bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal inflation target: insights from an agent-based model
Authors: Bouchaud Jean-Philippe , Gualdi Stanislao , Tarzia Marco , Zamponi Francesco
Published: March 2018

Which level of inflation should Central Banks be targeting? The authors investigate this issue in the context of a simplified Agent Based Model of the economy. Depending on the value of the parameters that describe the behaviour of agents (in particular inflation anticipations), they find a rich variety of behaviour at the macro-level. Without any active monetary policy, our ABM economy can be in a high inflation/high output state, or in a low inflation/low output state. Hyper-inflation, deflation and “business cycles” between coexisting states are also found. The authors then introduce a Central Bank with a Taylor rule-based inflation target, and study the resulting aggregate variables. The main result is that too-low inflation targets are in general detrimental to a CB-monitored economy. One symptom is a persistent under-realization of inflation, perhaps similar to the current macroeconomic situation. Higher inflation targets are found to improve both unemployment and negative interest rate episodes. The results are compared with the predictions of the standard DSGE model.
Forecasting Carbon Monoxide on a Global Scale for the ATom-1 Aircraft Mission: Insights from Airborne and Satellite Observations and Modeling
Authors: Strode Sarah A. , Liu Junhua , Lait Leslie , Commane Róisín , Daube Bruce , Wofsy Steven , Conaty Austin , Newman Paul , Prather Michael
Published: March 2018

Abstract. GEOS-5 forecasts and analyses show considerable skill in predicting and simulating the CO distribution and the timing of CO enhancements observed during the ATom-1 aircraft mission. Using tagged tracers for CO, we find a dominant contribution from non-biomass burning sources along the ATom transects except over the tropical Atlantic, where African biomass burning makes a large contribution to the CO concentration. One of the goals of ATom is to provide a chemical climatology over the oceans, so it is important to consider whether August 2016 was representative of typical summer conditions. Using satellite observations of 700 hPa and column CO from the Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument, 215 hPa CO from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), and aerosol optical thickness from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), we find that CO concentrations and aerosol optical thickness in August 2016 were within the observed range of the satellite observations, but below the decadal median for many of the regions sampled. This suggests that the ATom-1 measurements may represent relatively clean but not exceptional conditions for lower tropospheric CO.
Exploring the First Aerosol Indirect Effect over the Maritime
Continent Using a Ten-Year Collocated MODIS, CALIOP, and
Model Dataset
Authors: Ross Alexa D. , Holz Robert E. , Quinn Gregory , Reid Jeffrey S. , Xian Peng , Turk F. Joseph , Posselt Derek J.
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Satellite observations and model simulations cannot, by themselves, give full insight into the complex relationships between aerosols and clouds. This is especially the case over the greater Southeast Asia, an area that is particularly sensitive to changes in precipitation yet possesses some of the world’s largest observability and predictability challenges. We present a new collocated dataset that combines satellite observations from Aqua's Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) with the Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS). The dataset is designed with the capability to investigate aerosol-cloud relationships and provides coincident and vertically resolved cloud and aerosol observations for a ten-year period. Using model reanalysis aerosol fields from the NAAPS and coincident cloud liquid effective radius retrievals from MODIS (removing cirrus contamination using CALIOP), we investigate the first aerosol indirect effect. We find overall that as expected, aerosol loading anti-correlates with cloud effective radius, with maximum sensitivity in cumulous mediocris clouds with heights in the 3–4.5 km level. The highest susceptibility in droplet effective radius to modeled perturbations in particle concentrations were found in the more remote regions of the western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean. Conversely, there was much less variability in cloud droplet size near emission sources over both land and water. We hypothesize this is suggestive of a high background aerosol population already saturating the cloud condensation nuclei budget.
Bayesian aerosol retrieval algorithm for MODIS AOD retrieval over land
Authors: Lipponen Antti , Mielonen Tero , Pitkänen Mikko R. A. , Levy Robert C. , Sawyer Virginia R. , Romakkaniemi Sami , Kolehmainen Ville , Arola Antti
Published: March 2018

