bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overcome Support Vector Machine Diagnosis Overfitting
Authors: Han Henry , Jiang Xiaoqian
Published: December 2014

Support vector machines (SVMs) are widely employed in molecular diagnosis of disease for their efficiency and robustness. However, there is no previous research to analyze their overfitting in high-dimensional omics data based disease diagnosis, which is essential to avoid deceptive diagnostic results and enhance clinical decision making. In this work, we comprehensively investigate this problem from both theoretical and practical standpoints to unveil the special characteristics of SVM overfitting. We found that disease diagnosis under an SVM classifier would inevitably encounter overfitting under a Gaussian kernel because of the large data variations generated from high-throughput profiling technologies. Furthermore, we propose a novel sparse-coding kernel approach to overcome SVM overfitting in disease diagnosis. Unlike traditional ad-hoc parametric tuning approaches, it not only robustly conquers the overfitting problem, but also achieves good diagnostic accuracy. To our knowledge, it is the first rigorous method proposed to overcome SVM overfitting. Finally, we propose a novel biomarker discovery algorithm: Gene-Switch-Marker (GSM) to capture meaningful biomarkers by taking advantage of SVM overfitting on single genes.
Normal Cell-Type Epigenetics and Breast Cancer Classification: A Case Study of Cell Mixture–Adjusted Analysis of DNA Methylation Data from Tumors
Authors: Houseman Eugene Andrέs , Ince Tan A.
Published: December 2014

Historically, breast cancer classification has relied on prognostic subtypes. Thus, unlike hematopoietic cancers, breast tumor classification lacks phylogenetic rationale. The feasibility of phylogenetic classification of breast tumors has recently been demonstrated based on estrogen receptor (ER), androgen receptor (AR), vitamin D receptor (VDR) and Keratin 5 expression. Four hormonal states (HR0–3) comprising 11 cellular subtypes of breast cells have been proposed. This classification scheme has been shown to have relevance to clinical prognosis. We examine the implications of such phylogenetic classification on DNA methylation of both breast tumors and normal breast tissues by applying recently developed deconvolution algorithms to three DNA methylation data sets archived on Gene Expression Omnibus. We propose that breast tumors arising from a particular cell-of-origin essentially magnify the epigenetic state of their original cell type. We demonstrate that DNA methylation of tumors manifests patterns consistent with cell-specific epigenetic states, that these states correspond roughly to previously posited normal breast cell types, and that estimates of proportions of the underlying cell types are predictive of tumor phenotypes. Taken together, these findings suggest that the epigenetics of breast tumors is ultimately based on the underlying phylogeny of normal breast tissue.
Environmental Changes Can Produce Shifts in Chagas Disease Infection Risk
Authors: Cordovez Juan M. , Sanabria Camilo
Published: December 2014

An epidemiological network contains all the organisms involved (types) in the transmission of a parasite. The nodes of the network represent reservoirs, hosts, and vectors, while the links between the nodes represent the strength and direction of parasite movement. Networks that contain humans are of special interest because they are of concern to public health authorities. Under these circumstances, it is possible, in principle, to identify cycles (closed paths in the network) that include humans and select the ones that carry the maximum probability of human infection. The basic reproduction number R0in such a network gives the average number of new infections of any type after the introduction of one individual infected by any type. To obtain R0for complex networks, one can use the next-generation matrix (NGM) approach. Every entry in NGM will average the contribution of each link that connects two types. To tease the contribution of every cycle apart, we define the virulence as the geometric mean of the NGM entries corresponding to the links therein. This approach allows for the quantification of specific cycles of interest while it also makes the computation of the sensitivity and elasticity of the parameters easier. In this work, we compute the virulence for the transmission dynamics of Chagas disease for a typical rural area in Colombia incorporating the effect of environmental changes on the vector population size. We concluded that the highest contribution to human infection comes from humans themselves, which is a surprising and interesting result. In addition, sensitivity analysis revealed that increasing vector population size increases the risk of human infection.
Dirichlet eigenvalues of cones in the small aperture limit
Authors: Ourmières-Bonafos Thomas
Published: December 2014

We are interested in finite cones of fixed height 1 parametrized by their opening angle. We study the eigenpairs of the Dirichlet Laplacian in such domains when their apertures tend to 0. We provide multi-scale asymptotics for eigenpairs associated with the lowest eigenvalues of each fibers of the Dirichlet Laplacian. To do so, we investigate the family of their one-dimensional Born–Oppenheimer approximations. The eigenvalue asymptotics involves powers of the cube root of the aperture, while the eigenvectors include simultaneously two scales.
Resonance asymptotics for Schrödinger operators on hyperbolic space
Authors: Borthwick David , Crompton Catherine
Published: December 2014

We study the asymptotic distribution of resonances for scattering by compactly supported potentials in

H^{n+1}

. We first establish an upper bound for the resonance counting function that depends only on the dimension and the support of the potential. We then establish the sharpness of this estimate by proving the a Weyl law for the resonance counting function holds in the case of radial potentials vanishing to some finite order at the edge of the support. As an application of the existence of potentials that saturate the upper bound, we derive additional resonance asymptotics that hold in a suitable generic sense. These generic results include asymptotics for the resonance count in sectors.
Arboviruses in North Dakota, 2003–2006
Authors: Anderson John F. , Main Andy J. , Armstrong Philip M. , Andreadis Theodore G. , Ferrandino Francis J.
Published: December 2014

