bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
E-Enterprise
Authors: Stefanou Constantinos J.
Published: February 2013

This chapter provides a framework and discusses the integration of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) systems in e-ERP environments in supply chains. Currently, the economic environment enterprises are operating in is extremely competitive and influenced greatly by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT can be an enabler of business performance but also an obstacle if these technologies are not managed carefully. Enterprises are implementing integrated CRM and SRM software in order to remain competitive, but high rates of failure indicate that the implementation of these solutions is not straightforward. In this chapter, organizational issues concerning the integration of CRM, SRM, and ERP software in supply chains are discussed. This chapter aims at informing managers, scholars, students, and researchers of the issues involved, and identifying critical factors of success for enterprises adopting and implementing integrated CRM/SRM solutions.
Investigating the Effect of E-Learning Technologies on Supply Chain Activities
Authors: Terzidis Dimitrios , Misopoulos Fotios
Published: February 2013

This chapter’s concern is the impact of new technologies in the supply chain of the English Language Teaching (ELT) book market. The chapter’s research starts with a literature review that presents the modern technological solutions for an educational system that can alter the book market’s supply chain. The electronic teaching and reading facilities can reduce costs of production and distribution, but they can also become an ecologically friendly solution to the environmental problems that the world faces today. The statistical analysis of questionnaires has resulted in the Greek ELT market not being willing to change the existing supply chain operations of the ELT sector. Even though the market does not believe that the use of new technologies can result in the replacement of printed books, there is a trend of using them because they provide marketing benefits to their users. This trend can become the reason of a new era within the ELT book market’s supply chain operations.
Tools of the Trade
Authors: Gustafson Terri
Published: February 2013

Visual media can be created using a plethora of software and hardware tools, including enterprise-wide deployed lecture capture system. Tools can be as simple as single click record software or require extensive knowledge of options, formats, or end-user devices. While this chapter does not cover all of the visual media creation tools available, it does give a brief overview of the tools for creating, editing, and delivering digital media content to enhance instruction.
Student Performance and Perceptions of Business Courses Delivered Using Lecture Capture
Authors: Moskal Patrick , Euzent Patricia , Moskal Patsy D. , Martin Thomas
Published: February 2013

This research compared student performance and withdrawal rates in undergraduate business courses taught using lecture capture and face-to-face. Student perceptions of lecture capture are also described. Lecture capture refers to storing videos of live course lectures, which students may view at their convenience from anywhere with an Internet connection. Results indicate no significant difference in student performance between the lecture capture and face-to-face conditions. Withdrawal rates also were similar, although freshman and sophomores had higher withdrawal rates in lecture capture than in face-to-face. Student perceptions of lecture capture were quite positive. Students were satisfied with the video instruction they received, they liked having more control over their learning, they liked the convenience that lecture capture provided, and about 70% said they would take another course that used lecture capture. However, the majority of students did not feel that lecture capture enhanced their performance or their interest in the course.
Toward LessonCapture
Authors: Garwood Steve
Published: February 2013

LessonCapture is an approach to the creation and recording of presentation content (course lecture or demonstration), delivered either face-to-face or via screen-recording, and based on effective public speaking, presentation design, and multimedia learning principles. The combination of these principles with particular procedures and practices helps to ensure effective learning and reusability of content. The field of education faces many challenges: budgets, time limitations, new delivery approaches, and effectiveness. LessonCapture is one way to help maximize the return on the financial investment in recording technology and the instructor time needed to create high quality instructional materials.
Using Video to Foster Presence in an Online Course
Authors: Stoerger Sharon
Published: February 2013

By definition, presence makes individuals feel connected and part of a community. Yet, creating presence among the students and their instructor does not happen automatically and can be especially challenging to develop in online courses. In these learning environments, interactions are frequently text-based and asynchronous. The visual and auditory cues generally associated with face-to-face interactions are absent. However, easy-to-use, inexpensive technologies to create audio and video content are emerging, and they can foster presence in educational settings. This chapter investigates the use of rich media to promote social, cognitive, and teaching presence. Specifically, instructor-created videos were used to enhance the sense of presence in a fully online course. Responses to surveys, reflections, and unstructured follow-up interviews suggest that students prefer the richer mode of communication, indicating that they felt a greater connection to the instructor as well as their classmates.
Flipped or Inverted Learning
Authors: Davis Christine
Published: February 2013

A number of researchers have explored the use of multimedia to support instruction in inverted classrooms providing a functional approach for university face-to-face and hybrid courses. Students in inverted learning work online before class listening to prerecorded lectures and completing related activities reserving class time for problem solving, projects, authentic applications, and reflection. The purpose of this chapter is to explore the value of cognitive and metacognitive elements in flipped – also known as inverted – learning that promote active learning. Practical strategies for course design and technical considerations related to how multimedia tools can be used to deliver and support instruction are also addressed.
The Influence of Corporate Social Media on Firm Level Strategic Decision Making
Authors: Venkataraman S. , Das Ranjan
Published: February 2013

