bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cloud condensation nuclei activity, droplet growth kinetics, and hygroscopicity of biogenic and anthropogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA)
Authors: Zhao D. F. , Buchholz A. , Kortner B. , Schlag P. , Rubach F. , Fuchs H. , Kiendler-Scharr A. , Tillmann R. , Wahner A. , Watne Å. K. , Hallquist M. , Flores J. M. , Rudich Y. , Kristensen K. , Hansen A. M. K. , Glasius M. , Kourtchev I. , Kalberer M. , Mentel Th. F.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Interaction of biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with Anthropogenic VOC (AVOC) affects the physicochemical properties of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). We investigated cloud droplet activation (CCN activity), droplet growth kinetics, and hygroscopicity of mixed anthropogenic and biogenic SOA (ABSOA) compared to pure biogenic SOA (BSOA) and pure anthropogenic SOA (ASOA). Selected monoterpenes and aromatics were used as representative precursors of BSOA and ASOA, respectively.We found that BSOA, ASOA, and ABSOA had similar CCN activity despite the higher oxygen to carbon ratio (O/C) of ASOA compared to BSOA and ABSOA. For individual reaction systems, CCN activity increased with the degree of oxidation. Yet, when considering all different types of SOA together, the hygroscopicity parameter, κCCN, did not correlate with O/C. Droplet growth kinetics of BSOA, ASOA, and ABSOA were comparable to that of (NH4)2SO4, which indicates that there was no delay in the water uptake for these SOA in supersaturated conditions.In contrast to CCN activity, the hygroscopicity parameter from a hygroscopic tandem differential mobility analyzer (HTDMA) measurement, κHTDMA, of ASOA was distinctively higher (0.09–0.10) than that of BSOA (0.03–0.06), which was attributed to the higher degree of oxidation of ASOA. The ASOA components in mixed ABSOA enhanced aerosol hygroscopicity. Changing the ASOA fraction by adding biogenic VOC (BVOC) to ASOA or vice versa (AVOC to BSOA) changed the hygroscopicity of aerosol, in line with the change in the degree of oxidation of aerosol. However, the hygroscopicity of ABSOA cannot be described by a simple linear combination of pure BSOA and ASOA systems. This indicates that additional processes, possibly oligomerization, affected the hygroscopicity.Closure analysis of CCN and HTDMA data showed κHTDMA was lower than κCCN by 30–70 %. Better closure was achieved for ASOA compared to BSOA. This discrepancy can be attributed to several reasons. ASOA seemed to have higher solubility in subsaturated conditions and/or higher surface tension at the activation point than that of BSOA.
Precipitation regime and stable isotopes at Dome Fuji, East Antarctica
Authors: Dittmann A. , Schlosser E. , Masson-Delmotte V. , Powers J. G. , Manning K. W. , Werner M. , Fujita K.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. A unique set of one-year precipitation and stable water isotope measurements from the Japanese Antarctic station Dome Fuji has been used to study the impact of the synoptic situation and the precipitation origin on the isotopic composition of precipitation on the Antarctic Plateau. The Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) archive data are used to analyse the synoptic situations that cause precipitation. These situations are investigated and divided into five categories. The most common weather situation during a precipitation event is an upper-level ridge that extends onto the Antarctic Plateau and causes strong northerly advection from the ocean. Most precipitation events are associated with an increase in temperature and wind speed and a local maximum of δ18O. During the measurement period, 21 synoptically-caused precipitation events caused 60 % of the total annual precipitation, whereas the remaining 40 % were predominantly attributed to diamond dust. By combining the synoptic analyses with 5-day back-trajectories, the moisture source regions for precipitation events were estimated. An average source region around a latitude of 55 °S was found. The atmospheric conditions in the source region were used as initial conditions for running a Rayleigh-type isotopic model in order to reproduce the measured isotopic composition of fresh snow and to investigate the influence of the precipitation source region on the isotope ratios. The model represents the measured annual cycle of δ18O and the second-order isotopic parameter deuterium excess reasonably well, but yields, on average, too little fractionation along the transport/cooling path. While simulations with an isotopic general circulation model (GCM) (ECHAM5-wiso) for Dome Fuji are on average closer to the observations, this model cannot reproduce the annual cycle of deuterium excess. In the event-based analysis, no evidence for a correlation of the measured deuterium excess with the latitude of the moisture source region or the corresponding conditions there was identified. Contrary to the assumption used for decades in ice core studies, a more northern moisture source does not necessarily mean a larger temperature difference between source area and deposition site and thus precipitation that is more depleted in heavy isotopes and has a higher deuterium excess.
Impact of Spaceborne Carbon Monoxide Observations from the S-5P platform on Tropospheric Composition Analyses and Forecasts
Authors: Abida R. , Attié J.-L. , El Amraoui L. , Ricaud P. , Lahoz W. , Eskes H. , Segers A. , Curier L. , de Haan J. , Kujanpää J. , Nijhuis A. O. , Schuettemeyer D. , Tamminen J. , Timmermans R. , Veefkind P. , Veihelmann B.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. We use the technique of Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) to quantify the impact of spaceborne carbon monoxide (CO) total column observations from the Sentinel-5 Precursor (S-5P) platform on tropospheric analyses and forecasts. We focus on Europe for the period of northern summer 2003, when there was a severe heat wave episode associated with extremely hot and dry weather conditions. We describe different elements of the OSSE: (i) the Nature Run (NR), i.e., the "Truth"; ii) the CO synthetic observations; (iii) the assimilation run (AR), where we assimilate the observations of interest; (iv) the control run (CR), in this study a free model run without assimilation; and (v) efforts to establish the fidelity of the OSSE results. Comparison of the results from AR and the CR, against the NR, shows that CO total column observations from S-5P provide a significant benefit (at the 99 % confidence level) at the surface, with the largest benefit occurring over land in remote regions. Furthermore, the S-5P CO total column observations are able to capture phenomena such as the forest fires that occurred in Portugal during summer 2003. These results provide evidence of the benefit of S-5P observations for monitoring processes contributing to atmospheric pollution.
Bi-directional air-sea exchange and accumulation of POPs (PAHs, PCBs, OCPs and PBDEs) in the nocturnal marine boundary layer
Authors: Lammel Gerhard , Meixner Franz X. , Vrana Branislav , Efstathiou Christos , Kohoutek Jiři , Kukučka Petr , Mulder Marie D. , Přibylová Petra , Prokeš Roman , Rusina Tatsiana P. , Song Guo-Zheng , Tsapakis Manolis
Published: February 2016

