color temperature shift resulting from an intensity change, reduced emission in the infrared region, (a property important for live cell imaging), and reduced cost of ownership. For fluorescent imaging, in which the typical illumination sources are mercury or xenon lamps, LEDs offer the advantages of a longer lifespan, greater spatial and temporal stability, elimination of the need for mechanical shutters and neutral density filters, significantly lower cost of ownership, and reduction of photon dose at the specimen. Additionally, LEDs permit vibration-free, high-speed spectral and temporal modulation. This modulation allows more information to be obtained for a given photon dose.
WHAT IS "HEALTHY LIGHTING?"
Authors: REA MARK S. , FIGUEIRO MARIANA G.
Published: July 2011

It is well-known that the light/dark cycle incident on the retina regulates the timing of the human circadian system. Disruption of a regular, 24-hour pattern of light and dark can significantly affect our health and well-being. A wide range of modern maladies, from sleep disorders to cancer, have been linked to light-induced circadian disruption. Light has been defined, however, only in terms of the human visual system, not the circadian system. Thus, the study of light-induced circadian disruption is in need of a new definition of light (and dark). Here we contrast light as a stimulus for the human visual system with that for the human circadian system to elucidate the significance of developing a new definition of circadian light as it might ultimately be used to improve health and well-being.
LEDs IN DEVELOPING WORLD
Authors: TAMULAITIS GINTAUTAS
Published: July 2011

Every fifth inhabitant of our planet has no access to electric lighting. Most of them are poor people living in remote areas of developing countries. Recent progress in solid-state lighting technologies offers good opportunities to develop, commercialize and introduce off-grid lighting systems based on application of white light emitting diodes (WLEDs) in combination with photovoltaic solar panels, wind generators or tiny hydro power plants. Though strongly dependent on the mainstream progress in implementation of LEDs for general lighting, application of this technology in developing world has specific challengers, difficulties and even advantages. Lighting technology the developing world is up to leapfrog from splinters and kerosene wick lamps directly to LED lamps leaving incandescent and fluorescence lamps behind. Achievements and problems, history and future of implementation of solid-state lighting in remote villages of developing counties are discussed in this chapter.
GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN SOLID STATE LIGHTING
Authors: SIMONS KENNETH L. , SANDERSON SUSAN WALSH
Published: July 2011

The determinants of successful development, commercialization and diffusion of solid state lighting (SSL) are not well understood particularly in a global context. Patent data provide one means to gain insight into corporate and national research and development activities. However, existing SSL patent analyses have focused primarily on United States (US) patents. This study analyzes SSL patents granted worldwide to measure the strengths of US, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, and China, nations all poised to play a key role in SSL's future. It shows a strong and growing role of corporate patent portfolios for firms headquartered in Asian nations. The data cover patents that were applied for and issued from 1937 to March 2009. Our findings suggest a stronger role of non-US organizations and individuals than had been reported in previous studies that focused only on US patents.
LEARNING TO PREDICT HUMANOID FALL
Authors: KALYANAKRISHNAN SHIVARAM , GOSWAMI AMBARISH
Published: July 2011

Falls are undesirable in humanoid robots, but also inevitable, especially as robots get deployed in physically interactive human environments. We consider the problem of fall prediction: to predict if the balance controller of a robot can prevent a fall from the robot's current state. A trigger from the fall predictor is used to switch the robot from a balance maintenance mode to a fall control mode. It is desirable for the fall predictor to signal imminent falls with sufficient lead time before the actual fall, while minimizing false alarms. Analytical techniques and intuitive rules fail to satisfy these competing objectives on a large robot that is subjected to strong disturbances and exhibits complex dynamics. We contribute a novel approach to engineer fall data such that existing supervised learning methods can be exploited to achieve reliable prediction. Our method provides parameters to control the tradeoff between the false positive rate and the lead time. Several combinations of parameters yield solutions that improve both the false positive rate and the lead time of hand-coded solutions. Learned solutions are decision lists with typical depths of 5–10, in a 16-dimensional feature space. Experiments are carried out in simulation on an ASIMO-like robot.
DEVELOPMENT OF MOTION CAPTURE SYSTEM USING DUAL VIDEO CAMERAS FOR THE GAIT DESIGN OF A BIPED ROBOT
Authors: KIM JUNG-YUP , KIM YOUNG-SEOG
Published: July 2011

