bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Giant cavernoma of the skull and skeletal-extraskeletal angiomatosis associated with paraproteinemia
Authors: Šarac Helena , Hajnšek Sanja , Bašić Silvio , Telarović Srđana , Markeljević Jasenka , Vukić Miroslav , Radoš Marko , Bošnjak-Pašić Marija , Žarković Kamelija , Hof Patrick , Šimić Goran
Published: September 2011

Skeletal-extraskeletal angiomatosis is defined as a benign vascular proliferation affecting the medullar cavity of the bone and at least one other type of tissue, including skin, subcutaneous tissue, viscera, muscle, or synovium, and which does not spread to avascular tissue such as cartilage. Primary hemangiomas/cavernous hemangiomas (cavernomas) are exceedingly rare in the skull, accounting for 0.2% of all osseous neoplasms and are usually located in frontal and parietal bones. The authors present the case of a 66-year-old man who was admitted with right-side hemiparesis. MRI revealed a destructive bone lesion of the left frontal bone. Digital subtraction angiography of the brain did not reveal pathological vascularization, but a minor submucous hemangioma was seen in the nasal airway. Urine test for Bence-Jones proteins was positive for IgG λ light chain. Bone marrow aspiration and CSF analysis revealed no evidence of systemic myelomatosis suggesting a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. A highly vascular tumor was surgically removed. The histopathology verified cavernous hemangioma of the skull and the nasal submucous hemangioma. We discuss the diagnostic procedure, possible pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment implementation. It is possible that immunoglobulins from monoclonal gammopathies have an etiologic role in the development of the bone and skin changes in older patients, as an acquired condition, by producing a vascular injury that could lead to the multiple hemangiomas in skeletal-extraskeletal angiomatosis. To prevent misdiagnosis with lesions of other origins, multiple lesions of the head must be resected and histopathologically verified. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of giant cavernous hemangioma of the skull associated with paraproteinemia and skeletalextraskeletal angiomatosis limited to the head.
Integrated design of observer based fault detection for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems
Authors: Chen Wei , Khan Abdul , Abid Muhammmad , Ding Steven
Published: September 2011

Integrated design of observer based fault detection for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems

Integrated design of observer based Fault Detection (FD) for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with Lipschitz nonlinearities is studied. In the context of norm based residual evaluation, the residual generator and evaluator are designed together in an integrated form, and, based on it, a trade-off FD system is finally achieved in the sense that, for a given Fault Detection Rate (FDR), the False Alarm Rate (FAR) is minimized. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design method.
Performance evaluation based fault tolerant control with actuator saturation avoidance
Authors: Boussaid Boumedyen , Aubrun Christophe , Abdelkrim Mohamed , Gayed Mohamed
Published: September 2011

Performance evaluation based fault tolerant control with actuator saturation avoidance

In this paper, a new approach regarding a reconfigured system is proposed to improve the performance of an active fault tolerant control system. The system performance is evaluated with an intelligent index of performance. The reconfiguration mechanism is based on a model predictive controller and reference trajectory management techniques. When an actuator fault occurs in the system, a new degraded reference trajectory is generated and the controller calculates new admissible controls. A constraint set and cost function are established to avoid actuator saturation and reduce the control energy spent in closed loop dynamics. The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated using a hydrothermal system subject to actuator faults and constraints on actuator dynamic ranges.
A sign preserving mixed finite element approximation for contact problems
Authors: Hild Patrick
Published: September 2011

A sign preserving mixed finite element approximation for contact problems

This paper is concerned with the frictionless unilateral contact problem (i.e., a Signorini problem with the elasticity operator). We consider a mixed finite element method in which the unknowns are the displacement field and the contact pressure. The particularity of the method is that it furnishes a normal displacement field and a contact pressure satisfying the sign conditions of the continuous problem. Thea priorierror analysis of the method is closely linked with the study of a specific positivity preserving operator of averaging type which differs from the one of Chen and Nochetto. We show that this method is convergent and satisfies the samea priorierror estimates as the standard approach in which the approximated contact pressure satisfies only a weak sign condition. Finally we perform some computations to illustrate and compare the sign preserving method with the standard approach.
New stability conditions for positive continuous-discrete 2D linear systems
Authors: Kaczorek Tadeusz
Published: September 2011

New stability conditions for positive continuous-discrete 2D linear systems

New necessary and sufficient conditions for asymptotic stability of positive continuous-discrete 2D linear systems are established. Necessary conditions for the stability are also given. The stability tests are demonstrated on numerical examples.
Motion representations for the Lafferriere-Sussmann algorithm for nilpotent control systems
Authors: Dulęba Ignacy , Jagodziñski Jacek
Published: September 2011

Motion representations for the Lafferriere-Sussmann algorithm for nilpotent control systems

