bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Staff Experience of Pain Management: An Improvement in Palliative Care
Authors: Unné Anna , Rosengren Kristina
Published: September 2013

Palliative care involves helping patients to achieve best possible quality of life by alleviating symptoms and suffering. The aim of the study was to describe and analyze staff member’s experience of working with evidence-based guidelines for pain management in palliative care. The study comprised a total of eight group interviews and 93 narratives from 22 staff members, all of who worked in palliative care. Data was analyzed using manifest qualitative content analysis and deductive perspectives according to SOC (sense of coherence). Three categories, “Awareness of Pain Management”, “Participation in Pain Management”, and “Safety at Pain Management”, were identified. The result showed an increased awareness of the value of a deeper understanding of policy documents and local guidelines. A key factor in improvement work was that team members were given the opportunity to repeat and continuously reflect on their performed work together within the team in dialog form. Teamwork may contribute to a better knowledge and understanding of how to develop high quality in healthcare by learning from each other in everyday work and by using evidence-based practices. Consistency in the working group could improve healthcare by using the espoused theory and theory-in-use for develop procedures and guidelines at work.
Thermo-Responsive Hydrogels for Stimuli-Responsive Membranes
Authors: Mah Evan , Ghosh Raja
Published: September 2013

Composite membranes with stimuli-responsive properties can be made by coating a thermo-responsive hydrogel onto a micro- or macroporous support. These hydrogels undergo a temperature induced volume-phase transition, which contributes towards the composite membrane’s stimuli-responsive properties. This paper reviews research done on complimentary forms of temperature responsive “thermophilic” hydrogels, those exhibiting positive volume-phase transitions in aqueous solvent. The influences of intermolecular forces on the mechanism of phase-transition are discussed along with case examples of typical thermophilic hydrogels.
Complex Nonlinear Behavior in Metabolic Processes: Global Bifurcation Analysis of Escherichia coli Growth on Multiple Substrates
Authors: Song Hyun-Seob , Ramkrishna Doraiswami
Published: September 2013

The nonlinear behavior of metabolic systems can arise from at least two different sources. One comes from the nonlinear kinetics of chemical reactions in metabolism and the other from nonlinearity associated with regulatory processes. Consequently, organisms at a constant growth rate (as experienced in a chemostat) could display multiple metabolic states or display complex oscillatory behavior both with potentially serious implications to process operation. This paper explores the nonlinear behavior of a metabolic model of Escherichia coli growth on mixed substrates with sufficient detail to include regulatory features through the cybernetic postulate that metabolic regulation is the consequence of a dynamic objective function ensuring the organism’s survival. The chief source of nonlinearity arises from the optimal formulation with the metabolic state determined by a convex combination of reactions contributing to the objective function. The model for anaerobic growth of E. coli was previously examined for multiple steady states in a chemostat fed by a mixture of glucose and pyruvate substrates under very specific conditions and experimentally verified. In this article, we explore the foregoing model for nonlinear behavior over the full range of parameters, γ (the fractional concentration of glucose in the feed mixture) and D (the dilution rate). The observed multiplicity is in the cybernetic variables combining elementary modes. The results show steady-state multiplicity up to seven. No Hopf bifurcation was encountered, however. Bifurcation analysis of cybernetic models is complicated by the non-differentiability of the cybernetic variables for enzyme activities. A methodology is adopted here to overcome this problem, which is applicable to more complicated metabolic networks.
Tree Crops, a Permanent Agriculture: Concepts from the Past for a Sustainable Future
Authors: Molnar Thomas , Kahn Peter , Ford Timothy , Funk Clarence , Funk C.
Published: September 2013

J. Russell Smith (1874–1966), a professor of geography at Columbia University, witnessed the devastation of soil erosion during his extensive travels. He first published his landmark text, Tree Crops, A Permanent Agriculture in 1929, in which he described the value of tree crops for producing food and animal feed on sloping, marginal, and rocky soils as a sustainable alternative to annual crop agriculture less suited to these lands. A cornerstone of his thesis was using wide germplasm collection and plant breeding to improve this largely underutilized and genetically unexploited group of plants to develop locally adapted, high-yielding cultivars for the many climatic zones of North America. Smith proposed an establishment of “Institutes of Mountain Agriculture” to undertake this work. For a variety of reasons, though, his ideas were not implemented to any great degree. However, our growing population’s increasing demands on natural resources and the associated environmental degradation necessitate that Smith’s ideas be revisited. In this review, his concepts, supported by modern scientific understanding and advances, are discussed and expanded upon to emphasize their largely overlooked potential to enhance world food and energy security and environmental sustainability. The discussion leads us to propose that his “institutes” be established worldwide and with an expanded scope of work.
Robust Bio-Signal Based Control of an Intelligent Wheelchair
Authors: Xu Xiaodong , Zhang Yi , Luo Yuan , Chen Dongyi
Published: September 2013