Abstract. We have developed a Bayesian aerosol retrieval (BAR) algorithm for the
retrieval of aerosol optical depth (AOD) over land from the Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). In the BAR algorithm, we simultaneously
retrieve all dark land pixels in a granule, utilize spatial correlation
models for the unknown aerosol parameters, use a statistical prior model for
the surface reflectance, and take into account the uncertainties due to fixed
aerosol models. The retrieved parameters are total AOD at 0.55 µm,
fine-mode fraction (FMF), and surface reflectances at four different
wavelengths (0.47, 0.55, 0.64, and 2.1 µm). The accuracy of the new
algorithm is evaluated by comparing the AOD retrievals to Aerosol Robotic
Network (AERONET) AOD. The results show that the BAR significantly improves
the accuracy of AOD retrievals over the operational Dark Target (DT)
algorithm. A reduction of about 29 % in the AOD root mean square error and
decrease of about 80 % in the median bias of AOD were found globally when
the BAR was used instead of the DT algorithm. Furthermore, the fraction of
AOD retrievals inside the ±(0.05+15%) expected error envelope
increased from 55 to 76 %. In addition to retrieving the values of AOD,
FMF, and surface reflectance, the BAR also gives pixel-level posterior
uncertainty estimates for the retrieved parameters. The BAR algorithm always
results in physical, non-negative AOD values, and the average computation
time for a single granule was less than a minute on a modern personal
computer.
Construction and Characterization of an Indoor Smog Chamber
for the Measurement of the Optical and Physicochemical
Properties of Aging Biomass Burning Aerosols Native to sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Smith Damon M. , Fiddler Marc N. , Sexton Kenneth G. , Bililign Solomon
Published: March 2018

Abstract. We describe here the construction and characterization of a new smog chamber facility (NCAT chamber) for studying the chemical and optical properties of biomass burning (BB) aerosols from biomass fuels native to sub-Saharan Africa. This facility is comprised of a ~9 m3 fluorinated ethylene propylene film (FEP) reactor placed in a temperature-controlled room and coupled with a cavity ring-down spectrometer, nephelometer, condensation particle counter, differential mobility analyzer and other analytical instruments, such as NOX and O3 analyzers, a GC, a filter sampler, and an impinger for collecting particles in water. Construction details and characterization experiments are described, including measurements of BB particulate size distribution and deposition rate, gas wall loss rates, dilution rate, light intensity, mixing speed, temperature and humidity variations, and air purification method. The wall loss rates for NO, NO2, and O3 were found to be (7.40 ± 0.01) × 10−4, (3.47 ± 0.01) × 10−4, and (5.90 ± 0.08) × 10−4 min−1 respectively. The NO2 photolysis rate constant was 0.165 ±0.005 min−4, which corresponds to a flux of (7.72 ± 0.25) × 1017 photons•nm•cm−2•s−1 from 296.0−516.8 nm. Particle deposition rate was found to be (2.46 ± 0.11) × 10−3 min−1 for pine at Dp = 100 nm. After initial mixing in the chamber, with the ultraviolet (UV) light off, the particle size distribution for BB samples used for the initial work did not stabilize until ~7.5 hours after injection peaking near a mobility diameter of ~340 nm. The chamber demonstrated gas and particle loss rates, and other properties comparable to other similar indoor smog chambers.
Satellite observations of middle atmosphere–thermosphere vertical coupling by gravity waves
Authors: Trinh Quang Thai , Ern Manfred , Doornbos Eelco , Preusse Peter , Riese Martin
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) are essential for the dynamics of the middle atmosphere. Recent studies have shown that these waves are also important for the thermosphere/ionosphere (T/I) system. Via vertical coupling, GWs can significantly influence the mean state of the T/I system. However, the penetration of GWs into the T/I system is not fully understood in modeling as well as observations. In the current study, we analyze the correlation between GW momentum fluxes observed in the middle atmosphere (30–90 km) and GW-induced perturbations in the T/I. In the middle atmosphere, GW momentum fluxes are derived from temperature observations of the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) satellite instrument. In the T/I, GW-induced perturbations are derived from neutral density measured by instruments on the Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) and CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) satellites. We find generally positive correlations between horizontal distributions at low altitudes (i.e., below 90 km) and horizontal distributions of GW-induced density fluctuations in the T/I (at 200 km and above). Two coupling mechanisms are likely responsible for these positive correlations: (1) fast GWs generated in the troposphere and lower stratosphere can propagate directly to the T/I and (2) primary GWs with their origins in the lower atmosphere dissipate while propagating upwards and generate secondary GWs, which then penetrate up to the T/I and maintain the spatial patterns of GW distributions in the lower atmosphere. The mountain-wave related hotspot over the Andes and Antarctic Peninsula is found clearly in observations of all instruments used in our analysis. Latitude–longitude variations in the summer midlatitudes are also found in observations of all instruments. These variations and strong positive correlations in the summer midlatitudes suggest that GWs with origins related to convection also propagate up to the T/I. Different processes which likely influence the vertical coupling are GW dissipation, possible generation of secondary GWs, and horizontal propagation of GWs. Limitations of the observations as well as of our research approach are discussed. Keywords. Ionosphere (ionosphere–atmosphere interactions)
Improving the representation of anthropogenic CO2 emissions in climate models: a new parameterization for the Community Earth System Model (CESM)
Authors: Navarro Andrés , Moreno Raúl , Tapiador Francisco J.
Published: March 2018

