bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Restoration of Intracortical and Thalamocortical Circuits after Transplantation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells into the Ischemic Brain of Mice
Authors: Song Mingke , Mohamad Osama , Gu Xiaohuan , Wei Ling , Yu Shan Ping
Published: October 2012

Transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) provides a promising regenerative medicine for stroke. Whether BMSC therapy could repair ischemia-damaged neuronal circuits and recover electrophysiological activity has largely been unknown. To address this issue, BMSCs were implanted into the ischemic barrel cortex of adult mice 1 and 7 days after focal barrel cortex stroke. Two days after the first transplantation (3 days after stroke), the infarct volume determined by TTC staining was significantly smaller in BMSC-treated compared to vehicle-treated stroke mice. The behavioral corner test showed better long-term recovery of sensorimotor function in BMSC-treated mice. Six weeks poststroke, thalamocortical slices were prepared and neuronal circuit activity in the peri-infarct region of the barrel cortex was determined by extracellular recordings of evoked field potentials. In BMSC-transplanted brain slices, the ischemia-disrupted intracortical activity from layer 4 to layer 2/3 was noticeably recovered, and the thalamocortical circuit connection was also partially restored. In contrast, much less and slower recovery was seen in control animals of barrel cortex stroke. Immunohistochemical staining disclosed that the density of neurons, axons, and blood vessels in the peri-infarct region was significantly higher in BMSC-treated mice, accompanied with enhanced local blood flow recovery. Western blotting showed that BMSC treatment increased the expression of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the peri-infarct region. Moreover, the expression of the axonal growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) was markedly increased, whereas the axonal growth inhibiting proteins ROCK II and NG2 were suppressed in the BMSC-treated brains. BMSC transplantation also promoted directional migration and survival of doublecortin (DCX)-positive neuroblasts in the peri-infarct region. The present investigation thus provides novel evidence that BMSC transplantation has the potential to repair the ischemia-damaged neural networks and restore lost neuronal connections. The recovered circuit activity likely contributes to the improved sensorimotor function after focal ischemic stroke and BMSC transplantation.
Hospitalizations of Patients Treated with Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Agents — A Retrospective Cohort Analysis
Authors: ZISMAN DEVY , HADDAD AMIR , HASHOUL SHARBEL , LAOR ARIE , BITTERMAN HAIM , ROSNER ITZHAK , EDER LIHI , BALBIR-GURMAN ALEXANDRA , MADER REUVEN , MILMAN UZI
Published: October 2012

Objective.

To assess the association between treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) agents and the occurrence of hospitalizations, their causes and complications, compared to treatment with traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted of patients with RA, AS, and PsA treated with anti-TNF-α agents between April 2002 and December 2007. Patients were assessed during the period of anti-TNF-α treatment (Group B) and compared to an equivalent period before initiation of anti-TNF-α therapy (Group A). All hospitalization charts were reviewed and diagnoses, comorbidities, concomitant medications, and clinical course were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariate mixed Poisson regression.

Results.

In the study period of 57 months, 735 hospitalization events of 327 patients were analyzed. Statistically significant decreases were seen in the total number of hospitalization events as well as hospitalizations due to exacerbation of rheumatic diseases in Group B compared to Group A (44.4 vs 74.2 and 21.9 vs 47.5 per 100 patient-years, respectively; p < 0.0001). More infectious events (7.4 in Group B compared to 4.6 per 100 patient-years in Group A; p = 0.043) were associated with anti-TNF-α treatment, older age, and underlying disease, because patients with RA had higher rates of infections compared to patients with PsA and patients with AS.

Conclusion.

The overall effect of anti-TNF-α therapy was a significant decline in total hospitalization events. The decrease was more prominent in patients with RA than in patients with AS and patients with PsA, and reflected the significant decrease in hospitalizations due to rheumatic disease exacerbation. The decrease was more pronounced than the observed increase in infectious events.
Le marché de l’art à Strasbourg pendant le Reichsland
Authors: Meyer Anne-Doris
Published: October 2012

Strasbourg, ville de la province française, ne connaît, jusqu’à 1871, comme ces autres villes qu’un marché de l’art local, animé par les réseaux de sociabilité d’une Société des Amis des Arts. Après l’annexion, la Société reprend ses activités vers 1874, en organisant des expositions annuelles, où la Société est le premier client d’œuvres destinée à la redistribution par lots de tombola. Ce « modèle économique » de la Société, qui privilégie « l’art français » n’est plus adapté à l’essor de la ville qui croît et se modernise à partir des années 1890. Le nombre de jeunes artistes locaux a fortement augmenté ; ils se connaissent, se regroupent. Ils réclament des expositions spécifiques et rejettent la tutelle de la Société des Amis des Arts. La première exposition du groupe des artistes alsaciens a lieu en 1897. En même temps, créés par un certain nombre de décorateurs et fabricants de meubles, des « salons d’art » ouvrent à Strasbourg. Le plus important, patronné par la Revue Alsacienne illustrée, ouvre dans la maison Bader-Nottin, rue de la Nuée Bleue. Un autre salon d’art ouvre chez Grombach rue Saint-Nicolas. Les artistes liés à ces salons, quelquefois par « traités » fondent ce qu’on appellera des cercles, Saint-Léonard, chez Bader-Nottin, Saint-Nicolas chez Grombach. Elles recouvrent le plus souvent des associations (Verbände). En 1905, s’ouvre rue Brûlée la maison d’art alsacienne, qui prend la suite de la galerie de la Revue Alsacienne illustrée qui entend promouvoir, avec « les arts industriels » les intérêts économiques des artistes. Le nombre de marchands d’art strasbourgeois ne cesse d’augmenter. La période du Reichsland a vu un marché de l’art strasbourgeois se structurer économiquement, et les Sociétés d’artistes prendre le relais des Sociétés d’Amis.
L’essor de l’enseignement secondaire des filles en Alsace (1871-1918)
Authors: Ettwiller Éric
Published: October 2012

