bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Area-based historical modeling of the effects of the river bank regulation on the potential abundance of eleven mosquito species in the River Danube between Hungary and Slovakia
Authors: Trájer Attila , Farkas-Iványi Kinga , Padisák Judit
Published: December 2015

The construction of reservoirs and hydropower plants was accelerated in the past century due to the increasing aridity in many parts of the world. The effect of water regulations on the abundance of mosquito vectors is controversial. In this paper, the habitat preference of mosquitoes was investigated based on a 30-years long collection of the mosquito data in Hungary and military maps and satellite images. Three time phases of the analyzed section in the Danube River were analyzed in order to characterize the impact of human influence on mosquito habitats: the semi-natural phase, the post channelization phase and the post hydropower dam state. Geographical data referring to the years 1790, 1820, 1830, 1870, 1946 and 1955 were based on military maps, whereas the years 2004 and 2013 were analyzed by satellite imagery. The Amoros-like eupotamon A - plesiopotamon line represents an increasing gradient of habitat-suitability for mosquitoes. The habitat-preference of different mosquitoes to the Amoros-classified water habitats was based on a monographic collection data. This dataset contains the collecting and trapping results from the 1960s to the early 2000s in Hungary. We found that human-induced changes had prolonged impact on mosquito-suitable habitats, although the effect can be different for diverse mosquito species. The increase of the evenness of the mosquito fauna was seen since the mid-20th century, after the primary river regulation. The increasing areal extension of relatively warm and nutrient-rich water habitats had positive effects on the more rare members of the mosquito fauna, such as the potential malaria vector mosquito Anopheles algeriensis according to the model results. Summarizing, we found a strong, positive link between anthropogenic interventions and the mosquito diversity in water ecosystems.
Long-term treatment with high-dose of sildenafil in a thalassemic patient with pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Correale Michele , De Rosa Fiorella , Ieva Riccardo , Di Biase Matteo , Brunetti Natale Daniele
Published: December 2015

We report a case of a 37-years-old man, affected by thalassemia major, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, chronic HCV-hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, severe osteoporosis, prior septic pulmonary embolism and pulmonary artery hypertension was performed a long-term treatment with highdose of sildenafil (120 mg/die) with reduction of pulmonary arterial systolic pressure and of the dyspnea.
11° Congress GICR-IACPR
Authors: V.V. A.A.
Published: December 2015

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Latest lower Triassic ammonoids from Ellesmere Island and northeastern British Columbia
Authors: Tozer E T
Published: December 2015

Ammonoids of latest Lower Triassic age are described from the Blind Fiord and Blaa Mountain Formations of Ellesmere Island and from the Toad Formation of northeastern British Columbia. These ammonoids represent a zone, or zones, younger than the Wasatchites and
Arc10ceras faunas, and older than the Lower Anisian fauna with Parapopanoceras, etc. The most characteristic ammonoid is Keyserlingites subrobustus, which occurs in both British Columbia and Ellesmere Island. The widely distributed pelecypod Posidonia aranea occurs with many of the ammonoids, and,
like them, is apparently restricted to beds of latest Lower Triassic age. The following new species are described: from British Columbia, Pseudosageceras bicarinatum , Preflorianites intermedius, Isculitoides minor, Popovites occidentalis, Monacantliites monoceros, Metadagnoceras pulcl1er,
Svalbardiceras cho1vadei, Procarnites modeslus; from Ellesmere Island, Popovites borealis, Zenoites arcticus, and Svalbardiceras freboldi . The genera Popovires, Monacanthites, and Metadagnoceras are new.
Geochemical method of correlation for the lower Cretaceous strata of Alberta
Authors: Cameron E M
Published: December 2015

This study attempts to evaluate the use of chemical methods for subdividing and correlating detrital sediments. Lower Cretaceous strata in southwestern and central Alberta were sampled at close vertical intervals in nine outcrop and subsurface sections. Na20 and
K20 were determined by flame photometry and these oxide values corrected to a carbonate-free basis. These determinations show that the Lower Cretaceous rocks may be divided into three stratigraphic divisions, each of distinctive soda content, which may be traced throughout the area studied. The mean
carbonate corrected Na20 content of the lower division is 0.21 per cent, and of the upper division 0.87 per cent. The middle division principally composed of sediment rich in sodic volcanic detritus, bas a mean corrected content of 2.37 per cent. This high-soda facies, derived from the west, begins
to pass into low-soda sediments in east-central Alberta. Potash is found to be less useful than soda for correlation, but Na20+K20 shows the distribution and development of clean sandstones, which, in places, contain oil and gas. The geographical distribution of the alkalis is discussed, and the
main chemical boundaries are compared to the existing palaeontological and lithological correlations. Trends in the alkali content of the rocks may be helpful in detecting stratigraphic traps.
Geology of southeastern Prince Edward Island
Authors: Frankel L
Published: December 2015

