bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of Using Synthetic Aperture Radar to Aid UAV Navigation
Authors: Nitti Davide , Bovenga Fabio , Chiaradia Maria , Greco Mario , Pinelli Gianpaolo
Published: July 2015

This study explores the potential of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to aid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) navigation when Inertial Navigation System (INS) measurements are not accurate enough to eliminate drifts from a planned trajectory. This problem can affect medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV class, which permits heavy and wide payloads (as required by SAR) and flights for thousands of kilometres accumulating large drifts. The basic idea is to infer position and attitude of an aerial platform by inspecting both amplitude and phase of SAR images acquired onboard. For the amplitude-based approach, the system navigation corrections are obtained by matching the actual coordinates of ground landmarks with those automatically extracted from the SAR image. When the use of SAR amplitude is unfeasible, the phase content can be exploited through SAR interferometry by using a reference Digital Terrain Model (DTM). A feasibility analysis was carried out to derive system requirements by exploring both radiometric and geometric parameters of the acquisition setting. We showed that MALE UAV, specific commercial navigation sensors and SAR systems, typical landmark position accuracy and classes, and available DTMs lead to estimated UAV coordinates with errors bounded within ±12 m, thus making feasible the proposed SAR-based backup system.
Tip Effect of the Tapping Mode of Atomic Force Microscope in Viscous Fluid Environments
Authors: Shih Hua-Ju , Shih Po-Jen
Published: July 2015

Atomic force microscope with applicable types of operation in a liquid environment is widely used to scan the contours of biological specimens. The contact mode of operation allows a tip to touch a specimen directly but sometimes it damages the specimen; thus, a tapping mode of operation may replace the contact mode. The tapping mode triggers the cantilever of the microscope approximately at resonance frequencies, and so the tip periodically knocks the specimen. It is well known that the cantilever induces extra liquid pressure that leads to drift in the resonance frequency. Studies have noted that the heights of protein surfaces measured via the tapping mode of an atomic force microscope are ~25% smaller than those measured by other methods. This discrepancy may be attributable to the induced superficial hydrodynamic pressure, which is worth investigating. In this paper, we introduce a semi-analytical method to analyze the pressure distribution of various tip geometries. According to our analysis, the maximum hydrodynamic pressure on the specimen caused by a cone-shaped tip is ~0.5 Pa, which can, for example, pre-deform a cell by several nanometers in compression before the tip taps it. Moreover, the pressure calculated on the surface of the specimen is 20 times larger than the pressure without considering the tip effect; these results have not been motioned in other papers. Dominating factors, such as surface heights of protein surface, mechanical stiffness of protein increasing with loading velocity, and radius of tip affecting the local pressure of specimen, are also addressed in this study.
A Novel Speed Compensation Method for ISAR Imaging with Low SNR
Authors: Liu Yongxiang , Zhang Shuanghui , Zhu Dekang , Li Xiang
Published: July 2015

In this paper, two novel speed compensation algorithms for ISAR imaging under a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) condition have been proposed, which are based on the cubic phase function (CPF) and the integrated cubic phase function (ICPF), respectively. These two algorithms can estimate the speed of the target from the wideband radar echo directly, which breaks the limitation of speed measuring in a radar system. With the utilization of non-coherent accumulation, the ICPF-based speed compensation algorithm is robust to noise and can meet the requirement of speed compensation for ISAR imaging under a low SNR condition. Moreover, a fast searching implementation strategy, which consists of coarse search and precise search, has been introduced to decrease the computational burden of speed compensation based on CPF and ICPF. Experimental results based on radar data validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
V-Alert: Description and Validation of a Vulnerable Road User Alert System in the Framework of a Smart City
Authors: Hernandez-Jayo Unai , De-la-Iglesia Idoia , Perez Jagoba
Published: July 2015

V-Alert is a cooperative application to be deployed in the frame of Smart Cities with the aim of reducing the probability of accidents involving Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) and vehicles. The architecture of V-Alert combines short- and long-range communication technologies in order to provide more time to the drivers and VRU to take the appropriate maneuver and avoid a possible collision. The information generated by mobile sensors (vehicles and cyclists) is sent over this heterogeneous communication architecture and processed in a central server, the Drivers Cloud, which is in charge of generating the messages that are shown on the drivers’ and cyclists’ Human Machine Interface (HMI). First of all, V-Alert has been tested in a simulated scenario to check the communications architecture in a complex scenario and, once it was validated, all the elements of V-Alert have been moved to a real scenario to check the application reliability. All the results are shown along the length of this paper.
An Impedance Aptasensor with Microfluidic Chips for Specific Detection of H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus
Authors: Lum Jacob , Wang Ronghui , Hargis Billy , Tung Steve , Bottje Walter , Lu Huaguang , Li Yanbin
Published: July 2015

