bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyses of groundwater flow and plant evapotranspiration in a vegetated soil slope
Authors: Leung A.K. , Ng C.W.W.
Published: November 2013

Understanding seasonal hydrogeological responses of vegetated soil slopes is vital to slope stability because pore-water pressure (PWP) varies from positive values upon rainfall in wet seasons to negative values upon plant evapotranspiration (ET) in dry seasons. There are, however, few case histories that report seasonal performance of vegetated soil slopes. In this study, a vegetated slope situated in Hong Kong was instrumented to analyse (i) groundwater flow during rainfall in the wet season and (ii) effects of plant ET on PWP in the dry season. Two- and three-dimensional anisotropic transient seepage analyses are conducted to identify groundwater flow mechanism(s) during a heavy rainstorm. Through water and energy balance calculations, measured plant-induced suction is interpreted with plant characteristic and climatic data. During the rainstorm, substantial recharge of the groundwater table was recorded, likely due to preferential water flow along relict joints and three-dimensional cross-slope groundwater flow. During the dry season, the peak suction induced by plant ET is up to 200 kPa and the depth of influence is shallower than 200% of the root depth. For the range of suctions monitored, root-water uptake is revealed to have been restricted by suction not very significantly and was driven mainly by the climatic variation.
NEV2lkit: A NEW OPEN SOURCE TOOL FOR HANDLING NEURONAL EVENT FILES FROM MULTI-ELECTRODE RECORDINGS
Authors: BONGARD MARKUS , MICOL DANIEL , FERNÁNDEZ EDUARDO
Published: November 2013

The analysis and discrimination of action potentials, or "spikes", is a central issue to systems neuroscience research. Here we introduce a free open source software for the analysis and discrimination of neural spikes based on principal component analysis and different clustering algorithms. The main objective is to supply a friendly user interface that links the experimental data to a basic set of routines for analysis, visualization and classification of spikes in a consistent framework. The tool has been tested on artificial data sets, on multi-electrode extracellular recordings from ganglion cell populations in isolated superfused mouse, rabbit and turtle retinas, and on electrophysiological recordings from mouse visual cortex. Our results show that NEV2lkit is very reliable and able to satisfy the experimental demands in terms of accuracy, efficiency and consistency across experiments. It performs fast unit sorting in single or multiple experiments and allows the extraction of spikes from over large time intervals in continuously recorded data streams. The tool is implemented in C++ and runs cross-platform on Linux, OS X and Windows systems. To facilitate the adaptation and extension as well as the addition of new routines, tools and algorithms for data analysis, the source code, binary distributions for different operating systems and documentation are all freely available at http://nev2lkit.sourceforge.net .
Homogenization and correctors for the wave equation with periodic coefficients
Authors: Casado-Díaz Juan , Couce-Calvo Julio , Maestre Faustino , Martín Gómez José D.
Published: November 2013

Using the two-scale convergence method, we study the asymptotic behavior of a wave problem in ℝN with periodic coefficients in the space variable and almost-periodic coefficients in the time one. We obtain a nonlocal corrector and show how this implies that the limit problem is nonlocal in general.
Homogenization of immiscible compressible two-phase flow in highly heterogeneous porous media with discontinuous capillary pressures
Authors: Amaziane Brahim , Pankratov Leonid , Piatnitski Andrey
Published: November 2013

This paper presents a study of immiscible compressible two-phase, such as water and gas, flow through highly heterogeneous porous media with periodic microstructure. Such models appear in gas migration through engineered and geological barriers for a deep repository for radioactive waste. We will consider a domain made up of several zones with different characteristics: porosity, absolute permeability, relative permeabilities and capillary pressure curves. Consequently, the model involves highly oscillatory characteristics and internal nonlinear interface conditions. The microscopic model is written in terms of the phase formulation, i.e. where the wetting (water) saturation phase and the non-wetting (gas) pressure phase are primary unknowns. This formulation leads to a coupled system consisting of a nonlinear parabolic equation for the gas pressure and a nonlinear degenerate parabolic diffusion-convection equation for the water saturation, subject to appropriate transmission, boundary and initial conditions. The major difficulties related to this model are in the nonlinear degenerate structure of the equations, as well as in the coupling in the system. Moreover, the transmission conditions are nonlinear and the saturation is discontinuous at interfaces separating different media. Under some realistic assumptions on the data, we obtain a nonlinear homogenized coupled system with effective coefficients which are computed via a cell problem and give a rigorous mathematical derivation of the upscaled model by means of the two-scale convergence.
Feller evolution systems: Generators and approximation
Authors: Böttcher Björn
Published: November 2013

A time and space inhomogeneous Markov process is a Feller evolution process, if the corresponding evolution system on the continuous functions vanishing at infinity is strongly continuous. We discuss generators of such systems and show that under mild conditions on the generators a Feller evolution can be approximated by Markov chains with Lévy increments.