Southeastern Prince Edward Island is a rolling lowland composed of red beds that show rapid horizontal and vertical facies changes. The 5,425 feet of exposed sediments is divided into three informal rock-stratigraphic units, designated units A (oldest), B, and C
(youngest). Units A and B are probably disconformable, and a regional (angular) unconformity apparently separates units B and C. The diverse sediments and rare fossils of unit A show the progressive change from a deltaic- lacustrine environment to a flood plain-alluvial fan environment. Unit B,
characterized by sharpstone conglomerates and lithic sandstones containing pebbles of many rock types, is an alluvial fan deposit that indicates rapid uplift and erosion in the source a rea. The well-rounded orthoquartzitic conglomerates, characteristic of unit C, are alluvial plain sediments that
suggest low relief and slow erosion in the source area. Unit A is dated as Early Permian because an Ophiacodon tibia, Xenacanthus teeth , and spores suggestive of this age were found in its sediments, and it is correlated, on the basis of lithology, with the rocks in the French River area, in which
Bathygnathus borealis Leidy was discovered. The ages of the overlying unfossiliferous sediments of units B and C are not known. The post-Early Permian (post-unit A) tectonic history of the area involves at least two episodes of minor folding (the earlier after the deposition of unit B, and the later
after the deposition of unit C), which may indicate more intense deformation on the mainland at these times.
Mini-Workshop: Coideal Subalgebras of Quantum Groups
Authors: Heckenberger István , Kolb Stefan , Stokman Jasper V.
Published: December 2015

Coideal subalgebras of quantized enveloping algebras appear naturally if one considers quantum group analogs of Lie subalgebras. Examples appear in the theory of quantum integrable systems with boundary and in harmonic analysis on quantum group analogs of Riemannian symmetric spaces. Recently, much progress has been made to develop a deeper representation theoretic understanding of these examples. On the other hand, coideal subalgebras play a fundamental role in the theory of Nichols algebras. The workshop aimed to discuss these theories in view of the recent developments.
Mini-Workshop: Ideals of Linear Subspaces, Their Symbolic Powers and Waring Problems
Authors: Bocci Cristiano , Carlini Enrico , Guardo Elena , Harbourne Brian
Published: December 2015

It is a fundamental challenge for many problems of significant current interest in algebraic geometry and commutative algebra to understand symbolic powers

I^{(m)}

of homogeneous ideals

I

in polynomial rings, particularly ideals of linear varieties. Such problems include computing Waring ranks of polynomials, determining the occurrence of equality

I^{(m)} = I^m

(or, more generally, of containments

I^{(m)} \subseteq I^r

), computing Waldschmidt constants (i.e., determining the limit of the ratios of the least degree of an element in

I^{(m)}

to the least degree of an element of

I^m

), and studying major conjectures such as Nagata’s Conjecture and the uniform SHGH Conjecture (which respectively specify the Waldschmidt constant of ideals of generic points in the plane and the Hilbert functions of their symbolic powers).
Точная асимптотика момента пересечения криволинейной границы асимптотически устойчивым случайным блужданием
Authors: Wachtel Vitalii , Denisov Denis Eduardovich
Published: December 2015

Пусть $\{S_n, n\ge 0\}$ - асимптотически устойчивое случайное блуждание, $g$ - положительная функция и $T_g$ - первый момент, когда $S_n$ покидает интервал $[-g(n),\infty)$. В настоящей статье мы изучаем асимптотическое поведение момента $T_g$. Мы приводим интегральные тесты для $g$, гарантирующие выполнение соотношения $\mathbf{P}(T_g>n)\sim V(g)\mathbf{P}(T_0>n)$, где $T_0$ - первая отрицательная лестничная высота случайного блуждания $\{S_n\}$.
Теорема о слабой сходимости для эргодического распределения случайного процесса с дискретным вмешательством случая и обобщенным отражающим барьером
Authors: Aliev Rovshan Telman ogly , Khaniev Tahir Azhdar ogly , Gever B
Published: December 2015

Строится случайный процесс $X (t)$, называемый процессом с дискретным вмешательством случая и обобщенным отражающим барьером, и доказывается эргодичность этого процесса. С помощью основного тождества для случайных блужданий характеристическая функция эргодического распределения выражается через характеристики граничного функционала $S_{N_{1} (x)} $. Более того, доказывается теорема о слабой сходимости при $\lambda \to \infty $ для эргодического распределения стандартизированного процесса $Y_{\lambda} (t)\equiv X(t)/\lambda$ и находится предельный вид эргодического распределения.
Вероятности высоких выбросов траекторий произведения гауссовских стационарных процессов
Authors: Zhdanov Aleksandr Ivanovich
Published: December 2015

Пусть $(X(t),Y(t))$, $t\ge 0$, - центрированный стационарный гауссовский векторный процесс такой, что ковариационные функции его координат удовлетворяют условию Пикандса $r_i(t)=1-c_i|t|^{\alpha_i}(1+o(1))$, $t\to 0$, $c_i>0$, $0<\alpha_i\leq2$, $i=1,2.$ Будем предполагать, что $r_i(t)<1$ при $i=1,2$ и $t>0.$ В предположении, что $r\equiv \mathbf{E} X(t)Y(t)\in(-1,1)$ и существует предел $\lim_{t,s\rightarrow 0}(\mathbf{E} X(t)Y(s)-r)/|t-s|^{\min(\alpha_1,\alpha_2)}$, найдена точная асимптотика вероятности $\mathbf{P}(\max_{t\in [0,p]}X(t)Y(t)>u)$ при $u\rightarrow\infty$ для произвольного $p>0.$ С помощью данного результата вычислена точная асимптотика вероятности $\mathbf{P}(\max_{t\in[0,p]}(X^{2}(t)-Y^{2}(t))>u)$ при
$u\rightarrow\infty$ для независимых процессов $X(t),Y(t)$ указанного вида и произвольного $p>0.$
Medical Trainee Continuity of Care Following Emergency Department Consultations in a Pediatric Hospital
Authors: Bjorklund Kim , Eismann Emily A. , Cornwall Roger
Published: December 2015

Background

The importance of continuity of care in training is widely recognized; however, a broad-spectrum assessment across all specialties has not been performed.

