bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nanotechnology for the Management of Respiratory Disease
Authors: Subbarayan Praseetha
Published: October 2014

Respiratory infections are among the leading causes of medical presentation in the United States. The most common respiratory viruses that affect humans are influenza virus, parainfluenza, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Among these, RSV is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants, young children, elderly, and immune-compromised populations. Hence, there is an urgent need for the development of a safe yet potent alternative to conventional antiviral therapies. Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that covers a vast and diverse array of devices derived from engineering, physics, chemistry, and biology. In nanotechnology, materials and devices that are designed to interact with the body at molecular level with a high degree of specificity are utilized. Hence, specific clinical applications can be designed to achieve maximal therapeutic efficacy with minimal side effects. In this chapter, detection and therapeutic application of nanotechnology in conjunction to RSV are discussed.
Vaccine Nanocarriers
Authors: Ray Shilpa , Suar Mrutyunjay
Published: October 2014

Vaccination has undergone a complete revolution over the past ten decades. With the progress in biotechnology, the present scientific world has witnessed the emergence of a novel vaccine delivery system, called nanovaccines, for eliciting effective humoral, cellular, and mucosal immunity as compared to the conventional vaccination strategies. This novel approach bears innovative methodologies for effective vaccination by arousing beneficial host responses. The different forms of nanovaccine delivery are either microspheres or nanobeads. This chapter discusses in detail the variant forms of nanoparticulate vaccine adjuvants and delivery systems, their interaction with the immune system, and their clinical trial results. Many nanovaccines licensed for human use have proved to be effective carriers for antigens. These immunopotentiators like virosome-based carriers, Immunostimulating Complexes (ISCOMs), polymeric particles, etc. can be formulated as new vaccination methods for curing diseases like HIV, malaria, hepatitis, cancer, etc., thereby cementing the future of the next generation vaccines.
Preclinical Challenges and Clinical Target of Nanomaterials in Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Reinhardt Martin , Giri Shibashish , Bader Augustinus
Published: October 2014

Currently, practical application of nanotechnological approaches and stem cell therapies remains a challenge in both preclinical and clinical settings. Many existing problems in tissue engineering to organ engineering have been solved by the combined approaches of nanotechnology and stem cell biology, but significant barriers remain. Details about the role of various types of nanomaterial in preclinical and clinical research have been reviewed elsewhere, but scant information exists about the influence of nanomaterials on stem cell biology. Herein, the authors highlight the current advances of nanotechnological approaches for expansion, differentiations, harvesting, labeling, imagining, tissue engineering, and organ engineering of different types of stem cells. The preclinical outcome of in vitro and in vivo animal experimentations along with some examples of clinical outcomes of nanomaterials on stem cell research is the main focus of this chapter. This book chapter might be an impetus for the present generation of young scientists to revolutionize the coming generation of effective human healthcare.
Nanotechnology and Its Use in Tissue Engineering
Authors: Sengupta Poulomi
Published: October 2014

Tissue Engineering is an emerging field with promises for a better future. It is a blend of biology and engineering. Millions of people lose limbs and body parts as the results of tragic accidents. Patients with diabetes, ischemia, suffer from non-functional pancreas, heart. Tissue engineering plays a major role in their lives. Instead of organs donated voluntarily (long waiting is a problem here), tissue engineering has the potential to come up with replacements. The combination of nanotechnology with engineering and biology has made some excellent improvements. In this chapter, the aim is to provide very basic knowledge about the art and science of blending tissue engineering with nanotechnology. At the same time, it highlights related fields like issues of biocompatibility, fate of nanoparticles, side effects, work with stem cells, etc.
Role of Resveratrol (RES) in Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Stokes III James A. , Mishra Manoj K.
Published: October 2014

Within the last quarter century, technology has been a major catalyst of the advancement in various fields of scientific knowledge, particularly medical research. This new enlightenment has spurred the exploration of alternative treatment methods to some of society's most problematic diseases. One such innovative treatment is the use of Resveratrol (RES) to treat a number of pathophysiological conditions. RES is a natural polyphenolic compound found in the skin(s) of blueberries, red grapes (a major constituent of red wine), some vegetables, and even peanuts. The compound has a number of potent regenerative properties, which include: anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative. Research has confirmed both in vivo and in vitro RES's beneficial applications to numerous diseases. This chapter centers on its unique healing powers and beneficial applications against myriad debilitating conditions.
Electrophoretical Deposition of Nanotube TiO2 Conglomerates Detached During Ti Anodizing Used for Decomposing Methyl Orange in Water
Authors: López C. Y. Torres , Bueno J. J. Pérez , Torres I. Zamudio , Mendoza-López M. L. , Álvarez J. E. Urbina , Macías A. Hurtado
Published: October 2014