In this paper, an extension of the Lafferriere-Sussmann algorithm of motion planning for driftless nilpotent control systems is analyzed. It is aimed at making more numerous admissible representations of motion in the algorithm. The representations allow designing a shape of trajectories joining the initial and final configuration of the motion planning task. This feature is especially important in motion planning in a cluttered environment. Some natural functions are introduced to measure the shape of a trajectory in the configuration space and to evaluate trajectories corresponding to different representations of motion.
An operational Haar wavelet method for solving fractional Volterra integral equations
Authors: Saeedi Habibollah , Mollahasani Nasibeh , Moghadam Mahmoud , Chuev Gennady
Published: September 2011

An operational Haar wavelet method for solving fractional Volterra integral equations

A Haar wavelet operational matrix is applied to fractional integration, which has not been undertaken before. The Haar wavelet approximating method is used to reduce the fractional Volterra and Abel integral equations to a system of algebraic equations. A global error bound is estimated and some numerical examples with smooth, nonsmooth, and singular solutions are considered to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the developed method.
End of the Highway Trust Fund?
Authors: Schank Joshua , Rudnick-Thorpe Nikki
Published: September 2011

More than at any other time, the status of the Highway Trust Fund is in doubt. Modern federal surface transportation policy began in 1956, and its survival is threatened by a lack of political will to increase the main source of revenue for the program: the federal excise tax on gasoline. In the short term, the federal highway and transit programs can survive with more borrowed money or with an increase in federal gas tax. However, even if the political will to do either of these things is found, both sources of revenue are unsustainable in the long term. As Congress faces this transportation funding crisis, it must consider how to avoid a similar problem in the future by transitioning to a reliable source of revenue immediately. Failing to do so would put the national transportation system and national competitiveness at risk. This paper explores the following three policy options for long-term federal transportation funding by presenting the advantages and disadvantages of each one: (a) continued current funding, (b) improved user fees, and (c) dedicated general revenue. These options offer general guidance for funding policy rather than detailed proposals; each option has possible variations. However, each option sets a specific direction for future federal transportation policy, and each provides policy trade-offs. The purpose of this paper is to describe the trade-offs regarding strategies for transitioning to a sustainable federal surface transportation program.
Distributional Implications of Replacing the Federal Fuel Tax with per Mile User Charges
Authors: Weatherford Brian A.
Published: September 2011

Policy makers have begun to consider replacing state and federal fuel taxes with per mile user charges that would be more financially sustainable. The distributional implications of this change in tax policy are uncertain and raise equity concerns. This study uses data from the 2001 National Household Travel Survey to evaluate the distributional implications of replacing the per-gallon federal fuel tax with an equivalent flatrate vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fee of 0.98 cent per mile. The analysis indicates that VMT fees will be less regressive than fuel taxes by shifting the burden of taxation from low-income households to high-income households. The results provide new insight on the transportation tax burdens of households at different stages of life and suggest that a VMT fee would shift the tax burden from retired households to younger households with children. Consistent with previous research, VMT fees are shown to shift the tax burden from rural households to urban households. These findings challenge conventional wisdom that VMT fees would be inequitable for low-income and rural households. Overall, a revenue-neutral VMT fee would change the annual tax burden of 98% of the population by less than $20. The small magnitude of these distributional implications suggest that addressing concerns about the equity of VMT fees should, perhaps, take a lower priority relative to other concerns, such as administration costs, evasion, and privacy.
Effectiveness and Equity of Vehicle Mileage Fee at Federal and State Levels
Authors: Robitaille Andrea M. , Methipara Jasmy , Zhang Lei
Published: September 2011

As federal and state fuel tax rates stagnate in the United States and the average vehicle fuel efficiency increases, revenues from the fuel tax will likely decrease. An alternative source of revenue to the fuel tax should be considered and implemented to avoid the risk that the Highway Trust Fund may not be able to function as a dedicated user pay fund and may require yearly bailouts from the general fund. Practitioners and researchers have been considering alternatives to the fuel tax for years. The alternative revenue mechanism must ensure equity, or it will not be accepted as a politically viable option. The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials and several congressional commissions have recommended that, in the interim, the federal gasoline tax be increased by 10 cents per gallon to ensure that the Highway Trust Fund is able to continue to pay its obligations and that, in the long run, the fuel tax be replaced or supplemented with a mileage-based user charge. This paper analyzes the distributional effects of an increased gasoline tax and vehicle mileage fees by considering both their effectiveness in revenue generation and their equity for different population groups at the federal and state levels. Both horizontal and vertical equity are considered for age groups, income groups, ethnicity groups, and geographic locations. With a better understanding of the effects of alternative transportation financing options, policy meters can design or select the most effective policy and the revenue that is generated can be used most effectively and equitably.
Rethinking the Politics of Freeway Congestion Pricing
Authors: Poole Robert W.
Published: September 2011