Objective

We assessed the continuity of care provided by trainees, following patient consultations in the emergency department (ED) across all specialties at a large pediatric tertiary care center.

Methods

Medical records were reviewed to identify patients seen in consultation by a resident or fellow trainee in the ED over a 1-year period, and to determine if the patient followed up with the same trainee for the same condition during the next 6 months.

Results

Resident and fellow trainees from 33 specialties participated in 3400 ED consultations. Approximately 50% (1718 of 3400) of the patients seen in consultation by a trainee in the ED followed up with the same specialty within 6 months, but only 4.1% (70 of 1718) followed up with the same trainee for the same condition. Trainee continuity of care ranged from 0% to 21% among specialties, where specialties with resident clinics (14.4%) have a greater continuity of care than specialties without resident clinics (2.7%, P < .001). Continuity of care did not differ between fellows (4.2%) and residents (4.0%, P = .87), but did differ between postgraduate years for residents (P < .001).

Conclusions

Trainee continuity of care for ED consultations was low across all specialties and levels of training. If continuity of care is important for patient well-being and trainee education, efforts to improve continuity for trainees must be undertaken.
Racing Against the Clock: Internal Medicine Residents' Time Spent On Electronic Health Records
Authors: Chen Lu , Guo Uta , Illipparambil Lijo C. , Netherton Matt D. , Sheshadri Bhairavi , Karu Eric , Peterson Stephen J. , Mehta Parag H.
Published: December 2015

Background

Since the late 1980s, resident physicians have spent increasing amounts of time on electronic health record (EHR) data entry and retrieval. Objective longitudinal data measuring time spent on the EHR are lacking.

Objective

We sought to quantify the time actually spent using the EHR by all first-year internal medicine residents in a single program (N = 41).

Methods

Active EHR usage data were collected from the audit logs for May, July, and October 2014 and January 2015. Per recommendations from our EHR vendor (Cerner Corporation), active EHR usage time was defined as more than 15 keystrokes, or 3 mouse clicks, or 1700 “mouse miles” per minute. Active EHR usage time was tallied for each patient chart viewed each day and termed an electronic patient record encounter (EPRE).

Results

In 4 months, 41 interns accumulated 18 322 hours of active EHR usage in more than 33 733 EPREs. Each intern spent on average 112 hours per month on 206 EPREs. Interns spent more time in July compared to January (41 minutes versus 30 minutes per EPRE, P < .001). Time spent on the EHR in January echoed that of the previous May (30 minutes versus 29 minutes, P = .40).

Conclusions

First-year residents spent a significant amount of time actively using the EHR, achieving maximal proficiency on or before January of the academic year. Decreased time spent on the EHR may reflect greater familiarity with the EHR, growing EHR efficiencies, or other factors.
Cricket Biomechanics Analysis of Skilled and Amateur Fast Bowling Techniques
Authors: Thiagarajan KA , Parikh Tvisha , Sayed Anees , Gnanavel MB , Arumugam S
Published: December 2015

Cricket fast bowling action involves complex three-dimensional (3D) motion of the body and poses a high risk of injury more so in schoolboys. It is not known how the bowling technique varies between skilled and less skilled fast bowlers. The aim of this study is to compare the differences in bowling technique between young sub-elite (skilled) and amateur university level cricketers. Twelve players, 6 skilled and six amateur, were attached with 35 retro-reflective markers using the full body Plug-in-Gait marker set and asked to bowl 6 deliveries at a good length. Their bowling action was captured with 12 Vicon 3D cameras and the ground reaction force was measured using AMTI force plates. The best delivery from each bowler was selected. Their bowling action types were classified and parameters like shoulder counter rotation (scr), pelvicshoulder separation angle at back foot contact, trunk lateral flexion, front knee angle, front foot vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and ball release speed were measured. The results were analyzed with Levene's test for Equality of Variances and a t-test for equality of means. The skilled bowlers showed faster ball release speed and experienced larger vGRF while the other parameters did not show any significant differences.

How to cite this article

Thiagarajan KA, Parikh T, Sayed A, Gnanavel MB, Arumugam S. Cricket Biomechanics Analysis of Skilled and Amateur Fast Bowling Techniques. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(4):173-181.
Shoulder Injuries in Cricketers
Authors: Prabhakar Sharad , Pandey Radhakant
Published: December 2015

Shoulder injuries are very common in cricketers. Throwing athletes in cricket (both bowlers and fielders) are prone to shoulder injuries secondary to the large amount of forces generated, the resultant very high velocities and the repetitive nature of the throwing action. The shoulder joint has to balance mobility vs stability. Athletes exhibit adaptive changes that develop from the repetitive microtrauma following overhead throwing. The article discusses in detail how altered scapular kinematics, rotator cuff dysfunction with altered muscle strength patterns, internal impingement combined with anatomical adaptive bony and soft tissue changes causing a glenohumeral internal rotation deficit, predispose the cricketer to shoulder injury.