To investigate arbovirus transmission in North Dakota, we collected and screened mosquitoes for viral infection by Vero cell culture assay. Seven viruses were isolated from 13 mosquito species. Spatial and temporal distributions of the important vectors of West Nile virus (WNV), Cache Valley virus, Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), and trivittatus virus are reported. Snowshoe hare virus, Potosi virus, and western equine encephalomyelitis virus were also isolated. The risks of Culex tarsalis and Aedes vexans transmitting WNV to humans were 61.4% and 34.0% in 2003–2006, respectively, but in 2003 when the largest epidemic was reported, risks for Ae. vexans and Cx. tarsalis in Cass County were 73.6% and 23.9%, respectively. Risk of humans acquiring an infectious bite was greatest from about the second week of July through most of August. West Nile virus sequences were of the WN02 genotype. Most JCV strains belonged to a single clade of genetically related strains. Cache Valley virus and JCV were prevalent during August and early September and during July and August, respectively.
A New Population and Habitat for Neotricula aperta in the Mekong River of Northeastern Thailand: A DNA Sequence-Based Phylogenetic Assessment Confirms Identifications and Interpopulation Relationships
Authors: Limpanont Yanin , Chusongsang Phiraphol , Chusongsang Yupa , Limsomboon Jareemate , Sanpool Oranuch , Kaewkong Worasak , Intapan Pewpan M. , Janwan Penchom , Sadaow Lakkhana , Maleewong Wanchai
Published: December 2014

Neotricula aperta (Gastropoda: Pomatiopsidae), the snail intermediate host of Schistosoma mekongi, is found in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. We update information on the distribution of this species in the Mekong River and its tributary, the Mun River, in Thailand. DNA sequences of a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 were obtained from N. aperta collected from different locations and used to confirm species and strain identities. Specimens of the β-strain were found in the Mun River, whereas specimens of the γ-strain were found in the Mekong River. The γ-strain (with molecular confirmation of identity) is newly reported from Nong Khai Province, where it occurred in a habitat novel for this species: under paving slabs instead of under natural bed rocks, where agal aufwuchs is extensively located on the islet in the middle of the Mekong River. The new location is approximate 400 km upstream from the nearest previously known site for this species.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Excavation on Residential Construction Sites
Authors: Forsythe Perry , Ding Grace
Published: December 2014

