bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of the regional European boreal climate to changes in surface properties resulting from structural vegetation perturbations
Authors: Rydsaa J. H. , Stordal F. , Tallaksen L. M.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Amplified warming at high latitudes over the past few decades has led to changes in the boreal and Arctic climate system such as structural changes in high-latitude ecosystems and soil moisture properties. These changes trigger land–atmosphere feedbacks through altered energy partitioning in response to changes in albedo and surface water fluxes. Local-scale changes in the Arctic and boreal zones may propagate to affect large-scale climatic features. In this study, MODIS land surface data are used with the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF V3.5.1) and Noah land surface model (LSM), in a series of experiments to investigate the sensitivity of the overlying atmosphere to perturbations in the structural vegetation in the northern European boreal ecosystem. Emphasis is placed on surface energy partitioning and near-surface atmospheric variables, and their response to observed and anticipated land cover changes. We find that perturbations simulating northward migration of evergreen needleleaf forest into tundra regions cause an increase in latent rather than sensible heat fluxes during the summer season. Shrub expansion in tundra areas has only small effects on surface fluxes. Perturbations simulating the northward migration of mixed forest across the present southern border of the boreal forest, have largely opposite effects on the summer latent heat flux, i.e., they lead to a decrease and act to moderate the overall mean regional effects of structural vegetation changes on the near-surface atmosphere.
Controls on fire activity over the Holocene
Authors: Kloster S. , Brücher T. , Brovkin V. , Wilkenskjeld S.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Changes in fire activity over the last 8000 years are simulated with a global fire model driven by changes in climate and vegetation cover. The changes were separated into those caused through variations in fuel availability, fuel moisture or wind speed, which react differently to changes in climate. Disentangling these controlling factors helps in understanding the overall climate control on fire activity over the Holocene. Globally the burned area is simulated to increase by 2.5% between 8000 and 200 cal yr BP, with larger regional changes compensating nearly evening out on a global scale. Despite the absence of anthropogenic fire ignitions, the simulated trends in fire activity agree reasonably well with continental-scale reconstructions from charcoal records, with the exception of Europe. For some regions the change in fire activity is predominantly controlled through changes in fuel availability (Australia monsoon, Central America tropics/subtropics). For other regions changes in fuel moisture are more important for the overall trend in fire activity (North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Asia monsoon). In Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, changes in fuel moisture alone lead to an increase in fire activity between 8000 and 200 cal yr BP, while changes in fuel availability lead to a decrease. Overall, the fuel moisture control is dominating the simulated fire activity for Sub-Saharan Africa. The simulations clearly demonstrate that both changes in fuel availability and changes in fuel moisture are important drivers for the fire activity over the Holocene. Fuel availability and fuel moisture do, however, have different climate controls. As such, observed changes in fire activity cannot be related to single climate parameters such as precipitation or temperature alone. Fire models, as applied in this study, in combination with observational records can help in understanding the climate control on fire activity, which is essential to project future fire activity.
Uncertainty in temperature response of current consumption-based emissions estimates
Authors: Karstensen J. , Peters G. P. , Andrew R. M.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Several studies have connected emissions of greenhouse gases to economic and trade data to quantify the causal chain from consumption to emissions and climate change. These studies usually combine data and models originating from different sources, making it difficult to estimate uncertainties along the entire causal chain. We estimate uncertainties in economic data, multi-pollutant emission statistics, and metric parameters, and use Monte Carlo analysis to quantify contributions to uncertainty and to determine how uncertainty propagates to estimates of global temperature change from regional and sectoral territorial- and consumption-based emissions for the year 2007. We find that the uncertainties are sensitive to the emission allocations, mix of pollutants included, the metric and its time horizon, and the level of aggregation of the results. Uncertainties in the final results are largely dominated by the climate sensitivity and the parameters associated with the warming effects of CO2. Based on our assumptions, which exclude correlations in the economic data, the uncertainty in the economic data appears to have a relatively small impact on uncertainty at the national level in comparison to emissions and metric uncertainty. Much higher uncertainties are found at the sectoral level. Our results suggest that consumption-based national emissions are not significantly more uncertain than the corresponding production-based emissions since the largest uncertainties are due to metric and emissions which affect both perspectives equally. The two perspectives exhibit different sectoral uncertainties, due to changes of pollutant compositions. We find global sectoral consumption uncertainties in the range of ±10 to ±27 % using the Global Temperature Potential with a 50-year time horizon, with metric uncertainties dominating. National-level uncertainties are similar in both perspectives due to the dominance of CO2 over other pollutants. The consumption emissions of the top 10 emitting regions have a broad uncertainty range of ±9 to ±25 %, with metric and emission uncertainties contributing similarly. The absolute global temperature potential (AGTP) with a 50-year time horizon has much higher uncertainties, with considerable uncertainty overlap for regions and sectors, indicating that the ranking of countries is uncertain.
Real-time setup to measure radon emission during rock deformation: implications for geochemical surveillance
Authors: Tuccimei P. , Mollo S. , Soligo M. , Scarlato P. , Castelluccio M.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Laboratory experiments can represent a valid approach to unravel the complex interplay between the geochemical behaviour of radon and rock deformation mechanisms. In light of this, we present a new real-time experimental setup for analysing in continuum the alpha-emitting 222Rn and 220Rn daughters over variable stress–strain regimes. The most innovative segment of this setup consists of the radon accumulation chamber obtained from a tough and durable material that can host large cylindrical rock samples. The accumulation chamber is connected, in a closed-loop configuration, to a gas-drying unit and to a RAD7 radon monitor. A recirculating pump moves the gas from the rock sample to a solid-state detector for alpha counting of radon and thoron progeny. The measured radon signal is enhanced by surrounding the accumulation chamber with a digitally controlled heating belt. As the temperature is increased, the number of effective collisions of radon atoms increases favouring the diffusion of radon through the material and reducing the analytical uncertainty. The accumulation chamber containing the sample is then placed into a uniaxial testing apparatus where the axial deformation is measured throughout a linear variable displacement transducer. A dedicated software allows obtaining a variety of stress–strain regimes from fast deformation rates to long-term creep tests. Experiments conducted with this new real-time setup have important ramifications for the interpretation of geochemical anomalies recorded prior to volcanic eruptions or earthquakes.
NEMO–ICB (v1.0): interactive icebergs in the NEMO ocean model globally configured at eddy-permitting resolution