Abstract. ESMs (Earth System Models) are important tools that help scientists understand the complexities of the Earth's climate. Advances in computing power have permitted the development of increasingly complex ESMs and the introduction of better, more accurate parameterizations of processes that are too complex to be described in detail. One of the least well-controlled parameterizations involves human activities and their direct impact at local and regional scales. In order to improve the direct representation of human activities and climate, we have developed a simple, scalable approach that we have named the POPEM module (POpulation Parameterization for Earth Models). This module computes monthly fossil fuel emissions at grid point scale using the modeled population projections. This paper shows how integrating POPEM parameterization into the CESM (Community Earth System Model) enhances the realism of global climate modeling, improving this beyond simpler approaches. The results show that it is indeed advantageous to model CO2 emissions and pollutants directly at model grid points rather than using the forcing approach. A major bonus of this approach is the increased capacity to understand the potential effects of localized pollutant emissions on long-term global climate statistics, thus assisting adaptation and mitigation policies.
Physical parametrisation of fire-spotting for operational fire spread models: response analysis with a model based on the Level Set Method
Authors: Kaur Inderpreet , Butenko Anton , Pagnini Gianni
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Fire-spotting is often responsible for a dangerous flare up in the wildfire and causes secondary ignitions isolated from the primary fire zone leading to perilous situations. In this paper a complete physical parametrisation of fire-spotting is presented within a formulation aimed to include random processes into operational fire spread models. This formulation can be implemented into existing operational models as a post-processing scheme at each time step, without calling for any major changes in the original framework. In particular, the efficacy of this formulation has already been shown for wildfire simulators based on an Eulerian moving interface method, namely the Level Set Method (LSM) that forms the baseline of the operational software WRF-SFIRE, and for wildfire simulators based on a Lagrangian front tracking technique, namely the Discrete Event System Specification (DEVS) that forms the baseline of the operational software FOREFIRE. The simple and computationally less expensive parametrisation includes the important parameters necessary for describing the landing behavior of the firebrands. The results from different simulations with a simple model based on the LSM highlight the response of the parametrisation to varying fire intensities, wind conditions and different firebrand radii. The contribution of the firebrands towards increasing the fire perimeter varies according to different concurrent conditions and the simulation results prove to be in agreement with the physical processes. Among the many rigorous approaches available in literature to model the firebrand transport and distribution, the approach presented here proves to be simple yet versatile for application to operational fire spread models.
Decoupling of dissolved organic matter patterns between stream and riparian groundwater in a headwater forested catchment
Authors: Bernal Susana , Lupon Anna , Catalán Núria , Castelar Sara , Martí Eugènia
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Streams are important sources of carbon to the atmosphere, though knowing whether they merely outgas terrestrially derived carbon dioxide or mineralize terrestrial inputs of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is still a big challenge in ecology. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of riparian groundwater (GW) and in-stream processes on the temporal pattern of stream DOM concentrations and quality in a forested headwater stream, and whether this influence differed between the leaf litter fall (LLF) period and the remaining part of the year (non-LLF). The spectroscopic indexes (fluorescence index, biological index, humification index, and parallel factor analysis components) indicated that DOM had an eminently protein-like character and was most likely originated from microbial sources and recent biological activity in both stream water and riparian GW. However, paired samples of stream water and riparian GW showed that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) concentrations as well as the spectroscopic character of DOM differed between the two compartments throughout the year. A simple mass balance approach indicated that in-stream processes along the reach contributed to reducing DOC and DON fluxes by 50 and 30 %, respectively. Further, in-stream DOC and DON uptakes were unrelated to each other, suggesting that these two compounds underwent different biogeochemical pathways. During the LLF period, stream DOC and DOC : DON ratios were higher than during the non-LLF period, and spectroscopic indexes suggested a major influence of terrestrial vegetation on stream DOM. Our study highlights that stream DOM is not merely a reflection of riparian GW entering the stream and that headwater streams have the capacity to internally produce, transform, and consume DOM.
Modeling the influence of snow cover temperature and water content on wet-snow avalanche runout
Authors: Vera Valero Cesar , Wever Nander , Christen Marc , Bartelt Perry
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Snow avalanche motion is strongly dependent on the temperature and water content of the snow cover. In this paper we use a snow cover model, driven by measured meteorological data, to set the initial and boundary conditions for wet-snow avalanche calculations. The snow cover model provides estimates of snow height, density, temperature and liquid water content. This information is used to prescribe fracture heights and erosion heights for an avalanche dynamics model. We compare simulated runout distances with observed avalanche deposition fields using a contingency table analysis. Our analysis of the simulations reveals a large variability in predicted runout for tracks with flat terraces and gradual slope transitions to the runout zone. Reliable estimates of avalanche mass (height and density) in the release and erosion zones are identified to be more important than an exact specification of temperature and water content. For wet-snow avalanches, this implies that the layers where meltwater accumulates in the release zone must be identified accurately as this defines the height of the fracture slab and therefore the release mass. Advanced thermomechanical models appear to be better suited to simulate wet-snow avalanche inundation areas than existing guideline procedures if and only if accurate snow cover information is available.
A model perspective on the dynamics of the shadow zone of the eastern tropical North Atlantic. Part 1: the poleward slope currents along West Africa
Authors: Kounta Lala , Capet Xavier , Jouanno Julien , Kolodziejczyk Nicolas , Sow Bamol , Gaye Amadou Thierno
Published: March 2018