Despite considerable research concerning the manifestation of greenhouse gases in the usage of buildings, little has been done concerning emissions arising from the construction process itself. This paper specifically examines emissions arising from cut and fill excavation on residential construction sites. Even though such excavation is often seen as being economical in terms of providing a flat base for concrete raft slab construction, the environmental consequences of this approach need to be considered more fully in terms of impact on the environment. This is particularly important when steeply sloping sites are involved and for different soil types. The paper undertakes a study that quantitatively assesses the cumulative greenhouse gas emissions caused by cut and fill excavation on 52 residential projects in Australia for a range of slope and soil types. The paper presents results from the study and concludes that greenhouse gas emissions increase as site slope increases; the building footprint area (as distinct from Gross Floor Area), exposes the need to reduce the area of the building to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; excavation of rock soils creates higher emissions than other soil types; and cut and fill excavation on steeply slope sites increase emissions. Potential alternative construction includes suspended floor construction systems which involve less excavation.
A model study on changes of European and Swiss particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen deposition between 1990 and 2020 due to the revised Gothenburg protocol
Authors: Aksoyoglu S. , Keller J. , Ciarelli G. , Prévôt A. S. H. , Baltensperger U.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. We report a study of changes in air quality due to emission reductions using the chemical transport model CAMx. The model domain includes all of Europe with a nested domain over Switzerland. The model simulations were performed with emissions for 1990 (the reference year for the Gothenburg Protocol), 2005 (the reference year for the revised Gothenburg Protocol), 2006 (for model validation) and 2020 (the target year for the revised Gothenburg Protocol) using three emission scenarios prepared by IIASA/GAINS. Changes in ozone, particulate matter and nitrogen deposition are the central theme of the study. The modelled relative changes in the annual average PM2.5 concentrations between 1990 and 2005 look reasonable based on various PM10 and PM2.5 observations in the past. The results obtained in this study suggest that annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 decreased by about 20–50% in Europe. Simulations using the baseline scenario (BL 2020) suggest that PM2.5 concentrations in 2020 will be about 30% lower than those in 2005. The largest predicted decrease in PM2.5, based on the MTFR (maximum technically feasible reduction) scenario, was about 60% and was located mainly in the eastern part of Europe. In the case of ozone, both model results and measurements show an increase in the mean ozone mixing ratios between 1990 and 2005. The observations, however, suggest a larger increase, indicating the importance of background ozone levels. Although emission reductions caused a decrease in peak ozone values, average ozone levels in polluted regions increased due to reduced titration with nitric oxide (NO). This caused a change in the frequency distribution of ozone. Model simulations using emission scenarios for 2020 suggest that annual average ozone mixing ratios will continue to increase. Changes in the levels of the damage indicators AOT40 for forests and SOMO35 are reported as well. The model results suggest that nitrogen deposition has decreased by 10–30% in the eastern part of Europe since 1990, while it has increased by about 20% in the Iberian Peninsula. The decrease is mainly due to the deposition of oxidized nitrogen species, whereas deposition of reduced nitrogen compounds increased. In Switzerland, nitrogen deposition is larger in the northern part of the Alps, where ammonia emissions are the highest. Applying the baseline scenario, we found that the deposition of oxidized nitrogen compounds will have decreased by a further 40% by 2020, whereas deposition of reduced species will continue to increase. This will lead to a 10–20% decrease in the total nitrogen deposition in most of the model domain, with a 10% increase in the eastern part of Europe.
Sources of black carbon aerosols in South Asia and surrounding regions during the Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget (ICARB)
Authors: Kumar R. , Barth M. C. , Nair V. S. , Pfister G. G. , Babu S. S. , Satheesh S. K. , Moorthy K. K. , Carmichael G. R.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. The dominant sources of black carbon (BC) in South Asia and surrounding regions are inferred during March–May 2006 (Integrated Campaign for Aerosols, Gases and Radiation Budget, ICARB) period by introducing BC tracers in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model coupled with Chemistry. The model reproduced the magnitude, temporal and spatial variability of BC distribution observed during the ICARB ship-cruise. Average and SD (representing the spatial and temporal variability) in observed and modeled BC mass concentrations along the ship-track are estimated as 755 ± 734 and 732 ± 913 ng m−3 respectively. Average modeled values at most of the inland stations were also found to fall within the range of observed values. Model results show that ICARB measurements were fairly well representative of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal during the pre-monsoon season. Results show that anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions, respectively, accounted for 70 and 28 % of the average ± SD BC mass concentration (1480 ± 5920 ng m−3) in South Asia. BC emissions from residential (49 %) and industrial (37 %) sectors appear to be the major anthropogenic sources, except in the Himalayas where vehicular emissions dominated. We find that, while all parts of continental India contributed to anthropogenic BC over the Bay of Bengal, contribution over the Arabian Sea came mostly from southern Peninsula. We also show that regional-scale transport of anthropogenic emissions contribute up to 30 % of BC mass concentrations in western and eastern India, suggesting that it is important to consider non-local sources along with the local emissions while designing strategies for mitigating BC emissions.
The role of organic condensation on ultrafine particle growth during nucleation events
Authors: Patoulias D. , Fountoukis C. , Riipinen I. , Pandis S. N.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. A new aerosol dynamics model (DMANx) has been developed that simulates the aerosol size/composition distribution and includes the condensation of organic vapors on nanoparticles through the implementation of the recently developed Volatility Basis Set framework. Simulations were performed for Hyytiala (Finland) and Finokalia (Greece), two locations with different organic sources where detailed measurements were available to constrain the new model. We investigate the effect of condensation of organics and chemical aging reactions of secondary organic aerosol (OA) on ultrafine particle growth and particle number concentration. This work highlights the importance of the pathways of oxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds and the production of extremely low-volatility organics. At Hyytiala, organic condensation dominates the growth process of new particles. The low-volatility secondary OA contributes to particle growth during the early growth stage, but after a few hours most of the growth is due to semi-volatile secondary OA. At Finokalia, simulations show that organics have a complementary role to new particle growth contributing 45% to the total mass of new particles. Condensation of organics increases the number concentration of particles that can act as CCN (N100) by 13% at Finokalia and 25% at Hyytiala. The sensitivity of our results to the surface tension used is discussed.
On the link between hygroscopicity, volatility, and oxidation state of ambient and water-soluble aerosol in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Cerully K. M. , Bougiatioti A. , Hite Jr. J. R. , Guo H. , Xu L. , Ng N. L. , Weber R. , Nenes A.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. The formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) combined with the partitioning of semi-volatile organic components can impact numerous aerosol properties including cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity, hygroscopicity and volatility. During the summer 2013 Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) field campaign in a rural site in the Southeastern United States, a suite of instruments including a CCN counter, a thermodenuder (TD) and a high resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) were used to measure CCN activity, aerosol volatility, composition and oxidation state. Particles were either sampled directly from ambient or through a Particle Into Liquid Sampler (PILS), allowing the investigation of the water-soluble aerosol component. Ambient aerosol exhibited size-dependent composition with larger particles being more hygroscopic. The hygroscopicity of thermally-denuded aerosol was similar between ambient and PILS-generated aerosol and showed limited dependence on volatilization. Results of AMS 3-factor Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) analysis for the PILS-generated aerosol showed that the most hygroscopic components are most likely the most and the least volatile features of the aerosol. No clear relationship was found between organic hygroscopicity and oxygen-to-carbon ratio; in fact, Isoprene organic aerosol (Isoprene-OA) was found to be the most hygroscopic factor, while at the same time being the least oxidized and likely most volatile of all PMF factors. Considering the diurnal variation of each PMF factor and its associated hygroscopicity, Isoprene-OA and More Oxidized – Oxidized Oxygenated Organic Aerosol (MO-OOA) are the prime contributors to hygroscopicity and covary with Less Oxidized – Oxidized Oxygenated Organic Aerosol (LO-OOA) in a way that induces the observed diurnal invariance in total organic hygroscopicity. Biomass Burning Organic Aerosol (BBOA) contributed little to aerosol hygroscopicity, which is expected since there was little biomass burning activity during the sampling period examined.
Solar cycle in current reanalyses: (non)linear attribution study
Authors: Kuchar A. , Sacha P. , Miksovsky J. , Pisoft P.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. This study focusses on the variability of temperature, ozone and circulation characteristics in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere with regard to the influence of the 11 year solar cycle. It is based on attribution analysis using multiple nonlinear techniques (Support Vector Regression, Neural Networks) besides the traditional linear approach. The analysis was applied to several current reanalysis datasets for the 1979–2013 period, including MERRA, ERA-Interim and JRA-55, with the aim to compare how this type of data resolves especially the double-peaked solar response in temperature and ozone variables and the consequent changes induced by these anomalies. Equatorial temperature signals in the lower and upper stratosphere were found to be sufficiently robust and in qualitative agreement with previous observational studies. The analysis also pointed to the solar signal in the ozone datasets (i.e. MERRA and ERA-Interim) not being consistent with the observed double-peaked ozone anomaly extracted from satellite measurements. Consequently the results obtained by linear regression were confirmed by the nonlinear approach through all datasets, suggesting that linear regression is a relevant tool to sufficiently resolve the solar signal in the middle atmosphere. Furthermore, the seasonal dependence of the solar response was also discussed, mainly as a source of dynamical causalities in the wave propagation characteristics in the zonal wind and the induced meridional circulation in the winter hemispheres. The hypothetical mechanism of a weaker Brewer Dobson circulation was reviewed together with discussion of polar vortex stability.
Evaluation of a regional chemistry transport model using a newly developed regional OMI NO2 retrieval
