bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Earth
Authors: Ozima Minoru , Korenaga Jun , Yin Qing-Zhu
Published: May 2012

A clear understanding of the Earth's past evolution can provide the key to its possible future development. The Earth: Its Birth and Growth explores the evolution of the Earth over 4.6 billion years using basic reasoning and simple illustrations to help explain the underlying physical and chemical principles and major processes involved. Fully updated and revised, this rigorous but accessible second edition includes three completely new chapters. It incorporates exciting developments in isotope geology, placing results within a wider framework of Earth evolution and plate tectonics. Some background in physics and chemistry is assumed, but basic theories and processes are explained concisely in self-contained sections. Key research papers and review articles are fully referenced. This book is ideal as supplementary reading for undergraduate and graduate students in isotope geochemistry, geodynamics, plate tectonics and planetary science. It also provides an enjoyable overview of Earth's evolution for professional scientists and general readers.
The efficacy of the probiotic feed additive Calsporin® (Bacillus subtilis C-3102) in weaned piglets: combined analysis of four different studies
Authors: Marubashi T. , Gracia M. I. , Vilà B. , Bontempo V. , Kritas S. K. , Piskoríková M.
Published: May 2012

The efficacy of the probiotic feed product, Calsporin® (Bacillus subtilis C-3102) in weaned piglets was evaluated by statistical analysis of the combined results from four different experiments. The body weight, average daily gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and mortality data from these four experiments were tested for homogeneity before being pooled and analysed as a whole, with experiment being included as a blocking factor. Piglets fed diets supplemented with Calsporin® were significantly heavier (3.4%) at 43 days (P < 0.05), their feed intakes decreased by 2.1% and feed efficiency (FCR) improved by 3.2% between 15 and 43 days, although these latter differences were not significant. Over the entire study period (day 1 to 43), significant improvements in daily gain (4.8%) and feed efficiency (6.2%) were observed with Calsporin® supplementation (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that Calsporin® at 30 mg/kg inclusion in commercial-type diets can improve zootechnical performance in weaned piglets.
Characterization of genes with a putative key role in the parasitic lifestyle of the nematode Strongyloides ratti
Authors: SPINNER W. G. , THOMPSON F. J. , EMERY D. C. , VINEY M. E.
Published: May 2012

Parasitic nematodes are significant pathogens of humans and other animals. The molecular and genetic basis of animal parasitism is not yet fully understood. Strongyloides spp. are a genus of gastrointestinal nematodes of which species infect approximately 100–200 million people worldwide. S. ratti is a natural parasite of the rat, and a useful and amenable laboratory model. Previous EST and microarray analyses of the S. ratti life cycle have identified genes whose expression was specific, or biased, to the parasitic adult stage, suggesting that they may play a key role in parasitism in this species. Here we have further investigated the expression of these genes (by RT-PCR) throughout the S. ratti life-cycle. We produced recombinant proteins in vitro for a subset of these genes, which were used in Western blot analyses to investigate the distribution of the gene products among different stages of the S. ratti life cycle. We tested the efficacy of these recombinant proteins as anti-S. ratti vaccines. One of the proteins was detected in the excretory/secretory products of the parasitic stages.
Platyhelminth Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) proteins: revealing structural diversity, class-specific features and biological associations across the phylum
Authors: CHALMERS IAIN W. , HOFFMANN KARL F.
Published: May 2012

During platyhelminth infection, a cocktail of proteins is released by the parasite to aid invasion, initiate feeding, facilitate adaptation and mediate modulation of the host immune response. Included amongst these proteins is the Venom Allergen-Like (VAL) family, part of the largerspermcoatingprotein/Tpx-1/Ag5/PR-1/Sc7 (SCP/TAPS) superfamily. To explore the significance of this protein family during Platyhelminthes development and host interactions, we systematically summarize all published proteomic, genomic and immunological investigations of the VAL protein family to date. By conducting new genomic and transcriptomic interrogations to identify over 200 VAL proteins (228) from species in all 4 traditional taxonomic classes (Trematoda, Cestoda, Monogenea and Turbellaria), we further expand our knowledge related to platyhelminth VAL diversity across the phylum. Subsequent phylogenetic and tertiary structural analyses reveal several class-specific VAL features, which likely indicate a range of roles mediated by this protein family. Our comprehensive analysis of platyhelminth VALs represents a unifying synopsis for understanding diversity within this protein family and a firm context in which to initiate future functional characterization of these enigmatic members.
Omnipotence and other possibilities
Authors: LEMBKE MARTIN
Published: May 2012

The notion of omnipotence has proved to be quite recalcitrant to analysis. Still, during the last three decades or so, there has resurfaced a clever argument to the effect that, whatever omnipotence is, it cannot be exemplified in God: an allegedly impeccable and all-perfect being. Scrutinizing this argument, however, I find it less than convincing. Moreover, and more importantly, I venture a positive account of my own: a non-technical and distinctively metaphysical definition of omnipotence which, if true, sidesteps quite a number of well-known pitfalls. Also, by way of introduction, I review some earlier attempts.
Gesture and language in narratives and explanations: the effects of age and communicative activity on late multimodal discourse development
Authors: ALAMILLO ASELA REIG , COLLETTA JEAN-MARC , GUIDETTI MICHÈLE
Published: May 2012