Abstract. The West African seaboard is one of the upwelling sectors that has received the least attention and in situ observations relevant to its dynamics are particularly scarce. The current system in this sector is not well known and understood, e.g., in terms of seasonal variability, across-shore structure, forcing processes. This knowledge gap is addressed in a suite of two studies that analyze the mean seasonal cycle of an eddy-permitting numerical simulation of the tropical Atlantic. Part 1 is concerned with the circulation over the West African continental slope at the outmost reach of the Canary current system, between ∼ 10 and 20° N. The focus is on the depth range most directly implicated in the wind-driven circulation (offshore/coastal upwellings and Sverdrup transport), located above the potential density σt = 26.7 kg m−3 in the model (approx. above 250 m depth). In this sector and for this depth range, the flow is predominantly poleward as a direct consequence of positive wind stress curl forcing, but the degree to which the magnitude of the upper ocean poleward transport reflects Sverdrup theory varies with latitude. The model poleward flow also exhibits a marked semi-annual cycle with transport maxima in spring and fall. Dynamical rationalizations of these characteristics are offered in terms of wind forcing of coastal trapped waves and Rossby wave dynamics. Remote forcing by seasonal fluctuations of coastal winds in the Guinea Gulf play an instrumental role in the fall intensification of the poleward flow. The spring intensification appears to be related to wind fluctuations taking place at shorter distances, north of the Guinea Gulf entrance and also locally. Rossby wave activity accompanying the semi-annual fluctuations of the poleward flow in the coastal wave guide varies greatly with latitude, which in turn, exerts a major influence on the vertical structure of the poleward flow. Although the realism of the model West African boundary currents is difficult to determine precisely, the present in-depth investigation provides a renewed framework for future observational programs in the region.
Quiet Riot: A Politics of Noise in the Cook's Tale
Authors: Taylor Joseph
Published: March 2018

The politics of sound have been largely understudied in Chaucer's works, but Chaucer's urban stories have much to tell us about medieval soundscapes. This article thinks through the dilemmas posed by sound to political milieus in a Foucaultian vein, noting premodern examples of the ways that power worked to manipulate and regulate sound and language in its territory and how sound worked to resist authority's control. This article argues that the Cook's Tale illustrates how the sensory experience of sound was managed, regulated, and controlled, gesturing toward a larger biopolitical strain in the Canterbury Tales that intimates Chaucer's own anxieties about popular noise in his lifetime.
Context, Form, and Text in Lack of Steadfastness
Authors: Boffey Julia , Edwards A. S. G.
Published: March 2018

The surviving witnesses to Lack of Steadfastness, conventionally included among Chaucer's lyrics, raise a number of textual and contextual problems mostly overlooked in discussion of Chaucer's short poems. This article explores the evidence for authorship and attribution, the instability of the forms in which the poem survives, and its tendency to disintegration into shorter units or to amalgamation in longer runs of undifferentiated poems.
Witches and Cunning Folk in British Literature 1800–1940
Authors: Hutton Ronald
Published: March 2018

Relatively little attention has been paid to representations of witches and cunning folk (popular magicians) in British literature of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. There have been a few pioneering works, but they have adopted different definitions of witches, concentrated on different spans of time, and reached different conclusions (and half of them are still contained in unpublished theses). This study covers the whole period between 1800 and 1940 and operates a consistent and rigorous set of definitions of the figures under consideration. It considers images of the witch as villain, victim, and heroine along with parallel images of cunning folk, and it demonstrates what remains constant in them and what changes over this long span of time. In doing so, it is intended to make a contribution to a better understanding of the place of witchcraft and magic in the modern British imagination.
Segregación socio-residencial. Aproximaciones a un sistema de indicadores de medición social territorial
Authors: Catalán Lizama Luis Sebastián
Published: March 2018

La segregación social puede ser entendida desde diferentes dimensiones, siendo el foco cuantitativo uno de los desafíos pendientes en el contexto latinoamericano. El presente trabajo provee un conjunto de aproximaciones teórico-operacionales para la creación de indicadores de segregación en sectores residenciales, correlacionando variables territoriales y sociales, a modo de dar una mayor representación del espacio físico que se estudia. Para ello, se recurre a una metodología basada en el uso de doce indicadores agrupados en tres axiomas principales (proximidad y servicios básicos; vivienda y espacio construido; y caracterización social y económica) y su aplicación en la unidad vecinal Miraflores Alto, Viña del Mar, Chile. Se analiza cómo estos factores territoriales y sociales determinan diferentes grados, niveles o formas de segregación social. Se concluye que la aplicación de unidades vecinales fragmenta el territorio, en contraposición con la presencia de establecimientos educacionales primarios, como equipamientos clave que dialogan y se complementan con la comunidad.
Habitar en la quebrada. Resiliencia urbana y lenguaje de patrones en Valparaíso, Chile
Authors: Cañete Islas Omar
Published: March 2018