Social media engagement by business firms has been steadily on the rise, with its application extending to a range of corporate functions, beyond marketing and customer engagement, many of which can be construed as strategic. However, the potential influence of social media on strategy process or strategic decision making has scarcely been explored in strategic management literature. In addressing this gap, this paper conceptually explores the likely influence of social media on issue of strategic decision making and the mechanism of such influence, and also uses an assortment of anecdotes from practice for illustrative purposes. The authors suggest a plausible model whereby corporate social media engagement is seen to exert its influence through the three key dimensions of strategy process - environmental factors, strategists characteristics and decision issue characteristics. In particular social media engagement is conceived as ingraining knowledge creation and integration through socialization within an extended value network.
A Secure Mobile Payment Framework in MANET Environment
Authors: Ahamad Shaik Shakeel , Sastry V. N. , Udgata Siba K.
Published: February 2013

In this paper the authors propose a Secure Mobile Payment Framework in Multi hop Cellular Network environment (which is an integration of cellular networks and mobile ad hoc networks) using Mobile Agent technology and Digital Signature with Message Recovery (DSMR) mechanism based on ECDSA mechanism. Secure communication in Multi hop Cellular Networks is a nontrivial task because of lack of infrastructure, no prior trust relationships among nodes due to the absence of a centralized authority. Mobile Agent technology and Digital Signature with Message Recovery based on ECDSA mechanism provides secure mobile payments in Multi hop Cellular Networks. Mobile Agent technology has many benefits such as bandwidth conservation, reduction of latency, reduction of completion time, Asynchronous (disconnected) communications. Digital Signature with Message Recovery based on ECDSA eliminates the need of adopting PKI cryptosystems. The proposed protocol ensures Authentication, Integrity, Confidentiality and Non Repudiation, achieves Identity protection from merchant and Eavesdropper, achieves Transaction privacy from Eavesdropper and Payment Gateway, achieves Payment Secrecy, Order Secrecy, forward secrecy, prevents Double Spending, Overspending and Money laundering. The security properties of the proposed protocol have been verified successfully using BAN Logic, AVISPA and Scyther Tools and presented with results.
Exploring the Business Process Agility Issue
Authors: Alexopoulou Nancy , Nikolaidou Mara , Martakos Drakoulis
Published: February 2013

Business process agility has drawn the attention of numerous researchers. Whilst this research activity constitutes a useful contribution towards the attainment of business process agility, most of them focus on agility during execution phase. Therefore, although business process design is an equally important phase of the business process lifecycle the exploration of agility from the designer’s perspective has not been given the attention it deserves. In this paper, the authors discuss their point of view regarding business process agility, as it was shaped during a case study concerning medical processes. Through this study, they identified important requirements for the attainment of business process agility, which were subsequently combined into a holistic picture constituting a comprehensive suggestion for the practical realization of business process agility. The objective of this paper is to contribute to a deeper understanding of business process agility and ultimately to its practical realization through the proposed holistic solution.
Exploring Different Optimization Techniques for an External Multimedia Meta-Search Engine
Authors: Schlegel Kai , Stegmaier Florian , Bayerl Sebastian , Kosch Harald , Döller Mario
Published: February 2013

Along with the tremendous growth of Social Media, the variety of multimedia sharing platforms on the Web is ever growing, whereas unified retrieval issues remain unsolved. Beside unified retrieval languages and metadata interoperability issues, a crucial task in such a retrieval environment is query optimization in federated and distributed retrieval scenarios. This work introduces three different dimensions of query optimization that have been integrated in an external multimedia meta-search engine. The main innovations are query execution planning, various query processing strategies as well as a multimedia perceptual caching system.
Using A Criteria-Based Reminder To Reduce Use Of Indwelling Urinary Catheters And Decrease Urinary Tract Infections
Authors: Chen Yin-Yin , Chi Mei-Man , Chen Yu-Chih , Chan Yu-Jiun , Chou Shin-Shang , Wang Fu-Der
Published: March 2013

Background

Duration of indwelling urinary catheterization is an important risk factor for urinary tract infection.

Objectives

To determine whether a reminder approach reduces the use of urinary catheters and the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

Methods

A randomized control trial was performed in 2 respiratory intensive care units in a 2990-bed tertiary referral medical center. Patients who had urinary catheters in place for more than 2 days from April through November 2008 were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (use of a criteria-based reminder to remove the catheter) or the control group (no reminder).

