bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Securing Health-Effective Medicine in Practice
Authors: Whitaker Rupert
Published: November 2013

The movement for public participation in medical practice and its governance (‘participative medicine’) lacks an understanding of the historical and theoretical contexts within which it has emerged. This paper discusses the problems with physician-centred medicine (previously called ‘the medical model’), administrator-centred medicine (‘managed health-care’), patient-centred medicine, and participative medicine. The concept of health-effectiveness of medical services is emphasised as fundamental in an applied, critical theory of medical practice that equates health-effectiveness with pro-social medical services. The critical theory provides a framework for understanding the movement’s purpose, its misuse by consumerist methods, and the problems when medicine is delivered by pro-market or provider-centred systems, as shown most notably in the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry by the British government. The paper outlines the Tuke Institute model of health-effective services, secured by participative medical practice and its governance and integrated with translational science. Together, the Tuke Institute model and the critical theory provide a scientific framework by which to determine the health-effectiveness of different models of practice through properly scientific research, indicating the necessity of studying models of practice as complex interventions.
An Examination of Global Municipal Government Privacy and Security Policies
Authors: Manoharan Aroon , Fudge Marc
Published: November 2013

This chapter highlights the research findings of a longitudinal study of online privacy and security practices among global municipalities conducted in 2005 and 2007. As cities worldwide implement sophisticated e-government platforms to increasingly provide services online, many barriers still inhibit the adoption of such strategies by the citizen users, and one such factor is the availability of a comprehensive privacy policy. The survey examines cities throughout the world based upon their population size, the total number of individuals using the Internet, and the percentage of individuals using the Internet. Specifically, we examined if the website has a privacy or security policy, does the website utilize digital signatures and if the website has a policy addressing the use of cookies to track users. Overall, results indicate that cities are increasingly emphasizing on privacy and security policies with major improvements in 2007, along with significant changes in the top ranking cities in when compared to the 2005 study.
Meeting Them Halfway
Authors: Ryan Jenna
Published: November 2013

Computer mediated communication (CMC), especially via Web 2.0 technologies like social networking and casting software, has become an essential part of the lives of the current generation of college students. This chapter will explore the possibilities for the use of these technologies by universities and colleges to connect with their students and to enhance instruction. Topics covered will include Facebook, Twitter, virtual worlds, casting software, and future trends.
High Performance Approach for Server Side SOAP Processing
Authors: Li Lei , Niu Chunlei , Chen Ningjiang , Wei Jun , Huang Tao
Published: November 2013

Web services, with an emphasis on open standards and flexibility, can provide benefits over existing capital markets’ integration practices. However, Web services must first meet certain technical requirements, including performance, security, and so on. Based on extensible markup language (XML), Web services inherit not only the advantages of XML, but its relatively poor performance, which makes it a poor choice for many high-performance applications. In this article, a new approach is proposed to improve Web services performance. Focusing on avoiding traditional XML parsing and Java reflection at runtime, this article presents a service-specific simple object access protocol (SOAP) processor to accelerate the execution of Web services. Moreover, the SOAP processor embeds several cache implementations and uses a novel adaptive cache mechanism, which can choose an optimized cache implementation dynamically. Through the experiments in this article, it is to be observed that the proposed approach can achieve a significant performance gain by incorporating the SOAP processor into the SOAP engine.
Annotation of Medical Images
Authors: Wei Chia-Hung , Chen Sherry Y.
Published: November 2013

Automatic image annotation is a technique that automatically assigns a set of linguistic terms to images in order to categorize the images conceptually and provide means for effectively accessing images from databases. This chapter firstly introduces fundamentals and techniques of automatic image annotation to give an overview of this research field. A case study, which describes the methodology for annotating mammographic lesions, is then presented. This chapter is intended to disseminate the knowledge of the automatic annotation approaches to the applications of medical image management and to attract greater interest from various research communities to rapidly advance research in this field.
Development of Artificial Neural Network Based MPPT for Photovoltaic System during Shading Condition
Authors: Abd Kadir Mahamad , Sharifah Saon
Published: October 2013

This paper presents Feedforward Neural network (FFNN) and Elman network controllers to control the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of photovoltaic (PV). MPPT is a method used to extract the maximum available power from photovoltaic module by designs them to operate efficiently. Thus, cell temperatures and solar irradiances are two critical variable factors to determine PV output powers. The performances of the controller is analyzed in four conditions which are i) constant irradiation and temperature, ii) constant irradiation and variable temperature, iii) constant temperature and variable irradiation and iv) variable temperature and irradiation. The proposed systems are simulated by using MATLAB-SIMULINK. Based on the results, FFNN controller has shown the better performance compare to the Elman network controller during partial shading conditions.
Based on the Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation Method Studying the Land Use Planning Environmental Impact Assessment
Authors: Yang Mao Sheng , Yang Hong Juan
Published: October 2013