Authors: Marsh R. , Ivchenko V. O. , Skliris N. , Alderson S. , Bigg G. R. , Madec G. , Blaker A. T. , Aksenov Y. , Sinha B. , Coward A. C. , Le Sommer J. , Merino N. , Zalesny V. B.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. An established iceberg module, ICB, is used interactively with the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) ocean model in a new implementation, NEMO–ICB (v1.0). A 30-year hindcast (1976–2005) simulation with an eddy-permitting (0.25°) global configuration of NEMO–ICB is undertaken to evaluate the influence of icebergs on sea ice, hydrography, mixed layer depths (MLDs), and ocean currents, through comparison with a control simulation in which the equivalent iceberg mass flux is applied as coastal runoff, a common forcing in ocean models. In the Southern Hemisphere (SH), drift and melting of icebergs are in balance after around 5 years, whereas the equilibration timescale for the Northern Hemisphere (NH) is 15–20 years. Iceberg drift patterns, and Southern Ocean iceberg mass, compare favourably with available observations. Freshwater forcing due to iceberg melting is most pronounced very locally, in the coastal zone around much of Antarctica, where it often exceeds in magnitude and opposes the negative freshwater fluxes associated with sea ice freezing. However, at most locations in the polar Southern Ocean, the annual-mean freshwater flux due to icebergs, if present, is typically an order of magnitude smaller than the contribution of sea ice melting and precipitation. A notable exception is the southwest Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, where iceberg melting reaches around 50% of net precipitation over a large area. Including icebergs in place of coastal runoff, sea ice concentration and thickness are notably decreased at most locations around Antarctica, by up to ~ 20% in the eastern Weddell Sea, with more limited increases, of up to ~ 10% in the Bellingshausen Sea. Antarctic sea ice mass decreases by 2.9%, overall. As a consequence of changes in net freshwater forcing and sea ice, salinity and temperature distributions are also substantially altered. Surface salinity increases by ~ 0.1 psu around much of Antarctica, due to suppressed coastal runoff, with extensive freshening at depth, extending to the greatest depths in the polar Southern Ocean where discernible effects on both salinity and temperature reach 2500 m in the Weddell Sea by the last pentad of the simulation. Substantial physical and dynamical responses to icebergs, throughout the global ocean, are explained by rapid propagation of density anomalies from high-to-low latitudes. Complementary to the baseline model used here, three prototype modifications to NEMO–ICB are also introduced and discussed.
A fully coupled Atmosphere–Ocean Wave modeling system (WEW) for the Mediterranean Sea: interactions and sensitivity to the resolved scales and mechanisms
Authors: Katsafados P. , Papadopoulos A. , Korres G. , Varlas G.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. It is commonly accepted that there is an urgent need for a better understanding of the factors that contribute to the air–sea interaction processes and their feedbacks. In this sense it is absolutely important to develop advanced numerical prediction systems that treat the atmosphere and the ocean as a unified system. The realistic description and understanding of the exchange processes near the ocean surface, requires the exact knowledge of the sea state and its evolution. This can be achieved by considering the sea surface and the atmosphere as a continuously cross talking dynamic system. Therefore, this study aims to present the effort towards developing a new, high-resolution, two-way fully coupled atmosphere–ocean wave model in order to support operational and research activities. A specific issue that it is emphasized here is the determination and parameterization of the air–sea momentum fluxes under conditions of extremely high and time-varying winds. Software considerations, data exchange as well as computational and scientific performance of the coupled system, so-called WEW, are also discussed throughout this study. In a case study of high-impact weather and sea state event, the wind–wave parameterization scheme reduces the resulted wind speed and the significant wave height as a response to the increased aerodynamic drag over rough sea surfaces. Overall, WEW offers a more realistic representation of the momentum exchanges in the ocean wind–wave system and includes the effects of the resolved wave spectrum on the drag coefficient and its feedback on the momentum flux.
Variability of flow discharge in lateral inflow-dominated stream channels
Authors: Chang C.-M. , Yeh H.-D.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The influence of the temporal changes in lateral inflow rate on the discharge variability in stream channels is explored through the analysis of the diffusion wave equation (i.e. the linearized Saint-Venant equation). To account for variability and uncertainty, the lateral inflow rate is regarded as a temporal random function. On the basis of the spectral representation theory, analytical expressions for the covariance function and evolutionary power spectral density of the random discharge perturbation process are derived to quantify variability in stream flow discharge induced by the temporal changes in lateral inflow rate. The treatment of the discharge variance (square root of the variance) gives us a quantitative estimate of uncertainty in predictions from the deterministic model. It is found that the discharge variability of stream flow is very large in the downstream reach, indicating large uncertainty anticipated from the use of the deterministic model. A larger temporal correlation scale of inflow rate fluctuations, representing more temporal consistency of fluctuations in inflow rate around the mean, introduces a higher variability in stream flow discharge.
MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING METHODS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN RESOURCES
Authors: D'Urso M. G. , Masi D.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Both within the formation field and the labor market Multi-Criteria Decision Methods (MCDM) provide a significant support to the management of human resources in which the best choice among several alternatives can be very complex. This contribution addresses fuzzy logic in multi-criteria decision techniques since they have several applications in the management of human resources with the advantage of ruling out mistakes due to the subjectivity of the person in charge of making a choice. Evaluating educational achievements as well as the professional profile of a technician more suitable for a job in a firm, industry or a professional office are valuable examples of fuzzy logic. For all of the previous issues subjectivity is a fundamental aspect so that fuzzy logic, due to the very meaning of the word fuzzy, should be the preferred choice. However, this is not sufficient to justify its use; fuzzy technique has to make the system of evaluation and choice more effective and objective. The methodological structure of the multi-criteria fuzzy criterion is hierarchic and allows one to select the best alternatives in all those cases in which several alternatives are possible; thus, the optimal choice can be achieved by analyzing the different scopes of each criterion and sub-criterion as well as the relevant weights.
The 27 May 1937 catastrophic flow failure of gold tailings at Tlalpujahua, Michoacán, Mexico
Authors: Macías J. L. , Corona-Chávez P. , Sanchéz-Núñez J. M. , Martínez-Medina M. , Garduño-Monroy V. H. , Capra L. , García-Tenorio F. , Cisneros-Máximo G.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. On 27 May 1937, after one week of sustained heavy rainfall, a voluminous flood caused the death of at least 300 people and the destruction of the historic El Carmen church and several neighborhoods in the mining region of Tlalpujahua, Michoacán, central Mexico. This destructive flood was triggered by the breaching of the impoundment of the Los Cedros tailings and the sudden release of circa 16 Mt of water-saturated waste materials. The muddy silty flood, moving at estimated speeds of 20–25 m s−1, was channelized along the Dos Estrellas and Tlalpujahua drainages and devastated everything along its flow path. After advancing 2.5 km downstream, the flood slammed into El Carmen church and surrounding houses at estimated speeds of ~ 7 m s−1, destroying many construction walls and covering the church floor with ~ 2 m of mud and debris. Revision of eyewitness accounts and newspaper articles, together with analysis of archived photographic materials, indicated that the flood consisted of three muddy pulses. Stratigraphic relations and granulometric data for selected proximal and distal samples show that the flood behaved as a hyperconcentrated flow along most of its trajectory. A total volume of the Lamas flood deposit was estimated as 1.5 × 106 m3. The physically based bidimensional (2-D) hydraulic model FLO-2D was implemented to reproduce the breached flow (0.5 sediment concentration) with a maximum flow discharge of 8000 m3 s−1 for a total outflow volume (sediment + water) of 2.5 × 106 m3, similar to the calculations obtained using field measurements. Even though premonitory signs of possible impoundment failure were reported days before the flood, and people living downstream were alerted, authorities ordered no evacuations or other mitigative actions. The catastrophic flood at Tlalpujahua provides a well-documented, though tragic, example of impoundment breaching of a tailings dam caused by the combined effects of intense rainfall, dam weakness, and inadequate emergency-management protocols – unfortunately an all-too-common case scenario for most of the world's mining regions.
