bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mucin histochemistry of stomach in metaplasia and adenocarcinoma: An observation
Authors: Mandal Prakas Kumar , Chakrabarti Sudipta , Ray Amit , Chattopadhyay Bitan , Das Shikha
Published: January 2014

Background: There is a variable pattern of occurrence of gastric carcinomas world-wide, partially reflecting the frequency of various changes of gastric mucosa from, which such neoplasm occur. Many cases of gastric carcinoma originate in the background of chronic gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori. Subsequent intestinal metaplasia (IM) can be morphologically classified by routine and special histopathological stains. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted over the 2 years at NRSMC & H, Kolkata. Aims of the present study were to search for evidences of H. pylori infection, classification of different metaplastic and/or malignant changes, identification of types of mucin by mucin histochemistry and their interrelationship in gastrectomy and gastric biopsy specimens (total 70). After obtaining clinical history, radiological and endoscopic findings were noted. After macroscopic study of the specimen, hematoxylene and eosin, southgate mucicarmine, periodic acid schiff-alcian blue (PAS-AB) and gomori aldehyde fuchsin (GAF)/AB staining were performed to classify gastric carcinoma and metaplastic changes and to correlate with staining patterns of mucin. Results: The overall male to female ratio was 2.89:1. Age ranged from 22 years to 78 years and the commonest age group of gastric carcinomas being 41-50 years (26 cases, 37.1%). Gastric adenocarcinoma was found in 61 (87.1%) cases (22.9% were of intestinal type and 77.1% of diffuse type) and only IM was found in 9 (12.9%) cases. Overall the rapid urease test was positive in 18 (25.7%) cases majority of which showing either pure IM or IM associated with intestinal type of gastric carcinoma. All diffuse types of gastric carcinoma (47 cases, 77.1%) were showed PAS positive staining (indicating neutral mucin) whereas in 15 (65.2%) cases of IM columnar cells stained with AB (representing acidic mucin). GAF/AB stain revealed Type II IM in 10 (43.5%) cases and Type III IM in 4 (17.4%) cases. Conclusion: Routine and special histological staining is particularly useful for histological subtyping of gastric carcinomas and IMs.
Factors affecting wound complications in head and neck surgery: A prospective study
Authors: Chaukar Devendra A. , Deshmukh Anuja D. , Majeed Tanveer , Chaturvedi Pankaj , Pai Prathamesh , D′cruz Anil K.
Published: January 2014

Context: Head and neck surgeries are complex. Wound complications are associated with considerable morbidity and can result in delay in the adjuvant treatment. Identification of factors will help in formulating preventive guidelines. Aims: The aim of this study is to identify perioperative factors responsible for wound complications. Settings and Design: Prospective study of 186 head and neck patients. Subjects and Methods: Pre-operative, intraoperative and post-operative factors were recorded. Each patient was evaluated for minor and major wound complications twice daily during the hospital stay. Statistical Analysis: Chi-square test was used for univariate and log regression test was used for multivariate analysis. Results: The overall wound complication rate was 29% with 7% major and 22% minor complications. On univariate analysis, laryngeal and hypopharyngeal location, advanced T stage, poor oral hygiene, clean-contaminated surgery, low Karnofsky performance status (KPS), flap reconstruction, blood loss more than 1000 ml, perioperative blood transfusion, duration of surgery greater than 4.3 h and post-operative hemoglobin lesser than 11 g%, post-operative tracheostomy and resection of mandible were statistical significant factors. On multivariate analysis, post-operative tracheostomy, low KPS, post-operative serum albumin less than 3.7 g/dl and duration of surgery greater than 4.3 h were significant factors. Conclusion : Apart from unavoidable factors, it is essential to take care of certain factors viz nutrition, haemoglobin, oral hygiene, asepsis and repeating antibiotics in prolonged surgery.
Comparison of granisetron plus dexamethasone versus an antiemetic cocktail containing midazolam and diphenhydramine for chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting in children
Authors: Emir Suna , Erturgut Pınar , Vidinlisan Sadi
Published: January 2014

