bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sharing a Piece of the PIIE:

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rogram of

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nternational

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nterprofessional

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ducation/

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rograma

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nternacional

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ducativo
Authors: Hannigan Norma Stephens , Takamiya Kristine , Lerebours Nadal Leonel
Published: December 2015

Background:

Interprofessional education and global health are priorities in health professions education. Health organizations such as the Institute of Medicine and the World Health Organization recommend that education of health care providers be interdisciplinary and use technology.

Method:

A webinar took place between adult gerontology nurse practitioner (AGNP) students in the United States and the providers of a clinic in the Dominican Republic. The providers from the Dominican Republic presented a case typical of their practices but one with which AGNP students were not familiar. Similarly, the AGNP students presented a case representing new information for the Dominican providers.

Results:

All participants responded positively to the webinar, primarily because of the technological and case-based approach to learning; they benefitted from disease review and interprofessional collaboration.

Conclusion:

A webinar format across clinical settings and countries is a novel interprofessional way to disseminate information in a mutually beneficial way. [
J Nurs Educ.
2015;54(12):716–718.]
Mental Health of Young Refugees
Authors: McGuinness Teena M. , Durand Simone C.
Published: December 2015

Children and adolescents exposed to violence and upheaval of war and relocation are at high risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Rates of PTSD among refugee children may exceed 50%. Additional stressors encountered while adjusting to host cultures add another layer of difficulty. Most refugee children struggling with symptoms of PTSD or depression are never linked with appropriate mental health care resources. Psychiatric nurses can serve a critical function in the identification and treatment of refugee children experiencing PTSD and depression. [
Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services
,
53
(12), 16–18.]
Changes in Corneal Power After Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty
Authors: Clemmensen Kåre , Ivarsen Anders , Hjortdal Jesper
Published: December 2015

PURPOSE:

To examine the optical effects of Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) by evaluating changes in anterior and posterior corneal curvatures and aberrations.

METHODS:

Eighty-three eyes treated using DSAEK combined with cataract surgery (the DSAEK group) and 41 control eyes of healthy patients (the control group) were included. Patients were examined before and 1 year after surgery with autokeratometry and Pentacam (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany). The preoperative posterior corneal curvature was estimated from the anterior corneal curvature.

RESULTS:

The mean intended postoperative refraction in the DSAEK group was −0.75 ± 0.62 diopters (D), which was statistically different from the achieved refraction of +0.50 ± 0.93 D at the 1-year follow-up (
P
< .001). The average biometry prediction error was a hyperopic shift of +1.27 ± 0.80 D. Anterior corneal power was significantly higher before than after DSAEK with a difference of −0.63 ± 0.68 D (
P
= .03) correlating significantly with the hyperopic change (r
2
= 0.23,
P
< .01). The posterior corneal power after DSAEK showed a significant steepening of −0.69 ± 0.38 D (
P
< .01) from the estimated preoperative power and a difference of −0.64 ± 0.38 D (
P
< .01) from the posterior corneal power in the control group. The change correlated significantly with the hyperopic change (r
2
= 0.10,
P
< .01). The combined changes in anterior and posterior keratometry increased the correlation coefficient to r
2
= 0.34 (
P
< .01). Significant differences were observed for total higher-order aberrations root mean square and coma root mean square after DSAEK compared to controls. No significant changes were observed in spherical aberration.

CONCLUSIONS:

The hyperopic shift in the DSAEK group can be explained by changes in anterior and posterior corneal surfaces. Spherical aberration was not changed by DSAEK, suggesting that aspherical intraocular lenses may be implanted on the same indications as in normal cataract surgery.

[
J Refract Surg.
2015;31(12):807–812.]
Retinal Complications After Anterior Versus Posterior Chamber Phakic Intraocular Lens Implantation in a Myopic Cohort
Authors: Al-Abdullah Abdulelah A. , Al-Falah Mohammad A. , Al-Rasheed Saba A. , Khandekar Rajiv , Suarez Enrique , Arevalo J. Fernando
Published: December 2015

PURPOSE:

To compare the incidence and characteristics of retinal complications following implantation of two types of phakic intraocular lenses (PIOLs) in patients with myopia.

METHODS:

In this comparative, retrospective study, 603 eyes of 344 patients with myopia underwent implantation of either an Artisan iris-fixated phakic intraocular lens IOL (Artisan; Ophtec, Groningen, Netherlands) (Artisan group) or a Visian implantable collamer lens (ICL; STAAR Surgical Company, Monrovia, CA) (ICL group) between June 2005 and December 2013. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative clinical data were collected on the incidence of retinal complications, including rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) or choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM).

RESULTS:

The Artisan lens was implanted in 185 (30.68%) eyes and 418 (69.32%) eyes underwent ICL implantation. Mean follow-up was 26.78 months (range: 9 days to 98 months). Mean preoperative spherical equivalent (SE) was −12.44 ± 4.43 D (range: −1.13 to −31.00 D). The overall rate of retinal complications was 1%. Postoperatively, 3 (0.7%) eyes developed RRD in the ICL group, and no eyes developed RRD in the Artisan group. Submacular hemorrhage was observed in 1 (0.24%) eye in the ICL group. Two (1%) eyes developed CNVM in the Artisan group. The mean time from PIOL implantation to retinal complications was 15.6 months (range: 0.03 to 43 months).