Results

A total of 278 patients were recruited. Utilization rate of indwelling urinary catheters was decreased by 22% in the intervention group compared with the control group (relative risk, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.76-0.80; P < .001). The intervention significantly shortened the median duration of catheterization (7 days vs 11 days for the control group; P < .001). The success rate for removing the catheters in the intervention group by day 7 was 88%. The reminder intervention reduced the incidence of catheter-associated infections by 48% (relative risk, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.32-0.86; P = .009) in the intervention group compared with the control group.

Conclusions

Use of a criteria-based reminder to remove indwelling urinary catheters can diminish the use of urinary catheterization and reduce the likelihood of catheter-associated urinary infections. This reminder approach can prevent catheter-associated urinary infections, and its use should be strongly considered as a way to enhance the safety of patients. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2013;22:105–114)
The inactive and active forms of the pyrroloquinoline quinone-alcohol dehydrogenase of Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus: a comparative study
Authors: Gomez-Manzo Saul , Del Arenal-Mena Irene Patricia , Escamilla Edgardo
Published: March 2013

Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus as a member of the acetic acid bacteria group, oxidize alcohol to acetic acid through two sequential reactions catalyzed by the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and the aldehyde dehydrogenase, both enzymes are membrane-bound and oriented to the periplasmic space. ADH is a quinohemoprotein carrying one pyrroloquinoline quinone moiety, one [2Fe:2S] cluster and four c-type cytochromes, as prosthetic groups. In recent years has been described the presence of the inactive ADH (ADHi) in the acetic acid bacteria. In the present review we make a comparative study of the molecular and catalytic properties of the active and inactive forms of ADH purified from G. diazotrophicus, variation in the redox state of enzymes as purified could explain the notorious differences seen in the activity power of the compared enzymes.
Acetic acid bacteria in grape must
Authors: Navarro Diana , Mateo Estibaliz , Torija MªJesús , Mas Albert
Published: March 2013

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) have undergone continuous taxonomic revision, resulting in an increased number of genera and species ascribed to this group. Thus, the description of the most common AAB in grapes, must and wine has changed dramatically since the initial assessments, which were primarily based on physiological methods. In the present study, we identified the AAB isolated from different grape musts by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer region. We had previously performed studies from the same winery. However, in this study we now identified AAB species that have been recently described in wines, as well as others that were identified for first time in this niche. Gluconobacter cerinus, G. japonicus, G. thailandicus and G. oxydans were previously identified as G. oxydans. Kozakia baliensis was also within this group. Acetobacter pasteurianus, A. cerevisiae and A. malorum were formerly grouped as Acetobacter sp. Many isolates previously described as G. oxydans or A. aceti likely correspond to other, newly described species of the same genera.
Significance and management of acetic acid bacteria culture collections
Authors: De Vero Luciana , Giudici Paolo
Published: March 2013

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are obligate aerobic microorganisms which have large significance in human life. Traditionally, AAB species have been used to produce fermented food and beverages thanks to their ability to oxidize ethanol to acetic acid. Moreover, in the last decades, they have been extensively investigated for other industrial biotechnology applications as the development of processes for highvalue products or biosensors. The potential exploitation of AAB diversity requires the existence of microbial culture collections, which are able to supply not only strains but essential data for fundamental microbial research. Therefore, microbial collections can be helpful to provide critical insights into AAB physiology and metabolism as well as integrate sequence data with transcriptional and functional studies to better define complex traits and develop new potential microbial processes. This article reviews the significance of microbial collections, with an overview of the well-known European Biological Resources Centers (BRCs) collecting AAB, and provides an insight into their cultivability and metabolic activity. It also discusses appropriate techniques in preserving authentic strains, quality control implications, databases and BRC networking as well as connections among collections and stakeholders.
Understanding the reasons why tourists visit the Kruger National Park during a recession
Authors: Scholtz Marco , Kruger Martinette , Saayman Melville
Published: February 2013

The 2008 and 2009 recession increased pressure on travellers to cut costs on luxury items, such as going on holiday, and this has led to a global tourism decline of 8%. This, however, was not the case in the Kruger National Park (KNP) in South Africa where a sustained 1.6% accommodation unit occupancy growth was experienced. In order to sustain this growth, it is of the utmost importance to determine why people still visited the Park during this period. Thus the aim of the study was to determine why people still visited the KNP amidst the 2008 and 2009 economic recession. A total of 355 completed questionnaires were obtained at the Park during 15 December 2009 – 20 December 2009 (high season) after which various analyses (including factor analysis) were conducted. Six motives were identified and ‘escape’, ‘wildlife experience’ and ‘family benefits’ were rated most important. Push factors were more dominant to the extent that visitors regard taking a holiday to the Park as a necessity. It furthermore seems that visitors adapt their spending behaviour at the Park to still be able to afford the visit. This was the first time that research was conducted at a national park during a recession period and this information is important for South African National Parks, seeing as it provides a better understanding of visitors’ behaviour as well as feeling towards the Park (especially during recession), and leads to improved niche marketing and a competitive advantage. This research also provides a better understanding of visitors’ behaviour during economic downturns.
Thematic irony in the story of Susanna
Authors: Kanonge Dichk M.
Published: March 2013