The result is based on the approximation of the time homogeneous spacetime process corresponding to a Feller evolution process. In particular, we show that a d-dimensional Feller evolution corresponds to a (d + 1)-dimensional Feller process. It is remarkable that, in general, this Feller process has a generator with discontinuous symbol.
FERMI LAT OBSERVATION OF CENTAURUS A RADIO GALAXY
Authors: SAHAKYAN N. V.
Published: November 2013

The results of analysis of approximately 3 year gamma-ray observations (August 2008–July 2011) of the core of radio galaxy Centaurus A with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi LAT) are presented. Binned likelihood analysis method applying to the data shows that below several GeV the spectrum can be described by a single power-law with photon index Γ = 2.73 ± 0.06. However, at higher energies the new data show significant excess above the extrapolation of the energy spectrum from low energies. The comparison of the corresponding Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) at GeV energies with the SED in the TeV energy band reported by the H.E.S.S. collaboration shows that we deal with two or perhaps even three components of gamma-radiation originating from different regions located within the central 10 kpc of Centaurus A.

The analysis of gamma-ray data of Centaurus A lobe accumulated from the beginning of the operation until November 14, 2011 show extension of the HE gamma-ray emission beyond the WMAP radio image in the case of the Northern lobe [9]. The possible origins of gamma-rays from giant radio lobes of Centaurus A are discussed in the context of hadronic and leptonic scenarios.
GALACTIC Al 1.8 MeV GAMMA-RAY SURVEYS WITH INTEGRAL
Authors: WANG WEI
Published: November 2013

26 Al is a long-life radioactive isotope with a half lifetime of near 1 Myr. The origin of Galactic 26 Al is dominated by massive stars and their core-collapse supernovae. Detections of 1809 keV emission from 26 Al provide direct evidence that nucleosynthesis is ongoing in the Galaxy. The gamma-ray line shapes reflect the dynamics of the ejected isotopes in the interstellar medium and then probe properties of ISM and Galactic rotation effect. Gamma-ray emissions of 26 Al in the Galaxy are studied with the high spectral resolution INTEGRAL spectrometer (SPI). We carry out the first spectral survey of 26 Al gamma-ray line emission along the Galactic plane. The 26 Al line energy shifts reflect the large-scale Galactic rotation. The 26 Al intensity is brighter in the 4th than in the 1st quadrant (ratio ~ 1.3); the 26 Al line toward the direction of the Aquila region appears somewhat broadened; a latitudinal scale height of [Formula: see text] pc for 26 Al in the inner Galaxy is determined. Strong 26 Al emission signal is detected in the nearby star-formation regions Sco-Cen and Cygnus. The 26 Al line shapes in star-formation regions provide a clue to constrain the kinematic properties of ISM. In addition, we derive the flux ratio of 60 Fe /26 Al ~ 15% which can be directly compared with theoretical predictions. More theoretical work on nuclear reactions, massive star evolution models deserves improvements.
CONSTRAINING THE FLARING REGION FOR SAGITTARIUS A* BY 1.3MM VLBI MEASUREMENTS
Authors: HUANG LEI , SHEN ZHI-QIANG , GAO FENG
Published: November 2013

We introduce a simple and useful method to interpret the 2009 data by 1.3mm VLBI, which detected the time-variable emission of Sgr A*. The flaring region can be constrained to scale comparable to black hole shadow size in East-West direction. Constraint in North-South direction is relaxed due to lack of baseline, which can be improved in future observations.
CHARACTERISTIC AGE AND TRUE AGE OF PULSARS
Authors: JIANG LONG , ZHANG CHENG-MIN , TANNI ALI , ZHAO HAI-HUI
Published: November 2013

Age of a pulsar is a useful parameter, but it is difficult to get the age from observation. We can only derive the characteristic age from the observed parameters: spin period (P) and period derivative (Ṗ). In this paper, we discussed the relationship between characteristic age and magnetic field of a pulsar. Monte Carlo simulation is also used to support the idea: it is useless to study the magnetic field evolution using characteristic age. From some observation evidences we get that: the characteristic age cannot be used as true age, especially for millisecond pulsar (MSP). The difference between them is also discussed. From the studying of breaking index and MSP's initial spin period (P0), we get the conclusion that: the problem cannot be resolved using different radiation models.
GROUND-BASED EXPERIMENTS TO DETECT GRAVITO-MAGNETIC FORCE
Authors: PENG HUI
Published: November 2013

Based on Maxwell-type linearized Einstein Eqs of gravity, new ground-base torsion balance experiments are proposed to detect gravito-magnetic forces due to the rotation of the Earth. An optic system is employed to enlarge the effects so that the predicted effects are measurable by the proposed ground-based experiments.
TESTING THE TWIN kHz QPO MODELS OF NEUTRON STAR
Authors: WANG DE-HUA , CHEN LI , WANG JING
Published: November 2013

We take the data of twin kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillations (kHz QPOs) in neutron stars (NSs) published before 2011 as the samples, which include 15 Atoll sources and 8 Z sources. Then we test the correlation between the twin peak kHz QPOs, and compare with the samples. We find the power law relation between the lower-frequency (ν1) and the upper-frequency (ν2) of kHz QPOs can fit the data much better than the other models. For the Atoll (Z) sources, the best fitting coefficient and index of power law are a = 687 (720) and b =1.50 (1.83) respectively. The Chi-square per degree of freedom (χ2/d.o.f.) are 1.93 and 1.49 respectively.
GRB PROMPT OPTICAL/UV EMISSION AND DUST SUBLIMATION
Authors: CUI XIAO-HONG , LI ZHUO , XIN LI-PING
Published: November 2013