In this research a DNA aptamer, which was selected through SELEX (systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) to be specific against the H5N1 subtype of the avian influenza virus (AIV), was used as an alternative reagent to monoclonal antibodies in an impedance biosensor utilizing a microfluidics flow cell and an interdigitated microelectrode for the specific detection of H5N1 AIV. The gold surface of the interdigitated microelectrode embedded in a microfluidics flow cell was modified using streptavidin. The biotinylated aptamer against H5N1 was then immobilized on the electrode surface using biotin–streptavidin binding. The target virus was captured on the microelectrode surface, causing an increase in impedance magnitude. The aptasensor had a detection time of 30 min with a detection limit of 0.0128 hemagglutinin units (HAU). Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the binding of the target virus onto the electrode surface. The DNA aptamer was specific to H5N1 and had no cross-reaction to other subtypes of AIV (e.g., H1N1, H2N2, H7N2). The newly developed aptasensor offers a portable, rapid, low-cost alternative to current methods with the same sensitivity and specificity.
Carbon Footprints and Embodied Carbon Flows Analysis for China’s Eight Regions: A New Perspective for Mitigation Solutions
Authors: Xie Xi , Cai Wenjia , Jiang Yongkai , Zeng Weihua
Published: July 2015

Carbon footprints have been widely employed as an indicator for total carbon dioxide released by human activities. In this paper, we implemented a multi-regional input-output framework to evaluate the carbon footprints and embodied carbon flows for the eight regions of China from consumption-based perspective. It is found that the construction, electricity/stream supply, and machine manufacturing rank as the top sectors with the largest total carbon emissions. The construction sector alone accounts for 20%–50% of the national emissions. Besides the sectoral carbon footprints, regional footprints and their differences in carbon emissions were also observed. The middle region had the largest total carbon footprints, 1188 million ton, while the capital region ranked the first for its per capita carbon footprint, 7.77 ton/person. In regard to the embodied carbon flows within China, the study detected that the embodied carbon flows take up about 41% of the total carbon footprints of the nation. The northwest region and the eastern coast region are found to be the largest net embodied carbon exporter and importer, respectively. Further investigation revealed significant differences between production-based and consumption-based carbon emissions, both at sectoral and total amounts. Results of this paper can provide specific information to policies on sectoral and regional carbon emission reduction.
Induction of Suicidal Erythrocyte Death by Cantharidin
Authors: Alzoubi Kousi , Egler Jasmin , Briglia Marilena , Fazio Antonella , Faggio Caterina , Lang Florian
Published: July 2015

The natural phosphoprotein phosphatase inhibitor cantharidin, primarily used for topical treatment of warts, has later been shown to trigger tumor cell apoptosis and is thus considered for the treatment of malignancy. Similar to apoptosis of tumor cells, erythrocytes may undergo eryptosis, a suicidal cell death characterized by cell shrinkage and translocation of cell membrane phosphatidylserine to the erythrocyte surface. Signaling of eryptosis includes increase of cytosolic Ca2+-activity ([Ca2+]i), ceramide, oxidative stress and dysregulation of several kinases. Phosphatidylserine abundance at the erythrocyte surface was quantified utilizing annexin-V-binding, cell volume from forward scatter, [Ca2+]i from Fluo3-fluorescence, ceramide from antibody binding, and reactive oxidant species (ROS) from 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) fluorescence. A 48 h treatment of human erythrocytes with cantharidin significantly increased the percentage of annexin-V-binding cells (≥10 mg/mL), significantly decreased forward scatter (≥25 mg/mL), significantly increased [Ca2+]i (≥25 mg/mL), but did not significantly modify ceramide abundance or ROS. The up-regulation of annexin-V-binding following cantharidin treatment was not significantly blunted by removal of extracellular Ca2+ but was abolished by kinase inhibitor staurosporine (1 mM) and slightly decreased by p38 inhibitor skepinone (2 mM). Exposure of erythrocytes to cantharidin triggers suicidal erythrocyte death with erythrocyte shrinkage and erythrocyte membrane scrambling, an effect sensitive to kinase inhibitors staurosporine and skepinone.
CCR5 Targeted Cell Therapy for HIV and Prevention of Viral Escape
Authors: Hütter Gero , Bodor Josef , Ledger Scott , Boyd Maureen , Millington Michelle , Tsie Marlene , Symonds Geoff
Published: July 2015

Allogeneic transplantation with CCR5-delta 32 (CCR5-d32) homozygous stem cells in an HIV infected individual in 2008, led to a sustained virus control and probably eradication of HIV. Since then there has been a high degree of interest to translate this approach to a wider population. There are two cellular ways to do this. The first one is to use a CCR5 negative cell source e.g., hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) to copy the initial finding. However, a recent case of a second allogeneic transplantation with CCR5-d32 homozygous stem cells suffered from viral escape of CXCR4 quasi-species. The second way is to knock down CCR5 expression by gene therapy. Currently, there are five promising techniques, three of which are presently being tested clinically. These techniques include zinc finger nucleases (ZFN), clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 nuclease (CRISPR/Cas9), transcription activator-like effectors nuclease (TALEN), short hairpin RNA (shRNA), and a ribozyme. While there are multiple gene therapy strategies being tested, in this review we reflect on our current knowledge of inhibition of CCR5 specifically and whether this approach allows for consequent viral escape.
Programming of Influenza Vaccine Broadness and Persistence by Mucoadhesive Polymer-Based Adjuvant Systems
Authors: Noh Hyun Jong , Chowdhury Mohammed Y. E. , Cho Seonghun , Kim Jae-Hoon , Park Hye Sun , Kim Chul-Joong , Poo Haryoung , Sung Moon-Hee , Lee Jong-Soo , Lim Yong Taik
Published: July 2015

