bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Two Paraneoplastic Autoimmune Syndromes: Limbic Encephalitis and Palmar Fasciitis in a Patient with Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Lazarev Irina , Shelef Ilan , Refaely Yael , Ariad Samuel , Ifergane Gal
Published: September 2015

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by a relatively high rate of autoimmune phenomena. Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) is an autoimmune syndrome in which a non-neural tumor containing an antigen normally present in the nervous system precipitates an antibody attack on neural tissues. Patients with PLE usually present with rapidly progressive short-term memory deficits, confusion or even dementia. Palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome (PFPAS) is another autoimmune syndrome characterized by rheumatologic manifestations, especially involving the palms of the hands. We report a case of a 59-year old woman who presented with worsening neurological symptoms of two-week duration, and later coma. The combined clinical, serological, and imaging studies suggested a diagnosis of PLE. A chest computed tomographic scan showed a 1.2 cm-diameter mass in the upper lobe of the left lung that was surgically removed and showed SCLC. Following surgery, neurological symptoms rapidly improved, allowing the patient to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. While in remission for both SCLC and PLE, the patient developed pain, soft-tissue swelling, and stiffness in both palms, suggesting the diagnosis of PFPAS. Five months following the diagnosis of palmar fasciitis, SCLC relapsed with mediastinal and cervical lymphadenopathy. This case report underlines the continuous interaction of SCLC with the immune system, expressed by coexistence of two rare paraneoplastic diseases, PLE, and PFPAS, in a patient with SCLC. While symptoms related to PLE preceded the initial diagnosis of SCLC, other symptoms related to PFPAS preceded relapse.
Palliative Radiation for Leukemic Arthropathy from Human T-Cell Lymphoma Virus-associated Adult T-Cell Leukemia Lymphoma
Authors: Birckhead Brandon J. , Peterson Jennifer L. , Patel Ajay B. , Miller Robert C.
Published: September 2015

Human T-cell lymphoma virus (HTLV)-associated adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma is a rare cancer in the United States, but there are several areas around the world where the virus is endemic. HTLV-associated adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma has been associated with leukemic arthropathy. We present a patient with HTLV-associated adult T-cell leukemia lymphoma with leukemic arthropathy. Although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and chemotherapy are often used for treatment, we describe the successful use of radiation therapy in the palliative relief of symptoms from leukemic arthropathy.
State and use of monitoring and evaluation systems in national and provincial departments
Authors: Umlaw Futhi , Chitepo Noqobo
Published: September 2015

Since 2009, South Africa has seen a major shift in emphasis concerning monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems. This shift was partially stimulated by the South African government being faced with a number of pressures, key amongst which were persistent poverty and inequality and widespread service delivery protests. These pressures resulted ina greater willingness by government to address the poor quality of public services, and other governance problems that needed a greater focus on M&E to address these challenges. This led to the establishment of the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) in early 2010. A comprehensive survey on the state and use of M&E systems in national and provincial government was conducted by the DPME as an attempt to understand the M&E landscape since 1994. The results were used to make informed policy and programme decisions. This paper outlines the findings of the survey.
Use of evidence in policy making in South Africa: An exploratory study of attitudes of senior government officials
Authors: Paine Cronin Gemma , Sadan Mastoera
Published: September 2015

This paper outlines a 2011 study commissioned by the Presidency’s Programme to Support Pro-Poor Policy Development (PSPPD) which promotes evidence-based policy making (EBPM) in South Africa. EBPM refers to norms, initiatives and methods aimed at improving evidence-based policy in countries from which South Africa traditionally borrows public service reforms, particularly the UK and Canada. The study provides a descriptive snapshot of attitudes to evidence-use in policy making. All 54 senior government officials interviewed felt that evidence-use is too limited to ensure relevant, effective policy responses. This includes policies on which complex results depend and those with long-term and high-resource implications. Although all respondents regarded EBPM as self-evidently desirable, there were different views on practical application. Examples provided suggest that, where evidence was used, it was very often related to a borrowed international policy without a prior evidencedrivenanalysis of successes and failures or its relevance and feasibility in terms of local issuesand context. Policy makers generally know they should be making optimal use of availableevidence, but highlighted systemic barriers beyond the influence of individual managersto resolve. The study suggests that improved use of evidence throughout the policy cycle,particularly in analysing problems and needs, is a requirement for learning through evidencebased policy development. It suggests that political and administrative leadership will need to agree on norms, ways of dealing with the barriers to effective use of evidence and on the role of each throughout the policy cycle in ensuring appropriate evidence is available and used.
‘Do not quench the Spirit!’ The discourse of the Holy Spirit in earliest Christianity
Authors: Peerbolte Bert Jan Lietaert
Published: September 2015