It is commonly held that irony features significantly in Susanna. This seemingly plausible hypothesis, however, has not yet been supported by compelling evidence resulting from a systematic analysis of Susanna. This study attempts to fill this gap by investigating the main ironic expressions, words and incidents featuring in Susanna. The approach followed consists of uncovering expressions of irony embedded in the story by paying attention to ironic use of metaphor, ironic use of wordplay, ironic use of rhetorical questions, ironic understatements (e.g. litotes), ironic exaggeration (e.g. hyperbole), ironic use of social conventions and traditions and ironic attribution. It is the contention of this study that Susanna is a thematically ironic story. The use of reversed social conventions is the most powerful and the most abundant expression of irony in the story. This dominant derisive technique is possibly aimed at addressing the irrelevance as well as the abuse of Jewish social conventions in the Second Temple period.
Middelloopbaan-ontwikkeling deur spirituele lewenstylafrigting: Verkennende teoretiese perspektiewe
Authors: Fourie Madelein C. , Van den Berg Jan Albert
Published: February 2013

Middle-career development through spiritual lifestyle coaching: Preliminary theoretical perspectives. This study bases itself in the epistemological and methodological development of a broad and interdisciplinary dialogue where various voices in the form of different domains converse in order to establish an integrated whole. The research contributes to the actual corporative question regarding spirituality in the workplace, specifically aimed at the individual in the middle-career phase. This phase is characterised as a re-evaluation period aimed at personal and professional growth. A shift in emphasis to the meaning and sense of work is linked to spiritual intelligence as spirituality can be described and understood as a type of intelligence. The study shows that the middle-career experience provides opportunity for an altered future view. Lifestyle coaching serves as facilitating process and offers guidance in answering existential questions which are included in the spiritual. The probable outcome promises to add meaning as a manifesting component in a dynamic and transforming life strategy.
Stabilized Crank-Nicolson/Adams-Bashforth Schemes for Phase Field Models
Authors: Feng Xinlong , Tang Tao , Yang Jiang
Published: March 2013

In this paper, stabilized Crank-Nicolson/Adams-Bashforth schemes are presented for the Allen-Cahn and Cahn-Hilliard equations. It is shown that the proposed time discretization schemes are either unconditionally energy stable, or conditionally energy stable under some reasonable stability conditions. Optimal error estimates for the semi-discrete schemes and fully-discrete schemes will be derived. Numerical experiments are carried out to demonstrate the theoretical results.
Community Mobilization, Participation, and Blood Pressure Status in a Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program in Ontario
Authors: Karwalajtys Tina , Kaczorowski Janusz , Chambers Larry W. , Hall Heather , McDonough Beatrice , Dolovich Lisa , Sebaldt Rolf , Lohfeld Lynne , Hutchison Brian
Published: March 2013

Purpose.

To determine the feasibility of a community-wide approach integrated with primary care (Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program [CHAP]) to promote monitoring of blood pressure (BP) and awareness of cardiovascular disease risk.

Design.

Demonstration project.

Setting.

Two midsized Ontario communities.

Participants.

Community-dwelling seniors.

Intervention.

CHAP sessions were offered in pharmacies and promoted to seniors using advertising and personalized letters from physicians. Trained volunteers measured BP, completed risk profiles, and provided risk-specific education materials.

Method.

We examined the distribution of risk factors among participants and predictors of multiple visits and elevated BP.

Results.

Opinion leaders aided recruitment of family physicians (n = 56/63) and pharmacists (n = 18/19). Over 90 volunteers were recruited. Invitations were mailed to 4394 seniors. Over 10 weeks, there were 4165 assessments of 2350 unique participants (approximately 30% of senior residents). 37.5% of attendees had untreated (16%; 360/2247) or uncontrolled (21.5%; 482/2247) high BP. Participants who received a letter (odds ratio [OR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1–3.0), had an initial elevated BP (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0–1.5), or reported current antihypertensive medication (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1–1.6) were more likely to attend multiple sessions (p ≤ .05 for all). Older age (≥ 70 years; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3–1.8), BMI ≥ 30 (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.4–2.2), current antihypertensive medication (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3–1.9), and diabetes (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.9–3.2) predicted elevated BP (p < .001 for all).

Conclusion.