Observations imply that long γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are originated from explosions of massive stars, therefore they may occur in the molecular clouds where their progenitors were born. We show here that the prompt optical-UV emission from GRBs may be delayed due to the dust extinction, which can well explain the observed optical delayed onset and fast rise in GRB 080319B. The density and the size of the molecular cloud around GRB 080319B are roughly constrained to be ~ 103cm-3 and ~ 8pc, respectively. We also investigate the other GRBs with prompt optical-UV data, and find similar values of the densities and sizes of the local molecular clouds. The future observations of prompt optical-UV emission from GRBs in subsecond timescale, e.g., by UFFO-Pathfinder and SVOM-GWAC, will provide more evidence and probes of the local GRB environments.
STATISTICAL PROPERTIES OF MULTIPLE OPTICAL EMISSION COMPONENTS IN GAMMA-RAY BURSTS AND IMPLICATIONS
Authors: LIANG EN-WEI , LI LIANG , TANG QING-WEN , CHEN JIE-MIN , ZHANG BING
Published: November 2013

Well-sampled optical lightcurves of 146 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are complied from the literature. Multiple optical emission components are extracted with power-law function fits to these lightcurves. We present a systematical analysis for statistical properties and their relations to prompt gamma-ray emission and X-ray afterglow for each component. We show that peak luminosity in the prompt and late flares are correlated and the evolution of the peak luminosity may signal the evolution of the accretion rate. No tight correlation between the shallow decay phase/plateau and prompt gamma-ray emission is found. Assuming that they are due to a long-lasting wind injected by a compact object, we show that the injected behavior favors the scenarios of a long-lasting wind powered by a Poynting flux from a black hole via the Blandford-Znajek mechanism fed by fall-back mass or by the spin-down energy release of a magnetar after the main burst episode. The peak luminosity of the afterglow onset is tightly correlated with Eγ, iso , and it is dimmer as peaking later. Assuming that the onset bump is due to the fireball deceleration by the external medium, we examine the Γ0 – Eγ,iso relation and find that it is confirmed with the current sample. Optical re-brightening is observed in 30 GRBs in our sample. It shares the same relation between the width and the peak time as found in the onset bump, but no clear correlation between LR,p and Eγ,iso similar to that observed for the onset bumps is found. Although its peak luminosity also decays with time, the slope is much shallower than that of the onset peak, as is the case for the onset bumps. We get [Formula: see text], being consistent with off-axis observations to an expanding external fireball in a wind-like circum medium. Therefore, the late re-brightening may signal another jet component. Mixing of different emission components may be the reason for the observed chromatic breaks of the shallow decay segment in different energy bands.
POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF HEAVY NUCLEI IN THE CENTRAL ENGINE OF GRBS
Authors: LIU TONG , GU WEI-MIN , XUE LI , LU JU-FU
Published: November 2013

We revisit the vertical structure of neutrino-dominated accretion flows (NDAFs) in spherical coordinates with a new boundary condition based on the mechanical equilibrium. The solutions show that the NDAF is significantly thick. The electron fraction approaches 0.5 at the surface of the disk in the outer region, which means that the matter in these regions is almost composed of α-particles and electrons in non-degenerate phase. It may be an implication for the origin of heavy nuclei in GRBs.
GRB 090227B: A FIRST EXAMPLE OF A GENUINE SHORT GRB
Authors: MUCCINO M. , BIANCO C. L. , IZZO L. , PENACCHIONI A. V. , RUFFINI R.
Published: November 2013

In the context of the Fireshell scenario Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) find a natural explanation in the values of three main parameters: the energy of the emitting e± plasma [Formula: see text], the baryon load B, and the density of the Circum-Burst Medium (CBM) nCBM. For B≲10-5, the GRB consists of a spike-like emission without any afterglow: a genuine short burst. GRB 090227B is the first recognized genuine short GRB. Its analysis reveals that the transparency emission is not a pure thermal process, owing to a non-gradual transition between the optically thick and the optically thin phases. Within our theory we have recovered the original thermal spectrum of the e± plasma, namely the effective Black body (BB); we indeed have determined the parameters of the Fireshell model, including the redshift. Setting a baryon load B = 10-6, we obtain the effective temperature [Formula: see text], the Lorentz factor at transparency Γ = 12852, and the total energy [Formula: see text]. The estimated redshift is z = 4.07±0.36.
DISCUSSION OF THE COORDINATES ABOUT TUNNELING EFFECT
Authors: REN JUN
Published: November 2013

In this paper, we discuss that the Painlevé coordinates are not required to study tunneling effect from black holes. If the Schwarzschild coordinates are used to calculate the tunneling rate by the Parikh's method, the tunneling rate is half of the standard result.
PERFECT FLUID ACCRETION BY THE INTERIOR OF BLACK HOLE
Authors: SHARIF M. , ABBAS G.
Published: November 2013