A growing community of transport economists and urban planners has concluded that the best solution to U.S. freeway congestion would be to implement congestion pricing on all such freeways. At the same time, many political scientists and other political observers consider doing so to be politically impossible, primarily because of strong opposition from taxpayers, voters, and highway user groups. Federal efforts (dating to the 1970s) to induce one or more urban areas to price its freeways have been unsuccessful; this lack of success reinforces the political scientists' skepticism. This paper suggests that even if the political difficulties could be overcome, the conventional model of freeway congestion pricing (charging all users the same variable price) may not be optimal: this model could well create more losers than winners. In analyzing this conundrum, the author looks more closely at two assumptions implicit in the standard congestion pricing model: uniformly applied (variable) pricing and all general purpose lanes. Revisiting both assumptions leads to a proposal for multitier pricing on differentiated lanes, which the author suggests could be more politically feasible and productive of larger economic benefits. This approach also lends itself to being implemented in an evolutionary manner, in which each step is justified on its own merits, without regard of the possible longer-term end.
Measuring Toll Burdens
Authors: Gordon Cameron , Peters Jonathan R.
Published: September 2011

This paper uses a unique survey data set of toll revenue collection on New York City bridges administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Bridges and Tunnels (MTA Bridges and Tunnels). This data set, which contains detailed information on road user income and location, is analyzed to assess distributional equity of burden across road users of various toll facilities (both value-priced and fixed-rate tolls) in the New York-New Jersey region. The distributional impact is summarized with the use of Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients, a standard economic measure with these and other measures, the authors develop empirical estimates of the social equity conditions on the existing priced facilities. The authors find that burdens are least equitable on facilities where there are few alternative routes and more equitable on those with more alternatives but that, in general, users of MTA Bridges and Tunnels facilities have higher income than the general population surrounding those facilities.
Agglomeration Benefits and Transportation Projects
Authors: Jenkins Joseph , Colella Michael , Salvucci Frederick
Published: September 2011

Traditional project appraisal assesses benefits from a number of sources, including improvements in safety and reductions in noise levels, travel cost, and travel time. In most cases, benefits are primarily based on travel time savings. Project appraisal based primarily on travel time savings systematically underestimates the benefits of projects that create economic benefits beyond travel time savings and thereby introduces systematic bias against investment in an important subset of initiatives, particularly in projects large enough to alter the time–space geography of a metropolitan area. Recent research has developed methodologies to capture some of these previously overlooked benefits of transportation projects, most notably agglomeration benefits. While methodologies now exist to measure agglomeration benefits, their inclusion in project appraisal is limited, partly because agglomeration and its sources are not well understood. This work explains agglomeration through a review of previous research on the sources of transportation benefits and appraisal methodologies. This study also reviews the agglomeration calculations of a number of projects and specifically highlights projects in London; Melbourne, Australia; and Tel Aviv, Israel.
Traumatic sacral pseudomeningocele with spina bifida occulta
Authors: Banno Tomohiro , Ohishi Tsuyoshi , Suzuki Daisuke , Honda Yosuke , Kobayashi Sho , Matsuyama Yukihiro
Published: September 2011

Pseudomeningocele arises after spinal fracture and nerve root avulsion or after complications of spine surgery. However, traumatic pseudomeningocele with spina bifida occulta is rare. In this report, a traumatic pseudomeningocele in a patient with spina bifida occulta that required surgical treatment is documented. This 37-year-old man presented to the authors' hospital with headache and a fluctuant mass in the center of his buttocks. A CT scan with myelography and MR imaging of the sacral region revealed a large subcutaneous area of fluid retention communicating with the intradural space through a defect of the S-2 lamina. Because 3 months of conservative treatment was unsuccessful, a free fat graft was placed with fibrin glue to seal the closure of the defect, followed by 1 week of CSF drainage. This is the first report on traumatic pseudomeningocele with spina bifida occulta successfully treated in this manner.
Administrative Sciences: An International Journal on the Science of Administration
Authors: DelCampo Robert G.
Published: September 2011

In the past thirty years, academic work in the field of business has evolved from an applied field to a theoretically grounded, rigorous, scientific field of inquiry garnering the attention of high-quality academics from the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, and political science and many others. In this time the social science of administration has developed into a multi-faceted field with theoretical and empirical lenses too numerous to mention. With this development has come the need for innovations in scholarly publication in this area, one of these being the introduction of our new journal, Administrative Sciences. [...]
Emerging Cancer Vaccines: The Promise of Genetic Vectors
Authors: Aurisicchio Luigi , Ciliberto Gennaro
Published: September 2011