En Alsace, l’enseignement secondaire des filles est un article d’importation allemand ! Au lendemain de l’annexion, la nouvelle administration comprend que l’intégration du pays à l’empire allemand doit passer par les femmes de la bourgeoisie. Elle intervient pour mettre en place des écoles supérieures de filles (höhere Mädchenschulen) sur le modèle allemand, en subventionnant nombre d’établissements laïques et en surveillant l’ensemble des établissements. Cependant, le cadre institutionnel reste relativement flou jusqu’en 1915. Le corps enseignant est hétérogène, tant sur le plan des origines nationales, confessionnelles et sociales que sur celui des conditions de vie et de travail. Les écoles supérieures de filles réunissent les filles de la bourgeoisie vieille-allemande comme alsacienne. Temples du féminisme bourgeois, elles ont du mal à s’adapter aux mutations de la société. Le bilan semble plus positif sur le plan national. En effet, il apparaît que les écoles supérieures de filles ont dépassé les tensions du début de la période du Reichsland et constituent un vecteur d’intégration à l’Allemagne.
Cutting Edge: Nlrp10 Is Essential for Protective Antifungal Adaptive Immunity against Candida albicans
Authors: Joly Sophie , Eisenbarth Stephanie C. , Olivier Alicia K. , Williams Adam , Kaplan Daniel H. , Cassel Suzanne L. , Flavell Richard A. , Sutterwala Fayyaz S.
Published: October 2012

Nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing receptors (NLRs) are cytosolic receptors that initiate immune responses to sterile and infectious insults to the host. Studies demonstrated that Nlrp3 is critical for the control of Candida albicans infections and in the generation of antifungal Th17 responses. In this article, we show that the NLR family member Nlrp10 also plays a unique role in the control of disseminated C. albicans infection in vivo. Nlrp10-deficient mice had increased susceptibility to disseminated candidiasis, as indicated by decreased survival and increased fungal burdens. In contrast to Nlrp3, Nlrp10 deficiency did not affect innate proinflammatory cytokine production from macrophages and dendritic cells challenged with C. albicans. However, Nlrp10-deficient mice displayed a profound defect in Candida-specific Th1 and Th17 responses. These results demonstrate a novel role for Nlrp10 in the generation of adaptive immune responses to fungal infection.
Prevalence of psychiatric illness in primary caretakers of childhood-onset schizophrenia subjects
Authors: Kusumi Jonathan , Ross Randal G.
Published: October 2012

Childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) refers to schizophrenia with onset of psychotic symptoms prior to a child's 13th birthday. Optimal treatment likely includes family-based services supplementing antipsychotic pharmacotherapy. However, family-based services can require adjustment based on parental psychopathology; there has been little literature exploring the frequency or type of psychopathology seen in parents of COS cases. This report includes the results of a structured psychiatric evaluation on 80 parents of a COS case with comparison to a sample of 304 parents. Having a child with psychosis and being of minority racial/ethnicity status increased risk for psychiatric illness. Psychotic disorders (15% vs. 5%), mood disorders (54% vs. 27%), anxiety disorders (30% vs. 18%), and substance use disorders (49% vs. 31%) were all increased in the parents with a psychotic child. Psychiatric illness is common in parents of a child with COS and will need to be considered as family-based services for COS are developed.
Sample Preparation for Laser-Microdissection of Soybean Shoot Apical Meristem
Authors: Wong Chui , Singh Mohan , Bhalla Prem
Published: October 2012

The shoot apical meristem houses stem cells responsible for the continuous formation of aerial plant organs including leaves and stems throughout the life of plants. Laser-microdissection in combination with high-throughput technology such as next generation sequencing permits an in-depth analysis of molecular events associated with specific cell type of interest. Sample preparation is the most critical step in ensuring good quality RNA to be extracted from samples following laser-microdissection. Here, we optimized the sample preparation for a major legume crop, soybean. We used Farmer’s solution as a fixative and paraffin as the embedding medium for soybean shoot apical meristem tissue without the use of any specialized equipment. Shorter time for tissue fixation (two days) was found to be critical for the preservation of RNA in soybean shoot apical meristem. We further demonstrated the utility of this method for different tissues derived from soybean and rice. The method outlined here shall facilitate studies on crop plants involving laser-microdissection.
Rapid Separation of Seed Glucosinolates from Camelina sativa by Thin Layer Chromatography
Authors: Russo Roberto , Reggiani Remo
Published: October 2012