Determination of rainfall thresholds for shallow landslides by a probabilistic and empirical method
Authors: Huang J. , Ju N. P. , Liao Y. J. , Liu D. D.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Rainfall-induced landslides not only cause property loss, but also kill and injure large numbers of people every year in mountainous areas in China. These losses and casualties may be avoided to some extent with rainfall threshold values used in an early warning system at a regional scale for the occurrence of landslides. However, the limited availability of data always causes difficulties. In this paper we present a method to calculate rainfall threshold values with limited data sets for the two rainfall parameters: maximum hourly rainfall intensity and accumulated precipitation. The method has been applied to the Huangshan region, in Anhui Province, China. Four early warning levels (Zero, Outlook, Attention, and Warning) have been adopted and the corresponding rainfall threshold values have been defined by probability lines. A validation procedure showed that this method can significantly enhance the effectiveness of a warning system, and finally reduce the risk from shallow landslides in mountainous regions.
Soil–landform–plant-community relationships of a periglacial landscape on Potter Peninsula, maritime Antarctica
Authors: Poelking E. L. , Schaefer C. E. R. , Fernandes Filho E. I. , de Andrade A. M. , Spielmann A. A.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Integrated studies on the interplay between soils, periglacial geomorphology and plant communities are crucial for the understanding of climate change effects on terrestrial ecosystems of maritime Antarctica, one of the most sensitive areas to global warming. Knowledge on physical environmental factors that influence plant communities can greatly benefit studies on the monitoring of climate change in maritime Antarctica, where new ice-free areas are being constantly exposed, allowing plant growth and organic carbon inputs. The relationship between topography, plant communities and soils was investigated on Potter Peninsula, King George Island, maritime Antarctica. We mapped the occurrence and distribution of plant communities and identified soil–landform–vegetation relationships. The vegetation map was obtained by classification of a QuickBird image, coupled with detailed landform and characterization of 18 soil profiles. The sub-formations were identified and classified, and we also determined the total elemental composition of lichens, mosses and grasses. Plant communities on Potter Peninsula occupy 23% of the ice-free area, at different landscape positions, showing decreasing diversity and biomass from the coastal zone to inland areas where sub-desert conditions prevail. There is a clear dependency between landform and vegetated soils. Soils that have greater moisture or are poorly drained, and with acid to neutral pH, are favourable for moss sub-formations. Saline, organic-matter-rich ornithogenic soils of former penguin rookeries have greater biomass and diversity, with mixed associations of mosses and grasses, while stable felsenmeers and flat rocky cryoplanation surfaces are the preferred sites for Usnea and Himantormia lugubris lichens at the highest surface. Lichens sub-formations cover the largest vegetated area, showing varying associations with mosses.
Modelling glacier change in the Everest region, Nepal Himalaya
Authors: Shea J. M. , Immerzeel W. W. , Wagnon P. , Vincent C. , Bajracharya S.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. In this study, we apply a glacier mass balance and ice redistribution model to examine the sensitivity of glaciers in the Everest region of Nepal to climate change. High-resolution temperature and precipitation fields derived from gridded station data, and bias-corrected with independent station observations, are used to drive the historical model from 1961 to 2007. The model is calibrated against geodetically derived estimates of net glacier mass change from 1992 to 2008, termini position of four large glaciers at the end of the calibration period, average velocities observed on selected debris-covered glaciers, and total glacierized area. We integrate field-based observations of glacier mass balance and ice thickness with remotely sensed observations of decadal glacier change to validate the model. Between 1961 and 2007, the mean modelled volume change over the Dudh Koshi basin is −6.4 ± 1.5 km3, a decrease of 15.6% from the original estimated ice volume in 1961. Modelled glacier area change between 1961 and 2007 is −101.0 ± 11.4 km2, a decrease of approximately 20% from the initial extent. The modelled glacier sensitivity to future climate change is high. Application of temperature and precipitation anomalies from warm/dry and wet/cold end-members of the CMIP5 RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 ensemble results in sustained mass loss from glaciers in the Everest region through the 21st century.
Changing surface–atmosphere energy exchange and refreezing capacity of the lower accumulation area, west Greenland
Authors: Charalampidis C. , van As D. , Box J. E. , van den Broeke M. R. , Colgan W. T. , MacFerrin M. , Machguth H. , Smeets P. P.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. We present five years (2009–2013) of automatic weather station measurements from the lower accumulation area (1840 m a.s.l.) of the ice sheet in the Kangerlussuaq region, western Greenland. Here, the summers of 2010 and 2012 were both exceptionally warm, but only 2012 resulted in a strongly negative surface mass budget (SMB) and surface meltwater runoff. The observed runoff was due to a large ice fraction in the upper 10 m of firn that prevented meltwater from percolating to available pore volume below. Analysis reveals a relatively low 2012 summer albedo of ~0.7 as meltwater was present at the surface. Consequently, during the 2012 melt season the surface absorbed 29% (213 MJ m-2) more solar radiation than the average of all other years. A surface energy balance model is used to evaluate the seasonal and interannual variability of all surface energy fluxes. The model reproduces the observed melt rates as well as the SMB for each season. A sensitivity test reveals that 71% of the additional solar radiation in 2012 was used for melt, corresponding to 36% (0.64 m) of the 2012 surface lowering. The remaining 1.14 m was primarily due to the high atmospheric temperatures up to +2.6 °C daily average, indicating that 2012 would have been a negative SMB year at this site even without the melt-albedo feedback. Longer time series of SMB, regional temperature and remotely sensed albedo (MODIS) show that 2012 was the first strongly negative SMB year with the lowest albedo at this elevation on record. The warm conditions of the last years resulted in enhanced melt and reduction of the refreezing capacity at the lower accumulation area. If high temperatures continue the current lower accumulation area will turn into a region with superimposed ice in coming years.
The relative contributions of calving and surface ablation to ice loss at a lake-terminating glacier
Authors: Chernos M. , Koppes M. , Moore R. D.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Bridge Glacier is a lake-terminating glacier in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia and has retreated over 3.55 km since 1972, with the majority of the retreat having occurred since 1991. This retreat is out of proportion to surface melt inferred from regional climate indices, suggesting that it has been driven primarily by calving as the glacier retreated across an over-deepened basin. In order to better understand the primary drivers of mass balance, the relative importance of surface melt and calving is investigated during the 2013 melt season using a distributed energy balance model and time-lapse imagery. Calving is responsible for 23% of the mass loss during the 2013 melt season, and is limited by modest flow speeds and a small terminus cross-section. Calving and summer balance estimates over the last 30 years suggest that calving is consistently a smaller contributor of mass loss relative to surface melt. Although calving is estimated to be responsible for up to 49% of ice loss for individual seasons, averaged over multiple summers it typically accounts for 10 to 25%. Calving has been driven primarily by buoyancy and water depths, and fluxes were greatest between 2005 and 2010 as the glacier retreated over the deepest part of Bridge Lake. These losses are part of a transient stage in the glacier's retreat, and are expected to diminish as the terminus recedes into shallower water. Surface melt is the primary driver of ice loss at Bridge Glacier, and future mass loss and retreat is dependent on governing climatic conditions.
Impact of Early Childhood Education on Pupils’ Learning in Primary Schools in Kenya
Authors: R. M. Jacinta , K. S. Rotich
Published: May 2015