The Trinitarian discourse of the 4th and 5th centuries grew out of earlier developments, whilst at the same time reflecting a renewal over against the language of the earliest Christian sources. This article reflects on the way in which early Christianity thought about the Holy Spirit and developed a new discourse on the basis of earlier, Jewish traditions. It situates the development of the idea of the Holy Spirit as God’s presence in past and present within the social history of the developing Christian movement, and shows how this idea was connected to the concept of apostolic succession. Thus, emerging Christianity legitimised itself and its social structures by the theology of the Holy Spirit. Its message was presented as old instead of new, as the Holy Spirit had foretold the Christ event. Its organisation was seen as divinely inspired, because its leaders were thought to be endowed with the Spirit. In this development, the narrative of Luke-Acts has thoroughly influenced the way in which Christianity developed a new discourse to present itself as old.
Ecodomy in mission: The ecological crisis in the light of recent ecumenical statements
Authors: Niemandt Cornelius J.P.
Published: September 2015

This research explored ecodomy in mission and gave a brief overview of the ecological dimension of mission. This was done in terms of the polarity between creation and end times, or a creation-centred and a redemption-centred approach. The two approaches were described by focusing on two themes found in the works of missiologist and ecumenical policy documents (The Accra Confession, The Cape Town Commitment, and Together towards life � Mission and evangelism in changing landscapes): the reorientation towards creation and the re-imagination of the eschaton. In terms of the reorientation towards creation, the research found that current developments in missiology reflect a major interest in the importance of ecological issues, offer a clear understanding that the Gospel is good news for all of creation, and demand justice towards the whole oikoumene. It affirmed that God�s mission is inherently creational and world-affirming. In terms of the re-imagination of the eschaton, the research found that the new life promised by the gospel is life in fullness, and includes the whole oikoumene. The reality that is already present in the reign of the risen Christ in his kingdom, structures and informs the life-giving mission of the church.
Traumatic Brain Injury by a Closed Head Injury Device Induces Cerebral Blood Flow Changes and Microhemorrhages
Authors: Kallakuri Srinivasu , Bandaru Sharath , Zakaria Nisrine , Shen Yimin , Kou Zhifeng , Zhang Liying , Haacke Ewart Mark , Cavanaugh John M
Published: September 2015

Objectives:

Traumatic brain injury is a poly-pathology characterized by changes in the cerebral blood flow, inflammation, diffuse axonal, cellular, and vascular injuries. However, studies related to understanding the temporal changes in the cerebral blood flow following traumatic brain injury extending to sub-acute periods are limited. In addition, knowledge related to microhemorrhages, such as their detection, localization, and temporal progression, is important in the evaluation of traumatic brain injury.

Materials and Methods:

Cerebral blood flow changes and microhemorrhages in male Sprague Dawley rats at 4 h, 24 h, 3 days, and 7 days were assessed following a closed head injury induced by the Marmarou impact acceleration device (2 m height, 450 g brass weight). Cerebral blood flow was measured by arterial spin labeling. Microhemorrhages were assessed by susceptibility-weighted imaging and Prussian blue histology.

Results:

Traumatic brain injury rats showed reduced regional and global cerebral blood flow at 4 h and 7 days post-injury. Injured rats showed hemorrhagic lesions in the cortex, corpus callosum, hippocampus, and brainstem in susceptibility-weighted imaging. Injured rats also showed Prussian blue reaction products in both the white and gray matter regions up to 7 days after the injury. These lesions were observed in various areas of the cortex, corpus callosum, hippocampus, thalamus, and midbrain.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that changes in cerebral blood flow and hemorrhagic lesions can persist for sub-acute periods after the initial traumatic insult in an animal model. In addition, microhemorrhages otherwise not seen by susceptibility-weighted imaging are present in diverse regions of the brain. The combination of altered cerebral blood flow and microhemorrhages can potentially be a source of secondary injury changes following traumatic brain injury and may need to be taken into consideration in the long-term care of these cases.
Periappendicular Abscess Presenting within an Inguinal Hernia
Authors: Loberant Norman , Bickel Amitai
Published: September 2015

The presence of the appendix within an inguinal hernia is a rare finding. We present the case of an elderly woman who developed appendicitis within an inguinal hernia, complicated by a supervening periappendicular abscess. She was successfully treated with a combination of antibiotics and percutaneous drainage.
Incidental Cystic Lymphangioma of the Small Bowel Mesentery
Authors: Cupido Brindley David , Low Gavin
Published: September 2015

Lymphangiomas are benign lesions of mesenchymal origin. Although more commonly encountered in the head and neck, intra-abdominal lymphangiomas are a rare entity that typically present as multiloculated intra-abdominal cystic lesions that are often incidentally discovered on imaging. This case report discusses such a case.
The pancreatic surgery in the era of digital medical science
Authors: Fang Chihua , Cai Wei , Zhong Shizhen
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

The development of science and technology not only promotes the development of the society but also has a great influence on the progress of medicine. The three-dimensional (3D) printing technology together with other digital production modes will promote the realization of the third industrial revolution. New 3D equipment and concepts brought a huge leap forward in surgery, and pancreatic surgery also benefits from this. The author has committed himself to the scientific research of 3D pancreatic surgery for decades, and applying 3D visualization technology to the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer, 3D visualization of peripancreatic vessels, resectability evaluation of the pancreatic cancer and prevention of pancreatic fistula. This article presents a new idea on the development of pancreatic surgery and introduces not only the progress in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic diseases in the era of digital medicine, but also the relative advantages brought about by the new equipment (such as da Vinci robotic surgical system, 3D Laparoscope).
Digital camera in ophthalmology
Authors: Mitra Ashish , Jain Elesh , Sen Alok , Tripathi Shubhi
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACT

Ophthalmology is an expensive field and imaging is an indispensable modality in ophthalmology; and in developing countries including India, it is not possible for every ophthalmologist to afford slit-lamp photography unit. We here present our experience of slit-lamp photography using digital camera. Good quality pictures of anterior and posterior segment disorders were captured using readily available devices. It can be a used as a good teaching tool for residents learning ophthalmology and can also be a method to document lesions which at many times is necessary for medicolegal purposes. It's a technique which is simple, inexpensive, and has a short learning curve.
Natural Language Processing Techniques for Extracting and Categorizing Finding Measurements in Narrative Radiology Reports
Authors: Buurman J. , Liu P. , Peters J.F. , Chang P.J. , Sevenster M.
Published: September 2015

Background: Accumulating quantitative outcome parameters may contribute to constructing a healthcare organization in which outcomes of clinical procedures are reproducible and predictable. In imaging studies, measurements are the principal category of quantitative para meters.

Objectives: The purpose of this work is to develop and evaluate two natural language processing engines that extract finding and organ measurements from narrative radiology reports and to categorize extracted measurements by their “temporality“.

Methods: The measurement extraction engine is developed as a set of regular expressions. The engine was evaluated against a manually created ground truth. Automated categorization of measurement temporality is defined as a machine learning problem. A ground truth was manually developed based on a corpus of radiology reports. A maximum entropy model was created using features that characterize the measurement itself and its narrative context. The model was evaluated in a ten-fold cross validation protocol.

Results: The measurement extraction engine has precision 0.994 and recall 0.991. Accuracy of the measurement classification engine is 0.960.

Conclusions: The work contributes to machine understanding of radiology reports and may find application in software applications that process medical data.

Citation: Sevenster M, Buurman J, Liu P, Peters JF, Chang PJ. Natural language processing techniques for extracting and categorizing finding measurements in narrative radiology reports. Appl Clin Inform 2015; 6: 600–610

http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2014-11-RA-0110
Screening of virulence genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from rabbits
Authors: Viana Martín David , Selva Laura , Penadés Mariola , Corpa Juan Manuel
Published: September 2015

Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen able to cause disease in both humans and animals. In rabbits, this bacterium infects animals of different ages, producing several purulent lesions. The ability of S. aureus to cause disease depends on a combination of virulence factors. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the distribution of bacterial virulence determinants in 69 S. aureus isolates from rabbits. Some virulence factors (7 adhesins, 1 toxin and 1 protease) were positive in all rabbit S. aureus isolates analysed, while others (1 adhesin and 10 toxins) were always negative. The remaining virulence factors were more variable among isolates. An association between genotype and the different profiles of virulence factors was observed, but not with the type of lesion (P<0.05). One strain of each genotype was further analysed by multilocus sequence typing, generating ST121, ST96 and ST2951, determining a greater number of enterotoxins in ST121 isolates compared to ST96 and ST2951 isolates, which could justify the different pathogenicity between strains. 
Comparison of degrees of maturity of rabbit lines selected for different traits
Authors: Pascual M. , Calle E.W. , Blasco A.
Published: September 2015

The aim of this work was to study whether commercial nucleus lines of rabbits selected for different traits, and experimental lines having commercial purposes, have the same degree of maturity when compared at the same slaughter age. The study was carried out with 17897 rabbits from Universitat Politècnica de València. Rabbits came from the maternal lines A (3902 rabbits; 44th generation), V (4238 rabbits; 39th generation) and LP (6115 rabbits; 9th generation), selected for litter size at weaning; the paternal line R (2023 rabbits; 25th generation), selected for growth rate between 28 and 63 days of age; the maternal line OR (586 rabbits; 11th generation) selected for ovulation rate; and the lines High (503 rabbits; 5th generation) and Low (530 rabbits; 5thgeneration) lines, from a divergent selection for high and low intramuscular fat, respectively. Rabbits were weighted at 28 (W28) and 63 (W63) days of age. Rabbit does (42, 25, 39, 94, 14, 32 and 22 from lines A, V, R, LP, OR, High and Low, respectively) were weighed between 30 and 80 wk of age to determine adult weight (AW). Line R had higher W28 and W63, growth rate between 28 and 63 d of age and AW than lines A, V and LP (5802 g vs. 4410, 4222, and 4391 g for AW, respectively). No relevant differences between lines in degrees of maturity at 28 and 63 d of age and time to reach 40% of degree of maturity (percentage of weight compared to AW) were found between lines A, V, R and LP, but the degree of maturity at 2000 g and the time taken to reach that weight were lower in line R (34.7% and 55.2 d) than in lines A (45.5% and 71.1 d), V (47.4% and 69.6 d), and LP (45.8% and 68.0 d). No relevant differences were found between lines OR, High and Low in the traits analysed. A robustness analysis showed that results can be extrapolated to other commercial lines and other slaughter weights. In conclusion, comparison of lines at similar slaughter age could be considered a valid approach for comparisons at the same maturity stage.
Genetic and non-genetic factors affecting rabbit doe sexual receptivity as estimated from one generation of divergent selection
Authors: Theau.Clément M. , Sécula A. , Saleil G. , Monniaux D. , Brecchia G. , Boiti C. , Bodin L. , Brun J.M.
Published: September 2015