Background: Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is one of the most disturbing side-effects in children receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy. We aimed to assess whether the addition of an antiemetic cocktail containing midazolam and diphenhydramine to granisetron plus dexamethasone combination could ameliorate CINV in this study. Patients and Methods: A total of 23 children aged between 1 and 16 years to receive cisplatin containing chemotherapy in our clinic were included in this study from April 2007 to April 2008. 76 cycles in 23 patients were randomly assigned to receive either antiemetic regimen 1 or antiemetic regimen 2. Antiemetic regimen 1 containing granisetron 0, 04 mg/kg plus dexamethasone 0, 2 mg/kg were given in 45 chemotherapy cycles. In 31 cycles, an antiemetic cocktail containing midazolam 0, 04 mg/kg, diphenhyramine 2, 5 mg/-kg in addition to granisetron plus dexamethasone was given. Number of vomiting, severity of nausea, the use of rescue therapy and adverse events were assessed between day 1 and day 5. Results: Complete response for the acute phase was observed 38/45 (84, 4%) cycles in regimen 1 as compared with 28/31 (90, 3%) in regimen 2, antiemetic cocktail regimen (P > 0.05). Complete response for delayed emesis after 24 h of the beginning of chemotherapy was observed in 29/45 (64, 4 %) in regimen 1 and 16/31 (51, 6%) in regimen 2. Antiemetic cocktail was not superior to the granisetron plus dexamethasone combination in controlling emesis in acute and delayed phase. Furthermore, patients receiving antiemetic regimen 2 were noted significantly more side effects. Conclusion: Our data showed that antiemetic cocktail containing midazolam and diphenhydramine was not better in controlling acute and delayed emesis. A slightly more toxicity with additional drugs was also observed.
Surveillance and expected outcome of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children and adolescents: An experience from Eastern India
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Ashis , Gangopadhyay Sudeshna , Dasgupta Swati , Paul Samrat , Mukhopadhyay Soma , Ray Ujjal Kanti
Published: January 2014

Objective: Research in Eastern India especially among children and adolescents for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have not been well documented until recently when it was conducted at a cancer institute of tertiary care with primary objectives of examining and correlating different cell surface markers involved with respect to disease surveillance thereby highlighting it as a strong prognostic marker for future diagnosis and treatment. Materials and Methods: A total of 500 consecutively selected ALL patients were diagnosed and treated according to National Cancer Institute protocol (MCP 841) for a period of 24-88 months during this hospital-based study. Results: Of the total, 50.4% had a higher incidence of T-ALL and 47.6% had pro-B, B-cell precursor ALL. Disease free survival and event free survival were remarkably higher in B-ALL adolescent patients as compared to T-ALL, who had significantly lower overall survival ratio. Prevalence of T-ALL was also observed in relapse cases for adolescent patients. Conclusions: We conclude that there is an increased prevalence of T-ALL among adolescents in Eastern India. Immunophenotypic analysis might help in proper evaluation and prediction of treatment outcomes with an increased thrust on studying age-specific incident rates enabling well planned future treatments for improved and better outcome.
Cyclin D1 expression in multiple myeloma by immunohistochemistry: Case series of 14 patients and literature review
Authors: Padhi Somanath , G’Boy Varghese Renu , Ramdas Anita
Published: January 2014

Background: Cyclin D1 dysregulation is an early and unifying oncogenic event in patients of multiple myeloma (MM). This may be detected up to 30% cases by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and up to 40-50% cases by molecular studies. However, studies on the clinical significance of cyclin D1 dysregulation in MM have been inconclusive. We aimed to study the pattern of cyclin D1 expression in MM by IHC and correlate with selected clinicopathologic features. Materials and Methods: Formalin fixed, decalcified, bone marrow trephine sections from 14 symptomatic patients of MM (13 newly diagnosed and one relapsed) were subjected to cyclin D1 IHC by using a rabbit monoclonal antibody to cyclin D1 (clone EPR2241). Results: Cyclin D1 expression (in ≥10% tumor cell nuclei) was observed in 8 of 14 cases (57%). Cyclin D1 positive (+) group had significantly lower hemoglobin level (P = 0.03) than cyclin D1 negative (−) group (n = 6); though both groups showed no statistical significance (P > 0.05) in regard to age, gender, Durie and Salmon stage, lytic bone lesions, light chain phenotype, creatinine, calcium, lactate dehydrogenase, leukocyte and platelet count and bone marrow histology. Ten of 14 (71.5%) showed a favorable response (follow-up; 7 days to 34 months) to thalidomide and/or bortezomib based chemotherapeutic regimen. Four of eight cyclin D1+ patients showed complete response, two had a partial response (PR) and two died of the disease; whereas 4/6 cyclin D1− patients had PR, one refused definitive therapy and one was lost to follow-up (P > 0.05, Fischer′s exact test). Conclusion: IHC may be a feasible tool for the demonstration of cyclin D1 expression on adequately processed trephine biopsy specimen in MM patients in a resource poor setting. Negative IHC results should be correlated with molecular techniques for prognostication.
Fanconi anemia presenting as an "evolving" acute leukemia-diagnostic challenges
Authors: Sinha Swasti , Bhargava Manorama
Published: January 2014

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous recessive disorder characterized by diverse congenital malformations, progressive pancytopenia and predisposition to both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. We report, a 14-year-old boy who presented with clinical features of aplastic anemia (AA). Subsequent bone marrow examination and multiparametric flowcytometric immunophenotyping revealed an evolving hypoplastic acute myeloid leukemia. Chromosomal breakage studies using clastogenic agent mitomycin C showed 88% stress induced chromosomal/chromatid breaks, gaps and rearrangements revealing an underlying FA. The case emphasizes upon the role of a systematic clinico-investigative approach in diagnosing such patients who by clinical criteria appear to have idiopathic AA and appear phenotypically normal. A timely and accurate diagnosis becomes vital in these cases to implement appropriate therapy.
Human immunodeficiency virus Infection in a patient of chronic myelogenous leukemia
Authors: Tuljapurkar Vijay B. , Phatak Uday A.
Published: January 2014