This chapter shows the experimental findings on preparing TiO2 nanotubes by anodizing titanium into an organic medium for an intended use as a fotocatalytic active electrode in treating water polluted with organic contaminants. The substrates were grit blasted in order to obtain mechanical fixation of the generated nanotubular TiO2 structure. This was successfully achieved without diminishment of the nanotubes order and with a self-leveled outer surface. A new phenomenon occurred when detached fragments from the modified layer were electrophoretically deposited. They were ordered and grow as deposits. In addition, they maintain their nanotubular shape conferring a homogeneous size in the porous structure.
Mathematical Background for Nanotechnology
Authors: Prevo-Williams Raynetta , Roush Fred
Published: October 2014

The authors present what they feel to be the most important mathematical background for nanotechnology, with some discussion of this material. They include quantum mechanics of photons and electrons presented historically and with a view to applications in chemistry, computational methods of quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics including Brownian motion, crystal and quasi-crystal structure, automaton theory, fluid dynamics, and quantum computation.
A Proactive Approach for BI
Authors: Loh Stanley
Published: October 2014

A framework to develop proactive BI is presented and discussed in this chapter. In a proactive process, analysis develops as a scientific investigation or research, where analysts must discover an initial set of hypotheses and then test or evaluate the hypotheses. The steps of the framework are presented and ways to perform each step are discussed. Data mining techniques are associated to this proactive paradigm, exploring how they can be applied in each step of the framework. Although there are not yet experiments that validate the correctness of this framework, the objective of the chapter is to focus attention on the differences in the paradigms, discuss ways to perform BI in a proactive way, and alert analysts and executives for practical experiences with the proactive paradigm.
Pre-Triage Decision Support Improvement in Maternity Care by Means of Data Mining
Authors: Pereira Eliana , Brandão Andreia , Salazar Maria , Portela Carlos Filipe , Santos Manuel Filipe , Machado José , Abelha António , Braga Jorge
Published: October 2014

A triage system aims to make a correct characterization of the condition of patients. Because conventional triage systems like Manchester Triage System (MTS) are not suitable for maternity care, a decision model for pre-triaging patients in emergency (URG) and consultation (ARGO) classes was built and incorporated into a Decision Support System (DSS) implemented in Centro Materno Infantil do Norte (CMIN). Complementarily, DSS produces several indicators to support clinical and management decisions. A recent data analysis revealed a bias in the classification of URG cases. Frequently, cases classified as URG correspond to ARGO. This misclassification has been studied by means of Data Mining (DM) techniques in order to improve the pre-triage model and to discover knowledge for developing a new triage system based on waiting times and on a 5-scale of classes. This chapter presents a kind of sensitivity analysis combining input variables in six scenarios and considering four different DM techniques. CRISP-DM methodology was used to conduct the project.
Open Source Software Integrations
Authors: Bakos Gábor
Published: October 2014

RapidMiner is a popular open source, Java-based data analytics software. This chapter shows a case studying how it can be integrated to other programs. R and Vega integration is also introduced briefly in connection to open source software integration. The authors cover some general practices regarding integrating software to a Java environment and collect some popular open source libraries that are found useful related to data analytics. They focus mostly on the Java platform, though some parts of the chapter are applicable to other platforms too.
3rd Order Analytics Demand Planning
Authors: McCormick Keith , Creeth Richard , Mutchler Scott
Published: October 2014

It is commonly proposed that a greater number of individuals should have access to enterprise-level data, and that they should be able to analyze it readily and individually with data mining tools. Although the authors support greater use of Predictive Analytics by the enterprise, they favor more ready access to predictions, not to raw data. Forecasting is among the more difficult analytical challenges. Despite the importance of accurate forecasts, organizations often resort to the subjective judgment of a business analyst. Forecasts are also among the most widely used analytics, broadly distributed to the organization. The authors propose an approach that centralizes the forecasting activity using Predictive Analytics but preserves the wide distribution of the resulting forecast using Business Intelligence technology.
Morphology of a new blister beetle (Coleoptera, Meloidae) larval type challenges the evolutionary trends of phoresy-related characters in the genus Meloe
Authors: Di Giulio A. , Carosi M. , Khodaparast R. , Bologna M.A.
Published: October 2014

The discovery of some specimens of a new first instar larval type in blister beetles, collected in Iran on Anthophora bees, confirms the existence of repetitive and parallel trends in morphological specialization to phoresy in distinct lineages of Meloidae and in particular in the subfamily Meloinae. The new Iranian larva, herein described and illustrated, shows several characters and a peculiar phoretic strategy that closely parallel that of the Meloe subgenus Lampromeloe, with similar modifications of the fronto-clypeal setae into strong lanceolate spines used to pierce the intersegmental membranes of the bees. Both parallel and shared derived evolution of these characters seem possible. The coexistence in this larva of characters in both primitive and derived state is of particular interest in order to analyse the different rates and trends of evolution of phoretic adaptations. A morphological comparison (SEM) of this new meloine larva (incertae sedis), tentatively assignable to Meloe, with the M. (Lampromeloe) larvae is carried out in order to discuss the evolutionary implications of its placement in Lampromeloe, and the relative characters that would support it, vs other possible alternative scenarios.
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: an overview and update on a rare vascular tumor
Authors: Sardaro Angela , Bardoscia Lilia , Petruzzelli Maria Fonte , Portaluri Maurizio
Published: October 2014