Sexual receptivity of rabbit does at insemination greatly influences fertility and is generally induced by hormones or techniques known as “biostimulation”. Searching for more sustainable farming systems, an original alternative would be to utilise the genetic pathway to increase the does’receptivity. The purpose of the present study was to identify genetic and non-genetic factors that influence rabbit doe sexual receptivity, in the context of a divergent selection experiment over 1 generation. The experiment spanned 2 generations: the founder generation (G0) consisting of 140 rabbit does, and the G1 generation comprising 2 divergently selected lines (L and H lines) with 70 does each and 2 successive batches from each generation. The selection rate of the G0 females to form the G1 lines was 24/140. The selection tests consisted of 16 to 18 successive receptivity tests at the rate of 3 tests per week. On the basis of 4716 tests from 275 females, the average receptivity was 56.6±48.2%. A batch effect and a test operator effect were revealed. The contribution of females to the total variance was 20.0%, whereas that of bucks was only 1.1%. Throughout the experiment, 18.2% of does expressed a low receptivity (< 34%), 50.7% a medium one and 33.1% a high one (>66%). Some does were frequently receptive, whereas others were rarely receptive. The repeatability of sexual receptivity was approximately 20%. The results confirmed the high variability of sexual receptivity of non-lactating rabbit does maintained without any biostimulation or hormonal treatment. A lack of selection response on receptivity was observed. Accordingly, the heritability of receptivity was estimated at 0.01±0.02 from an animal model and at 0.02±0.03 from a  sire and dam model. The heritability of the average receptivity of a doe was calculated as 0.04. In agreement with the low estimated heritability, the heritability determined was no different from zero. Nevertheless, the occurrence of pseudopregnancies due to uncontrolled ovulations and the presence of corpora lutea, as assessed by progesterone titrations, could have interfered with receptivity. Further studies would be necessary to confirm the low heritability of female rabbit receptivity.
Variación familial en plántulas de Pinus leiophylla Schiede ex Schltdl. & Cham. en respuesta a la sequía: potencial hídrico y osmótico
Authors: Castelán-Muñoz Natalia , Jiménez-Casas Marcos , López-Delgado Humberto A. , Campos-García Hutziméngari , Vargas-Hernández J. Jesús
Published: September 2015

La variación de plántulas de cuatro familias de Pinus leiophylla de diferentes procedencias se evaluó en respuesta a la sequía, considerando las variables potencial hídrico (Ψa), potencial osmótico (Ψ0), componentes y asignación de biomasa. Las familias de P. leiophylla se localizan en un huerto semillero del Colegio de Postgraduados en el Estado de México. El estudio se hizo con el fin de identificar los genotipos resistentes al estrés hídrico. Después de 26 días sin riego, 50 % de las plántulas presentaron decaimiento permanente del ápice del tallo, con Ψa = -3.35 MPa y Ψ0 = -3.23 MPa, lo que representó disminución de 596 y 112 %, respectivamente, por efecto de la sequía. La acumulación de biomasa también fue afectada significativamente (P = 0.05) en las familias evaluadas, a excepción de la procedente de San Rafael. En promedio, la biomasa de la raíz de las plántulas en sequía fue 38 % menor que las plántulas sin sequía. Las familias de P. leiophylla provenientes de San Juan Tetla y de Santa María Atepetzingo (ambas del estado de Puebla) presentaron mejor respuesta al estrés impuesto, mientras que la familia de Tlalmanalco (Estado de México) fue la más afectada.
Efectos del quitosano en hongos fitopátogenos y en la germinación de semillas de Jatropha curcas L.
Authors: Pabón-Baquero Diana , Velázquez-del Valle Miguel G. , Evangelista-Lozano Silvia , León-Rodriguez Renato , Hernández-Lauzardo Ana N.
Published: September 2015

Jatropha curcas es una planta con gran potencial agrícola e industrial. En este estudio se aislaron dos hongos de semillas no germinadas. Los aislamientos fúngicos se identificaron morfológica y molecularmente como Fusarium equiseti y Curvularia lunata. Los efectos del quitosano se evaluaron sobre el crecimiento micelial, esporulación y germinación de esporas de F. equiseti y C. lunata. Además, se estudió el efecto sobre la germinación de las semillas de J. curcas. Los resultados demostraron que todas las concentraciones probadas de quitosano (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 y 4.0 mg·mL-1) inhibieron el crecimiento micelial de los hongos. Las respuestas de esporulación y germinación de esporas fueron diferentes dependiendo de la especie fúngica; el quitosano inhibió completamente la esporulación C. lunata y la germinación de esporas de F. equiseti. La inoculación con F. equiseti y C. lunata redujo la germinación de semillas de J. curcas 20 y 26.6 %, respectivamente; sin embargo, la aplicación de quitosano antes de la inoculación inhibió la actividad patogénica. En conclusión, el quitosano no afectó la germinación de las semillas y causó efectos inhibitorios en F. equiseti y C. lunata. Este es el primer reporte del efecto del quitosano en J. curcas.
El color del polvo urbano como indicador de contaminación por elementos potencialmente tóxicos: el caso de Ensenada, Baja California, México
Authors: Cortés José L. , Bautista Francisco , Quintana Patricia , Aguilar Daniel , Goguichaishvili Avto
Published: September 2015