This paper, describes the development of a motion capture system with novel features for biped robots. In general, motion capture is effectively utilized in the field of computer animation. In the field of humanoid robotics, the number of studies attempting to design human-like gaits by using expensive optical motion capture systems is increasing. The optical motion capture systems used in these studies have involved a large number of cameras because such systems use small-sized ball markers; hence the position accuracy of the markers and the system calibration are very significant. However, since the human walking gait is a simple periodic motion rather than a complex motion, we have developed a specialized motion capture system for this study using dual video cameras and large band-type markers without high-level system calibration in order to capture the human walking gait. In addition to its lower complexity, the proposed capture method requires only a low-cost system and has high space efficiency. An image processing algorithm is also proposed for deriving the human gait data. Finally, we verify the reliability and accuracy of our system by comparing a zero moment point (ZMP) trajectory calculated by the motion captured data with a ZMP trajectory measured by foot force sensors.
Physical and Electrical Characteristics of Carbon Nanotube Network Field-Effect Transistors Synthesized by Alcohol Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Cheng Chin-Lung , Liu Chien-Wei , Dai Bau-Tong , Lee Ming-Yen
Published: July 2011

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been explored in nanoelectronics to realize desirable device performances. Thus, carbon nanotube network field-effect transistors (CNTNFETs) have been developed directly by means of alcohol catalytic chemical vapor deposition (ACCVD) method using Co-Mo catalysts in this work. Various treated temperatures, growth time, and Co/Mo catalysts were employed to explore various surface morphologies of carbon nanotube networks (CNTNs) formed on the SiO2/n-type Si(100) stacked substrate. Experimental results show that most semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube networks with 5–7 nm in diameter and low disorder-induced mode (D-band) were grown. A bipolar property of CNTNFETs synthesized by ACCVD and using HfO2as top-gate dielectric was demonstrated. Various electrical characteristics, including drain current versus drain voltage(Id-Vd), drain current versus gate voltage(Id-Vg), mobility, subthreshold slope (SS), and transconductance(Gm), were obtained.
On a Chaotic Weighted Shift zpdp+1/dzp+1 of Order p in Bargmann Space
Authors: Intissar Abdelkader
Published: July 2011

This paper is devoted to the study of the chaotic properties of some specific backward
shift unbounded operators ; p = 0,1,… realized as differential operators in Bargmann space, where A and A* are the standard Bose annihilation and creation operators such that [A, A*] = I.
Wireless Coexistence between IEEE 802.11- and IEEE 802.15.4-Based Networks: A Survey
Authors: Yang Dong , Xu Youzhi , Gidlund Mikael
Published: July 2011

As more and more wireless devices use the 2.4 GHz radio spectrum, the coexistence of 2.4 GHz wireless devices operating in one place has become a hot topic. With low transmit power, the widely deployed IEEE 802.15.4-based networks are easily interfered with by other 2.4 GHz wireless networks, such as IEEE 802.11. IEEE 802.15.4-based wireless networks have paid great attention to the coexistence between themselves and with other non-IEEE 802.15.4 wireless networks. This problem has been further promoted by two new industry wireless standards, WirelessHART and ISA100, to meet special industry requirements. This paper surveys the studies on the coexistence between IEEE 802.11 and IEEE 802.15.4-based networks following the general analysis method of “question-analysis-solution.” Based on the survey study, we discuss about some open research issues and developments in this field.
Assortment of GABAergic Plasticity in the Cortical Interneuron Melting Pot
Authors: Méndez Pablo , Bacci Alberto
Published: July 2011