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare vascular tumor, described for the first time in 1975 by Dail and Liebow as an aggressive bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma. The etiology is still a dilemma. Studies about suggestive hypothesis are ongoing. Most of the times it affects lung, liver and bones, although this kind of tumor may involve the head and neck area, breast, lymph nodes, mediastinum, brain and meninges, the spine, skin, abdomen and many other sites. Because of its heterogeneous presentation, as it represents less than 1% of all the vascular tumors, it is often misdiagnosed and not suitably treated, leading to a poor prognosis in some cases. Over 50-76% of the patients are asymptomatic. A small number of them complains respiratory symptoms. Bone metastases might cause pathological fractures or spine compression, if they arise in vertebrae. Imaging is necessary to determine morphological data, the involvement of surrounding tissues, and potentially the cleavage plan. It is important to recognize the expression of vascular markers (Fli-1 and CD31 are endothelial-specific markers), and the microscopic evidence of vascular differentiation to make a correct diagnosis, as many pulmonary diseases show multiple nodular lesions. Because of its rarity, there is no standard for treatment. We focused on radiotherapy as a good therapeutic option: despite the poor prognosis, evidence is in favor of radiotherapy which offers local pain control with good tolerance and better quality of life at least at a one-year follow-up in most of cases. Further studies are needed to establish the standard radiation dose to be used for locoregional control of such a complex and extremely rare disease.
Karoo fracking and the Christian faith community
Authors: Van Tonder Gerrit , Tucker Roger
Published: October 2014

One of the challenges for Practical Theology in Africa is to engage with the continent’s concerns and challenges in such a way that the kingdom of God is realised in society and is seen to be relevant to these issues by people who are outside of academia. In our article, which was first presented at the Practical Theology congress in Pretoria in January 2014, the authors seek to demonstrate how this may be accomplished by applying insights to one concern, namely ‘fracking’. The objective is to mobilise the influential Christian faith community in South Africa to begin to exercise prophetic discernment concerning fracking in the Karoo. The fracking debate is a product of the tension between the environmental degradation that its waste products may cause, on the one hand, and, on the other, the greater energy demands of a rapidly increasing world population along with its expectations of an ever-increasing standard of living. Shale gas fracking in the Karoo region of South Africa promises to make vast reserves of oil and gas available to help meet a significant percentage of the country’s energy needs for many years to come, and so thus aid development and contribute to raising the standard of living of many people. Yet the management of the waste products associated with the process is an area of serious environmental concern. The article aims to apprise the South African Christian faith community of the technology and risks involved. Theological guidelines are presented by which fracking’s benefits and dangers can be interrogated so that the community may come to an informed decision as to whether or not to support fracking.
Modeling Signal Transduction from Protein Phosphorylation to Gene Expression
Authors: Cai Chunhui , Chen Lujia , Jiang Xia , Lu Xinghua
Published: October 2014

Background

Signaling networks are of great importance for us to understand the cell's regulatory mechanism. The rise of large-scale genomic and proteomic data, and prior biological knowledge has paved the way for the reconstruction and discovery of novel signaling pathways in a data-driven manner. In this study, we investigate computational methods that integrate proteomics and transcriptomic data to identify signaling pathways transmitting signals in response to specific stimuli. Such methods can be applied to cancer genomic data to infer perturbed signaling pathways.

Method

We proposed a novel Bayesian Network (BN) framework to integrate transcriptomic data with proteomic data reflecting protein phosphorylation states for the purpose of identifying the pathways transmitting the signal of diverse stimuli in rat and human cells. We represented the proteins and genes as nodes in a BN in which edges reflect the regulatory relationship between signaling proteins. We designed an efficient inference algorithm that incorporated the prior knowledge of pathways and searched for a network structure in a data-driven manner.

Results

We applied our method to infer rat and human specific networks given gene expression and proteomic datasets. We were able to effectively identify sparse signaling networks that modeled the observed transcriptomic and proteomic data. Our methods were able to identify distinct signaling pathways for rat and human cells in a data-driven manner, based on the facts that rat and human cells exhibited distinct transcriptomic and proteomics responses to a common set of stimuli. Our model performed well in the SBV IMPROVER challenge in comparison to other models addressing the same task. The capability of inferring signaling pathways in a data-driven fashion may contribute to cancer research by identifying distinct aberrations in signaling pathways underlying heterogeneous cancers subtypes.
Inferring the Effects of Honokiol on the Notch Signaling Pathway in SW480 Colon Cancer Cells
Authors: Wynn Michelle L. , Consul Nikita , Merajver Sofia D. , Schnell Santiago
Published: October 2014