We study perfect fluid accretion by the interior of a black hole in conformal gravity. We formulate the equation of motion for the accretion process by using energy conservation, Bernoulli equation and mass flux conservation equation. The accretion of perfect fluid (satisfying null energy condition) results the increase of black hole mass. The conditions for critical accretion are also investigated. There exist two critical points that lie in the exterior of horizons.
ON THE PUZZLE OF LONG AND SHORT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS
Authors: SHAO LANG , ZHANG FU-WEN , DAI ZI-GAO , JIN ZHI-PING , YAN JING-ZHI , WEI DA-MING
Published: November 2013

In this paper we give a brief review of our recent studies on the long and short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected Swift, in an effort to understand the puzzle of classifying GRBs. We consider that it is still an appealing conjecture that both long and short GRBs are drawn from the same parent sample by observational biases.
TUNNELING FROM REISSNER-NORDSTRÖM-DE SITTER BLACK HOLE WITH A GLOBAL MONOPOLE
Authors: SHARIF M. , JAVED WAJIHA
Published: November 2013

This paper is devoted to investigate the Hawking radiation as a tunneling phenomenon from the Reissner-Nordström-de Sitter black hole with a global monopole. We use the semiclassical WKB approximation to the general covariant charged Dirac equation and evaluate tunneling probability as well as Hawking temperature. We also study the back reaction effects of the emitted spin particles and Bekenstein-Hawking entropy corrections of fermions tunneling through horizon.
COUPLING OF DYNAMICAL AND TRANSPORT EQUATIONS IN f(R) THEORY
Authors: SHARIF M. , RIZWANA KAUSAR H.
Published: November 2013

This paper is devoted to study spherically symmetric gravitational collapse with anisotropic fluid in f(R) theory which undergoes dissipation in the form of heat flux. We develop dynamical and transport equation and finally couple them. This yields different possibilities of collapse and explosions connected with supernovae events and immense of dark energy terms arising from modifying gravity.
GLOBAL SOLUTIONS OF NEUTRINO DOMINATED ACCRETION FLOWS AROUND KERR BLACK HOLES
Authors: XUE LI , LIU TONG , GU WEI-MIN , LU JU-FU
Published: November 2013

By solving a set of coupled hydrodynamical and microphysical equations with some appropriate boundary conditions, we obtain three global solutions of typical neutrino-dominated accretion flows around different spinning black holes. Our results reveal that the effect of black hole spin on the flows is restricted within inner parts of neutrino-dominated regions.
EVOLUTION OF ROTATING ISOLATED COMPACT STARS
Authors: ZHOU XIA , LIU ZHI-YONG , WANG NA
Published: November 2013

Differential rotation is an important feature of nonlinear r-modes. We investigate the role of differential rotation in the evolution of compact stars, including its cooling and spin evolution. Both normal neutron stars and strange stars are discussed. The heating effects due to viscous dissipation of the r-mode delay the cooling and spin evolution of compact stars. Especially, slight spin-up and a long time temperature plateaus in the cooling curves of normal neutron stars are found in case of differential rotation. We suggest the spin and cooling evolution should be taken into account synthetically, for the rotation of the star is a possible huge energy source for the thermal evolution of the star.
MEASUREMENT OF COSMIC RAY SPECTRUM AND ANISOTROPY WITH ARGO-YBJ
Authors:   (on behalf of the ARGO-YBJ Collaboration), DI SCIASCIO G.
Published: November 2013

In this paper we report on the observation of the anisotropy of cosmic ray arrival direction at different angular scales with ARGO-YBJ. Evidence of new few-degree excesses throughout the sky region 195° ≤ R.A. ≤ 315° is presented for the first time.

We report also on the measurement of the light-component (p+He) spectrum of primary cosmic rays in the range 5–200 TeV.
STOCHASTIC ELECTRON ACCELERATION IN SNR RX J1713.7-3946
Authors: FAN ZHONGHUI , LIU SIMING
Published: November 2013

Stochastic acceleration of charged particles due to their interactions with plasma waves may be responsible for producing superthermal particles in a variety of astrophysical systems. This process can be described as a diffusion process in the energy space with the Fokker-Planck equation. In this paper, a time-dependent numerical code is used to solve the reduced Fokker-Planck equation involving only time and energy variables with general forms of the diffusion coefficients. We also propose a self-similar model for particle acceleration in Sedov explosions and use the TeV SNR RX J1713.7-3946 as an example to demonstrate the model characteristics. Markov Chain Monte Carlo method is utilized to constrain model parameters with observations.
THE JEM-EUSO MISSION: OBSERVATION OF ULTRA-HIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS FROM SPACE
Authors:   (for the JEM-EUSO COLLABORATION), RICCI M.
Published: November 2013

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory on Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO) is a science mission planned to be launched in 2017 to the International Space Station (ISS) to investigate the nature and origin of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) beyond energy 3 × 1019 eV. JEM-EUSO is a wide-angle telescope (60 degrees full field of view) and consists of a high-transmittance Fresnel lenses 2.5 m in diameter, an advanced photo-sensitive detector at the focal surface and a suitable electronics. An infrared camera and a LIDAR system will also be used to monitor the Earth's atmosphere and provide significant information on cloud coverage. The present status of advancement of the mission is reported.
SEARCHING FOR LIGHT WEAKLY INTERACTING MASSIVE PARTICLES AT THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER
Authors: SCOPEL S.
Published: November 2013