Association of Cancer and HIV infection is seen in practice. Commonly observed cancer in HIV infected patients are Non-Hodgkin′s Lymphoma, cervical cancer and Kaposi Sarcoma, Coexistent Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) and HIV infection are rare. We report a case where these two diseases were found in a patient and were treated with a single agent Hydroxyurea.
Cisplatin induced paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
Authors: Raja Waseem , Mir M Hussain , Dar Imtiyaz , Banday Muzamil Ahmad , Ahmad Irfan
Published: January 2014

Cisplatin or cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) is the first member of a class of platinum-containing anti-cancer drugs that act by binding to and causing cross-linking of deoxyribonucleic acid, which ultimately triggers apoptosis. Cisplatin has a broad-spectrum antineoplastic activity against various types of human tumors. Unfortunately, the optimal usefulness of Cisplatin is limited secondary to its dose related toxicity especially nephrotoxicity. Cisplatin chemotherapy is also associated with cardiotoxic effects that may range from silent arrhythmias to heart failure and even sudden cardiac death. These effects are more pronounced when cisplatin is combined with other cardiotoxic drugs. Here, we report a case of patient of cancer lung who developed paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia following administration of Cisplatin. A brief review of the literature follows.
Short Communication: Tenderness of suckler beef produced in British Columbia
Authors: Hartling I. , Cinel B. , Donkor K. K. , Friedman C. Ross , Paetkau M. J. , Church J. S.
Published: January 2014

Hartling, I., Cinel, B., Donkor, K. K., Ross Friedman, C., Paetkau, M. J. and Church, J. S. 2014. Short Communication: Tenderness of suckler beef produced in British Columbia. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 94: 295–298. In order to investigate the potential of suckler beef production in British Columbia, shear force values were determined using Warner–Bratzler shear (WBS) force tests on 10 major muscles obtained from suckler-raised Simmental cattle along with the longissimus thoracis from grain- and grass-fed cattle of similar breeding. Shear force values obtained for suckler beef were then compared with literature values from grain-fed beef. All suckler beef muscles except the psoas major and spinalis dorsi had lower WBS values than their grain-fed counterparts from literature values, while the longissimus thoracis was shown to have equal tenderness in all three production systems. Results suggest that a higher number of muscles from suckler beef in this study could be used as steaks than is typically observed in the North American beef industry.
Changes of preferential flow path on different altitudinal zones in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China
Authors: Liu Muxing , Du Wenzheng , Zhang Hailin
Published: January 2014

Liu, M., Du, W. and Zhang, H. 2014. Changes of preferential flow path on different altitudinal zones in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 177–188. Preferential flow in soil macropores plays an important role in runoff control and soil and water conservation. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of preferential flow paths in the soil profile of various altitudinal belts, analyze its variation among different soil horizons, and define the cause of soil macropores. A dye tracer method combined with photographic analysis was conducted for four hillslope sites in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China (TGRA). The results show that stained area proportion, as well as its vertical distribution in soil sections, presented varied patterns due to changes of forest vegetation and soil type with altitude. Stained area ratio of soil profiles increased, while stained depth decreased with increasing altitude. For soil sections in the subalpine belt, mid-mountain belt, and low-mountain belt of TGRA, stained area ratios were 62, 42, and 45%, and stained depths were 52.4, 56.4, and 69.5 cm, respectively. For brown earth covered with subalpine temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest, stained area ratios were the largest, but dyed patches were concentrated in the humus horizon. For yellow earth covered with low-mountain warm coniferous forest, stained depth reached 69.5 cm, and stained patches existed in the total soil profile. Compared with forest soil, stained depth and stained area ratio of abandoned farmland in low-mountain belt were lower, and the depth of dye infiltration was even shallower.
Soil organic carbon estimation with topographic properties in artificial grassland using a state-space modeling approach
Authors: She Dongli , Xuemei Gao , Jingru Song , Timm Luis Carlos , Hu Wei
Published: January 2014