In a tumor cell, the development of acquired therapeutic resistance and the ability to survive in extracellular environments that differ from the primary site are the result of molecular adaptations in potentially highly plastic molecular networks. The accurate prediction of intracellular networks in a tumor remains a difficult problem in cancer informatics. In order to make truly rational patient-driven therapeutic decisions, it will be critical to develop methodologies that can accurately infer the molecular circuitry in the cells of a specific tumor. Despite enormous heterogeneity, cellular networks elicit deterministic digital-like responses. We discuss the use and limitations of methodologies that model molecular networks in cancer cells as a digital circuit. We also develop a network model of Notch signaling in colon cancer using a novel reverse engineering logic-based method and published western blot data to elucidate the interactions likely present in the circuits of the SW480 colon cancer cell line. Within this framework, we make predictions related to the role that honokiol may be playing as an anti-cancer drug.
Heterogenous Morphologic forms of Goiter in Autoimmune thyroid disease: An Insight based on a Prospective Surgical series of 88 cases
Authors: PRK Bhargav
Published: October 2014

Two commonest forms of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) are Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) with a diffuse goiter. The nature of goiter apart from clinical presentation is crucial in the management of AITD. But, the goiter is not always diffuse, leading to diagnostic confusion. In this context, we conducted a prospective study on the goiter morphology in AITD. This is a prospective study conducted in Endocrine Surgery department of a teritiary care teaching hospital in South India over a period of 1 year. The cohort is a surgical series of 88 cases of AITD (GD = 53; HT = 35). Morphology of all the ex vivo specimens were studied, documented and correlated with clinical and radiological forms of goiter. Sex ratio was M:F = 74:14. Mean age for GD = 30.7 years (17-46) and HT = 38.2 years (31-52). In GD, the morphology was diffuse = 34; Unilateral hyperplasia (ULH) = 9; atrophic = 4; nodular = 5 and Marine Lenhart syndrome = 1. In HT, diffuse = 16; ULH = 10 and nodular goiter = 9. The correlation between the radiology and goitrous morphology was statistically significant and more concordant than clinico-morphological correlation. Autoimmune thyroid disease has heterogenous goitrous forms. Macroscopic morphological evaluation of goiter complements the clinicoradiological-pathological diagnosis of AITD leading to optimal diagnosis, counseling, follow-up.

How to cite this article

Bhargav PRK. Heterogenous Morphologic forms of Goiter in Autoimmune thyroid disease: An Insight based on a Prospective Surgical series of 88 cases. World J Endoc Surg 2014;6(2):71-76.
Paravesicular Paraganglioma manifesting as Chronic Hypertension and Hypertensive Crisis
Authors: Kundel Anna , Cai Yi , Young William , Thompson Geoffrey
Published: October 2014

We describe a woman with a rare extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma who presented with a chronic hypertension and a hypertensive crisis initiated by an invasive cardiac catheterization procedure. We present a case report, review the relevant literature, and discuss management strategies. A 49-year-old woman with a 4-year history of hypertension experienced a hypertensive crisis following a catheterization procedure. Evaluation of the episode led to identification of a catecholaminesecreting pelvic paraganglioma as confirmed by 24-hour urine fractioned metanephrines and catecholamines as well as magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was carefully pharmacologically prepared for surgical resection. Paragangliomas may exhibit 30% inheritability, and the patient was counseled on genetic testing for early diagnosis of tumor in family members. Catecholamine-secreting paragangliomas are rare tumors that may present as hypertensive emergencies. Diagnosis relies on biochemical testing followed by imaging to avoid crisis induced by invasive procedures. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice, and pharmacological preparation for surgery begins at least 1 week prior to the procedure to ensure adequate adrenergic blockade. Following treatment for a paraganglioma, genetic testing should be recommended for early identification of affected family members.

How to cite this article

Cai Y, Kundel A, Young W, Thompson G. Paravesicular Paraganglioma manifesting as Chronic Hypertension and Hypertensive Crisis. World J Endoc Surg 2014; 6(2):85-88.
Functional Retroperitoneal Neuroblastoma and Ganglioneuroblastoma in Adults
Authors: Mahkamova Kamilla , Harrison Barney J
Published: October 2014