Cortical structures of the adult mammalian brain are characterized by a spectacular diversity of inhibitory interneurons, which use GABA as neurotransmitter. GABAergic neurotransmission is fundamental for integrating and filtering incoming information and dictating postsynaptic neuronal spike timing, therefore providing a tight temporal code used by each neuron, or ensemble of neurons, to perform sophisticated computational operations. However, the heterogeneity of cortical GABAergic cells is associated to equally diverse properties governing intrinsic excitability as well as strength, dynamic range, spatial extent, anatomical localization, and molecular components of inhibitory synaptic connections that they form with pyramidal neurons. Recent studies showed that similarly to their excitatory (glutamatergic) counterparts, also inhibitory synapses can undergo activity-dependent changes in their strength. Here, some aspects related to plasticity and modulation of adult cortical and hippocampal GABAergic synaptic transmission will be reviewed, aiming at providing a fresh perspective towards the elucidation of the role played by specific cellular elements of cortical microcircuits during both physiological and pathological operations.
Plant Killing by Mutualistic Ants Increases the Density of Host Species Seedlings in the Dry Forest of Costa Rica
Authors: Amador-Vargas Sabrina
Published: July 2011

Some species of plant-mutualistic ants kill the vegetation growing in the vicinities of their host plant, creating an area of bare ground (clearing). The reduced competition in the clearing may facilitate the establishment of host species sprouts (clones and seedlings), which in turn benefits the ants with additional food and shelter (“sprout-establishment hypothesis”). To test this hypothesis, the density and origin ofAcacia collinsiisprouts growing inside clearings and in the vicinities of acacia plants without clearings were compared. Also, to assess the pruning selectivity of acacia ants (Pseudomyrmex spinicola), seedlings were transplanted into clearings. The reaction of ants towards unrewarding acacia seedlings (without food and shelter) was also tested. The density of acacia sprouts growing inside clearings was almost twice that in the vicinities of host plants without clearings, and sprouts were inhabited by nestmates of the colony that made the clearing. Clones and seedlings were found in similar proportions in the clearings, and ants did not kill unrewarding acacia seedlings or seedlings unrelated to their host. The benefit reported here for the ants could be in conflict with the host plant, especially when the plant has rhizomal reproduction.
Aging and Obesity Induce Distinct Gene Expression Adaptation in the Liver of C57BL/6J Mice
Authors: Capel F. , Delmotte M.H. , Brun M. , Lonchampt M. , De Fanti B. , Xuereb L. , Baschet L. , Rolland G. , Galizzi J.P. , Lockhart B. , Ktorza A. , Dacquet C.
Published: July 2011

Background: Aging and obesity induce complex transcriptomic changes in the liver, promoting the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In spite of an increasing amount of studies on the role of aging and nutrient excess in metabolic disorders, the specific molecular events leading to insulin resistance are still poorly understood. Methods: This study presents a comparative analysis of hepatic gene expression profiles between young adult C57BL/6J mice fed with a low- or a high-fat diet for 1 and 12 months. We evaluated the expression of a defined set of genes implicated in glucose and lipid metabolism as well as key nuclear receptors and their target genes, IGF1 signaling and clock genes. Results: Aging and short-term high-fat consumption induced insulin resistance, albeit through two distinct processes. Hepatic gene expression changes were more pronounced in the context of aging. We further analyzed expression profiles together with plasma parameters by principal component analysis with regard to diet condition. Conclusions: Our results suggest that in the liver of C57BL/6J mice, the molecular mechanisms underlying high-fat feeding or aging which mediated insulin resistance were not identical.
Integrating Genetic Studies of Nicotine Addiction into Public Health Practice: Stakeholder Views on Challenges, Barriers and Opportunities
Authors: Dingel M.J. , Hicks A.D. , Robinson M.E. , Koenig B.A.
Published: July 2011