Abstract. As a consequence of long-range transported pollution air-sea exchange can become a major source of persistent organic pollutants in remote marine environments. The vertical gradients in air of 14 species i.e., 4 parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 3 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 3 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 2 polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) in the gas-phase were quantified at a remote coastal site in the southern Aegean Sea in summer. Most vertical gradients were positive (Δc/Δz > 0) indicating downward (net depositional) flux. Significant upward (net volatilisational) fluxes were found for 3 PAHs, mostly during day-time, and for 2 OCPs, mostly during night-time, as well as for 1 PCB and 1 PBDE during part of the measurements. While phenanthrene was deposited, fluoranthene (FLT) and pyrene (PYR) seem to undergo flux oscillation, hereby not following a day/night cycle. Box modelling confirms that volatilisation from the sea surface has significantly contributed to the night-time maxima of OCPs. Fluxes were quantified based on Eddy covariance. Deposition fluxes ranged −28.5 − +1.8 μg m−2 d−1 for PAHs and −3.4 − +0.9 μg m−2 d−1 for halogenated compounds. Dry particle deposition of FLT and PYR did not contribute significantly to the vertical flux.
Comparing contact and immersion freezing from continuous flow diffusion chambers
Authors: Nagare Baban , Marcolli Claudia , Welti André , Stetzer Olaf , Lohmann Ulrike
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Ice nucleating particles (INPs) in the atmosphere are responsible for glaciating cloud droplets between 237 K and 273 K. Different mechanisms of heterogeneous ice nucleation can compete under mixed-phase cloud conditions. Contact freezing is considered relevant because higher ice nucleation temperatures than for immersion freezing for the same INPs were observed. It has limitations because its efficiency depends on the number of collisions between cloud droplets and INPs. This study compares immersion and contact freezing efficiencies of three different INPs. The contact freezing data was obtained with the ETH CoLlision Ice Nucleation CHamber (CLINCH) using 80 μm diameter droplets which can interact with INPs for residence times of 2 s and 4 s in the chamber. The contact freezing efficiency was calculated by estimating the number of collisions between droplets and particles. Theoretical formulations of collision efficiencies gave too high freezing efficiencies for all investigated INPs, namely AgI particles with 200 nm electrical mobility diameter, 400 and 800 nm diameter ATD and kaolinite particles. Comparison of freezing efficiencies by contact and immersion freezing is therefore limited by the accuracy of collision efficiencies. The concentration of particles was 1000 cm−3 for ATD and kaolinite and 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000 cm−3 for AgI. For concentrations < 5000 cm−3, the droplets collect only one particle on average during their time in the chamber. For ATD and kaolinite particles, contact freezing efficiencies at 2 s residence time were smaller than at 4 s, which is in disagreement with a collisional contact freezing process but in accordance with contact freezing insideout or immersion freezing. For best comparison with contact freezing results, immersion freezing experiments of the same INPs were performed with the continuous flow diffusion chamber IMCA/ZINC for 3 s residence time. In IMCA/ZINC, each INP is activated into a droplet in IMCA and provides its surface for ice nucleation in the ZINC chamber. The comparison of contact and immersion freezing results did not confirm a general enhancement of freezing efficiency for contact compared with immersion freezing experiments. For AgI particles the onset of heterogeneous freezing in CLINCH was even shifted to lower temperatures compared with IMCA/ZINC. For ATD, freezing efficiencies for contact and immersion freezing experiments were similar. For kaolinite particles, contact freezing became detectable at higher temperatures than immersion freezing. Using contact angle information between water and the INP, it is discussed how the position of the INP in or on the droplets may influence its ice nucleation activity.
Representation of the Tropical Stratospheric Zonal Wind in Global Atmospheric Reanalyses
Authors: Kawatani Y. , Hamilton K. , Miyazaki K. , Fujiwara M. , Anstey J.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. This paper reports on a project to compare the representation of the monthly-mean zonal wind in the equatorial stratosphere among major global atmospheric reanalysis datasets. The degree of disagreement among the reanalyses is characterized by the standard deviation (SD) of the monthly-mean zonal wind and this depends on latitude, longitude, height and the phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO). At each height the SD displays a prominent equatorial maximum, indicating the particularly challenging nature of the reanalysis problem in the low-latitude stratosphere. At 50–70 hPa the geographical distributions of SD are closely related to the density of radiosonde observations. The largest SD values are over the eastern Pacific, where few in situ observations are available. At 10–20 hPa the spread among the reanalyses and differences with in situ observations both depend significantly on the QBO phase. Notably the easterly-to-westerly phase transitions in all the reanalyses except MERRA are delayed relative to those directly observed at Singapore. In addition, the timing of the easterly-to-westerly phase transitions displays considerable variability among the different reanalyses and this spread is much larger than for the timing of the westerly-to-easterly phase changes. The eddy component in the monthly mean zonal wind near the equator is dominated by zonal wavenumber 1 and 2 quasi-stationary planetary waves propagating from mid-latitudes in the westerly phase of the QBO. There generally is considerable disagreement among the reanalyses in the details of the quasi-stationary waves near the equator. At each level, there is a tendency for the agreement to be best near the longitude of Singapore, suggesting that the Singapore observations act as a strong constraint on all the reanalyses. Our measures of the quality of the reanalysis clearly show systematic improvement over the period considered (1979–2012). The SD among the reanalysis declines significantly over the record, although the geographical pattern of SD remains nearly constant.
The SPectrometer for Ice Nuclei (SPIN): An instrument to investigate ice nucleation