Dada la complejidad de los procesos de asentamiento urbano vernacular en Valparaíso, Chile, es que se hace necesario desarrollar modos integrados de comprensión y análisis de la realidad, que incorporen dicha complejidad. En el presente artículo se realiza una revisión teórico-metodológica de dos enfoques teóricos que permiten una aproximación y comprensión al problema del habitar de Valparaíso y la formación de tejido urbano, sus lazos sociales, y carácter vernáculo tan característico: por un lado, la noción de lenguaje de patrones de habitabilidad de Alexander y, por otro, la noción de resiliencia urbana, con los cuales se articula un marco de estudio más integral que caracterice, describa y comprenda tal complejidad. Se revisan algunos estudios y sus consecuentes criterios de análisis, los que describen el habitar vernáculo propio de esta ciudad y sus alcances.
Hacia una reconstrucción de los conflictos de la memoria. El caso del Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos en Chile
Authors: Basaure Mauro
Published: March 2018

El artículo sostiene que la memoria juega un rol intermediario entre el presente político y la historia. Puesto que el presente político es intrínsecamente un escenario de disputa, la memoria transfiere esa disputa a la historia, al atribuir políticamente significación cognitiva o normativa a eventos o períodos seleccionados. Propongo que de esto emergen cuatro formas de la memoria distintas y potencialmente controversiales, estas son, una forma cognitiva positiva y otra negativa, por un lado; una forma socio-integrativa positiva y otra negativa, por otro. La relación conflictiva entre ellas define lo que llamo controversias o disputas de la memoria. Por medio de una revisión de distintas reflexiones teóricas sobre la relación entre política, historia y memoria, construyo primero un modelo original para el análisis de las disputas de la memoria y luego lo aplico a la controversia pública respecto de la instalación y funcionamiento del Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos de Chile entre 2007 y 2016. El artículo concluye que la crítica de posiciones políticas concernientes a la relación entre política e historia produce distintas formas de la memoria con énfasis cognitivo o socio-integrativo que colisionan entre sí produciendo una trayectoria de la memoria cambiante en el tiempo.
Conversaciones sobre el espacio: primeras aproximaciones a la ciudad de Cúcuta, Colombia, desde sus habitantes
Authors: Pérez Rodríguez Adriana
Published: March 2018

El artículo indaga acerca de los procesos de constitución subjetiva y del espacio social en relación con la creación de diferencias de género, clase y raza. Esto ocurre en constante referencia a unas representaciones de feminidad y masculinidad identificadas en Cúcuta, Norte de Santander: los “traquetos”, “venezolanos” y “travestis”, donde el cuerpo juega un papel central en su reconocimiento. La población con la que se trabajó fue de aproximadamente 20 estudiantes de décimo grado de dos colegios de la ciudad de Cúcuta, el Colegio Santo Ángel y el Colegio San José, en el transcurso del 2014, con la que se elaboró entrevistas grupales. Mi experiencia de vida consignada en el diario de campo fue analizada en esta investigación.
El prometedor futuro del análisis de clase: Una respuesta a las críticas recientes
Authors: Goldthorpe John H. , Marshall Gordon , Palacios Guillermo
Published: March 2018

El análisis de clase ha sido criticado recientemente desde varios puntos de vista. En este artículo sostenemos que mucha de esta crítica está fuera de lugar y que, en cuanto programa de investigación, la promesa del análisis de clase está lejos de agotarse. La primera parte del artículo clarifica la naturaleza y el propósito del análisis de clase, tal y como lo entendemos, y en particular lo distingue del análisis de clase de la sociología marxista. Luego la segunda parte defiende la relevancia actual del análisis de clase, en nuestra concepción de éste, revisando hallazgos de tres áreas centrales de investigación en curso.
¿Justicia espacial o competitividad global?
Authors: Van der Velde Lorenzo
Published: March 2018