This article addresses the effect of communicative activity on the use of language and gesture by school-age children. The present study examined oral narratives and explanations produced by children aged six and ten years on the basis of several linguistic and gestural measures. Results showed that age affects both gestural and linguistic behaviour, supporting previous findings that multimodal discourse continues to develop during the school-age years. The task (narration vs. explanation) also had clear effects on the use of language and gesture: gestures and subordinate markers were more frequent in explanations than in narratives, whereas cohesion markers were more often used in narratives. Altogether, these results show partly distinctive developmental patterns between narrative monologic discourse behaviour and explanatory behaviour in the context of dialogue and question–answer exchanges.
Lexical organization in deaf children who use British Sign Language: Evidence from a semantic fluency task
Authors: MARSHALL CHLOE R. , ROWLEY KATHERINE , MASON KATHRYN , HERMAN ROSALIND , MORGAN GARY
Published: May 2012

We adapted the semantic fluency task into British Sign Language (BSL). In Study 1, we present data from twenty-two deaf signers aged four to fifteen. We show that the same ‘cognitive signatures’ that characterize this task in spoken languages are also present in deaf children, for example, the semantic clustering of responses. In Study 2, we present data from thirteen deaf children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) in BSL, in comparison to a subset of children from Study 1 matched for age and BSL exposure. The two groups' results were comparable in most respects. However, the group with SLI made occasional word-finding errors and gave fewer responses in the first 15 seconds. We conclude that deaf children with SLI do not differ from their controls in terms of the semantic organization of the BSL lexicon, but that they access signs less efficiently.
Which Future for the Scholarly Concept of Soft International Law? Editors’ Introductory Remarks
Authors: D'ASPREMONT JEAN , AALBERTS TANJA
Published: May 2012

Engaging with a mundane topic like the softness of international law may certainly look surprising to the readership of a journal known for its avowed and constant quest for an intellectually and conceptually rigorous ‘off-Broadway’ scholarship. Why would a journal that tries to establish itself as a leading alternative voice in the field replay a comedy so often staged in mainstream scholarship? It is with the full awareness of such an anticipated feeling of déjà vu that the editors of the Leiden Journal of International Law have decided to open the ensuing pages to an oft-debated topic with the ambition of evaluating the possibility of transcending the traditional pitched battle between opponents and advocates of soft law. It is well known that, after the juvenile success of the concept1 and its embrace by a great number of international scholars, soft law became the object of severe criticisms, resulting in a chasm in the international legal scholarship. Indeed, the debate about soft law came to literally split authors into two camps, firmly pitted against one another. On the one hand, there are the advocates of the notion for whom the binary nature of law is incapable of explaining the complexity of the international exercise of public authority in a pluralized world2 or who see soft law as an instrument of (programming of the) development of hard law.3 These apostles of the notion of soft law are opposed by those who see the notion as redundant because it turns into either hard law or not law at all,4 it is self-serving for the profession,5 it is dangerously deformalizing our instruments of law ascertainment,6 or it is weakening the general authority of law.7 The fierce character of that confrontation originates in soft law's being intrinsically intertwined with one's core and inner understanding of (international) law, thereby making these discrepancies seem irreconcilable.
Extraterritorial Exercise of Jurisdiction for Environmental Protection: Addressing Fairness Concerns
Authors: ELLIS JAYE
Published: May 2012

Teck v. Pakootas revisits the infamous Trail smelter, which made history in public international law. This more recent case should be set to make history as well, due to the manner in which the issue of extraterritorial exercise of jurisdiction was handled. The substantive result reached in the courts seems fair, reasonable, and appropriate: a notorious polluter, Teck Cominco Metals Inc., is called to account by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and required to study the feasibility of cleaning up a site it contaminated by dumping effluents in a transboundary river over the course of several decades. Yet, both courts that examined this case on the merits failed to understand the ramifications of this extension of the Environmental Protection Agency's jurisdiction across the Canada–United States border. This article begins with a doctrinal analysis of jurisdictional rules in private and public international law, and then proceeds to evaluate those rules with the help of insights from scholarship on global administrative law and international public authority.
Fairness and International Environmental Law from Below: Social Movements and Legal Transformation in India
Authors: KHODAY KISHAN , NATARAJAN USHA
Published: May 2012

This article considers fairness in international environmental law (IEL) in light of the convergence of two contemporary phenomena: the rise of social movements and the increasing power of large developing countries. These two trends will be determinative for the future of IEL. They have brought issues of fairness, equity, and justice to the forefront of contemporary IEL debates. Despite inability to adequately address issues of fairness at the international level, as demonstrated by negotiating gridlock at international summits, IEL can evolve in more equitable directions through the influence of subaltern experiences. This article examines domestic law-reform efforts of Indian social movements, focusing particularly on indigenous movements responding to extractive industries, with a view to determining international implications. The way states such as India address environment-related conflict, respond to demands for fairness, and evolve domestic understandings of inclusive and sustainable law and development will increasingly shape IEL.
Who Wrote What When: The Bible, Science and Criticism
Authors: Lernout Geert
Published: May 2012