The development of an anti-influenza vaccine with the potential for cross-protection against seasonal drift variants as well as occasionally emerging reassortant viruses is essential. In this study, we successfully generated a novel anti-influenza vaccine system combining conserved matrix protein 2 (sM2) and stalk domain of hemagglutinin (HA2) fusion protein (sM2HA2) and poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA)–based vaccine adjuvant systems that can act as a mucoadhesive delivery vehicle of sM2HA2 as well as a robust strategy for the incorporation of hydrophobic immunostimulatory 3-O-desacyl-4′-monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and QS21. Intranasal coadministration of sM2HA2 and the combination adjuvant γ-PGA/MPL/QS21 (CA-PMQ) was able to induce a high degree of protective mucosal, systemic, and cell-mediated immune responses. The sM2HA2/CA-PMQ immunization was able to prevent disease symptoms, confering complete protection against lethal infection with divergent influenza subtypes (H5N1, H1N1, H5N2, H7N3, and H9N2) that lasted for at least 6 mo. Therefore, our data suggest that mucosal administration of sM2HA2 in combination with CA-PMQ could be a potent strategy for a broad cross-protective influenza vaccine, and CA-PMQ as a mucosal adjuvant could be used for effective mucosal vaccines.
Population trends of wintering waterbirds in Lombardy between 2002 and 2013
Authors: Longoni Violetta , Rubolini Diego , Pinoli Guido , Fasola Mauro
Published: July 2015

Birds are among the most important biological components of wetlands. They play a key role in their ecology and are an important cultural resource for the public, in part because some species can be legally hunted. The conservation of waterbirds is especially important in terms of land use planning, in light of their ecological, cultural, and economic value. Here we summarize the results of wintering waterbirds censuses carried out in Lombardy between 2002 and 2013, using the standardized International Waterbird Census methodology. Our goals were to identify priority sites for waterbirds; estimate population sizes; define demographic trends; and provide a technical framework for making administrative and legislative decisions on the management and conservation of wetlands and their bird species. Lombardy hosts substantial numbers of wintering waterbirds, and many of its wetlands qualify as areas of conservation interest under Ramsar Convention criteria, as they host >1% of the Italian population of one or more species. Trends for the 20 species of highest conservation or hunting interest showed stable or increasing populations in most cases, with the exception of Black-necked Grebe, Common Pochard, and Eurasian Coot, which instead decreased in 2002-2013. The favourable population trends for most species suggest that the ecological status of Lombardy’s wetlands is essentially stable, but it could be improved by simple measures to improve the natural value of the shorelines and bottoms of major lakes and flooded gravel pits. Hunting was one of the main factors affecting the distribution and abundance of wintering waterbirds, which concentrate in protected areas - over 50% of all birds, rising to over 70% for species of conservation interest concentrate there, despite the fact that protected areas only account for 43% of sites surveyed. Overall, protected areas hosted bird densities that were almost seven times higher than those managed primarily for hunting, while mixed-use areas hosted intermediate densities of birds. The presence of protected and unprotected areas within the same wetland mitigates the effects of hunting on bird populations and species diversity, and may help maintain adequate conditions for their conservation.
The heads of the Catechetical School in Alexandria
Authors: Oliver Willem H.
Published: July 2015

This is the second of two articles, the first article being concerned with general questions regarding the Didaskaleion in Alexandria. The account of the founding of the Didaskaleion in Alexandria is based on information provided by Eusebius of Caesarea (263�339), a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist, in his well-known Historia Ecclesiastica, which he wrote during the first half of the 4th century. The heads of the Didaskaleion are, however, not indicated by Eusebius in an exhaustive order, as he referred to only some of them. The only ancient writer who attempted to assemble a list of heads at the Didaskaleion was Philip Sidetes (ca 380�440), also called Philip of Side (Side being a city in ancient Pamphylia, now Turkey), also a historian, of whom only a few fragments are extant. He provided a list of 13 heads (�teachers�), ending with Rhodon who allegedly was his teacher. This article will list and discuss all the scholars being referred to as heads of the Didaskaleion during her existence, which could date back to the second half of the 1st century CE and ended somewhere near the end of the 4th century.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Research about Africa done by Africans (inhabitants of Africa) needs to increase, because in many ways Africa is silent or silenced about her past. The fundamental question is: �Can anything good come out of Africa?� My answer is, �Yes! Come and see.� Therefore these two articles attempt to indicate the significance of Africa which was actually the place where Christian Theology was founded. This has intradisciplinary as well as interdisciplinary implications; in this case the investigation is done from a theological perspective.
A Microeconometric Analysis of the Springboard Subsidiary: The Case of Spanish Firms
Authors: Marulanda Carolina Caicedo , Pla-Barber José , Darder Fidel León , Rodríguez Jhon James Mora
Published: July 2015

