bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scaling 911 Texting for Large-Scale Disasters
Authors: Tapia Andrea H. , Giacobe Nicklaus A. , Soule Pamela J , LaLone Nicolas James
Published: May 2016

In a mass crisis event, Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) cannot meet the demand of thousands of individuals trying to alert or request emergency services. However, new technology, driven by the right policy and tested for strengths and weaknesses in a data rich, semi-predictable environment, can help to address current PSAP limitations. In this paper the authors present a system that aims to provide real-time data to emergency managers during a crisis event in such an environment – a college town during a football game or similarly attended event. The system is designed to accept, sort, triage and deliver hundreds of direct text messages from populations engaged in a crisis to emergency management staff who can respond. They posit that when a municipal or county-level EOC is cross-housed with a University EOC, multiple opportunities for development and funding occur. Universities can provide the technical expertise, funding, staffing, development and testing for systems that serve the EOC. Most importantly, Universities also provide disaster-like events that can be used as proxies for unpredictable mass crises during which more valid and reliable testing can occur. The authors present preliminary findings from a text-to-emergency service currently in use by Penn State University Athletics.
Intelligent Content Editing
Authors: Flanagan Suzan
Published: May 2016

This manuscript examines the role of technical editors in content management and theorizes how to adapt print-based editing practices for digital content. Embracing a user experience approach to content management, it introduces a prototype theory inspired by Rockley and Cooper's (2012) concept of intelligent content. The user-centered theory emphasizes editorial strategies for developing, editing, and maintaining digital content; it also explores the implications of separating content and product.
Pro-Business or Common Citizen?
Authors: Rathore Ashish K. , Tuli Nikhil , Ilavarasan P. Vigneswara
Published: May 2016

This paper examines the social media content of a woman Indian chief executive officer (CEO) in her communication in the public space. The active involvement of CEO in communication activities influences the business effectiveness, performance, and standing of the business headed by her. The emerging social media has become an essential strategic tool from “buzz word” with more popularity among businesses and creates great opportunities for communication efforts both for corporate and personal use of CEO. For this study, Tweets posted on Twitter, a micro-blogging social media platform, by an Indian woman CEO are used for analysis. Rstudio and Nvivo were used for tweets extraction and analysis. The findings show the various themes in CEO's communication which are categorized in different sectors. The tweets are limited to business sector; it also includes the personal (feelings and status updates), political views and social concerns (ranging from water scarcity, education, illiteracy, women empowerment, need for improved governance, policy support). The paper extends the theoretical and empirical arguments for the importance of CEOs' social media communications. Finally, this research suggests that with a well-planned and strategic social media use, CEOs can create value for themselves and their businesses.
Crisis Management and Image Restoration through Social Networking
Authors: Bhattacharya Debarati
Published: May 2016

The study aims to discern how social networking sites have become an important tool in enabling immediate crisis communication. Juxtaposing theories on crisis and strategies of image restoration the paper aims to analyze the recent Maggi Crisis. The case study takes Twitter and Facebook as points of analysis. The paper observes that although social networking site facilitates immediate communication, it can cause a lot of damage to the reputation of the organization if utmost care is not taken in the message that goes out. The paper will further analyze the possibilities and limitations provided by social networking sites to the companies at the time of crisis. The paper concludes that damage control to a great extent could be exercised through adoption of apt strategies right away.
Twitter Predicting the 2012 US Presidential Election?
Authors: Maldonado Miguel , Sierra Vicenta
Published: May 2016

Throughout the history of elections, political marketing services have led significant efforts aimed at predicting electoral outcomes as essential evidence to refine campaign tactics. This study develops an analytical procedure based on the Wisdom of Crowds effect and on a supervised approach of text analytics over social media content to predict electoral outcomes. Direct application of this procedure is illustrated analyzing 508,000 tweets about the 2012 US presidential election, obtaining results that consistently predicted President Barack Obama as the victor from seven weeks before the election. The study outperformed several traditional polls and similar studies employing social media to estimate potential election outcomes. This procedure offers an efficient alternative to political marketing services and political campaign staff practitioners interested in developing electoral predictions. Contributions to the field, procedural limitations, additional opportunities for knowledge creation, and research streams derived are introduced.
Participating in the Enterprise Web 2.0 Platform
Authors: Alqahtani Fayez Hussain , Abunadi Ibrahim
Published: May 2016

The incorporation of Enterprise Web 2.0 technologies has been very important to various business organisations and institutions. This is because these technologies possess social and collaborative features that allow employees to communicate collaborate and share knowledge more effectively. Despite the importance of Enterprise Web 2.0, its application faces challenges, chief among them being employee resistance. In order for organisations to successfully implement these social and collaborative technologies within the workplace, employee involvement is necessary. Since Enterprise Web 2.0 technologies are group-based applications, the development of trust is a pre-requisite for group communication and engagement over this social medium. This research therefore explores the role of trust in users' adoption of, and participation in, Enterprise Web 2.0 technologies. In this research, a qualitative approach using focus groups and interviews as data collection techniques was used. The study found that there was an inherent level of user trust due to the transparency of Enterprise Web 2.0, the moderating role of the community, and the professionalism of the workplace environment.
CysLT1 Receptor Is Protective against Oxidative Stress in a Model of Irritant-Induced Asthma
Authors: McGovern Toby , Goldberger Madison , Chen Michael , Allard Benoit , Hamamoto Yoichiro , Kanaoka Yoshihide , Austen K. Frank , Powell William S. , Martin James G.
Published: May 2016