How to cite this article

Prabhakar S, Pandey R. Shoulder Injuries in Cricketers. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(4): 194-196.
Dope Testing in Cricket
Authors: Beotra Alka
Published: December 2015

Use of drugs is prohibited in sports and the same is applicable in cricket also. Research into the science and medicine underlying cricket performance and injury has progressed since the First World Congress of Science and Medicine in Cricket in 1999. Dope testing in cricket was introduced in 2002 and is being done since then in major cricket events. The International Cricket Council (ICC) became signatory of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in July 2006. The ICC Anti-Doping Code compliant with the WADA Code ensures cricket plays its part in the global fight against drugs in sport. The present paper elaborates about the testing protocol being adhered to for the testing of samples in cricket for both in competition and out of competition of samples.

How to cite this article

Beotra A. Dope Testing in Cricket. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(4):197-198.
Sports Medicine and Indian Cricket: Exploring the Past, understanding the Present and accommodating a Future of Scientific Conception
Authors: Bansal Harpal Kaur , Speechly Evan
Published: December 2015

Background

‘What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?’—CLR James. Cricket is one of the oldest major international team sport, however, the integration of sports medicine research into the cricketing set-up has been relatively new. Cricketing nations, such as Australia, England and South Africa, have been at the forefront and have shown an increased interest to understand this game from a scientific point of view. On the contrary, in a country where cricket is like a religion it is sad to say that the lack of scientific rigor still echoes in the Indian dressing room. Nevertheless, a fresh approach brought in by foreign medical practitioners has planted the seed in local brains to bring the concept of sports medicine into the Indian cricketing fraternity.

Objectives

This article will explore scientific research that has been conducted on various areas in cricket and compare the role of sports science in Indian cricket and finally identify areas of future concern which would help to bridge the gap between sports medicine and Indian cricket.

How to cite this article

Bansal HK, Speechly E. Sports Medicine and Indian Cricket: Exploring the Past, understanding the Present and accommodating a Future of Scientific Conception. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(4):199-203.
Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Injury in Professional Cricketers
Authors: Talib Usama , Saleem Sohail
Published: December 2015

Triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) is a complex of multiple ligaments and cartilages at the ulnar end of the wrist. Injury of TFCC is commonly seen in sportsmen such as tennis players, cricketers, golfers and gymnasts. The typical presentation is pain radiating along the ulnar side of the hand, and is often accompanied by fracture of the ulnar styloid. Despite being a common injury, its knowledge remains largely unknown. This leads to a huge number of cases remaining undiagnosed and thus untreated and unreported. The authors report a TFCC injury in a professional Cricketer in an attempt to create awareness of this common sports injury.

How to cite this article

Talib U, Saleem S. Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Injury in Professional Cricketers. J Postgrad Med Edu Res 2015;49(4):204-208.
Prevalencia del Consumo de Alcohol en Traumatizados Atendidos Cali, Colombia
Authors: Morales Mónica , Calle Juan , Sánchez Álvaro
Published: December 2015

Métodos

Estudio observacional analítico del registro de trauma de dos hospitales de Cali, Colombia, entre enero y diciembre de 2012.

Se incluyeron sujetos de 14 años o más, con lesiones de causa externa violenta, accidental, autoinflingida o por tránsito. Se excluyeron embarazadas, reclusos o personas con lesiones por agentes químicos, ambientales, o tóxicos. Se efectuó un análisis univariado y multivariado de variables asociadas con la probabilidad de reporte positivo de alcohol.

Resultados

Se incluyeron 10290 pacientes, 63.4% hombres. El trauma contuso fue más frecuente (59%), seguido por tránsito (12%), arma blanca (16%) y arma de fuego (9%).

El reporte de ingesta alcoholica fue mas frecuente en

hombres (OR 6.88 I.C. 95% 3.17–4.9), lesionados durante la madrugada, (OR: 7.54 IC 95% 6.43–8.84) pacientes no asegurados, (OR 3.31, IC 95% 2.69–4.08), individuos entre 20 y 44 anos (OR 1.61 IC 95% 1.39–1.85), pacientes con ISS ≥9, (OR 2.58, IC 95% 2.18–3.05), lesiones por transito o mecanismos penetrantes (OR 4.46, IC 95% 3.86–516), lesiones no relacionadas con el trabajo 23.68 (16.1–34.8) y atencion en el hospital publico 12.66 (10.46–15.32).

Las asociaciones con la falta de aseguramiento y con ISS ≥9 desaparecieron en la RLM.

Conclusiones

Encontramos una prevalencia mayor de consumo de alcohol en los lesionados en la madrugada, hombres, adultos de edad media, víctimas de trauma por tránsito o penetrante, lesiones no relacionadas con el trabajo y atención en el hospital público.