La contaminación por elementos potencialmente tóxicos (EPT) no se evalúa periódicamente, ya que los análisis químicos son de costo elevado. Las cenizas y humos de combustión otorgan color obscuro al suelo y afectan la salud de la población. El color podría funcionar como indicador proxy. En este trabajo se diseñó una metodología para probar el uso del color del polvo urbano como indicador de contaminación por EPT y se identificó el color más contaminado. Se analizaron 86 muestras de polvo de Ensenada, Baja California. El color de las muestras se midió y los índices de color (IC) se calcularon con el sistema RGB. El Níquel (Ni), Cobre (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Plomo (Pb), Rubidio (Rb), Vanadio (V), Estroncio (Sr) e Itrio (Y) se analizaron por fluorescencia de rayos X. Las muestras se agruparon por color con las tablas Munsell; los agrupamientos se validaron con un análisis discriminante utilizando los IC. Las regresiones múltiples indicaron que existe relación entre los IC y los EPT. Las medianas de los elementos analizados en las muestras agrupadas por color fueron diferentes (Kruskal-Wallis, P < 0.05). El polvo gris contiene mayores concentraciones de Pb, Cu, Zn y Ni. Los índices de color del polvo urbano pueden considerarse una metodología proxy debido al bajo costo, rapidez y confiabilidad.
Variación individual en atributos de Clusia salvinii Donn. Smith asociados a la atracción de frugívoros en la dispersión de frutos y semillas
Authors: Sánchez-Sánchez Hermilo , Manjarrez Javier , Domínguez-Tejada César A. , Morquecho-Contreras Alina
Published: September 2015