Authors: Kuhlmann G. , Lam Y. F. , Cheung H. M. , Hartl A. , Fung J. C. H. , Chan P. W. , Wenig M. O.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. In this paper, we evaluate a high-resolution chemistry transport model (CTM) (3 km x 3 km spatial resolution) with the new Hong Kong (HK) NO2 retrieval developed for the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on-board the Aura satellite. The three-dimensional atmospheric chemistry was modelled in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in southern China by the Models-3 Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modelling system from October 2006 to January 2007. In the HK NO2 retrieval, tropospheric air mass factors (AMF) were recalculated using high-resolution ancillary parameters of surface reflectance, NO2 profile shapes and aerosol profiles of which the latter two were taken from the CMAQ simulation. We also tested four different aerosol parametrizations. Ground level measurements by the PRD Regional Air Quality Monitoring (RAQM) network were used as additional independent measurements. The HK NO2 retrieval increases the NO2 vertical column densities (VCD) by (+31 ± 38) %, when compared to NASA's standard product (SP2), and reduces the mean bias (MB) between satellite and ground measurements by 26 percentage points from −41 to −15 %. The correlation coefficient r is low for both satellite datasets (r = 0.35) due to the high spatial variability of NO2 concentrations. The correlation between CMAQ and the RAQM network is low (r ≈ 0.3) and the model underestimates the NO2 concentrations in the north-western model domain (Foshan and Guangzhou). We compared the CMAQ NO2 time series of the two main plumes with our regional OMI NO2 product. The model overestimates the NO2 VCDs by about 15 % in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, while the correlation coefficient is satisfactory (r = 0.56). In Foshan and Guangzhou, the correlation is low (r = 0.37) and the model underestimates the VCDs strongly (MB = −40 %). In addition, we estimated that the OMI VCDs are also underestimated by about 10 to 20 % in Foshan and Guangzhou because of the influence of the model parameters on the AMF. In this study, we demonstrate that the HK OMI NO2 retrieval reduces the bias of the satellite measurements and thus the dataset can be used to study the magnitude of NO2 concentrations in a regional model. The low bias can be achieved if AMFs are recalculated with more accurate surface reflectance, aerosol profiles and NO2 profiles; only NO2 profiles have been replaced in earlier studies. Since unbiased concentrations are important, for example, in air pollution studies, the results of this paper can be very helpful in future model evaluation studies.
The numerical simulation on ionospheric perturbations in electric field before large earthquakes
Authors: Zhao S. F. , Zhang X. M. , Zhao Z. Y. , Shen X. H.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Many observational results have shown electromagnetic abnormality in the ionosphere before large earthquakes. The theoretical simulation can help us to understand the internal mechanism of these anomalous electromagnetic signals resulted from seismic regions. In this paper, the horizontal and vertical components of electric and magnetic field at the topside ionosphere are simulated by using the full wave method that is based on an improved transfer matrix method in the lossy anisotropic horizontally stratified ionosphere. Taken account into two earthquakes with electric field perturbations recorded by the DEMETER satellite, the numerical results reveal that the propagation and penetration of ULF (ultra-low-frequency) electromagnetic waves into the ionosphere is related to the spatial distribution of electron and ion densities at different time and locations, in which the ion density has less effect than electron density on the field intensity. Compared with different frequency signals, the minimum values of electric and magnetic field excited by earthquakes can be detected by satellite in current detection capability have also been calculated, and the lower frequency wave can be detected easier.
Biogeochemical indicators of peatland degradation – a case study of a temperate bog in northern Germany
Authors: Krüger J. P. , Leifeld J. , Glatzel S. , Szidat S. , Alewell C.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Peatlands store a great proportion of the global soil carbon pool and can loose carbon via the atmosphere due to degradation. In Germany, most of the greenhouse gas emissions from organic soils are attributed to sites managed as grassland. Here we investigated a land-use gradient from near-natural wetland (NW) to an extensively managed (GE) to an intensively managed grassland site (GI), all formed in the same bog complex in northern Germany. Vertical depth profiles of δ13C, δ15N, ash content, C/N ratio, bulk density, as well as radiocarbon ages were studied to identify peat degradation and to calculate carbon loss. At all sites, including the near-natural site, δ13C depth profiles indicate aerobic decomposition in the upper horizons. Depth profiles of δ15Ndiffered significantly between sites with increasing δ15N values in the top layers with increasing intensity of use, indicating that the peat is more decomposed. At both grassland sites, the ash content peaked within the first centimeter. In the near-natural site, ash contents were highest in 10–60 cm depth. This indicates that not only the managed grasslands, but also the near-natural site, is influenced by anthropogenic activities, most likely due to the drainage of the surrounding area. However, we found very young peat material in the first centimeter of the NW, indicating recent peat growth. The NW site accumulates carbon today even though it is and probably was influenced by anthropogenic activities in the past indicated by δ13C and ash content depth profiles. Based on the enrichment of ash content and changes in bulk density, we calculated carbon loss from these sites in retrograde. As expected land use intensification leads to a higher carbon loss which is supported by the higher peat ages at the intensive managed grassland site. All investigated biogeochemical parameters together indicate degradation of peat due to (i) conversion to grassland, (ii) historical drainage as well as recent development and (iii) land use intensification.
Carbon, oxygen and biological productivity in the Southern Ocean in and out the Kerguelen plume: CARIOCA drifter results
Authors: Merlivat L. , Boutin J. , d'Ovidio F.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. The Kerguelen Plateau region in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean supports annually a large-scale phytoplankton bloom which is naturally fertilized with iron. As part of the second Kerguelen Ocean and Plateau compared Study expedition (KEOPS2) in austral spring (October–November 2011), one Carioca buoy was deployed east of the Kerguelen plateau. It drifted eastward downstream in the Kerguelen plume. Hourly surface measurements of pCO2, O2 and ancillary observations were collected between 1 November 2011 to 12 February 2012 with the aim of characterizing the spatial and temporal variability of the biological Net Community Production (NCP) downstream the Kerguelen plateau, assess the impact of iron-induced productivity on the biological carbon consumption and consequently on the CO2 flux exchanged at the air–sea interface. The trajectory of the buoy until mid-December was within the longitude range, 72–83° E, close to the polar front and then in the polar frontal zone, PFZ, until 97° E. From 17 November to 16 December, the buoy drifted within the Kerguelen plume following a filament carrying dissolved iron, DFe, for a total distance of 700 km. In the first part of the trajectory, the ocean surface waters are a sink for CO2 and a source for CO2, with fluxes of respective mean values equal to −8 and +38 mmol CO2 m−2 d−1. Eastward, as the buoy escapes the iron enriched filament, the fluxes are in opposite direction, with respective mean values of +5 and −48 mmol O2 m−2 d−1. These numbers clearly indicate the strong impact of biological processes on the biogeochemistry in the surface waters within the Kerguelen plume in November-mid-December, while it is undetectable eastward in the PFZ from mid-December to mid-February. While the buoy follows the Fe enriched filament, simultaneous observations of dissolved inorganic carbon, DIC, and dissolved oxygen, O2, highlight biological events lasting from 2 to 4 days. Stoichiometric ratios, O2/C, between 1.1 and 1.4 are observed indicating new and regenerated production regimes. NCP estimates range from 60 to 140 mmol C m−2 d−1. Based on the relationship between the time a water parcel has left the plateau and its iron content, we have highlighted that the main control on the value of NCP is the availability of iron in the upper water column, with the largest NCP occurring in waters that have recently left the plateau and presented the highest iron concentrations.
Modeling the impact of riverine DON removal by marine bacterioplankton on primary production in the Arctic Ocean
Authors: Le Fouest V. , Manizza M. , Tremblay B. , Babin M.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. The planktonic and biogeochemical dynamics of the Arctic shelves exhibit a strong variability in response to Arctic warming. In this study, in order to elucidate on the processes regulating the production of phytoplankton (PP) and bacterioplankton (BP) and their interactions, we employ a biogeochemical model coupled to a pan-Arctic ocean-sea ice model (MITgcm) to explicitly simulate and quantify the contribution of usable dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) drained by the major circum-Arctic rivers on PP and BP in a scenario of melting sea ice (1998–2011). Model simulations suggest that on average between 1998 and 2011, the removal of usable RDON by bacterioplankton is responsible of a ~26% increase of the annual BP for the whole Arctic Ocean. With respect to total PP, the model simulates an increase of ~8% on an annual basis and of ~18% in summer. Recycled ammonium is responsible for the PP increase. The recycling of RDON by bacterioplankton promotes higher BP and PP but there is no significant temporal trend in the BP : PP ratio within the ice-free shelves over the 1998–2011 period. This suggests no significant evolution in the balance between autotrophy and heterotrophy in the last decade with a constant annual flux of RDON into the coastal ocean although changes in RDON supply and further reduction in sea ice cover could potentially alter this delicate balance.
Sensitivity of the air–sea CO2 exchange in the Baltic Sea and Danish inner waters to atmospheric short term variability
Authors: Lansø A. S. , Bendtsen J. , Christensen J. H. , Sørensen L. L. , Chen H. , Meijer H. A. J. , Geels C.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Minimising the uncertainties in estimates of air–sea CO2 exchange is an important step toward increasing the confidence in assessments of the CO2 cycle. Using an atmospheric transport model makes it possible to investigate the direct impact of atmospheric parameters on the air–sea CO2 flux along with its sensitivity to e.g. short-term temporal variability in wind speed, atmospheric mixing height and the atmospheric CO2 concentration. With this study the importance of high spatiotemporal resolution of atmospheric parameters for the air–sea CO2 flux is assessed for six sub-basins within the Baltic Sea and Danish inner waters. A new climatology of surface water partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) has been developed for this coastal area based on available data from monitoring stations and underway pCO2 measuring systems. Parameterisations depending on wind speed were applied for the transfer velocity to calculate the air–sea CO2 flux. Two model simulations were conducted – one including short term variability in atmospheric CO2 (VAT), and one where it was not included (CAT). A seasonal cycle in the air–sea CO2 flux was found for both simulations for all sub-basins with uptake of CO2 in summer and release of CO2 to the atmosphere in winter. During the simulated period 2005–2010 the average annual net uptake of atmospheric CO2 for the Baltic Sea, Danish Straits and Kattegat was 287 and 471 Gg C yr-1 for the VAT and CAT simulations, respectively. The obtained difference of 184 Gg C yr-1 was found to be significant, and thus ignoring short term variability in atmospheric CO2 does have a sizeable effect on the air–sea CO2 exchange. The combination of the atmospheric model and the new pCO2 fields has also made it possible to make an estimate of the marine part of the Danish CO2 budget for the first time. A net annual uptake of 2613 Gg C yr-1 was found for the Danish waters. A large uncertainty is connected to the air–sea CO2 flux in particular caused by the transfer velocity parameterisation and the applied pCO2 climatology. However, the present study underlines the importance of including short term variability in the atmospheric CO2 concentration in future model studies of the air–sea exchange in order to minimise the uncertainty.
Life threatening angioedema in a patient on ACE inhibitor (ACEI) confined to the upper airway
Authors: Tharayil Abdulgafoor Muslim , Chanda Arshad Hussain , Shiekh Hakim Ahmad , Elkhatib Mohamed Saad , Nayeemuddin Mohammed , Alshamandy Abdelhafiz Ali Ahmed
Published: December 2014