Therapeutic vaccination against cancer is an important approach which, when combined with other therapies, can improve long-term control of cancer. In fact, the induction of adaptive immune responses against Tumor Associated Antigens (TAAs) as well as innate immunity are important factors for tumor stabilization/eradication. A variety of immunization technologies have been explored in last decades and are currently under active evaluation, such as cell-based, protein, peptide and heat-shock protein-based cancer vaccines. Genetic vaccines are emerging as promising methodologies to elicit immune responses against a wide variety of antigens, including TAAs. Amongst these, Adenovirus (Ad)-based vectors show excellent immunogenicity profile and have achieved immunological proof of concept in humans. In vivo electroporation of plasmid DNA (DNA-EP) is also a desirable vaccine technology for cancer vaccines, as it is repeatable several times, a parameter required for the long-term maintenance of anti-tumor immunity. Recent findings show that combinations of different modalities of immunization (heterologous prime/boost) are able to induce superior immune reactions as compared to single-modality vaccines. In this review, we will discuss the challenges and requirements of emerging cancer vaccines, particularly focusing on the genetic cancer vaccines currently under active development and the promise shown by Ad and DNA-EP heterologous prime-boost.
Designing an Energy Storage System Fuzzy PID Controller for Microgrid Islanded Operation
Authors: Kim Jong-Yul , Kim Hak-Man , Kim Seul-Ki , Jeon Jin-Hong , Choi Heung-Kwan
Published: September 2011

Recently, interest in microgrids, which are composed of distributed generation (DG), distributed storage (DS), and loads, has been growing as a potentially effective clean energy system to mitigate against climate change. The microgrid is operated in the grid-connected mode and the islanded mode according to the conditions of the upstream power grid. The role of the energy storage system (ESS) is especially important to maintain constant the frequency and voltage of an islanded microgrid. For this reason, various approaches for ESS control have been put forth. In this paper, a fuzzy PID controller is proposed to improve the frequency control performance of the ESS. This fuzzy PID controller consists of a fuzzy logic controller and a conventional PI controller, connected in series. The fuzzy logic controller has two input signals, and then the output signal of the fuzzy logic controller is the input signal of the conventional PI controller. For comparison of control performance, gains of each PI controller and fuzzy PID controller are tuned by the particle swam optimization (PSO) algorithm. In the simulation study, the control performance of the fuzzy PID was also tested under various operating conditions using the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation platform.
Preparation and Scintillating Properties of Sol-Gel Eu3+, Tb3+ Co-Doped Lu2O3 Nanopowders
Authors: Ramírez Ángel de Jesús Morales , Murillo Antonieta García , Romo Felipe de Jesús Carrillo , Hernández Margarita García , Palmerin Joel Moreno , Guerrero Rosario Ruiz
Published: September 2011

Nanocrystalline Eu3+, Tb3+ co-doped Lu2O3 powders with a maximum size of 25.5 nm were prepared by the sol-gel process, using lutetium, europium and terbium nitrates as precursors, and ethanol as a solvent. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were used to study the chemical changes during the xerogel annealing. After the sol evaporation at 100 °C, the formed gel was annealed from 300 to 900 °C for 30 min under a rich O2 atmosphere, and the yielded product was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to characterize the microstructural behavior and confirm the crystalline structure. The results showed that Lu2O3 nanopowders start to crystallize at 400 °C and that the crystallite size increases along with the annealing temperature. A transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study of samples annealed at 700 and 900 °C was carried out in order to analyze the microstructure, as well as the size, of crystallites. Finally, in regard to scintillating properties, Eu3+ dopant (5 mol%), Tb3+ codoped Lu2O3 exhibited a typical red emission at 611 nm (Do→7F2), furthermore, the effect of Tb3+ molar content (0.01, 0.015 and 0.02% mol) on the Eu3+ radioluminiscence was analyzed and it was found that the higher emission intensity corresponds to the lower Tb3+ content.
Fabrication and Characterization of Gelatin Stabilized Silver Nanoparticles under UV-Light
Authors: Darroudi Majid , Ahmad Mansor B. , Zak Ali Khorsand , Zamiri Reza , Hakimi Mohammad
Published: September 2011

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were successfully synthesized using the UV irradiation of aqueous solutions containing AgNO3 and gelatin as a silver source and stabilizer, respectively. The UV irradiation times influence the particles’ diameter of the Ag-NPs, as evidenced from surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. When the UV irradiation time was increased, the mean size of particles continuously decreased as a result of photoinduced Ag-NPs fragmentation. Based on X-ray diffraction (XRD), the UV-irradiated Ag-NPs were a face-centered cubic (fcc) single crystal without any impurity. This study reveals that the UV irradiation-mediated method is a green chemistry and promising route for the synthesis of stable Ag-NPs for several applications (e.g., medical and surgical devices). The important advantages of this method are that it is cheap, easy, and free of toxic materials.
Do Respondents’ Perceptions of the Status Quo Matter in Non-Market Valuation with Choice Experiments? An Application to New Zealand Freshwater Streams
Authors: Marsh Dan , Mkwara Lena , Scarpa Riccardo
Published: September 2011