The bronchoconstrictive and proinflammatory properties of cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs) in allergic asthma mediate their effects predominantly through the cysLT1 receptor (cysLT1R). However, the role of cysLTs and cysLT1R in innate immune-triggered asthma is largely unexplored. We explored the synthesis of cysLTs and cysLT1R as determinants of airway responses in an oxidative stress–induced model of irritant asthma. Wild-type (WT) mice exposed to 100 ppm Cl2 for 5 min had airway neutrophilia, increased cysLT production, and pulmonary expression of cysLT-related biosynthetic genes. CysLT1R-deficient (CysLTr1−/−) mice that were exposed to Cl2 demonstrated airway hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine significantly greater than in WT BALB/c mice. Compared to WT mice, airway neutrophilia and keratinocyte chemoattractant production levels were higher in CysLTr1−/− mice and airway hyperresponsiveness was ameliorated using a granulocyte depletion Ab. CysLTr1−/− mice also demonstrated prolonged bronchial epithelial cell apoptosis following Cl2. WT mice showed increased antioxidant and NF erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) gene expression, Nrf2 nuclear translocation in bronchial epithelial cells, and increased reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione following Cl2 exposure whereas CysLTr1−/− mice did not. Furthermore, CysLTr1−/− mice demonstrated increased pulmonary E-cadherin expression and soluble E-cadherin shedding compared with WT mice. Loss of a functional cysLT1R results in aberrant antioxidant response and increased susceptibility to oxidative injury, apparently via a cysLT1R-dependent impairment of Nrf2 function.
Type I IFNs Regulate Inflammation, Vasculopathy, and Fibrosis in Chronic Cutaneous Graft-versus-Host Disease
Authors: Delaney Tracy A. , Morehouse Chris , Brohawn P. Zachary , Groves Christopher , Colonna Marco , Yao Yihong , Sanjuan Miguel , Coyle Anthony J.
Published: May 2016

Type I IFNs play a critical role in the immune response to viral infection and may also drive autoimmunity through modulation of monocyte maturation and promotion of autoreactive lymphocyte survival. Recent demonstrations of type I IFN gene signatures in autoimmune diseases, including scleroderma, led us to investigate the pathological role of IFNs in a preclinical model of sclerodermatous graft-versus-host disease. Using a neutralizing Ab against the type I IFN receptor IFNAR1, we observed a marked reduction in dermal inflammation, vasculopathy, and fibrosis compared with that seen in the presence of intact IFNAR1 signaling. The ameliorative effects of IFNAR1 blockade were restricted to the skin and were highly associated with inhibition of chronic vascular injury responses and not due to the inhibition of the T or B cell alloresponse. Inhibition of IFNAR1 normalized the overexpression of IFN-inducible genes in graft-versus-host disease skin and markedly reduced dermal IFN-α levels. Depletion of plasmacytoid dendritic cells, a major cellular source of type I IFNs, did not reduce the severity of fibrosis or type I IFN gene signature in the skin. Taken together, these studies demonstrate an important role for type I IFN in skin fibrosis, and they provide a rationale for IFNAR1 inhibition in scleroderma.
Serum levels of phosphorylated heat shock protein 27 (pHSP27) are associated with bone mineral density in pre- & postmenopausal women
Authors: Daswani Bhavna , Gavali Shubhangi , Desai Meena , Patil Anushree , Khatkhatay M. Ikram
Published: May 2016

Background & objectives:

Phosphorylated heat shock protein 27 (pHSP27) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines, which are known to be involved in aetiology of osteoporosis, can trigger HSP27 phosphorylation. Since pHSP27 is present in circulation, it was hypothesized that serum pHSP27 would be elevated in low bone mineral density (BMD) condition and might serve as an indicator of osteoporosis/osteopenia. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine serum levels of pHSP27 in relation with BMD in pre- and postmenopausal women.

Methods:

Premenopausal (30 to 40 yr) and postmenopausal (50 to 60 yr) women having either low BMD (osteopenia/osteoporosis) or high BMD were selected (n=80) from a prospective cohort (n=200). Serum levels of pHSP27; along with levels of oestradiol, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor - alpha, (TNF-α), c-telopeptide fragments of collagen type I (CTX-1) and osteocalcin were estimated.

Results:

The serum levels of pHSP27 were significantly elevated in low BMD groups in premenopausal and postmenopausal categories (P<0.05). It also exhibited a significant odds ratio (OR) to differentiate between low and high BMD in both premenopausal (OR=1.734, P=0.013) and postmenopausal (OR=1.463, P=0.042) categories. Additionally, area under the curve to predict low BMD was non-significantly higher for pHSP27 than CTX-1 in premenopausal and postmenopausal categories.