The research focused on the impact of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in the learning of pupils in primary schools in Kenya. The study employed descriptive survey design. The target population of the study was 616 teachers in the 32 public primary school in Starehe Division of Nairobi County. The sample comprised of 210 randomly selected primary school teachers. Data were gathered by use of questionnaire. Findings revealed that pupils who had gone through the ECE were able to acquire skills in basic counting, mathematics and speaking. Pupils who had not attended ECE classes had problems with grasping simple counting skills and simple language skills. They were not able to interact well with other pupils. The findings also revealed that pupils who had attended ECE classes were able to interact with the teachers better than those who had not attended ECE. Findings indicated that pupils who had attended the ECE classes had usually lower scores at the beginning in class one. Attending ECE classes enabled pupils become fluent in reading and in recognizing numbers in mathematics. The study concluded that ECE classes had prepared pupils to join primary school by enabling them learn some basic counting and speaking skills. The study recommended that parents should be sensitized on the need to take their children to the ECE centers before taking them to formal primary schools.
Comments on the Six Interviews Published in the 18th Issue ofThe KLA(2013)
Authors: Xiang Xuehua
Published: May 2015

From the perspective of a KLA reader and a Chinese Foreign Language educator, the author comments on the set of six interviews with “heritage language” (hl) education and research scholars published in the 18th issue of The KLA (2013). The author finds the personal and biographical narratives in the interviews a very helpful lens through which to gain a deeper understanding of the field. The author articulates a number of themes that she saw across the six interviews including the shifting view in the field on what a HL is and the pedagogical goals of a HL classroom. While commenting on the pedagogical suggestions offered by some of the interviewees, the author also contemplates on the need in the field for fruitful, meaningful convergence of research and pedagogy. Lastly, the author calls for an increase of such an interview endeavor in various subfields of HL education and research in order to construct a history of the field as it emerges and to anticipate future directions.
A Content Course for Advanced Learners of Korean, “Gender and Sexuality in Korean Culture”: The Approach of Critical Discourse Analysis
Authors: Choi Min Koo
Published: May 2015