She, D., Xuemei, G., Jingru, S., Timm, L. C. and Hu, W. 2014. Soil organic carbon estimation with topographic properties in artificial grassland using a state-space modeling approach. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 503–514. Knowledge of the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) in artificial grasslands in semiarid areas is helpful in optimizing management for soil fertility recovery and carbon sequestration. Accurate estimation of SOC with easy-to-obtain topographic properties can save considerable labor and cost as well as protect the grassland from being disturbed by intensive soil sampling. In our study, a total of 113 sampling points were setup within a patch of artificial grassland in a small catchment located in the north Loess Plateau of China. State-space modeling and traditional linear regression were used to estimate the localized variation of SOC in the 0- to 20-cm surface soil layer using five selected topographic properties (elevation, slope, aspect, plan curvature, and surface soil roughness). Soil surface roughness and plan curvature were identified as the most effective variables for SOC estimation in state-space models. Soil surface roughness and plan curvature explained 92.5% and 84.5% of the total variation of SOC, respectively. The best state-space model was the one using both plan curvature and surface soil roughness, explaining 94.5% of the total variation of SOC, whereas the best linear regression model could only explain 15.9% of the total variation of SOC. The results indicate that all the derived state-space models performed better than the equivalent linear regression models. Our study provides an insight into the possibility of accurate estimation of SOC only using one or two easy-to-obtain topographic properties with state-space modeling approach.
Lobbying: Buying and Utilizing Access
Authors: Mayer Wolfgang , Mujumdar Sudesh
Published: January 2014