En 2004, el gobierno local de Medellín (Colombia) introdujo una política pública destinada a aliviar las grandes problemáticas socioespaciales existentes en la urbe: el urbanismo social. Aunque esta política ha tenido como objetivo fomentar la justicia espacial mediante la ruptura de la dinámica tradicional en la que las condiciones de vida de los habitantes de los diferentes sectores de Medellín se han definido fuertemente por su ubicación geográfica -por lo que ha sido ampliamente alabada- ha llegado a caracterizarse por un creciente grado de ambigüedad. Justo por su valor publicitario, simultáneamente se ha convertido en un elemento clave de la estrategia neoliberal de marca ciudad que el gobierno local y actores vinculados han creado para mejorar la posición de competitividad global de la ciudad después de su pasado violento. Este estudio analiza las formas en las que este llamativo fenómeno de convergencia entre dos políticas que a primera vista suelen interpretarse como incompatibles ha impactado en la justicia espacial en la ciudad entre 2004 y 2016.
Patterns of Breast Diseases Among Women Attending Breast Diseases Diagnosing Center in Erbil City/Iraq
Authors: Yousif Zena Habeeb , Yacoub Selwa Elias
Published: March 2018

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Breast diseases in women, whether benign or malignant, are very commonly encountered. The pattern of breast diseases varies within countries. The aim of this study was to identify the patterns of breast diseases and their association with different variables in women attending breast diseases diagnosing center in Erbil city/Iraq.MATERIAL & METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted at breast diseases diagnosing center in Erbil city from 1st of April till 1st of December /2017. A random sample of 500 women of all age groups and with complete records was recruited. The women were classified according to their final diagnosis into 3 categories: normal, benign and malignant breast disease. The level of significance was <0.05.RESULTS: Benign breast diseases diagnosed among (63%) women while malignant breast diseases comprised (13.2%).The most common presentation was mastalgia and mass (39.2%), mastalgia (37.6%), and mass alone (23.2%). Fibro-adenoma (26.2%) was the commonest benign condition with highest incidence (76.9%) in age group less than 20 years. Malignant breast diseases were increasing with age. Benign breast disease associated (p <0.001) with Nulliparity. Breast cancer reported (p <0.001) more among lactating women.CONCLUSIONS: Benign conditions are the most common diagnosis affecting mainly younger women. Breast cancer though diagnosed less frequently and affecting older age groups, yet its seriousness mandating a thorough assessment of women of different presentations especially that of mass alone or with mastalgia.
Short chain fatty acids (SCFA), the products of gut bacteria metabolism and their role in the host
Authors: Czajkowska Aleksandra , Szponar Bogumiła
Published: March 2018

Gut bacterial consortium is essential for the homeostasis of the immune system in mammals. A significant role in maintaining this balance play short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), bacterial metabolites resulting from fermentation of dietary oligosaccharides. The most significant are butyric, propionic and acetic acids present in the microbiome in a specified mole ratio, but these proportions may change due to diet, age, diseases, and other factors.
SCFA are the type of messengers between microbiota and immune system. They are responsible for maintaining the balance in the pro- and anti-inflammatory reaction through the set of free fatty acid receptors (GPR). Short chain fatty acids may induce regulatory T-cells (Treg) by an bakteinhibition
of histone deacetylase enzyme; the biggest inhibitory potential has butyric acid,
causing proliferation and an increase of the functional capabilities of Treg cells.
Manipulation of the gut microbiome composition and SCFA level constitutes a promising tool
supporting treatment of chronic gastrointestinal diseases associated with an inflammation
or caused by dysbiosis due to intensive use of antibiotics.
Treatment of Helicobacter pylori infections in the light of the increase of antibiotic resistance
Authors: Mnich Eliza , Ibran Jakub , Chmiela Magdalena
Published: March 2018

The aim of this study was to present the risks associated with the occurrence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in humans and the problems related to eradication procedures with the use of antibiotic treatment. The content provides an overview of the available methods of infection diagnosis and recommended therapeutic schemes as well as potential alternative schedules of treatment. Mechanisms of H. pylori resistance to commonly used antibiotics including the mutations in the genome leading to resistance and the incidence of resistant strains in the world has been described. Finally, we introduced substances with some potential in eradication therapy, including probiotics, plant formulations as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids and ascorbic acid.
Effectiveness and safety of probiotic preparations in clinical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Wasilewska Ewa , Wroblewska Barbara
Published: March 2018

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by an aggressive immune response to luminal antigens including those of commensal microbiota, which are essential for intestinal homeostasis and appear to play a role in tolerance and immunity. Its disturbances can result in intestinal dysbiosis and the development of disease. The precise role of luminal bacteria in the pathogenesis of IBD has yet to be elucidated; however, considerable evidence implicates changes to bacterial communities associated with the gut mucosa in the disease state. It is also well known that beneficial microbes can confer a functional health benefit to the host. We analysed the effectiveness of probiotics to relieve symptoms in patients suffering from IBD. Using the Medline database and manually searching articles, we reviewed clinical trials performed with probiotics and lactic acid bacteria as supportive or alternative IBD treatments. The article summarizes IBD microenvironment and the efficiency of probiotic preparations in attenuating the symptoms of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and pouchitis. The safety of probiotic intake is also analyzed based on existing outcomes of clinical trials and case reports. Strong evidence exists that probiotics are effective as supportive therapy for IBD; however, only a few preparations have well documented efficiency and safety. Clinical studies demonstrated that probiotics were more effective in preventing recurrence of the disease symptoms than in the management of its active stage. Some products may increase the risk of complications in specific patient groups; therefore, the use of probiotics should be considered with caution in the case of severe active IBD, especially with disrupted mucosa.
Reduction mammoplasty as a treatment for symptomatic central venous stenosis
Authors: Fok Denise Seok Fun , Joethy Janna
Published: March 2018