Interpretation & conclusions:

This study highlights a novel relation between serum pHSP27 and BMD in Indian women however, these findings need to be confirmed in larger studies.
Prevalence of α-thalassaemia genotypes in pregnant women in northern Thailand
Authors: Pharephan Somphon , Sirivatanapa Pannee , Makonkawkeyoon Sanit , Tuntiwechapikul Wirote , Makonkawkeyoon Luksana
Published: May 2016

Background & objectives:

Alpha-thalassaemias are genetic disorders with high prevalence in northern Thailand. However, common genotypes and current data on the prevalence of α-thalassaemias have not been reported in this region. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of α-thalassaemia genotypes in pregnant women in northern Thailand.

Methods:

Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of pregnant women who came to Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai University Hospital during July 2009 to 2010. The common deletion and point mutation genotypes of α-thalassaemia were evaluated by gap- polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).

Results:

Genotypes of 638 pregnant women were: 409 samples (64.11%) being normal subjects (αα/αα) and 229 samples (35.89%) with α-thalassaemias. These 229 samples could be classified into deletional HbH disease (--SEA/-α3.7) for 18 samples (2.82%); heterozygous α0-thalassaemia --SEA type (--SEA/αα)) for 78 (12.23%); heterozygous α+-thalassaemia - α3.7 type (-α3.7/αα) for 99 (15.52%); homozygous α+-thalassaemia - α3.7 type (-α3.7/- α3.7) for five (0.78%); heterozygous α+-thalassaemia - α4.2 type (-α4.2/αα) for two (0.31%); and heterozygous HbCS (αCSα/αα) for 27 (4.23%) cases.

Interpretation & conclusions:

The prevalence of α-thalassaemias in pregnant women in northern Thailand was high. This finding supports the implementation of the prevention and control of this common genetic disorder by screening for α-thalassaemia genotypes.
How to kickstart a national biobanking infrastructure – experiences and prospects of BBMRI-NL
Authors: Brandsma M. , Baas F. , De Bakker P.I.W. , Beem E.P. , Boomsma D.I. , Bovenberg J. , Bueno-de-Mesquita B. , Van Duijn C. , Kiemeney L.A. , Klungel O. , De Leeuw P.W. , Van Leeuwen F.E. , Ridder-Numan J. , Stolk R.P. , Slagboom P.E. , Swertz M. , Wijmenga C. , Van Ommen G.J.B.
Published: May 2016

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Adapting research to the 21st century – the Swedish Biobank Register
Authors: Norlin L. , Fransson M. , Eaker S. , Elinder G. , Litton J.-E.
Published: May 2016

In Sweden, there are currently nearly 600 biobanks. The Swedish Biobank Register (SBR) is an on-going national investment by the county councils working to capture information in one database about all biobank samples collected from patients attending the Swedish medical health care. The aim of the SBR is to gather enough information about biobank samples to be able to physically trace the samples.The BioBanking and Molecular Resource Infrastructure of Sweden (BBMRI.se) has been given the task of extending the SBR Information System (IS) with functionality useful for research in connection to health care, quality registers and large patient cohorts. The research extension is called BBMRI catalogue over sample collections for research. To achieve this, the SBR-IS will be extended with attributes useful for both epidemiological and clinical research enabling authorized researchers to search for samples stored at non-clinical biobanks nationwide. The Swedish Biobank Register, together with the BBMRI research catalogue, will be a unique resource for research. SBR-IS will contain information about biobank samples collected by both clinical and population-based biobanks specifically established for research purposes but BBMRI.se researchers will only be granted access to data related to population-based biobanks. As BBMRI.se is the Swedish hub of the pan-European biobank project BBMRI, whose goal is to promote excellence and efficacy in European life science research, the BBMRI research catalogue will also be made compatible with the European register by applying its minimum data set describing biobanks and their objects. In this paper we describe the implementation. Our belief is that it will pave the way for connecting biobanks on an international level as well as stimulate collaborations and optimize usage of biobank samples. In the long run, patients and sample donors will benefit as new results with high statistical power emerge from large scale studies.
Danish biobank legislation, a simple approach?
Authors: Kyvik Kirsten Ohm
Published: May 2016

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Newborn screening programmes: Emerging biobanks?
Authors: Knoppers B.M. , Avard D. , Sénécal K.
Published: May 2016

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Facilitating collaborative research: Implementing a platform supporting data harmonization and pooling
Authors: Doiron Dany , Raina Parminder , Raina Parminder , L’Heureux François , Fortier Isabel
Published: May 2016

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DataSHIELD – shared individual-level analysis without sharing the data: a biostatistical perspective
Authors: Jones E.M. , Sheehan N.A. , Masca N. , Wallace S.E. , Murtagh M.J. , Burton P.R.
Published: May 2016