Land planning is plans and arrangements to a certain of areas the ahead of future land use, and involving social, economic, resource and environmental and other aspects of the planning area, to social economic development and ecological environment will have a profound impact,Land planning environmental impact assessment is analysis, pre-monitoring and evaluation after the implementation of land use planning producting the potential environmental impact, and on this basis from the environment point of view ,raised the best solution for planning and adjustment proposal, so it carried out environmental impact assessment to guarantee the correctness of decisions is essential as soon as possible.
Discharge and Disposal of Coking Residue and Distribution Characteristics of PAHs in it
Authors: Ma Yu Hui , Su Wei , Wang Qun Hui , Shao Chun Yan , Huang Xiang Guo , Yuan Jin
Published: October 2013

The research studied the treatment ways of discharging coking residues and the distribution characteristics of PAHs in two kinds of typical coking residues. The outputs of coal tar (100,000t/a for Plant A, 84,000t/a for Plant B) were great and it had become an important by-product. Coal tar residue, with the yields of 4,500 t/a and 6,400 t/a for Plant A and B, respectively, were always reused for coal blending. The concentration of PAHs with 5-6 aromatic rings was 1.08×104 mg/kg in coal tar residue, the concentration of PAHs in coke discharging smoke & dust (28.81 mg/kg) was relatively low compared with coal tar residue. The ∑BaPeq were 4.2×103 mg/kg and 0.71 mg/kg for coal tar residue and coke discharging smoke & dust, respectively.
Is Phytoextraction Efficient for Remediating Phosphorus-Enriched Soils in Mountainous Region? A Case Study of Lake Dianchi Watershed of Southwestern China
Authors: Yan Kai , Wong Michelle Hang Gi , Zhang Long , Xiong Hua Bin , Fu Deng Gao , Duan Chang Qun , Guo Zhen , Wang Chun Xue
Published: October 2013

Phosphorus leakage from phosphorus-enriched soils (PES) is a major cause of water degradation worldwide, and phytoextraction is known to be an effective method of remediation. However, it is unclear whether phytoextraction is equally efficient in mountainous regions. We investigated the potential of P accumulation of major plant species in the Lake Dianchi Watershed of Southwestern China. Most of the plants living in PES of this region have high P contents; some have been identified as P-hyperaccumulators, such as Polygonum pubescens, which has the highest leaf P content of 16.88 mg/g. Although the dominate species have relatively low P contents than the P-hyperaccumulators, they still have a higher P uptake potential due to their greater biomass, for example, the P uptake potentials of Alnus nepalensis, Coriaria nepalensis, and Erianthus rufipilus are 46.98, 16.91, and 22.78 kg/ha, respectively. While these plants can decrease the total P of rhizospheric soil and topsoil, the effects on the total P-pool was not significant. Our results suggest that just phytoextraction may be less efficient in remediating PES in mountainous regions, and it requires further studies about P cycling and native plants to design more effective measures for P immobilization.
CO2 Sequestration in Mixtures of Sodium Humate and Waste Gypsum
Authors: Sun Zhi Guo , Xie Hong Yong , Xu Zhong Ping
Published: October 2013

A novel process of CO2 sequestration in mixtures of sodium humate (HA-Na) and waste gypsum was proposed. Experiments investigated the CO2 absorption properties for HA-Na solution. HA-Na solution shows great performance in CO2 absorption, and the CO2 absorption amount reaches to 0.96 mol for 3 hours with 100 mL HA-Na solution (0.04 g/mL), at the condition of 15 °C, gas flow rate of 40 mL/h. the CO2 sequestration mechanism by HA-Na and desulfurization gypsum (DG) was analyzed. CaSO4 plays a key role in the CO2 absorption by HA-Na solution. A permanent method of CO2 sequestration is achieved by the mixtures of HA-Na and waste gypsum.
Present Situation on Resources Utilization of Sewage Sludge and its Potential Problems in China
Authors: Li Jin Ping , Hu Yun Jiao , Gan Jin Hua
Published: October 2013

Sewage sludge treatment and disposal has become a hot issue of current environmental concern, not only its effect will cause secondary pollution to the environment, more importantly, a large quantity of sludge is produced and growth rapidly, acceptable urban area is limited. So its become an important issue need to be solved by us urgently. This article present the current domestic sewage sludge treatment and disposal methods respectively, elaborate the ways for utility, explain the practical advantages and disadvantages of each of these approaches and analyze the existing problems. At the same time, a number of resource utilization of new technologies was prospected.
Comparative Study on Expansive Soil Steep Slope FRP Materials Bolt Support
Authors: Liu Xue Jun
Published: October 2013

In the expansive soil steep slope treatment, research and generalize FRP materials anchor bolt instead of steel anchor bolt. Selected appropriate expansive soil slope on the premise of comparability .Made FRP bolt and steel bolt contrast test formulation. The two types of anchor, stress, displacement, crack, ultimate bearing capacity test results contrast were analysed. It is concluded that the total effect of the four aspects of two kinds of bolt support is almost. But from the perspectives of durability, taken together, should change the traditional slope supporting methods, and the FRP bolt faster and more widely used in the expansive soil slope supporting.
Study on Mechanical Wear State in Military Launch Vehicle Hydraulic System with Knowledge Discovery from Analytical Ferrography
Authors: Wang Hai Tao , Gong Lie Hang , Zhao Wei , Zhao Hong Fei
Published: October 2013