Light neutralinos implemented in an effective Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model at the electroweak scale without requirement of a gaugino-mass unification at a grand unification scale may have a mass around 10 GeV, i.e. in the range of interest for present data of direct search for dark matter particles in the galactic halo. In this talk we discuss the challenges and prospects of searching for them at the Large Hadron Collider.
NEW LIMITS ON THE FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS FROM THE CMB DATA
Authors: MENEGONI ELOISA , MELCHIORRI ALESSANDRO , CALABRESE ERMINIA , GALLI SILVIA
Published: November 2013

The Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies provide a unique opportunity to constrain simultaneous variations of the fine-structure constant α and Newton's gravitational constant G. Those correlated variations are possible in a wide class of theoretical models. In this brief paper we show that the current data, assuming that particle masses are constant, gives no clear indication for such variations, but already prefers that any relative variations in α should be of the same sign of those of G for variations of ≈ 1%. We also show that a cosmic complementarity is present with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis, and that a combination of current CMB and BBN data strongly constraints simultaneous variations in α and G. We finally discuss the future bounds achievable by the Planck satellite mission. We discuss present and future cosmological constraints on variations of the fine structure constant α induced by an early dark energy component having the simplest allowed (linear) coupling to electromagnetism. We find that current cosmological data show no variation of the fine structure constant at recombination respect to the present-day value, with α/α0 = 0.975 ± 0.020 at 95% c.l., constraining the energy density in early dark energy to Ωe < 0.060 at 95% c.l.
ECLIPSES, SOLAR LIMB DARKENING FUNCTION AND DIAMETER MEASUREMENTS: TOWARD A UNIFIED APPROACH
Authors: RAPONI ANDREA , SIGISMONDI COSTANTINO , GUHL KONRAD , NUGENT RICHARD , TEGTMEIER ANDREAS
Published: November 2013

In order to perform high resolution astrometry of the solar diameter from the ground, through the observations of eclipses, the study of the limb darkening profile is described. Knowing the profile of the solar limb is useful both to monitor the solar radius over time, and to define the oblateness, which is interesting for the classical tests of general relativity. The Limb Darkening Function (LDF) is studied in order to find the inflexion point, to which the measurements of the solar diameter are referred. The proposed method is applied to the videos of the annular eclipse in January, 15, 2010. This new method might solve the ambiguity of some eclipse obervations made with different instruments, where the measured solar diameter was clearly dependent on the aperture of the telescope and on the density of the filter used.
SOLAR ASTROMETRY: THE STATUS OF ART IN 2011
Authors: SIGISMONDI COSTANTINO
Published: November 2013

Solar astrometry deals with the accurate measumerent of the solar diameter, and in general with the measurement of the shape of the Sun. During the last decades several techniques have been developed to monitor the radius and the irradiance of the Sun: meridian transits, telescopes in drift-scan mode, solar astrolabes, balloons, and satellites dedicated to the measurements of the solar diameter, and space measurements of the total solar irradiance are now performed to know the relationship radius-luminosity for the Sun in this evolutionary stage of its life. The feedback of solar astrometry in climate studies is of paramount importance. The status of art in the various fields of research here adressed is outlined.
THE ASTROMETRIC RECOGNITION OF THE SOLAR CLEMENTINE GNOMON (1702)
Authors: SIGISMONDI COSTANTINO
Published: November 2013

The Clementine gnomon has been built in 1702 to measure the Earth's obliquity variation. For this reason the pinhole was located in the walls of Diocletian's times (305 a. D.) in order to remain stable along the centuries, but its original form and position have been modified. We used an astrometric method to recover the original position of the pinhole: reshaping the pinhole to a circle of 1.5 cm of diameter, the positions of the Northern and Southern limbs have been compared with the ephemerides. A sistematic shift of 4.5 mm Southward of the whole solar image shows that the original pinhole was 4.5 mm North of the actual position, as the images in the Bianchini's book (1703) suggest. The oval shape of the actual pinhole is also wrong. Using a circle the larger solar spots are clearly visible. Some reference stars of the catalogue of Philippe de la Hire (1702), used originally for measuring the ecliptic latitude of the Sun, are written next to the meridian line, but after the last restauration (2000), four of them are wrongly located. Finally the deviation from the true North, of the meridian line's azimuth confirms the value recovered in 1750. This, with the local deviations of a true line, will remain as systematic error, like for all these historical instruments.
Development of a national groundwater recharge map for the Republic of Ireland
Authors: Hunter Williams N. H. , Misstear B. D. R. , Daly D. , Lee M.
Published: November 2013