Introduction: ACE inhibitors accounts for 8% of all cases of angioneurotic edema and the overall incidence is 0.1 to 0.7% of patients on ACE inhibitors. It is a leading cause (20-40%) of emergency room visits in the US with angioedema. We report a case of angioedema caused by ACE inhibitors confined to the upper airway after four years on treatment with Lisinopril which persisted for three weeks and required endotracheal intubation and subsequent tracheostomy due to delayed resolution. This case is one of the rare cases presented as upper airway edema which persisted for a long time. Presentation: A 60-year-old Sudanese male patient with osteoarthritis in both knees underwent bilateral total knee replacement under single-shot epidural anesthesia. He had significant past medical history of type II diabetes, bipolar affective disorder and hypertension managed with Lisinopril for the past four years. Postoperatively after 10 hours the patient desaturated and developed airway obstruction requiring intubation. Laryngoscopy revealed an edematous tongue and upper airway and vocal cords were not visualized. In view of this clinical picture a provisional diagnosis of angioedema secondary to Lisinopril was made and it was discontinued. CT scan of the neck and soft tissues revealed severe airway edema with snugly fitting endotracheal tube with no peritubal air. A repeat CT neck on the tenth postoperative day showed no signs of resolution and an elective tracheostomy was performed on the eleventh postoperative day. C1 inhibitor protein and C4 levels were assayed to exclude hereditary angioedema and were found to be within normal range. Decannulation of tracheostomy was done after airway edema resolved on the twenty-fourth postoperative day as confirmed by CT scan. Subsequently he was transferred to the ward and discharged home. Conclusion: ACEI induced angioedema is a well-recognized condition. Early diagnosis based on a high index of suspicion, immediate withdrawal of the offending drug followed by supportive therapy is the cornerstone of management.
Determinants of non-urgent Emergency Department attendance among females in Qatar
Authors: Read Jen'nan Ghazal , Varughese Shinu , Cameron Peter A.
Published: December 2014