Authors: Garimella S. , Kristensen T. B. , Ignatius K. , Welti A. , Voigtländer J. , Kulkarni G. R. , Sagan F. , Kok G. L. , Dorsey J. , Nichman L. , Rothenberg D. , Rösch M. , Kirchgäßner A. , Ladkin R. , Wex H. , Wilson T. W. , Ladino L. A. , Abbatt J. P. D. , Stetzer O. , Lohmann U. , Stratmann F. , Cziczo D. J.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. The SPectrometer for Ice Nuclei (SPIN) is a commercially available ice nuclei counter manufactured by Droplet Measurement Technologies in Boulder, CO. The SPIN is a continuous flow diffusion chamber with parallel plate geometry based on the Zurich Ice Nucleation Chamber and the Portable Ice Nucleation Chamber. This study characterizes and describes the behavior of the SPIN chamber, reports data from laboratory measurements, and quantifies uncertainties associated with the measurements. A machine learning approach for analyzing depolarization data from the SPIN Optical Particle Counter is also presented. Experiments with ammonium sulfate are used to investigate homogeneous freezing and droplet breakthrough, experiments with kaolinite, NX illite, and silver iodide are used to investigate heterogeneous ice nucleation, and results are compared to those from the literature. Overall, we report that the SPIN is able to reproduce previous CFDC ice nucleation measurements.
Physical origin of pickup currents
Authors: Vasyliūnas V. M.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. So-called pickup electric currents, associated with the ionization of neutral particles in the presence of a flowing plasma, are conventionally described as produced directly by differential displacement of ions and electrons as the result of acceleration and gyromotion under the action of the electric field E = −V × B∕c. This is not the appropriate physical description for the case when the electron inertial length of the background plasma is small in comparison with the spatial scale of the system. The pickup process in this case does not directly produce a current, except for a small transient on the electron-gyroperiod timescale, which then decays exponentially at the ionization (momentum-loading) rate, as can be shown by an explicit solution of the equations. Rather, the plasma is first slowed down by the momentum loading; the spatially inhomogeneous velocity change then leads to a perturbation of the magnetic field, and the curl of the perturbed field is the current. The timescale for the development of the pickup current is not the ion gyroperiod (as the conventional description might suggest) but rather the Alfvén wave travel time over the spatial scale of the inhomogeneity.
Soilscape evolution of aeolian-dominated hillslopes during the Holocene: investigation of sediment transport mechanisms and climatic-anthropogenic drivers
Authors: Cohen Sagy , Svoray Tal , Sela Shai , Hancock Greg , Willgoose Garry
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Here we study the soilscape (soil-landscape) evolution of a field-site at the semiarid zone of Israel. This region, like similar regions around the world, was subject to intensive loess accumulation during the Pleistocene and early Holocene. Today, hillslopes in this region are dominated by exposed bedrock with deep loess depositions in the valleys and floodplains. The drivers and mechanism that led to this soilscape are unclear. Within this context, we use a soilscape evolution model (mARM5D) to study the potential mechanisms that led to this soilscape. We focus on advancing our conceptual understanding of the processes at the core of this soilscape evolution by studying the effects of fluvial and diffusive sediment transport mechanisms, and the potential effects of climatic and anthropogenic drivers. Our results show that in our field site, dominated by aeolian soil development, hillslope fluvial sediment transport e.g. surface wash and gullies, lead to downslope thinning in soil while diffusive transport e.g. soil creep lead to deeper and more localized soil features at the lower sections of the hillslopes. The results suggest that, in this semiarid, aeolian-dominated and soil depleted landscape, the top section of the hillslopes is dominated by diffusive transport and the bottom by fluvial transport. Temporal variability in environmental drivers had a considerable effect on soilscape evolution. Short but intensive changes during the late Holocene, imitating anthropogenic landuse alterations, rapidly changed the site's soil distribution. This leads us to assume that this region's soil depleted hillslopes are, at least in part, the result of anthropogenic drivers.
Improved representation of plant functional types and physiology in the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES v4.2) using plant trait information
Authors: Harper Anna , Cox Peter , Friedlingstein Pierre , Wiltshire Andy , Jones Chris , Sitch Stephen , Mercado Lina M. , Groenendijk Margriet , Robertson Eddy , Kattge Jens , Bönisch Gerhard , Atkin Owen K. , Bahn Michael , Cornelissen Johannes , Niinemets Ülo , Onipchenko Vladimir , Peñuelas Josep , Poorter Lourens , Reich Peter B. , Soudzilovskaia Nadia , van Bodegom Peter
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Dynamic global vegetation models are used to predict the response of vegetation to climate change. They are essential for planning ecosystem management, understanding carbon cycleclimate feedbacks, and evaluating the potential impacts of climate change on global ecosystems. JULES (the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator) represents terrestrial processes in the UK Hadley Centre family of models and in the first generation UK Earth System Model. Previously, JULES represented five plant functional types (PFTs): broadleaf trees, needle-leaf trees, C3 and C4 grasses, and shrubs. This study addresses three developments in JULES. First, trees and shrubs were split into deciduous and evergreen PFTs to better represent the range of leaf lifespans and metabolic capacities that exists in nature. Second, we distinguished between temperate and tropical broadleaf evergreen trees. These first two changes result in a new set of nine PFTs: tropical and temperate broadleaf evergreen trees, broadleaf deciduous trees, needle-leaf evergreen and deciduous trees, C3 and C4 grasses, and evergreen and deciduous shrubs. Third, using data from the TRY database, we updated the relationship between leaf nitrogen and the maximum rate of carboxylation of Rubisco (Vcmax), and updated the model phenology to include a trade-off between leaf lifespan and leaf mass per unit area.
Mobile augmented reality in support of building damage and safety assessment