This paper illustrates the theoretical framework of curriculum design and the teaching practice of the content course for the advanced level learner “Gender and Sexuality in Korean Culture.” By defining the concept of culture as an ongoing and constitutive entity, the course is designed to explore the constitutive nature of love, sex, and marriage in Korean culture through the various ways of using language in different genres of texts. In this paper, the theoretical issues of critical discourse analysis will be briefly examined in relation to the curriculum design and teaching practice of the course. Critical discourse analysis highlights the mutually constitutive relationship between use of language and socio-political reality. Its theoretical framework is relevant to the pedagogical goal of course, which is designed to equip advanced students with the perspective to look at the relationship between the process of cultural formation and the use of language in a socio-historical context.
CONHECIMENTO DOS PROFISSIONAIS DE ENFERMAGEM SOBRE ÚLCERAS POR PRESSÃO EM DUAS UNIDADES CIRÚRGICAS – PARTE 1
Authors: Crosewski Nathalia Ingrid , Lemos Débora De Sousa , Mauricio Aline Batista , Roehrs Hellen , Meier Marineli Joaquim
Published: May 2015

Realizou-se um estudo de caso em um hospital de ensino, no período de dezembro de 2012 a fevereiro de 2013, com objetivo de identificar o conhecimento dos profissionais de enfermagem sobre as úlceras por pressão em duas unidades cirúrgicas, com destaque para aspectos relativos à prevenção. Participaram 25 profissionais de enfermagem e utilizou-se um instrumento validado que considera conhecimento adequado aos que obtiverem 90% de acertos ou mais. A média de acertos das unidades foi igual a 73,88%. Os erros mais comuns: o conceito de estágio III das úlceras por pressão e a indicação de massagem em regiões de proeminência óssea, elevação da cama a um ângulo superior de 30º, uso de luvas d’água, almofadas tipo roda d’água, reposicionamento de pacientes sentados. Os resultados evidenciam a necessidade de atualização sobre o tema úlceras por pressão de acordo com os guidelines.
PERDA AUDITIVA INDUZIDA PELO RUÍDO EM SERVIDORES DE UMA UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL PÚBLICA
Authors: Oliveira Camila Helen , Haddad Maria do Carmo Lourenzo , Rossaneis Mariana Angela , Scaramal Dayane Aparecida
Published: May 2015