The program yielded learning about community mobilization and identified a substantial number of seniors with undiagnosed/uncontrolled high BP.
Education to Work Transitions: How the Old Middle Went Missing and Why the New Middle Remains Elusive
Authors: Roberts Kenneth
Published: March 2013

Middling youth were centre stage in research on school-to-work transitions from the early-20th century up to and throughout the 1980s. Since then they have been overshadowed by sociological attention to the young unemployed/NEETs on the one side, and university students and graduates on the other. Simultaneously, economists have been crowding out sociologists in the study of education-to-work transitions, especially in the middle ground. However, this paper argues that this is not just a case of the sociological gaze missing the middle. It is argued that old middling labour market destinations have diminished in number, and the new middle remains elusive because the employment tends to be precarious. Thus today's middling groups of school-leavers must either try to move-up or face career-long threats of descent to the bottom.
The Application of Abductive and Retroductive Inference for the Design and Analysis of Theory-Driven Sociological Research
Authors: Meyer Samantha B. , Lunnay Belinda
Published: March 2013

Abductive and retroductive inference are innovative tools of analysis which enable researchers to refine and redevelop social theory. This paper describes and demonstrates how to apply these tools to strengthen sociological theory-driven empirical research outputs. To illustrate how abductive and retroductive inference work for the benefit of enhanced qualitative analysis we present the findings of a qualitative study that investigated heart disease patients’ trust in medical professionals (n=37). We outline the research process using a six-stage model developed by Danermark et al. (1997) that will guide researchers doing exploratory research in how to use abductive and retroductive inference in qualitative research design and analysis. A snapshot of the study findings are provided for illustration purposes. The reader will learn how the application of these under-utilized methodological tools provides a novel way of analyzing sociological research.
Defining ‘Pimp’: Working towards a Definition in Social Research
Authors: Davis Holly
Published: March 2013

Recently expanding research on prostitution has lead to slightly more focus on an enigmatic yet major player within the underground sex economy: pimps. Whilst starting to shed light on the roles, and behavior of pimps, researchers have overlooked a fundamental element within social research that calls for the explicit definition of subjects. The ambiguous use of the word pimp across research projects impedes comparability, consistency and clarity within the growing body of literature on this topic. In an attempt to draw attention to the oversight of defining ‘pimp’, this paper proposes criteria and processes for a more robust definition and offers a more comprehensive definition of ‘pimp’. The definitional processes suggested are reviewed within this paper through exploration of the history, cultural context, mainstream usage, academic applications and feedback from pimps. This paper integrates data from in-depth interviews with pimps to offer their invaluable insight on the meaning of the word. The core objectives of this paper are to draw attention to the problematic definitional trends in this body of research, and propose new foundations for defining ‘pimp’ within social research.
Between Edges and Margins: Exploring ‘Ordinary’ Young People's Experiences of the Everyday Antisocial
Authors: Davidson Emma
Published: March 2013

In an attempt to understand youth-related antisocial behaviour, UK social policy has typically sought answers from the edge; investigating the motivations of young people perpetrating deviant behaviour or exploring the experiences of victims. Equally polarised and sensationalist narratives are present in journalistic accounts, with Knight's Hood Rat and BBC documentary The Scheme both depicting the lives of young people in ‘disadvantaged’ neighbourhoods as on the margins of society. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in a Scottish housing estate, this paper calls for a localised and situated approach to understanding ‘the antisocial’. The empirical data shows that young people do not fit easily into the dualist categories of ‘perpetrator’ or ‘victim’. Despite living in what could be classed an ‘antisocial’ place the majority of young people's everyday experiences were not spent on the margins but rather somewhere in-between, while their own identities were described as normal and unspectacular. The paper concludes by emphasising the value of research that situates understandings of ‘the antisocial’ within its everyday social context. This offers us the opportunity to take a broader analysis of young lives and crucially re-establish the connection between lives on the margins and the ‘missing middle’.
Worn Shoes: Identity, Memory and Footwear
Authors: Hockey Jenny , Dilley Rachel , Robinson Victoria , Sherlock Alexandra
Published: March 2013