Objective: Will emerging genetic research strengthen tobacco control programs? In this empirical study, we interview stakeholders in tobacco control to illuminate debates about the role of genomics in public health. Methods: The authors performed open-ended interviews with 86 stakeholders from 5 areas of tobacco control: basic scientists, clinicians, tobacco prevention specialists, health payers, and pharmaceutical industry employees. Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using standard techniques. Results: The central tension is between the hope that an expanding genomic knowledge base will improve prevention and smoking cessation therapies and the fear that genetic research might siphon resources away from traditional and proven public health programs. While showing strong support for traditional public health approaches to tobacco control, stakeholders recognize weaknesses, specifically the difficulty of countering the powerful voice of the tobacco industry when mounting public campaigns and the problem of individuals who are resistant to treatment and continue smoking. Conclusions: In order for genetic research to be effectively translated into efforts to minimize the harm of smoking-related disease, the views of key stakeholders must be voiced and disagreements reconciled. Effective translation requires honest evaluation of both the strengths and limitations of genetic approaches.
Effects of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Serum Systemic and Vascular Inflammation Markers and Oxidative Stress in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Kooshki A. , Taleban F.A. , Tabibi H. , Hedayati M.
Published: July 2011

Background and Aims: High concentrations of serum inflammation markers, especially vascular inflammation markers, are an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in hemodialysis patients. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of marine omega-3 fatty acids on serum systemic and vascular inflammation markers and oxidative stress in hemodialysis patients. Methods: Thirty-four hemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to either the marine omega-3 fatty acid or the placebo group. Patients in the omega-3 fatty acid group received 2,080 mg marine omega-3 fatty acids daily for 10 weeks, whereas the placebo group received a corresponding placebo.At baseline and the end of week 10, 5 ml blood was collected after a 12- to 14-hour fast. Results: Mean serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule type 1 (sICAM-1) decreased significantly in the omega-3 fatty acid group at the end of week 10 compared to baseline (p < 0.05) and this reduction was significant in comparison with the placebo group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in mean changes in serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule type 1, sE-selectin, sP-selectin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate that marine omega-3 fatty acids can reduce serum sICAM-1, a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, but it has no effect on serum systemic inflammation markers and oxidative stress in hemodialysis patients.
Therapeutic Hypothermia After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Mooney Michael R. , Unger Barbara T. , Boland Lori L. , Burke M. Nicholas , Kebed Kalie Y. , Graham Kevin J. , Henry Timothy D. , Katsiyiannis William T. , Satterlee Paul A. , Sendelbach Sue , Hodges James S. , Parham William M.
Published: July 2011

Background—

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) improves survival and confers neuroprotection in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), but TH is underutilized, and regional systems of care for OHCA that include TH are needed.

Methods and Results—

The Cool It protocol has established TH as the standard of care for OHCA across a regional network of hospitals transferring patients to a central TH-capable hospital. Between February 2006 and August 2009, 140 OHCA patients who remained unresponsive after return of spontaneous circulation were cooled and rewarmed with the use of an automated, noninvasive cooling device. Three quarters of the patients (n=107) were transferred to the TH-capable hospital from referring network hospitals. Positive neurological outcome was defined as Cerebral Performance Category 1 or 2 at discharge. Patients with non–ventricular fibrillation arrest or cardiogenic shock were included, and patients with concurrent ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (n=68) received cardiac intervention and cooling simultaneously. Overall survival to hospital discharge was 56%, and 92% of survivors were discharged with a positive neurological outcome. Survival was similar in transferred and nontransferred patients. Non–ventricular fibrillation arrest and presence of cardiogenic shock were associated strongly with mortality, but survivors with these event characteristics had high rates of positive neurological recovery (100% and 89%, respectively). A 20% increase in the risk of death (95% confidence interval, 4% to 39%) was observed for every hour of delay to initiation of cooling.