How to cite this article

Calle J, Sánchez Á, García A, Morales M. Prevalencia del Consumo de Alcohol en Traumatizados Atendidos Cali, Colombia. Panam J Trauma Crit Care Emerg Surg 2015;4(2):77-86.
Molecular cloning, sequence identification, polymorphism and association of the porcine SPATS2L gene
Authors: Yang D. , Liu Y.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Spermatogenesis-associated, serine-rich 2-like (SPATS2L) is an important reproduction-related gene. In this study, the full-length cDNA sequence of the porcine SPATS2L gene was cloned through the RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) method. The porcine SPATS2L gene encodes a protein of 559 amino acids which shares high homology with the SPATS2L proteins of seven species: dog (94 %), white-tufted-ear marmoset (91 %), human (92 %), rhesus monkey (92 %), horse (92 %), rat (88 %) and mouse (88 %). This novel porcine gene was assigned to GeneID: 100415809. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the porcine SPATS2L gene has a close genetic relationship with the canine SPATS2L gene. PCR-Pst I-RFLP was established to detect GU474997:c.1687 C > T substitution of porcine SPATS2L gene mRNA, and eight pig breeds displayed obvious genotype and allele frequency differences at this mutation locus. Association of this single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with litter size traits was assessed in Large White (n = 100) and Landrace (n = 100) pig populations, and results demonstrated that this polymorphic locus was significantly associated with the litter size of all parities in Large White sows and Landrace sows (P < 0.01). Therefore, SPATS2L gene could be an useful candidate gene in selection for increasing litter size in pigs.
Potential of polarization lidar to provide profiles of CCN- and INP-relevant aerosol parameters
Authors: Mamouri R. E. , Ansmann A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. We investigate the potential of polarization lidar to provide vertical profiles of aerosol parameters from which cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) and ice nucleating particle (INP) number concentrations can be estimated. We show that height profiles of number concentrations of aerosol particles with radius > 50 nm (APC50, reservoir of favorable CCN) and with radius > 250 nm (APC250, reservoir of favorable INP), as well as profiles of the aerosol particle surface area concentration (ASC, used in INP parameterization) can be retrieved from lidar-derived aerosol extinction coefficients (AEC) with relative uncertainties of a factor of around 2 (APC50), and of about 25–50 % (APC250, ASC). Of key importance is the potential of polarization lidar to identify mineral dust particles and to distinguish and separate the aerosol properties of basic aerosol types such as mineral dust and continental pollution (haze, smoke). We investigate the relationship between AEC and APC50, APC250, and ASC for the main lidar wavelengths of 355, 532 and 1064 nm and main aerosol types (dust, pollution, marine). Our study is based on multiyear Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) photometer observations of aerosol optical thickness and column-integrated particle size distribution at Leipzig, Germany, and Limassol, Cyprus, which cover all realistic aerosol mixtures of continental pollution, mineral dust, and marine aerosol. We further include AERONET data from field campaigns in Morocco, Cabo Verde, and Barbados, which provide pure dust and pure marine aerosol scenarios. By means of a simple relationship between APC50 and the CCN-reservoir particles (APCCCN) and published INP parameterization schemes (with APC250 and ASC as input) we finally compute APCCCN and INP concentration profiles. We apply the full methodology to a lidar observation of a heavy dust outbreak crossing Cyprus with dust up to 8 km height and to a case during which anthropogenic pollution dominated.
Cloud information content analysis of multi-angular measurements in the oxygen A-band: application to 3MI and MSPI
Authors: Merlin G. , Riedi J. , Labonnote L. C. , Cornet C. , Davis A. B. , Dubuisson P. , Desmons M. , Ferlay N. , Parol F.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The vertical distribution of cloud cover has a significant impact on a large number of meteorological and climatic processes. Cloud top altitude and cloud geometrical thickness are then essential. Previous studies established the possibility of retrieving those parameters from multi-angular oxygen A-band measurements. Here we perform a study and comparison of the performances of future instruments. The 3MI (Multi-angle, Multi-channel and Multi-polarization Imager) instrument developed by EUMETSAT, which is an extension of the POLDER/PARASOL instrument, and MSPI (Multi-angles Spectro-Polarimetric Imager) develoloped by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will measure total and polarized light reflected by the Earth's atmosphere–surface system in several spectral bands (from UV to SWIR) and several viewing geometries. Those instruments should provide opportunities to observe the links between the cloud structures and the anisotropy of the reflected solar radiation into space. Specific algorithms will need be developed in order to take advantage of the new capabilities of this instrument. However, prior to this effort, we need to understand, through a theoretical Shannon information content analysis, the limits and advantages of these new instruments for retrieving liquid and ice cloud properties, and especially, in this study, the amount of information coming from the A-Band channel on the cloud top altitude (CTOP) and geometrical thickness (CGT). We compare the information content of 3MI A-Band in two configurations and that of MSPI. Quantitative information content estimates show that the retrieval of CTOP with a high accuracy is possible in almost all cases investigated. The retrieval of CGT seems less easy but possible for optically thick clouds above a black surface, at least when CGT > 1–2 km.
Net soil–atmosphere fluxes mask patterns in gross production and consumption of nitrous oxide and methane in a managed ecosystem
Authors: Yang W. H. , Silver W. L.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) are potent greenhouse gases that are both produced and consumed in soil. Production and consumption of these gases are driven by different processes, making it difficult to infer their controls when measuring only net fluxes. We used the trace gas pool dilution technique to simultaneously measure gross fluxes of N2O and CH4 throughout the growing season in a cornfield in northern California, USA. Net N2O fluxes ranged from 0–4.5 mg N m−2 d−1 with the N2O yield averaging 0.68 ± 0.02. Gross N2O production was best predicted by net nitrogen (N) mineralization, soil moisture, and soil temperature (R2 = 0.60, n = 39, p < 0.001). Gross N2O reduction was correlated with the combination of gross N2O production rates, net N mineralization rates, and CO2 emissions (R2 = 0.74, n = 39, p < 0.001). Overall, net CH4 fluxes averaged −0.03 ± 0.02 mg C m−2 d−1. The methanogenic fraction of carbon mineralization ranged from 0 to 0.27 % and explained 40 % of the variability in gross CH4 production rates (n = 37, p < 0.001). Gross CH4 oxidation exhibited a strong positive relationship with gross CH4 production rates (R2 = 0.67, n = 37, p < 0.001), which reached as high as 5.4 mg C m−2 d−1. Our study is the first to demonstrate the simultaneous in situ measurement of gross N2O and CH4 fluxes, and results highlight that net soil–atmosphere fluxes can mask significant gross production and consumption of these trace gases.