Knowledge discovery model of making-decision table was established based on rough set theory and the wearing characteristics of the military launch vehicles hydraulic system. Compatibility relationship of the incomplete information system was used to achieve knowledge discovery from decision-making tables. Incomplete information systems knowledge representation which based on attribute reduction had been simplified, it had obtained simple and intuitive decision rules. The rules indicated that only monitor the normal wearing debris and non-ferrous debris in hydraulic oil could determine the wear state of the hydraulic system.
Numerical Simulation Analysis on Porthole Dies Extrusion of Aluminum Mini-Thin Harmonica-Shaped Tube
Authors: Lu Fu Li , Song Ji Shun , Zhang Jian
Published: October 2013

This paper describes a 3D-deform simulation of porthole die extrusion process for producing harmonica-shaped tubes used for a cooling system of automobiles. Designing the related structure of the porthole die and observing the simulation results, the study was designed to evaluate the welding effect when the length of bearing exit take different values.The mean pressure and exit velocity at the welding plane are analyzed at the same time. The welding effect is determined by the mean pressure at the welding plane .The behavior of metal flow in the container is analyzed in this paper. Through the above analysis, the best structure and size can be obtained in the process of deformation so as to obtain the better machanical properties.
Silicon Based Compound Filter Material Strengthening A/O Bio-Filter Denitrification Performance
Authors: Fan Li Sha , Yu Yan Zhen , Liu Zhen Liang
Published: October 2013

The static absorption capacity of ammonia nitrogen on Silicon based compound filter material can be as high as 149.9048 mg/g, it’s the interactive effect of silica based compound filter material physical adsorption and single molecule layer absorption. Denitrification of sewage in the system can be finished through ion-exchange properties and adsorption effect together under the function of kinds of microbe co-degradation.Not only Hypoxia column does happen the traditional denitrification role, but also a new type of anaerobic ammonium oxidation denitrification happens.
An Adaptive Digital Camouflage Scheme Using Visual Perception and K-Mean Clustering
Authors: Yang Heng Fu , Yin Jian Ping
Published: October 2013

A new digital camouflage design scheme is presented by exploiting the visual perception of images. Firstly, the proposed scheme used color similarity and k-mean clustering to extract dominant background colors in RGB color space. Then pixels in the target selected by users were replaced with dominant colors under the control of color similarity. So the camouflage image was generated after the fusion of the target and the background. Experimental results show that the algorithm is effective and the camouflages have pleasant visual quality.
The Complexity in Assembly Manufacturing System
Authors: He Fei , Zhu Hai Ping
Published: October 2013

Information-theory has been used to research the manufacturing system complexity for decade years. In order to describe the complexity more accurately, the assembly manufacturing system is aimed in this paper. The hierarchy structure of the assembly manufacturing system is first analyzed. The assembly system complexity is classified as structure complexity, process complexity and control complexity. In order to improve the complexity model, the process complexity is furthermore classified as static and dynamic process complexity which can describe the complexity of ideal and actual production process respectively. Then an integrated complexity model is proposed based on the classification.
Comparison of Characteristics of the Components Used in Mechanical and Non-Conventional Automotive Suspensions
Authors: Konieczny Łukasz , Burdzik Rafał
Published: October 2013

The paper presents the comparison of the characteristics of spring and damping components used in conventional and non-conventional automotive suspensions. The conventional suspension is based on steel coil springs and hydraulic dampers with fixed characteristics. As an example, the adaptive non-conventional suspension shows the characteristics of hydropneumatic suspension components (suspension are constantly being developed and is now based on mechatronic control systems of damping characteristics). The paper summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of these solutions.
In-Hospital Mortality Prediction in Patients Receiving Mechanical Ventilation in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Chao-Ju , Shi Hon-Yi , Lee King-Teh , Huang Tzuu-Yuan
Published: November 2013

Background

Few studies have used pooled data for more than 2 years and few have analyzed data for patients receiving mechanical ventilation in Taiwan.

Objective

To validate the use of an artificial neural network model for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients receiving mechanical ventilation in Taiwan and to compare the predictive accuracy of the artificial neural network model with that of a logistic regression model.

Methods

Retrospective comparison of 1000 pairs of data sets processed by logistic regression and artificial neural network models based on initial clinical data for 213 945 patients receiving mechanical ventilation. For each pair of artificial neural network and logistic regression models, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves, Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics, and accuracy rate were calculated and compared by using t tests. Global sensitivity analysis and sensitivity score approach were also used to assess the relative significance of input parameters in the system model and the relative importance of variables.

Results

Compared with the logistic regression model, the artificial neural network model had a better accuracy rate in 96.3% of cases, better Hosmer-Lemeshow statistics in 41.2% of cases, and a better area under the curve in 97.6% of cases. Hospital volume was the most influential (sensitive) variable affecting in-hospital mortality, followed by Charlson comorbidity index, length of stay, and hospital type.