This paper develops a lobbying-by-firms model that draws on a more realistic characterization of the lobbying process; influence-seeking requires both money to ‘buy access’ and managerial time to ‘utilize access’. This, more realistically grounded, modeling approach furnishes theoretical support for why one encounters different numbers of lobbying firms of varying sizes in different industries, without casting the (unrealistic) lifeline of the ‘money-buyspolicies’ assumption or (unrealistically) casting out the role of money from the lobbying process. Theoretical legs are also furnished for the empirical finding of a negative and statistically significant (at the 1% level) relationship between industry concentration and “direct lobbying” by the industry. Additional insights emerge from the model regarding how a cap on the lobbying-contributions of firms results, in fact, in an expansion of the amount of access-time purchased by some firms, and how a decline in the world price of an industry’s good can generate greater inequality in access to politicians.
Representing time-dependent freezing behaviour in immersion mode ice nucleation
Authors: Herbert R. J. , Murray B. J. , Whale T. F. , Dobbie S. J. , Atkinson J. D.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. In order to understand the impact of ice formation in clouds, a quantitative understanding of ice nucleation is required, along with an accurate and efficient representation for use in cloud resolving models. Ice nucleation by atmospherically relevant particle types is complicated by inter-particle variability in nucleating ability, as well as a stochastic, time-dependent, nature inherent to nucleation. Here we present a new and computationally efficient Framework for Reconciling Observable Stochastic Time-dependence (FROST) in immersion mode ice nucleation. This framework is underpinned by the finding that the temperature dependence of the nucleation rate coefficient controls the residence-time and cooling-rate dependence of freezing. It is shown that this framework can be used to reconcile experimental data obtained on different time scales with different experimental systems, and it also provides a simple way of representing the complexities of ice nucleation in cloud resolving models. The routine testing and reporting of time-dependent behaviour in future experimental studies is recommended, along with the practice of presenting normalised datasets following the methods outlined here.
One-year observations of size distribution characteristics of major aerosol constituents at a coastal receptor site in Hong Kong – Part 1: Inorganic ions and oxalate
Authors: Bian Q. , Huang X. H. H. , Yu J. Z.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. Size distribution data of major aerosol constituents are essential in source apportioning of visibility degradation, testing and verification of air quality models incorporating aerosols. We report here one-year observations of mass size distributions of major inorganic ions (sulfate, nitrate, chloride, ammonium, sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium) and oxalate at a coastal suburban receptor site in Hong Kong, China. A total of 43 sets of size segregated samples in the size range of 0.056–18 μm were collected from March 2011 to February 2012. The size distributions of sulfate, ammonium, potassium and oxalate were characterized by a dominant droplet mode with a mass mean aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) in the range of ~0.7–0.9 μm. Oxalate had a slightly larger MMAD than sulfate on days with temperatures above 22 °C as a result of the process of volatilization and repartitioning. Nitrate was mostly dominated by the coarse mode but enhanced presence in fine mode was detected on winter days with lower temperature and lower concentrations of sea salt and soil particles. This data set reveals an inversely proportional relationship between the fraction of nitrate in the fine mode and product of the sum of sodium and calcium in equivalent concentrations and the dissociation constant of ammonium nitrate (i.e., (1/[Na+] + 2[Ca2+]) × (1/Ke')). The seasonal variation observed for sea salt aerosol abundance, with lower values in summer and winter, is possibly linked with the lower marine salinities in these two seasons. Positive matrix factorization was applied to estimate the relative contributions of local formation and transport to the observed ambient sulfate level through the use of the combined datasets of size-segregated sulfate and select gaseous air pollutants. On average, the regional/super-regional transport of air pollutants was the dominant source at this receptor site, especially on high sulfate days, while local formation processes contributed approximately 30% of the total sulfate. This work provides field measurement-based evidence for importance of understanding both local photochemistry and regional/super-regional transport in order to properly simulate sulfate aerosols in air quality models.
Technical Note: Adjoint formulation of the TOMCAT atmospheric transport scheme in the Eulerian backtracking framework (RETRO-TOM)
Authors: Haines P. E. , Esler J. G. , Carver G. D.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. A new methodology for the formulation of an adjoint to the transport component of the chemistry transport model TOMCAT is described and implemented in a new model RETRO-TOM. The Eulerian backtracking method is used, allowing the forward advection scheme (Prather's second-order moments), to be efficiently exploited in the backward adjoint calculations. Prather's scheme is shown to be time-symmetric suggesting the possibility of high accuracy. To attain this accuracy, however, it is necessary to make a careful treatment of the "density inconsistency" problem inherent to offline transport models. The results are verified using a series of test experiments. These demonstrate the high accuracy of RETRO-TOM when compared with direct forward sensitivity calculations, at least for problems in which flux-limiters in the advection scheme are not required. RETRO-TOM therefore combines the flexibility and stability of a "finite difference of adjoint" formulation with the accuracy of an "adjoint of finite difference" formulation.
Analysis of the effect of water activity on ice formation using a new thermodynamic framework
Authors: Barahona D.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. In this work a new thermodynamic framework is developed and used to investigate the effect of water activity on the formation of ice within supercooled droplets. The new framework is based on a novel concept where the interface is assumed to be made of liquid molecules "trapped" by the solid matrix. Using this concept new expressions are developed for the critical ice germ size and the nucleation work, with explicit dependencies on temperature and water activity. However unlike previous approaches, the new model does not depend on the interfacial tension between liquid and ice. Comparison against experimental results shows that the new theory is able to reproduce the observed effect of water activity on nucleation rate and freezing temperature. It allows for the first time a phenomenological derivation of the constant shift in water activity between melting and nucleation. The new framework offers a consistent thermodynamic view of ice nucleation, simple enough to be applied in atmospheric models of cloud formation.
Global free tropospheric NO2 abundances derived using a cloud slicing technique applied to satellite observations from the Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)
Authors: Choi S. , Joiner J. , Choi Y. , Duncan B. N. , Bucsela E.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. We derive free-tropospheric NO2 volume mixing ratios (VMRs) and stratospheric column amounts of NO2 by applying a cloud slicing technique to data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the Aura satellite. In the cloud-slicing approach, the slope of the above-cloud NO2 column vs. the cloud scene pressure is proportional to the NO2 VMR. In this work, we use a sample of nearby OMI pixel data from a single orbit for the linear fit. The OMI data include cloud scene pressures from the rotational-Raman algorithm and above-cloud NO2 vertical column density (VCD) (defined as the NO2 column from the cloud scene pressure to the top-of-the-atmosphere) from a differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) algorithm. Estimates of stratospheric column NO2 are obtained by extrapolating the linear fits to the tropopause. We compare OMI-derived NO2 VMRs with in situ aircraft profiles measured during the NASA Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment Phase B (INTEX-B) campaign in 2006. The agreement is generally within the estimated uncertainties when appropriate data screening is applied. We then derive a global seasonal climatology of free-tropospheric NO2 VMR in cloudy conditions. Enhanced NO2 in the free troposphere commonly appears near polluted urban locations where NO2 produced in the boundary layer may be transported vertically out of the boundary layer and then horizontally away from the source. Signatures of lightning NO2 are also shown throughout low and middle latitude regions in summer months. A profile analysis of our cloud slicing data indicates signatures of uplifted and transported anthropogenic NO2 in the middle troposphere as well as lightning-generated NO2 in the upper troposphere. Comparison of the climatology with simulations from the Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) for cloudy conditions (cloud optical thicknesses > 10) shows similarities in the spatial patterns of continental pollution outflow. However, there are also some differences in the seasonal variation of free-tropospheric NO2 VMRs near highly populated regions and in areas affected by lightning-generated NOx. Stratospheric column NO2 obtained from cloud slicing agrees well with other independently-generated estimates, providing further confidence in the free-tropospheric results.
Lack of 13C-label incorporation suggests low turnover rates of thaumarchaeal intact polar tetraether lipids in sediments from the Iceland shelf
Authors: Lengger S. K. , Lipsewers Y. A. , de Haas H. , Sinninghe Damsté J. S. , Schouten S.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. Thaumarchaeota are amongst the most abundant microorganisms in aquatic environments, however, their metabolism in marine sediments is still debated. Labeling studies in marine sediments have previously been undertaken, but focused on complex organic carbon substrates which Thaumarchaeota have not yet been shown to take up. In this study, we investigated the activity of Thaumarchaeota in sediments by supplying different 13C-labeled substrates which have previously been shown to be incorporated into archaeal cells in water incubations and/or enrichment cultures. We determined the incorporation of 13C-label from bicarbonate, pyruvate, glucose and amino acids into thaumarchaeal intact polar lipid-glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (IPL-GDGTs) during 4–6 day incubations of marine sediment cores from three sites on the Iceland shelf. Thaumarchaeal intact polar lipids, in particular crenarchaeol, were detected at all stations and concentrations remained constant or decreased slightly upon incubation. No 13C incorporation in any IPL-GDGT was observed at stations 2 (clay-rich sediment) and 3 (organic-rich sediment). In bacterial/eukaryotic IPL-derived fatty acids at station 3, contrastingly, a large uptake of 13C label (up to + 80‰ ) was found. 13C was also respired during the experiment as shown by a substantial increase in the 13C content of the dissolved inorganic carbon. In IPL-GDGTs recovered from the sandy sediments at station 1, however, some enrichment in δ13C (1–4‰ ) was detected after incubation with bicarbonate and pyruvate. The low incorporation rates suggest a low activity of Thaumarchaeota in marine sediments and/or a low turnover rate of thaumarchaeal IPL-GDGTs due to their low degradation rates. Cell numbers and activity of sedimentary Thaumarchaeota based on IPL-GDGT measurements may thus have previously been overestimated.