Very large sample sizes are required for estimating effects which are known to be small, and for addressing intricate or complex statistical questions. This is often only achievable by pooling data from multiple studies, especially in genetic epidemiology where associations between individual genetic variants and phenotypes of interest are generally weak. However, the physical pooling of experimental data across a consortium is frequently prohibited by the ethico-legal constraints that govern agreements and consents for individual studies. Study level meta-analyses are frequently used so that data from multiple studies need not be pooled to conduct an analysis, though the resulting analysis is necessarily restricted by the available summary statistics. The idea of maintaining data security is also of importance in other areas and approaches to carrying out ‘secure analyses’ that do not require sharing of data from different sources have been proposed in the technometrics literature. Crucially, the algorithms for fitting certain statistical models can be manipulated so that an individual level meta-analysis can essentially be performed without the need for pooling individual-level data by combining particular summary statistics obtained individually from each study. DataSHIELD (Data Aggregation Through Anonymous Summary-statistics from Harmonised Individual levEL Databases) is a tool to coordinate analyses of data that cannot be pooled. In this paper, we focus on explaining why a DataSHIELD approach yields identical results to an individual level meta-analysis in the case of a generalised linear model, by simply using summary statistics from each study. It is also an efficient approach to carrying out a study level meta-analysis when this is appropriate and when the analysis can be pre-planned. We briefly comment on the IT requirements, together with the ethical and legal challenges which must be addressed.
Difficulties of Learning EFL in KSA: Writing Skills in Context
Authors: Mohammad Taj , Hazarika Zoheb
Published: May 2016

This study is an in-depth effort to investigate issues usually faced by EFL learners in writing skills. Fifty students of Preparatory Year Program (from different sections) Najran University were randomly selected to illicit their opinion on writing skill using Likert’s 5 scale (always, usually, sometimes, rarely never) questionnaire. In addition, fifty writing samples from first and second midterms of PYP were also selected. The study analyses the writing samples mainly focusing on with special reference to capitalization, punctuation, language use (grammar) and spelling and their impact on other items of language like articles, preposition, coherence, cohesion etc. Contrastive analysis of students’ writing samples and questionnaire prove that students commit mistakes, though unconsciously, in writing. While conducting data analysis using students’ writing samples, it was observed that students used ways to pass an exam i.e. memorize the writing answer(s)/paragraph(s) rather than the proper approaches to developing/learning most common writing strategies when writing an answer. In the end, this study offers some remedial measures for writing problems of Arab EFL learners.
Types of Recasts (Full and Partial) and Grammatical Structures by Basic Level EFL Iranian Learners
Authors: Elhami Ali , Roshan Anita
Published: May 2016

The study was designed to show if the full and partial recast given to third person “s” or simple past “ed” caused learners to generate various kinds of output. 32 EFL learners at the elementary level participated in the current research. They were divided in two different groups, one included 18 and the other 14 learners. After recording their voice while giving them full and partial recast, regarding data analysis, chi Square and Paired-Samples t-test were run to analyze the data. The hypothesis was retained, leading us to conclude that full and partial recast did not function differently in simple past “ed” and the third person “s”. In doing so, it aims to help teachers to better understand the effectiveness of full recast and partial recast in different grammatical structures.
Treatment cost of metastatic colon cancer in Turkey
Authors: Kockaya Guvenc , Polat Mine , Wertheimer Albert , Ozet Ahmet , Malhan Simten , Vural İsmail Mert , Akbulat Akif , Artıran Guven , Gursoz Hakkı , Kerman Saim
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVES: Colon cancer is the third most common in the top cancer incidence list in Europe. In Europe 212,000 patients die every year due to colon cancer. In Turkey 120,000-130,000 new cancer patients are diagnosed every year, 7.1% of whom are diagnosed to have developed colon cancer. Metastases will occur in up to 50% of the patients who are newly diagnosed. Survival appears to be further prolonged to more than 20 months with new pharmaceuticals; however, these new pharmaceuticals increase the total cost of care. The aim of this study is to estimate the cost implications of new colon cancer treatment options for Turkey.METHODS: Gazi University Hospital treatment protocols for colon cancer treatment were used. Cost of FUFA (5 FU/LV), FOLFIRI, FOLFOX, bevacizumab/FUFA, bevacizumab/FOLFIRI, bevacizumab/FOLFOX, irinotecan and irinotecan/cetixumab protocols were calculated. The cost of combination of protocols were calculated depending on a Markov analysis. The exchange rate was US$ 1 for TL 1.5.RESULTS: Depending on the life expectancy the lowest total cost was established by FUVA (US$ 5,359). It was followed by FOLFIRI then FOLFOX and FOLFOX, US$ 14,144 and US$ 16,553, respectively. The lowest cost for each week of life expectancy was established by FUVA with US$ 98.CONCLUSIONS: Only FUFA, FOLFIRI followed by FOLFIX, FOLFIRI/bevacizumab then FOLFOX then cetuximab, FOLFOX/bevacizumab then irinotecan then cetuximab/irinotecan and FOLFIRI/bevacizumab then FOLFOX then cetuximab/irinotecan were under the cost effectiveness curve. In addition no treatments ICER was under the WHO`s threshold for Turkey, except FOLFIRI then FOLFOX compared with FUVA.
Long-term macrolide antibiotics in asthma therapy
Authors: Takekoshi Daisuke , Belvitch Patrick , Rubinstein Israel
Published: May 2016