Conclusions

Compared with the conventional logistic regression model, the artificial neural network model was more accurate in predicting in-hospital mortality and had higher overall performance indices.
Regulatory T Cells Suppress the Late Phase of the Immune Response in Lymph Nodes through P-Selectin Glycoprotein Ligand-1
Authors: Angiari Stefano , Rossi Barbara , Piccio Laura , Zinselmeyer Bernd H. , Budui Simona , Zenaro Elena , Della Bianca Vittorina , Bach Simone D. , Scarpini Elio , Bolomini-Vittori Matteo , Piacentino Gennj , Dusi Silvia , Laudanna Carlo , Cross Anne H. , Miller Mark J. , Constantin Gabriela
Published: October 2013

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) maintain tolerance toward self-antigens and suppress autoimmune diseases, although the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we show that mice deficient for P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) develop a more severe form of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis than wild type animals do, suggesting that PSGL-1 has a role in the negative regulation of autoimmunity. We found that Tregs lacking PSGL-1 were unable to suppress experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and failed to inhibit T cell proliferation in vivo in the lymph nodes. Using two-photon laser-scanning microscopy in the lymph node, we found that PSGL-1 expression on Tregs had no role in the suppression of early T cell priming after immunization with Ag. Instead, PSGL-1-deficient Tregs lost the ability to modulate T cell movement and failed to inhibit the T cell–dendritic cell contacts and T cell clustering essential for sustained T cell activation during the late phase of the immune response. Notably, PSGL-1 expression on myelin-specific effector T cells had no role in T cell locomotion in the lymph node. Our data show that PSGL-1 represents a previously unknown, phase-specific mechanism for Treg-mediated suppression of the persistence of immune responses and autoimmunity induction.
Little Peptide, Big Effects: The Role of LL-37 in Inflammation and Autoimmune Disease
Authors: Kahlenberg J. Michelle , Kaplan Mariana J.
Published: November 2013

The innate immune system utilizes many approaches for defense against invading microorganisms, including complement-mediated lysis, engulfment, formation of neutrophil extracellular traps, and release of antimicrobial peptides. Although classically thought to be driven by adaptive immunity, the development of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus is increasingly associated with dysregulated innate immune pathways. An emerging theme within this literature is the contribution of antimicrobial peptides to the development of autoimmune disorders. This is best exemplified in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis where the defensins and the single human cathelicidin, LL-37, may contribute to disease. Furthermore, in the past few years, a role for LL-37 has emerged in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, and possibly other diseases. In this review, we discuss the role of LL-37 and its murine ortholog, mCRAMP, in the modulation of immune and inflammatory pathways and their effects on autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Gene Expression Profiling for the Purposes of Biomarker Discovery in Oral Potentially Malignant Lesions: A Systematic Review
Authors: Abdulmajeed Ahmad A. , Farah Camile S.
Published: November 2013

Early and accurate diagnosis of oral potentially malignant lesions (OPML) is of critical importance in preventing malignant transformation. Although histopathological interpretation of the degree of epithelial dysplasia is considered the gold standard for diagnosis, this method is subjective and lacks sensitivity. Therefore, many attempts have been made to identify objective molecular biomarkers to improve diagnosis. Microarray technology has the advantage of screening the expression of the whole genome making it one of the best tools for searching for novel biomarkers. However, microarray studies of OPMLs are limited, and no review has been published to highlight and compare their findings. In this paper, we systematically review all studies that have incorporated microarray analyses in the investigation of gene profile alterations in OPMLs and suggest a set of commonly dysregulated genes across multiple gene expression profile studies. This list of common genes may help focus selection of markers for further analysis regarding their importance in the diagnosis and prognosis of OPMLs.
Donald Baird and his discoveries of Carboniferous and early Mesozoic vertebrates in Nova Scotia
Authors: Sues Hans-Dieter , Hook Robert W. , Olsen Paul E.
Published: November 2013