According to the traditional (or ‘whig’) interpretation of history, sometime in the seventeenth century science was born in the form that we know today, in a new spirit that can best be summed up by the motto of the Royal Society: nullius in verba, take nobody's word for it. In the next few centuries this new critical way of looking at reality was instrumental in the creation of a coherent view of the world, and of that world's history, which was found to be increasingly at odds with traditional claims, most famously in the case of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. By the end of the nineteenth century, the divide between science and religion was described by means of words such as ‘conflict’ and ‘warfare,’ the terms used by John William Draper and Andrew Dickson White in the titles of their respective books: History of the Conflict between Religion and Science (1874) and History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom (1896).
How Drugs can Stimulate Psychic Functions – Using Caffeine as an Example
Authors: Fredholm Bertil B.
Published: May 2012

Mind–Brain dualism is still a hotly debated issue.1,2 I am neither qualified nor inclined to outline the intricacies of these philosophical controversies. However, one aspect deserves attention by a pharmacologist: some forms of very strict dualism have problems in dealing with the fact that drugs can alter cognitive states. It also seems to me that the challenge would become even stronger if one could demonstrate not only that a drug can alter a mental state, but also provide a clear cellular mechanism of how this is brought about. This is what I will try to do in this brief essay. I will not, however, even try to consider how the effect on specific brain cells is translated into something that we perceive as mental.
System Dynamics Applied to Operations and Policy Decisions
Authors: Hunt J.C.R. , Timoshkina Y. , Baudains P. J. , Bishop S.R.
Published: May 2012

This paper reviews how concepts and techniques of system dynamics are being applied in new ways to analyse the operations and formation of artificial and societal systems and then to make decisions about them. The ideas and modelling methods to describe natural and technological systems are mostly reductionist (or ‘bottom-up’) and based on general scientific principles, with ad-hoc elements for any particular system. But very complex and large systems involving science, technology and society, whose complete descriptions and predictions are impossible, can still be designed, controlled and managed using the methods of system dynamics, where they are focused on the outputs of the system in relation to the input data available, and relevant external influences. For many complex systems with uncertain behaviour, their models typically combine concepts and methods of bottom-up system dynamics with statistical modelling of past or analogous data and optimization of outputs. System dynamics that has been generalized by advances in mathematical, scientific and technological research over the past 50 years, together with new approaches to the use of data and ICT, has led to powerful qualitative verbal and schematic concepts as well as improved quantitative methods, both of which have been shown to be of great assistance to decisions, notably about different types of uncertainty and erratic behaviour. This approach complements traditional decision-making methods, by introducing greater clarity about the process, as well as providing new techniques and general concepts for initial analysis, system description – using data in non-traditional ways – and finally analysis and prediction of the outcomes, especially in critical situations where system behaviour cannot be analysed by traditional decision-making methods. The scientific and international acceptance of system methods can make decision-making less implicit, and with fewer cultural assumptions. Topical examples of systems and decision-making are given.
Robots: The Sorcerer's Apprentice Broom?
Authors: van Brussel Hendrik
Published: May 2012

By virtue of its outspoken multidisciplinarity, robotics is an extremely popular research field, but is not always exercised by researchers with the broad scientific view required to make breakthroughs. This leads to a very fragmentary research landscape. Robots have their roots in fiction (the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Frankenstein, Golem, RUR). Their first appearance in the real world came in the early 1960s when Unimation sold their first industrial robots. However, only recently are robots invading people’s daily lives, as service robots, and in health care, as surgery robots, intelligent wheelchairs, and rehabilitation robots, for example. This migration from structured factory environments to cluttered homes is a tremendous step, requiring much more intelligent behaviour. In this paper, the major research questions to be answered will be outlined and illustrated with partial solutions, mainly taken from the author’s own research experience at KU Leuven.
Why the European Union is not Delivering. An Essay on the Role of Diversity
Authors: Van Witteloostuijn Arjen
Published: May 2012

The European Union (EU) has suffered from fall-out recently. Clear cases in point were the anti-EU outcomes of the referenda in France and the Netherlands, as well as the messy process in response to the Euro crisis. More broadly, recent elections in many European countries have resulted in winning parties that advertise an explicit anti-EU sentiment, often linked to an equally explicit anti-immigrant stance. Apparently, in the eyes of many, the EU is not delivering – quite to the contrary. In this essay, insights from a variety of social sciences will be reviewed that may shed light on this issue, with a focus on the role of a multidimensional conception of diversity.
EU Citizenship as a Mental Construct: Reconstruction of Postnational Model of Citizenship
Authors: Ivic Sanja
Published: May 2012

The purpose of this paper is to revise essentialist conceptions of the European Union citizenship and European identity, and make a case for a ‘politics of affinity’. This politics is founded on flexible notion of Union citizenship that accommodates multiple identities. The ‘politics of affinity’ avoids homogenizing assumptions and unitary conceptions of European, national, regional and other identities. It promotes diversity, otherness and fluid character of the postmodern European citizenship. It also advocates a more fluid idea of boundaries. The politics of affinity grounds European politics and citizenship discourse on affinity (not identity). The following lines will reflect on the institutional mechanisms, reforms and policies needed for the implementation of the politics of affinity. This paper will focus on the Treaty of Lisbon, the 2004/38 Citizenship Directive, the 2003 Directive on Long-term Residence Third Country Nationals and some ECJ's rulings in the new millennium.
Conformal radiotherapy plus high dose rate brachytherapy prostate boost in patients with intermediate and high risk prostate cancer: our experience in Asian males
Authors: Tunio Mutahir A. , Hashmi Altaf , Sattar Amjad , Mohsin Rehan , Ali Shoukat , Maqbool Amir
Published: May 2012

Purpose: Recent studies have shown increased prostate cancer control rates with radiation dose escalation. Herein the experience of dose escalation by high dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) adjunct to the three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) for prostate cancer is presented.