CONCLUSIONS:

Implantation of ICL or Artisan phakic IOL demonstrated comparable rates of retinal complications. Anterior chamber PIOL does not increase the risk of retinal detachment or CNVM in patients with myopia.

[
J Refract Surg.
2015;31(12):814–819.]
The Big-Bubble Full Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Technique in Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty
Authors: Buzzonetti Luca , Petrocelli Gianni , Valente Paola , Iarossi Giancarlo , Ardia Roberta , Petroni Sergio , Parrilla Rosa
Published: December 2015

PURPOSE:

To describe the big-bubble full femtosecond laser-assisted (BBFF) technique, which could be helpful in standardizing the big-bubble technique in deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK).

METHODS:

Ten eyes of 10 consecutive patients affected by keratoconus underwent the BBFF technique using the 150-kHz IntraLase femtosecond laser (Intra-Lase FS Laser; Abbott Medical Optics, Inc., Santa Ana, CA). A 9-mm diameter metal mask with a single fissure 0.7 mm wide oriented at the 12-o'clock position was positioned into the cone, over the laser glass. The laser performed a ring lamellar cut (internal diameter = 3 mm; external diameter = 8 mm) 100
µ
m above the thinnest point, with the photodisruption effectively occurring only in the corneal stroma corresponding to the fissure to create a deep stromal channel; subsequently, an anterior side cut created an arcuate incision, from the corneal surface to the deep stromal channel on the mask's opening site. The mask was removed and the laser performed a full lamellar cut 200
µ
m above the thinnest point to create a lamella. After the removal of the lamella, the air needle was inserted into the stromal channel and air was injected to achieve a big bubble.

RESULTS:

The big bubble was achieved in 9 eyes (all type 1 bubbles) and all procedures were completed as DALK.

CONCLUSIONS:

Preliminary results suggest that the BBFF technique could help in standardizing the big-bubble technique in DALK, reducing the “learning curve” for surgeons who approach this technique and the risks of intraoperative complications.

[
J Refract Surg.
2015;31(12):830–834.]
Anterior Capsulotomy Outcomes: A Comparison Between Two Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery Platforms
Authors: Pantanelli Seth M. , Diakonis Vasilios F. , Al-Mohtaseb Zaina , Cabot Florence , Yesilirmak Nilufer , Kounis George A. , Sayed-Ahmed Ibrahim O. , Waren Daniel , Yoo Sonia H. , Donaldson Kendall E.
Published: December 2015

PURPOSE:

To compare capsulotomy outcomes between two femtosecond laser platforms for cataract surgery.

METHODS:

This retrospective case series included 205 eyes of 162 consecutive patients (75 male and 87 female) aged 68.32 ± 10.27 years (range: 38 to 92 years) who underwent femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) using either the LenSx (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX) or the Catalys (Abbott Medical Optics, Abbott Park, IL) laser platform. Intraoperative assessment of the capsulotomy was performed and graded as one of the following four types: complete treatment pattern (type 1), microadhesions (type 2), incomplete treatment pattern (type 3), and complete pattern but not continuous (type 4).

RESULTS:

Ninety-seven eyes underwent FLACS using the LenSx platform and 108 eyes using the Catalys platform. Ninety-four capsulotomies in the LenSx group were graded as type 1 (96.91%), and three were graded as type 2 (3.09%); all capsulotomies in the Catalys group were graded as type 1 (100%). There was no statistically significant difference between the LenSx and Catalys groups (P> .05). No intraoperative complications (specifically, no posterior capsular extension or vitreous loss) were noticed in any of the eyes included in the study.

CONCLUSIONS:

The LenSx and Catalys laser platforms demonstrate similar capsulotomy outcomes. The microadhesions that were demonstrated in three cases in the LenSx group did not lead to intraoperative or postoperative complications.

[J Refract Surg.2015;31(12):821–825.]
Retained Intraocular Perfluoro-n-octane After Valved Cannula Pars Plana Vitrectomy for Retinal Detachment
Authors: Oellers Patrick , Schneider Eric W. , Fekrat Sharon , Mahmoud Tamer H. , Mruthyunjaya Prithvi , Hahn Paul
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To investigate cases of retained intraocular perfluoro-n-octane (PFO) after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for retinal detachment (RD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Retrospective, noncomparative case series of six eyes with retained intraocular PFO after RD repair. Clinical data were supplemented with an experimental silicone eye model.

RESULTS:

A cluster of six cases of retained intraocular PFO after PPV for RD repair were noted shortly after transitioning to valved cannulas. PFO was noted in the anterior chamber (AC) and/or vitreous and removed with AC paracentesis, AC wash-out, and/or PPV. A silicone eye model demonstrated that PFO levels are maintained anterior to cannula insertion with valved cannulas only.