This paper provides a microeconometric analysis of the distinctive characteristics of springboard subsidiaries that have a positive impact on the subsidiaries’ performance. Based on panel data estimations for subsidiaries of European multinational companies with a presence in Spain, the authors found that if the subsidiary is located in the springboard country, then the performance improvement (increase in profit margin) of the subsidiary is about 49 percentage points. When the Spanish subsidiary is considered a springboard subsidiary, its performance is 7.7 percentage points higher than the performance of other subsidiaries that are not springboard subsidiaries. If the subsidiary has a technological relationship with another subsidiary, its performance is 6.7 percentage points higher than the performance of other subsidiaries that do not have a technological relationship. Finally, when the firm has low autonomy, the performance of the subsidiary is 6.2 percentage points lower than that of firms that are independent or have a high level of autonomy.
Observations of relative humidity effects on aerosol light scattering in the Yangtze River Delta of China
Authors: Zhang L. , Sun J. Y. , Shen X. J. , Zhang Y. M. , Che H. , Ma Q. L. , Zhang Y. W. , Zhang X. Y. , Ogren J. A.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Scattering of solar radiation by aerosol particles is highly dependent on relative humidity (RH) as hygroscopic particles take up water with increasing RH. To achieve a better understanding of the effect of aerosol hygroscopic growth on light scattering properties and radiative forcing, the aerosol scattering coefficients at RH in the range of 40 to ~ 90 % were measured using a humidified nephelometer system in the Yangtze River Delta of China in March 2013. In addition, the aerosol size distribution and chemical composition were measured. During the observation period, the mean and standard deviation (SD) of enhancement factors at RH = 85 % for the scattering coefficient (f(85 %)), backscattering coefficient (fb(85 %)), and hemispheric backscatter fraction (fβ(85 %)) were 1.58 ± 0.12, 1.25 ± 0.07, and 0.79 ± 0.04, respectively, i.e., aerosol scattering coefficient and backscattering coefficient increased by 58 and 25 % as the RH increased from 40 to 85 %. Concurrently, the aerosol hemispheric backscatter fraction decreased by 21 %. The relative amount of organic matter (OM) or inorganics in PM1 was found to be a main factor determining the magnitude of f(RH). The highest values of f(RH) corresponded to the aerosols with a small fraction of OM, and vice versa. The relative amount of NO3− in fine particles was strongly correlated with f(85 %), which suggests that NO3− played a vital role in aerosol hygroscopic growth during this study. The mass fraction of nitrate also had a close relationship to the curvature of the humidograms; higher mass fractions of nitrate were associated with humidograms that had the least curvature. Aerosol hygroscopic growth caused a 47 % increase in the calculated aerosol direct radiative forcing at 85 % RH, compared to the forcing at 40 % RH.
High methane emissions dominated annual greenhouse gas balances 30 years after bog rewetting
Authors: Vanselow-Algan M. , Schmidt S. R. , Greven M. , Fiencke C. , Kutzbach L. , Pfeiffer E.-M.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Natural peatlands are important carbon sinks and sources of methane (CH4). In contrast, drained peatlands turn from a carbon sink to a carbon source and potentially emit nitrous oxide (N2O). Rewetting of peatlands thus potentially implies climate change mitigation. However, data about the time span that is needed for the re-establishment of the carbon sink function by restoration are scarce. We therefore investigated the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) balances of three differently vegetated sites of a bog ecosystem 30 years after rewetting. All three vegetation communities turned out to be sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) ranging between 0.6 ± 1.43 t CO2 ha−2 yr−1 (Sphagnum-dominated vegetation) and 3.09 ± 3.86 t CO2 ha−2 yr−1 (vegetation dominated by heath). While accounting for the different global warming potential (GWP) of CO2, CH4 and N2O, the annual GHG balance was calculated. Emissions ranged between 25 and 53 t CO2-eq ha−1 yr−1 and were dominated by large emissions of CH4 (22–51 t CO2-eq ha−1 yr−1), with highest rates found at purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea) stands. These are to our knowledge the highest CH4 emissions so far reported for bog ecosystems in temperate Europe. As the restored area was subject to large fluctuations in the water table, we assume that the high CH4 emission rates were caused by a combination of both the temporal inundation of the easily decomposable plant litter of purple moor grass and the plant-mediated transport through its tissues. In addition, as a result of the land use history, mixed soil material due to peat extraction and refilling can serve as an explanation. With regards to the long time span passed since rewetting, we note that the initial increase in CH4 emissions due to rewetting as described in the literature is not inevitably limited to a short-term period.
Assessment of model estimates of land-atmosphere CO2 exchange across Northern Eurasia
Authors: Rawlins M. A. , McGuire A. D. , Kimball J. S. , Dass P. , Lawrence D. , Burke E. , Chen X. , Delire C. , Koven C. , MacDougall A. , Peng S. , Rinke A. , Saito K. , Zhang W. , Alkama R. , Bohn T. J. , Ciais P. , Decharme B. , Gouttevin I. , Hajima T. , Ji D. , Krinner G. , Lettenmaier D. P. , Miller P. , Moore J. C. , Smith B. , Sueyoshi T.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. A warming climate is altering land-atmosphere exchanges of carbon, with a potential for increased vegetation productivity as well as the mobilization of permafrost soil carbon stores. Here we investigate land-atmosphere carbon dioxide (CO2) cycling through analysis of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and its component fluxes of gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (ER) and soil carbon residence time, simulated by a set of land surface models (LSMs) over a region spanning the drainage basin of Northern Eurasia. The retrospective simulations cover the period 1960–2009 at 0.5° resolution, which is a scale common among many global carbon and climate model simulations. Model performance benchmarks were drawn from comparisons against both observed CO2 fluxes derived from site-based eddy covariance measurements as well as regional-scale GPP estimates based on satellite remote-sensing data. The site-based comparisons depict a tendency for overestimates in GPP and ER for several of the models, particularly at the two sites to the south. For several models the spatial pattern in GPP explains less than half the variance in the MODIS MOD17 GPP product. Across the models NEP increases by as little as 0.01 to as much as 0.79 g C m−2 yr−2, equivalent to 3 to 340 % of the respective model means, over the analysis period. For the multimodel average the increase is 135 % of the mean from the first to last 10 years of record (1960–1969 vs. 2000–2009), with a weakening CO2 sink over the latter decades. Vegetation net primary productivity increased by 8 to 30 % from the first to last 10 years, contributing to soil carbon storage gains. The range in regional mean NEP among the group is twice the multimodel mean, indicative of the uncertainty in CO2 sink strength. The models simulate that inputs to the soil carbon pool exceeded losses, resulting in a net soil carbon gain amid a decrease in residence time. Our analysis points to improvements in model elements controlling vegetation productivity and soil respiration as being needed for reducing uncertainty in land-atmosphere CO2 exchange. These advances will require collection of new field data on vegetation and soil dynamics, the development of benchmarking data sets from measurements and remote-sensing observations, and investments in future model development and intercomparison studies.
Improving the dynamics of Northern Hemisphere high-latitude vegetation in the ORCHIDEE ecosystem model
Authors: Zhu D. , Peng S. S. , Ciais P. , Viovy N. , Druel A. , Kageyama M. , Krinner G. , Peylin P. , Ottlé C. , Piao S. L. , Poulter B. , Schepaschenko D. , Shvidenko A.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Processes that describe the distribution of vegetation and ecosystem succession after disturbance are an important component of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The vegetation dynamics module (ORC-VD) within the process-based ecosystem model ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems) has not been updated and evaluated since many years and is known to produce unrealistic results. This study presents a new parameterization of ORC-VD for mid- to high-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including processes that influence the existence, mortality and competition between tree functional types. A new set of metrics is also proposed to quantify the performance of ORC-VD, using up to five different data sets of satellite land cover, forest biomass from remote sensing and inventories, a data-driven estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and two gridded data sets of soil organic carbon content. The scoring of ORC-VD derived from these metrics integrates uncertainties in the observational data sets. This multi-data set evaluation framework is a generic method that could be applied to the evaluation of other DGVM models. The results of the original ORC-VD published in 2005 for mid- to high-latitudes and of the new parameterization are evaluated against the above-described data sets. Significant improvements were found in the modeling of the distribution of tree functional types north of 40° N. Three additional sensitivity runs were carried out to separate the impact of different processes or drivers on simulated vegetation distribution, including soil freezing which limits net primary production through soil moisture availability in the root zone, elevated CO2 concentration since 1850, and the effects of frequency and severity of extreme cold events during the spin-up phase of the model.
Adjoint of the Global Eulerian–Lagrangian Coupled Atmospheric transport model (A-GELCA v1.0): development and validation
Authors: Belikov D. A. , Maksyutov S. , Yaremchuk A. , Ganshin A. , Kaminski T. , Blessing S. , Sasakawa M. , Starchenko A.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. We present the development of the Adjoint of the Global Eulerian–Lagrangian Coupled Atmospheric (A-GELCA) model that consists of the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) model as an Eulerian three-dimensional transport model (TM), and FLEXPART (FLEXible PARTicle dispersion model) as the Lagrangian plume diffusion model (LPDM). The tangent and adjoint components of the Eulerian model were constructed directly from the original NIES TM code using an automatic differentiation tool known as TAF (Transformation of Algorithms in Fortran; http://www.FastOpt.com), with additional manual pre- and post-processing aimed at improving the performance of the computing, including MPI (Message Passing Interface). As results, the adjoint of Eulerian model is discrete. Construction of the adjoint of the Lagrangian component did not require any code modification, as LPDMs are able to track a significant number of particles back in time and thereby calculate the sensitivity of observations to the neighboring emissions areas. Eulerian and Lagrangian adjoint components were coupled at the time boundary in the global domain.The results are verified using a series of test experiments. The forward simulation shown the coupled model is effective in reproducing the seasonal cycle and short-term variability of CO2 even in the case of multiple limiting factors, such as high uncertainty of fluxes and the low resolution of the Eulerian model. The adjoint model demonstrates the high accuracy compared to direct forward sensitivity calculations and fast performance. The developed adjoint of the coupled model combines the flux conservation and stability of an Eulerian discrete adjoint formulation with the flexibility, accuracy, and high resolution of a Lagrangian backward trajectory formulation.
Early warning of drought in Europe using the monthly ensemble system from ECMWF
Authors: Lavaysse C. , Vogt J. , Pappenberger F.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Timely forecasts of the onset or possible evolution of droughts are an important contribution to mitigate their manifold negative effects. In this paper we therefore analyse and compare the performance of the first month of the probabilistic extended range forecast and of the seasonal forecast from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in predicting droughts over the European continent. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI-1) is used to quantify the onset or likely evolution of ongoing droughts for the next month. It can be shown that on average the extended range forecast has greater skill than the seasonal forecast, whilst both outperform climatology. No significant spatial or temporal patterns can be observed, but the scores are improved when focussing on large-scale droughts. In a second step we then analyse several different methods to convert the probabilistic forecasts of SPI into a Boolean drought warning. It can be demonstrated that methodologies which convert low percentiles of the forecasted SPI cumulative distribution function into warnings are superior in comparison with alternatives such as the mean or the median of the ensemble. The paper demonstrates that up to 40 % of droughts are correctly forecasted one month in advance. Nevertheless, during false alarms or misses, we did not find significant differences in the distribution of the ensemble members that would allow for a quantitative assessment of the uncertainty.
14C in cropland soil of a long-term field trial – experimental variability and implications for estimating carbon turnover
Authors: Leifeld J. , Mayer J.
Published: July 2015