Patients and methods: During the period between August 2005 and July 2007, patients with intermediate and high risk prostate cancer were treated with 3D-CRT of dose 46Gy ÷ 23 fractions to whole pelvis followed by: Arm A (102 patients): prostate boost with HDR-BT 14 Gy × 2 sessions and Arm B (103 patients): prostate boost via 3D-CRT of dose 26 Gy ÷ 13 fractions. Primary objectives were overall survival (OS), distant metastases free survival (DMFS) and PSA progression free survival (PPFS) rates. Secondary objectives were the toxicity profile and post-radiation histopathological response.

Results: At median follow up of 3.5 years, PPFS, DMFS and OS rates were; 97.8% versus 89.0% (p = 0.009), 98.1% versus 93.6% (p = 0.13) and 98.8% versus 91.6% (p = 0.24) in Arm A and Arm B. respectively. Grade 3 or 4 delayed genitourinary toxicities occurred in 2% and 4.8% of patients in Arm A and Arm B, respectively. Delayed grade 3 and 4 gastrointestinal toxicities were seen in 2% and 3.9% of patients in Arm A and Arm B, respectively. The post-radiation prostate biopsies were negative in 14/17(82.3%) and 9/15 (60%) in Arm A and Arm B, respectively.

Conclusion: 3D-CRT combined with HDR-BT resulted in better PPFS and lower morbidity than 3DCRT alone for intermediate and high risk prostate cancer.
Genome-wide gene-set analysis for identification of pathways associated with alcohol dependence
Authors: Biernacka Joanna M. , Geske Jennifer , Jenkins Gregory D. , Colby Colin , Rider David N. , Karpyak Victor M. , Choi Doo-Sup , Fridley Brooke L.
Published: May 2012

It is believed that multiple genetic variants with small individual effects contribute to the risk of alcohol dependence. Such polygenic effects are difficult to detect in genome-wide association studies that test for association of the phenotype with each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) individually. To overcome this challenge, gene-set analysis (GSA) methods that jointly test for the effects of pre-defined groups of genes have been proposed. Rather than testing for association between the phenotype and individual SNPs, these analyses evaluate the global evidence of association with a set of related genes enabling the identification of cellular or molecular pathways or biological processes that play a role in development of the disease. It is hoped that by aggregating the evidence of association for all available SNPs in a group of related genes, these approaches will have enhanced power to detect genetic associations with complex traits. We performed GSA using data from a genome-wide study of 1165 alcohol-dependent cases and 1379 controls from the Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment (SAGE), for all 200 pathways listed in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Results demonstrated a potential role of the ‘synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies’ pathway. Our results also support the potential involvement of the ‘neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction’ pathway, which has previously been implicated in addictive disorders. These findings demonstrate the utility of GSA in the study of complex disease, and suggest specific directions for further research into the genetic architecture of alcohol dependence.
Seasonal fluxes and source variation of organic carbon transported by two major Chinese Rivers: The Yellow River and Changjiang (Yangtze) River
Authors: Wang Xuchen , Ma Haiqing , Li Ronghua , Song Zhensu , Wu Jinping
Published: May 2012

A one‐year study was carried out to investigate the seasonal fluxes and source variation of organic carbon transported by two major Chinese rivers, the Yellow River and Changjiang. In 2009, the Yellow River and Changjiang transported 3.20 × 1010g and 1.58 × 1012 g DOC and 3.89 × 1011g and 1.52 × 1012 g POC, respectively. The dominant input of the terrestrial organic matter occurred during the high discharge period from June to July for the Yellow River and from June to August for Changjiang, accounting for 36–44% of the DOC and 72–86% of the POC transported by the two rivers in 2009. The Yellow River transported much higher concentrations of inorganic carbon than organic carbon, while a reverse trend was found in the Changjiang, indicating the different sources of carbon discharged by the two rivers. Using radiocarbon and stable carbon isotope measurements, we identified the different sources and seasonal variations of organic carbon transported by the Yellow River and Changjiang. The Yellow River carried old POC with radiocarbon ages ranging from 4000 to 8000 years, while POC transported by Changjiang had a relatively younger 14C age ranging from 800 to 1060 years. The 14C ages of DOC were relatively younger (305–1570 years) and showed less variation between the two rivers. The seasonal variations found in 14C ages of DOC and POC indicate that a large fraction of recent‐fixed labile organic carbon was transported by the two rivers in the spring and summer months. The different sources and seasonal variations in both fluxes and sources of organic carbon transported by the Yellow River and Changjiang could have an important influence on the biogeochemical cycle and ecosystems in the estuaries and adjacent coastal waters of the East China Sea.
Interseismic deformation and geologic evolution of the Death Valley Fault Zone
Authors: Del Pardo Cecilia , Smith‐Konter Bridget R. , Serpa Laura F. , Kreemer Corné , Blewitt Geoffrey , Hammond William C.
Published: May 2012