In this paper, an adaptive human-machine interaction (HMI) method that is based on surface electromyography (sEMG) signals is proposed for the hands-free control of an intelligent wheelchair. sEMG signals generated by the facial movements are obtained by a convenient dry electrodes sensing device. After the signals features are extracted from the autoregressive model, control data samples are updated and trained by an incremental online learning algorithm in real-time. Experimental results show that the proposed method can significantly improve the classification accuracy and training speed. Moreover, this method can effectively reduce the influence of muscle fatigue during a long time operation of sEMG-based HMI.
Identification and Quantification of Explosives in Nanolitre Solution Volumes by Raman Spectroscopy in Suspended Core Optical Fibers
Authors: Tsiminis Georgios , Chu Fenghong , Warren-Smith Stephen , Spooner Nigel , Monro Tanya
Published: September 2013

A novel approach for identifying explosive species is reported, using Raman spectroscopy in suspended core optical fibers. Numerical simulations are presented that predict the strength of the observed signal as a function of fiber geometry, with the calculated trends verified experimentally and used to optimize the sensors. This technique is used to identify hydrogen peroxide in water solutions at volumes less than 60 nL and to quantify microgram amounts of material using the solvent’s Raman signature as an internal calibration standard. The same system, without further modifications, is also used to detect 1,4-dinitrobenzene, a model molecule for nitrobenzene-based explosives such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT).
N-acyl Homoserine Lactone-Producing Pseudomonas putida Strain T2-2 from Human Tongue Surface
Authors: Chen Jian-Woon , Chin Shenyang , Tee Kok , Yin Wai-Fong , Choo Yeun , Chan Kok-Gan
Published: September 2013

Bacterial cell-to-cell communication (quorum sensing) refers to the regulation of bacterial gene expression in response to changes in microbial population density. Quorum sensing bacteria produce, release and respond to chemical signal molecules called autoinducers. Bacteria use two types of autoinducers, namely autoinducer-1 (AI-1) and autoinducer-2 (AI-2) where the former are N-acylhomoserine lactones and the latter is a product of the luxS gene. Most of the reported literatures show that the majority of oral bacteria use AI-2 for quorum sensing but rarely the AI-1 system. Here we report the isolation of Pseudomonas putida strain T2-2 from the oral cavity. Using high resolution mass spectrometry, it is shown that this isolate produced N-octanoylhomoserine lactone (C8-HSL) and N-dodecanoylhomoserine lactone (C12-HSL) molecules. This is the first report of the finding of quorum sensing of P. putida strain T2-2 isolated from the human tongue surface and their quorum sensing molecules were identified.
A Wireless Laser Displacement Sensor Node for Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Park Hyo , Kim Jong , Choi Se , Kim Yousok
Published: September 2013

This study describes a wireless laser displacement sensor node that measures displacement as a representative damage index for structural health monitoring (SHM). The proposed measurement system consists of a laser displacement sensor (LDS) and a customized wireless sensor node. Wireless communication is enabled by a sensor node that consists of a sensor module, a code division multiple access (CDMA) communication module, a processor, and a power module. An LDS with a long measurement distance is chosen to increase field applicability. For a wireless sensor node driven by a battery, we use a power control module with a low-power processor, which facilitates switching between the sleep and active modes, thus maximizing the power consumption efficiency during non-measurement and non-transfer periods. The CDMA mode is also used to overcome the limitation of communication distance, which is a challenge for wireless sensor networks and wireless communication. To evaluate the reliability and field applicability of the proposed wireless displacement measurement system, the system is tested onsite to obtain the required vertical displacement measurements during the construction of mega-trusses and an edge truss, which are the primary structural members in a large-scale irregular building currently under construction. The measurement values confirm the validity of the proposed wireless displacement measurement system and its potential for use in safety evaluations of structural elements.
Quantification of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Growth Rates through Secretory and Excretory Biomolecules in Conditioned Media via Fresnel Reflection
Authors: Ahmad Harith , Thambiratnam Kavintheran , Zulkifli Ahmad , Lawrence Anthony , Jasim Ali , Kunasekaran Wijenthiran , Musa Sabri , Gnanasegaran Nareshwaran , Vasanthan Punitha , Jayaraman Pukana , Kasim Noor , Govindasamy Vijayendran , Shahrir Mohammad , Harun Sulaiman
Published: September 2013

An efficient and low cost optical method for directly measuring the concentration of homogenous biological solutes is proposed and demonstrated. The proposed system operates by Fresnel reflection, with a flat-cleaved single-mode fiber serving as the sensor probe. A laser provides a 12.9 dBm sensor signal at 1,550 nm, while a computer-controlled optical power meter measures the power of the signal returned by the probe. Three different mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lines were obtained, sub-cultured and trypsinized daily over 9 days. Counts were measured using a haemocytometer and the conditioned media (CM) was collected daily and stored at −80 °C. MSCs release excretory biomolecules proportional to their growth rate into the CM, which changes the refractive index of the latter. The sensor is capable of detecting changes in the number of stem cells via correlation to the change in the refractive index of the CM, with the measured power loss decreasing approximately 0.4 dB in the CM sample per average 1,000 cells in the MSC subculture. The proposed system is highly cost-effective, simple to deploy, operate, and maintain, is non-destructive, and allows reliable real-time measurement of various stem cell proliferation parameters.
Historic Urban Landscape Approach and Port Cities Regeneration: Naples between Identity and Outlook
Authors: De Rosa Fortuna , Di Palma Maria
Published: September 2013