Abstract. Because of their controlled nature, the presence of independent replicates, and their known management history, long-term field experiments are key to the understanding of factors controlling soil carbon. Together with isotope measurements, they provide profound insight into soil carbon dynamics. For soil radiocarbon, an important tracer for understanding these dynamics, experimental variability across replicates is usually not accounted for; hence, a relevant source of uncertainty for quantifying turnover rates is missing. Here, for the first time, radiocarbon measurements of five independent field replicates, and for different layers, of soil from the 66-year-old controlled field experiment ZOFE in Zurich, Switzerland, are used to address this issue. 14C variability was the same across three different treatments and for three different soil layers between the surface and 90 cm depths. On average, experimental variability in 14C content was 12 times the analytical error but still, on a relative basis, smaller than variability in soil carbon concentration. Despite a relative homogeneous variability across the field and along the soil profile, the curved nature of the relationship between radiocarbon content and modelled carbon mean residence time implies that the absolute error of calculated soil carbon turnover time increases with soil depth. In our field experiment findings on topsoil carbon turnover variability would, if applied to subsoil, tend to underweight turnover variability even if experimental variability in the subsoil isotope concentration is the same. Together, experimental variability in radiocarbon is an important component in an overall uncertainty assessment of soil carbon turnover.
Faith and Doubt: The Noematic Dimensions of Belief in Husserl
Authors: McNeilly Jodie
Published: July 2015