Macrolide antibiotics drew worldwide attention when their use was dramatically successful in the treatment of diffuse panbronchiolitis in 1980s. The success was attributed to their immunomodulatory effects, rather than their antimicrobial properties. Since then, studies have shown that macrolides exert their immunomodulatory effects through several mechanisms, including suppression of proinflammatory cytokines, promoting apoptosis of inflammatory cells, improving phagocytic function, ameliorating airway hypersecretion, and inhibiting production of reactive oxygen species. Macrolides have also been studied in the treatment of asthma. This review highlights the role of macrolides in the treatment of asthma, presenting an overview of the main clinical trials. Despite favourable preclinical data and reports of anecdotal successes, the results of clinical trials are conflicting. This may be due to the heterogeneous nature of asthma. Further studies are needed to identify particular subgroup of asthma that will respond to macrolides.
Coding Betweenness in Swedish and Norwegian Translations from English
Authors: Rawoens Gudrun , Egan Thomas
Published: May 2016

This paper examines the way in which the semantic notion of ‘betweenness’ is coded in Swedish and Norwegian translations of the same English source texts. The study takes its starting point in the contention that the original English expressions of ‘betweenness’ containing the prepositionbetweenconstitute a viabletertium comparationisfor translations of that form into the other two languages. A classification of all occurrences ofbetweenin the English source texts in The English-Swedish Parallel Corpus (ESPC) and The English-Norwegian Parallel Corpus (ENPC) in terms of the semantic role of the landmarks in the predications is followed by an analysis of the translations, both congruent and divergent. The primary focus, however, is not on the correspondences between the English original and its translations into Swedish and Norwegian, but on the parallels between the two sets of translations. To this end comparisons are drawn between the Swedish and Norwegian renderings of the various meanings ofbetweenin the source data. The analysis shows that Swedish and Norwegian resemble one another closely in the means employed to code the various senses ofbetween. The last part of the study offers a complementary perspective in comparing occurrences of the most common translation equivalents ofbetween,mellanin Swedish andmellomin Norwegian, in contexts where they do not translatebetweenin the English source texts. This approach reveals that, despite the lack ofbetweenin the original texts, the two sets of translators both employ the cognate prepositions in over 25% of cases.
L’intimidation envers les personnes aînées : un problème social connexe à la maltraitance ?
Authors: Beaulieu Marie , Bédard Marie-Ève , Leboeuf Roxane
Published: May 2016

La lutte contre l’intimidation au Québec survient comme une nouvelle priorité gouvernementale quatre ans après l’adoption du premier Plan d’action gouvernemental pour contrer la maltraitance envers les personnes aînées. Cet article fait suite à notre mémoire sur l’intimidation envers les personnes aînées publié dans le cadre d’une consultation publique sur le sujet. Il vise à approfondir la réflexion théorique et conceptuelle, alors amorcée, sur la différence entre la maltraitance et l’intimidation envers les personnes aînées afin de les distinguer clairement. Ce processus réflexif permet de proposer une définition de ce qu’est l’intimidation envers les personnes aînées, ainsi qu’un schéma conceptuel de la dynamique de ces situations.
TissueMiner: A multiscale analysis toolkit to quantify how cellular processes create tissue dynamics
Authors: Etournay Raphaël , Merkel Matthias , Popović Marko , Brandl Holger , Dye Natalie A , Aigouy Benoît , Salbreux Guillaume , Eaton Suzanne , Jülicher Frank
Published: May 2016

Segmentation and tracking of cells in long-term time-lapse experiments has emerged as a powerful method to understand how tissue shape changes emerge from the complex choreography of constituent cells. However, methods to store and interrogate the large datasets produced by these experiments are not widely available. Furthermore, recently developed methods for relating tissue shape changes to cell dynamics have not yet been widely applied by biologists because of their technical complexity. We therefore developed a database format that stores cellular connectivity and geometry information of deforming epithelial tissues, and computational tools to interrogate it and perform multi-scale analysis of morphogenesis. We provide tutorials for this computational framework, called TissueMiner, and demonstrate its capabilities by comparing cell and tissue dynamics in vein and inter-vein subregions of the Drosophila pupal wing. These analyses reveal an unexpected role for convergent extension in shaping wing veins.
Teleseismic P wave tomography of South Island, New Zealand upper mantle: Evidence of subduction of Pacific lithosphere since 45 Ma
Authors: Zietlow Daniel W. , Molnar Peter H. , Sheehan Anne F.
Published: May 2016