A thin layer chromatography (TLC) method has been developed for the quantitative analysis of glucosinolates extracted from Camelina sativa. This procedure resolves the same long-chain glucosinolates as high-performance liquid chromatography but increases simultaneous sample size to 18. The TLC method saves time and solvent, and can be applied to screening of Camelina.
Die einde van die wêreld: Die uitdaging van die moderne natuurwetenskappe aan die tradisionele eskatologie
Authors: Nürnberger Klaus
Published: October 2012

The end of the world: The challenge of modern science to traditional eschatology. In biblical times the ‘Word of God’ indicated God’s creative and redemptive response to changing human predicaments and depravations. Redemptive events became traditions that were applied to new situations. Many biblical future expectations lost their relevance and plausibility already within canonical history. Modern science has rendered a literal interpretation of the most recent and radical biblical future expectations – resurrection and a ‘new heaven and earth’ – problematic. Apocalyptic deliberately employed enigmatic symbols and metaphors to indicate God’s miraculous intervention to change an evil world into a new and authentic reality. This motif can be reconceptualised as God’s vision for the comprehensive optimal well-being of humanity within the well-being of creation as a whole, which translates into God’s concern for any deficiency in well-being in any dimension of life. The emergence of the notion of resurrection to face judgement was rooted in concern about God’s justice (theodicy) rather than the longing for never-ending life. The resurrection of Jesus was deemed God’s affirmation of his messianic authority to proclaim and enact God’s redeeming love, thus its validity for all times and places – which opened up participation in the new life of Christ in fellowship with God for all people.
Ritual, rage and revenge in 2 Maccabees 6 and 7
Authors: Jordaan Pierre J.
Published: October 2012

The martyrs in 2 Maccabees 6 and 7 have been explored in various ways. In their commentaries on 2 Maccabees, Jan Willem van Henten and Daniel Schwartz proposed that the deaths of the martyrs should be seen as human sacrifices to please the deity. This idea has either been challenged or supported by scholars. This article supported the idea of human sacrifice, and applied the view of Richard DeMaris of the martyr’s deaths as exit rite to the above-mentioned texts. In essence this amounts to ritual critique. The results were surprising, and proved the model of DeMaris as a useful tool to examine rituals. The conclusion was reached that 2 Maccabees 6 and 7 is indeed an exit rite.
Livelihood resilience and adaptive capacity: A critical conceptual review
Authors: Nyamwanza Admire M.
Published: October 2012

The concepts resilience and adaptive capacity have gained currency in ecology, climate change, disaster risk reduction and related development discourse; yet there has been almost an absence of clarity in the understanding, substance, definition as well as applicability of these concepts in livelihoods theory and practice – where they can potentially contribute far-reaching insights vis-à-vis long-term response to livelihoods adversity in different communities. Drawing upon literature from several disciplines utilising these concepts, this article traces the roots and evolvement of the resilience and adaptive capacity concepts and suggests indicators and pillar processes towards their integration into livelihoods thinking. This article therefore mainly contributes towards the conceptualisation and understanding of a focused ‘resilience and adaptive capacity’ construct in livelihoods analysis.
Midline basifrontal solid hemangioblastoma in non von hippel lindau syndrome patient
Authors: Sarkari Avijit , Agrawal Deepak
Published: October 2012

Supratentorial location of hemangioblastoma is very rare. The authors report a case a 45 year old female who had sporadic solid supratentorial hemangioblastoma and who made a complete recovery following gross total removal of the tumor.
Existence and asymptotics of travelling waves in a thermo-diffusive model in half cylinders. Part I: Neumann boundary conditions
Authors: Sire Yannick
Published: October 2012

The aim of this work is to prove existence results and derive asymptotic limits for some nonlinear elliptic problems arising in flame propagation and set in unbounded cylinders. These problems are involved in the modelling of burner flames. The existence proof is a combination of topological degree arguments and estimates that are specific to the problems under consideration. We also derive some asymptotic limits for our model. We emphasize on the fact that the model under consideration is a system of reaction-diffusion equations.
On the expansions of a real number to several integer bases
Authors: Bugeaud Yann
Published: October 2012

Very little is known about the expansions of a real number in several integer bases. We establish various results showing that the expansions of a real number in two multiplicatively independent bases cannot both be simple, in a suitable sense. We also construct explicitly a real number

\xi

which is rich to all integer bases, that is, with the property that, for every integer

b \ge 2

, every finite block of letters in the alphabet

\{0, 1, \dots , b-1\}

occurs in the

b

-ary expansion of

\xi

.
Convexity of harmonic densities
Authors: Benko David , Dragnev Peter , Totik Vilmos
Published: October 2012

The convexity of the densities of harmonic measures is proven for subsets of a circle or of the real line. As a consequence, we get the convexity of the densities of equilibrium measures for compact sets lying on circles or the real axis.
Vector-valued non-homogeneous $Tb$ theorem on metric measure spaces
Authors: Martikainen Henri
Published: October 2012

We prove a vector-valued non-homogeneous

Tb

theorem on certain quasimetric spaces equipped with what we call an upper doubling measure. Essentially, we merge recent techniques from the domain and range side of things, achieving a