The aim of this paper is to highlight some perspectives for the sustainable development of Naples, to direct future policies for the city. The proposed approach is based on the Historic Urban Landscape, which, being structurally integrated/systemic, allows the relationship between the historic center and the waterfront, as well as many contradictions, to be overcome, which in the city of Naples, have become particularly acute. The notion of Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) is the latest contribution to the international debate concerning the identification, preservation and valorization of cultural heritage. This new category, in fact, refers to the notion of context to emphasize the systemic interrelation between economic, social, environmental and cultural factors and the complexity of the framework within which conservation policies are inserted. It is in this perspective that the experiences of planning taking place in Naples are read, as a starting point for an innovative approach to the issue of an integrated conservation of the Historic Urban Landscape and, more generally, of the regeneration of the city. The starting point is the study of the experiences of urban transformation in some European port cities in order to “learn from comparison” to develop a theoretic approach based on the understanding of reality. The comparative analysis of case studies, through the synthesis of the most significant aspects of each port city, allows the relationship that exists between a phenomenon and its context to be understood and the critical success factors to be identified, in order to transfer the knowledge gained from good practices in the processes of regeneration of the city of Naples. Naples, for its stratified urban fabric, rich in tangible and intangible cultural values, and for its particular nodal position within the Mediterranean basin, lends itself effectively to a different approach to urban regeneration, which focuses on the relationship between the historic city and the sea.
Sequence Heterogeneity of the ORF3 Gene of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Viruses Field Samples in Fujian, China, 2010–2012
Authors: Chen Xi , Zeng Lili , Yang Jinxian , Yu Fusong , Ge Junqing , Guo Qing , Gao Xindang , Song Tieying
Published: September 2013

Twenty-seven field samples that showed positive in PEDV detection were collected from different farms of Fujian province from 2010 to 2012. Their heterogeneity was investigated by analysis of the ORF3 gene because of its potential function as a representation of virulence. According to the results, six Fujian strains in Group 1 showed a different genotype with unique point mutations, which might be used in differentiation between PEDV groups and brought potential antigenic variation. P55 and five reference strains in Group 2 had a long length deletion, showing another genotype and might be involved in the variation of virulence. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the collected Fujian strains were very distant from the vaccine development strain CV777, which might be the reason why the vaccine was inefficient to control the disease. The results can help to reconsider the strategy of PEDV vaccine management and prevent outbreaks of PEDV-induced diarrhea more efficiently.
Vaccines in Development against West Nile Virus
Authors: Brandler Samantha , Tangy Frederic
Published: September 2013

West Nile encephalitis emerged in 1999 in the United States, then rapidly spread through the North American continent causing severe disease in human and horses. Since then, outbreaks appeared in Europe, and in 2012, the United States experienced a new severe outbreak reporting a total of 5,387 cases of West Nile virus (WNV) disease in humans, including 243 deaths. So far, no human vaccine is available to control new WNV outbreaks and to avoid worldwide spreading. In this review, we discuss the state-of-the-art of West Nile vaccine development and the potential of a novel safe and effective approach based on recombinant live attenuated measles virus (MV) vaccine. MV vaccine is a live attenuated negative-stranded RNA virus proven as one of the safest, most stable and effective human vaccines. We previously described a vector derived from the Schwarz MV vaccine strain that stably expresses antigens from emerging arboviruses, such as dengue, West Nile or chikungunya viruses, and is strongly immunogenic in animal models, even in the presence of MV pre-existing immunity. A single administration of a recombinant MV vaccine expressing the secreted form of WNV envelope glycoprotein elicited protective immunity in mice and non-human primates as early as two weeks after immunization, indicating its potential as a human vaccine.
Flood Modeling Using a Synthesis of Multi-Platform LiDAR Data
Authors: Turner Ashleigh , Colby Jeffrey , Csontos Ryan , Batten Michael
Published: September 2013