Ganglioneuroblastoma and neuroblastoma are malignant catecholamine-secreting tumors arising from neural crest tissue. Thirty-eight cases of functional retroperitoneal extra-adrenal neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroblastoma in adults are reported in English literature. These tumors behave more aggressively in adults compared to children and have very poor prognosis. We report four adults who presented with retroperitoneal extraadrenal ganglioneuroblastoma and neuroblastoma between 2008 and 2012. Median age at presentation was 28.5 years (21-40 years). One patient was in late stages of pregnancy. Three patients presented with local pressure effects from the tumor and one patients manifested clinical features of catecholamine excess. Biochemical analysis showed raised urinary dopamine excretion in all our patients. Urinary noradrenaline and metanephrines were elevated in three cases. Computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging/meta-iodobenzylguanidine (CT/MRI/MIBG) confirmed stage IIB disease in one patient, stage III disease one patient and stage IV in two cases. Preoperative biopsy confirmed diagnosis in two cases. Complete surgical resection was performed in patient with stage II B disease and partial surgical resection was feasible in other cases. Histological diagnosis was ganglioneuroblastoma in two cases and neuroblastoma in two cases. Meta-iodobenzylglunidine/radiotherapy and chemotherapy were used for residual disease. Urinary catecholamines and metanephrines normalized after complete tumor resection but remained elevated in residual disease. Survival for neuroblastoma was 15 and 21 months after the surgery and 29 months for ganglioneuroblastoma. One patient remains free of disease at 6 months. Functioning ganglioneuroblastoma and neuroblastoma are rare in adults and only one other case ganglioneuroblastoma in pregnancy is reported in the world literature. Measurement of plasma/urinary excretion of catecholamines and their precursors and metabolites is helpful for diagnosis of neuroblastoma and ganglioneuroblastoma. Due to late presentation surgical resection is unlikely to be curative. Three of our patients developed local recurrence of disease. Urinary/plasma assay are used for monitoring disease relapse. Long-term survival is unusual.
The influence of physical state on shikimic acid ozonolysis: a case for in situ microspectroscopy
Authors: Steimer S. S. , Lampimäki M. , Coz E. , Grzinic G. , Ammann M.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Atmospheric soluble organic aerosol material can become solid or semi-solid. Due to increasing viscosity and decreasing diffusivity, this can impact important processes such as gas uptake and reactivity within aerosols containing such substances. This work explores the dependence of shikimic acid ozonolysis on humidity and thereby viscosity. Shikimic acid, a proxy for oxygenated reactive organic material, reacts with O3 in a Criegee-type reaction. We used an environmental microreactor embedded in a scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM) to probe this oxidation process. This technique facilitates in situ measurements with single micron-sized particles and allows to obtain near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra with high spatial resolution. Thus, the chemical evolution of the interior of the particles can be followed under reaction conditions. The experiments show that the overall degradation rate of shikimic acid is depending on the relative humidity in a way that is controlled by the decreasing diffusivity of ozone with decreasing humidity. This decreasing diffusivity is most likely linked to the increasing viscosity of the shikimic acid–water mixture. The degradation rate was also depending on particle size, most congruent with a reacto-diffusion limited kinetic case where the reaction progresses only in a shallow layer within the bulk. No gradient in the shikimic acid concentration was observed within the bulk material at any humidity indicating that the diffusivity of shikimic acid is still high enough to allow its equilibration throughout the particles on the timescale of hours at higher humidity and that the thickness of the oxidized layer under dry conditions, where the particles are solid, is beyond the resolution of STXM.
ACTRIS non-methane hydrocarbon intercomparison experiment in Europe to support WMO-GAW and EMEP observation networks
Authors: Hoerger C. C. , Werner A. , Plass-Duelmer C. , Reimann S. , Eckart E. , Steinbrecher R. , Aalto J. , Arduini J. , Bonnaire N. , Cape J. N. , Colomb A. , Connolly R. , Diskova J. , Dumitrean P. , Ehlers C. , Gros V. , Hakola H. , Hill M. , Hopkins J. R. , Jäger J. , Junek R. , Kajos M. K. , Klemp D. , Leuchner M. , Lewis A. C. , Locoge N. , Maione M. , Martin D. , Michl K. , Nemitz E. , O'Doherty S. , Pérez Ballesta P. , Ruuskanen T. M. , Sauvage S. , Schmidbauer N. , Spain T. G. , Straube E. , Vana M. , Vollmer M. K. , Wegener R. , Wenger A.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. The performance of 20 European laboratories involved in long-term non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) measurements within the framework of Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) and European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) was assessed with respect to the ACTRIS (Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Network) and GAW data quality objectives (DQOs). Compared to previous intercomparisons the DQOs of ACTRIS are much more demanding with deviations to a reference value of less than 5% and repeatability of better than 2% for mole fractions above 0.1 nmol mol−1. The participants were asked to measure both a 30 component NMHC mixture in nitrogen (NMHC_N2) at approximately 1 nmol mol−1 and whole air (NMHC_air), following a standardised operation procedure including zero- and calibration gas measurements. Furthermore, they had to report details on their instruments and they were asked to assess measurement uncertainties. The NMHCs were analysed either by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection or gas chromatography-mass spectrometer methods. Most systems performed well for the NMHC_N2 measurements (88% of the reported values were within the GAW DQOs and even 58% within the ACTRIS DQOs). For NMHC_air generally more frequent and larger deviations to the assigned values were observed compared to NMHC_N2 (77% of the reported values were within the GAW DQOs, but only 48% within the ACTRIS DQOs). Important contributors to the poorer performance in NMHC_air compared to NMHC_N2 were a more complex matrix and a larger span of NMHC mole fractions (0.03–2.5 nmol mol−1). Issues, which affected both NMHC mixtures, are the usage of direct vs. two-step calibration, breakthrough of C2–C3 hydrocarbons, blank values in zero-gas measurements (especially for those systems using a Nafion® Dryer), adsorptive losses of aromatic compounds, and insufficient chromatographic resolution. Essential for high-quality results are experienced operators, a comprehensive quality assurance and quality control, well characterised systems, and sufficient man-power to operate the systems and evaluate the data.
Formation of the high-energy ion population in the earth's magnetotail: spacecraft observations and theoretical models
Authors: Artemyev A. V. , Vasko I. Y. , Lutsenko V. N. , Petrukovich A. A.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. We investigate the formation of the high-energy (E ∈ [20,600] keV) ion population in the earth's magnetotail. We collect statistics of 4 years of Interball / Tail observations (1995–1998) in the vicinity of the neutral plane in the magnetotail region (X
Constraint of soil moisture on CO2 efflux from tundra lichen, moss, and tussock in Council, Alaska, using a hierarchical Bayesian model