La dispersión de semillas es uno de los procesos de las interacciones planta-frugívoro que involucra características propias de la planta con efecto en la atracción de los frugívoros. En este trabajo se estudió la variación individual en los atributos de Clusia salvinii, relacionados con la atracción de frugívoros, y su efecto en la dispersión de frutos y semillas en la Reserva de Nanchititla, Estado de México. Las características morfométricas de 25 árboles de C. salvinii fueron evaluadas (altura, cobertura, número de frutos, número de semillas por fruto y frutos bajo las copas). También se estimó la remoción de frutos y semillas (dispersión) y algunos de sus atributos como estimadores de la cantidad de biomasa asignada para la reproducción o como recompensa para los dispersores (peso promedio por árbol, peso promedio de arilos por árbol). Acorde con los resultados, la altura de los árboles y el tamaño de la cosecha o producción de frutos tienen efecto sobre la remoción de semillas. Por otra parte, la masa del fruto, del arilo y de la semilla no presentó relación con la remoción de frutos. La altura de los árboles y la cantidad de frutos juegan un papel importante en la atracción de dispersores.
Spatiotemporal variations of air pollutants (O3, NO2, SO2, CO, PM10, and VOCs) with land-use types
Authors: Yoo J.-M. , Jeong M.-J. , Kim D. , Stockwell W. R. , Yang J.-H. , Shin H.-W. , Lee M.-I. , Song C.-K. , Lee S.-D.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. The spatiotemporal variations of surface air pollutants (O3, NO2, SO2, CO, and PM10) with four land-use types, residence (R), commerce (C), industry (I) and greenbelt (G), have been investigated at 283 stations in South Korea during 2002–2013, using routinely observed data. The volatile organic compound (VOC) data at nine photochemical pollutant monitoring stations available since 2007 were utilized in order to examine their effect on the ozone chemistry. The land-use types, set by the Korean government, were generally consistent with the satellite-derived land covers and with the previous result showing anti-correlation between O3 and NO2 in diverse urban areas. The relationship between the two pollutants in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) residence land-use areas was substantially different from that outside of the SMA, probably due to the local differences in vehicle emissions. The highest concentrations of air pollutants in the diurnal, weekly, and annual cycles were found in industry for SO2 and PMPM10, in commerce for NO2 and CO, and in greenbelt for O3. The concentrations of air pollutants, except for O3, were generally higher in big cities during weekdays, while O3 showed its peak in suburban areas or small cities during weekends. The weekly cycle and trends of O3 were significantly out of phase with those of NO2, particularly in the residential and commercial areas, suggesting that vehicle emission was a major source in those areas. The ratios of VOCs to NO2 for each of the land-use types were in the order of I (10.2) > C (8.7) > G (3.9) > R (3.6), suggesting that most areas in South Korea were likely to be VOC-limited for ozone chemistry. The pollutants (NO2, SO2, CO, and PMPM10 except for O3 have decreased, most likely due to the effective government control. The total oxidant values (OX = O3 + NO2) with the land-use types were analyzed for the local and regional (or background) contributions of O3, respectively, and the order of OX (ppb) was C (57.4) > R (53.6) > I (50.7) > G (45.4), indicating the greenbelt observation was close to the background.
Expanding HadISD: quality-controlled, sub-daily station data from 1931
Authors: J. H. Dunn R. , M. Willett K. , E. Parker D. , Mitchell L.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. We describe the first major update to the sub-daily station-based HadISD dataset. The temporal coverage of the dataset has been extended to 1931 to present, doubling the time range over which data are provided. Improvements made to the station selection and merging procedures result in 8113 stations being provided in version 2.0.0.2014f of this dataset. This station selection will be reassessed at every annual update, which is likely to result in increasing station numbers over time. The selection of stations to merge together making composites has also been improved and made more robust. The underlying structure of the quality control procedure is the same as for HadISD.1.0.x, but a number of improvements have been implemented in individual tests. Also, more detailed quality control tests for wind speed and direction have been added. The data will be made available as netCDF files at www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadisd and updated annually.
Modeling the hydrodynamic interactions between the main channel and the floodplain at McCarran Ranch in the lower Truckee River, Nevada
Authors: Chen X. , Chen L. , Zhao J. , Yu Z.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. This study applied the two-dimensional AdH (adaptive hydraulics) hydrodynamic model to a river reach to analyze flood hydraulics on complex floodplains. Using the AdH model combined with bathymetry and topographic data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) seamless server and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), we intended to examine the interactions between the channel and floodplain of a 10 km stretch at McCarran Ranch, which is located at the lower Truckee River in Nevada. After calibrating the model, we tested the dependence of the modeling results on mesh density, input parameters, and time steps and compared the modeling results to the existing gauged data (both the discharge and water stage heights). Results show that the accuracy of prediction from the AdH model may decline slightly at higher discharges and water levels. The modeling results are more sensitive to the roughness coefficient of the main channel, which suggests that the model calibration should give priority to the main channel roughness. A detailed analysis of the floodwater dynamics was then conducted using the modeling approach to examine the hydraulic linkage between the main channel and floodplains. We found that large flood events could lead to a significantly higher proportion of total flow being routed through the floodplains. During peak discharges, a river channel diverted as much as 65 % of the total discharge into the floodplain. During the periods of overbank flow, the transboundary flux ratio was approximately 5 to 45 % of the total river discharge, which indicates substantial exchange between the main channel and floodplains. The results also showed that both the relations of the inundation area and volume versus the discharge exhibit an apparent looped curve form, which suggests that flood routing has an areal hysteresis effect on floodplains.
Application and analysis of debris-flow early warning system in Wenchuan earthquake-affected area
Authors: Liu D. L. , Zhang S. J. , Yang H. J. , Jiang Y. H. , Leng X. P.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. The activities of debris flow (DF) in the Wenchuan earthquake-affected area significantly increased after the earthquake on 12 May 2008. The safety of local people's lives and property has been and will continue to be threatened by DFs in a long term. To this end a physics-based early warning system (EWS) for DF forecasting was developed and applied in this earthquake area. This paper introduces an application of the system in the Wenchuan earthquake-affected area and analyzes the prediction results in comparison to the DF events triggered by the strong rainfall events reported by the local government. The prediction accuracy and efficiency was first compared with contribution-factors-based system currently adopted by the Weather Bureau of Sichuan Province using the storm on 17 August 2012 as a case study. The comparison shows that the failure prediction rate and false prediction rate of the new system is respectively 19 and 21 % lower than the system based on the contribution factors. Consequently, the prediction accuracy is obviously higher than the system based on the contribution factors with a higher operational efficiency. As invited by the Weather Bureau of Sichuan Province, authors have upgraded their prediction system of DF by using this new system before the monsoon of Wenchuan earthquake-affected area in 2013. Two prediction cases on 9 July of 2013 and 10 July of 2014 were chosen here to further demonstrate that the new EWS has a high stability, efficiency and prediction accuracy.
Remote sensing of chlorophyll in the Baltic Sea at basin scale from 1997 to 2012 using merged multisensor data
Authors: Pitarch J. , Volpe G. , Colella S. , Krasemann H. , Santoleri R.
Published: September 2015

Abstract. Fifteen-year (1997–2012) time series of chlorophyll a (CHL) in the Baltic Sea, based on merged multisensor satellite data provided by the European projects Globcolour and ESA-OC-CCI were analysed. Several available CHL algorithms were sea-truthed against a large in situ CHL dataset consisting of data by Seadatanet, HELCOM and NOAA. Matchups were calculated for three separate areas (1) Skagerrak and Kattegat, (2) Baltic Proper plus gulfs of Riga and Finland, called here "Central Baltic", (3) Gulf of Bothnia, and for the three areas as a whole. Statistics showed low linearity. The OC4v6 algorithm (R2 = 0.46, BIAS = +60 %, RMS = 79 % for the whole dataset) was linearly transformed by using the best linear fit (OC4corr). By construction, the bias was corrected, but RMS was increased instead. Despite this shortcoming, we demonstrated that errors between OC4corr and in situ data were log-normally distributed and centred at zero. Consequently, unbiased estimators of the horizontally-averaged CHL could be obtained, the error of which tends to zero when a large amount of pixels is averaged. From the basin-wide time series, the climatology and the annual anomalies were separated. The climatologies revealed completely different CHL dynamics among regions: in Skagerrak and Kattegat, CHL strongly peaks in late winter, with a minimum in summer and a secondary peak in spring. In the Central Baltic, CHL follows a dynamics of a spring CHL peak, followed by a much stronger summer bloom, with decreasing CHL towards winter. The Gulf of Bothnia shows a similar CHL dynamics as the central Baltic, although the summer bloom is absent. Across years, CHL showed great variability. Supported by auxiliary satellite sea-surface temperature (SST) data, we found that phytoplankton growth was inhibited in the central Baltic Sea in the years of colder summers or when the SST happened to increase later in the season. Extremely high CHL in spring 2008 was detected and linked to an exceptionally warm preceding winter. Sharp SST changes were found to induce CHL changes in the same direction. This phenomenon was appreciated best by overlaying the time series of the CHL and SST anomalies.
The Effect of Western Psychiatric Models of Mental Illness on a Non – Western Culture
Authors: Jacobs CJ Gletus Matthews CN , Narayanasamy Kogilah , Hardani Abbas
Published: September 2015