This study examined the utility of a high resolution ground-based (mobile and terrestrial) Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) dataset (0.2 m point-spacing) supplemented with a coarser resolution airborne LiDAR dataset (5 m point-spacing) for use in a flood inundation analysis. The techniques for combining multi-platform LiDAR data into a composite dataset in the form of a triangulated irregular network (TIN) are described, and quantitative comparisons were made to a TIN generated solely from the airborne LiDAR dataset. For example, a maximum land surface elevation difference of 1.677 m and a mean difference of 0.178 m were calculated between the datasets based on sample points. Utilizing the composite and airborne LiDAR-derived TINs, a flood inundation comparison was completed using a one-dimensional steady flow hydraulic modeling analysis. Quantitative comparisons of the water surface profiles and depth grids indicated an underestimation of flooding extent, volume, and maximum flood height using the airborne LiDAR data alone. A 35% increase in maximum flood height was observed using the composite LiDAR dataset. In addition, the extents of the water surface profiles generated from the two datasets were found to be statistically significantly different. The urban and mountainous characteristics of the study area as well as the density (file size) of the high resolution ground based LiDAR data presented both opportunities and challenges for flood modeling analyses.
Uncertainties in Flow-Duration-Frequency Relationships of High and Low Flow Extremes in Lake Victoria Basin
Authors: Onyutha Charles , Willems Patrick
Published: September 2013

This paper focuses on uncertainty analysis to aid decision making in applications of statistically modeled flow-duration-frequency (FDF) relationships of both daily high and low flows. The analysis is based on 24 selected catchments in the Lake Victoria basin in Eastern Africa. The FDF relationships were derived for aggregation levels in the range 1–90 days for high flows and 1–365 days for low flows. The validity of the projected FDF quantiles for high return periods T was checked using growth factor curves. Monte Carlo simulations were used to construct confidence intervals CI on both the estimated Ts for given flows and the estimated FDF quantiles for given T. The average bias of the modeled T of high and low flows are for all catchments and Ts up to 25 years lower than 8%. Despite this relatively small average bias in the modeled T, the limits of the CI on the modeled 25-year flows go up to more than 100% for high flows and more than 150% for low flows. The assessed FDF relationships and accompanied uncertainties are useful for various types of risk based water engineering and water management applications related to floods and droughts.
Mapping of plasmonic resonances in nanotriangles
Authors: Dickreuter Simon , Gleixner Julia , Kolloch Andreas , Boneberg Johannes , Scheer Elke , Leiderer Paul
Published: September 2013

Plasmonic resonances in metallic nano-triangles have been investigated by irradiating these structures with short laser pulses and imaging the resulting ablation and melting patterns. The triangular gold structures were prepared on Si substrates and had a thickness of 40 nm and a side length of ca. 500 nm. Irradiation was carried out with single femtosecond and picosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of 800 nm, which excited higher order plasmon modes in these triangles. The ablation distribution as well as the local melting of small parts of the nanostructures reflect the regions of large near-field enhancement. The observed patterns are reproduced in great detail by FDTD simulations with a 3-dimensional model, provided that the calculations are not based on idealized, but on realistic structures. In this realistic model, details like the exact shape of the triangle edges and the dielectric environment of the structures are taken into account. The experimental numbers found for the field enhancement are typically somewhat smaller than the calculated ones. The results demonstrate the caveats for FDTD simulations and the potential and the limitations of “near field photography” by local ablation and melting for the mapping of complex plasmon fields and their applications.
Evolución de los factores de posicionamiento web y adaptación de las herramientas de optimización
Authors: Morato Jorge , Sánchez-Cuadrado Sonia , Moreno Valentín , Moreiro Jose Antonio
Published: September 2013

Las herramientas de optimización web, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), se utilizan para analizar y mejorar los sitios web en relación a distintos factores de posicionamiento. Esta investigación estudia la evolución de las estrategias de posicionamiento web y analiza la adaptación de las herramientas de optimización a estos factores. Además, se estudian qué factores de posicionamiento están presentes en las herramientas SEO más populares. En la fase experimental se analiza el grado en que las estrategias de optimización mejoran el posicionamiento, y en qué medida se encuentran esas funcionalidades en las herramientas SEO. Adicionalmente se han analizado foros y blogs oficiales para descubrir nuevas pautas de evolución de los motores de búsqueda y el grado en que las herramientas SEO pueden adaptarse a dichos cambios. Aunque estas herramientas optimizan el posicionamiento, los resultados sugieren la necesidad de introducir importantes mejoras que aumenten su potencialidad futura.
Análisis de las publicaciones del personal docente e investigador de las facultades españolas de Bellas Artes
Authors: Pastor-Ruiz Fátima , Torrado-Morales Susana , Gil-Felipe José Ignacio , Lorenzo-Escolar Nieves
Published: September 2013