Many issues relating to the sustainability of environmental resource use are informed by environmental valuation studies with stated preference surveys. Within these, researchers often provide descriptions of status quo conditions which may differ from those perceived by respondents. Ignoring this difference in utility baselines may affect the magnitude of estimated utility changes and hence bias benefit estimates of proposed environmental policies. We investigate this issue using data from a choice experiment on a community’s willingness to pay for water quality improvements in streams. More than 60% of respondents perceived streams’ water quality at the status quo to be better than the description we provided in our scenario. Results show that respondents who could provide details of their perception of the status quo displayed stronger preferences for water quality improvements—and hence higher marginal willingness to pay—than their counterparts. However, respondents who referred to their own status quo description displayed a higher inclination to prefer the status quo, while other respondents tended to prefer the proposed improvements. We argue this might be linked to the amount of knowledge each group displayed about the status quo: a kind of reluctance to leave what one believes he/she knows well.
Development of microsatellite markers for the medicinal plant Isodon rubescens (Lamiaceae) and related species
Authors: Harris Eric S. J. , Klooster Matthew R.
Published: September 2011

• Premise of the study: Microsatellite markers were developed for the medicinal plant Isodon rubescens to investigate genetic variability of the species and, in future studies, to assess its relation to the content of pharmacologically active chemicals produced by the plant.

• Methods and Results: Eleven primer pairs were identified and tested in multiple populations of I. rubescens and related species (I. henryi, I. enanderianus, I. lophanthoides) from the People's Republic of China. The primers amplified dinucleotide repeats and had between two and 12 alleles per locus in a given population.