A groundwater recharge map has been created for the Republic of Ireland. This provides important baseline information for multiple purposes: aquifer water balance assessments using simple lumped models or distributed numerical groundwater models; assessment of the impact of groundwater abstractions as required under the European Water Framework Directive; and delineation of source protection zones. The groundwater recharge map is derived from existing hydrogeological and meteorological spatial datasets. The main hydrogeological controls on groundwater recharge include the permeability and thickness of superficial deposits (mainly tills in Ireland), the presence of saturated soils, and the ability of the underlying aquifer to accept percolating waters. Combinations of these factors are assessed, and a ‘recharge coefficient’ is established for different hydrogeological scenarios. To produce the groundwater recharge map, the geographic information system layer containing the recharge coefficients is multiplied by the effective rainfall. The recharge map is finally modified to take into account areas where the natural recharge capacity of the underlying aquifer is less than the estimated groundwater recharge potential. Originally drafted in 2005, the present map includes refined recharge coefficient estimates, improved representation of wet soils over gravel aquifers, and a full national coverage of full subsoil permeability and groundwater vulnerability mapping. There are a number of assumptions made in creating the groundwater recharge map (notably, only direct (diffuse) recharge is taken into account) and there are limitations of precision associated with the input datasets. For reasons of scale and generalization to a national coverage, the map is useful for giving regional estimates of recharge but these, in many cases, will need to be refined by site-specific studies.
Origin and Evolution of Adaptive Immunity
Authors: Boehm Thomas , Swann Jeremy B.
Published: November 2013

The evolutionary emergence of vertebrates was accompanied by major morphological and functional innovations, including the development of an adaptive immune system. Vertebrate adaptive immunity is based on the clonal expression of somatically diversifying antigen receptors on lymphocytes. This is a common feature of both the jawless and jawed vertebrates , although these two groups of extant vertebrates employ structurally different types of antigen receptors and principal mechanisms for their somatic diversification . These observations suggest that the common vertebrate ancestor must have already possessed a complex immune system, including B- and T-like lymphocyte lineages and primary lymphoid organs, such as the thymus, but possibly lacked the facilities for somatic diversification of antigen receptors. Interestingly, memory formation, previously considered to be a defining feature of adaptive immunity, also occurs in the context of innate immune responses and can even be observed in unicellular organisms, attesting to the convergent evolutionary history of distinct aspects of adaptive immunity.
Normal physical activity obliterates the deleterious effects of a high-caloric intake
Authors: Krogh-Madsen Rikke , Pedersen Maria , Solomon Thomas P. J. , Knudsen Sine Haugaard , Hansen Louise Seier , Karstoft Kristian , Lehrskov-Schmidt Louise , Pedersen Karin Kaereby , Thomsen Carsten , Holst Jens Juul , Pedersen Bente K.
Published: November 2013

A high-caloric intake combined with a sedentary lifestyle is an important player in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The present study was undertaken to examine if the level of physical activity has impact on the metabolic effects of a high-caloric (+2,000 kcal/day) intake. Therefore, healthy individuals on a high-caloric intake were randomized to either 10,000 or 1,500 steps/day for 14 days. Step number, total energy expenditure, dietary records, neuropsychological tests, maximal oxygen uptake (V̇o2max), whole body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) with stable isotopes were performed before and after the intervention. Both study groups gained the same amount of body weight. However, the inactive group accumulated significantly more visceral fat compared with the active group. Following the 2-wk period, the inactive group also experienced a poorer glycemic control, increased endogenous glucose production, decreased hepatic insulin extraction, increased baseline plasma levels of total cholesterol and LDL, and a decreased cognitive function with regard to capacity of attention. In conclusion, we find evidence to support that habitual physical activity may prevent pathophysiological symptoms associated with diet-induced obesity.
Immunomodulatory effects of massage on nonperturbed skeletal muscle in rats
Authors: Waters-Banker Christine , Butterfield Timothy A. , Dupont-Versteegden Esther E.
Published: November 2013

Massage is an ancient manual therapy widely utilized by individuals seeking relief from various musculoskeletal maladies. Despite its popularity, the majority of evidence associated with massage benefits is anecdotal. Recent investigations have uncovered physiological evidence supporting its beneficial use following muscle injury; however, the effects of massage on healthy, unperturbed skeletal muscle are unknown. Utilizing a custom-fabricated massage mimetic device, the purpose of this investigation was to elucidate the effects of various loading magnitudes on healthy skeletal muscle with particular interest in the gene expression profile and modulation of key immune cells involved in the inflammatory response. Twenty-four male Wistar rats (200 g) were subjected to cyclic compressive loading (CCL) over the right tibialis anterior muscle for 30 min, once a day, for 4 consecutive days using four loading conditions: control (0N), low load (1.4N), moderate load (4.5N), and high load (11N). Microarray analysis showed that genes involved with the immune response were the most significantly affected by application of CCL. Load-dependent changes in cellular abundance were seen in the CCL limb for CD68+ cells, CD163+ cells, and CD43+cells. Surprisingly, load-independent changes were also discovered in the non-CCL contralateral limb, suggesting a systemic response. These results show that massage in the form of CCL exerts an immunomodulatory response to uninjured skeletal muscle, which is dependent upon the applied load.
Targeting microRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer: Microplayers in the Big Game
Authors: Khan Sheema , Ansarullah  , Kumar Deepak , Jaggi Meena , Chauhan Subhash C.
Published: November 2013

The prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer is extremely poor, and current systemic therapies result in only marginal survival rates for patients. The era of targeted therapies has offered a new avenue to search for more effective therapeutic strategies. Recently, microRNAs (miRNA) that are small noncoding RNAs (18–24 nucleotides) have been associated with a number of diseases, including cancer. Disruption of miRNAs may have important implications in cancer etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. So far, focus has been on the mechanisms that are involved in translational silencing of their targets to fine tune gene expression. This review summarizes the approach for rational validation of selected candidates that might be involved in pancreatic tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and disease management. Herein, we also focus on the major issues hindering the identification of miRNAs, their linked pathways and recent advances in understanding their role as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers, and therapeutic tools in dealing with this disease. miRNAs are expected to be robust clinical analytes, valuable for clinical research and biomarker discovery. Cancer Res; 73(22); 6541–7. ©2013 AACR.
Cancerous Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 2A, an Emerging Human Oncoprotein and a Potential Cancer Therapy Target
Authors: Khanna Anchit , Pimanda John E. , Westermarck Jukka
Published: November 2013

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) complexes function as tumor suppressors by inhibiting the activity of several critical oncogenic signaling pathways. Consequently, inhibition of the PP2A phosphatase activity is one of many prerequisites for the transformation of normal human cells into cancerous cells. However, mechanisms for PP2A inactivation in human cancers are poorly understood. The aberrant expression of cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A), a recently identified endogenous PP2A inhibitor in malignant cells, is one such mechanism. Various independent studies have validated CIP2A's role in promoting tumor growth and resistance to apoptosis and senescence-inducing therapies. Notably, high CIP2A expression predicts poor patient prognosis in several human cancer types. Among the oncogenic proteins dephosphorylated by PP2A, the MYC oncoprotein, which is phosphorylated at serine 62, has surfaced as a marker for the oncogenic activity of CIP2A. The positive-feedback loop between CIP2A and MYC augments the activity of MYC in cancer cells. In addition, CIP2A promotes the phosphorylation and activity of additional oncoproteins, including E2F1 and AKT. However, CIP2A is not essential for normal mouse growth and development. These findings indicate that CIP2A is a novel anticancer target based on PP2A reactivation and inhibition of the oncogenic activity of its downstream effectors. The potential approaches and feasibility of targeting CIP2A are discussed here. Cancer Res; 73(22); 6548–53. ©2013 AACR.
Three-Dimensional Accuracy of ECOG Strip Electrode Localization Using Coregistration of Preoperative MRI and Intraoperative Fluoroscopy
Authors: Rowland Nathan C. , Miller Kai J. , Starr Philip A.
Published: November 2013

Background/Aims: Algorithms that estimate implanted cortical strip electrode coordinates using postoperative skull X-ray coregistration with preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been proposed. However, when cortical strip electrodes are inserted for temporary use and removed prior to closure, intraoperative imaging - either fluoroscopy or computed tomography (CT) - must be substituted. Objectives: To measure the accuracy of temporarily inserted subdural strip electrode coordinates using intraoperative fluoroscopic coregistration with preoperative MRI compared to intraoperative CT coregistration with preoperative MRI. Methods: In 5 patients undergoing movement disorder surgery, preoperative MRI was used to generate a three-dimensional cortical surface manually scaled to fit an intraoperative skull fluorogram with an in situ six-contact subdural electrode strip. Individual contact coordinates were estimated using subjacent gyral and sulcal patterns. Estimated coordinates were compared to reference coordinates obtained by preoperative MRI coregistration with intraoperative CT in the same patients. Results: Mean electrode coordinate distances between estimated and reference locations were 6.0 ± 0.8 (x-axis, mediolateral), 3.3 ± 0.5 (y-axis, anterior-posterior) and 4.0 ± 0.5 mm (z-axis, superior-inferior; n = 30). Conclusions: Localization of temporarily inserted subdural electrodes can be accomplished using preoperative MRI and intraoperative fluoroscopy. The accuracy of this approach is verified by preoperative MRI and intraoperative CT coregistration in the same patients.
Stereotactic Neurosurgical Technique and Electrophysiological Study in Ablating the Ventromedial Shell of the Nucleus Accumbens
Authors: Yang Kai-jun , Long Hao , Yuan Ya-wei , Qi Song-tao , Xu Bo-tao , Wang Ke-wan , Song Ye
Published: November 2013

Objective: To describe in as much detail as possible the method for ablating the ventromedial shell of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and investigate the efficacy and safety of the ablation treatment. Methods: Sixty-five patients with drug addictions received operations within the time frame from 2004 to 2009. The ablation targets were located in the bilateral medial posterior inferior shell of the NAc. Intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring was performed. Results: Tissue impedance in the shell of the NAc varied from 185 to 355 Ω. When stimulated with a low frequency (2 Hz) and a voltage above 3 V, 57 out of 65 (87.7%) patients experienced slight throbbing sensations. During the lesion procedure, fever was detected on the head and face of 59 patients (90.8%), the heart rate decreased in 19 cases (29.2%), and restlessness, irritability and hyperalgia were noted for all patients. Among the 65 patients, 52 (80%) no longer experienced a psychological craving for the drug. Conclusions: The shell of the NAc may be a promising surgical target for psychosurgery. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that the shell is indeed an appropriate structure.
Deep Brain Stimulation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Is the Side Relevant?
Authors: Barcia Juan A. , Reyes Laura , Arza Rocío , Saceda Javier , Avecillas Josué , Yáñez Rosa , García-Albea Julia , Ortiz Tomás , López-Ibor Maria-Inés , López-Ibor Juan-José
Published: November 2013