CONCLUSION:

The authors hypothesize that anterior PFO fill using valved cannulas can lead to sequestration within the AC, zonules, ciliary sulcus, ciliary teeth, and/or capsular bag. They suggest vigilance in not overfilling PFO, particularly when transitioning to use of valved cannulas, to minimize the risk of intraocular retention.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2015;46:451–456.]
Evolution of Septated Cavitary Subretinal Fluid After Treatment of Choroidal Metastasis
Authors: Strohbehn Austin L. , Sohn Elliott H.
Published: December 2015

An 83-year-old man presented with a 10-day history of decreased vision in the left eye. He was found to have choroidal metastases from lung adenocarcinoma that exhibited unilateral septated cavitary subretinal fluid on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). This fluid evolved into atypical lamellar sheets after treatment with systemic chemotherapy and orbital radiation prior to resolution. This is the first description demonstrating cavitary subretinal fluid pockets on spectral-domain OCT from lung cancer; attention is given to its unusual course and proposed pathogenesis.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2015;46:482–484.]
An Unusual and Spontaneous Resolution of a Total Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment
Authors: Mercanti Andrea , Renna Antonio , Prosperi Raffaele , Lanzetta Paolo
Published: December 2015

Spontaneous reattachment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is a rare event that involves the relief of vitreoretinal traction, closure of the retinal breaks, and reabsorption of subretinal fluid. Diffuse retinal pigmentary alterations within a sharply demarcated and convex margin are the most common findings within the areas corresponding to the reattached retina in all the cases described in the literature. The authors report the case of a 60-year-old man who experienced spontaneous reattachment of a total rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with gradual recovery of visual function and a completely restored retina. This is the first case reported that does not exhibit the ophthalmoscopic findings commonly described in the literature.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2015;46:489–492.]
Microstructural Retinal Findings by Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography After Vitrectomy Repair of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachments
Authors: Kumar Gokul N. , Rao P. Kumar , Apte Rajendra S.
Published: December 2015

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate macular microstructural changes after macula-involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachment repair and correlate with visual recovery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

A prospective, observational study was performed of select patients presenting with macula-involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRD). Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging was performed at postoperative visits over the course of the first year after operative repair of the RRD.

RESULTS:

The maculas of seven patients were evaluated. Postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at the final follow-up ranged from 20/20 to 20/70 for all patients. Eyes with final BCVA greater than 20/40 had intact external limiting membrane and outer photoreceptor structures, while those with BCVA of less than 20/70 had poorer definition to those structures. Serial images showed resolution of irregularities in both the external limiting membrane and outer photoreceptor structures.

CONCLUSION:

Macular structure and function can progressively improve in the first year after successful RRD repair, including in the external limiting membrane, damage to which has previously been thought to be irreversible. SD-OCT serves as a useful tool to monitor postoperative retinal recovery.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2015;46:493–498.]
Acute Retinal Necrosis Secondary to Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 in Neonates
Authors: Venincasa Vincent D. , Emanuelli Andres , Leng Theodore , Perlini Erin , Villegas Victor , Diaz-Barbosa Magaly , Gutierrez Maria , Miller Darlene , Berrocal Audina M.
Published: December 2015

Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) should be in the differential diagnosis of a neonate who presents with vitritis. This report includes three cases of neonatal ARN at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute from 2004 to 2009. Medical treatment with acyclovir helped reduce sequelae of herpes simplex virus (HSV) 2 infection. Patients with ARN are at risk for retinal detachment and blindness. Although mothers are screened during pregnancy, they are at risk of reactivation or primary contraction of HSV. A neonate presenting with vitritis should raise suspicion of ARN.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2015;46:499–501.]
Socio-Racial Sensibilities towards coloured subaltern sectors in the Spanish Atlantic
Authors: Gómez Alejandro E.
Published: December 2015

This article studies from a longue durée perspective the articulation of anti-slavery sentiments and other socio-racial sensibilities within the Spanish Atlantic, from the first theological criticisms of the 16th century to the efforts to abolish slavery in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Spain, in the second half of the 19th century. We focus on the most significant cases of individuals who shared a white identity and who advocated against slavery, slave trade and socio-racial discrimination of Free Coloureds. We argue that the many egalitarian proposals made during the Spanish American revolutions and at the Cortes of Cádiz represent a second golden moment (after the ‘Mulatto Affaire’ during the French Revolution) in the struggle for the granting of political equality to subaltern sectors the Atlantic World. In the end, we expect to provide a clearer picture of how the socio-racial sensibilities contributed to accelerate, or to postpone, the introduction of abolitionist or equalitarian measures vis-à-vis the coloured subaltern sectors in the Spanish Atlantic in the Late Modern Age.
Race as a weapon: defending the colonial plantation order in the name of civilization, 1791-1850
Authors: Naranjo Orovio Consuelo , Buscaglia José F.
Published: December 2015