Background: The use of emergency department (ED) services for non-urgent conditions is well-studied in many Western countries but much less so in the Middle East and Gulf region. While the consequences are universal—a drain on ED resources and poor patient outcomes—the causes and solutions are likely to be region and country specific. Unique social and economic circumstances also create gender-specific motivations for patient attendance. Alleviating demand on ED services requires understanding these circumstances, as past studies have shown. We undertook this study to understand why female patients with low-acuity conditions choose the emergency department in Qatar over other healthcare options. Setting and design: Prospective study at Hamad General Hospital's (HGH) emergency department female “see-and-treat” unit that treats low-acuity cases. One hundred female patients were purposively recruited to participate in the study. Three trained physicians conducted semi-structured interviews with patients over a three-month period after they had been treated and given informed consent. Results: The study found that motivations for ED attendance were systematically influenced by employment status as an expatriate worker. Forty percent of the sample had been directed to the ED by their employers, and the vast majority (89%) of this group cited employer preference as the primary reason for choosing the ED. The interviews revealed that a major obstacle to workers using alternative facilities was the lack of a government-issued health card, which is available to all citizens and residents at a nominal rate. Conclusion: Reducing the number of low-acuity cases in the emergency department at HGH will require interventions aimed at encouraging patients with non-urgent conditions to use alternative healthcare facilities. Potential interventions include policy changes that require employers to either provide workers with a health card or compel employees to acquire one for themselves.
The potential implications of environmental deterioration on business and non-business visitor expenditures in a natural setting
Authors: Mustika Putu Liza Kusuma , Stoeckl Natalie , Farr Marina
Published: December 2014