A P wave speed tomogram produced from teleseismic travel time measurements made on and offshore the South Island of New Zealand shows a nearly vertical zone with wave speeds that are 4.5% higher than the background average reaching to depths of approximately 450 km under the northwestern region of the island. This structure is consistent with oblique west‐southwest subduction of Pacific lithosphere since about 45 Ma, when subduction beneath the region began. The high‐speed zone reaches about 200–300 km below the depths of the deepest intermediate‐depth earthquakes (subcrustal to ~200 km) and therefore suggests that ~200–300 km of slab below them is required to produce sufficient weight to induce the intermediate‐depth seismicity. In the southwestern South Island, high P wave speeds indicate subduction of the Australian plate at the Puysegur Trench to approximately 200 km depth. A band with speeds ~2–3.5% lower than the background average is found along the east coast of the South Island to depths of ~150–200 km and underlies Miocene or younger volcanism; these low speeds are consistent with thinned lithosphere. A core of high speeds under the Southern Alps associated with a convergent margin and mountain building imaged in previous investigations is not well resolved in this study. This could suggest that such high speeds are limited in both width and depth and not resolvable by our data.
Effects of modified soil water‐heat physics on RegCM4 simulations of climate over the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wang Xuejia , Pang Guojin , Yang Meixue , Wan Guoning
Published: May 2016

To optimize the description of land surface processes and improve climate simulations over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), a modified soil water‐heat parameterization scheme (SWHPS) is implemented into the Community Land Model 3.5 (CLM3.5), which is coupled to the regional climate model 4 (RegCM4). This scheme includes Johansen's soil thermal conductivity scheme together with Niu's groundwater module. Two groups of climate simulations are then performed using the original RegCM4 and revised RegCM4 to analyze the effects of the revised SWHPS on regional climate simulations. The effect of the revised RegCM4 on simulated air temperature is relatively small (with mean biases changing by less than 0.1°C over the TP). There are overall improvements in the simulation of winter and summer air temperature but increased errors in the eastern TP. It has a significant effect on simulated precipitation. There is also a clear improvement in simulated annual and winter precipitation, particularly over the northern TP, including the Qilian Mountains and the source region of the Yellow River. There are, however, increased errors in precipitation simulation in parts of the southern TP. The precipitation difference between the two models is caused mainly by their convective precipitation difference, particularly in summer. Overall, the implementation of the new SWHPS into the RegCM4 has a significant effect not only on land surface variables but also on the overlying atmosphere through various physical interactions.
Complementary constraints from carbon (13C) and nitrogen (15N) isotopes on the glacial ocean's soft‐tissue biological pump
Authors: Schmittner A. , Somes C. J.
Published: May 2016

A three‐dimensional, process‐based model of the ocean's carbon and nitrogen cycles, including 13C and 15N isotopes, is used to explore effects of idealized changes in the soft‐tissue biological pump. Results are presented from one preindustrial control run (piCtrl) and six simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) with increasing values of the spatially constant maximum phytoplankton growth rate μmax, which accelerates biological nutrient utilization mimicking iron fertilization. The default LGM simulation, without increasing μmax and with a shallower and weaker Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and increased sea ice cover, leads to 280 Pg more respired organic carbon (Corg) storage in the deep ocean with respect to piCtrl. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the colder glacial thermocline increase, which reduces water column denitrification and, with delay, nitrogen fixation, thus increasing the ocean's fixed nitrogen inventory and decreasing δ15NNO3 almost everywhere. This simulation already fits sediment reconstructions of carbon and nitrogen isotopes relatively well, but it overestimates deep ocean δ13CDIC and underestimates δ15NNO3 at high latitudes. Increasing μmax enhances Corg and lowers deep ocean δ13CDIC, improving the agreement with sediment data. In the model's Antarctic and North Pacific Oceans modest increases in μmax result in higher δ15NNO3 due to enhanced local nutrient utilization, improving the agreement with reconstructions there. Models with moderately increased μmax fit both isotope data best, whereas large increases in nutrient utilization are inconsistent with nitrogen isotopes although they still fit the carbon isotopes reasonably well. The best fitting models reproduce major features of the glacial δ13CDIC, δ15N, and oxygen reconstructions while simulating increased Corg by 510–670 Pg compared with the preindustrial ocean. These results are consistent with the idea that the soft‐tissue pump was more efficient during the LGM. Both circulation and biological nutrient utilization could contribute. However, these conclusions are preliminary given our idealized experiments, which do not consider changes in benthic denitrification and spatially inhomogenous changes in aeolian iron fluxes. The analysis illustrates interactions between the carbon and nitrogen cycles as well as the complementary constraints provided by their isotopes. Whereas carbon isotopes are sensitive to circulation changes and indicate well the three‐dimensional Corg distribution, nitrogen isotopes are more sensitive to biological nutrient utilization.
Effects of input discretization, model complexity, and calibration strategy on model performance in a data‐scarce glacierized catchment in Central Asia
Authors: Tarasova L. , Knoche M. , Dietrich J. , Merz R.
Published: May 2016