The object of this study is to analyze the use and adaptation of racialist ideology in the Afro-Hispanic Antilles following the start of the Revolution of Saint-Domingue in 1791, as it evolved to justify and reinforce plantation slavery and served to reinstitute and police the color line that was the central ideological premise supporting the economy of exchange and exploitation in the world of Atlantic coloniality. The renewed stigmatization of the racialized types in Creole population aimed to limit the echoes of the revolution against the plantation and it was an attempt to dismiss its political significance as a movement of self-emancipation and decolonization. The fear promoted by the colonial authorities, the planter class and Creole intellectuals, liberal and otherwise, aimed to establish a delicate balance between terror and profits wanting to justify the continuation of plantation slavery through the purposeful resemantization of the ideological tandem civilization/barbarity based on a racialized reading of history that championed European immigration and the systematic reduction of the population of Afro-descendants.
The Colonial Pygmalion: Unsettling Dinesen in Out of Africa
Authors: Irlam Shaun
Published: December 2015

This paper explores the atavistic and feudal historical fantasies that structure Isak Dinesen’s 1937 memoir, Out of Africa. It analyses the imagery and symbolic logic of the memoir in conjunction with Dinesen’s letters from Africa in order to examine how Dinesen derives an idiom to speak of Africa that synthesizes the social structures of European feudalism, the discourse of the noble savage and the aesthetics of the sublime. The paper seeks to unpack the conundrum that fashions a modern, emancipated female subjectivity from the anachronistic paradigm of feudalism and within the framework of imperial domination and colonial occupation. The paper explores how Dinesen’s feudal idiom extends the genre of European pastoral to the colonial milieu and places it in the service of a larger search for a discourse of legitimacy. I argue that this is an abiding preoccupation of colonial literature. I analyze in detail the specular logic through which the narrator confronts Africa as a space that alternately panders to or challenges the psycho-political narcissism of the settler. Dinesen’s memoir reveals the myriad operations of the narcissistic structure through which the narrator strives to fill the copula of the question, “What is Africa to you or you to Africa?”
Supporting Consistency during the Development and Evolution of Quality Unified Use-Misuse Case Models
Authors: El-Attar Mohamed
Published: December 2015

In the domain of scenario-based modeling, use case modeling has been extended several times to introduce security related concepts such as misuse, abuse, vulnerability and safeguarding. The most advanced model is the Unified Use-Misuse Case Model (UUMCM) (Arogundade et. al., 2011). A low quality UUMCM will not only cause the development of a system that does not meet its business requirements, but also a system that is insecure. This paper proposes an authoring structure that specifically designed to improve one particular quality attribute; structural consistency. Automation support has been developed for this structure. Two different approaches have been used to demonstrate the feasibility and application of the proposed structure. In both validation approaches, the results show that the structure can be used to ensure structural consistency in UUMCMs throughout their development and evolution.
Enhancer Turnover Is Associated with a Divergent Transcriptional Response to Glucocorticoid in Mouse and Human Macrophages
Authors: Jubb Alasdair W. , Young Robert S. , Hume David A. , Bickmore Wendy A.
Published: December 2015

Phenotypic differences between individuals and species are controlled in part through differences in expression of a relatively conserved set of genes. Genes expressed in the immune system are subject to especially powerful selection. We have investigated the evolution of both gene expression and candidate enhancers in human and mouse macrophages exposed to glucocorticoid (GC), a regulator of innate immunity and an important therapeutic agent. Our analyses revealed a very limited overlap in the repertoire of genes responsive to GC in human and mouse macrophages. Peaks of inducible binding of the GC receptor (GR) detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation-Seq correlated with induction, but not repression, of target genes in both species, occurred at distal regulatory sites not promoters, and were strongly enriched for the consensus GR-binding motif. Turnover of GR binding between mice and humans was associated with gain and loss of the motif. There was no detectable signal of positive selection at species-specific GR binding sites, but clear evidence of purifying selection at the small number of conserved sites. We conclude that enhancer divergence underlies the difference in transcriptional activation after GC treatment between mouse and human macrophages. Only the shared inducible loci show evidence of selection, and therefore these loci may be important for the subset of responses to GC that is shared between species.
Point-of-care critical ultrasound in a rural emergency department
Authors: Zanatta Mirko , Benato Piero , De Battisti Sigilfredo , Pirozzi Concetta , Cianci Vito
Published: December 2015

Point-of-care critical ultrasound (CCUS) has changed the management of critically ill patients in the emergency department. It is brought to the bed of patient, images are immediately available and therapy can be monitored making real time changes. Although it is difficult to estimate the real efficacy of CCUS, we evaluated the impact of ultrasound in our emergency department. This study is a cross sectional observational study with 241 cases enrolled. All patients were evaluated by the emergency physician and underwent clinical examination and then CCUS. Patients were then independently evaluated by at least one consultant. A final diagnosis was made after an agreement between the emergency physician and the consultant. Percentages of correct final diagnosis were higher after CCUS than after primary survey: 82.5% vs 49.1% of patients with dyspnea (P<0.001), 71.9% vs 40.6 % with thoracic pain (P=0.03), 76.2% vs 45% with abdominal pain (P<0.001), 80.0% vs 43.6% with suspected deep venous thrombosis (P=0.03) and 80.0% vs 20% with shock (P=0.014). Extended fast assessment for trauma was effective for the management of traumatic patients and correctly ruled out complications in 81.1% of patients (P=0.04). A small number of ultrasound guided invasive procedures were safely and successfully performed. In our study the integration of primary survey with CCUS increased diagnostic capability of the emergency physician and improved overall quality of medical assistance.
Heart in acute pancreatitis: facts and fictions
Authors: Pezzilli Raffaele , Barakat Bahjat , Barassi Alessandra
Published: December 2015