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar a Perda Auditiva Induzida pelo Ruído em servidores de uma universidade estadual pública do norte do Paraná. A pesquisa se caracteriza como um estudo transversal descritivo, realizado entre junho e julho de 2014. Os dados foram obtidos através de análise documental. Participaram da pesquisa 131 trabalhadores com idade média de 53 anos e cada um realizou em média três exames audiométricos. Observou-se que na última audiometria realizada 30% do grupo amostral apresentou algum tipo de perda auditiva, o que representa um aumento 2,3 vezes ou 230% de portadores deste agravo, ao comparar com a audiometria de referência. Estes resultados indicam que não basta a realização de exames audiométricos pontuais, mas ações de prevenção e promoção à saúde, incluindo o trabalhador no planejamento e controle de sua saúde auditiva.
HOSPITALIZAÇÃO DE CRIANÇAS POR CONDIÇÕES SENSÍVEIS À ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA
Authors: Santos Ingrid Leticia Fernandes dos , Gaíva Maria Aparecida Munhoz , Abud Simone Mourão , Benevides Ferreira Silvana Margarida
Published: May 2015

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo caracterizar as hospitalizações de crianças menores de cinco anos por condições sensíveis à atenção primária, em Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, entre 2007 e 2011. Estudo descritivo dos registros das hospitalizações obtidas do Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do Sistema Único de Saúde, analisadas por sexo, faixa etária, causas e ano. Registraram-se 16.156 hospitalizações. Dessas, 6.258 (38,7%) foram por condições sensíveis à atenção primária, com maior número em crianças de um a quatro anos (3.697). As principais causas foram pneumonias bacterianas, doenças pulmonares, gastroenterites infecciosas e complicações. Os coeficientes de hospitalizações permaneceram estáveis no período estudado, com discreta redução nos anos de 2010 e 2011. Embora tenha ocorrido redução do coeficiente de hospitalizações por condições sensíveis à atenção primária, os resultados podem indicar deficiência na qualidade da atenção no município estudado.
CAPACIDADE PARA O TRABALHO E RISCO CARDIOVASCULAR EM TRABALHADORES DA PREFEITURA DE UM CAMPUS UNIVERSITÁRIO
Authors: Moura Aline Loiola , Haddad Maria do Carmo Lourenço , Dalmas Jose Carlos , Felli Vanda Elisa Andres , Pissinati Paloma De Souza Cavalcante
Published: May 2015

Este estudo objetivou verificar a relação do Índice de Capacidade para o Trabalho com o Risco Cardiovascular em trabalhadores da prefeitura de um campus universitário. Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva, exploratória, transversal e quantitativa realizada em 2012 com análise de prontuário de 226 trabalhadores submetidos a exames periódicos. O risco cardiovascular foi calculado por meio do Escore de Risco de Framingham. Observou-se que 85,0% dos trabalhadores possuíam mais de 40 anos de idade. Quanto à capacidade para o trabalho, 42,5% apresentaram capacidade inadequada. Identificou-se que 31,2% dos trabalhadores apresentaram escore de risco entre médio (20,8%) a alto (10,4%) para desenvolvimento de doenças cardiovasculares em 10 anos. Conclui-se que apesar de não ter ocorrido associação significativa (p<0,05) entre os trabalhadores com inadequada capacidade para o trabalho e aqueles que apresentaram risco cardiovascular médio e alto houve elevada quantidade de trabalhadores com fatores de risco cardiovasculares.
A life-cycle cost analysis for flooring materials for healthcare facilities
Authors: Harris Debra D. , Fitzgerald Lori
Published: May 2015