Glacierized high‐mountainous catchments are often the water towers for downstream region, and modeling these remote areas are often the only available tool for the assessment of water resources availability. Nevertheless, data scarcity affects different aspects of hydrological modeling in such mountainous glacierized basins. On the example of poorly gauged glacierized catchment in Central Asia, we examined the effects of input discretization, model complexity, and calibration strategy on model performance. The study was conducted with the GSM‐Socont model driven with climatic input from the corrected High Asia Reanalysis data set of two different discretizations. We analyze the effects of the use of long‐term glacier volume loss, snow cover images, and interior runoff as an additional calibration data. In glacierized catchments with winter accumulation type, where the transformation of precipitation into runoff is mainly controlled by snow and glacier melt processes, the spatial discretization of precipitation tends to have less impact on simulated runoff than a correct prediction of the integral precipitation volume. Increasing model complexity by using spatially distributed input or semidistributed parameters values does not increase model performance in the Gunt catchment, as the more complex model tends to be more sensitive to errors in the input data set. In our case, better model performance and quantification of the flow components can be achieved by additional calibration data, rather than by using a more distributed model parameters. However, a semidistributed model better predicts the spatial patterns of snow accumulation and provides more plausible runoff predictions at the interior sites.
Observations of whistler mode waves with nonlinear parallel electric fields near the dayside magnetic reconnection separatrix by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission
Authors: Wilder F. D. , Ergun R. E. , Goodrich K. A. , Goldman M. V. , Newman D. L. , Malaspina D. M. , Jaynes A. N. , Schwartz S. J. , Trattner K. J. , Burch J. L. , Argall M. R. , Torbert R. B. , Lindqvist P.‐A. , Marklund G. , Le Contel O. , Mirioni L. , Khotyaintsev Yu. V. , Strangeway R. J. , Russell C. T. , Pollock C. J. , Giles B. L. , Plaschke F. , Magnes W. , Eriksson S. , Stawarz J. E. , Sturner A. P. , Holmes J. C.
Published: May 2016

We show observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission of whistler mode waves in the Earth's low‐latitude boundary layer (LLBL) during a magnetic reconnection event. The waves propagated obliquely to the magnetic field toward the X line and were confined to the edge of a southward jet in the LLBL. Bipolar parallel electric fields interpreted as electrostatic solitary waves (ESW) are observed intermittently and appear to be in phase with the parallel component of the whistler oscillations. The polarity of the ESWs suggests that if they propagate with the waves, they are electron enhancements as opposed to electron holes. The reduced electron distribution shows a shoulder in the distribution for parallel velocities between 17,000 and 22,000 km/s, which persisted during the interval when ESWs were observed, and is near the phase velocity of the whistlers. This shoulder can drive Langmuir waves, which were observed in the high‐frequency parallel electric field data.
Application of repeated passive source travel time tomography to reveal weak velocity changes related to the 2011 Tohoku‐Oki Mw 9.0 earthquake
Authors: Koulakov Ivan , Gladkov Valery , El Khrepy Sami , Al‐Arifi Nassir , Fathi Ismail Husain
Published: May 2016

Temporal changes of seismic velocities may provide important information on the processes that occur inside the Earth. However, using body wave data with passive sources faces the problem of an uneven distribution of rays, which may cause artifacts with stronger amplitudes than the actual velocity changes in the Earth. We propose an algorithm for the selection of similar data sets in different time periods that minimize the artifacts related to variable data distributions. In this study, we used the data of the Japan Meteorological Agency for several years before and after the Mw 9.0 Tohoku‐Oki event that occurred on 11 March 2011. We performed careful testing using different synthetic models, showing that the selected data subsets allow detecting weak velocity changes with amplitudes above 0.2%. The analysis of the experimental data revealed important features associated with the stress and deformation distributions after the megathrust event. In the upper crust, we found a large zone along the coast with significant P velocity increase likely caused by compression of crustal rocks. This zone was cut by several elongated anomalies with local velocity decrease coinciding with the limits of the maximum slip area. These anomalies possibly mark the areas of major ruptures and deformations after the Tohoku‐Oki earthquake. In the coupling zone at a depth of 40 km, we observe a velocity decrease in the area of the Mw 7.7 aftershock representing strong fracturing in the focal zone. Beneath the volcanic arc, we observe significant (up to 0.5%) decrease of P velocity but less prominent S velocity changes.
Spatiotemporal patterns and source implications of aromatic hydrocarbons at six rural sites across China's developed coastal regions
Authors: Zhang Zhou , Zhang Yanli , Wang Xinming , Lü Sujun , Huang Zhonghui , Huang Xinyu , Yang Weiqiang , Wang Yuesi , Zhang Qiang
Published: May 2016

Aromatic hydrocarbons are important anthropogenic precursors of tropospheric ozone and secondary organic aerosols. Here we measured ambient aromatic hydrocarbons from March 2012 to February 2014 at six rural sites in China's developed coastal regions. On average, benzene (B) comprised > 50% of total benzene (B), toluene (T), ethylbenzene (E), and xylenes (X) (BTEX) at sites in the Northeast China Plain (NECP) or in the North China Plain (NCP), whereas T, E, and X accounted for > 77% of total BTEX at sites in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and the Pearl River Delta in the south. BTEX at the northern sites was significantly correlated (p < 0.01) with combustion tracer‐carbon monoxide (CO) but weakly correlated with traffic marker‐methyl tert‐butyl ether (MTBE), suggesting that their main sources were coal and biofuel/biomass burning with substantially elevated B levels during the winter heating period. In contrast, BTEX at the southern sites originated mainly from traffic‐related and/or industrial emission sources, as indicated by the poor correlations with CO but highly significant (p < 0.01) correlations with MTBE and tetrachloroethylene, an industrial emission tracer. The B/CO emission ratios from measurement agreed within a factor of 2 with that of a previous widely used emission inventory of China, but the T/CO ratio at the NECP site and the o‐X/CO ratio at the NCP site were 29% and 38% of that in the inventory, respectively; the E/CO and X/CO ratios at the YRD site were 3.2–3.5 fold that in the emission inventory.
Dynamics of protein secretion during adipocyte differentiation
Authors: Ojima Koichi , Oe Mika , Nakajima Ikuyo , Muroya Susumu , Nishimura Takanori
Published: May 2016