Authors: Kim Y. , Nishina K. , Chae N. , Park S. J. , Yoon Y. J. , Lee B. Y.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. The tundra ecosystem is quite vulnerable to drastic climate change in the Arctic, and the quantification of carbon dynamics is of significant importance regarding thawing permafrost, changes to the snow-covered period and snow and shrub community extent, and the decline of sea ice in the Arctic. Here, CO2 efflux measurements using a manual chamber system within a 40 m × 40 m (5 m interval; 81 total points) plot were conducted within dominant tundra vegetation on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska, during the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012, for the assessment of driving parameters of CO2 efflux. We applied a hierarchical Bayesian (HB) model – a function of soil temperature, soil moisture, vegetation type, and thaw depth – to quantify the effects of environmental factors on CO2 efflux and to estimate growing season CO2 emissions. Our results showed that average CO2 efflux in 2011 was 1.4 times higher than in 2012, resulting from the distinct difference in soil moisture between the 2 years. Tussock-dominated CO2 efflux is 1.4 to 2.3 times higher than those measured in lichen and moss communities, revealing tussock as a significant CO2 source in the Arctic, with a wide area distribution on the circumpolar scale. CO2 efflux followed soil temperature nearly exponentially from both the observed data and the posterior medians of the HB model. This reveals that soil temperature regulates the seasonal variation of CO2 efflux and that soil moisture contributes to the interannual variation of CO2 efflux for the two growing seasons in question. Obvious changes in soil moisture during the growing seasons of 2011 and 2012 resulted in an explicit difference between CO2 effluxes – 742 and 539 g CO2 m−2 period−1 for 2011 and 2012, respectively, suggesting the 2012 CO2 emission rate was reduced to 27% (95% credible interval: 17–36%) of the 2011 emission, due to higher soil moisture from severe rain. The estimated growing season CO2 emission rate ranged from 0.86 Mg CO2 in 2012 to 1.20 Mg CO2 in 2011 within a 40 m × 40 m plot, corresponding to 86 and 80% of annual CO2 emission rates within the western Alaska tundra ecosystem, estimated from the temperature dependence of CO2 efflux. Therefore, this HB model can be readily applied to observed CO2 efflux, as it demands only four environmental factors and can also be effective for quantitatively assessing the driving parameters of CO2 efflux.
Pigment signatures of phytoplankton communities in the Beaufort Sea
Authors: Coupel P. , Matsuoka A. , Ruiz-Pino D. , Gosselin M. , Claustre H. , Marie D. , Tremblay J.-É. , Babin M.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Phytoplankton are expected to respond to recent environmental changes of the Arctic Ocean. In terms of bottom-up control, modifying the phytoplankton distribution will ultimately affect the entire food web and carbon export. However, detecting and quantifying change in phytoplankton communities in the Arctic Ocean remains difficult because of the lack of data and the inconsistent identification methods used. Based on pigment and microscopy data sampled in the Beaufort Sea during summer 2009, we optimized the chemotaxonomic tool CHEMTAX for the assessment of phytoplankton community composition in an Arctic setting. The geographical distribution of the main phytoplankton groups was determined with clustering methods. Four phytoplankton assemblages were determined and related to bathymetry, nutrients and light availability. Surface waters across the whole survey region were dominated by prasinophytes and chlorophytes, whereas the subsurface chlorophyll maximum was dominated by the centric diatoms Chaetoceros socialis on the shelf and by two populations of nanoflagellates in the deep basin. Microscopic count showed a high contribution of the heterotrophic dinoflagellates Gymnodinium and Gyrodinium spp. to total carbon biomass, suggesting high grazing activity at this time of the year. However, CHEMTAX was unable to detect these dinoflagellates because they lack peridinin. The inclusion in heterotrophic dinoflagellates of the pigments of their prey potentially leads to incorrect group assignments and some misinterpretation of CHEMTAX. Thanks to the high reproducibility of pigment analysis, our results can serve as a baseline to assess change and spatial or temporal variability in phytoplankton populations.
Modelling forest lines and forest distribution patterns with remote sensing data in a mountainous region of semi-arid Central Asia
Authors: Klinge M. , Böhner J. , Erasmi S.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Satellite images and digital elevation models provide an excellent database to analyse forest distribution patterns and forest limits in the mountain regions of semi-arid Central Asia at the regional scale. For the investigation area in the northern Tien Shan a strong relation between forest distribution and climate conditions could be found. Additionally areas of potential human impact on forested areas are identified at lower elevations near the mountain border based on an analysis of the differences of climatic preconditions and present occurrence of forest stands. The distribution of spruce (Picea schrenkiana) forests is hydrologically limited by a minimum annual precipitation of 250 mm and thermally by a minimum monthly mean temperature of 5 °C during the growing season. While the actual lower forest limit increases from 1600 m a.s.l. in the northwest to 2600 m a.s.l. in the southeast, the upper forest limit takes the same course from 1800 to 2900 m a.s.l. In accordance with the main wind directions, the steepest gradient of both forest lines and the greatest local vertical extent of the forest belt of 500 to 600 m and maximum 900 m occur at the northern and western mountain fronts. The forests in the investigation area are strongly restricted to north facing-slopes, which is a common feature in semi-arid Central Asia. Based on the presumption that variations in local climate conditions are a function of topography, the potential forest extent was analysed with regard to the parameters slope, aspect, solar radiation input and elevation. All four parameters showed a strong relationship to forest distribution, yielding a total potential forest area that is 3.5 times larger than the present forest remains of 502 km2.
Estimation of peak discharges of historical floods
Authors: Herget J. , Roggenkamp T. , Krell M.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. There is no doubt that the hazard assessment of future floods, especially under consideration of recent environmental change, can be significantly improved by the consideration of historic flood events. While flood frequency inventories on local, regional and even European scale have already been developed and published, the estimation of their magnitudes indicated by discharges is still challenging. Such data are required due to significant human impacts on river channels and floodplains, though historic flood levels cannot be related to recent ones or recent discharges. Based on experiences from single local key studies, we present the general outline of an approach to estimate the discharge of the previous flood based on handed-down flood level and topographic data. The model for one-dimensional steady flow is based on the empirical Manning equation for the mean flow velocity. Background and potential sources of information, acceptable simplifications and data transformation for each element of the model equation are explained and discussed. Preliminary experiences regarding the accuracy of ±10% are documented, and potential approaches for the validation of individual estimations are given. A brief discussion of benefits and limitations, including a generalized statement on alternative approaches, concludes the review of the approach.
A 3-D shear velocity model of the southern North America and the Caribbean plates from ambient noise and earthquake tomography
Authors: Gaite B. , Villaseñor A. , Iglesias A. , Herraiz M. , Jiménez-Munt I.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. We use group velocities from earthquake tomography together with group and phase velocities from ambient noise tomography (ANT) of Rayleigh-waves to invert for the 3-D shear-wave velocity structure (5–70 km) of the Caribbean (CAR) and southern North American (NAM) plates. The lithospheric model proposed offers a complete image of the crust and uppermost-mantle with imprints of the tectonic evolution. One of the most striking features inferred is the main role of the Ouachita-Marathon-Sonora orogeny front on the crustal seismic structure of NAM plate. A new imaged feature is the low crustal velocities along USA-Mexico border. The model also shows a break of the E-W mantle velocity dichotomy of the NAM and CAR plates beneath the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and Yucatan Block. High upper-mantle velocities along the Mesoamerican Subduction Zone coincide with inactive volcanic areas while the lowest velocities correspond to active volcanic arcs and thin lithospheric mantle regions.
Excess heat in the Greenland Ice Sheet: dissipation, temperate paleo-firn and cryo-hydrologic warming
Authors: Lüthi M. P. , Ryser C. , Andrews L. C. , Catania G. A. , Funk M. , Hawley R. L. , Hoffman M. J. , Neumann T. A.
Published: October 2014