• Conclusions: These microsatellites will be useful for understanding patterns of phytochemical variation in I. rubescens and have the potential to be applied to research on evolutionary processes in other species of the genus Isodon.
Photochemical production of ozone in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games
Authors: Chou C. C.-K. , Tsai C.-Y. , Chang C.-C. , Lin P.-H. , Liu S. C. , Zhu T.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. As a part of the CAREBeijing-2008 campaign, observations of O3, oxides of nitrogen (NOx and NOy), CO, and hydrocarbons (NMHCs) were carried out at the air quality observatory of the Peking University in Beijing, China during August 2008, including the period of the 29th Summer Olympic Games. The measurements were compared with those of the CAREBeijing-2006 campaign to evaluate the effectiveness of the air pollution control measures, which were conducted for improving the air quality in Beijing during the Olympics. The results indicate that significant reduction in the emissions of primary air pollutants had been achieved; the monthly averaged mixing ratios of NOx, NOy, CO, and NMHCs decreased by 42.2, 56.5, 27.8, and 49.7 %, respectively. In contrast to the primary pollutants, the averaged mixing ratio of O3 increased by 42.2 %. Nevertheless, it was revealed that the ambient levels of total oxidant (Ox = O3+NO2+1.5 NOz) and NOz were reduced by 21.3 and 77.4 %, respectively. The contradictions between O3 and Ox were further examined in two case studies. Ozone production rates of 30–70 ppbv h−1 and OPEx of ~8 mole mole−1 were observed on a clear-sky day in spite of the reduced levels of precursors. In that case, it was found that the mixing ratio of O3 increased with the increasing NO2/NO ratio, whereas the NOz mixing ratio leveled off when NO2/NO>8. Consequently, the ratio of O3 to NOz increased to above 10, indicating the shift from VOC-sensitive regime to NOx-sensitive regime. However, in the other case, it was found that the O3 production was inhibited significantly due to substantial reduction in the NMHCs. According to the observations, it was suggested that the O3 and/or Ox production rates in Beijing should have been reduced as a result of the reduction in the emissions of precursors during the Olympic period. However, the nighttime O3 levels increased due to a decline in the NO-O3 titration, and the midday O3 peak levels were elevated because of the shift in the photochemical regime and the inhibition of NOz formation.
Rain research with disdrometers: a bibliometric review
Authors: Fernandez-Raga M. , Palencia C. , Tomas C. , Calvo A. I. , Castro A. , Fraile R.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. This study analyses the research on disdrometers based on published studies. To do so, a wide data base of bibliographic references has been used: the Web of Science (published by Thomson Reuters). The search was carried out for all of the articles whose "TOPIC" was disdrometer. The more than 300 articles found were analysed according to various criteria: countries with research using disdrometers; publication dates; evolution of the number of articles; concepts studied and research lines followed in each article; and finally, a bibliometric analysis of the more than 60 journals where these articles have been published. Since 1963, there has been an increase in the number of articles published on disdrometers, which in the last 20 yr has been more than ten times higher than the increase in the number of articles on meteorology.
Biogeochemical response of alpine lakes to a recent increase in dust deposition in the Southwestern, US
Authors: Ballantyne A. P. , Brahney J. , Fernandez D. , Lawrence C. L. , Saros J. , Neff J. C.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. The deposition of dust has recently increased significantly over some regions of the western US. Here we explore how changes in dust deposition have affected the biogeochemistry of two alpine watersheds in Colorado, US. We first reconstruct recent changes in the mass accumulation rate of sediments and then we use isotopic measurements in conjunction with a Bayesian mixing model to infer that approximately 95% of the inorganic fraction of lake sediments is derived from dust. Elemental analyses of modern dust indicate that dust is enriched in Ca, Cr, Cu, Mg, Ni, and in one watershed, Fe and P relative to bedrock. The increase in dust deposition combined with its enrichment in certain elements has altered the biogeochemisty of these systems. Both lakes showed an increase in primary productivity as evidenced by a decrease in carbon isotopic discrimination; however, the cause of increased primary productivity varies due to differences in watershed characteristic. The lake in the larger watershed experienced greater atmospheric N loading and less P loading from the bedrock leading to a greater N:P flux ratio. In contrast, the lake in the smaller watershed experienced less atmospheric N loading and greater P loading from the bedrock, leading to a reduced N:P flux ratio. As a result, primary productivity was more constrained by N availability in the smaller watershed. N-limited primary productivity in the smaller watershed was partly ameliorated by an increase in nitrogen fixation as indicated by reduced nitrogen isotopic values in more contemporary sediments. This study illustrates that alpine watersheds are excellent integrators of changes in atmospheric deposition, but that the biogeochemical response of these watersheds may be mediated by their physical (i.e. watershed area) and chemical (i.e. underlying geology) properties.
Climate forcing reconstructions for use in PMIP simulations of the Last Millennium (v1.1)
Authors: Schmidt G. A. , Jungclaus J. H. , Ammann C. M. , Bard E. , Braconnot P. , Crowley T. J. , Delaygue G. , Joos F. , Krivova N. A. , Muscheler R. , Otto-Bliesner B. L. , Pongratz J. , Shindell D. T. , Solanki S. K. , Steinhilber F. , Vieira L. E. A.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. We update the forcings for the PMIP3 experiments for the Last Millennium to include a new assessment of historical land use changes and discuss new suggestions for calibrating solar activity proxies to total solar irradiance.
Reconnoitering the effect of shallow groundwater on land surface temperature and surface energy balance using MODIS and SEBS
Authors: Alkhaier F. , Su Z. , Flerchinger G. N.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. The possibility of observing shallow groundwater depth and areal extent using satellite measurements can support groundwater models and vast irrigation systems management. Besides, these measurements help bringing groundwater effect on surface energy balance within land surface models and climate studies. To inspect the MODIS capacity of detecting shallow groundwater effect on land surface temperature and surface energy balance in an area within Al-Balikh River basin in northern Syria, we investigated the interrelationship between in-situ measured water table depths and land surface temperatures of MODIS. Further, we used the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) to calculate surface energy fluxes, evaporative fraction and daily evaporation, and inspected their relationships with water table depths. In agreement with the findings of a companion paper (Alkhaier et al., 2011), we found that daytime temperature increased and nighttime temperature decreased with increasing water table depth. Where water table depth increased, net radiation, latent and ground heat fluxes, evaporative fraction and daily evaporation decreased, while sensible heat flux increased. The clear observed relationships resulted from meeting both conditions concluded in the companion paper, i.e. high potential evaporation and big contrast in air temperature. Moreover, the prevailing conditions in this study area helped SEBS producing accurate estimates. We conclude that MODIS is suitable for shallow groundwater effect detection since it has proper imaging times and appropriate sensor accuracy; nevertheless, its coarse spatial resolution is disadvantageous.
The transferability of hydrological models under nonstationary climatic conditions
Authors: Li C. Z. , Zhang L. , Wang H. , Zhang Y. Q. , Yu F. L. , Yan D. H.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. This paper investigates issues involved in calibrating hydrological models against observed data when the aim of the modelling is to predict future runoff under different climatic conditions. To achieve this objective, we tested two hydrological models, DWBM and SIMHYD, using data from 30 unimpaired catchments in Australia which had at least 60 years of daily precipitation, potential evapotranspiration (PET), and streamflow data. Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and absolute percentage water balance error (WBE) were used as performance criteria. We used a differential split-sample test to split up the data into 120 sub-periods and 4 different climatic sub-periods in order to assess how well the calibrated model could be transferred different periods. For each catchment, the models were calibrated for one sub-period and validated on the other three. Monte Carlo simulation was used to explore parameter stability compared to historic climatic variability. The chi-square test was used to measure the relationship between the distribution of the parameters and hydroclimatic variability. The results showed that the performance of the two hydrological models differed and depended on the model calibration. We found that if a hydrological model is set up to simulate runoff for a wet climate scenario then it should be calibrated on a wet segment of the historic record, and similarly a dry segment should be used for a dry climate scenario. The Monte Carlo simulation provides an effective and pragmatic approach to explore uncertainty and equifinality in hydrological model parameters. Some parameters of the hydrological models are shown to be significantly more sensitive to the choice of calibration periods. Our findings support the idea that when using conceptual hydrological models to assess future climate change impacts, a differential split-sample test and Monte Carlo simulation can reduce uncertainties due to parameter instability and non-uniqueness.
Electron acoustic solitons in the presence of an electron beam and superthermal electrons
Authors: Devanandhan S. , Singh S. V. , Lakhina G. S. , Bharuthram R.
Published: September 2011