Opportunities from low-resolution modelling of river morphology in remote parts of the world
Authors: Nones M. , Guerrero M. , Ronco P.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. River morphodynamics are the result of a variety of processes, ranging from the typical small-scale of fluid mechanics (e.g. flow turbulence dissipation) to the large-scale of landscape evolution (e.g. fan deposition). However, problems inherent in the long-term modelling of large rivers derive from limited computational resources and the high level of process detail (i.e. spatial and temporal resolution). These modelling results depend on processes parameterization and calibrations based on detailed field data (e.g. initial morphology). Thus, for these cases, simplified tools are attractive. In this paper, a simplified 1-D approach is presented that is suited for modelling very large rivers. A synthetic description of the variations of cross-sections shapes is implemented on the basis of satellite images, typically also available for remote parts of the world. The model's flexibility is highlighted here by presenting two applications. In the first case, the model is used for analysing the long-term evolution of the lower Zambezi River (Africa) as it relates to the construction of two reservoirs for hydropower exploitation. In the second case, the same model is applied to study the evolution of the middle and lower Paraná River (Argentina), particularly in the context of climate variability. In both cases, having only basic data for boundary and initial conditions, the 1-D model provides results that are in agreement with past studies and therefore shows potential to be used to assist sediment management at the watershed scale or at boundaries of more detailed models.
High resolution global climate modelling; the UPSCALE project, a large simulation campaign
Authors: Mizielinski M. S. , Roberts M. J. , Vidale P. L. , Schiemann R. , Demory M.-E. , Strachan J. , Edwards T. , Stephens A. , Lawrence B. N. , Pritchard M. , Chiu P. , Iwi A. , Churchill J. , del Cano Novales C. , Kettleborough J. , Roseblade W. , Selwood P. , Foster M. , Glover M. , Malcolm A.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. The UPSCALE (UK on PRACE: weather-resolving Simulations of Climate for globAL Environmental risk) project constructed and ran an ensemble of HadGEM3 (Hadley centre Global Environment Model 3) atmosphere-only global climate simulations over the period 1985–2011, at resolutions of N512 (25 km), N216 (60 km) and N96 (130 km) as used in current global weather forecasting, seasonal prediction and climate modelling respectively. Alongside these present climate simulations a parallel ensemble looking at extremes of future climate was run, using a time-slice methodology to consider conditions at the end of this century. These simulations were primarily performed using a 144 million core hour, single year grant of computing time from PRACE (the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe) in 2012, with additional resources supplied by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) and the Met Office. Almost 400 terabytes of simulation data were generated on the HERMIT supercomputer at the high performance computing center Stuttgart (HLRS), and transferred to the JASMIN super-data cluster provided by the Science and Technology Facilities Council Centre for Data Archival (STFC CEDA) for analysis and storage. In this paper we describe the implementation of the project, present the technical challenges in terms of optimisation, data output, transfer and storage that such a project involves and include details of the model configuration and the composition of the UPSCALE dataset. This dataset is available for scientific analysis to allow assessment of the value of model resolution in both present and potential future climate conditions.
A simple parameterization of the short-wave aerosol optical properties for surface direct and diffuse irradiances assessment in a numerical weather model
Authors: Ruiz-Arias J. A. , Dudhia J.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. Broadband short-wave (SW) surface direct and diffuse irradiances are not typically within the set of output variables produced by numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. However, they are being more and more demanded in solar energy applications. A detailed representation of the aerosol optical properties is important to achieve an accurate assessment of these direct and diffuse irradiances. Nonetheless, NWP models typically oversimplify its representation or even neglect its effect. In this work, a flexible method to account for the SW aerosol optical properties in the computation of broadband SW surface direct and diffuse irradiances is presented. It only requires aerosol optical depth at 0.55 μm and the type of predominant aerosol. The rest of parameters needed to consider spectral aerosol extinction, namely, Angström exponent, aerosol single-scattering albedo and aerosol asymmetry factor, are parameterized. The parameterization has been tested in the RRTMG SW scheme of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) NWP model. However, it can be adapted to any other SW radiative transfer band model. It has been verified against a control experiment along five radiometric stations in the contiguous US. The control experiment consisted of a clear-sky evaluation of the RRTMG solar radiation estimates obtained in WRF when RRTMG is driven with ground-observed aerosol optical properties. Overall, the verification has shown very satisfactory results for both broadband SW surface direct and diffuse irradiances. It has proven effective to significantly reduce the prediction error and constraint the seasonal bias in clear-sky conditions to within the typical observational error in well-maintained radiometers.
Global meteorological drought – Part 2: Seasonal forecasts
Authors: Dutra E. , Pozzi W. , Wetterhall F. , Di Giuseppe F. , Magnusson L. , Naumann G. , Barbosa P. , Vogt J. , Pappenberger F.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. Global seasonal forecasts of meteorological drought using the standardized precipitation index (SPI) are produced using two datasets as initial conditions: the Global Precipitation Climatology Center (GPCC) and the ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis (ERAI); and two seasonal forecasts of precipitation: the most current ECMWF seasonal forecast system and climatologically based ensemble forecasts. The forecast skill is concentrated on verification months where precipitation deficits are likely to have higher drought impacts and grouped over different regions in the world. Verification of the forecasts as a function of lead time revealed a reduced impact on skill for: (i) long lead times using different initial conditions, and (ii) short lead times using different precipitation forecasts. The memory effect of initial conditions was found to be 1 month lead time for the SPI-3, 3 to 4 months for the SPI-6 and 5 months for the SPI-12. Results show that dynamical forecasts of precipitation provide added value, a skill similar or better than climatological forecasts. In some cases, particularly for long SPI time scales, it is very difficult to improve on the use of climatological forecasts. Our results also support recent questions whether seasonal forecasting of global drought onset was essentially a stochastic forecasting problem. Results are presented regionally and globally, and our results point to several regions in the world where drought onset forecasting is feasible and skilful.
Gas identification based on bias induced hysteresis of a gas-sensitive SiC field effect transistor
Authors: Bastuck M. , Bur C. , Lloyd Spetz A. , Andersson M. , Schütze A.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. In this work dynamic variation of gate bias is used on a gas-sensitive SiC field effect transistor ("GasFET") to optimize its sensitivity and increase its selectivity. Gate bias ramps introduce strong hysteresis in the sensor signal. The shape of this hysteresis is shown to be an appropriate feature both for the discrimination of various gases (ammonia, carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide and methane) as well as for different gas concentrations (250 and 500 ppm). The shape is very sensitive to ambient conditions as well as to the bias sweep rate. Thus, the influences of oxygen concentration, relative humidity, sensor temperature and cycle duration, i.e., sweep rate, are investigated and reasons for the observed signal changes, most importantly the existence of at least two different and competing processes taking place simultaneously, are discussed. Furthermore, it is shown that even for very fast cycles, in the range of seconds, the gas-induced shape change in the signal is strong enough to achieve a reliable separation of gases using gate bias cycled operation and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) making this approach suitable for practical application.
Brief Communication: An exclusive example of surface latent heat flux variation before Russia M6.1 earthquake
Authors: Jie Y. , Guangmeng G.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. Recently surface latent heat flux (SLHF) data is widely used to study the anomalies before earthquakes. Most researches use the daily SLHF data, here we use both daily data and high temporal resolution (four times one day) SLHF data, and compare the SLHF change with satellite image at the first time. We check the data from 1 September to 30 October 2011 and the result shows that there is really a very high SLHF anomaly (bigger than 2 σ) just 5 days before the M6.1 Russia earthquake which occurred on 14 October 2011. It should be considered as a preseismic precursor if judged with previously published methods. But our comparison between SLHF change and satellite image shows that the SLHF anomaly is just caused by a thick cloud. This result tells us that scientists must know the data's meaning before they use it, if not, they may get a wrong conclusion. Based on this example, we suggest that previously published SLHF anomaly before earthquake should be reanalyzed by our method to exclude the false anomaly.
Assessment of the effectiveness of participatory developed adaptation strategies for HCMC
Authors: Lasage R. , Veldkamp T. I. E. , de Moel H. , Van T. C. , Phi H. L. , Vellinga P. , Aerts J. C. J. H.
Published: January 2014