MODIS vegetation products as proxies of photosynthetic potential: a look across meteorological and biologic driven ecosystem productivity
Authors: Restrepo-Coupe N. , Huete A. , Davies K. , Cleverly J. , Beringer J. , Eamus D. , van Gorsel E. , Hutley L. B. , Meyer W. S.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. A direct relationship between gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) measured by the eddy covariance (EC) method and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation indices (VIs) has been observed in many temperate and tropical ecosystems. However, in Australian evergreen forests, and particularly sclerophyll woodlands, MODIS VIs do not capture seasonality of GEP. In this study, we re-evaluate the connection between satellite and flux tower data at four contrasting Australian ecosystems, through comparisons of ecosystem photosynthetic activity (GEP) and potential (e.g. ecosystem light use efficiency and quantum yield) with MODIS vegetation satellite products, including VIs, gross primary productivity (GPPMOD), leaf area index (LAIMOD), and fraction of photosynthetic active radiation (fPARMOD). We found that satellite derived greenness products constitute a measurement of ecosystem structure (e.g. leaf area index – quantity of leaves) and function (e.g. leaf level photosynthetic assimilation capacity – quality of leaves), rather than productivity. Our results show that in primarily meteorological-driven (e.g. photosynthetic active radiation, air temperature and/or precipitation) and relatively aseasonal vegetation photosynthetic potential ecosystems (e.g. evergreen wet sclerophyll forests), there were no statistically significant relationships between GEP and satellite derived measures of greenness. In contrast, for phenology-driven ecosystems (e.g. tropical savannas), changes in the vegetation status drove GEP, and tower-based measurements of photosynthetic activity were best represented by VIs. We observed the highest correlations between MODIS products and GEP in locations where key meteorological variables and vegetation phenology were synchronous (e.g. semi-arid Acacia woodlands) and low correlation at locations where they were asynchronous (e.g. Mediterranean ecosystems). Eddy covariance data offer much more than validation and/or calibration of satellite data and models. Knowledge of the conditions in which flux tower measurements and VIs or other remote sensing products converge greatly advances our understanding of the mechanisms driving the carbon cycle (phenology and climate drivers) and provides an ecological basis for interpretation of satellite derived measures of greenness.
Sodankylä ionospheric tomography dataset 2003–2014
Authors: Norberg J. , Roininen L. , Kero A. , Raita T. , Ulich T. , Markkanen M. , Juusola L. , Kauristie K.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory has been operating a tomographic receiver network and collecting the produced data since 2003. The collected dataset consists of phase difference curves measured from Russian COSMOS dual-frequency (150/400 MHz) low-Earth-orbit satellite signals, and tomographic electron density reconstructions obtained from these measurements. In this study vertical total electron content (VTEC) values are integrated from the reconstructed electron densities to make a qualitative and quantitative analysis to validate the long-term performance of the tomographic system. During the observation period, 2003–2014, there were three-to-five operational stations at the Fenno-Scandinavian sector. Altogether the analysis consists of around 66 000 overflights, but to ensure the quality of the reconstructions, the examination is limited to cases with descending (north to south) overflights and maximum elevation over 60°. These constraints limit the number of overflights to around 10 000. Based on this dataset, one solar cycle of ionospheric vertical total electron content estimates is constructed. The measurements are compared against International Reference Ionosphere IRI-2012 model, F10.7 solar flux index and sunspot number data. Qualitatively the tomographic VTEC estimate corresponds to reference data very well, but the IRI-2012 model are on average 40 % higher of that of the tomographic results.
Observed nighttime conductance alters modeled global hydrology and carbon budgets
Authors: Lombardozzi D. L. , Zeppel M. J. B. , Fisher R. A. , Tawfik A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The terrestrial biosphere regulates climate through carbon, water, and energy exchanges with the atmosphere. Land surface models estimate plant transpiration, which is actively regulated by stomatal pores, and provide projections essential for understanding Earth's carbon and water resources. Empirical evidence from 204 species suggests that significant amounts of water are lost through leaves at night, though land surface models typically reduce stomatal conductance to nearly zero at night. Here, we apply observed nighttime stomatal conductance values to a global land surface model, to better constrain carbon and water budgets. We find that our modifications increase transpiration up to 5 % globally, reduce modeled available soil moisture by up to 50 % in semi-arid regions, and increase the importance of the land surface on modulating energy fluxes. Carbon gain declines up to ~ 4 % globally and > 25 % in semi-arid regions. We advocate for realistic constraints of minimum stomatal conductance in future climate simulations, and widespread field observations to improve parameterizations.
Classification and quantification of pore shapes in sandstone reservoir rocks with 3-D X-ray micro-computed tomography
Authors: Schmitt M. , Halisch M. , Müller C. , Fernandes C. P.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Recent years have seen a growing interest in the characterization of the pore morphologies of reservoir rocks and how the spatial organization of pore traits affects the macro behaviour of rock-fluid systems. With the availability of 3-D high-resolution imaging (e.g. μ-CT), the detailed quantification of particle shapes has been facilitated by progress in computer science. Here, we show how the shapes of irregular rock particles (pores) can be classified and quantified based on binary 3-D images. The methodology requires the measurement of basic 3-D particle descriptors and a shape classification that involves the similarity of artificial objects, which is based on main pore network detachments and 3-D sample sizes. The results were validated for three sandstones (S1, S2 and S3) from distinct reservoirs, and most of the pore shapes were found to be plate- and cube-like. Furthermore, this study generalizes a practical way to correlate specific particle shapes, such as rods, blades, cuboids, plates and cubes, to characterize asymmetric particles of any material type with 3-D image analysis.
Lycodes adolfi Nielsen & Fosså, 1993 (Teleostei: Zoarcidae) recorded near Jan Mayen and in the eastern part of the Norwegian Sea
Authors: Byrkjedal Ingvar , Brattegard Torleiv , Møller Peter Rask
Published: December 2015