Tb

theorem which is quite general with respect to both of them.
Isodiametric sets in the Heisenberg group
Authors: Leonardi Gian Paolo , Rigot Séverine , Vittone Davide
Published: October 2012

In the sub-Riemannian Heisenberg group equipped with its Carnot–Carathéodory metric and with a Haar measure, we consider
isodiametric sets
, i.e., sets maximizing measure among all sets with a given diameter. In particular, given an isodiametric set, and up to negligible sets, we prove that its boundary is given by the graphs of two locally Lipschitz functions. Moreover, within the restricted class of
rotationally invariant sets
, we give a quite complete characterization of any compact (rotationally invariant) isodiametric set. More precisely, its Steiner symmetrization with respect to the

\mathbb{C}^n

-plane is shown to coincide with the Euclidean convex hull of a CC-ball. At the same time, we also prove quite unexpected non-uniqueness results.
Quasisymmetrically inequivalent hyperbolic Julia sets
Authors: Haïssinsky Peter , Pilgrim Kevin M.
Published: October 2012

We give explicit examples of pairs of Julia sets of hyperbolic rational maps which are homeomorphic but not quasisymmetrically homeomorphic.
On Hardy spaces associated with certain Schrödinger operators in dimension 2
Authors: Dziubański Jacek , Zienkiewicz Jacek
Published: October 2012

We study the Hardy space

H^1

associated with the Schrödinger operator

L=-\Delta +V

on

\mathbb R^2

, where

V\geq 0

is a compactly supported non-zero

C^2

-potential. We prove that this space, which is originally defined by means of the maximal function associated with the semigroup generated by

-L

, admits a special atomic decomposition with atoms satisfying a weighted cancellation condition with a weight of logarithmic growth.
$L^3$ estimates for an algebraic variable coefficient Wolff circular maximal function
Authors: Zahl Joshua
Published: October 2012

In 1997, Thomas Wolff proved sharp

L^3

bounds for his circular maximal function, and in 1999, Kolasa and Wolff proved certain non-sharp

L^p

inequalities for a broader class of maximal functions arising from curves of the form

\{\Phi(x,\cdot)=r\}

, where

\Phi(x,y)

satisfied Sogge’s cinematic curvature condition. Under the additional hypothesis that

\Phi

is algebraic, we obtain a sharp

L^3

bound on the corresponding maximal function. Since the function

\Phi(x,y)=|x-y|

is algebraic and satisfies the cinematic curvature condition, our result generalizes Wolff’s

L^3

bound. The algebraicity condition allows us to employ the techniques of vertical cell decompositions and random sampling, which have been extensively developed in the computational geometry literature.
Revisiting Riesz transforms on Heisenberg groups
Authors: Sanjay P. K. , Thangavelu Sundaram
Published: October 2012

We characterise higher order Riesz transforms on the Heisenberg group and also show that they satisfy dimension-free bounds under some assumptions on the multipliers. Using transference theorems, we deduce boundedness theorems for Riesz transforms on the reduced Heisenberg group and hence also for the Riesz transforms associated to multiple Hermite and Laguerre expansions.
Quasi-geostrophic equations, nonlinear Bernstein inequalities and $\alpha$-stable processes
Authors: Chamorro Diego , Lemarié-Rieusset Pierre Gilles
Published: October 2012

We prove some functional inequalities for the fractional differentiation operator

(-\Delta)^\alpha

through the formalism of semi-groups. This gives us an estimate of the regularity of Marchand’s weak solutions for the dissipative quasi-geostrophic equation.
Assouad’s theorem with dimension independent of the snowflaking
Authors: Naor Assaf , Neiman Ofer
Published: October 2012

It is shown that for every

K>0

and

\varepsilon\in (0,1/2)

there exist

N=N(K)\in \mathbb{N}

and

D=D(K,\varepsilon)\in (1,\infty)

with the following properties. For every metric space

(X,d)

with doubling constant at most

K

, the metric space

(X,d^{1-\varepsilon})

admits a bi-Lipschitz embedding into

\mathbb{R}^N

with distortion at most

D

. The classical Assouad embedding theorem makes the same assertion, but with

N\to \infty

as

\varepsilon\to 0

.
Boundedness of the twisted paraproduct
Authors: Kovač Vjekoslav
Published: October 2012

We prove

\mathrm{L}^p

estimates for a two-dimensional bilinear operator of paraproduct type. This result answers a question posed by Demeter and Thiele.
Gelfand–Tsetlin bases for spherical monogenics in dimension 3
Authors: Bock Sebastian , Gürlebeck Klaus , Lávička Roman , Souček Vladimír
Published: October 2012

The main aim of this paper is to recall the notion of Gelfand–Tsetlin bases (GT bases for short) and to use it for an explicit construction of orthogonal bases for the spaces of spherical monogenics (i.e., homogeneous solutions of the Dirac or the generalized Cauchy–Riemann equation, respectively) in dimension 3. In the paper, using the GT construction, we obtain explicit orthogonal bases for spherical monogenics in dimension 3. We compare them with those constructed by the first and the second author recently (by a direct analytic approach) and we show in addition that the GT basis has the Appell property with respect to all three variables. The last fact is quite important for future applications.
Erratum: Fitting a $C^m$-smooth function to data II
Authors: Fefferman Charles , Klartag Bo'az
Published: October 2012