Nature-based tourism can be an important source of income for regional economies but relies on a healthy environment. Using data collected from business and non-business visitors to Australia’s coast adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef, the authors generate estimates of the potential financial impact of environmental degradation, demonstrating a novel way of testing and controlling for hypothetical response bias. More than 90% of non-business visitors and 67% of business visitors came to the region for at least one nature-related reason. Average daily expenditure was similar for both visitor segments (≈AUD$190), but the determinants of expenditure varied. All visitors reacted much more negatively to the prospect of environmental degradation than to a 20% increase in (local) prices, although business visitors were much less responsive than non-business visitors. Adjusting for hypothetical response bias, the authors estimate that substantial environmental degradation could reduce visitor expenditures (and thus local tourism incomes) by at least 17%.
BEM-ESTAR E PRODUÇÃO ANIMAL: ASPECTOS ECONÔMICOS - REVISÃO
Authors: MOLENTO C.F.M.
Published: December 2014

O conflito entre recursos financeiros escassos e a necessidade de investimento para assegurar a qualidade de vida dos animais afeta diretamente as atitudes em relação ao bem-estar de animais de produção no Brasil. Em alguns países, esse conflito encontra-se em ampla discussão. Os principais conceitos necessários ao entendimento dessa questão são apresentados brevemente abaixo, incluindo os aspectos econômicos descritos no relatório sobre Bem-Estar Animal, Economia e Regulamentação, recentemente publicado pelo governo do Reino Unido, o qual constitui um dos artigos mais completos sobre o assunto. As informações são apresentadas contextualizadas para o atual cenário mundial e para a situação brasileira em relação ao bem-estar de animais de produção. Animal welfare and production: economic aspects  Review Abstract The conflict between scarce financial resources and the need to invest on animal life quality directly affects the attitudes towards farm animal welfare in Brazil. In some countries, this is an ongoing discussion. The main concepts related to the understanding of this issue are briefly presented below, including economic aspects described on the Report on Animal Welfare, Economics and Policy, recently published by the government of the United Kingdom, which constitutes one of the most comprehensive papers on the subject. The information is commented in light both on the current world scenario and on the Brazilian situation regarding farm animal welfare.
PROPTOSE EM CÃES E GATOS: ANÁLISE RETROSPECTIVA DE 64 CASOS
Authors: BRANDÃO C.V.S. , RANZANI J.J.T. , MARINHO L.F.L.P. , RODRIGUES G.N. , CREMONINI D.N.
Published: December 2014

Foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo envolvendo 45 cães e 19 gatos com proptose traumática do bulbo ocular. Foram estudados vários aspectos, tais como sexo, raça, idade, etiologia, tempo decorrente entre a lesão e admissão, seqüelas, além daqueles relacionados ao tratamento. O principal fator etiológico verificado entre cães foi a briga, enquanto na maioria dos gatos, a causa era desconhecida. Os cães adultos sem raça definida, seguidos pelo Pinscher, Poodle, Cocker Spaniel e Boxer foram os mais acometidos. As complicações mais comuns associadas à proptose foram ceratite ulcerativa, estrabismo, hifema, quemose, hiperemia, hemorragia de conjuntiva e periocular, ressecamento e opacidade da córnea, prolapso de terceira pálpebra, além de fratura nos ossos da face. Quinze cães e apenas 2 gatos avaliados foram submetidos ao reposicionamento do bulbo e tarsorrafia. Desses animais, somente 13 cães recuperaram a visão. Conclui-se que a precocidade na admissão dos cães influencia sobremaneira a obtenção de um prognóstico mais favorável, bem como na escolha do tratamento. Os gatos apresentam pior prognóstico em relação aos cães. Proptose in dogs and cats: retrospective analyses of 64 medical records Abstract A retrospective study of 45 dogs and 19 cats with traumatic proptosis was performed. Sex, breed-specific, age, etiologic factors, time between trauma and admission, sequels and treatment were obtained for these animals. The principal etiologic factor in dogs was fight and in cats was unknown. Mongrel dogs, Pinscher, Cocker and Boxer were the most affected breeds. The common complications were corneal ulceration, strabismus, hyphema, chemosis, hyperemia, conjunctive hemorrhage, defects in the corneal epithelium, third eyelid prolapsed and facial bone fractures. Fifteen dogs and only two cats suffered repositioning followed by tarsorrhaphy. From these animals, only thirteen dogs recovered the eye vision. In conclusion, the precocity in the admission was important for a more favorable prognosis as much as the treatment choice. The cats presented worse prognosis when compared to dogs.
PADRONIZAÇÃO DA CITOLOGIA DE IMPRESSÃO DA SUPERFÍCIE OCULAR CANINA
Authors: GODOY-ESTEVES C.A.L. , BARROS J.N. , CUNHA L.S. , MASCARO V.L.D. , HOFLING-LIMA A.L. , BARROS P.S.M.
Published: December 2014

Técnica de exame de citologia de impressão foi padronizada em olhos de cães sem alterações oculares. Foram realizados exames de citologia de impressão do epitélio corneano, conjuntival e tarsal em 30 olhos de 21 animais de raças e idades variadas. As amostras foram colhidas de cães atendidos no Hospital Veterinário da FMVZ-USP entre fevereiro e julho de 2003, sendo coradas e avaliadas no Laboratório de Doenças Externas Oculares da UNIFESP. A colheita foi bem tolerada pelos cães e o papel filtro utilizado removeu células em quantidade e morfologia adequadas para estudo citológico. Foi observado em 100% dos casos que o epitélio da conjuntiva bulbar canina apresenta aspecto metaplasia-like, com ausência de células caliciformes. Estas só foram encontradas na conjuntiva tarsal em 21,4% das amostras avaliadas dessa região. A citologia de impressão é um método factível para avaliação da superfície ocular em cães. Entretanto, a celularidade das amostras obtidas do tarso mostrou-se inadequada. Além disso, a pesquisa da densidade de células caliciformes em áreas bulbares, embora usada em seres humanos, pode não servir como indicador de alteração da superfície ocular para a espécie canina. Standardization of canine ocular surface impression cytology Abstract Impression cytology technique in dog eyes without ocular disease was standardized. Impression cytology was performed in corneal, conjunctival and tarsal epithelium in 30 eyes of 21 animals with different races and ages. Samples were obtained from dogs attended in FMVZ-USP Veterinary Hospital between February to July 2003, being stained and evaluated at UNIFESP´s External Eye Disease Laboratory. Sampling was well tolerated by dogs and the filter paper used removed cells with adequate morphology and quantity for cytologyc evaluation. In all cases canine bulbar conjunctival epithelium showed metaplasia-like features without goblet cells. Impression cytology is a feasible method for ocular surface evaluation in dogs. However, celularity was considered inadequated in samples obtained from tarsal conjunctiva. Furthermore, seeking goblet cell density in bulbar areas, although used in human beings, may not be used as an ocular surface disease indicator in canine species.
METODOLOGIAS DE DESNUDAMENTO PARCIAL DE OÓCITOS BOVINOS MATURADOS E SUBMETIDOS À VITRIFICAÇÃO
Authors: MEZZALIRA A. , CUCCO D.C. , BUNN S. , CRUZ F.B. , WERLICH D.E. , VIEIRA A.D. , SANTOS R.M.
Published: December 2014

Diferentes metodologias de desnudamento parcial de oócitos bovinos maturados foram avaliadas na produção in vitro de embriões e na vitrificação, em três experimentos. No primeiro avaliou-se o efeito do desnudamento parcial realizado por sucessivas pipetagens. No segundo, comparou-se o desnudamento através de sucessivas pipetagens, com o realizado pela enzima hialuronidase e no terceiro, avaliou-se a influência das duas metodologias na vitrificação de oócitos. Os oócitos foram submetidos aos tratamentos após 22 horas de maturação em meio TCM 199. Para a vitrificação, foram expostos por 30 segundos a uma solução de equilíbrio e 20 segundos a uma solução de vitrificação (20%EG + 20% Dimitilsufoxido (DMSO) + 0,3MSAC), envasados em palhetas abertas e estiradas (OPS) e mergulhados em N2 líquido. O reaquecimento foi realizado com exposição a concentrações decrescentes de sacarose. Os oócitos de todos os tratamentos foram submetidos a duas horas adicionais de maturação, seguida da fecundação e os possíveis zigotos cultivados em meio SOFaaci. No experimento I foi observado um decréscimo de 28,7% para 20,5% na taxa de blastocistos com o emprego do desnudamento (P