The Death Valley Fault Zone (DVFZ), located in southeastern California, is an active fault system with an evolved pull‐apart basin that has been deforming over the past 6 Myr. We present a study of the interseismic motion and long‐term stress accumulation rates to better understand the nature of both past and present‐day loading conditions of the DVFZ. Using a 3‐D semi‐analytic viscoelastic deformation model, combined with geodetic velocities derived from the Mobile Array of GPS for Nevada Transtension (MAGNET) network and the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Crustal Motion Map version 4 (CMMv4) GPS data, we establish parameters for interseismic slip rate and apparent locking depth for four DVFZ fault segments. Our preferred model provides good fit to the data (1.0 mm/yr and 1.5 mm/yr RMS misfit in the fault‐perpendicular and fault‐parallel directions, respectively) and yields apparent locking depths between 9.8–17.1 km and strike‐slip rates of 3–7 mm/yr for the segments. We also determine subsidence (0.5–0.8 mm/yr) and extension (1.0–1.2 mm/yr) rates in the pull‐apart basin region. With these parameters, we construct a DVFZ evolution model for the last 6 Myr that recreates the motion of the fault blocks involved in the formation of the present‐day geological structures in Death Valley. Finally, using Coulomb stress accumulation rates derived from our model (0.25–0.49 MPa/100 yr), combined with earthquake recurrence interval estimates of 500 to 2600 years, we assess present‐day seismic hazards with calculated moment magnitudes ranging from 6.7–7.7.
Effect of plate thickness on bending radius and energy dissipation at the subduction zone hinge
Authors: Irvine D. N. , Schellart W. P.
Published: May 2012

Despite the thickness of subducting oceanic plates being identified as a control on slab and hinge behavior during subduction, there have been few attempts to quantify its effect with fully dynamic models. This paper presents a series of dynamic laboratory experiments of progressive subduction of a narrow plate into an upper mantle reservoir in which plate thickness is systematically varied from 4 mm (scaling to 20 km), up to 24 mm (120 km). The experiments investigate its effect on bending radius, subduction kinematics and the rate of energy dissipated at the hinge as a percentage of the total potential energy released through subduction. The bending radius of the hinge is found to have a strong linear relationship with plate thickness, where an increase in plate thickness corresponds to an increase in bending radius. Subduction velocity increases with plate thickness due to the increased negative buoyancy of thicker slabs, which is not compensated for by any significant increase in mantle drag on the slab. This increase is almost entirely accommodated by an increase in trench retreat rate, with a fivefold increase over the whole thickness range, while subducting plate velocity remains relatively constant. The energy dissipation ratio (ΦBe/ΦBu) is low across all plate thicknesses, with the plates falling within a range of ∼4–10% during steady state subduction. The models show a moderate trend toward decreasing ΦBe/ΦBu with increasing plate thickness.
A limited area model (LAM) intercomparison study of a TWP‐ICE active monsoon mesoscale convective event
Authors: Zhu Ping , Dudhia Jim , Field Paul R. , Wapler Kathrin , Fridlind Ann , Varble Adam , Zipser Ed , Petch Jon , Chen Ming , Zhu Zhenduo
Published: May 2012

A limited area model (LAM) intercomparison study is conducted based on a tropical monsoonal deep convection case observed during the Tropical Warm Pool ‐ International Cloud Experiment (TWP‐ICE). The LAM simulations are compared with the variational analyses (VA) based on the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) observations and the cloud resolving model (CRM) simulations forced by the VA. Driven by the ECMWF analyses or global model forecasts, LAMs are able to produce the large‐scale thermodynamic field reasonably well compared with the VA. However, the LAM simulated dynamic fields, such as the large‐scale horizontal divergence, vertical velocity, and cyclogenesis in the monsoonal trough, have a large inter‐model spread and deviate substantially from observations. Despite the differences in large‐scale forcing, there is certain consistency between the CRM and LAM simulations: stratiform (w ≤ 1 m s−1) ice clouds dominate the cloud fraction and convective (w > 3 m s−1) clouds occupy less than 3 percent of the total cloudy area. But the hydrometeor content of stratiform ice clouds is only one tenth of that of convective and transitional (1 m s−1 < w ≤ 3 m s−1) ice clouds. However, there is a large inter‐LAM spread in the simulated cloud fraction and hydrometeor mixing ratios. The inter‐LAM difference in solid phase hydrometeors (cloud ice, snow, and graupel) can be up to nearly a factor of 10. Among all the hydrometeor types, the stratiform ice clouds are simulated least consistently by the LAMs. The large inter‐LAM spread suggests that obtaining consistent and reliable dynamic and cloud fields remains a challenge for the LAM approach.
Gravity wave events from mesoscale simulations, compared to polar stratospheric clouds observed from spaceborne lidar over the Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Noel V. , Pitts M.
Published: May 2012