Los investigadores en Bellas Artes mantienen habitualmente que los criterios de evaluación de la calidad de la producción científica empleados por las agencias de evaluación nacionales (CNEAI y ANECA) no se ajustan a los hábitos de difusión de la investigación existentes en esta área. Principalmente sus reclamaciones se dirigen hacia las distintas manifestaciones de la producción creativa, pero también afectan a las aportaciones ordinarias, aquellas que se vehiculan a través de las publicaciones periódicas. En este trabajo, se analizan las revistas utilizadas por el personal docente e investigador de las catorce facultades españolas de Bellas Artes entre los años 1977 y 2010. A partir de la identificación de los 1.355 profesores e investigadores en activo de dichas facultades, se han recuperado sus artículos publicados en revistas vaciadas en las bases de datos Dialnet, ISOC y Art Bibliographies Modern. Los resultados obtenidos se han confrontado con los relativos a los indicios de calidad ofrecidos por la plataforma “Revistas Españolas de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades” (RESH). Se concluye en primer lugar el bajo índice de publicación en revistas periódicas por parte de los investigadores en Bellas Artes; la dispersión en cuanto a la temática de las publicaciones, en áreas afines como la Historia, la Literatura o la Filosofía; y la no correspondencia de las revistas más utilizadas y apreciadas por los docentes en Bellas Artes con aquellas que cumplen un mayor número de criterios de calidad.
Recent Distribution of Coyotes Across an Urban Landscape in Southeastern Michigan
Authors: Dodge William B. , Kashian Daniel M.
Published: September 2013

Human–wildlife interactions in urban areas are widely reported by ecologists to be the result of human encroachment on wildlife habitat. Highly mobile species, however, have been documented by both wildlife biologists and casual observers to occupy areas heavily populated by humans. Range expansion and population growth of coyotes (Canis latrans) has led to their increased presence in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, where poor economic conditions over the last several decades have resulted in the reversion of numerous recreational areas and abandoned parcels to more wooded or vegetated conditions that have provided potential wildlife habitat. We performed an extensive survey for coyote evidence (i.e., carcasses, den sites, scats, sightings, or tracks) across metropolitan Detroit to examine distribution across both the general region and specific land cover types. We found 58% of all coyote evidence on unpaved trails, paths, and unimproved roads within edge habitats (e.g., grassland adjacent to urban non-vegetative land cover), with den sites and tracks the only types of evidence found strictly in interior habitats. Land cover around evidence points included more wooded land cover than expected in suburban areas, suggesting the importance of tree cover for coyote occupancy, and more open space and wooded land cover than expected in urban areas, highlighting the coyotes' avoidance of heavily populated areas. We speculate that habitat characterized by tree cover has likely never been limiting within metropolitan Detroit, and that reoccupation of southeastern Michigan by coyotes is more likely a consequence of expanding coyote populations outside of suburban and urban areas rather than newly available habitat resulting from land cover change.
Trends and correlates of HIV testing amongst women: lessons learnt from Kenya
Authors: Achia Thomas N.O. , Obayo Eunice
Published: September 2013

Background: A majority of women in Kenya do not know their HIV status and are therefore unable to take preventive measures or medication in order to prolong their lives.Objectives: This study investigates the key determinants of HIV testing in Kenya and documents how these changed over the 1998–2008 period.Method: This study uses data from the 1998, 2003 and 2008 Kenya Demographic and Health surveys. Principal components analysis was used to compute indices of HIV knowledge, HIV-related stigma, media exposure and decision making. Survey logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors that had a statistically-significant association with ever having been tested for HIV.Results: Testing was significantly higher in 2008 compared with the previous surveys. In 1998, 14.7% of the women had tested for HIV. The rate increased to 15.0% in 2003 and then to 59.2% in 2008. In the 1998 and 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health surveys, respondents’ age, region of residence, education, knowledge of someone who had died from HIV-related illness and media exposure were the main determinants of testing. In the 2008 study, HIV-related stigma, occupation and the partner’s level of education were found to be associated with HIV testing.Conclusion: Despite efforts to scale up voluntary counselling and testing in Kenya over the 1998–2008 period, HIV testing amongst women is still quite low. Prevention and control programmes in Kenya need to focus on reducing HIV-related stigma, increasing access to testing in rural areas and increasing access amongst women with little or no education.
The job demands-resources model of work engagement in South African call centres
Authors: Janse van Rensburg Yolandi , Boonzaier Billy , Boonzaier Michèle
Published: September 2013