Authors: Kim W. , Kerle N. , Gerke M.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Rapid and accurate assessment of the state of buildings in the aftermath of a disaster event is critical for an effective and timely response. For rapid damage assessment of buildings, the utility of remote sensing (RS) technology has been widely researched, with focus on a range of platforms and sensors. However, RS-based approaches still have limitations to assess structural integrity and the specific damage status of individual buildings. Structural integrity refers to the ability of a building to hold the entire structure. Consequently, ground-based assessment conducted by structural engineers and first responders is still required. This paper demonstrates the concept of mobile augmented reality (mAR) to improve performance of building damage and safety assessment in situ. Mobile AR provides a means to superimpose various types of reference or pre-disaster information (virtual data) on actual post-disaster building data (real buildings). To adopt mobile AR, this study defines a conceptual framework based on the level of complexity (LOC). The framework consists of four LOCs, and for each of these, the data types, required processing steps, AR implementation and use for damage assessment are described. Based on this conceptualization we demonstrate prototypes of mAR for both indoor and outdoor purposes. Finally, we conduct a user evaluation of the prototypes to validate the mAR approach for building damage and safety assessment.
Linear and Non-linear Stability Analysis of the Rate and State Friction Model with Three State Variables
Authors: Sinha Nitish , Singh Arun K.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. In this article, we study linear and non-linear stability of the three state variables rate and state friction (3sRSF) model with spring-mass sliding system. Linear stability analysis shows that critical stiffness, at which dynamical behaviour of the sliding system changes, increases with number of state variables. The bifurcation diagram reveals that route of chaos is period doubling and this has also been confirmed with the Poincaré maps. The present system is hyperchaos since all Lyapunov exponents are positive. It is also established that the 3sRSF model is more chaotic than corresponding to the 2sRSF model. Finally, the implication of the present study is also discussed.
Integrating a mini catchment with mulching for soil water management in a sloping jujube orchard on the semiarid Loess Plateau of China
Authors: Li H. C. , Gao X. D. , Zhao X. N. , Wu P. T. , Li L. S. , Ling Q. , Sun W. H.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Conserving more soil water is of great importance to the sustainability of arid and semiarid orchards. Here we integrated fish-scale pits, semicircular mini-catchments for hill slope runoff collection, with mulches to test their effects on soil water storage in a 12-year-old dryland jujube orchard on the Loess Plateau of China, by using soil water measurements from April 2013 to November 2014. This experiment included four treatments: fish-scale pits with branch mulching (FB), fish-scale pits with straw mulching (FS), fish-scale pits without mulching (F), and bare land treatment (CK). Soil water was measured using the TRIME®-IPH time-domain reflectometer (TDR) tool in 20 cm intervals down to a depth of 180 cm, and was measured once every 2 weeks in the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. The results showed that fish-scale pits with mulching were better in soil water conservation. Average soil water storage (SWS, for short) of FB at soil layer depths of 0–180 cm increased by 14.23 % (2013) and 21.81 % (2014), respectively, compared to CK, but only increased by 4.82 % (2013) and 5.34 % (2014), respectively, for the F treatment. The degree of soil water compensation, WS, was employed here to represent to what extent soil water was recharged from precipitation at the end of the rainy season relative to that at the beginning of the rainy season. A positive (negative) WS larger (lower) soil water content at the end of rainy season than at the beginning. For the treatment of FB, the values of WS over the entire soil profile were greater than 0; for the treatment of F, negative values of WS were observed in depths of 60–100 cm in both years. However, the bare land treatment showed negative values in depths of 40–180 cm. This indicated that integrating fish-scale pits with mulching could significantly increase soil water storage by increasing infiltration and decreasing evaporation, and it showed greater soil water storage and degree of soil water compensation compared to fish-scale pits alone. Since the branches used for mulching here were trimmed jujube branches, the cost of mulching materials was largely reduced. Therefore, integration of fish-scale pits with branch mulching is recommended in orchards for soil water conservation on the Loess Plateau and potentially for other regions.
Protected areas network and conservation efforts concerning threatened amphibians in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Campos F. S. , Llorente G. A. , Rincón L. , Lourenço-de-Moraes R. , Solé M.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. One of the most common conservation strategies used to preserve threatened species is the establishment of protected areas (PAs), providing a maximum representation of biodiversity with the smallest possible cost. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the 35 global biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities, having high rate of habitat loss, which is one of the main factors driving threatened amphibians to extinction. Considering that amphibians are the vertebrate group with the largest number of species geographically excluded from global PAs, gap analysis was employed to evaluate whether or not the PAs of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest safeguard the threatened amphibian species in this region. Species status were compared through the official list of threatened species of the Brazilian Fauna and occurrence maps were obtained from the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List database. Thirty-eight threatened amphibian species were found, accounting for 17 critically endangered (CR), 10 endangered (EN), and 11 vulnerable (VU). The PAs distributed in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest corresponds to only 9 % of the region's entire area. This protected network covers only 30 % of the total geographical range of the assessed species. Besides, a shift in Brazil's environmental policy has led to PAs downgrading. Therefore, the maintenance of PAs integrity is essential, as well as further investment is necessary for the creation of new reserves, avoiding species loss and reducing the extinction risk of the threatened amphibian species in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
Las bibliotecas rurales en los medios de comunicación de la Región de Extremadura: un estudio de caso
Authors: Cebrián-Solís Raquel , Faba-Pérez Cristina
Published: February 2016