Pain is the hallmark of acute pancreatitis and it is localized in the epigastrium in more than 60% of patients having mild or severe disease. Acute pancreatitis may mimic other diseases such as acute coronary syndrome. In addition, the acute illness of the pancreas is associated with a number of metabolic abnormalities, such as hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia, which may cause hemodynamic changes and variations in the concentration of ionized calcium. In turn, these have been directly correlated to changes in myocardial contractility. The aim of this paper is to review the current literature on the involvement of heart during the course of acute pancreatitis and also to evaluate experimental and clinical data on this topic.
Atypical response of class IC atrial flutter to adenosine
Authors: Rotondi Francesco , Lanzillo Tonino , Manganelli Fiore , Lanni Francesca , Alfano Ferdinando , Stanco Giovanni , Rosato Giuseppe
Published: December 2015

We report the case of a 67-year-old female with a wide QRS complex tachycardia at 180 bpm. A diagnosis of class IC atrial flutter with aberrant ventricular conduction caused by flecainide therapy was formulated. Intravenous adenosine administration resulted in adequate slowing of the ventricular rate and normalization of QRS complexes. Restoration of sinus rhythm was achieved with intravenous amiodarone. The response to adenosine confirmed the diagnosis of supraventricular tachycardia with aberrant conduction, but the transition from arrhythmia onset to restoration of sinus rhythm showed interesting peculiarities.
Selection criteria for referral to in-hospital intensive cardiac rehabilitation after transcatheter aortic-valve implantation
Authors: Griffo Raffaele
Published: December 2015

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is assuming a major role in the routine management of patients with aortic stenosis. There is a paucity of data to substantiate the referral of these patients to in-hospital intensive cardiac rehabilitation, widely recognized as the standard of care for cardiac patients in the post-acute phase. The patients considered to be candidates for TAVI were at high risk, defined by Euroscore >20% or STS score >10%, mainly because they had coexisting comorbidities, with high care and rehabilitative needs. Reasonable selection criteria for referral were: trans-apical approach, past history of heart failure or coronary artery disease, advanced therapy needs (e.g. ventilatory, inotropic, nutritional), worsening comorbidities, logistic or social problem, frailty, and need of educational and lifestyle support.
Функции без коротких имплицент. Часть II: методы построения
Authors: Roldugin Pavel Vladimirovich , Tarasov Alexey Vyacheslavovich
Published: December 2015

Статья является продолжением работы "Функции без коротких имплицент. Часть I: нижние оценки весов". Во второй части предложены различные методы построения булевых функций от $n$ переменных, не имеющих имплицент от $k$ переменных. Первый из предложенных методов базируется на градиентном алгоритме, второй и третий методы используют определенное комбинаторное правило построения, четвертый метод основан на случайном выборе элементов носителя функции. В зависимости от значения $k$ методы имеют различную эффективность. Выводятся верхние оценки минимального значения $w( {n,\;k} )$ весов построенных функций. Вместе с нижними оценками величины $w( {n,\;k} )$ из первой части статьи это позволяет получить асимптотически точную оценку вида $w( {n,\;k} ) = \Theta ( {\ln n} )$ при $n \to \infty$ .
Об асимптотической нормальности некоторых сумм зависимых случайных величин
Authors: Tikhomirova Margarita Igorevna , Chistyakov Vladimir Pavlovich
Published: December 2015

В терминах графа, характеризующего зависимости между случайными величинами, сформулирована и доказана теорема об асимптотической нормальности суммы зависимых случайных величин. Эта теорема применяется для доказательства асимптотической нормальности суммы функций, заданных на подмножествах членов стационарной последовательности, удовлетворяющей условию сильного перемешивания. В качестве иллюстрации возможных применений этих теорем приводится теорема об асимптотической нормальности числа пустых ячеек в задаче о размещении частиц по ячейкам, в которой размещения частиц определяются стационарной последовательностью, удовлетворяющей условию равномерного сильного перемешивания.
Effects of ewe live weight and age on reproductive performance, lamb growth, and survival in Central Anatolian Merino sheep
Authors: Aktaş A. H. , Dursun Ş. , Doğan Ş. , Kiyma Z. , Demirci U. , Halıcı İ
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of premating ewe weight and age on ewe reproductive performance, lamb growth and survival in Central Anatolian Merino (CAM) sheep.