Conclusions—

A comprehensive TH protocol can be integrated into a regional ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction network and achieves broad dispersion of this essential therapy for OHCA.
Shadow Awareness: Enhancing Theater Space Through the Mutual Projection of Images on a Connective Slit Screen
Authors: Miwa Yoshiyuki , Itai Shiroh , Watanabe Takabumi , Nishi Hiroko
Published: July 2011

This study discusses media technology that enables the continuous creation of performers' physical improvisation as inspired by the reflection of imagery evoked from the audience. To realize this, the authors have focused on “shadow media,” which promote the continuous creation of imagery through “bodily awareness.” The authors have developed a system that can project shadows of the performers in various ways, which are then transformed into various shapes and colors. The shadows are connected to the performers' feet and projected on a “passable” slit screen set up between the stage and the audience. As a result, the interactive and mutual creation of imagery by performers and audience can form an “empathetic” stage. To demonstrate its validity, the authors applied the system to a dance performance at Festival della Scienza in Genoa, Italy.
Collaboration with the Future: An Infrastructure for Art+Technology at the San José International Airport
Authors: Gorbet Matt , Gorbet Susan LK , Banerjee Banny
Published: July 2011

This paper summarizes the development and implementation of a three-part infrastructure for the ongoing program of technology-based public artwork at Silicon Valley's newly expanded airport. The physical, technological, and human infrastructure provides flexibility and opportunities for future artists and future technologies while providing a robust framework for the ongoing maintenance and evolution of the program and mediating between the needs of artists and the constraints of an airport.
Correlated k-Distribution Treatment of Cloud Optical Properties and Related Radiative Impact
Authors: Lu Peng , Zhang Hua , Li Jiangnan
Published: July 2011

A new scheme of water cloud optical properties is proposed for correlated k-distribution (CKD) models, in which the correlation in spectral distributions between the gaseous absorption coefficient and cloud optical properties is maintained. This is an extension of the CKD method from gas to cloud by dealing with the gas absorption coefficient and cloud optical properties in the same way.

Compared to the results of line-by-line benchmark calculations, the band-mean cloud optical property scheme can overestimate cloud solar heating rate, with a relative error over 30% in general. Also, the error in the flux at the top of the atmosphere can be up to 20 W m−2 at a solar zenith angle of 0°. However, the error is considerably reduced by applying the new proposed CKD cloud scheme. The physical explanation of the large error for the band-mean cloud scheme is the absence of a spectral correlation between the gaseous absorption coefficient and the cloud optical properties. The overestimation of the solar heating rate at the cloud-top layer could affect the moisture circulation and limit the growth of cloud. It is found that the error in the longwave cooling rate caused by the band-mean cloud scheme is very small. In the infrared, the local thermal emission strongly affects the spectral distribution of the radiative flux, which makes the correlation between the gaseous absorption coefficient and cloud optical properties very weak. Therefore, there is no obvious advantage in emphasizing the spectral correlation between gas and cloud.
A Study of Impacts of Coupled Model Initial Shocks and State–Parameter Optimization on Climate Predictions Using a Simple Pycnocline Prediction Model
Authors: Zhang S.
Published: July 2011

A skillful decadal prediction that foretells varying regional climate conditions over seasonal–interannual to multidecadal time scales is of societal significance. However, predictions initialized from the climate-observing system tend to drift away from observed states toward the imperfect model climate because of the model biases arising from imperfect model equations, numeric schemes, and physical parameterizations, as well as the errors in the values of model parameters. Here, a simple coupled model that simulates the fundamental features of the real climate system and a “twin” experiment framework are designed to study the impact of initialization and parameter optimization on decadal predictions. One model simulation is treated as “truth” and sampled to produce “observations” that are assimilated into other simulations to produce observation-estimated states and parameters. The degree to which the model forecasts based on different estimates recover the truth is an assessment of the impact of coupled initial shocks and parameter optimization on climate predictions of interests. The results show that the coupled model initialization through coupled data assimilation in which all coupled model components are coherently adjusted by observations minimizes the initial coupling shocks that reduce the forecast errors on seasonal–interannual time scales. Model parameter optimization with observations effectively mitigates the model bias, thus constraining the model drift in long time-scale predictions. The coupled model state–parameter optimization greatly enhances the model predictability. While valid “atmospheric” forecasts are extended 5 times, the decadal predictability of the “deep ocean” is almost doubled. The coherence of optimized model parameters and states is critical to improve the long time-scale predictions.
Impact of ENSO on the Atmospheric Variability over the North Atlantic in Late Winter—Role of Transient Eddies
Authors: Li Ying , Lau Ngar-Cheung
Published: July 2011