Abstract. Ice temperature profiles from the Greenland Ice Sheet contain information on the deformation history, past climates and recent warming. We present full-depth temperature profiles from two drill sites on a flowline passing through Swiss Camp, West Greenland. Numerical modeling reveals that ice temperatures are considerably higher than would be expected from heat diffusion and dissipation alone. The possible causes for this excess heat are evaluated using a Lagrangian heat flow model. The model results reveal that the observations can be explained with a combination of different processes: enhanced dissipation (strain heating) in ice-age ice, temperate paleo-firn, and cryo-hydrologic warming in deep crevasses.
Het Experiment resultaatgerelateerde beloning – verwachtingen over werking en doelbereiking
Authors: van Boom W.H. , de Jong M.
Published: October 2014

Het Experiment resultaatgerelateerde beloning – verwachtingen over werking en doelbereiking

In deze bijdrage wordt verkend welke verwachtingen er onder advocaten, rechters en verzekeraars leven over de werking van het Experiment resultaatgerelateerde beloning en of dat experiment aan zijn doel zal beantwoorden. Het experiment staat onder voorwaarden toe dat een letselschadeadvocaat een ‘no cure, no pay’-afspraak met de benadeelde maakt. Het doel daarvan is het vergroten van de toegang tot het recht van letselschadeslachtoffers. Het is echter de vraag of er bij cliënten en advocaten een gedeelde behoefte bestaat om dergelijke afspraken te maken. Andere effecten zijn waarschijnlijker, zo voorspelt deze bijdrage.
Evaluation of cloud‐resolving and limited area model intercomparison simulations using TWP‐ICE observations: 1. Deep convective updraft properties
Authors: Varble Adam , Zipser Edward J. , Fridlind Ann M. , Zhu Ping , Ackerman Andrew S. , Chaboureau Jean‐Pierre , Collis Scott , Fan Jiwen , Hill Adrian , Shipway Ben
Published: October 2014