Donald Baird (1926–2011), an influential and innovative vertebrate paleontologist with a scientific career spanning nearly 50 years, had an exceptional breadth of expertise in the study of late Paleozoic and Mesozoic vertebrates and their life traces. Beginning in 1956, Baird conducted fieldwork in the Carboniferous and Triassic-Jurassic of Nova Scotia, making a total of 21 trips in 30 years. His many scientific contributions include the discoveries of important assemblages of Carboniferous vertebrates as well as an unexpectedly diverse record of early Mesozoic tetrapods and their trackways in the province. Baird also encouraged and supported fieldwork by other vertebrate paleontologists as well as amateurs in Nova Scotia and elsewhere. His career-long commitment to the vertebrate paleontology of the province was instrumental in establishing it as an important source of fossils of Carboniferous and early Mesozoic continental vertebrates.RÉSUMÉDonald Baird (1926–2011), paléontologiste des vertébrés influent et novateur dont la carrière scientifique s’est échelonnée sur près de 50 ans, a acquis un savoir-faire exceptionnel dans l’étude des vertébrés du Paléozoïque tardif et du Mésozoïque et des vestiges de leur vie. À partir de 1956, M. Baird a mené des études sur le terrain du Carbonifère et du Trias-Jurassique en Nouvelle-Écosse, où il s’est rendu au total 21 fois en 30 ans. Ses nombreuses contributions scientifiques comprennent notamment les découvertes d’importants assemblages de vertébrés du Carbonifère ainsi que d’un nombre étonnamment diversifié de tétrapodes du Mésozoïque inférieur et de leurs traces dans la province. M. Baird a en outre encouragé et soutenu les études sur le terrain d’autres paléontologistes des vertébrés et d’amateurs du domaine en Nouvelle-Écosse et ailleurs. Pendant toute sa carrière, il s’est consacré à la paléontologie des vertébrés de la province, ce qui a contribué à la réputation de la Nouvelle-Écosse en tant que source importante de fossiles de vertébrés continentaux du Carbonifère et du Mésozoïque inférieur.
Quantifying tracer transport in the tropical lower stratosphere using WACCM
Authors: Abalos M. , Randel W. J. , Kinnison D. E. , Serrano E.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. The zonal mean transport of ozone and carbon monoxide (CO) near the tropical tropopause is investigated using the Whole-Atmosphere Community Climate Model version 4 (WACCM4). The variability in temperature, ozone and CO in the model shows good agreement with satellite and balloon observations. Modeled temperature and tracers exhibit large and closely coupled annual cycles in the tropical lower stratosphere, as in the observations. The thermodynamic and tracer budgets in the model are analyzed based on the Transformed Eulerian Mean (TEM) framework on log-pressure coordinates and also using the isentropic formulation. Results show that the coupled seasonal cycles are mainly forced by tropical upwelling over altitudes with large vertical tracer gradients, in agreement with previous observational studies. The model also allows explicit calculation of eddy transport terms, which make an important contribution to ozone tendencies in the tropical lower stratosphere. The character of the eddy fluxes changes with altitude. At higher levels (~2 km above the cold point tropopause), isentropic eddy transport occurs during winter and spring in each hemisphere in the sub-tropics, associated with transient Rossby waves acting on strong background latitudinal gradients. At lower altitudes, close to the tropical tropopause, there is a maximum in horizontal eddy transport during boreal summer associated with the Asian monsoon anticyclone. Sub-seasonal variability in ozone and CO, tied to fluctuations in temperature, is primarily driven by transient tropical upwelling. In isentropic coordinates, the overall tracer budgets are similar to the log-pressure results, highlighting cross-isentropic advection as the main term in the time-mean balance, with large seasonality above the tropopause. However, in isentropic coordinates the tracer variability is largely reduced on both seasonal and sub-seasonal timescales, because tracer fluctuations are highly correlated with temperature (as a response to upwelling).
Characteristics of atmospheric mercury deposition and size-fractionated particulate mercury in urban Nanjing, China
Authors: Zhu J. , Wang T. , Talbot R. , Mao H. , Yang X. , Fu C. , Sun J. , Zhuang B. , Li S. , Han Y. , Xie M.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. A comprehensive measurement study of mercury wet deposition and size-fractioned particulate mercury (HgP) concurrent with meteorological variables was conducted from June 2011 to February 2012 to evaluate the characteristics of mercury deposition and particulate mercury in urban Nanjing, China. The volume weighted mean (VWM) concentration of mercury in rainwater was 52.9 ng L−1 with a range of 46.3–63.6 ng L−1. The wet deposition per unit area was averaged 56.5 μg m−2 over 9 months, which was lower than that in most Chinese cities, but much higher than annual deposition in urban America and Japan. The wet deposition flux exhibited obvious seasonal variation strongly linked with the amount of precipitation. Wet deposition in summer contributed more than 80% to the total amount. A part of contribution to wet deposition of mercury from anthropogenic sources was evidenced by the association between wet deposition and sulfates, and nitrates in rainwater. The ions correlated most significantly with mercury were formate, calcium and potassium, which suggested that natural sources including vegetation and resuspended soil should be considered as an important factor to affect the wet deposition of mercury in Nanjing. The average HgP concentration was 1.10 ± 0.57 ng m−3. A distinct seasonal distribution of HgP concentrations was found to be higher in winter as a result of an increase in the PM10 concentration. Overall, more than half of HgP existed in the particle size range less than 2.1 μm. The highest concentration of HgP in coarse particles was observed in summer while HgP in fine particles dominated in fall and winter. The size distribution of averaged mercury content in particulates was bimodal with two peaks in the bins of <0.7 μm and 4.7–5.8 μm. Dry deposition per unit area of HgP was estimated to be 47.2 μg m−2 using meteorological conditions and a size-resolved particle dry deposition model. This was 16.5% less than mercury wet deposition. Compared to HgP in fine particles, HgP in coarse particles contributed more to the total dry deposition due to higher deposition velocities. Negative correlation between precipitation and the HgP concentration reflected the effect of scavenging of HgP by precipitation.