Central venous stenosis is a rare cause of unilateral breast edema occurring in hemodialysis patients that needs to be differentiated from other differential diagnoses, including, but not limited to, inflammatory breast carcinoma, mastitis, lymphedema, and congestive heart failure. All reports of similar cases in the available literature have described improvement or resolution of the edema after treatment. Herein, we report and discuss the pathophysiology of breast edema formation in a patient who presented with massive left-sided breast edema 7 years after being diagnosed with central venous stenosis. Medical and minimally invasive therapy had not been successful, so she underwent reduction mammoplasty to relieve the symptoms.
Lymphatic vessel mapping in the upper extremities of a healthy Korean population
Authors: Lee Yun-Whan , Lee Soo-Hyun , You Hi-Jin , Jung Jae-A , Yoon Eul-Sik , Kim Deok-Woo
Published: March 2018

Background Intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography can effectively detect functioning lymph vessels in edematous limbs. However, it is sometimes difficult to clearly identify their course in later-stage edematous limbs. For this reason, many surgeons rely on experience when they decide where to make the skin incision to locate the lymphatic vessels. The purpose of this study was to elucidate lymphatic vessel flow patterns in healthy upper extremities in a Korean population and to use these findings as a reference for lymphedema treatment.

Methods ICG fluorescence lymphography was performed by injecting 1 mL of ICG into the second web space of the hand. After 4 hours, fluorescence images of lymphatic vessels were obtained with a near-infrared camera, and the lymphatic vessels were marked. Three landmarks were designated: the radial styloid process, the mid-portion of the cubital fossa, and the lower border of the deltopectoral groove. A straight line connecting the points was drawn, and the distance between the connected lines and the marked lymphatic vessels was measured at 8 points.

Results There were 30 healthy upper extremities (15 right and 15 left). The average course of the main lymph vessels passed 26.0±11.6 mm dorsal to the styloid process, 5.7±40.7 mm medial to the mid-cubital fossa, and 31.3±26.1 mm medial to the three-quarters point of the upper landmark line.

Conclusions The main functioning lymphatic vessel follows the course of the cephalic vein at the forearm level, crosses the mid-cubital point, and travels medially toward the mid-axilla.
Information Technology and Libraries at 50: The 1960's in Review
Authors: Cyzyk Mark
Published: March 2018

Part of ITAL's 50th anniversary celebration, this column reviews the highlights of articles published in the 1960s.
Digitization of Text Documents Using PDF/A
Authors: Han Yan , Wan Xueheng
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate a practical use case of PDF/A file format for digitization of textual documents, following recommendation of using PDF/A as a preferred digitization file format. The authors showed how to convert and combine all the TIFFs with associated metadata into a single PDF/A-2b file for a document. Using open source software with real-life examples, the authors show readers how to convert TIFF images, extract associated metadata and ICC profiles, and validate against the newly released PDF/A validator. The generated PDF/A file is a self-contained and self-described container which accommodates all the data from digitization of textual materials, including page-level metadata and/or ICC profiles. With theoretical analysis and empirical examples, PDF/A file format has many advantages over traditional preferred file format TIFF / JPEG2000 for digitization of textual documents.
Geometric morphometrics analysis: a complement to the revision of whelk taxonomy in the Arctic
Authors: Treau De Coeli Lisa , Gagnon Jean-Marc , Archambault Philippe
Published: March 2018

Ice cover, food availability, light intensity, limited dispersal capacity, presence of predators and reproduction mode are just a few of the drivers that influence benthic community dynamics, especially in the Arctic. Benthic organisms can respond to such drivers through morphologic variations, referred to as phenotypic plasticity. These variations are however hard to observe on Arctic whelk (genus Buccinum) and their diversity and extensive distribution increase the complexity of their identification. While genetics analyses can address this problem, they are not broadly accessible. More accessible are landmark-based geometric morphometrics which analytically identifies morphologic variations. This technique aims at identifying shape variations and could be used to identify intra- and inter-species morphologic variability in the genus Buccinum. The main objective of this project is to verify whether landmark-based geometric morphometrics, particularly 3-dimensional, could be used on whelk species. If this proof of concept proves successful, the next step will be to identify new morphologic traits to differentiate species and compare this technique to genetics analyses on multiple Buccinum species. This project could allow researchers to efficiently differentiate between whelk species on the basis of morphologic traits rather than through more demanding genetics analyses.
A Comparative Budget Requirements for TB program based on Minimum standard of Services (SPM) and Budget Realization: an Exit Strategy Before Termination of GF ATM
Authors: Setiawan Ery , Sucahya Purwa K , Thabrany Hasbullah , Komaryani Kalsum
Published: March 2018