 The trial included 4935 ewes and 5548 lambs from 23 breeder flocks in Eskişehir Province. The live weights (LWs) and ages of the ewes were recorded 1 week before the mating season. The number of lambs born, fertility rate, multiple birth rate (MBR), and lamb survival rate (SR) at days 75 and 120 were determined. The effects of the LW and age of the ewe were found to be important for the reproductive performance of ewes and for the lamb's growth rate (P < 0.05–0.001). Ewe MBRs and the birth weight (BW) and LW of the lambs at days 75 and 120 increased proportionally with the increase in LW in ewes prior to mating. The fertility rate and MBR were lower (P < 0.05–0.001) in 1.5-year-old ewes than in older ewes. However, lambs' SR at days 75 and 120 were not affected by the premating LW and age of the ewe. In summary, a better reproductive performance and lamb growth rate in CAM flocks may be achieved by the selection of breeding ewes from ewes weighing more than 60 kg.
Aerosol composition, oxidation properties, and sources in Beijing: results from the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit study
Authors: Xu W. Q. , Sun Y. L. , Chen C. , Du W. , Han T. T. , Wang Q. Q. , Fu P. Q. , Wang Z. F. , Zhao X. J. , Zhou L. B. , Ji D. S. , Wang P. C. , Worsnop D. R.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The mitigation of air pollution in megacities remains a great challenge because of the complex sources and formation mechanisms of aerosol particles. The 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing serves as a unique experiment to study the impacts of emission controls on aerosol composition, size distributions, and oxidation properties. Herein, a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer was deployed in urban Beijing for real-time measurements of size-resolved non-refractory submicron aerosol (NR-PM1) species from 14 October to 12 November 2014, along with a range of collocated measurements. The average (±σ) PM1 was 41.6 (±38.9) μg m−3 during APEC, which was decreased by 53 % compared with that before APEC. The aerosol composition showed substantial changes owing to emission controls during APEC. Secondary inorganic aerosol (SIA: sulfate + nitrate + ammonium) showed significant reductions of 62–69 %, whereas organics presented much smaller decreases (35 %). The results from the positive matrix factorization of organic aerosol (OA) indicated that highly oxidized secondary organic aerosol (SOA) showed decreases similar to those of SIA during APEC. However, primary organic aerosol (POA) from cooking, traffic, and biomass-burning sources were comparable to those before APEC, indicating the presence of strong local source emissions. The oxidation properties showed corresponding changes in response to OA composition. The average oxygen-to-carbon level during APEC was 0.36 (±0.10), which is lower than the 0.43 (±0.13) measured before APEC, demonstrating a decrease in the OA oxidation degree. The changes in size distributions of primary and secondary species varied during APEC. SIA and SOA showed significant reductions in large accumulation modes with peak diameters shifting from ~ 650 to 400 nm during APEC, whereas those of POA remained relatively unchanged. The changes in aerosol composition, size distributions, and oxidation degrees during the aging processes were further illustrated in a case study of a severe haze episode. Our results elucidated a complex response of aerosol chemistry to emission controls, which has significant implications that emission controls over regional scales can substantially reduce secondary particulates. However, stricter emission controls for local source emissions are needed for further mitigating air pollution in the megacity of Beijing.
Variability of mineral dust deposition in the western Mediterranean basin and South-East of France
Authors: Vincent J. , Laurent B. , Losno R. , Bon Nguyen E. , Roullet P. , Sauvage S. , Chevaillier S. , Coddeville P. , Ouboulmane N. , di Sarra A. G. , Tovar-Sánchez A. , Sferlazzo D. , Massanet A. , Triquet S. , Morales Baquero R. , Fornier M. , Coursier C. , Desboeufs K. , Dulac F. , Bergametti G.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Previous studies have provided some insight into the Saharan dust deposition at a few specific locations from observations over long time periods or intensive field campaigns. However, no assessment of the dust deposition temporal variability in connection with its regional spatial distribution has been achieved so far from network observations over more than one year. To investigate dust deposition dynamics at the regional scale, five automatic deposition collectors named CARAGA ("Collecteur Automatique de Retombées Atmosphériques insolubles à Grande Autonomie" in French) have been deployed in the western Mediterranean region during one to three years depending on the station. The sites include, from South to North, Lampedusa Isl., Mallorca Isl., Corsica Isl., Frioul Isl. and Le Casset (South of French Alps). Deposition measurements are performed on a common weekly period at the 5 sites. The mean Saharan dust deposition fluxes are higher close to the North African coasts and decrease following a South to North gradient, with values from 7.4 g m−2 yr−1 in Lampedusa (35°31' N–12°37' E) to 1 g m−2 yr−1 in Le Casset (44°59' N–6°28' E). The maximum deposition flux recorded is of 3.2 g m−2 wk−1 in Mallorca with only 2 other events showing more than 1 g m−2 wk−1 in Lampedusa, and a maximum of 0.5 g m−2 wk−1 in Corsica. The maximum value of 2.1 g m−2 yr−1 observed in Corsica in 2013 is much lower than existing records in the area over the 3 previous decades (11–14 g m−2 yr−1). From the 537 available samples, ninety eight major Saharan dust deposition events have been identified in the records between 2011 and 2013. Complementary observations provided by both satellite and air mass trajectories are used to identify the dust provenance areas and the transport pathways from the Sahara to the stations. Despite the large size of African dust plumes detected by satellites, more than eighty percent of the major dust deposition events are recorded at only one station, suggesting that the dust provenance, transport, and deposition processes (i.e. wet vs. dry) of dust are different and specific for the different deposition sites in the Mediterranean studied area. The results also show that wet deposition is the main way of deposition for mineral dust in the western Mediterranean basin, but the contribution of dry deposition is far to be negligible, and contributes by 15 to 46 % to the major dust deposition events, depending on the sampling site.