Background: Deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has targeted several subcortical nuclei, including the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the nucleus accumbens. While the most appropriate target is still being looked for, little attention has been given to the side of the stimulated hemisphere in relationship to outcome. Methods: We report 2 patients diagnosed with OCD, one having symmetry obsessions and the other one with sexual-religious obsessive thoughts. They were implanted bilaterally with deep electrodes located at both STN and nuclei accumbens. The effectiveness of the stimulation was tested for every possible paired combination of electrodes guided by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) score reduction. Results: In both cases, the combination of electrodes which best relieved the OCD symptoms was both the left STN and left accumbens. In case 1, the preoperative Y-BOCS score was 33, and 1 month after stimulation it was 16. In case 2, the Y-BOCS scores were 33 and 3, respectively, with the patient being free of obsessions. Conclusion: Some reports suggest that lesion stimulation or stimulation of only the right side relieves OCD symptoms. However, anatomical and functional studies are not conclusive as to which side is most affected in OCD. Possibly, each OCD patient has an individualized optimal side to stimulate.
Antitumor Activity of Cucumarioside A2-2
Authors: Menchinskaya E.S. , Pislyagin E.A. , Kovalchyk S.N. , Davydova V.N. , Silchenko A.S. , Avilov S.A. , Kalinin V.I. , Aminin D.L.
Published: November 2013

Background: The cytotoxic activity of sea cucumber glycosides against different types of cells and cell lines, including human tumor cell lines, has been studied for many years. However, the molecular mechanism(s) of the antitumor action of triterpene glycosides on cancer cells remain unclear. This article reports a continuation of investigations of triterpene glycoside cucumarioside A2-2 isolated from the Far-Eastern sea cucumber Cucumaria japonica. It describes a study of glycoside anticancer activity in vivo and glycoside interaction with mouse Ehrlich carcinoma cells in vitro. Methods: The cytotoxicity of cucumarioside A2-2 and its effect on apoptosis, the cell cycle, DNA biosynthesis and p53 activity, and glycoside anticancer action against Ehrlich carcinoma cells were studied. Results: Cucumarioside A2-2 influences tumor cell viability at micromolar concentrations. The EC50 for glycoside estimated by nonspecific esterase assay and MTT assay was 2.1 and 2.7 μM, respectively. Cucumarioside A2-2 at a subcytotoxic range of concentrations exhibits a cytostatic effect by blocking cell proliferation and DNA biosynthesis in the S phase. It may induce apoptosis in tumor cells in a caspase-dependent way, bypassing the activation of the p53-dependent segment. Conclusion: The anticancer and proapoptotic properties of cucumarioside A2-2 may be due to direct interaction of the glycoside with tumor cells. The in vivo anticancer effect of cucumarioside A2-2 may be associated with the ability of the drug to arrest the cell cycle in the synthetic phase and induce programmed tumor cell death.
Review and Perspectives on Pharmacological Vitreolysis
Authors: Bandello Francesco , La Spina Carlo , Iuliano Lorenzo , Fogliato Giovanni , Parodi Maurizio Battaglia
Published: November 2013

The vitreous is involved in multiple diseases when an incomplete posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) occurs. An incomplete PVD can lead to several pathological conditions. Such visually threatening conditions are traditionally of exclusive surgical interest. In contrast, pharmacological vitreolysis is the effort to reduce or eliminate the pathogenetic role of the vitreous solely by means of drug delivery. Here we aim to review and summarize the evidence available to date about this challenging new approach.
A Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Test to Enumerate Leukocytes in Allograft Tissue and the Implications for Donor Eligibility Testing
Authors: Podzemny Cari E. , Brenton Matthew D. , Brubaker Scott A. , Marians Russell C.
Published: November 2013

A country-to-country analysis of infectious disease screening requirements for donated tissues or cells reveals they are not often harmonized. Transmission of one such infectious disease, human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV), is related to the transfer of HTLV-infected, viable leukocytes of sufficient number. The ability to characterize allograft tissue as being absent of leukocytes, or containing relatively few leukocytes, by using a specific test has not been previously investigated. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) test was developed to interrogate protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type C (PTPRC) gene expression in tissue samples and was able to determine the number of leukocytes present in a tissue. The impact of a qualified leukocyte tissue testing method should be significant and lead to changes in donor eligibility regulations in certain countries. Human leukapheresis samples were used as a control to establish the amount of PTPRC in leukocytes. That value was used as a comparator to determine the number of leukocyte equivalents in tissues of interest. The qPCR test measured tissue leukocyte equivalents and the results were consistent with the relative abundance of leukocytes predicted for each tissue. Using qPCR to calculate leukocyte equivalents based upon PTPRC gene expression can be successfully employed to estimate the number of leukocytes in a tissue or allograft. This method could be used as a screen to rule out tissues that do not meet the criteria of being leukocyte rich and, therefore, do not need direct HTLV testing.