Specimens of Lycodes adolfi were collected from an epibenthic sampler at six stations near Jan Mayen and in the eastern part of the Norwegian Sea. The stations were at depths from 708 to 2150 m and all of them had subzero water temperatures. The records substantially increase the known distribution of this cold-water eelpout, previously known only from waters near Greenland.
Falcidens sagittiferus Salvini-Plawen, 1968: additional data on
Authors: Ivanov Dimitry L. , Mikkelsen Nina T. , Schander Christoffer
Published: December 2015

Ivanov DL, Mikkelsen NT, Schander C. 2009. Falcidens sagittiferus Salvini-Plawen, 1968: additional data on morphology and distribution (Mollusca, Aplacophora, Caudofoveata). Fauna Norvegica vol 29: 3-9. Falcidens sagittiferus Salvini-Plawen, 1968 is a species of caudofoveate (Chaetodermomorpha) not uncommon in southern Scandinavia. Previous descriptions have however been based mainly on fixed material, and illustrations of sclerites and radula have been incomplete. We here present data from an investigation based on over 70 specimens from Norway (including the type material). Radula, sclerites and living specimens are illustrated.
Use of geophysical survey as a predictor of the edaphic properties variability in soils used for livestock production
Authors: Peralta Nahuel R. , Cicore Pablo L. , Marino Maria A. , Marques da Silva Jose R. , Costa Jose L.
Published: December 2015

The spatial variability in soils used for livestock production (i.e. Natraquoll and Natraqualf) at farm and paddock scale is usually very high. Understanding this spatial variation within a field is the first step for site-specific crop management. For this reason, we evaluated whether apparent electrical conductivity (ECa), a widely used proximal soil sensing technology, is a potential estimator of the edaphic variability in these types of soils. ECa and elevation data were collected in a paddock of 16 ha. Elevation was negatively associated with ECa. Geo-referenced soil samples were collected and analyzed for soil organic matter (OM) content, pH, the saturation extract electrical conductivity (ECext), available phosphorous (P), and anaerobically incubated Nitrogen (Nan). Relationships between soil properties and ECa were analyzed using regression analysis, principal components analysis (PCA), and stepwise regression. Principal components (PC) and the PC-stepwise were used to determine which soil properties have an important influence on ECa. In this experiment elevation was negatively associated with ECa. The data showed that pH, OM, and ECext exhibited a high correlation with ECa (R2=0.76; 0.70 and 0.65, respectively). Whereas P and Nan showed a lower correlation (R2=0.54 and 0.11 respectively). The model resulting from the PC-stepwise regression analysis explained slightly more than 69% of the total variation of the measured ECa, only retaining PC1. Therefore, ECext, pH and OM were considered key latent variables because they substantially influence the relationship between the PC1 and the ECa (loading factors>0.4). Results showed that ECa is associated with the spatial distribution of some important soil properties. Thus, ECa can be used as a support tool to implement site-specific management in soils for livestock use.
Influence of cover crop treatments on the performance of a vineyard in a humid region
Authors: Trigo-Córdoba Emiliano , Bouzas-Cid Yolanda , Orriols-Fernández Ignacio , Díaz-Losada Emilia , Mirás-Avalos Jose M.
Published: December 2015

Vineyards are usually managed by tilling the inter-rows to avoid competition from other plants for soil water and nutrients. However, in humid and sub-humid climates, such as that of NW Spain, cover crops may be an advantage for controlling vine vegetative growth and improving berry composition, while reducing management costs. The current study was conducted over three consecutive growing seasons (2012-2014) to assess the effects of establishing three permanent cover crop treatments on water relations, vine physiology, yield and berry composition of a vineyard of the red cultivar ‘Mencía’ (Vitis vinifera L.) located in Leiro, Ourense. Treatments consisted of four different soil management systems: ST, soil tillage; NV, native vegetation; ER, English ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.); and SC, subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.). Midday stem water potential was more negative in the native vegetation treatment, causing significant reductions in leaf stomatal conductance on certain dates. Total vine leaf area and pruning weight was reduced in the cover crop treatments in the last year of the experiment. Yield was unaffected by the presence of a cover crop. No significant differences among treatments were observed for berry composition; however, wines were positively affected by the SC treatment (higher tannin content and colour intensity and lower malic acid concentration when compared with ST). Wines from the cover crop treatments were preferred by taste panelists. These results indicate that in humid climates cover crop treatments can be useful for reducing vine vegetative growth without compromising yield and berry quality.
College Students’ Possible L2 Self Development in an EFL Context during the Transition Year
Authors: Zhan Ying , Wan Zhi Hong
Published: December 2015