We compare Gravity Waves (GW) and Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSC) above the Antarctic Peninsula for winters (June to September) between 2006 and 2010. GW activity is inferred from stratospheric temperature and vertical winds from the Weather and Research Forecast mesoscale model (WRF), and documented as a function of time and geography for the studied period. Significant GW activity affects 36% of days and follows the Peninsula orography closely. Volumes of PSC, composed of ice and Nitric Acid Trihydrate (NAT), are retrieved using observations from the spaceborne lidar CALIOP (Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization). They are documented against GW activity as a function of time and longitude. Sixty‐three percent of ice PSC are observed during GW events, when the average volume of PSC per profile doubles. Maximum ice PSC volumes are seen directly over the Peninsula (65°W), while maximum NAT PSC volumes appear downstream further East (∼35°W). Effects of GW events on NAT PSC are felt as far East as 40°E. Our results support the importance of gravity waves as a major mechanism driving the evolution of ice PSC in the area, but the effects on NAT PSC are harder to detect. After a GW event ends, volumes of ice PSC get back to their usual levels in less than 24 h, while this process takes more than 48 h for NAT PSC. Daily profiles of H2O and HNO3 mixing ratios, retrieved from MLS observations, are used to derive ice and NAT frost points with altitude and time. Combining these frost points with modeled stratospheric temperatures, the volumes of air able to support ice and NAT crystals are quantified and compared with PSC volumes. Correlation is high for ice crystals, but not for NAT, consistent with their much slower nucleation mechanisms. Observations of ice PSC over the domain are followed by a strong increase (+50–100%) in NAT PSC formation efficiency 2 to 6 h later. This increase is followed by a steep drop (6–10 h later) and a longer period of slow decline (10–24 h later), at the end of which the NAT PSC formation efficiency is less than half its initial value. The fact that these effects tend to cancel each other out, coupled to the important lag in NAT PSC reaction to GW activity, suggest why it is especially difficult to quantify how GW activity impacts NAT PSC cover.
Observations and assessment of forest carbon dynamics following disturbance in North America
Authors: Goetz S. J. , Bond‐Lamberty B. , Law B. E. , Hicke J. A. , Huang C. , Houghton R. A. , McNulty S. , O'Halloran T. , Harmon M. , Meddens A. J. H. , Pfeifer E. M. , Mildrexler D. , Kasischke E. S.
Published: May 2012

Disturbance processes of various types substantially modify ecosystem carbon dynamics both temporally and spatially, and constitute a fundamental part of larger landscape‐level dynamics. Forests typically lose carbon for several years to several decades following severe disturbance, but our understanding of the duration and dynamics of post‐disturbance forest carbon fluxes remains limited. Here we capitalize on a recent North American Carbon Program disturbance synthesis to discuss techniques and future work needed to better understand carbon dynamics after forest disturbance. Specifically, this paper addresses three topics: (1) the history, spatial distribution, and characteristics of different types of disturbance (in particular fire, insects, and harvest) in North America; (2) the integrated measurements and experimental designs required to quantify forest carbon dynamics in the years and decades after disturbance, as presented in a series of case studies; and (3) a synthesis of the greatest uncertainties spanning these studies, as well as the utility of multiple types of observations (independent but mutually constraining data) in understanding their dynamics. The case studies—in the southeast U.S., central boreal Canada, U.S. Rocky Mountains, and Pacific Northwest—explore how different measurements can be used to constrain and understand carbon dynamics in regrowing forests, with the most important measurements summarized for each disturbance type. We identify disturbance severity and history as key but highly uncertain factors driving post‐disturbance carbon source‐sink dynamics across all disturbance types. We suggest that imaginative, integrative analyses using multiple lines of evidence, increased measurement capabilities, shared models and online data sets, and innovative numerical algorithms hold promise for improved understanding and prediction of carbon dynamics in disturbance‐prone forests.
Atmospheric forcing of the three‐dimensional distribution of dust particles over Australia: A case study
Authors: Alizadeh Choobari O. , Zawar‐Reza P. , Sturman A.
Published: May 2012

Knowledge of atmospheric processes responsible for horizontal and vertical distribution of dust particles is important for identifying their transport pathways. The Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) model, complemented by observations, was used to simulate and observe the three‐dimensional distribution of Australian dust for a severe dust event during 22–23 September 2009. The passage of a cold front modified the boundary layer structure during this event, allowing dust to be lifted and subsequently transported for a significant distance. The model simulated the maximum dust concentrations to be located behind the cold front as a result of strong post‐frontal wind speeds. The boundary layer depths were also shown to be significantly deeper behind the cold front where dust particles could be lifted to the top of the boundary layer by turbulent fluxes associated with strong mixing. However, dust was predicted to reach its maximum height ahead of the cold front as a result of lifting in the warm conveyor belt. Both Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and the WRF/Chem model results for this event highlight two transport pathways of dust: southeastward to the Tasman Sea and northward toward tropical regions of Australia. The vertical distribution of dust from Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) satellite data and cross‐sectional analysis of the model results indicate that significant amounts of dust aerosols were transported over the Tasman Sea toward New Zealand within the lower atmosphere.
Noninvasive Molecular Imaging of Neuroinflammation
Authors: Jacobs Andreas H , Tavitian Bertrand ,   the INMiND consortium
Published: May 2012