Abstract. Arbitrary amplitude electron acoustic solitons are studied in an unmagnetized plasma having cold electrons and ions, superthermal hot electrons and an electron beam. Using the Sagdeev pseudo potential method, theoretical analysis is carried out by assuming superthermal hot electrons having kappa distribution. The results show that inclusion of an electron beam alters the minimum value of spectral index, κ, of the superthermal electron distribution and Mach number for which electron-acoustic solitons can exist and also changes their width and electric field amplitude. For the auroral region parameters, the maximum electric field amplitudes and soliton widths are found in the range ~(30–524) mV m−1 and ~(329–729) m, respectively, for fixed Mach number M = 1.1 and for electron beam speed of (660–1990) km s−1.
Uretero-Ileal Anastomosis in Orthotopic Neobladder: Antireflux versus Direct Techinique
Authors: Teppa Alessandro , Rosini Roberto , Tonini Gerolamo , Tosana Michelangelo
Published: September 2011

Objectives

We report on the long-term functional results of the orthotopic VIP neobladder and compare the outcome of the antireflux technique for ureteral implantation versus direct anastomosis. Patients and MethOds. Between 1998 and 2009, 84 patients underwent cystoprostatectomy and orthotopic VIP neobladder for invasive bladder carcinoma. 96 renal units were reimplanted using the Enine-Ghoneim antirefluxing technique (group 1). The direct Nesbit end-to-side technique for ureteral reimplantation was applied in 72 renal units (group 2). The mean follow-up period was 54 months (range, 10–154 months).

Results

Of the 96 renal units who underwent the Enine-Ghoneim technique, 12 (12.5%) had uretero-ileal anastomotic stricture and 4 (4.1%) had reflux. Of the 72 renal units who underwent direct anastomosis, 11 (15.2%) patients had reflux, 2 (2.7%) had uretero-ileal anastomotic stricture. The incidence of stricture formation in the Enine-Ghoneim technique is significantly higher than direct anastomosis. The incidence of reflux in preoperatively dilated ureters was significantly higher in direct ureteral anastomosis than antireflux technique. The incidence of stone formation, renal scaring and pyelonephritis was comparable in both groups.

Conclusions

Direct uretero-ileal anastomosis in orthotopic bladder replacement is more reasonable than the Enine-Ghoneim antireflux technique in non-dilated ureters. The benefit of the antireflux technique has been overestimated despite the frequency of stricture formation.
Diretrizes para o ensino na Atenção Primária à Saúde na graduação em Medicina
Authors: Demarzo Marcelo Marcos Piva , Almeida Rodrigo Cariri Chalegre de , Marins João José Neves , Trindade Thiago Gomes da , Anderson Maria Inez Padula , Stein Airton Tetelbom , Guimarães Fabiano Gonçalves , Oliveira Felipe Proenço de , Carvalho Fernanda Plesmann de , Silva Flávio Dias , Oliveira Francisco Arsego de , Carlos Gustavo Tenório , Marques Jaciara Bezerra , Geniole Leika Aparecida Ishigama , Silveira Lia Márcia Cruz da , Pinto Maria Eugênia Bresolin , Silva Nayra Almeida da , Bagatelli Rodrigo Cechelero , Batista Sandro Rogério Rodrigues , Barboza Tânia de Araújo , Sarti Thiago Dias , Barreto Vitor , Gusso Gustavo Diniz Ferreira , Belaciano Mourad Ibrahim
Published: September 2011

O presente documento traz diretrizes construídas conjuntamente pela Associação Brasileira de Educação Médica (ABEM) e a Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina de Família e Comunidade (SBMFC) com a intenção de apoiar as escolas médicas de forma objetiva e prática, na elaboração de projetos político-pedagógicos no contexto da Atenção Primária à Saúde. Um marco reconhecido na política educacional brasileira é a publicação das Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais, as quais flexibilizam as organizações curriculares, possibilitando a construção de projetos político-pedagógicos contemporâneos e consonantes com o Sistema Único de Saúde brasileiro. A Atenção Primária à Saúde é o ponto de convergência entre estas duas políticas, descentralizando o ensino da Medicina dos hospitais para toda a rede de saúde no Brasil. Destaca-se a imperiosidade de que o ensino na Atenção Primária à Saúde esteja presente longitudinalmente, ao longo de todo o curso, de preferência com inserções significativas (de aprendizado real e a partir do trabalho), mas que, sobretudo, deva fazer parte do núcleo de ensino da prática clínica do futuro médico.
Los efectos de la radiación diagnóstica
Authors: Caruncho Manuel Vázquez
Published: September 2011

Tras la exposición a la bomba atómica en Japón, se ha calculado que, por encima de 100 mSv, la radiación produce daños en el organismo, entre los que se encuentran los cánceres radioinducidos. La radiación diagnóstica tiene un rango de dosis que está por debajo de 100 mSv. Los efectos de la radiación a esta dosis se basan en estimaciones; sin embargo, hay que tener en cuenta que las dosis son acumulativas. En este artículo, se comentan los riesgos de la radiación diagnóstica y se hace una llamada de atención a la racionalización del uso de las exploraciones radiológicas y a la aplicación de los criterios ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable).
Negligible soil erosion in a burned mountain watershed, Canadian Rockies: field and modelling investigations considering the role of duff
Authors: Martin Y.E. , Johnson E.A. , Gallaway J.M. , Chaikina O.
Published: September 2011