A few small changes have to be made to the proof of Lemma 3 in Section 30, pages 139–140, of Rev. Mat. Iberoam. 25 (2009), no. 1, 49–273.
A comparative study of the response of non-drizzling stratocumulus to meteorological and aerosol perturbations
Authors: Petters J. L. , Jiang H. , Feingold G. , Rossiter D. L. , Khelif D. , Sloan L. C. , Chuang P. Y.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. The impact of changes in aerosol and cloud droplet concentration (Na and Nd) on the radiative forcing of stratocumulus-topped boundary layers (STBLs) has been widely studied. How these impacts compare to those due to variations in meteorological context has not been investigated in a systematic fashion. In this study we examine the impact of observed variations in meteorological context and aerosol state on daytime, non-drizzling stratiform evolution, and determine how resulting changes in cloud properties compare. We perturb aerosol and meteorological properties within an observationally-constrained LES and determine the cloud response, focusing on changes in liquid water path (LWP), bulk optical depth (τ) and cloud radiative forcing (CRF). We find that realistic variations in meteorological context (i.e. jump properties) can elicit responses in τ and shortwave (SW) CRF that are on the same order of magnitude as, and at times larger than, those responses found due to similar changes in aerosol state (i.e Nd). Further, we find that one hour differences in the timing of SW radiative heating can lead to substantial changes in LWP and τ. Our results suggest that, for observational studies of aerosol influences on the radiative properties of stratiform clouds, consistency in meteorological context (the cloud top jump properties in particular) and time of observations from day-to-day must be carefully considered.
State transformations and ice nucleation in glassy or (semi-)solid amorphous organic aerosol
Authors: Baustian K. J. , Wise M. E. , Jensen E. J. , Schill G. P. , Freedman M. A. , Tolbert M. A.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. Glassy or amorphous (semi-)solid organic aerosol particles have the potential to serve as surfaces for heterogeneous ice nucleation in cirrus clouds. Raman spectroscopy and optical microscopy have been used in conjunction with a cold stage to examine water uptake and ice nucleation on individual aqueous organic glass particles at atmospherically relevant temperatures (200–273 K). Three organic compounds considered proxies for atmospheric secondary organic aerosol (SOA) were used in this investigation: sucrose, citric acid and glucose. Internally mixed particles consisting of each organic species and ammonium sulfate were also investigated. Results from water uptake experiments were used to construct glass transition curves and state diagrams for each organic and corresponding mixture. A unique glass transition point on each state diagram, Tg', was used to quantify and compare results from this study to previous works. Values of Tg' determined for aqueous sucrose, glucose and citric acid glasses were 236 K, 230 K and 220 K, respectively. Values of Tg' for internally mixed organic/sulfate particles were always significantly lower; 210 K, 207 K and 215 K for sucrose/sulfate, glucose/sulfate and citric acid/sulfate, respectively. All investigated organic species were observed to serve as heterogeneous ice nuclei at tropospheric temperatures. Heterogeneous ice nucleation on pure organic particles occurred at Sice=1.1–1.4 for temperatures between 235 K and 200 K. Particles consisting of 1:1 organic-sulfate mixtures remained liquid over a greater range of conditions but were in some cases also observed to depositionally nucleate ice at temperatures below 202 K (Sice=1.25–1.38). Glass transition curves constructed from experimental data were incorporated into the Community Aerosol Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA) along with the predicted range of glass transition temperatures for atmospheric SOA from Koop et al. (2011). Model results suggest that organic and organic/sulfate aerosol will be glassy more than 60% of the time in the midlatitude upper troposphere and more than 40% of the time in the tropical tropopause region (TTL). At conditions favorable for ice formation (Sice>1), particles in the TTL are expected to be glassy more than 50% of the time for temperatures below 200 K. Combined with the low saturation ratios measured for ice nucleation, this work suggests heterogeneous ice formation on glassy substances may play an important role in cirrus cloud formation.
Quantitative bias estimates for tropospheric NO2 columns retrieved from SCIAMACHY, OMI, and GOME-2 using a common standard for East Asia
Authors: Irie H. , Boersma K. F. , Kanaya Y. , Takashima H. , Pan X. , Wang Z. F.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. For the intercomparison of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) vertical column density (VCD) data from three different satellite sensors (SCIAMACHY, OMI, and GOME-2), we use a common standard to quantitatively evaluate the biases for the respective data sets. As the standard, a regression analysis using a single set of collocated ground-based Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) observations at several sites in Japan and China from 2006–2011 is adopted. Examinations of various spatial coincidence criteria indicates that the slope of the regression line can be influenced by the spatial distribution of NO2 over the area considered. While the slope varies systematically with the distance between the MAX-DOAS and satellite observation points around Tokyo in Japan, such a systematic dependence is not clearly seen and correlation coefficients are generally higher in comparisons at sites in China. On the basis of these results, we focus mainly on comparisons over China and estimate the biases in SCIAMACHY, OMI, and GOME-2 data (TM4NO2A and DOMINO version 2 products) against the MAX-DOAS observations to be −5 ± 14%, −10 ± 14%, and +1 ± 14%, respectively, which are all small and insignificant. We suggest that these small biases now allow for analyses combining these satellite data for air quality studies, which are more systematic and quantitative than previously possible.
Zernike polynomials applied to apparent solar disk flattening for pressure profile retrievals
Authors: Dekemper E. , Vanhellemont F. , Mateshvili N. , Franssens G. , Pieroux D. , Bingen C. , Robert C. , Fussen D.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. We present a passive method for the retrieval of atmospheric pressure profiles based on the measurement of the apparent flattening of the solar disk as observed through the atmosphere by a spaceborne imager. It involves accurate simulations of the solar occultation and uses the Zernike moments to quantify the flattening. This method is expected to achieve retrievals up to the lower mesosphere with uncertainties 10 to 1000 times smaller than the natural variability.