Inflammation is a highly dynamic and complex adaptive process to preserve and restore tissue homeostasis. Originally viewed as an immune-privileged organ, the central nervous system (CNS) is now recognized to have a constant interplay with the innate and the adaptive immune systems, where resident microglia and infiltrating immune cells from the periphery have important roles. Common diseases of the CNS, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), and neurodegeneration, elicit a neuroinflammatory response with the goal to limit the extent of the disease and to support repair and regeneration. However, various disease mechanisms lead to neuroinflammation (NI) contributing to the disease process itself. Molecular imaging is the method of choice to try to decipher key aspects of the dynamic interplay of various inducers, sensors, transducers, and effectors of the orchestrated inflammatory response in vivo in animal models and patients. Here, we review the basic principles of NI with emphasis on microglia and common neurologic disease mechanisms, the molecular targets which are being used and explored for imaging, and molecular imaging of NI in frequent neurologic diseases, such as stroke, MS, neurodegeneration, epilepsy, encephalitis, and gliomas.
Effect of Mild Cognitive Impairment and APOE Genotype on Resting Cerebral Blood Flow and its Association with Cognition
Authors: Wierenga Christina E , Dev Sheena I , Shin David D , Clark Lindsay R , Bangen Katherine J , Jak Amy J , Rissman Robert A , Liu Thomas T , Salmon David P , Bondi Mark W
Published: May 2012

Using whole-brain pulsed arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging, resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured in 20 mild cognitive impairment (MCI; 11 ε3 and 9 ε4) and 40 demographically matched cognitively normal (CN; 27 ε3 and 13 ε4) participants. An interaction of apolipoprotein (APOE) genotype ( ε3 and ε4) and cognitive status (CN and MCI) on quantified gray-matter CBF corrected for partial volume effects was found in the left parahippocampal and fusiform gyri (PHG/FG), right middle frontal gyrus, and left medial frontal gyrus. In the PHG/FG, CBF was elevated for CN ε4 carriers but decreased for MCI ε4 carriers. The opposite pattern was seen in frontal regions: CBF was decreased for CN ε4 carriers but increased for MCI ε4 carriers. Cerebral blood flow in the PHG/FG was positively correlated with verbal memory for CN ε4 adults ( r=0.67, P=0.01). Cerebral blood flow in the left medial frontal gyrus was positively correlated with verbal memory for MCI ε4 adults ( r=0.70, P=0.05). Findings support dynamic pathophysiologic processes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease risk and indicate that cognitive status and APOE genotype have interactive effects on CBF. Correlations between CBF and verbal memory suggest a differential neurovascular compensatory response in posterior and anterior cortices with cognitive decline in ε4 adults.
Mechanisms and modifiers of methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity
Authors: Fretham Stephanie J. B. , Caito Samuel , Martinez-Finley Ebany J. , Aschner Michael
Published: May 2012

The neurotoxic consequences of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure have long been known, however a complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying this toxicity is elusive. Recent epidemiological and experimental studies have provided mechanistic insights into the contribution of genetic and environmental factors that interact with MeHg to modify toxicity. This review will outline cellular processes directly and indirectly affected by MeHg, including oxidative stress, cellular signaling and gene expression, and discuss epigenetic modifications, genetic polymorphisms and gene–environment interactions capable of modifying MeHg neurotoxicity.
Hypoglykämie –
Häufigkeit, Ursachen, induzierte Kosten
Authors: Breuer H.-W. , Ptak P.
Published: May 2012

Hintergrund und Fragestellung: Hypoglykämien gehören zu den negativen Begleiterscheinungen einer inadäquaten Diabetestherapie und führen in vielen Fällen zur stationären Einweisung.

Methodik: Zwischen 8/2003 und 9/2007 wurden 110 konsekutiv in einem Krankenhaus der Regelversorgung wegen Hypoglykämie aufgenommene Patienten erfasst. Die mit der Aufnahme verbundenen Ursachen und individuelle psychosozialen Faktoren wurden analysiert. Eine Hypoglykämie wurde dann diagnostiziert, wenn die Blutglukose bei Aufnahme < 2,8 mmol/l (50 mg/dl) mit oder < 2,2 mmol/l (40 mg/dl) ohne Symptome war.

Ergebnisse: 76 Patienten waren Frauen. 99 Patienten waren Typ-2-Diabetiker im Alter von 77,8 ± 9,4 Jahre. Der HbA1c der Typ-2-Diabetiker bei Aufnahme betrug 6,5 ± 1,5 %. Die zur stationären Aufnahme führenden Hypoglykämien waren bei 25 Patienten auf Sulfonylharnstoffe und Analoga, bei 67 auf Insulin und bei 17 auf die Kombination Insulin und Sulfonylharnstoffe zurückzuführen. Bei den Sulfonylharnstoffen handelte es sich um Glibenclamid (38 %), Glimepirid (55 %) und Repaglinid (7 %). Die durchschnittliche stationäre Verweildauer nach erlittener Hypoglykämie betrug 10,4 Tage, die der übrigen internistischen Patienten 8,4 Tage. Bezüglich des Kreatinins fand sich eine normale Nierenfunktion bei 37,6 % der Patienten; die errechnete Kreatininclearance war nur bei ca. 15 % der Patienten normal. Bei 13 Patienten (12 %) mit bei Aufnahme bestehender antidiabetischer Medikation war diese zum Entlassungszeitpunkt vollständig abgesetzt worden. Bei einer per Zufallsstichprobe ausgewählten Subgruppe von 20 Patienten erfolgte eine Kostenanalyse. Das mittlere Alter dieser Patienten betrug 76,8 Jahre. Ihre durchschnittliche Verweilzeit war 10,2 Tage und die pro Fall angefallenen Kosten 3158 €. Die durchschnittlichen Kosten der übrigen internistischen Patienten waren 2716 €.