Emissions of terpenoids, benzenoids, and other biogenic gas-phase organic compounds from agricultural crops and their potential implications for air quality
Authors: Gentner D. R. , Ormeño E. , Fares S. , Ford T. B. , Weber R. , Park J.-H. , Brioude J. , Angevine W. M. , Karlik J. F. , Goldstein A. H.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Agriculture comprises a substantial fraction of land cover in many regions of the world, including California's San Joaquin Valley, which is out of compliance with state and federal standards for tropospheric ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5). Emissions from vegetation and other biogenic and anthropogenic sources react in the atmosphere to produce ozone and secondary organic aerosol, which comprises a substantial fraction of PM2.5. Using data from three measurement campaigns, we examine emissions of reactive gas-phase organic carbon from agricultural crops and their potential to impact regional air quality relative to anthropogenic emissions in California's San Joaquin Valley. Emission rates for a suite of biogenic terpenoid compounds were measured in a greenhouse for 25 representative crops from California in 2008, and ambient measurements of terpenoids and other biogenic compounds in the volatile and intermediate-volatility organic compound range were made over an orange orchard in a rural area of the San Joaquin Valley during two seasons in 2010: summer and spring flowering. When accounting for both emissions of reactive precursors and the deposition of ozone to an orange orchard, the net effect of the orange trees is a net source of ozone in the springtime during flowering, and relatively neutral for most of the summer until the fall when it becomes a sink. Flowering was a major emission event and caused a large increase in emissions including a suite of compounds that had not been measured in the atmosphere before. Such biogenic emission events need to be better parameterized in models as they have significant potential to impact regional air quality since emissions increase by an order of magnitude. In regions like the San Joaquin Valley, the mass of biogenic emissions from agricultural crops during the summer (without flowering) and the potential ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation from these emissions are on the same order as anthropogenic emissions from motor vehicles and must be considered in air quality models and secondary pollution control strategies.
Fire emission rates of NOx based on the empirical relationship between satellite-derived tropospheric NO2 and fire radiative power
Authors: Schreier S. F. , Richter A. , Kaiser J. W. , Burrows J. P.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) play key roles in atmospheric chemistry, air pollution, and climate. While the largest fraction of these reactive gases is released by anthropogenic emission sources, a significant amount can be attributed to vegetation fires. In this study, NO2 from GOME-2 on board EUMETSAT's MetOp-A and OMI on board NASA's Aura as well as fire radiative power (FRP) from the measurements of MODIS on board NASA's Terra and Aqua are used to derive fire emission rates (FERs) of NOx for different types of vegetation using a simple statistical approach. Monthly means of tropospheric NO2 vertical columns (TVC NO2) have been analyzed for their temporal correlation with the monthly means of FRP for five consecutive years from 2007 to 2011 on a horizontal 1° × 1° grid. The strongest correlation is found to be largely confined to tropical and subtropical regions, which account for more than 80% of yearly burned area on average globally. In these regions, the seasonal variation of fire intensity, expressed by the FRP data, is similar to the pattern of TVC NO2. As chemical models typically require values for the amount of NOx being released as a function of time, we have converted the retrieved TVC NO2 into production rates of NOx from fire (Pf) by assuming a constant lifetime of NOx. The comparison between Pf and NOx emissions from GFEDv3.1 over 5 characteristic biomass burning regions in the tropics and subtropics indicated good agreement. By separating the monthly means of Pf and FRP according to land cover type, FERs of NOx could be derived for different biomes. The estimated FERs for the dominating types of vegetation burned are lowest for open shrublands and savannas (0.28–1.03 g NOx s−1 MW−1) and highest for croplands and woody savannas (0.82–1.56 g NOx s−1 MW−1). This analysis demonstrates clearly that there are biome-specific, diurnal, and regional differences in FERs for the dominating types of vegetation burned in the tropics and subtropics. Possible factors affecting the magnitude of the obtained values are discussed.
Ionospheric effects on the F region during the sunrise for the annular solar eclipse over Taiwan on 21 May 2012
Authors: Chuo Y. J.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. On 21 May 2012 (20:56, Universal Time; UT, on 20 May), an annular solar eclipse occurred, beginning at sunrise over southeast China and moving through Japan, sweeping across the northern Pacific Ocean, and completing its passage over the western United States at sunset on 20 May 2012 (02:49 UT, 21 May). We investigated the eclipse area in Taiwan, using an ionosonde and global positioning system (GPS) satellite measurements. The measurements of foF2, hmF2, bottomside scale height around the peak height (Hm), and slab thickness (B0) were collected at the ionosonde station at Chung-Li Observatory. In addition, we calculated the total electron content (TEC) to study the differences inside and outside the eclipse area, using 3 receivers located at Marzhu (denoted as MATZ), Hsinchu (TNML), and Henchun (HENC). The results showed that the foF2 values gradually decreased when the annularity began and reached a minimum level of approximately 2.0 MHz at 06:30 LT. The hmF2 immediately decreased and then increased during the annular eclipse period. The TEC variations also appeared to deplete in the path of the eclipse and opposite the outside passing area. Further, the rate of change of the TEC values (dTEC / dt measured for 15 min) was examined to study the wave-like fluctuations. The scale height near the F2 layer peak height (Hm) also decreased and then increased during the eclipse period. To address the effects of the annular eclipse in the topside and bottomside ionosphere, this study provides a discussion of the variations between the topside and bottomside ionospheric parameters during the eclipse period.