AbstractIt has become a common issue that the Global Fund (GF) as one of the largest international donors to AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Program will immediately stop the funding. Data shows that in 2009 GF ATM support reached 88,8% while APBN funding just cover 11,2% of the total budget needed. Howev­er, APBN budget for ATM programs was significantly increased in 2012 which covered almost 30% of the total budget. Eventhough the increasing trend of ATM budget seemed at the central government level, how­ever the local governments will hold the key to the sustainability of the post- termination GF ATM FundingObjectivesThis study aimed to get a picture of the local government’s commitment as an implementing insti­tution to respond the financing needs specifically for TB programs.MethodsThis economic evaluation compared the amount of the existing budget of local governments and the amount needed based on the Minimum Standards of Services (MSS) of TB Programs. We sampled two district in west java that were Cirebon and Garut. The cost component calculated in these evaluation were: medicines, medical supplies, case findings, and administrative cost.Results and DiscussionTotal budget needed in Garut according to MSS amounted 2,5 Billion Rupiahs, whereas the total budget which has been alocated approximately 2 Billion Rupiahs. For those budget allocated in Garut, 90% of the total was supported by the Government then the rest of that was supported by GF. A similar trend showed in Cirebon, which was found a budget shortage amounted 700 Million Rupiahs from approximate­ly 1,6 Billion Rupiahs budget needed and 80% of those was sourced by The Government. The particular finding showed that prevention and case detection program in Garut still dominated by GF support which slightly above 65%. Otherwise, budget allocated for those Activity in Cirebon has been dominated by the government approximately 80%.ConclusionIn general, both Garut and Cirebon faced two common challenges in terms of financing the TB program. First, the high shortage between needs and budget alocated of the program becomes an important concern for addressing TB cases reduction in related district. The second is program’s sustainibility after termination of Global Fund, particularly for prevention and case detection programs. Therefore, it might be need a support from NGO or other related institution to advocate the local government and DPRD to allocate more budget for reducing TB cases.
Perbandingan Klaim Penyakit Katastropik Peserta Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional di Provinsi DKI Jakarta dan Nusa Tenggara Timur Tahun 2014
Authors: Wati Heni , Thabrany Hasbullah
Published: March 2018

AbstrakBeberapa penyakit yang pada tingkat rumah tangga tergolong katastropik adalah gagal ginjal, kardiovaskular, kanker, thalassemia dan hemophilia. Penderita penyakit tersebut merupakan kelompok yang paling menikmati Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) dan penyakit-penyakit tersebut menyerap klaim besar dalam JKN yang perlu mendapat perhatian serius. Karena sebaran fasilitas kesehatan dan kompetensi tenaga medis yang berbeda serta bayaran CBG yang tidak adil, disinyalir terjadi serapan dana yang tidak seimbang antara propinsi. Penelitian bertujuan untuk menganalisis besaran klaim penyakit tersebut di dua proponsi Jakarta dengan pendapatan per kapita tinggi dan NTT dengan pendapatan per kapita rendah. Penelitian ini menggunakan data klaim di BPJS Kesehatan tahun 2014 yang berjumlah 309.301 klaim di kedua propinsi tersebut untuk mengekplorasi sejauh mana perbedaan klaim klaim. Hasil analisis menunjukkan ada perbedaan bermakna rata-rata klaim klaim per CBG, per perawatan, per hari rawat . Faktor terbesar perbedaan tersebut adalah besaran CBG yang tidak member insentif pemerataan dokter spesialis ke RS kelas B, C, dan D di daerah dengan pendapatan per kapita rendah. Penelitian ini tidak membuktikan bahwa dana dari provinsi NTT terserap di provinsi DKI.AbstractSeveral diseases that at the household level become catastrophic are end stage renal diseases, cardiovascular, cancer, thalasemia, and haemphilia. Patients of those diseases are benefitted the most of the National Health Insruacen (JKN) and those diseases absorbed high claim costs of the JKN. Special attentions are needed to manage those diseases. Disparity of health care facilities, specialists, and differentials of Casemix Base Group (CBG) payment are susptected to be important contributing factors that create absosrbtion of JKN fund across provinces. This study use 2014 claim data of BPJS Kesehatan in Jakarta and East Nusa Tengga (NTT) provinces to explore the size of differences. The total number of claims analyzed was 309,301 claims. The results show statistically difference of claim payment per case, per admission, and per hospital day. The differences are atributable mostly by differentials of CBG prices that are not providing incentives for specialists to be deployed in smaller hospitals of class B, C, and D in low income provinces.This study does not prove transfer of JKN fund from NTT to Jakarta.