Increased soil erosion in immediate post‐wildfire years has been well documented in the literature, but many unanswered questions remain about the factors controlling erosional responses in different regional settings. The field site for the present study was located in a closed canopy, subalpine forest in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia that was subjected to a high‐intensity crown fire in the summer of 2003. Low soil erosion values were documented at the study site in the years immediately following the 2003 wildfire, with estimates ranging from approximately 10‐1up to 100 t ha‐1. Following the wildfire, notable duff coverage (the duff layer is the combined fermentation and humus soil organic layers) remained above the mineral soil. This finding supports earlier studies documenting only partial duff consumption by high‐intensity wildfires in the boreal forest of Canada. It is postulated that remnant duff coverage after many high‐intensity wildfires impacts the hydrological and soil erosional response to rainstorm events in post‐wildfire years. In particular, duff provides detention storage for infiltrating rainfall and, therefore, may inhibit the generation of overland flow. Furthermore, duff also provides a physical barrier to soil erosion. The Green–Ampt model of rainfall infiltration is employed to better assess how interactions between rainfall duration/intensity and soil/duff properties affect hydrological response and the generation of overland flow. Model results show that duff provides an effective zone for detention storage and that duff accommodates all rainfall intensities to which it was subjected without the occurrence of surface ponding. In addition, the penetration of the wetting front is relatively slow in duff due to its high porosity and water storage potential. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prospects for pluripotent stem cell therapies: Into the clinic and back to the bench
Authors: Grabel Laura
Published: September 2011

Pluripotent stem cells, embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, both hold great promise for the understanding and treatment of disease. They can be used for drug testing, as in vitro models for human disease progression, and for transplantation therapies. Research in this area has been influenced by the ever‐changing political landscape, particularly in the United States. In this review, we discuss the prospects for clinical application using pluripotent cells, focusing on an evaluation of iPS cell potential, the continuing concern of tumor formation, and a summary of in vitro differentiation protocols and animal models used. We also describe the current clinical trials underway in the United States, as well as the ups and downs of funding for ES cell work. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 381–387, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Targeting AMPK in the treatment of malignancies
Authors: Vakana Eliza , Altman Jessica K. , Platanias Leonidas C.
Published: September 2011

The AMPK pathway is a metabolic stress‐related and energy censor pathway which plays important regulatory roles in normal and malignant cells. This cellular cascade controls generation of signals for initiation of mRNA translation via the mTOR pathway and exhibits regulatory roles on the initiation of autophagy. AMPK activators have been shown to suppress mTOR activity and to negatively control malignant transformation and cell proliferation of diverse malignant cell types. Such properties of AMPK inducers have generated substantial interest for the use of AMPK targeting compounds as antineoplastic agents and have provoked extensive research efforts to better define and classify the mechanisms controlling AMPK activity and its functional consequences in malignant cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 404–409, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Inquisitio validus Index Medicus: A simple method of validating MEDLINE systematic review searches
Authors: Sampson Margaret , McGowan Jessie
Published: September 2011

We offer a new method of validation for the effectiveness of MEDLINE searches used in systematic reviews, the Inquisitio Validus Index Medicus. Validation is essential to ensure that relevant studies are not missed by the MEDLINE search strategy.

Methods

To demonstrate the validation method, a sample of six updated Cochrane reviews with comprehensive searches was used. The MEDLINE searches of both the original and updated reviews were tested to determine the percent of eligible MEDLINE‐indexed studies retrieved by the search (recall).

Results

The validation method was robust and was able to demonstrate that the retrieval of relevant studies from MEDLINE was sub‐optimal. The approach to revising searches in our sample appeared unsystematic. Some poorly performing searches were used unchanged in the updates, and of the two amended strategies, one performed worse than the original when tested against studies included in the original, while the other improved recall.

Conclusion

There is a clear need for search validation. Using this validation method can determine whether the search of the main database performs adequately or needs to be revised to improve recall, allowing the searcher an opportunity to improve their search strategy. Validation of the search is recommended for systematic reviews, where the intent is to identify all relevant studies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phased array antenna with crossed dipole antenna for mobile satellite communications
Authors: Hasegawa Shohei , Yasuzumi Takenori , Kazama Yasuhiro , Hashimoto Osamu
Published: September 2011

In this article, we propose a phased array antenna which uses a crossed dipole antenna with a reflector as an element antenna.The element antenna has conical radiation pattern which is useful for a satellite communication mobile station antenna. The element antenna radiates linearly polarized wave. Both simulation with electromagnetic simulator and experiment are performed in 19‐element array antenna for the beam scanning characteristics. From measured results, the obtained antenna gain is more than 10 dBi from 30° to 60°. It is shown that the characteristics of the array antenna are effective to use for a satellite communications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 2805–2809, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26424