In the field of second language learning motivation, the studies on process-oriented nature of possible L2 selves are scarce. In order to address this research gap, this study explored how a group of five Chinese non-English-major undergraduates developed their possible L2 selves during the transition year from high school to university. The content analysis of 4 focus group interviews, 202 journal entries, and 50 post-diary interviews show that in the first academic year, the five participants experienced a four-stage cyclical process of developing their possible L2 selves, namely, (a) generating multiple possible L2 selves, (b) selecting a possible L2 self to pursue, (c) realizing the selected possible L2 self, and (d) incorporating the realized possible L2 self into the present self scheme. More specifically, the selected possible L2 self was realized through elaboration of relevant imagination and alignment with a larger community. The study has enriched our understanding of the mechanism of possible L2 self development and shed light on motivating undergraduates to learn English in an EFL context.
Environmental Role of National Parks
Authors: Alemu Molla Mekonnen
Published: December 2015

The natural ecosystems are endangered due to human behavior; the razing of forests is diminishing the world’s oxygen supply and potentially irreplaceable natural resources. Wetlands are being drained, eliminating breeding environments for millions of birds and reproducing grounds for fish; cherished fauna and flora species are being endangered from extinction. Clean water, clean air, access to food sources, buffers of weather events, cultural and spiritual values, and raw materials for consumers, are some of the ecosystem services that ensure the well-being of humanity. Well-managed protected areas are a proven mechanism in the protection and conservation of healthy ecosystems and the services they provide. National Parks are essentially planned to shelter the lasting "wilderness" of a given country and have principally dedicated on the maintenance of extraordinary areas or emblematic species. This paper is aimed at exploring the environmental role of national parks by having an extensive literature review and come up with recommendations which can help the conservation of national parks.
Syriac Chant at the Negotiation of Source and Method in the Two Music–“Ologies”
Authors: Jarjour Tala
Published: December 2015

As a monophonic song type originating in early Aramaic Christianity, chant in the Syriac-speaking church has long fascinated music scholars. This continuously practised Levantine tradition is little understood, despite the increasingly global presence of Suryanis who strive to maintain their liturgical tradition at home and in the diaspora. Owing to multiple waves of migration, Aramaic Christians are increasingly present in Europe and the Americas. The historical home of this autochthonous population remains, however, Mesopotamia and the Eastern Mediterranean, although in steady and rapid decline. The current severity of the decline of these local communities is unprecedented in modem history due to the violent expansion of military–religious extremism under the guise of the Islamic State (IS), which has expelled Christians from large swaths of Iraq and Syria since June 2014. The long-term effects of such adverse circumstances remain unclear, but developments since 2003 have spurred attention to the cultures and musics of East Christian communities, necessitating a reassessment of the relationship between scholarship and these musical traditions.
Pain, Rhythm, and Relation: Funerary Lament Among the Punu of Congo-Brazzaville
Authors: Planeke Carine
Published: December 2015

The first anthropological inquiries into lament, led by pioneering anthropologists Émile Durkheim (1961:442–49), Marcel Mauss (1921), and Alfred Radcliffe-Brown (1922:239–46), focused on its socially determined nature. Lament was seen as a social duty imposed on the afflicted persons that expressed the need for social cohesion rather than a sincere feeling of personal pain. Greg Urban (1988:393), in a comparative study of ritual wailing in Amerindian Brazil, reopened the question of how lament produces sociability by highlighting the way it regiments the expression of a powerful emotion such as grief. In recent decades, the individual/society dichotomy, which underlies these views on lament, has been seriously questioned in anthropology (Ingold 1996). An understanding has been developed of persons “as simultaneously containing the potential for relationships and always embedded in a matrix of relations with others” (Strathern 1996:66). In this view, lament cannot be considered a way to transform an individual expression of authentic grief into a socially regimented one, which, by being regimented, conveys a desire for sociability. Rather, this desire is the very condition that allows pain to be voiced in a manner that enhances the self in relation to the group and thus reinforces the community. As Elizabeth Tolbert poignantly states with regard to Finnish–Karelian lament: “Poised at the nexus between voice and body, self and other, the lamenter creates an intersubjective understanding of emotional pain by expressing the inexpressible, by rendering the isolation of individual mourning into an intensely communal experience” (Tolbert 2007:148).
“The One Who Knows the Value of Words”: The Aşiq of Azerbaijan
Authors: Baghirova Sanubar
Published: December 2015

“The one who knows the value of words”: this is a line from the most famous aşιq poem in the Azerbaijani language in which the author, Aşιq Əlǝsgǝr, describes the qualities of the ideal aşιq. Interpreted in much of the western world as a traditional bardic art, Azerbaijanis regard the art of the aşιq (pl. aşιqlar) as a high-class professional syncretic form with its own established canons, traditional forms of teaching and learning, and numerous regional traditions of performance. This article is about the aşιqlar who live and practise their arts in the Azerbaijan Republic.