Cloud and aerosol classification for 2.5 years of MAX-DOAS observations in Wuxi (China) and comparison to independent data sets
Authors: Wang Y. , Penning de Vries M. , Xie P. H. , Beirle S. , Dörner S. , Remmers J. , Li A. , Wagner T.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) observations of trace gases can be strongly influenced by clouds and aerosols. Thus it is important to identify clouds and characterize their properties. In a recent study Wagner et al. (2014) developed a cloud classification scheme based on the MAX-DOAS measurements themselves with which different "sky conditions" (e.g., clear sky, continuous clouds, broken clouds) can be distinguished. Here we apply this scheme to long-term MAX-DOAS measurements from 2011 to 2013 in Wuxi, China (31.57° N, 120.31° E). The original algorithm has been adapted to the characteristics of the Wuxi instrument, and extended towards smaller solar zenith angles (SZA). Moreover, a method for the determination and correction of instrumental degradation is developed to avoid artificial trends of the cloud classification results. We compared the results of the MAX-DOAS cloud classification scheme to several independent measurements: aerosol optical depth from a nearby Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) station and from two Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments, visibility derived from a visibility meter and various cloud parameters from different satellite instruments (MODIS, the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME-2)). Here it should be noted that no quantitative comparison between the MAX-DOAS results and the independent data sets is possible, because (a) not exactly the same quantities are measured, and (b) the spatial and temporal sampling is quite different. Thus our comparison is performed in a semi-quantitative way: the MAX-DOAS cloud classification results are studied as a function of the external quantities. The most important findings from these comparisons are as follows: (1) most cases characterized as clear sky with low or high aerosol load were associated with the respective aerosol optical depth (AOD) ranges obtained by AERONET and MODIS; (2) the observed dependences of MAX-DOAS results on cloud optical thickness and effective cloud fraction from satellite confirm that the MAX-DOAS cloud classification scheme is sensitive to cloud (optical) properties; (3) the separation of cloudy scenes by cloud pressure shows that the MAX-DOAS cloud classification scheme is also capable of detecting high clouds; (4) for some cloud-free conditions, especially with high aerosol load, the coincident satellite observations indicated optically thin and low clouds. This finding indicates that the satellite cloud products contain valuable information on aerosols.
Effective resolution concepts for lidar observations
Authors: Iarlori M. , Madonna F. , Rizi V. , Trickl T. , Amodeo A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Since its establishment in 2000, EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar NETwork) has provided, through its database, quantitative aerosol properties, such as aerosol backscatter and aerosol extinction coefficients, the latter only for stations able to retrieve it independently (from Raman or high-spectral-resolution lidars). These coefficients are stored in terms of vertical profiles, and the EARLINET database also includes the details of the range resolution of the vertical profiles. In fact, the algorithms used in the lidar data analysis often alter the spectral content of the data, mainly acting as low-pass filters to reduce the high-frequency noise. Data filtering is described by the digital signal processing (DSP) theory as a convolution sum: each filtered signal output at a given range is the result of a linear combination of several signal input data samples (relative to different ranges from the lidar receiver), and this could be seen as a loss of range resolution of the output signal. Low-pass filtering always introduces distortions in the lidar profile shape. Thus, both the removal of high frequency, i.e., the removal of details up to a certain spatial extension, and the spatial distortion produce a reduction of the range resolution. This paper discusses the determination of the effective resolution (ERes) of the vertical profiles of aerosol properties retrieved from lidar data. Large attention has been dedicated to providing an assessment of the impact of low-pass filtering on the effective range resolution in the retrieval procedure.
Testing the D / H ratio of alkenones and palmitic acid as salinity proxies in the Amazon Plume
Authors: Häggi C. , Chiessi C. M. , Schefuß E.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The stable hydrogen isotope composition of lipid biomarkers, such as alkenones, is a promising new tool for the improvement of palaeosalinity reconstructions. Laboratory studies confirmed the correlation between lipid biomarker δD composition (δDLipid), water δD composition (δDH2O) and salinity; yet there is limited insight into the applicability of this proxy in oceanic environments. To fill this gap, we test the use of the δD composition of alkenones (δDC37) and palmitic acid (δDPA) as salinity proxies using samples of surface suspended material along the distinct salinity gradient induced by the Amazon Plume. Our results indicate a positive correlation between salinity and δDH2O, while the relationship between δDH2O and δDLipid is more complex: δDPAM correlates strongly with δDH2O (r2 = 0.81) and shows a salinity-dependent isotopic fractionation factor. δDC37 only correlates with δDH2O in a small number (n = 8) of samples with alkenone concentrations > 10 ng L−1, while there is no correlation if all samples are taken into account. These findings are mirrored by alkenone-based temperature reconstructions, which are inaccurate for samples with low alkenone concentrations. Deviations in δDC37 and temperature are likely to be caused by limited haptophyte algae growth due to low salinity and light limitation imposed by the Amazon Plume. Our study confirms the applicability of δDLipid as a salinity proxy in oceanic environments. But it raises a note of caution concerning regions where low alkenone production can be expected due to low salinity and light limitation, for instance, under strong riverine discharge.