In examining Husserl's noesis–noema correlate, which characterizes his intentionality thesis of 1913, this article argues toward “presentation” as a sufficient mode of givenness in accounting for religious phenomena by demonstrating how an intentional analysis of faith and doubt is possible if one's regard is directed toward the noetic moment of believing and its corresponding noema: the “believed as believed.” This will be shown by directly engaging with the eidetic laws of Husserl's series of belief modalities.
ANÁLISE DA SIMILARIDADE DE SEQUÊNCIAS GÊNICAS DO ASCORBATO E DO LICOPENO EM ESPÉCIES VEGETAIS CULTIVADAS
Authors: Carolina P Malaman Ana , Lira Sevilha Tais , Fluminhan Antonio
Published: July 2015

Bioinformatics has made possible the identificationand comparisonof nucleotide sequences responsible for the production of antioxidants compounds in plants by using genomic public accessdatabases and several applicationsable to alignsequencesfrom different species. The present study analyzed the nucleotide sequences ofthe genes for ascorbate and lycopene, known for its antioxidant action, in order to verify which species these substances havealready been identified as well as tocompare them through cladograms, observing the degree of similarity between thespeciesandtheirphylogenetic relationships.It was built the representation of similarity matrix from the genes, which might reflect the evolution of the remaining characters. This report shows the viability of the methodology, and providesa basis for more advanced studies about the phylogenetic relationships among the species
5-Hydroxy-6-Methyluracil as a Polyvinyl Chloride Stabilizer
Authors: Akhmetkhanov R.M. , Gabitov I.T. , Mustafin A.G. , Zakharov V.P. , Zaikov G.E.
Published: July 2015

Kinetic regularities of thermooxidative dehydrochlorination of rigid and plasticized PVC in the presence of 5-hydroxy-6-methyluracil have been studied. The high antioxidant efficacy of 5-hydroxy-6-methyluracil in the process of polymer degradation has been revealed. It is shown that the studied uracil significantly slows down the process of accumulation of hydroperoxides in oxidation of dioctyl phthalate the plasticizer of PVC, which is the cause of a significant slowdown in the rate of decomposition of the plasticized polymer.
L’orientation temporelle et la consommation de substances psychoactives des adolescents et jeunes adultes
Authors: Acier Didier , Facy Françoise , Pilet Jean-Luc , Chaillou Carmen
Published: July 2015