This article raises questions about the role of footwear within contemporary processes of identity formation and presents ongoing research into perceptions, experiences and memories of shoes among men and women in the North of England. In a series of linked theoretical discussions it argues that a focus on women, fashion and shoe consumption as a feature of a modern, western ‘project of the self’ obscures a more revealing line of inquiry where footwear can be used to explore the way men and women live out their identities as fluid, embodied processes. In a bid to deepen theoretical understanding of such processes, it takes account of historical and contemporary representations of shoes as a symbolically efficacious vehicle for personal transformation, asking how the idea and experience of transformation informs everyday and life course experiences of transition, as individuals put on and take off particular pairs of shoes. In so doing, the article addresses the methodological and analytic challenges of accessing experience that is both fluid and embodied.
Comparing two years of Saharan dust source activation obtained by regional modelling and satellite observations
Authors: Tegen I. , Schepanski K. , Heinold B.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. A regional-scale dust model is used to simulate Saharan dust emissions and atmospheric distributions in the years 2007 and 2008. The model results are compared to dust source activation events compiled from infrared dust index imagery from the geostationary Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite. The observed morning maximum in dust source activation frequencies indicates that the breakdown of nocturnal low level jets is an important mechanism for dust source activation in the Sahara. The comparison shows that the time of the day of the onset of dust emission is delayed in the model compared to the observations. Also, the simulated number of dust emission events associated with nocturnal low level jets in mountainous regions is underestimated in the model. The MSG dust index observations indicate a strong increase in dust source activation frequencies in the year 2008 compared to 2007. The difference between the two years is less pronounced in the model. Observations of dust optical thickness, e.g. at stations of the sunphotometer network AERONET, do not show such increase, in agreement with the model results. This indicates that the number of observed dust activation events is only of limited use for estimating actual dust emission fluxes in the Sahara. The ability to reproduce interannual variability of Saharan dust with models remains an important challenge for understanding the controls of the atmospheric dust load.
Long-term greenhouse gas measurements from aircraft
Authors: Karion A. , Sweeney C. , Wolter S. , Newberger T. , Chen H. , Andrews A. , Kofler J. , Neff D. , Tans P.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. In March 2009 the NOAA/ESRL/GMD Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases Group collaborated with the US Coast Guard (USCG) to establish the Alaska Coast Guard (ACG) sampling site, a unique addition to NOAA's atmospheric monitoring network. This collaboration takes advantage of USCG bi-weekly Arctic Domain Awareness (ADA) flights, conducted with Hercules C-130 aircraft from March to November each year. Flights typically last 8 h and cover a large area, traveling from Kodiak up to Barrow, Alaska, with altitude profiles near the coast and in the interior. NOAA instrumentation on each flight includes a flask sampling system, a continuous cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) carbon dioxide (CO2)/methane (CH4)/carbon monoxide (CO)/water vapor (H2O) analyzer, a continuous ozone analyzer, and an ambient temperature and humidity sensor. Air samples collected in flight are analyzed at NOAA/ESRL for the major greenhouse gases and a variety of halocarbons and hydrocarbons that influence climate, stratospheric ozone, and air quality. We describe the overall system for making accurate greenhouse gas measurements using a CRDS analyzer on an aircraft with minimal operator interaction and present an assessment of analyzer performance over a three-year period. Overall analytical uncertainty of CRDS measurements in 2011 is estimated to be 0.15 ppm, 1.4 ppb, and 5 ppb for CO2, CH4, and CO, respectively, considering short-term precision, calibration uncertainties, and water vapor correction uncertainty. The stability of the CRDS analyzer over a seven-month deployment period is better than 0.15 ppm, 2 ppb, and 4 ppb for CO2, CH4, and CO, respectively, based on differences of on-board reference tank measurements from a laboratory calibration performed prior to deployment. This stability is not affected by variation in pressure or temperature during flight. We conclude that the uncertainty reported for our measurements would not be significantly affected if the measurements were made without in-flight calibrations, provided ground calibrations and testing were performed regularly. Comparisons between in situ CRDS measurements and flask measurements are consistent with expected measurement uncertainties for CH4 and CO, but differences are larger than expected for CO2. Biases and standard deviations of comparisons with flask samples suggest that atmospheric variability, flask-to-flask variability, and possible flask sampling biases may be driving the observed flask versus in situ CO2 differences rather than the CRDS measurements.
Improvements to the retrieval of tropospheric NO2 from satellite – stratospheric correction using SCIAMACHY limb/nadir matching and comparison to Oslo CTM2 simulations
Authors: Hilboll A. , Richter A. , Rozanov A. , Hodnebrog Ø. , Heckel A. , Solberg S. , Stordal F. , Burrows J. P.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Satellite measurements of atmospheric trace gases have proved to be an invaluable tool for monitoring the Earth system. When these measurements are to be used for assessing tropospheric emissions and pollution, as for example in the case of nadir measurements of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), it is necessary to separate the stratospheric from the tropospheric signal. The SCIAMACHY instrument offers the unique opportunity to combine its measurements in limb- and nadir-viewing geometries into a tropospheric data product, using the limb measurements of the stratospheric NO2 abundances to correct the nadir measurements' total columns. In this manuscript, we present a novel approach to limb/nadir matching, calculating one stratospheric NO2 value from limb measurements for every single nadir measurement, abandoning global coverage for the sake of spatial accuracy. For comparison, modelled stratospheric NO2 columns from the Oslo CTM2 are also evaluated for stratospheric correction. Our study shows that stratospheric NO2 columns from SCIAMACHY limb measurements very well reflect stratospheric conditions. The zonal variability of the stratospheric NO2 field is captured by our matching algorithm, and the quality of the resulting tropospheric NO2 columns improves considerably. Both stratospheric datasets need to be adjusted to the level of the nadir measurements, because a time- and latitude-dependent bias to the measured nadir columns can be observed over clean regions. After this offset is removed, the two datasets agree remarkably well, and both stratospheric correction methods provide a significant improvement to the retrieval of tropospheric NO2 columns from the SCIAMACHY instrument.
East Asian monsoon climate simulated in the PlioMIP
Authors: Zhang R. , Yan Q. , Zhang Z. S. , Jiang D. , Otto-Bliesner B. L. , Haywood A. M. , Hill D. J. , Dolan A. M. , Stepanek C. , Lohmann G. , Contoux C. , Bragg F. , Chan W.-L. , Chandler M. A. , Jost A. , Kamae Y. , Abe-Ouchi A. , Ramstein G. , Rosenbloom N. A. , Sohl L. , Ueda H.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Based on the simulations with fifteen climate models in the Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project (PlioMIP), the regional climate of East Asia (focusing on China) during the mid-Pliocene is investigated in this study. Compared to the pre-industrial, the multi-model ensemble mean (MMM) of all models shows the East Asian summer wind (EASW) largely strengthens in monsoon China, and the East Asian winter wind (EAWW) strengthens in south monsoon China but slightly weakens in north monsoon China in mid-Pliocene. The MMM of all models also illustrates a warmer and wetter mid-Pliocene climate in China. The simulated weakened mid-Pliocene EAWW in north monsoon China and intensified EASW in monsoon China agree well with geological reconstructions. However, the model-model discrepancy in simulating mid-Pliocene East Asian monsoon climate, in particular EAWW, should be further addressed in the future work of PlioMIP.
Global surface-ocean pCO2 and sea–air CO2 flux variability from an observation-driven ocean mixed-layer scheme
Authors: Rödenbeck C. , Keeling R. F. , Bakker D. C. E. , Metzl N. , Olsen A. , Sabine C. , Heimann M.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. A temporally and spatially resolved estimate of the global surface-ocean CO2 partial pressure field and the sea–air CO2 flux is presented, obtained by fitting a simple data-driven diagnostic model of ocean mixed-layer biogeochemistry to surface-ocean CO2 partial pressure data from the SOCAT v1.5 database. Results include seasonal, interannual, and short-term (daily) variations. In most regions, estimated seasonality is well constrained from the data, and compares well to the widely used monthly climatology by Takahashi et al. (2009). Comparison to independent data tentatively supports the slightly higher seasonal variations in our estimates in some areas. We also fitted the diagnostic model to atmospheric CO2 data. The results of this are less robust, but in those areas where atmospheric signals are not strongly influenced by land flux variability, their seasonality is nevertheless consistent with the results based on surface-ocean data. From a comparison with an independent seasonal climatology of surface-ocean nutrient concentration, the diagnostic model is shown to capture relevant surface-ocean biogeochemical processes reasonably well. Estimated interannual variations will be presented and discussed in a companion paper.
Collaborative for Historical Information and Analysis: Vision and Work Plan
Authors: Zadorozhny Vladimir , Manning Patrick , Bain Daniel J. , Mostern Ruth
Published: March 2013