Climatology of aerosol optical properties in Northern Norway and Svalbard
Authors: Chen Y.-C. , Hamre B. , Frette Ø , Stamnes J. J.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. We present comparisons between estimates of the aerosol optical thickness and the Ångström exponent in Northern Norway and Svalbard based on data from AERONET stations at Andenes (69° N, 16° E, 379 m altitude) and Hornsund (77° N, 15° E, 10 m altitude) for the period 2008–2010. The three-year annual mean values for the aerosol optical thickness at 500 nm τ(500) at Andenes and Hornsund were 0.11 and 0.10, respectively. At Hornsund, there was less variation of the monthly mean value of τ(500) than at Andenes. The annual mean values of the Ångström exponent α at Andenes and Hornsund were 1.18 and 1.37, respectively. At Andenes and Hornsund α was found to be larger than 1.0 in 68% and 93% of the observations, respectively, indicating that fine-mode particles were dominating at both sites. Both sites had a similar seasonal variation of the aerosol size distribution although one site is in an Arctic area while the other site is in a sub-arctic area.
Marine productivity response to Heinrich events: a model-data comparison
Authors: Mariotti V. , Bopp L. , Tagliabue A. , Kageyama M. , Swingedouw D.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. Marine sediments records suggest large changes in marine productivity during glacial periods, with abrupt variations especially during the Heinrich events. Here, we study the response of marine biogeochemistry to such an event by using a biogeochemical model of the global ocean (PISCES) coupled to an ocean-atmosphere general circulation model (IPSL-CM4). We conduct a 400-yr-long transient simulation under glacial climate conditions with a freshwater forcing of 0.1 Sv applied to the North Atlantic to mimic a Heinrich event, alongside a glacial control simulation. To evaluate our numerical results, we have compiled the available marine productivity records covering Heinrich events. We find that simulated primary productivity and organic carbon export decrease globally (by 16% for both) during a Heinrich event, albeit with large regional variations. In our experiments, the North Atlantic displays a significant decrease, whereas the Southern Ocean shows an increase, in agreement with paleo-productivity reconstructions. In the Equatorial Pacific, the model simulates an increase in organic matter export production but decreased biogenic silica export. This antagonistic behaviour results from changes in relative uptake of carbon and silicic acid by diatoms. Reasonable agreement between model and data for the large-scale response to Heinrich events gives confidence in models used to predict future centennial changes in marine production. In addition, our model allows us to investigate the mechanisms behind the observed changes in the response to Heinrich events.
Gradually-varied open-channel flow profiles normalized by critical depth and analytically solved by using Gaussian hypergeometric functions
Authors: Jan C. D. , Chen C. L.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. The equation of one-dimensional gradually-varied flow (GVF) in sustaining and non-sustaining open channels is normalized using the critical depth, hc, and then analytically solved by the direct integration method with the use of the Gaussian hypergeometric function (GHF). The GHF-based solution so obtained from the hc-based dimensionless GVF equation is more useful and versatile than its counterpart from the GVF equation normalized by the normal depth, hn, because the GHF-based solutions of the hc-based dimensionless GVF equation for the mild (M) and adverse (A) profiles can asymptotically reduce to the hc-based dimensionless horizontal (H) profiles as hc/hn → 0. An in-depth analysis of the hc-based dimensionless profiles expressed in terms of the GHF for GVF in sustaining and adverse wide channels has been conducted to discuss the effects of hc/hn and the hydraulic exponent N on the profiles This paper has laid the foundation to compute at one sweep the hc-based dimensionless GVF profiles in a series of sustaining and adverse channels, which have horizontal slopes sandwiched in between them, by using the GHF-based solutions.
X-band COSMO-SkyMed wind field retrieval, with application to coastal circulation modeling
Authors: Montuori A. , de Ruggiero P. , Migliaccio M. , Pierini S. , Spezie G.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. In this paper, X-band COSMO-SkyMed© SAR wind field retrieval is investigated to force coastal circulation modeling. The SAR data set consists of 60 X-band Level 1B Multi-Look Ground Detected ScanSAR Huge Region COSMO-SkyMed© SAR data, gathered in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea during the Summer and Winter seasons of 2010. The SAR-based wind vector field estimation is accomplished by resolving both the SAR-based wind speed and wind direction retrieval problems independently. The sea surface wind speed is retrieved by means of a SAR wind speed algorithm based on the Azimuth cut-off procedure, while the sea surface wind direction is provided by means of a SAR wind direction algorithm based on the Discrete Wavelet Transform Multi-Resolution Analysis. The obtained wind fields are compared with ground truth data provided by both ASCAT scatterometer and ECMWF model wind fields. SAR-derived wind vector fields and ECMWF model wind data are used to construct a blended wind product regularly sampled in both space and time, which is then used to force a coastal circulation model of a Southern Tyrrhenian coastal area to simulate wind-driven circulation processes. The modeling results clearly show that X-band COSMO-SkyMed© SAR data can be valuable in providing effective wind fields for coastal circulation modeling.
Brief Communication "Expansion of meltwater lakes on the Greenland ice sheet"
Authors: Howat I. M. , de la Peña S. , van Angelen J. H. , Lenaerts J. T. M. , van den Broeke M. R.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. Forty years of satellite imagery reveal that meltwater lakes on the margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet have expanded substantially inland to higher elevations with warming. These lakes are important because they provide a mechanism for bringing water to the ice bed, warming the ice and causing sliding. Inland expansion of lakes could accelerate ice flow by bringing water to previously frozen bed, potentially increasing future rates of mass loss. Increasing lake elevations in West Greenland closely follow the rise of the mass balance equilibrium line, suggesting no physical limit on lake expansion there. This is not included in ice sheet models.
The Effect of Debt, Firm Size and Liquidity on Investment -Cash Flow Sensitivity
Authors: Soumaya Hechmi
Published: October 2012