Orientation: A ‘sacrificial human resource strategy’ is practised in call centres, resulting in poor employee occupational health. Consequently, questions are posed in terms of the consequences of call centre work and which salient antecedent variables impact the engagement and wellbeing of call centre representatives.Research purpose: Firstly, to gauge the level of employee engagement amongst a sample of call centre representatives in South Africa and, secondly, to track the paths through which salient personal and job resources affect this engagement. More specifically, the relationships between sense of coherence, leadership effectiveness, team effectiveness and engagement were investigated, thus testing the Job Demands-Resources model of work engagement.Motivation for the study: To present an application of the Job Demands-Resources model of work engagement in a call centre environment in order to diagnose current ills and consequently propose remedies.Research design: A cross-sectional survey design was used and a non-probability convenient sample of 217 call centre representatives was selected. The measuring instruments comprise the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale to measure engagement, the Team Diagnostic Survey to measure team effectiveness, the leadership practices inventory to gauge leadership effectiveness, and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire to measure sense of coherence. A series of structural equation modelling analyses were performed.Main findings: Contrary to the ‘electronic sweatshop’ image attached to call centre jobs depicted in the literature, results show a high level of employee engagement for call centre representatives in the sample. Also, personal resources such as sense of coherence and job resources such as team effectiveness related significantly to engagement. A non-significant relationship exists between leadership effectiveness and engagement.Practical/managerial implications: Both the content and context of jobs need to be addressed to increase the personal and job resources of call centre representatives.Contribution/value-add: The Job Demands-Resources model of work engagement can be used to improve the occupational health and performance of employees in call centres.
On the uses of a new linear scheme for stratospheric methane in global models: water source, transport tracer and radiative forcing
Authors: Monge-Sanz B. M. , Chipperfield M. P. , Untch A. , Morcrette J.-J. , Rap A. , Simmons A. J.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. This study evaluates effects and applications of a new linear parameterisation for stratospheric methane and water vapour. The new scheme (CoMeCAT) is derived from a 3-D full-chemistry-transport model (CTM). It is suitable for any global model, and is shown here to produce realistic profiles in the TOMCAT/SLIMCAT 3-D CTM and the ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) general circulation model (GCM). Results from the new scheme are in good agreement with the full-chemistry CTM CH4 field and with observations from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE). The scheme is also used to derive stratospheric water increments, which in the CTM produce vertical and latitudinal H2O variations in fair agreement with satellite observations. Stratospheric H2O distributions in the ECMWF GCM show realistic overall features, although concentrations are smaller than in the CTM run (up to 0.5 ppmv smaller above 10 hPa). The potential of the new CoMeCAT tracer for evaluating stratospheric transport is exploited to assess the impacts of nudging the free-running GCM to ERA-40 and ERA-Interim reanalyses. The nudged GCM shows similar transport patterns to the offline CTM forced by the corresponding reanalysis data. The new scheme also impacts radiation and temperature in the model. Compared to the default CH4 climatology and H2O used by the ECMWF radiation scheme, the main effect on ECMWF temperatures when considering both CH4 and H2O from CoMeCAT is a decrease of up to 1.0 K over the tropical mid/low stratosphere. The effect of using the CoMeCAT scheme for radiative forcing (RF) calculations is investigated using the offline Edwards–Slingo radiative transfer model. Compared to the default model option of a tropospheric global 3-D CH4 value, the CoMeCAT distribution produces an overall change in the annual mean net RF of up to −30 mW m−2.
Air quality over Europe: modelling gaseous and particulate pollutants
Authors: Tagaris E. , Sotiropoulou R. E. P. , Gounaris N. , Andronopoulos S. , Vlachogiannis D.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. Air quality over Europe using Models-3 (i.e., CMAQ, MM5, SMOKE) modelling system is performed for winter (i.e., January 2006) and summer (i.e., July 2006) months with the 2006 TNO gridded anthropogenic emissions database. Higher ozone mixing ratios are predicted in southern Europe while higher NO2 levels are simulated over western Europe. Elevated SO2 values are simulated over eastern Europe and higher PM2.5 concentrations over eastern and western Europe. Regional average results suggest that NO2 and PM2.5 are underpredicted, SO2 is overpredicted, while Max8hrO3 is overpredicted for low mixing ratios and is underpredicted for the higher mixing ratios. However, in a number of countries observed and predicted values are in good agreement for the pollutants examined here. Speciated PM2.5 components suggest that NO3 is dominant during winter over western Europe and in a few eastern countries due to the high NO2 mixing ratios. During summer NO3 is dominant only in regions with elevated NH3 emissions. For the rest of the domain SO4 is dominant. Low OC concentrations are simulated mainly due to the uncertain representation of SOA formation.
The response of calcifying plankton to climate change in the Pliocene
Authors: Davis C. V. , Badger M. P. S. , Bown P. R. , Schmidt D. N.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. As a result of anthropogenic pCO2 increases, future oceans are growing warmer and lower in pH and oxygen, conditions that are likely to impact planktic communities. Past intervals of elevated and changing pCO2 and temperatures can offer a glimpse into the response of marine calcifying plankton to changes in surface oceans under conditions similar to those projected for the future. Here we present new records of planktic foraminiferal and coccolith calcification (weight and size) from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 607 (mid-North Atlantic) and Ocean Drilling Program Site 999 (Caribbean Sea) from the Pliocene, the last time that pCO2 was similar to today, and extending through a global cooling event into the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (3.3 to 2.6 million years ago). Test weights of both surface-dwelling Foraminifera Globigerina bulloides and thermocline-dwelling Foraminifera Globorotalia puncticulata vary with a potential link to regional temperature variation in the North Atlantic, whereas in the tropics Globigerinoides ruber test weight remains stable. In contrast, reticulofenestrid coccoliths show a narrowing size range and a decline in the largest lith diameters over this interval. Our results suggest no major changes in plankton calcite production during the high pCO2 Pliocene or during the transition into an icehouse world.
An original interpretation of the wet edge of the surface temperature–albedo space to estimate crop evapotranspiration (SEB-1S), and its validation over an irrigated area in northwestern Mexico