This article conveys the vision of a world-historical dataset, constructed in order to provide data on human social affairs at the global level over the past several centuries. The construction of this dataset will allow the routine application of tools developed for analyzing “Big Data” to global, historical analysis. The work is conducted by the Collaborative for Historical Information and Analysis (CHIA). This association of groups at universities and research institutes in the U.S. and Europe includes five groups funded by the National Science Foundation for work to construct infrastructure for collecting and archiving data on a global level. The article identifies the elements of infrastructure-building, shows how they are connected, and sets the project in the context of previous and current efforts to build large-scale historical datasets. The project is developing a crowd-sourcing application for ingesting and documenting data, a broad and flexible archive, and a “data hoover” process to locate and gather historical datasets for inclusion. In addition, the article identifies four types of data and analytical questions to be explored through this data resource, addressing development, governance, social structure, and the interaction of social and natural variables.
Expanded Endoscopic Endonasal Approach to Anterior and Ventral Skull Base: An Evolving Paradigm
Authors: Gendeh Balwant Singh
Published: March 2013

The transition from external approaches to an endonasal corridor has seen a significant decline in patient morbidity and inpatient care. Our Rhinology and Cranial Base Surgery Group has been able to focus on the management of certain pathologies, endoscopic access to various areas in the skull base, reconstruction of the defect, ensuring that clear anatomical landmarks can be identified during the surgery, and improving the quality of life/function after treatment. The focus on surgical treatment is always to control disease and cure patients by not only reducing recovery time and perioperative morbidity, but also decreasing the long-term impact of having a tumour removed. With a dedicated combined operating theater setting with updated instrumentation, the Neuro-ENT team is able to continue to expand and develop endoscopic care for a greater number of patients and wider range of pathologies. The collaborative Neuro-ENT to work closely via the nose using the two-hole and four-hand technique when performing the operation simultaneously is of added advantage in the diverse and expanding field of cranial base surgery. Our skull base team is joined by expert radiation and medical oncologists who provide essential adjunctive care in the multidisciplinary management of these patients.
Hemosuccus Pancreaticus: 15-Year Experience from a Tertiary Care GI Bleed Centre
Authors: Rammohan Ashwin , Palaniappan Ravichandran , Ramaswami Sukumar , Perumal Senthil Kumar , Lakshmanan Anand , Srinivasan U. P. , Ramasamy Ravi , Sathyanesan Jeswanth
Published: March 2013