The treatment of mental illness historically has been always based on western nation’s mode of thinking. That’s could be understandably well because western mode of medical treatment has always dominated the world despite surge in alternative medicine in recent times. Medicine and treatment in mental illness are dealt by personnel who are trained in western medicine, and therefore, their orientations are western based. These trained personnel faces challenges when they are diagnosing mental illness across different cultures that are found not only around the globe but also within the western domain given the migration pattern in the last half a century or so. Through the analysis of the various literature on this area and the practices therein, the articles examines the social process of the restrictive medical model that dominates western thinking of mental illness creates a vacuum in dealing with patients from cross culture largely due to their own views of what constitutes mental illness. A patient’s deviant behaviour may be the result of an upbringing which are regarded as unusual to western norms of living. Specialist in the field of psychiatry being western in their outlook and mostly educated in that aspect will apply therapies that are alien to non-western patients who may believe that they are possessed by spirits which explains their deviant behaviour. The authors argue that the conflict faced by psychiatrist and related professionals can be resolved by a better understanding and adopting a universal approach in treating mental patients of different culture. The question is whether they are willing to confront ethical issues that can be intrinsically challenging especially when they are controversial.
Three Ways to Fail at Forgiveness
Authors: Palmer David
Published: September 2015

The characters in O'Neill's late plays, especially in Long Day's Journey Into Night, fail to forgive each other for a variety of reasons, which can be elucidated by examining failures at forgiveness in the works of Samuel Beckett and Arthur Miller. The framework for the discussion of forgiveness here, including the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, is provided by insights into ethics and philosophy of mind from Bernhard Schlink, William James, Stanley Cavell, Daniel Kahneman, and Jonathan Haidt. Ultimately, O'Neill's characters' failure to forgive is attributed to a kind of narcissism, and narcissism is explored as an underlying theme in the plays O'Neill wrote at Tao House in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Trauma and the Tragic in The Hairy Ape and All God's Chillun Got Wings
Authors: Nastić Radmila
Published: September 2015

The article views O'Neill's two early plays, The Hairy Ape and All God's Chillun Got Wings, as dramatic expressions of traumatic experience. They dramatize posttraumatic memory that haunts the characters to the point of death and mental illness respectively. The plays are seen as tragic in a sense different from the traditional view of tragedy. They are defined as trauma-tragedies, the term recently introduced into the theory of drama under the influence of Ruth Leys and her explorations of trauma. This tragic mode brings the audience into the traumatic drama by providing it with the most intense physical sensation of trauma possible and in this way with a specific tragic catharsis.
The Great God Pan/Brown
Authors: Claveria Alesha
Published: September 2015

Examining the origins of the phrase “the Great God Pan,” and similarities between Eugene O'Neill's play The Great God Brown (1925) and Arthur Machen's Victorian horror novel The Great God Pan (1894), reveals that these works share more than similar titles. Correspondences in tone, theme, and other details suggest that Machen's novel might have influenced O'Neill, opening new possibilities for interpreting the ideas and stylistic affinities of O'Neill's elusive play. The possibility of connection is strengthened by the authors' overlapping social spheres during the 1920s, with Carl Van Vechten as the linking figure. As such, a groundbreaking Victorian horror story, which O'Neill might have heard as a boy, could have helped shape O'Neill's sort of modernism.
A Relational Database of WHO Mortality Data Prepared to Facilitate Global Mortality Research
Authors: De Roos Albert
Published: September 2015

Detailed world mortality data such as collected by the World Health Organization gives a wealth of information about causes of death worldwide over a time span of 60 year. However, the raw mortality data in text format as provided by the WHO is not directly suitable for systematic research and data mining. In this Data Paper, a relational database is presented that is created from the raw WHO mortality data set and includes mortality rates, an ICD-code table and country reference data. This enriched database, as a corpus of global mortality data, can be readily imported in relational databases but can also function as the data source for other types of databases. The use of this database can therefore greatly facilitate global epidemiological research that may provide new clues to genetic or environmental factors in the origins of diseases.
CARACTERIZAÇÃO DA VEGETAÇÃO DA CAATINGA DO SUL DO PIAUÍ PARA GERAÇÃO DE ENERGIA
Authors: Brand Martha Andreia , De Oliveira Luciane Costa , Lacerda Stephenson Ramalho , Toniolo Eliseu Rossato , Junior Geraldo Leal , Campello Ricardo C. Barreto
Published: September 2015