El objetivo principal de este trabajo es, a través de las noticias publicadas en diversos medios de comunicación de la Región de Extremadura sobre bibliotecas rurales a lo largo de los últimos años, comprobar el impacto y la visibilidad de las bibliotecas en los medios. Para ello, se recopilan un total de 1196 noticias que, tras ser analizadas detalladamente, se reducen a 300 sobre las que versan los resultados del estudio. Esta disminución de noticias finales demuestra que el titular o los primeros párrafos no expresan exactamente el contenido de la noticia siendo necesario un análisis cualitativo de su contenido. Se concluye que: las noticias sobre bibliotecas rurales han decrecido en el periodo analizado (2007, 2008, 2012, 2013), siendo 2007 el año de mayor auge, si bien se ha observado un repunte en 2013 con respecto a 2012; las noticias sobre bibliotecas rurales de ámbito provincial (Badajoz y Cáceres) obtienen mayor porcentaje que las regionales y nacionales (sin representación); y el diario HOY es, con diferencia, el medio que acumula el mayor porcentaje de noticias sobre bibliotecas rurales.
Y-Split Recession vs Isolated Recession of the Lateral Rectus Muscle in the Treatment of Vertical Shooting in Exotropic Duane Retraction Syndrome
Authors: Farid Mohamed Fathy A.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