Abstract. Coastal cities are vulnerable to flooding, and flood risk to coastal cities will increase due to sea-level rise. Moreover, especially Asian cities are subject to considerable population growth and associated urban developments, increasing this risk even more. Empirical data on vulnerability and the cost and benefits of flood risk reducing measures are therefore paramount for sustainable development of these cities. This paper presents an approach to explore the impacts of sea level rise and socio-economic developments on flood risk for the flood prone District 4 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and to develop and evaluate the effects of different adaptation strategies (new levees, dry- and wet flood proofing of buildings). A flood damage model was developed to simulate current and future flood risk using the results from a household survey to establish stage-damage curves for residential buildings. the model has been used to assess the effects of several participatory developed adaptation strategies to reduce flood risk, expressed in Expected Annual Damage (EAD). Adaptation strategies were evaluated assuming combinations of both sea level scenarios and land use scenarios. Together with information on costs of these strategies, we calculated the benefit-cost ratio and net present value for the adaptation strategies until 2100, taking into account depreciation rates of 2.5% and 5%. The results of this modeling study indicate that the current flood risk in District 4 is 0.31 million USD yr–1, increasing up to 0.78 million USD yr–1 in 2100. The net present value and benefit-cost ratios using a discount rate of 5% range from USD −107 to −1.5 million, and from 0.086 to 0.796 for the different strategies. Using a discount rate of 2.5% leads to an increase in both net present value and benefit cost ratio. The adaptation strategies wet proofing and dry proofing generate the best results using these economic indicators. The information on different strategies will be used by the government of Ho Chi Minh City for selecting a new flood protection strategy. Future research should focus on gathering empirical data right after a flood on the occurring damage, as this appears to be the most uncertain factor in the risk assessment.
Commission v. Kadi
Authors: Feinäugle Clemens A.
Published: January 2014