The dynamical mechanism for the late-winter teleconnection between El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is examined using the output from a 2000-yr integration of a coupled general circulation model (GCM). The coupled model captures many salient features of the observed behavior of both ENSO and NAO, as well as their impact on the surface climate in late winter. Both the observational and model data indicate more occurrences of negative phase of NAO in late winter during El Niño events, and positive NAO in La Niña episodes.

The potential role of high-frequency transient eddies in the above teleconnection is diagnosed. During El Niño winters, the intensified transient disturbances along the equatorward-shifted North Pacific storm track extend their influences farther downstream. The eddy-induced negative height tendencies are found to be more coherent and stronger over North Atlantic than that over North Pacific. These negative height tendencies over the North Atlantic are coincident with the southern lobe of NAO, and thus favor more occurrences of negative NAO events.

During those El Niño winters with relatively strong SST warming in eastern equatorial Pacific, the eastward extension of eddy activity is reinforced by the enhanced near-surface baroclinicity over the subtropical eastern Pacific. This flow environment supports a stronger linkage between the Pacific and Atlantic storm tracks, and is more conducive to a negative NAO phase.

These model results are supported by a parallel analysis of various observational datasets. It is further demonstrated that these transient eddy effects can be reproduced in atmospheric GCM integrations subjected to ENSO-related SST forcing in the tropical Pacific.
Interannual Variation of the Late Fall Rainfall in Central Vietnam
Authors: Chen Tsing-Chang , Tsay Jenq-Dar , Yen Ming-Cheng , Matsumoto Jun
Published: July 2011

The heavy rainfall/flood (HRF) event in central Vietnam usually occurs in October–November, the maximum rainfall season. This rainfall maximum undergoes a distinct interannual variation, opposite the interannual variation of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies averaged over the NOAA Niño-3.4 area—ΔSST(Niño-3.4)—but coincident with the intensification (weakening) of the low-level easterlies at 15°N and westerlies at 5°N. The changes of low-level zonal winds reflect the strengthening (weakening) of the tropical cyclonic shear flow in tropical South/Southeast Asia in response to the tropical Pacific SST anomalies. Because the rainfall maximum in central Vietnam is primarily produced by the HRF cyclone, the interannual rainfall variation in this region should be attributed to the HRF cyclone activity—a new perspective of the climate change in precipitation. On average, one HRF cyclone occurs in each cold late fall. The population of the HRF cyclone may not be an important factor causing the interannual rainfall variation in central Vietnam. During the cold late fall, the rain-producing efficiency of the individual HRF cyclone is statistically almost twice those during warm and normal late falls and the most crucial factor leading to the interannual rainfall variation in central Vietnam. It is shown by further hydrological analysis that the increase (decrease) of the HRF cyclone’s rain-producing efficiency is determined by the large-scale environmental flow through the enhancement (weakening) of the regional convergence of water vapor flux.
A Strong Atlantic Meridional Mode Event in 2009: The Role of Mixed Layer Dynamics*
Authors: Foltz Gregory R. , McPhaden Michael J. , Lumpkin Rick
Published: July 2011