Ten 3‐D cloud‐resolving model simulations and four 3‐D limited area model simulations of an intense mesoscale convective system observed on 23–24 January 2006 during the Tropical Warm Pool‐International Cloud Experiment (TWP‐ICE) are compared with each other and with observed radar reflectivity fields and dual‐Doppler retrievals of vertical wind speeds in an attempt to explain published results showing a high bias in simulated convective radar reflectivity aloft. This high‐bias results from ice water content being large, which is a product of large, strong convective updrafts, although hydrometeor size distribution assumptions modulate the size of this bias. Making snow mass more realistically proportional to D2 rather than D3 eliminates unrealistically large snow reflectivities over 40 dBZ in some simulations. Graupel, unlike snow, produces high biased reflectivity in all simulations, which is partly a result of parameterized microphysics but also partly a result of overly intense simulated updrafts. Peak vertical velocities in deep convective updrafts are greater than dual‐Doppler‐retrieved values, especially in the upper troposphere. Freezing of liquid condensate, often rain, lofted above the freezing level in simulated updraft cores greatly contributes to these excessive upper tropospheric vertical velocities. The strongest simulated updraft cores are nearly undiluted, with some of the strongest showing supercell characteristics during the multicellular (presquall) stage of the event. Decreasing horizontal grid spacing from 900 to 100 m slightly weakens deep updraft vertical velocity and moderately decreases the amount of condensate aloft but not enough to match observational retrievals. Therefore, overly intense simulated updrafts may additionally be a product of unrealistic interactions between convective dynamics, parameterized microphysics, and large‐scale model forcing that promote different convective strengths than observed.
The roles of deep convection and extratropical mixing in the tropical tropopause layer: An in situ measurement perspective
Authors: Sargent Maryann R. , Smith Jessica B. , Sayres David S. , Anderson James G.
Published: October 2014

The majority of air which enters the stratosphere passes through the tropical tropopause layer (TTL), where the temperature profile and amount of deep convection set the entry level for stratospheric water vapor. We use simultaneous in situ measurements of ozone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and heavy water vapor (HDO) from the 2006 Costa Rica Aura Validation Experiment and 2007 Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling campaigns in a one‐dimensional mixing model to investigate how different transport pathways in the TTL impact the amount of water vapor which enters the stratosphere. We focused on four main pathways: (1) slow upward ascent, (2) isentropic transport from the midlatitude lowermost stratosphere, (3) convective injection, and (4) descent within the TTL coupled to convection. Each pathway brings air into the TTL with a specific chemical signature, such that anomalies in simultaneously measured tracer concentrations can be used to identify the source of the air mass. We found that isentropic transport from the midlatitude lowermost stratosphere accounted for 20–60% of the air in the lower TTL and 20–40% of air above the tropopause, bringing elevated ozone concentrations which radiatively warm the TTL, impacting the amount of dehydration which takes place. Convective input accounted for on average ~30% of the air measured below 370 K potential temperature, and ~10% of air above the tropopause in both summer and winter, increasing water vapor concentrations above the tropopause by 0.3 ppmv on average and by up to 1.6 ppmv in some air masses.
Facile Photo‐Crosslinking of Azide‐Containing Hole‐Transporting Polymers for Highly Efficient, Solution‐Processed, Multilayer Organic Light Emitting Devices
Authors: Park Junwoo , Lee Changyeon , Jung Jihye , Kang Hyunbum , Kim Ki‐Hyun , Ma Biwu , Kim Bumjoon J.
Published: October 2014

A novel framework of azide containing photo‐crosslinkable, conducting copolymer, that is, poly(azido‐styrene)‐random‐poly(triphenylamine) (X‐PTPA), is reported as a hole‐transporting material for efficient solution‐processed, multi‐layer, organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). A facile and energy‐efficient crosslinking process is demonstrated with UV irradiation (254 nm, 2 mW/cm2) at a short exposure time (5 min). By careful design of X‐PTPA, in which 5 mol% of the photo‐crosslinkable poly(azido‐styrene) is copolymerized with hole‐transporting poly(triphenylamine) (X‐PTPA‐5), the adverse effect of the crosslinking of azide moieties is prevented to maximize the performances of X‐PTPA‐5. Since the photo‐crosslinking chemistry of azide molecules does not involve any photo‐initiators, superior hole‐transporting ability is achieved, producing efficient devices. To evaluate the performances of X‐PTPA‐5 as a hole‐transporting/electron‐blocking layer, Ir(ppy)3‐based, solution‐processable OLEDs are fabricated. The results show high EQE (11.8%), luminous efficiency (43.7 cd/A), and power efficiency (10.4 lm/W), which represent about twofold enhancement over the control device without X‐PTPA‐5 film. Furthermore, micro‐patterned OLEDs with the photo‐crosslinkable X‐PTPA‐5 can be fabricated through standard photolithography. The versatility of this approach is also demonstrated by introducing the same azide moiety into other hole‐transporting materials such as poly(carbazole) (X‐PBC).