Objective: In this study, hard, resilient and soft flooring materials are compared using a building service life of 50 years, an established life span for healthcare facilities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the life-cycle cost of flooring products and inform decision-makers about the long-term cost of ownership along with other key factors, such as safety, durability, and aesthetics.Methods: The protocol for executing an life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), including defining the problem, identifying feasible alternatives, and establishing common assumptions and parameters, as well as acquiring financial information. Product information for the flooring materials that met inclusion criteria based on characteristics of the products consistent with use in healthcare facilities was acquired including maintenance, installation, warranty, and cost data. LCCA calculations recognize the time value of money and use discounting to project future value.Results: The results generated from the LCCA using present value to project future costs provide a useful tool for projecting costs over time for the purpose of planning operational and maintenance costs associated with the long-term investment of ownership. The findings suggest that soft flooring is more cost effective for initial purchase and installation, equipment assets, and maintenance over time of facilities.Conclusions: Cost is an important factor when considering flooring materials for healthcare facilities. Other factors to be considered are safety, durability and aesthetics, cleanliness, acoustics and sustainability to realize the overall return on investment. This study developed a tool for projecting costs of ownership for facility materials, in this case, flooring. The selection of flooring material has a significant impact on the cost of ownership over the life of the facility.
Management of bleeding with oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Bosch J. , Eikelboom J. W.
Published: May 2015

Fear of bleeding is a common barrier to the use of anticoagulants. Warfarin has been the only oral anticoagulant for more than 60 years and warfarin-related bleeding is reported to be the most common drug-related cause of emergency hospitalization in elderly Americans. Non-vitamin K oral antagonists were introduced five years ago and compared with warfarin are associated with lower risk of intracranial bleeding, and similar or lower case fatality after major bleeding. Despite their superior safety profile, serious bleeding can occur. Most bleeding can be managed with holding the drug, local measures to control the bleeding and transfusion support as required because the NOACs have a relatively short half life and their anticoagulant effect rapidly dissipates. In patients with ongoing bleeding despite supportive measures and in those with lifethreatening bleeding, consideration may be given to the use of general hemostatic agents. Experimental and animal evidence suggests that 3 and 4 factor prothrombin complex concentrates can improve hemostasis in the presence of a NOAC and this is reinforced by anecdotal evidence in humans. Specific antidotes are currently in phase 3 trials and could become available in the near future.
Using Propensity Score Matching in Clinical Investigations: A Discussion and Illustration
Authors: Hosman Carrie , Gurm Hitinder S.
Published: May 2015

Propensity score matching is a useful tool to analyze observational data in clinical investigations, but it is often executed in an overly simplistic manner, failing to use the data in the best possible way. This review discusses current best practices in propensity score matching, outlining the method’s essential steps, including appropriate post-matching balance assessments and sensitivity analyses. These steps are summarized as eight key traits of a propensity matched study. Further, this review illustrates these traits through a case study examining the impact of access site in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures on bleeding complications. Through propensity score matching, we find that bleeding occurs significantly less often with radial access procedures, though many other outcomes show no significant difference by access site, a finding that mirrors the results of randomized controlled trials. Lack of attention to methodological principles can result in results that are not biologically plausible.
Examining Biliary Acid Constituents among Gall Bladder Patients: A Bayes Study Using the Generalized Linear Model
Authors: Makkar Puja , Upadhyay S.K. , Shukla V.K. , Singh R.S.
Published: May 2015

The generalized linear model is an important class of models that has wide variety of applications mainly because of its inherent flexibility and generality. The present paper provides an important application of GLM in order to examine different constituents of bile acid in the development of gallstones as well as carcinoma among the gallbladder patients. These constituents may be broadly categorized as primary and secondary bile acids. The paper, in fact, considers two particular cases of GLM based on normal and gamma modelling assumptions and provides the complete Bayes analysis using independent but vague priors for the concerned model parameters. It then analyzes a real data set taken from SS Hospital, Banaras Hindu University, with primary (secondary) bile acids as response variables and secondary (primary) bile acids as the predictors. The authenticity of the assumed models for the given data set is also examined based on predictive simulation ideas.
Effect of fluid medium in source rock porosity on oil primary migration
Authors: Zhongliang Ma , Lunju Zheng , Zhongxi Zhao , Ying Ge , Qin Xu
Published: May 2015

With the self-designed simulation instrument for hydrocarbon generation and expulsion in formation porosity under controlled heating and pressuring conditions, a series of experiments was made with different systems such as nitrogen-water vapor, water vapor-liquid water, liquid water, and anhydrous. Oil discharge efficiency was compared to study the effect of the fluid medium in source rock porosity on oil primary migration. In the oil and gas generation phase, pore space in the source rock was charged by fluids (hydrocarbon gas, non-hydrocarbon gas, oil, formation water) with certain temperature and pressure. Liquid water was an indispensable transport carrier in oil primary migration process. Water might adsorb onto the surface of minerals, preventeding the adsorption of hydrocarbon and was favorable for hydrocarbon migration. CO2 associated with hydrocarbon generation easily dissolved in oil, which reduced the interfacial tension between the oil and water, oil viscosity and oil migration resistance, and promoted oil primary migration.
Effects of simple acid leaching of crushed and powdered geological materials on high‐precision Pb isotope analyses
Authors: Todd Erin , Stracke Andreas , Scherer Erik E.
Published: May 2015