Given the importance of cash flow, being in determining the investment performance of firms, we have presented an overview of purely practical studies that analyze this relationship. The majority of these studies have proven the existence of such relationship, both significant and positive, between investment and the CF, but the unanimity has not explained this positive relationship.We are interested only in analyzing the effect of the debt, liquidity and firm size on the investment-cash flow sensitivity on a sample of 82 French firms that compose the SBF 250 index, from 1999 to 2005. Thus, we have noticed that the debt has a negative effect on the investment-cash flow sensitivity and the firm size has a positive effect on this relationship.
Audit Quality and Earnings Management in the Tunisian Context
Authors: Inaam Zgarni , Khmoussi Hlioui , Fatma Zehri
Published: October 2012

In this study, we test the effect of the implementation of the financial security law (n° 2005-96) and the audit quality (Big 4 auditors, auditor industry specialization and audit tenure) on constraining the extent of real and accruals based earnings management in the Tunisian context. Using 319 firm-year observations during the period 2000-2010, our results suggest that auditor industry specialization and Big 4 auditors associated with lower levels of accruals earnings management. We also find that the Big 4 auditors enhance the extent of real earnings management (REM). Further, we document that longer auditor tenure is not associated with greater real and accruals earnings management. Finally, our findings suggest that the adoption of the financial securities law of 2005 is not effective on reducing earnings management in the Tunisian context.
International Differences Between Big Four Auditors and Their Smaller Counterparts in Monitoring Earnings Management
Authors: Wang Xinhua , Yang Bibo
Published: October 2012

Earnings management that misrepresents the firm’s financial picture and misleads investors is a persistent problem. One role of the auditor is to efficiently monitor the accounting reports so as to better inform investors as to the true status of the firm and help close the asymmetric information gap between owners and management. Auditors, however, operate within the constraints of social and legal environments that often display vast international differences. Using sample data from around 50,000 firm-year observations in 42 countries, the paper shows that in the United States the Big Four auditors more effectively monitor overstated earnings than their smaller counterparts, while elsewhere they tend to be more effective in monitoring both overstated and understated earnings. An important policy implication of the results is that uniform worldwide audit and financial reporting standards may not be as effective as might be hoped, because international differences in ownership structures and the resultant agency issues create different reporting incentives.
Board Characteristics and Firm Performance: Case of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Ghabayen Mohammad Ahid
Published: October 2012

ABSTRACTCorporate governance (CG) has received much attention in the current studies all over the world especially after many corporate scandals and the failures of some biggest firms around the world such as Commerce Bank (1991) Enron (2001), Adelphia (2002), and World Com (2002).The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between board mechanisms (audit committee size, audit committee composition, board size, and board composition) and firm performance (ROA) based on the annual reports of listed companies in the year 2011 of  sample of non-financial firms in the Saudi Market (Tadawul). For the purpose of this study, data was collected from a sample of 102 non-financial listed companies.Furthermore, an analysis of regression analysis is utilized to examine the relationship between board characteristics and firm performance. The results of this study reveal that audit committee size, audit committee composition and board size have no effect on firm performance in the selected sample while board composition has a significant negative relationship with firm performance.
Auditing Issues with Chinese Reverse Merger Companies Traded in the United States
Authors: Stiner Frederic M. , Lynn Susan A.
Published: October 2012