Authors: Merlin O.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. The space defined by the pair surface temperature (T) and surface albedo (α), and the space defined by the pair T and fractional green vegetation cover (fvg) have been extensively used to estimate evaporative fraction (EF) from solar/thermal remote sensing data. In both space-based approaches, evapotranspiration (ET) is estimated as remotely sensed EF times the available energy. For a given data point in the T-α space or in the T-fvg space, EF is derived as the ratio of the distance separating the point from the line identified as the dry edge to the distance separating the dry edge and the line identified as the wet edge. The dry and wet edges are classically defined as the upper and lower limit of the spaces, respectively. When investigating side by side the T-α and the T-fvg spaces, one observes that the range covered by T values on the (classically determined) wet edge is different for both spaces. In addition, when extending the wet and dry lines of the T-α space, both lines cross at α ≈ 0.4 although the wet and dry edges of the T-fvg space never cross for 0 ≤ fvg < 1. In this paper, a new ET (EF) model (SEB-1S) is derived by revisiting the classical physical interpretation of the T-α space to make its wet edge consistent with that of the T-fvg space. SEB-1S is tested over a 16 km by 10 km irrigated area in northwestern Mexico during the 2007–2008 agricultural season. The classical T-α space-based model is implemented as benchmark to evaluate the performance of SEB-1S. Input data are composed of ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection radiometer) thermal infrared, Formosat-2 shortwave, and station-based meteorological data. The fluxes simulated by SEB-1S and the classical T-α space-based model are compared on seven ASTER overpass dates with the in situ measurements collected at six locations within the study domain. The ET simulated by SEB-1S is significantly more accurate and robust than that predicted by the classical T-α space-based model. The correlation coefficient and slope of the linear regression between simulated and observed ET is improved from 0.82 to 0.93, and from 0.63 to 0.90, respectively. Moreover, constraining the wet edge using air temperature data improves the slope of the linear regression between simulated and observed ET.
On selection of the optimal data time interval for real-time hydrological forecasting
Authors: Liu J. , Han D.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. With the advancement in modern telemetry and communication technologies, hydrological data can be collected with an increasingly higher sampling rate. An important issue deserving attention from the hydrological community is which suitable time interval of the model input data should be chosen in hydrological forecasting. Such a problem has long been recognised in the control engineering community but is a largely ignored topic in operational applications of hydrological forecasting. In this study, the intrinsic properties of rainfall–runoff data with different time intervals are first investigated from the perspectives of the sampling theorem and the information loss using the discrete wavelet transform tool. It is found that rainfall signals with very high sampling rates may not always improve the accuracy of rainfall–runoff modelling due to the catchment low-pass-filtering effect. To further investigate the impact of a data time interval in real-time forecasting, a real-time forecasting system is constructed by incorporating the probability distributed model (PDM) with a real-time updating scheme, the autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) model. Case studies are then carried out on four UK catchments with different concentration times for real-time flow forecasting using data with different time intervals of 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min. A positive relation is found between the forecast lead time and the optimal choice of the data time interval, which is also highly dependent on the catchment concentration time. Finally, based on the conclusions from the case studies, a hypothetical pattern is proposed in three-dimensional coordinates to describe the general impact of the data time interval and to provide implications of the selection of the optimal time interval in real-time hydrological forecasting. Although nowadays most operational hydrological systems still have low data sampling rates (daily or hourly), the future is that higher sampling rates will become more widespread, and there is an urgent need for hydrologists both in academia and in the field to realise the significance of the data time interval issue. It is important that more case studies in different catchments with various hydrological forecasting systems are explored in the future to further verify and improve the proposed hypothetical pattern.
Comparison of climate change signals in CMIP3 and CMIP5 multi-model ensembles and implications for Central Asian glaciers
Authors: Lutz A. F. , Immerzeel W. W. , Gobiet A. , Pellicciotti F. , Bierkens M. F. P.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. Central Asian water resources largely depend on melt water generated in the Pamir and Tien Shan mountain ranges. To estimate future water availability in this region, it is necessary to use climate projections to estimate the future glacier extent and volume. In this study, we evaluate the impact of uncertainty in climate change projections on the future glacier extent in the Amu and Syr Darya river basins. To this end we use the latest climate change projections generated for the upcoming IPCC report (CMIP5) and, for comparison, projections used in the fourth IPCC assessment (CMIP3). With these projections we force a regionalized glacier mass balance model, and estimate changes in the basins' glacier extent as a function of the glacier size distribution in the basins and projected temperature and precipitation. This glacier mass balance model is specifically developed for implementation in large scale hydrological models, where the spatial resolution does not allow for simulating individual glaciers and data scarcity is an issue. Although the CMIP5 ensemble results in greater regional warming than the CMIP3 ensemble and the range in projections for temperature as well as precipitation is wider for the CMIP5 than for the CMIP3, the spread in projections of future glacier extent in Central Asia is similar for both ensembles. This is because differences in temperature rise are small during periods of maximum melt (July–September) while differences in precipitation change are small during the period of maximum accumulation (October–February). However, the model uncertainty due to parameter uncertainty is high, and has roughly the same importance as uncertainty in the climate projections. Uncertainty about the size of the decline in glacier extent remains large, making estimates of future Central Asian glacier evolution and downstream water availability uncertain.
A conceptual model of check dam hydraulics for gully control
Authors: Castillo C. , Pérez R. , Gómez J. A.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. There is little information in scientific literature regarding the modifications induced by check dam systems in flow regimes in restored gully reaches, despite it being a crucial issue for the design of conservation measures. Here, we develop a conceptual model to classify flow regimes in straight rectangular channels for initial and dam-filling conditions as well as a method of estimating efficiency in order to provide guidelines for optimal design. The model integrates several previous mathematical approaches for assessing the main processes involved (hydraulic jump HJ, impact flow, gradually varied flows). Its performance was compared with the simulations obtained from IBER, a bi-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The impact of check dam spacing (defined by the geometric factor of influence c) on efficiency was explored. Eleven main classifications of flow regimes were identified depending on the element and level of influence. The model produced similar results when compared with IBER, but led to higher estimations of HJ and impact lengths. Total influence guaranteed maximum efficiency and HJ control defining the location of the optimal c. Geometric total influence (c = 1) was a valid criterion for the different stages of the structures in a wide range of situations provided that hydraulic roughness conditions remained high within the gully, e.g. through revegetation. Our total influence criterion involved shorter spacing than that habitually recommended in technical manuals for restoration, but was in line with those values found in spontaneous and stable step-pools systems, which might serve as a reference for man-made interventions.
La Radioterapia Nel Trattamento Del Carcinoma Della Prostata: Indicazioni, Evoluzione Tecnologica e Approcci Integrati
Authors: Mantini Giovanna , Alitto Anna Rita , Fionda Bruno , Frascino Vincenzo , Mattiucci Gian Carlo , Balducci Mario , Morganti Alessio Giuseppe , Valentini Vincenzo
Published: September 2013