Background. Hemosuccus pancreaticus (HP) is a very rare and obscure cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Due to its rarity, the diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for the management of this potentially life threatening problem remains undefined. The objective of our study is to highlight the challenges in the diagnosis and management of HP and to formulate a protocol to effectively and safely manage this condition. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients who presented with HP over the last 15 years at our institution between January 1997 and December 2011. Results. There were a total of 51 patients with a mean age of 32 years. Nineteen patients had chronic alcoholic pancreatitis; twenty-six, five, and one patient had tropical pancreatitis, acute pancreatitis, and idiopathic pancreatitis, respectively. Six patients were managed conservatively. Selective arterial embolization was attempted in 40 of 45 (89%) patients and was successful in 29 of the 40 (72.5%). 16 of 51 (31.4%) patients required surgery. Overall mortality was 7.8%. Length of followup ranged from 6 months to 15 years. Conclusions. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a patient with a history of chronic pancreatitis could be caused by HP. All hemodynamically stable patients with HP should undergo prompt initial angiographic evaluation, and if possible, embolization. Hemodynamically unstable patients and those following unsuccessful embolization should undergo emergency haemostatic surgery. Centralization of GI bleed services along with a multidisciplinary team approach and a well-defined management protocol is essential to reduce the mortality and morbidity of this condition.
Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by a Bryophilous Rhizoctonia Species
Authors: Raudabaugh Daniel B. , Tzolov Marian B. , Calabrese Joseph P. , Overton Barrie E.
Published: March 2013

We demonstrate the synthesis of silver nanoparticles by a potentially benign species of bryophilous Rhizoctonia in two different media. The first medium supports fungal growth and the up-regulation of nitrate reductase, while the second medium supports fungal growth and the repression of nitrate reductase. For both media, the resulting silver nanoparticles were ca. 25–50nm and were subglobose to broadly ellipsoidal in shape. The optical analysis of the silver nanoparticles from both media demonstrated plasmon resonance at 415nm, confirming their metallic properties. The liquid colour change typically observed for extracellular silver nanoparticle formation was absent in both media. The silver nanoparticles in the two different media displayed different chemical associations; fewer associated chemicals were found with the media, which supported the up-regulation of nitrate reductase. Another difference included plate-like silver nanoparticle conglomerations, which were only encountered on hyphae from the medium that repressed nitrate reductase. There was also a noticeable difference in the capping agent formations between each media. The Rhizoctonia isolate examined in this study is suitable for large-scale industrial applications because it does not produce spores and would have minimal impact on air quality.
Validation and Optimization of Criteria for Manual Smear Review Following Automated Blood Cell Analysis in a Large University Hospital
Authors: Pratumvinit Busadee , Wongkrajang Preechaya , Reesukumal Kanit , Klinbua Cherdsak , Niamjoy Patama
Published: March 2013

Context.—Each laboratory should have criteria for manual smear review that limit workload without affecting patient care. The International Consensus Group for Hematology Review established guidelines for action after automated blood cell analysis in 2005.

Objective.—To compare the consensus group criteria with our laboratory criteria and optimize them for better efficiency.

Design.—A total of 2114 first-time samples were collected consecutively from daily workload and were used to compare 2 criteria as well as establish the optimized criteria. Another set of 891 samples was used to validate the optimized criteria. All samples were run on either Sysmex XE-5000 or Coulter LH750 hematology analyzers and were investigated by manual smear review. The efficiency of each set of criteria was compared and optimized to obtain better efficiency, an acceptable review rate, and a low false-negative rate.

Results.—From 2114 samples, 368 (17.40%) had positive smear results. Compared with that of our laboratory criteria, the efficiency of the consensus group criteria was higher (83.63% versus 78.86%, P < .001), the review rate was higher (29.33% versus 22.37%, P < .001), and the false-negative rate was lower (2.22% versus 8.09%, P < .001). After optimizing the rules, we obtained an efficiency of 87.13%, a review rate of 24.22%, and a false-negative rate of 2.98%. We validated the optimized criteria with another set of samples, and the efficiency, review rate, and false-negative rate were 87.32%, 25.25%, and 1.12%, respectively.

Conclusions.—Each laboratory should verify the criteria for smear review, based on the International Consensus Group for Hematology Review, and optimize them to maximize efficiency.