A synthesis of light absorption properties of the Pan-Arctic Ocean: application to semi-analytical estimates of dissolved organic carbon concentrations from space
Authors: Matsuoka A. , Babin M. , Doxaran D. , Hooker S. B. , Mitchell B. G. , Bélanger S. , Bricaud A.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. The light absorption coefficients of particulate and dissolved materials are the main factors determining the light propagation of the visible part of the spectrum and are, thus, important for developing ocean color algorithms. While these absorption properties have recently been documented by a few studies for the Arctic Ocean (e.g., Matsuoka et al., 2007, 2011; Ben Mustapha et al., 2012), the datasets used in the literature were sparse and individually insufficient to draw a general view of the basin-wide spatial and temporal variations in absorption. To achieve such a task, we built a large absorption database at the pan-Arctic scale by pooling the majority of published datasets and merging new datasets. Our results showed that the total non-water absorption coefficients measured in the Eastern Arctic Ocean (EAO; Siberian side) are significantly higher than in the Western Arctic Ocean (WAO; North American side). This higher absorption is explained by higher concentration of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in watersheds on the Siberian side, which contains a large amount of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) compared to waters off North America. In contrast, the relationship between the phytoplankton absorption (aφ(λ)) and chlorophyll a (chl a) concentration in the EAO was not significantly different from that in the WAO. Because our semi-analytical CDOM absorption algorithm is based on chl a-specific aφ(λ) values (Matsuoka et al., 2013), this result indirectly suggests that CDOM absorption can be appropriately derived not only for the WAO but also for the EAO using ocean color data. Derived CDOM absorption values were reasonable compared to in situ measurements. By combining this algorithm with empirical DOC vs. CDOM relationships, a semi-analytical algorithm for estimating DOC concentrations for coastal waters at the Pan-Arctic scale is presented and applied to satellite ocean color data.
Chronology of Lake El'gygytgyn sediments – a combined magnetostratigraphic, palaeoclimatic and orbital tuning study based on multi-parameter analyses
Authors: Nowaczyk N. R. , Haltia E. M. , Ulbricht D. , Wennrich V. , Sauerbrey M. A. , Rosén P. , Vogel H. , Francke A. , Meyer-Jacob C. , Andreev A. A. , Lozhkin A. V.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. A 318-metre-long sedimentary profile drilled by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) at Site 5011-1 in Lake El'gygytgyn, Far East Russian Arctic, has been analysed for its sedimentologic response to global climate modes by chronostratigraphic methods. The 12 km wide lake is sited off-centre in an 18 km large crater that was created by the impact of a meteorite 3.58 Ma ago. Since then sediments have been continuously deposited. For establishing their chronology, major reversals of the earth's magnetic field provided initial tie points for the age model, confirming that the impact occurred in the earliest geomagnetic Gauss chron. Various stratigraphic parameters, reflecting redox conditions at the lake floor and climatic conditions in the catchment were tuned synchronously to Northern Hemisphere insolation variations and the marine oxygen isotope stack, respectively. Thus, a robust age model comprising more than 600 tie points could be defined. It could be shown that deposition of sediments in Lake El'gygytgyn occurred in concert with global climatic cycles. The upper ~160 m of sediments represent the past 3.3 Ma, equivalent to sedimentation rates of 4 to 5 cm ka−1, whereas the lower 160 m represent just the first 0.3 Ma after the impact, equivalent to sedimentation rates in the order of 45 cm ka−1. This study also provides orbitally tuned ages for a total of 8 tephras deposited in Lake El'gygytgyn.
MEDSLIK-II, a Lagrangian marine surface oil spill model for short-term forecasting – Part 1: Theory
Authors: De Dominicis M. , Pinardi N. , Zodiatis G. , Lardner R.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. The processes of transport, diffusion and transformation of surface oil in seawater can be simulated using a Lagrangian model formalism coupled with Eulerian circulation models. This paper describes the formalism and the conceptual assumptions of a Lagrangian marine surface oil slick numerical model and rewrites the constitutive equations in a modern mathematical framework. The Lagrangian numerical representation of the oil slick requires three different state variables: the slick, the particle and the structural state variables. Transformation processes (evaporation, spreading, dispersion and coastal adhesion) act on the slick state variables, while particle variables are used to model the transport and diffusion processes. The slick and particle variables are recombined together to compute the oil concentration in water, a structural state variable. The mathematical and numerical formulation of oil transport, diffusion and transformation processes described in this paper, together with the many simplifying hypothesis and parameterizations, form the basis of a new, open source Lagrangian surface oil spill model, the so-called MEDSLIK-II, based on its precursor MEDSLIK (Lardner et al., 1998, 2006; Zodiatis et al., 2008a). Part 2 of this paper describes the applications of the model to oil spill simulations that allow the validation of the model results and the study of the sensitivity of the simulated oil slick to different model numerical parameterizations.
The Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART-WRF version 3.1