In the joined cases brought by the European Commission (Commission), the United Kingdom, and the Council of the European Union (EU) against Yassin Abdullah Kadi, decided on July 18, 2013, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ or Court) sustained the judgment of the General Court that had annulled the Commission regulation freezing Kadi’s funds in accordance with the mandate of the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions committee. The ECJ ruled that, although the majority of the reasons relied on by EU authorities for listing Kadi were sufficiently detailed and specific to allow him to exercise his rights of defense and judicial review effectively, no information or evidence had been produced to substantiate the allegations, when challenged by Kadi, that he had been involved in activities linked to international terrorism.
Toward a Typology of Black Hebrew Religious Thought and Practice
Authors: Key Andre E.
Published: January 2014

This article explores the problem of conceptualizing Black Judaism as a religious tradition within the African American community. Briefly outlining the dominant discourse that has framed Black Judaism as primarily a social-political movement couched in Black nationalist-messianic language, it discusses the need for a definition and conceptualization of Black Judaism that provides an entry into an analysis that does not fall into the discursive trap of legitimacy-focused research. The article offers a definition of Black Judaism that is situated within the larger structure of Black religion, and it explores the importance of nomenclature in regard to ethno-religious identity and religious practice within the diverse threads of Hebrew Israelite religion. Finally, a typological framework is offered for the study of Black Judaism that gives consideration to both theological unity and the diversity of Black Hebrew religious thought and practice.
African Churches In Europe
Authors: Okyerefo Michael Perry Kweku
Published: January 2014

An increasingly salient character of the new Christian churches springing up in the global South (Africa, Latin America, and “developing” Asia) is their transnational outlook and rapid establishment of international branches, particularly in the global North. Their decision to include suffixes such as “international” or “universal” in their names is but an inkling of their ambition. This essay investigates what the Lighthouse Chapel International, emanating from Ghana, believes to be its universal mandate to evangelize the world. Lighthouse has ventured into culturally and traditionally Catholic Vienna. Does religious transnationalism present Africa the opportunity to influence and transform the world by means of missionary religion, just as past European missionaries sought to do in Africa, as some of these new churches believe? To what extent does globalization propel the spread of these new churches in other parts of the world? This article suggests that despite its efforts, Lighthouse merely affects the African immigrant community rather than producing a truly “global” effect on a putatively dormant “Euro-Christianity.”
Pedestrian Navigation Services: Challenges and Current Trends
Authors: Karimi Hassan A. , Jiang Ming , Zhu Rui
Published: January 2014

With the success and popularity of vehicle navigation services, the demand for Pedestrian Navigation Services (PNS) has increased in recent years. PNS, while overlap in functionality with vehicle navigation services, must be designed specifically for the wayfinding and navigational needs and preferences of pedestrians. One major shortcoming of most existing PNS in outdoors is that they utilize and provide services based on road networks, resulting in PNS that do not effectively and properly track pedestrians as they usually walk on sidewalks, which have more segments and are narrower than roads. Challenges in building PNS include constructing appropriate sidewalk networks, continually tracking users in real time on sidewalks without interruption, and providing personalized routes as well as directions. In this paper, these challenges are highlighted and current trends in PNS, for both outdoors and indoors, are discussed and analyzed. A prototype PNS designed for the University of Pittsburg’s main campus sidewalk network (PNS-Pitt) is also discussed.
Need for Direct and Indirect Potable Water Reuse Specifications
Authors: Cotruvo Joseph A. , Bell Katherine Y.
Published: January 2014

The need for more efficient use of water from all of its sources has become axiomatic, and it is a critical issue in many water‐short areas. Wastewater is a valuable commodity that can be processed, and its components can be completely reused for a variety of purposes including as a source of highly treated water for human consumption. Indirect potable reuse implies that reclaimed water is returned to the environment before being sourced for water supply. Direct potable reuse involves the delivery of highly treated reclaimed water (with or without retention in an engineered storage buffer) to a drinking water plant or distribution system.