The major functions of adipocytes include both lipid storage and the production of secretory factors. However, the type of proteins released from mouse 3T3‐L1 cells during adipocyte differentiation remains poorly understood. We examined the dynamics of secreted proteins during adipocyte differentiation using mass spectrometry (MS) combined with an iTRAQ® labeling method that enables the simultaneous analysis of relative protein expression levels. A total of 215 proteins were identified and quantified from approximately 10 000 MS/MS spectra. Of these, approximately 38% were categorized as secreted proteins based on gene ontology classification. Adipokine secretion levels were increased with the progression of differentiation. By contrast, levels of fibril collagen components, such as subunits of type I and III collagens, were decreased during differentiation. Basement membrane components attained their peak levels at day 4 when small lipid droplets accumulated in differentiated 3T3‐L1 cells. Simultaneously, peak levels of collagen microfibril components that comprise type V and VI collagen subunits were also observed. Our data demonstrated that extracellular matrix components were predominantly released during the early and middle stages of adipocyte differentiation, with a subsequent increase in the secretion of adipokines. This suggests that 3T3‐L1 cells secrete adipokines after their ECM is constructed during adipocyte differentiation.
Selective Enhancement of Inner Tube Photoluminescence in Filled Double‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Rohringer Philip , Shi Lei , Ayala Paola , Pichler Thomas
Published: May 2016

A highly selective enhancement of the optical response of the inner tubes of double‐walled carbon nanotubes has been identified upon transformation of the residual C atoms inside the hollow core to linear carbon chains (LCC). By varying the growth conditions and using standardized suspensions, it has been observed that this optical response depends sensitively on the tube diameter and LCC growth yield. It is reported how the formation of LCC by postsynthesis annealing at 1400 °C leads to an increase of the photoluminescence (PL) signal of the inner tubes up to a factor of 6 for tubes with (8,3) chirality. This behavior can be attributed to a local charge transfer from the inner tubes to the carbon chains, counterbalancing quenching mechanisms induced by the outer tubes. These findings provide a viable pathway to enhance the low PL quantum yield of double‐walled carbon nanotubes and proof the capability of inner tubes to exhibit photoluminescence.
Microwave Selective Heating Enhancement for Cancer Hyperthermia Therapy Based on Lithographically Defined Micro/Nanoparticles
Authors: Wang Yifei , Stang John , Yu Meng , Tsvetkov Maksym , Wu Chi‐Chan , Qin Xuan , Chung Eugene , Moghaddam Mahta , Wu Wei
Published: May 2016

Hyperthermia therapy is a promising approach for cancer treatment that uses external electromagnetic fields to heat up the tumor region in order to preferentially weaken or kill cancer cells. However, achieving localized heating of the cancer tissue without damaging the nearby healthy tissue remains a challenge. This study proposes to use lithographically defined micro/nanoparticles as microwave absorbers to achieve localized heating under microwave radiation for hyperthermia therapy. The particle structures, including both geometry and material, have been designed, tested, and optimized by the finite element method using Ansoft HFSS to obtain high microwave absorption efficiency. Based on the numerical studies, the magnetic dipoles have been chosen as the microwave‐absorbing particles. The fabrication and collection processes of the particles have been developed. The measurements in this study, based on particle‐suspended hydrogel setup, have demonstrated that the micro/nanoparticles can absorb the external electromagnetic field efficiently and greatly enhance the localized heat generation compared to control groups without particles.
Bendable CMOS Digital and Analog Circuits Monolithically Integrated with a Temperature Sensor
Authors: Honda Wataru , Arie Takayuki , Akita Seiji , Takei Kuniharu
Published: May 2016

Flexible electronics is now one of key technologies for electronic devices that collect information from nonplanar surfaces, ultimately enabling the realization of the trillion sensor concept and the internet of things. Both flexible discrete devices and sensors are required for integration of digital and analog circuits for signal processing. In this study, flexible, energy efficient, complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) digital and analog circuits, monolithically integrated with a temperature sensor are reported: This is achieved by developing the process of p‐type and n‐type transistors on a flexible substrate. For the digital circuits, CMOS‐based J–K flip‐flop circuits are fabricated on a polyimide substrate, and testing confirms that they can be operated under mechanical bending without malfunction. Furthermore, the fabrication of a flexible analog differential amplifier is demonstrated, with the device successfully amplifying the output of an integrated temperature sensor by ≈38 times. Although these demonstrations are still at the proof‐of‐concept stage for flexible signal processing circuits, these achievements are a key step toward the next level of device integration, thereby enabling the development of viable flexible electronic devices.