We present new results of simple acid leaching experiments on the Pb isotope composition of USGS standard reference material powders and on ocean island basalt whole rock splits and powders. Rock samples were leached with cold 6 N HCl in an ultrasonic bath, then on a hot plate, and washed with ultrapure H2O before sample digestion in HF‐HNO3 and chromatographic purification of Pb. Lead isotope analyses were measured by Tl‐doped MC‐ICPMS. Intrasession and intersession analytical reproducibilities of repeated analyses of both synthetic Pb solutions and Pb from single digests of chemically processed natural samples were generally better than 100 ppm (2 SD). The comparison of leached and unleached samples shows that leaching consistently removes variable amounts of contaminants that differ in Pb isotopic composition for different starting materials. For repeated digests of a single sample, analyses of leached samples reproduce better than those of unleached ones, confirming that leaching effectively removes most of the heterogeneously distributed extraneous Pb. Nevertheless, the external reproducibility of leached samples is still up to an order of magnitude worse than that of Pb solution standards (∼100 ppm). More complex leaching methods employed by earlier studies yield Pb isotope ratios within error of those produced by our method and at similar levels of reproducibility, demonstrating that our simple leaching method is as effective as more complex leaching techniques. Therefore, any Pb isotope heterogeneity among multiple leached digests of samples in excess of the external reproducibility is attributed to inherent isotopic heterogeneity of the sample. The external precision of ∼100 ppm (2 SD) achieved for Pb isotope ratio determination by Tl‐doped MC‐ICPMS is thus sufficient for most rocks. The full advantage of the most precise Pb isotope analytical methods is only realized in cases where the natural isotopic heterogeneity among samples in a studied suite is substantially below 100 ppm.
Abrupt intensification of North Atlantic Deep Water formation at the Nordic Seas during the late Pliocene climate transition
Authors: Sato Masahiko , Makio Masato , Hayashi Tatsuya , Ohno Masao
Published: May 2015

Knowledge of the evolution of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) is key to understanding the past evolution of the climatic system. Here we developed a new rock‐magnetic method to determine the constituent magnetic minerals of sediments and report on the evolution of NADW during 2.2–2.9 Ma. We measured isothermal remanence acquisition curves of North Atlantic deep‐sea sediments drilled at the Gardar Drift and decomposed the first derivatives of these curves into high‐coercivity and low‐coercivity components. Residuals of the decomposition were sufficiently small throughout the study interval, confirming that the Gardar Drift sediments represent a mixing of the two end‐members. Fractional changes of the high‐coercivity component represent variation of the Iceland‐Scotland Overflow Water, a branch of NADW formed at the Nordic Seas. The high‐coercivity component increased significantly during an interglacial period just after ~2.68 Ma, which suggests that NADW formation in the Nordic Seas abruptly intensified at this time.
Satellite constraint on the tropospheric ozone radiative effect
Authors: Rap A. , Richards N. A. D. , Forster P. M. , Monks S. A. , Arnold S. R. , Chipperfield M. P.
Published: May 2015

Tropospheric ozone directly affects the radiative balance of the Earth through interaction with shortwave and longwave radiation. Here we use measurements of tropospheric ozone from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer satellite instrument, together with chemical transport and radiative transfer models, to produce a first estimate of the stratospherically adjusted annual radiative effect (RE) of tropospheric ozone. We show that differences between modeled and observed ozone concentrations have little impact on the RE, indicating that our present‐day tropospheric ozone RE estimate of 1.17 ± 0.03 W m−2 is robust. The RE normalized by column ozone decreased between the preindustrial and the present‐day. Using a simulation with historical biomass burning and no anthropogenic emissions, we calculate a radiative forcing of 0.32 W m−2 for tropospheric ozone, within the current best estimate range. We propose a radiative kernel approach as an efficient and accurate tool for calculating ozone REs in simulations with similar ozone abundances.
Three cases of heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia associated with polytrauma
Authors: Yumoto Tetsuya , Sato Keiji , Fujii Nobuharu , Kinami Yo , Tsukahara Kohei , Ugawa Toyomu , Ichiba Shingo , Ujike Yoshihito
Published: May 2015

Case

We present three cases in which patients that had suffered polytrauma developed heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia after the start of heparin treatment for thrombosis. All three patients had high injury severity scores and required major surgery. They all started receiving unfractionated heparin for deep venous thrombosis with or without an asymptomatic pulmonary embolism. The patients were clinically diagnosed with heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia after their platelet counts fell or exhibited a delayed recovery.

Outcome

Heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia and the associated thromboses were successfully treated by discontinuing all forms of heparin treatment and administering argatroban followed by warfarin.

Conclusion

Early recognition and clinical diagnosis of heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia is necessary for clinicians in cases in which severely injured trauma patients show reductions or delayed recovery in their platelet counts in combination with thrombosis after starting heparin treatment.