Authors: Brioude J. , Arnold D. , Stohl A. , Cassiani M. , Morton D. , Seibert P. , Angevine W. , Evan S. , Dingwell A. , Fast J. D. , Easter R. C. , Pisso I. , Burkhart J. , Wotawa G.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. The Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART was originally designed for calculating long-range and mesoscale dispersion of air pollutants from point sources, such that occurring after an accident in a nuclear power plant. In the meantime, FLEXPART has evolved into a comprehensive tool for atmospheric transport modeling and analysis at different scales. A need for further multiscale modeling and analysis has encouraged new developments in FLEXPART. In this paper, we present a FLEXPART version that works with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale meteorological model. We explain how to run this new model and present special options and features that differ from those of the preceding versions. For instance, a novel turbulence scheme for the convective boundary layer has been included that considers both the skewness of turbulence in the vertical velocity as well as the vertical gradient in the air density. To our knowledge, FLEXPART is the first model for which such a scheme has been developed. On a more technical level, FLEXPART-WRF now offers effective parallelization, and details on computational performance are presented here. FLEXPART-WRF output can either be in binary or Network Common Data Form (NetCDF) format, both of which have efficient data compression. In addition, test case data and the source code are provided to the reader as a Supplement. This material and future developments will be accessible at http://www.flexpart.eu.
On the importance of observational data properties when assessing regional climate model performance of extreme precipitation
Authors: Sunyer M. A. , Sørup H. J. D. , Christensen O. B. , Madsen H. , Rosbjerg D. , Mikkelsen P. S. , Arnbjerg-Nielsen K.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of climate studies addressing changes in extreme precipitation. A common step in these studies involves the assessment of the climate model performance. This is often measured by comparing climate model output with observational data. In the majority of such studies the characteristics and uncertainties of the observational data are neglected. This study addresses the influence of using different observational data sets to assess the climate model performance. Four different data sets covering Denmark using different gauge systems and comprising both networks of point measurements and gridded data sets are considered. Additionally, the influence of using different performance indices and metrics is addressed. A set of indices ranging from mean to extreme precipitation properties is calculated for all the data sets. For each of the observational data sets, the regional climate models (RCMs) are ranked according to their performance using two different metrics. These are based on the error in representing the indices and the spatial pattern. In comparison to the mean, extreme precipitation indices are highly dependent on the spatial resolution of the observations. The spatial pattern also shows differences between the observational data sets. These differences have a clear impact on the ranking of the climate models, which is highly dependent on the observational data set, the index and the metric used. The results highlight the need to be aware of the properties of observational data chosen in order to avoid overconfident and misleading conclusions with respect to climate model performance.
Variability of drainage and solute leaching in heterogeneous urban vegetation environs
Authors: Nouri H. , Beecham S. , Hassanli A. M. , Ingleton G.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Deep percolation enhancement from recycled wastewater irrigation may contribute to salt accumulation and water table elevation that can ultimately cause soil and ground water degradation. Variation of drainage rate and solute leaching were investigated in an urban park containing heterogeneous landscape plants that were irrigated with recycled wastewater. Field monitoring was undertaken at Veale Gardens in the Adelaide Parklands, Australia. Based on landscape variation in Veale Gardens, two landscape zones were defined: one being largely covered with turf grasses with few trees and shrubs (MG) with the second zone being mostly trees and shrubs with intermittent turf grasses (MT). Experiments were performed on two zero-tension lysimeters placed horizontally 100 cm below ground to monitor the variation of volume and quality indicators of drained water for four seasons. The outcomes showed a significant variation of drainage quantity and quality in the MT and MG zones. The low vegetation cover in the MG zone resulted in more drained water than in the high vegetation cover (MT zone). In both zones, more drainage water was collected in winter than in other seasons. This is in spite of the input water showing a maximum rate in summer. The seasonal salinities measured in the two lysimeters showed very similar trends with the lowest salinity rate in autumn with the levels increasing through winter and spring. Chemical analyses of leachate solute and salt loading indicated no impact from using recycled wastewater.
On understanding of design problem formulation for compliant mechanisms through topology optimization
Authors: Cao L. , Dolovich A. , Zhang W. J.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. General problems associated with the design of compliant mechanisms through the topology optimization technique are defined in this paper due to the lack of comprehensive definitions for these problems in the literature. Standard design problems associated with rigid body mechanisms, i.e. function generation, path generation and motion generation, are extended to compliant mechanisms. Functional requirements and the associated 25 formulations in the literature are comprehensively reviewed along with their limitations. Based on whether the output is controlled quantitatively or not, these formulations are categorized into two types: (1) formulations for quantitative design; and (2) formulations for qualitative design. In addition, formulations that aim to solve the point flexure problem are also discussed. Future work is identified based on the discussion of each topic.