In the first half of 2009, anomalous cooling of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the equatorial North Atlantic (ENA; 2°–12°N) triggered a strong Atlantic meridional mode event. During its peak in April–May, SSTs in the ENA were 1°C colder than normal and SSTs in the equatorial South Atlantic (5°S–0°) were 0.5°C warmer than normal. Associated with the SST gradient were anomalous northerly winds, an anomalous southward shift of the intertropical convergence zone, and severe flooding in Northeast Brazil. This study uses in situ and satellite observations to examine the mechanisms responsible for the anomalous cooling in the ENA during boreal winter and spring of 2009. It is found that the cooling was initiated by stronger than normal trade winds during January and February 2009 associated with an anomalous strengthening of the subtropical North Atlantic high pressure system. Between 6° and 12°N, unusually strong trade winds cooled the ocean through wind-induced evaporation and deepened the mixed layer anomalously by 5–20 m. Closer to the equator, surface equatorial winds responded to the anomalous interhemispheric SST gradient, becoming northwesterly between the equator and 6°N. The anomalous winds drove upwelling of 0.5–1 m day−1 during March–April, a period when there is normally weak downwelling. The associated vertical turbulent heat flux at the base of the mixed layer led to unusually cool SSTs in the central basin, further strengthening the anomalous interhemispheric SST gradient. These results emphasize the importance of mixed layer dynamics in the evolution of the meridional mode event of 2009 and the potential for positive coupled feedbacks between wind-induced upwelling and SST in the ENA.
A Dynamically Consistent Closure for Zonally Averaged Ocean Models
Authors: Brüggemann Nils , Eden Carsten , Olbers Dirk
Published: July 2011

Simple idealized layered models and primitive equation models show that the meridional gradient of the zonally averaged pressure has no direct relation with the meridional flow. This demonstrates a contradiction in an often-used parameterization in zonally averaged models. The failure of this parameterization reflects the inconsistency between the model of Stommel and Arons and the box model of Stommel, as previously pointed out by Straub.

A new closure is proposed. The ocean is divided in two dynamically different regimes: a narrow western boundary layer and an interior ocean; zonally averaged quantities over these regions are considered. In the averaged equations three unknowns appear: the interior zonal pressure difference Δpi, the zonal pressure difference Δpb of the boundary layer, and the zonal velocity uδ at the interface between the two regions. Here Δpi is parameterized using a frictionless vorticity balance, Δpb by the difference of the mean pressure in the interior and western boundary, and uδ by the mean zonal velocity of the western boundary layer.

Zonally resolved models, a layer model, and a primitive equation model validate the new parameterization by comparing with the respective zonally averaged counterparts. It turns out that the zonally averaged models reproduce well the buoyancy distribution and the meridional flow in the zonally resolved model versions with respect to the mean and time changes.
On the Equivalence between Radiance and Retrieval Assimilation
Authors: Migliorini Stefano
Published: July 2011

The need for consistent assimilation of satellite measurements for numerical weather prediction led operational meteorological centers to assimilate satellite radiances directly using variational data assimilation systems. More recently there has been a renewed interest in assimilating satellite retrievals (e.g., to avoid the use of relatively complicated radiative transfer models as observation operators for data assimilation). The aim of this paper is to provide a rigorous and comprehensive discussion of the conditions for the equivalence between radiance and retrieval assimilation. It is shown that two requirements need to be satisfied for the equivalence: (i) the radiance observation operator needs to be approximately linear in a region of the state space centered at the retrieval and with a radius of the order of the retrieval error; and (ii) any prior information used to constrain the retrieval should not underrepresent the variability of the state, so as to retain the information content of the measurements. Both these requirements can be tested in practice. When these requirements are met, retrievals can be transformed so as to represent only the portion of the state that is well constrained by the original radiance measurements and can be assimilated in a consistent and optimal way, by means of an appropriate observation operator and a unit matrix as error covariance. Finally, specific cases when retrieval assimilation can be more advantageous (e.g., when the estimate sought by the operational assimilation system depends on the first guess) are discussed.
Simple Diagnosis of Tropical Cyclone Structure via Pressure Gradients
Authors: Knaff John A. , Sampson Charles R. , Fitzpatrick Patrick J. , Jin Yi , Hill Christopher M.
Published: July 2011