To compare the results of 2 surgical procedures in the management of vertical shooting in exotropic Duane retraction syndrome (XT-DRS).

Methods

This was a prospective, interventional study of consecutive patients with XT-DRS with vertical shooting on adduction operated on from August 2012 to January 2015. A total of 25 patients were identified and were divided into 2 groups: the Y-split (Y) group, which included 12 patients, who underwent Y-splitting with recession of the lateral rectus muscle (LR); and the isolated recession (R) group, which included 13 patients, who underwent isolated LR recession. Surgical outcomes in both groups were compared in terms of improvements in vertical shoots, ocular deviation, and face turn.

Results

Upshoot, downshoot, XT, and face turn showed significant postoperative improvement in both groups (p<0.001). When comparing the groups, the difference in the average correction of the upshoot and downshoot was statistically significant ( p = 0.0004 and 0.0174, respectively) in benefit of the Y-group. One case of horizontal overcorrection (consecutive esotropia) with another case of horizontal undercorrection (persistent XT) were reported postoperatively in the Y-group.

Conclusions

In our series, both procedures achieved comparable results in the correction of XT and face turn. The combined Y-split recession procedure attained a more significant improvement of upshoot and downshoot but with higher incidence of postoperative complications.
Surgical Management of Traumatic Nasolacrimal duct Obstruction
Authors: Uzun Feyzahan , Karaca Emine Esra , Konuk Onur
Published: February 2016

Purpose

To evaluate etiologies, demographics, and surgical outcomes in cases of traumatic nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO).

Methods

Charts of 35 patients with the diagnosis of traumatic NLDO were reviewed retrospectively. Patient demographics, type of trauma, previous lacrimal surgery history, surgical treatment, follow-up time, and anatomical and functional outcomes were evaluated.

Results

Forty eyes of 35 patients were included in this study over 12 years. Twenty-four patients were male (68.5%) and the mean age of the patients was 31.52 ± 14.58 years (range 9-68). The most common etiology was motor vehicle accidents (52.5%), followed by high velocity blunt injury (27.5%), accidental fall (7.5%), occupational trauma (5%), iatrogenic surgical trauma (5%), and animal bite (2.5%). A total of 21 eyes (52.5%) were treated with external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR), 30% with conjunctival DCR, 15% with endoscopic DCR, and 2.5% with diode laser-assisted DCR. Mean follow-up time was 23.02 ± 13.53 months. Functional and anatomical success was recorded in 37 out of 40 eyes (92.5%).

Conclusions

Naso-orbitoethmoidal fracture is the main etiology of traumatic NLDO. The majority of the injuries occurred in male participants from motor vehicle accidents and high-velocity blunt injury. Dacryocystorhinostomy provides anatomical and functional success in 92.5% of cases of traumatic NLDO.
Evaluation of Anterior Segment Parameters in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Authors: Duru Necati , Göktaş Emre , Özköse Ayşe , Duru Zeynep , Altunel Orhan , Ataş Mustafa , Özlü Emin
Published: February 2016

Purpose

To evaluate anterior segment parameters in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) in comparison to healthy individuals.

Methods

A total of 34 eyes from 17 patients with NF1 and 34 eyes from 17 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were included in this study. Each participant underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic assessment including best-corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, stereoscopic fundus examination, and intraocular pressure. Central corneal thickness, corneal volume, corneal curvatures (K1 and K2), anterior chamber depth, anterior chamber volume, iridocorneal angle, and pupil size values were measured by Pentacam Scheimpflug camera.

Results

The mean anterior chamber depth, iridocorneal angle, and anterior chamber volume measurements revealed signiﬁcantly lower values when compared with the control group (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p = 0.041, respectively). However, the mean pupil size was significantly larger when compared with the control group (p = 0.008). Central corneal thickness, corneal volume, K1, and K2 values were similar between the study and control groups (p = 0.875, p = 0.549, p = 0.066, and p = 0.166, respectively).

Conclusions

Our results reveal that NF1 is associated with statistically signiﬁcant alterations in anterior chamber depth, iridocorneal angle, anterior chamber volume, and pupil size in patients with NF1 when compared with healthy controls.
The Organization of Clinical Trials for Oncology at IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” Napoli and the Impact of the OECI Accreditation Process
Authors: De Feo Gianfranco , D'Ambrosio Francesca , Palmieri Giada , Perrone Francesco , Ciliberto Gennaro
Published: February 2016

The Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto Nazionale Tumori “Fondazione G. Pascale” (INT-Pascale) is the largest Clinical Care and Research Cancer Center in Southern Italy. The mission is prevention, diagnosis, and care of cancer and innovative research in oncology. In 2013, INT-Pascale joined the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) accreditation and classification project along with other Italian IRCCS cancer centers. One of the major OECI requirements that a cancer center must fulfill in order to achieve and maintain OECI certification is a strong emphasis in translational and clinical research: increasing the number of patients enrolled in clinical trials, establishing easily accessible databases for operators, and informing all possible stakeholders, including patients. A characterizing theme of INT-Pascale is a strong commitment to clinical experimental studies. In the 2007-2014 period, 440 clinical trials were activated at INT-Pascale; in this period, the number of clinical trials and observational studies has had an increment achieving in 2014, respectively, the share of 60 clinical trials and 35 observational studies activated. Optimization of clinical trials management and dissemination of the clinical research culture at INT-Pascale are main objectives to be achieved through several actions and procedures being implemented as a component of the OECI improvement plan. Participation in the OECI program has represented an important challenge to improve quality and processes related to promoting, prioritizing, and monitoring clinical trials at INT-Pascale.
The European Accreditation of Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II of Bari
Authors: Lacalamita Rosanna , Quaranta Antonio , Trisorio Liuzzi Maria Pia , Nigro Aldo , Simonetti Umberto , Schirone Massimiliano , Aloè Ferruccio , Capochiani Gianluca , De Francesco Genoveffa , Gadaleta Cosimo , Galetta Domenico , Grammatica Luciano , Guarini Attilio , Mattioli Vittorio , Milella Piero , Moschetta Antonio , Nardulli Patrizia , Nigro Vincenza , Silvestris Nico , Paradiso Angelo
Published: February 2016