O manejo sustentável da caatinga é fundamental para a preservação desse ecossistema e manutenção das populações rurais. Dessa forma, este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar a vegetação de uma área de caatinga localizada no sul do Piauí, visando a sua utilização para a geração de energia. Em 32 parcelas de 20 x 20 m, foram realizados o inventário florestal, para a quantificação da biomassa (troncos sem galhos) e a caracterização da vegetação, sendo identificadas 70 espécies, distribuídas em 19 famílias. A quantidade de biomassa produzida na área foi em média de 164 t/ha ou 153 m3/ha. A vegetação apresentou ainda altura média de 5,6 m, com 4205 indivíduos/ha. A floresta tem densidade populacional alta, com predominância de indivíduos com diâmetro pequeno (52% da população entre 2 a 5 cm de diâmetro). A maior quantidade de biomassa está concentrada nas classes diamétricas superiores a 10 cm (84% do total de biomassa úmida). A alta diversidade diamétrica requer tratamento especial da biomassa para geração de energia. De forma geral, a quantidade de biomassa gerada na área de estudo é alta e com grande potencial para a geração de energia.AbstractCharacterization of caatinga vegetation in NE Brazil for power generation. The sustainable management of the savanna is fundamental to the preservation of this ecosystem and maintenance of rural populations. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the vegetation of an area of savanna located in southern Piauí, aiming its use for power generation. Thirty-two plots of 20 m x 20 m were deployed. Forest inventory of plots were performed for the quantification of biomass (branchless trunks) and characterization of vegetation. Seventy species, divided into nineteen families were identified. The amount of biomass produced in the area averaged 164 t/ha or 153 m3/h. The vegetation still had an average height of 5.6 m, with 4205 trees / ha. The forest has a high population density, with a predominance of individuals with small diameter (52% of the population between 2-5 cm in diameter). The largest amount of biomass is concentrated in the upper 10 cm diameter classes (84% of wet biomass). The high diametric diversity requires special treatment of biomass for power generation. In general, the amount of biomass generated in the study area is high, with great potential for power generation.Keyword: Biomass; firewood; floristic survey; inventory.
ESTRUTURA, DIVERSIDADE E HETEROGENEIDADE DO ESTRATO REGENERANTE EM UM FRAGMENTO FLORESTAL URBANO APÓS 10 ANOS DE SUCESSÃO FLORESTAL
Authors: Paiva Raphaela Vilela Eiras e , Ribeiro José Hugo Campos , Carvalho Fabricio Alvim
Published: September 2015

Este estudo visou avaliar a composição florística, a fitossociologia e a diversidade de espécies do estrato regenerante arbóreo de um pequeno fragmento (0,5 ha) de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, após 10 anos de abandono, no perímetro urbano do município de Juiz de Fora, MG, Brasil. Os indivíduos da regeneração arbórea (altura ≥ 1 m e DAP < 5 cm) foram amostrados em 25 parcelas aleatórias de 5 x 5 m. Foram amostrados 1224 indivíduos pertencentes a 40 espécies. Houve uma forte predominância (> 90%) de espécies de estágios sucessionais iniciais (pioneiras e secundárias iniciais). Como reflexo da forte dominância ecológica observada, exercida principalmente pela elevada densidade das espécies Dalbergia nigra e Siparuna guianensis, o valor do índice de diversidade de espécies de Shannon (H’ = 2,38) foi muito inferior aos valores encontrados para fragmentos florestais maduros. Mesmo sendo um fragmento pequeno, isolado e em estágio inicial de sucessão secundária, análises multivariadas (agrupamento e DCA) evidenciaram a formação de grupos florísticos e uma forte diferenciação no arranjo das espécies, evidenciando a heterogeneidade típica de florestas tropicais. Embora apresente uma baixa diversidade, esse fragmento urbano tem funções ecológicas e sociais importantes para a região, que carece de áreas verdes para a conservação da flora nativa.AbstractStructure, diversity and heterogeneity of regeneration stratum in an urban forest fragment after 10 years of forest succession. This research aimed to evaluate the floristic composition, phytosociology and species diversity of the regenerating woody stratum of a small fragment (0.5 ha) of Semideciduous Forest, after 10 years of abandonment, in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. All woody individuals (height ≥ 1 m dbh <5 cm) were sampled at 25 random plots of 5 x 5 m. We sampled 1224 individuals belonging to 40 species. There was a strong predominance (> 90%) of species of early successional stages (pioneer and early secondary). Reflecting the strong observed ecological dominance, exercised primarily by the high density of the species Dalbergia nigra and Siparuna guianensis, species diversity value (Shannon index H '= 2.38) was much lower than the values found for mature forest fragments in this region. Although a small fragment, isolated and in early stages of secondary succession, the multivariate analysis (cluster and DCA) revealed the formation of distinct floristic groups and a strong differentiation in the arrangement of the species, showing the tropical forests typical heterogeneity. Although it has a low diversity, this urban fragment has ecological and social importance to the region, that present lack of green areas to conserve the native flora.Keywords:  Phytosociology; multivariate analysis; gradient analysis; ecological groups.