In 1980 the Holland tropical cyclone (TC) wind profile model was introduced. This simple model was originally intended to estimate the wind profile based on limited surface pressure information alone. For this reason and its relative simplicity, the model has been used in many practical applications. In this paper the potential of a simplified version of the Holland B parameter, which is related to the shape of the tangential wind profile, is explored as a powerful diagnostic tool for monitoring TC structure. The implementation examined is based on the limited information (maximum wind, central pressure, radius and pressure of the outer closed isobar, radii of operationally important wind radii, etc.) that is typically available in operational models and routine analyses of TC structure. This “simplified Holland B” parameter is shown to be sensitive to TC intensity, TC size, and the rate of radial decay of the tangential winds, but relatively insensitive to the radius of maximum winds. A climatology of the simplified Holland B parameter based on historical best-track data is also developed and presented, providing the expected natural ranges of variability. The relative simplicity, predictable variability, and desirable properties of the simplified Holland B parameter make it ideal for a variety of applications. Examples of how the simplified Holland B parameter can be used for improving forecaster guidance, developing TC structure tools, diagnosing TC model output, and understanding and comparing the climatological variations of TC structure are presented.
On Power and Time
Authors: Kovacevic Filip
Published: July 2011

In this article, the author examines the relationship between power, time, and human reality. Using a novel by the Bosnian writer Meša Selimović as a case study, the author tests two metaphysical claims: power submits to power only, and the passage of time empties the significance of each and every human activity. The author finds that Selimović’s novel confirms both. The conclusion is profoundly pessimistic. The lives of human beings are doubly unhappy: they are spent in protracted struggles for resources and recognition that yield power, and also even the accomplishments of the victorious in these struggles will be erased by the passage of time. However, the understanding of the second claim might retroactively ameliorate the conditions of human life. Yet as evidenced by Selimović’s novel, in the world dominated by power, this does not happen. The case of Šehaga Sočo shows that even the one whose personal experience convinced him of the meaninglessness of it all is unable to break out of the cycle of rivalry and revenge. At his deathbed, he orders the death of his rivals, though he knows that to him dying, it makes no difference whether they live or die. Why not opt for forgiveness? Because, as Selimović emphasizes, power’s insistence on self-perpetuation is illogical, and it is logic that tells us not to engage in meaningless tasks. In other words, human reason is powerless to provide us with a more tolerant world.
Next Year in Drohobych
Authors: Underhill Karen C.
Published: July 2011

In Israeli director Yael Bartana’s 2007 film Mary Koszmary—meaning “Bad Dreams” or “Nightmares”—a young Polish politician delivers a resounding speech to an empty, crumbling, communist-era Stadion Dziesięciolecia in Warsaw. The speech, he says, is an appeal: “This is a call. . . . It is an appeal for life. We want three million Jews to return to Poland, to live with us again. We need you! Please come back!” This article considers the powerful and perhaps disturbing premise of these lines and explores their possible meanings in a contemporary Polish context. What can it mean for Poles and Polish culture to need Jews—and in particular, to need those Jews who can never return? The complex phenomenon of Jewish memory in Poland and Eastern Europe cannot be contained within specific, present-day borders—whether of geography or of academic discipline: similar dynamics to those Bartana has identified in Poland exist throughout the region. Thus, against the background of Bartana’s film, the article considers the growing phenomenon and importance of local Jewish festivals in Poland and present-day Ukraine, focusing in detail on two specific festivals: the annual festival “Encounters with Jewish Culture,” held in Chmielnik, Poland, and the biannual Bruno Schulz Festival in Drohobych, Ukraine. The analysis explores ways that the memory of Polish Jews—and more specifically the figure of the absent Polish Jew—can function as a central element in the construction of new, communal Polish and Ukrainian narratives since the fall of Communism.