The National Cancer Institute of Bari (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, IRCCS) has been involved since the conception of the project of the Italian Ministry for Health aimed to validate the applicability of the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) accreditation and designation (A&D) model to the Network of Italian Cancer Centers, IRCCS, of Alleanza Contro il Cancro. The self-assessment phase of the Institute started in September 2013 and ended in June 2014. All documents and tools were transferred to the OECI A&D Board in June 2014 and a 2-day peer review visit was conducted in October 2014 by an international qualified audit team. The Institute received its final designation and certification in June 2015. The OECI A&D Board, in its final report, came to the conclusion that Istituto Tumori “Giovanni Paolo II” of Bari has a strong research component with some essential elements of comprehensive cancer care still under development; the lack of a system for using outcome data for the strategic management approach to decision-making and missing a regular internal audit system eventually helping further quality improvement were reported as examples of areas with opportunities for improvement. The OECI A&D process represented a great opportunity for the cancer center to benchmark the quality of its performance according to standard parameters in comparison with other international centers and to further develop a participatory group identity. The common goal of accreditation was real and participatory with long-lasting positive effects. We agree with the OECI comments about the next areas of work in which the Institute could produce future further efforts: the use of its powerful IT system as a means for outcome analysis and empowerment projects for its cancer patients.
Three Pathways to Global Standards: Private, Regulator, and Ministry Networks
Authors: Gadinis Stavros
Published: February 2016

The proliferation of international standards has triggered heated debates in recent years. From human rights to environmental protection, from the Internet to financial derivatives, from antitrust to missile technology, international standards govern some of the most important issues of our day. These standards are not legally binding, but scores of governments around the world have incorporated them wholesale in their national legal orders. The drafters of these standards are not political leaders, formal government representatives, or international organizations, but rather informal committees of ministry officials, regulators, or private experts. Labeled transnational regulatory networks, these informal bodies have puzzled legal scholars and international relations theorists. Why do states adopt these standards instead of producing their own laws? How do these new global standard setters come about, and what are their goals? Addressing these questions has been the source of both “euphoria” and “anxiety,” as a leading commentator has recognized.
Andreas (Andy) Lowenfeld (1930–2014)
Authors:   Lord Collins of Mapesbury
Published: February 2016

Andy Lowenfeld, a member of the Board of Editors of this journal from 1978 to 1995, and an honorary editor thereafter, died on June 9, 2014, a few days after his eighty-fourth birthday, in New York City.

Everyone who knew him, as friend, or colleague, or student, or client, wondered at his sparkling intellect, infectious humor, imagination, and boundless curiosity. He always questioned. He never took anything for granted. He was no narrow specialist. His interests included aviation law, international economic law, private international law, public international law, and procedural law. More than any other author or practitioner in the United States, he decried “the unconvincing separation between public and private international law” and practiced what he preached.
The Expulsion of Aliens (Revisited) and Other Topics: The Sixty-Sixth Session of the International Law Commission
Authors: Murphy Sean D.
Published: February 2016

The International Law Commission held its sixty-sixth session in Geneva from May 5 to June 6, and from July 7 to August 8, 2014, under the chairmanship of Kirill Gevorgian (Russian Federation). Notably, the Commission revisited on second reading its work concerning the expulsion of aliens so as to finalize thirty-one draft articles, along with commentaries. The general thrust of this project has been to acknowledge the sovereign right of a state to expel an alien from its territory and to identify or propose rules—protective of the rights of the alien—that the state must follow when doing so.
The Crime of Aggression: The United States Perspective
Authors: Koh Harold Hongju , Buchwald Todd F.
Published: February 2016

At the 2010 Review Conference in Kampala, the states parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to adopt seven amendments to the Rome Statute that contemplate the possibility of the Court exercising jurisdiction over the crime of aggression subject to certain conditions. One condition was that the exercise of jurisdiction would be “subject to a decision to be taken after 1 January 2017 by the same majority of States Parties as is required for the adoption of an amendment to the Statute,” and another was that such jurisdiction could be exercised “only with respect to crimes of aggression committed one year after the ratification or acceptance of the amendments by thirty States Parties.” As these dates approach, we—two lawyers who represented the United States at the Kampala conference and who worked many hours on the United States’ reengagement with the ICC during the Obama administration—thought it an appropriate moment to take stock of where we are, how we got here, and where we might or should be headed with respect to the crime of aggression.
The Latest Award from the Iran–United States Claims Tribunal: The Line Between Approximation of Damages and Ruling ex Aequo et Bono
Authors: Stewart David P. , Schwebel Stephen M. , Teitelbaum Ruth
Published: February 2016

The Iran–United States Claims Tribunal (Tribunal) has functioned in the Hague since 1981. To date, the Tribunal has completed its work in over thirty-nine hundred cases, making it one of the most significant claims settlement efforts in history. Remaining on the Tribunal’s docket are several very large and complex claims between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America.
Hulley Enterprises Ltd. (Cyprus) v. Russian Federation, Yukos Universal Ltd. (Isle of Man) v. Russian Federation, Veteran Petroleum Ltd. (Cyprus) v. Russian Federation
Authors: Giorgetti Chiara
Published: February 2016