Folgerung: Eine adäquate Therapie ist gerade bei älteren Patienten zur Vermeidung von Hypoglykämien von Bedeutung. Die mit der stationären Aufnahme wegen Hypoglykämie verbundenen Kosten und Komplikationen sind zum großen Teil vermeidbar.
Fortschreibung der KoDiM-Studie: Kosten des Diabetes mellitus
2000–2009
Authors: Köster I. , Schubert I. , Huppertz E.
Published: May 2012

Krankheitskostenstudien bringen Transparenz in die ökonomische Dimension von
Krankheiten. Die KoDiM-Studie, basierend auf administrativen Daten der AOK
Hessen und der KV Hessen, ermittelt Diabetiker- und Diabetes-Exzess-Kosten in
Deutschland inzwischen für einen Zeitraum von 10 Jahren. Jetzt liegen zudem
bereinigte Ergebnisse vor, aus denen Effekte, die durch Inflation und
Bevölkerungsalterung entstehen, näherungsweise herausgerechnet sind. Die Zahl
der behandelten Diabetiker stieg von 2000 bis 2009 um 49 %, altersbereinigt um
31 %. Die mittleren Diabetiker- und Diabetes-Exzess-Kosten pro Kopf waren im
betrachteten Zeitraum relativ stabil. Das Verhältnis der Kosten der Diabetiker
zu den Kosten der Nicht-Diabetiker hat sich nicht verändert. Durch die Zunahme
der Anzahl behandelter Diabetiker in den letzten 10 Jahren stiegen jedoch die
direkten Gesamtkosten der Diabetiker je nach Berechnungsansatz (d. h. mit oder
ohne Inflationierung und Altersbereinigung) um 28 % bis 70 %, die darin
enthaltenen Exzess-Kosten um 24 % bis 61 %.
Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Have Increased Plasma Chitotriosidase Activity: A Pathophysiological Link Between Inflammation and Impaired Insulin Sensitivity?
Authors: Aydogdu A. , Tasci I. , Tapan S. , Sonmez A. , Aydogan U. , Akbulut H. , Uckaya G. , Aydogdu S. , Basaran Y. , Meric C. , Taslipinar A. , Kurt I. , Azal O.
Published: May 2012

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by insulin resistance. Chronic low grade inflammation has been reported to participate in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. Chitotriosidase (ChT), a protein secreted by activated macrophages, has been shown to be involved in chronic inflammatory responses. In the present study, serum chitotriosidase activity and its relationship with insulin resistance were determined in patients with PCOS.

34 patients with PCOS and 44 age and body mass index (BMI) matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. ChT activity was measured by the fluorescence method. High sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) and adiponectin levels were determined by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Insulin resistance was calculated by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) formula.

Plasma ChT activity, hs-CRP level and HOMA-IR score were significantly higher (p=0.024, p=0.002, p=0.001, respectively) while plasma adiponectin concentration was significantly lower (p=0.018) in women with PCOS compared to healthy controls. Blood ChT activity correlated positively with age, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), BMI, hs-CRP, HOMA-IR and negatively with blood adiponectin level. After adjustment for age and BMI, ChT activity, total testosterone level and WHR remained as the independent predictors of HOMA-IR score in logistic regression analysis.

ChT activity is increased in patients with PCOS in concordance with insulin resistance. These findings may reflect the pronounced risk for metabolic syndrome and atherosclerotic diseases in this particular patient group.
Large scale polarizability calculations using the approximate coupled cluster model CC2 and MP2 combined with the resolution-of-the-identity approximation
Authors: Friese Daniel H. , Winter Nina O. C. , Balzerowski Patrick , Schwan Raffael , Hättig Christof
Published: May 2012

We present an implementation of static and frequency-dependent polarizabilities for the approximate coupled cluster singles and doubles model CC2 and static polarizabilities for second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory. Both are combined with the resolution-of-the-identity approximation for electron repulsion integrals to achieve unprecedented low operation counts, input–output, and disc space demands. To avoid the storage of double excitation amplitudes during the calculation of derivatives of density matrices, we employ in addition a numerical Laplace transformation for orbital energy denominators. It is shown that the error introduced by this approximation is negligible already with a small number of sampling points. Thereby an implementation of second-order one-particle properties is realized, which avoids completely the storage of quantities scaling with the fourth power of the system size. The implementation is tested on a set of organic molecules including large fused aromatic ring systems and the C60 fullerene. It is demonstrated that exploiting symmetry and shared memory parallelization, second-order properties for such systems can be evaluated at the CC2 and MP2 level within a few hours of calculation time. As large scale applications, we present results for the 7-, 9-, and 11-ring helicenes.