Modeling the uncertainty of estimating forest carbon stocks in China
Authors: Yue T. X. , Wang Y. F. , Du Z. P. , Zhao M. W. , Zhang L. L. , Zhao N. , Lu M. , Larocque G. R. , Wilson J. P.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Earth surface systems are controlled by a combination of global and local factors, which cannot be understood without accounting for both the local and global components. The system dynamics cannot be recovered from the global or local controls alone. Ground forest inventory is able to accurately estimate forest carbon stocks at sample plots, but these sample plots are too sparse to support the spatial simulation of carbon stocks with required accuracy. Satellite observation is an important source of global information for the simulation of carbon stocks. Satellite remote-sensing can supply spatially continuous information about the surface of forest carbon stocks, which is impossible from ground-based investigations, but their description has considerable uncertainty. In this paper, we validated the Lund-Potsdam-Jena dynamic global vegetation model (LPJ), the Kriging method for spatial interpolation of ground sample plots and a satellite-observation-based approach as well as an approach for fusing the ground sample plots with satellite observations and an assimilation method for incorporating the ground sample plots into LPJ. The validation results indicated that both the data fusion and data assimilation approaches reduced the uncertainty of estimating carbon stocks. The data fusion had the lowest uncertainty by using an existing method for high accuracy surface modeling to fuse the ground sample plots with the satellite observations (HASM-SOA). The estimates produced with HASM-SOA were 26.1 and 28.4 % more accurate than the satellite-based approach and spatial interpolation of the sample plots, respectively. Forest carbon stocks of 7.08 Pg were estimated for China during the period from 2004 to 2008, an increase of 2.24 Pg from 1984 to 2008, using the preferred HASM-SOA method.
Implications of land use change in tropical northern Africa under global warming
Authors: Brücher T. , Claussen M. , Raddatz T.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. A major link between climate and humans in tropical northern Africa, and the Sahel in particular, is land use and associated land cover change, mainly where subsistence farming prevails. Here we assess possible feedbacks between the type of land use and harvest intensity and climate by analysing a series of idealized GCM experiments using the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model (MPI-ESM). The baseline for these experiments is a simulation forced by the RCP8.5 (radiation concentration pathway) scenario, which includes strong greenhouse gas emissions and anthropogenic land cover changes. The anthropogenic land cover changes in the RCP8.5 scenario include a mixture of pasture and agriculture. In subsequent simulations, we replace the entire area affected by anthropogenic land cover change in the region between the Sahara in the north and the Guinean Coast in the south (4 to 20\\degree N) with either pasture or agriculture. In a second set-up we vary the amount of harvest in the case of agriculture. The RCP8.5 baseline simulation reveals strong changes in the area mean agriculture and monsoon rainfall. In comparison with these changes, any variation of the type of land use in the study area leads to very small, mostly insignificantly small, additional differences in mean temperature and annual precipitation change in this region. These findings are only based on the specific set-up of our experiments, which only focuses on variations in the kind of land use, and not the increase in land use, over the 21st century, nor whether land use is considered at all. Within the uncertainty of the representation of land use in current ESMs, our study suggests marginal feedback between land use changes and climate changes triggered by strong greenhouse gas emissions. Hence as a good approximation, climate can be considered as an external forcing: models investigating land-use–conflict dynamics can run offline by prescribing seasonal or mean values of climate as a boundary condition for climate.
In situ measurement of the biogeochemical properties of Southern Ocean mesoscale eddies in the Southwest Indian Ocean, April 2014
Authors: de Villiers S. , Siswana K. , Vena K.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Several open-ocean mesoscale features – a "young" warm-core (anti-cyclonic) eddy at 52° S, an "older" warm-core eddy at 57.5° S and an adjacent cold-core (cyclonic) eddy at 56° S – were surveyed during a R/V S.A. Agulhas II cruise in April 2014. The main aim of the survey was to obtain hydrographical and biogeochemical profile data for contrasting open-ocean eddies in the Southern Ocean, which will be suitable for comparative study and modelling of their heat, salt and nutrient characteristics, and the changes that occur in these properties as warm-core eddies migrate from the polar front southwards. The major result is that the older warm-core eddy at 57.5° S is, at its core, 2.7 °C colder than a younger eddy at 52° S, while its dissolved silicate levels are almost 500 % higher and accompanied by chlorophyll a levels that are more than 200 % higher than that in the younger eddy. A total of 18 CTD stations were occupied in a sector south of the Southwest Indian Ridge, along three transects crossing several mesoscale features identified from satellite altimetry data prior to the cruise. The CTD data, as well as chlorophyll a and dissolved nutrient data (for NO3−, NO2−, PO43− and SiO2), have been processed, quality controlled and made available via the PANGAEA Data Archiving and Publication database at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.848875.