On July 18, 2014, the Arbitral Tribunal (Tribunal) constituted in accordance with Article 26 of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) and the 1976 UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration issued its long-awaited final awards in the famous arbitral proceeding related to the demise of oil giant Yukos. The Tribunal held unanimously that a coordinated set of actions by the Russian government (including arrests, tax reassessments, fines, and the forced sale of Yukos) amounted to an indirect expropriation of Yukosin breach of Russia’s obligations under the ECT, and that Russia was liable to pay prompt, adequate, and effective compensation for that breach. The Tribunal concluded that Yukos’s claims were not barred by the company’s own illegal acts or because of the “carve-out” for taxation measures under Article 21 of the ECT. Instead, the Tribunal concluded that the claimants had contributed to the prejudice they suffered and it therefore reduced the awards and reimbursement for legal costs by 25 percent. Even accounting for this reduction, the composite final award is still, by far, the largest known arbitral award ever rendered. The Tribunal ordered the Russian Federation to pay damages totaling US$50,020,867,798, in addition to arbitral and legal costs. Post-award interest is due on any outstanding amounts of damages and costs not paid starting from January 15, 2015, and is to be compounded annually thereafter.
Simoncioni v. Germany
Authors: Pavoni Riccardo
Published: February 2016

With Judgment No. 238/2014, the Italian Constitutional Court (hereinafter Court) quashed the Italian legislation setting out the obligation to comply with the sections of the 2012 decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Jurisdictional Immunities of the State (Germany v. Italy; Greece intervening) (Jurisdictional Immunities or Germany v. Italy) that uphold the rule of sovereign immunity with respect to compensation claims in Italian courts based on grave breaches of human rights, including—in the first place—the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Court found the legislation to be incompatible with Articles 2 and 24 of the Italian Constitution, which secure the protection of inviolable human rights and the right of access to justice (operative paras. 1, 2).
Comparative International Law: Framing the Field
Authors: Roberts Anthea , Stephan Paul B. , Verdier Pierre-Hugues , Versteeg Mila
Published: February 2016

At first blush, “comparative international law” might sound like an oxymoron. In principle, international law—at least when it arises from multilateral treaties or general custom—applies equally to all parties or states. As a result, international lawyers often resist emphasizing local, national, or regional approaches due to the field’s aspirations to universality and uniformity. Comparativists, meanwhile, frequently overlook the potential to apply comparative law insights to international law on the basis that “rules which are avowedly universal in character do not lend themselves to comparison.”
International Law in National Legal Systems: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Verdier Pierre-Hugues , Versteeg Mila
Published: February 2016

International legal scholars have long recognized the importance of the rules and processes by which states adhere to international legal obligations and “translate” them into their domestic legal systems. Research by political scientists on specific issue areas likewise increasingly recognizes that domestic implementation is crucial to international law compliance and effectiveness. Yet the lack of systematic data makes it difficult to assemble an overall picture of the relationship between international law and domestic law around the world, let alone to document its evolution over time. Recent qualitative surveys of state practice have begun to fill that gap, but provide only a snapshot in time and are limited to relatively few countries. Some quantitative projects cover more countries, but address only a limited number of questions based solely on the text of national constitutions.
The 2014 Judicial Activity of the International Court of Justice
Authors: Gray Christine
Published: February 2016

The three disparate cases decided by the International Court of Justice (Court or ICJ) in 2014 may not contribute much to the development of substantive international law, but they are instructive about the operations of the Court. Perhaps the Court was not at its finest in terms of coherent legal reasoning in these three cases; it certainly avoided difficult questions in all of them. Yet each of the three cases had significant numbers of separate and dissenting opinions, which sometimes reveal more about the Court’s reasoning than is apparent from the judgment or order itself.
Prosecutor v. Ruto.
Authors: Jalloh Charles Chernor
Published: February 2016

On October 9, 2014, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC or Court) unanimously held that, under the ICC Statute, a trial chamber has the power to order witnesses to appear before it to give testimony in pending proceedings, which imposes legal obligations on the individuals concerned to comply. In so ruling, the appellate chamber upheld a controversial trial chamber decision granting the ICC prosecutor’s request to summon eight witnesses to testify in the joint trial of Kenya’s vice president, William Samoei Ruto, and former journalist Joshua arap Sang, both of whom faced charges of crimes against humanity for their alleged role in “post-election violence” that led to the deaths of over twelve hundred people (para. 9).
Shepherd v. Germany
Authors: Gärditz Klaus Ferdinand
Published: February 2016

In Shepherd v. Germany, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) issued a preliminary ruling requested by a German administrative court in an asylum case brought by a United States Army service member. Applying the relevant asylum law of the European Union (EU), the ECJ held that, under certain circumstances, a conscientious objector who has deserted from his military unit may claim international refugee protection. It also clarified the conditions under which the basically legitimate prosecution of military deserters must be qualified as illegitimate persecution under international refugee law.