Introduction. L’orientation temporelle est une donnée essentielle du psychisme humain, qui module notre façon de nous situer par rapport aux temps de la vie. Elle est la perception subjective, dans l’ici et maintenant, du positionnement psychique à l’égard du passé, du présent et du futur. Plusieurs jeunes rencontrés en consultation psychologique présentent une orientation confuse au temps, étant quelquefois englués dans des souvenirs ou dans une suite incessante d’activités sans temps d’arrêt. Le test d’orientation temporelle (TOT) vise à mesurer ce rapport au temps de la vie, à partir de quatre dimensions : 1) le court terme ; 2) l’anticipation ; 3) l’immédiateté ; 4) le long terme. Objectifs. Cette étude présente les liens entre différentes dimensions de l’orientation temporelle et la consommation de substances psychoactives (tabac, alcool et cannabis). Elle présente aussi une façon d’utiliser le test d’orientation temporelle dans le travail auprès d’adolescents et de jeunes adultes en situation à risque. Méthodes. L’échantillon est constitué de 507 jeunes âgés de 15 à 26 ans résidents de la région nantaise et issus de plusieurs établissements d’enseignement. Les outils utilisés sont le test d’orientation temporelle et des mesures de consommation de substances. Résultats. Les résultats montrent des corrélations significatives entre la consommation et plusieurs dimensions de l’orientation temporelle. Ainsi, les orientations centrées sur l’immédiateté et le court terme sont des prédicteurs de la consommation d’alcool, de tabac et de cannabis. Conclusion. Cette étude avance que l’orientation temporelle est un construit psychologique utile pour travailler avec des jeunes à risques.
Modélisation de la surface piézométrique des aquifères fissurés en zone de socle précambrien métamorphisé : cas du bassin versant du Sassandra (sud-ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire)
Authors: Yao Théodore Koffi , Fouché Olivier , Kouadio Emmanuel Konan , Oga Marie-Solange , Lasm Théophile
Published: July 2015

Les niveaux piézométriques dans les aquifères de socle en Côte d’Ivoire sont mal connus du fait de la complexité du substratum géologique. Ce travail a pour objectif de modéliser l’altitude du niveau piézométrique des aquifères situés en milieu cristallin et cristallophyllien, notamment dans le bassin versant du Sassandra, au sud-ouest de la Côte d’Ivoire. En exploitant la méthode de la corrélation linéaire entre la dénivellation de la surface du sol et la surface de base des thalwegs d’une part et la dénivellation entre la surface piézométrique et la surface de base des thalwegs d’autre part, nous avons établi des équations qui permettent de déterminer les niveaux piézométriques et de compenser ainsi les lacunes dans leur connaissance. Ces travaux s’appuient sur des données de terrain, des fiches techniques de forage, des cartes (topographique et géologique) et un extrait du Modèle numérique d’Altitude (MNA) du sud-ouest ivoirien.

L’interprétation mathématique des résultats a permis, au travers des équations établies, de calculer directement le niveau piézométrique en tout point de la zone d’étude. La carte piézométrique ainsi obtenue montre que le niveau piézométrique est en moyenne 7 m en dessous du sol lorsque l’on prend comme référence la surface de base des thalwegs. La surface piézométrique est corrélée à la surface topographique. La superposition de la carte piézométrique à celle du réseau hydrographique montre qu’à l’échelle de l’analyse réalisée, la circulation de l’eau souterraine est calquée sur celle des eaux de surface ; bassins versants hydrogéologique et topographique se superposent, montrant ainsi le lien entre les eaux de surface et les eaux souterraines. Ce résultat pourra aider à la gestion intégrée des ressources en eau souterraine et de surface surtout face à la vulnérabilité aux pesticides qui sont fréquemment utilisés dans la zone étudiée.
Effect of Excessive Body Weight on Foot Arch Changes in Preschoolers
Authors: Jankowicz-Szymanska Agnieszka , Mikolajczyk Edyta
Published: July 2015

Background

A stable standing posture, and effective and aesthetic gait, depend heavily on correct anatomical construction of the feet, thanks to which they can play their important role. The shape and height of the foot arches are already formed in the preschool and early school years; therefore, abnormalities and disorders in children's feet, and correlations between foot formation and somatic build, are still crucial and interesting issues for orthopedists, pediatricians, physiotherapists, and podiatrists. This study deals with changes in the height of the longitudinal and transverse arches of the foot in 4- to 6-year-old children.

Methods

A total of 102 boys and 105 girls took part in a 24-month study in which their body weight, height, body mass index, and Clarke's and gamma angles were measured. The analysis also focused on correlations among sex, nutritional status, and changes in foot arch height.

Results

It was discovered that sex did not considerably affect Clarke's and gamma angle values. However, it was found that between ages 4 and 6 years, the proportion of overweight and obese boys and girls increased, and the medial longitudinal arch of the foot had a tendency to collapse in those with excessive body weight. The effect of nutritional status on the transverse arch of the foot is rather dubious.