Prostate cancer is a heterogeneous, indolent or sometimes aggressive tumor. Treatment options are various and without proved superiority. Radiotherapy (RT) plays a key role in the disease history. Technological evolution with Intensity Modulate Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) allowed improvement, with significant results on local control and survival. Hypofractionation, Stereotactic Body RT (SBRT) and new brachytherapy approachs are still under investigation, with promising opportunities. Adjuvant vs salvage postoperative RT, hormone association, prophylactic pelvic irradiation are still under debate, but guidelines express overlapping indications.

Multidisciplinary managements will be the future for care optimization, providing the best tool for holistic and informed patients' choice.
The effect of light on nitrate uptake by wheat roots
Authors: Li Jinzhi , Gao Jianming , Jiang Ming
Published: September 2013

Illuminating shoots stimulates nitrate uptake by wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. ‘EM18’) roots. A method with a high time resolution (minutes), non-invasive technique, has enabled to measure the nitrate uptake time coarsely. The nitrate uptake by wheat roots increases in the light and decreases in the dark. The mechanism is thought to be via a signal carried in phloem, probably a sugar.
Side-to-side asymmetry in absolute and relative muscle thickness of the lateral abdominal wall in cricket pace bowlers
Authors: Olivier B , Stewart AV , Mckinon W
Published: September 2013

Background. The abdominal musculature plays a protective role against lower-back injury. Knowledge of the asymmetry in abdominal wall thickness in healthy, injury-free cricket pace bowlers may provide a useful platform against which pathology could be assessed and the effects of training could be evaluated.Objective. To compare side-to-side differences in absolute muscle thickness and activity of the abdominal musculature and to compare these measurements at the start, with those at the end of a cricket season among a group of amateur pace bowlers.Methods. This was a controlled longitudinal prospective study. Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging was used to assess abdominal muscle thickness in 26 right-handed, injury-free cricket pace bowlers at the start and at the end of a cricket season. Thickness measurements were done at rest, during an abdominal drawing-in manoeuvre (ADIM) and the active straight-leg raise (ASLR) on the left (-L) and right (-R).Results. The absolute thickness of the non-dominant obliquus abdominis internus (OI) was higher than that of the dominant OI at the start (p=0.001; ES=0.87) as well as at the end of the cricket season (p=0.001; ES 1.09). At the start of the season, the percentage change during the ADIM, thus muscle activity, was higher for the non-dominant OI than for the dominant OI (p=0.02; ES=0.51). Absolute thickness of the dominant obliquus abdominis externus (OE) at rest was significantly higher at the end of the season compared with the start of the season (p=0.0001; ES=0.85). During ASLR-R, the activity of the left transversus abdominis (TA) was significantly higher than that of the right TA during ASLR-L (p=0.03) when measured at the end of the season.Conclusion. This study highlights the possible muscle adaptations in absolute muscle thickness and activity as a consequence of the asymmetrical bowling action.