Recently there have been two issues related to Chinese companies seeking capital in the United States.   The first issue is frauds that have been perpetrated by companies using reverse mergers in order to go public.   The second issue is fraud in continuing audit engagements when there has been reliance by an American audit firm on a foreign accountant’s audit work.  There is also conflict between the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) demanding to inspect audit workpapers for companies in China and the Chinese government’s refusal to let the PCAOB see these workpapers.   These issues relate to characteristics of the practice of accounting and auditing in China that threaten auditor independence and audit quality. The paper discusses: (1) issues involving reverse mergers and the response of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to these issues, (2) issues involving reliance on the work of foreign Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and the response of the PCAOB to these issues, (3) issues involving conflicts between U.S.  regulatory agencies and the Chinese government over access to audit-related documents, and (4) suggestions for future research.
Price Discovery in Indian Agricultural Commodity Markets
Authors: Sehgal Sanjay , Rajput Namita , Dua Rajeev Kumar
Published: October 2012

In this paper, the price discovery relationship for ten agricultural commodities has been examined. Price discovery is confirmed for all commodities except Turmeric. Price discovery results are encouraging given the nascent character of commodity market in India. However the market does not seem to be competitive. The findings have implications for policy makers, hedgers and investors and will help in deeply understanding the role of futures market in information dissemination. The commodity exchanges must strengthen their surveillance system for early detection on continuous basis of anomalous trading behaviour. These markets are becoming informationally mature and market regulators have taken adequate steps for market development. Forwards Market Commission (FMC) should be given adequate powers to regulate commodity market and penalise any insider trading and price manipulations. Well-organized spot markets must be developed, ensuring transparency and trading efficiency. Electronically traded spot exchanges must be developed and warehousing; testing labs as well as other eco-system linkages must be established to strengthen the derivative market trading mechanism for efficient price discovery mechanism.
The Determinants of Forward-looking Disclosures in Interim Reports for Non-financial Firms: Evidence from a Developing Country
Authors: Mathuva David
Published: October 2012

This paper examines the determinants of the forward-looking disclosures (FLD) in the interim financial reports (IFRs) of non-financial firms listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). Data were collected from a total of 91 firm-year observations for the mid interim periods between 2009 and 2011. A FLD score was developed for each firm in the sample based on the firm’s disclosure of forward-looking statements in its IFR. The results indicate that firms with higher debt, better performance, higher capital investment and with more concentration of foreign investment tend to have more FLDs in their IFRs. Conversely, cross listed firms are associated with lower FLDs, implying that cross listed firms provide lower forward-looking information compared to non-cross listed firms. Results show a high degree of FLD for better performing firms and firms with higher financial risk. This study contributes to literature by providing evidence to which financial reporting incentives contribute to FLDs in a developing country where enforcement is weak. As a conclusion, the paper recommends firms to provide comprehensive FLDs in future to effectively mitigate informational asymmetries between the management and owners of the firms, especially firms with more concentrated foreign ownership.
The Accuracy of Altman’s Models in Predicting Hotel Bankruptcy
Authors: Diakomihalis Mihail N.
Published: October 2012

This paper studies the bankruptcy predictions for different hotel categories in Greece, aiming to determine the zone of discrimination classified as “certainty” for bankruptcy.It also calculates the differentiation degree of the bankruptcy risk that is owed to the different categorisation of the hotels. The three versions of Altman’s model have been applied to evaluate the bankruptcy prediction and its accuracy between the hotel enterprises that fall in the “distress” zone. Approximately 40 percent of the total firms in the distress zone are evaluated, having a Z 1 score below 1.8, while the percentage for the Z 2 formula is 44.5 percent and 36.3 percent for the Z 3 score. The Z 1 score formula is more precise—with an accuracy rate of 88.2 percent in 2007, one year before bankruptcy—than the Z2 model, which gives a prediction of  83.33 percent for the cutoff zone <0.7, while the Z 3 score reaches 80 percent prediction for the < 0.5 zone. Five and four star hotels show a higher bankruptcy risk than 4-star hotels, while the smaller risk is depicted in 2-star hotels.This paper fulfils the identified need to predict the certainty of bankruptcy among enterprises in the distress zone.
The Necessity of Applying Accrual Accounting In Establishing performance Budgeting System (An Analytical Study)
Authors: Soleimani Hamid , Soleimani Hojjat , Vaghfi Seyed Hesam , Salehfar Davood
Published: October 2012

Nowadays, governments have considered the novel management approaches, namely modifying their budgeting systems into performance-based ones due to the increasing pressure to enhance responsiveness and performance transparency. Hence, operational budgeting, as the most optimum accepted method of budgeting, has been put under the spotlight of governments. The differentiating character of this system from the traditional systems is its focus on the objectives, consequences and calculating the actual cost of activities, reducing the costs and improving the quality of services provided for people. Planning and successful execution of operational budgeting system has a strong correlation with the characteristics of the governmental accounting system and financial reporting. An important prerequisite for reconciliation of the budgeting system is to modify the accounting system, so that it could calculate the actual price. Development and implementation of the operational budgeting in the governmental agencies requires application of accrual accounting in order to determine the actual costs of programs and activities. In this research, operational budgeting and accrual accounting were addressed with an analytical approach and the necessity of establishing accrual accounting, as a prerequisite for implementation of the budgeting on an operational basis was emphasized