Conclusions

In light of these findings, therapeutic programs for preventing foot deformities in children should also focus on body weight control.
Lessons from Fraxinus, a crowd-sourced citizen science game in genomics
Authors: Rallapalli Ghanasyam ,   Fraxinus Players, Saunders Diane GO , Yoshida Kentaro , Edwards Anne , Lugo Carlos A , Collin Steve , Clavijo Bernardo , Corpas Manuel , Swarbreck David , Clark Matthew , Downie J Allan , Kamoun Sophien ,   Team Cooper, MacLean Dan
Published: July 2015

In 2013, in response to an epidemic of ash dieback disease in England the previous year, we launched a Facebook-based game called Fraxinus to enable non-scientists to contribute to genomics studies of the pathogen that causes the disease and the ash trees that are devastated by it. Over a period of 51 weeks players were able to match computational alignments of genetic sequences in 78% of cases, and to improve them in 15% of cases. We also found that most players were only transiently interested in the game, and that the majority of the work done was performed by a small group of dedicated players. Based on our experiences we have built a linear model for the length of time that contributors are likely to donate to a crowd-sourced citizen science project. This model could serve a guide for the design and implementation of future crowd-sourced citizen science initiatives.
Fiskerkunnskap og forskerkunnskap - motsetninger og muligheter
Authors: Andersen Svanhild
Published: July 2015

The main topic of the article is oppositions and possibilities when it comes to the use both of local ecological knowledge and of knowledge from marine biology in the management of fishery resources. Studies document an increased understanding of eco-systems through the connection of different kinds of knowledge. The development in international and national law emphasizes local/traditional knowledge. These two developments both prepare for the inclusion of the knowledge of fishermen in fishery management. However, such an inclusion presupposes both changes in the objectives and perspectives of the management and the possibilities of local influence in questions regarding resource management.

Artikkelens hovedtema er motsetninger og muligheter når det gjelder bruk av lokal økologisk kunnskap og marinbiologisk kunnskap i forvaltning av fiskeressurser. Det vises til at både studier som dokumenterer økt forståelse av økosystemer gjennom kobling av ulike kunnskapsformer samt internasjonal og nasjonal rettsutvikling som vektlegger lokal/tradisjonell kunnskap, kan berede grunnen for inkludering av fiskeres kunnskap i fiskeriforvaltning. En slik inkludering forutsetter imidlertid både endringer i forvaltningens målsettinger og perspektiver, og muligheter for lokal innflytelse i ressursforvaltningsspørsmål.
Scale‐aware parameterization of liquid cloud inhomogeneity and its impact on simulated climate in CESM
Authors: Xie Xin , Zhang Minghua
Published: July 2015

Using long‐term radar‐based ground measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program, we derive the inhomogeneity of cloud liquid water as represented by the shape parameter of a gamma distribution. The relationship between the inhomogeneity and the model grid size as well as atmospheric condition is presented. A larger grid scale and more unstable atmosphere are associated with larger inhomogeneity that is described by a smaller shape parameter. This relationship is implemented as a scale‐aware parameterization of the liquid cloud inhomogeneity in the Community Earth System Model (CESM) in which the shape parameter impacts the cloud microphysical processes. When used in the default CESM1 with the finite‐volume dynamic core where a constant liquid inhomogeneity parameter was assumed, it reduces the cloud inhomogeneity in high latitudes and increases it in low latitudes. This is due to both the smaller (larger) grid size in high (low) latitudes in the longitude‐latitude grid setting of CESM and the more stable (unstable) atmosphere. The single‐column model and general circulation model sensitivity experiments show that the new parameterization increases the cloud liquid water path in polar regions and decreases it in low latitudes. An advantage of the parameterization is that it can recognize the spatial resolutions of the CESM without special tuning of the cloud water inhomogeneity parameter.
Methanobacterium
Authors: Boone David R.
Published: July 2015

Me.tha.no.bac.te' ri.um
. M.L. masc. n.
methanum
methane; Gr. masc. n.
bakterion
a small rod; M.L. neut. n.
Methanobacterium
methane (‐producing) rod.

Euryarchaeota / Methanobacteria / Methanobacteriales / Methanobacteriaceae / Methanobacterium

Curved, crooked, or straight rods, long to filamentous, about 0.5–1.0 µm in width. Endospores not formed. Usually stain Gram‐positive, and cell wall structure appears as Gram‐positive in electron micrographs, but cell wall differs chemically from peptidoglycan. Nonmotile. Fimbriae may be present. Strictly anaerobic. Optimum growth temperatures 37–45°C. Energy metabolism by reduction of CO
2
to CH
4
; H
2
is electron donor for this reduction, and some strains can also use formate, secondary alcohols, and CO. Ammonia, or for some strains dinitrogen, can serve as sole nitrogen source, and sulfide can serve as sulfur source.

The mol
%
G
+
C of the DNA is
: 32–61.

Type species
:
Methanobacterium formicicum
Schnellen 1947, 85.