bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on the applicability of microtremor HVSR method to support seismic microzonation in the town of Idrija (W Slovenia)
Authors: Gosar Andrej
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The Idrija town is located in area with increased seismic hazard in W Slovenia and is partly built on alluvial sediments or artificial mining and smelting deposits which can amplify seismic ground motion. There is a need to prepare a comprehensive seismic microzonation in the near future to support seismic hazard and risk assessment. To study the applicability of microtremor Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) method for this purpose, 70 free-field microtremor measurements were performed in 0.8 km2 large town area with 50–200 m spacing between points. HVSR analysis has shown that it is possible to derive sediments resonance frequency at 48 point, whereas at remaining one third of measurements nearly flat HVSR curves were obtained indicating small or no impedance contrast with the seismological bedrock. Iso-frequency (range 2.5–19.5 Hz) and HVSR peak amplitude (range 3–6, with few larger values) maps were prepared by using natural neighbour interpolation algorithm and compared with the geological map and map of artificial deposits. Surprisingly no clear correlation was found between distribution of resonance frequencies or peak amplitudes and the known extent of supposed soft sediments or deposits. This can be explained by relatively well compacted and rather stiff deposits and complex geometry of sedimentary bodies. However, at several individual locations it was possible to correlate the shape and amplitude of the HVSR curve with the known geological structure and prominent site effects were established in different places. On the other hand, in given conditions (very limited free space and high level of noise) it would be difficult to perform active seismic refraction or MASW measurements to investigate the S-waves velocity profiles and thickness of sediments in details, which would be representative enough for microzonation purposes. The importance of microtremor method is therefore even greater, because it enables direct estimation of the resonance frequency without knowing the internal structure and physical properties of the shallow subsurface. The results of this study can be used directly in analyses of possible occurrence of soil-structure resonance of individual buildings, including important cultural heritage mining and other structures protected by UNESCO. Second application of the derived free-field iso-frequency map is to support soil classification according to the recent trends in building codes.
Rapid wastage of the Hazen Plateau ice caps, northeastern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada
Authors: Serreze Mark C. , Raup Bruce , Braun Carsten , Hardy Douglas R. , Bradley Raymond S.
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Two pairs of small stagnant ice bodies on the Hazen Plateau of northeastern Ellesmere Island, the St. Patrick Bay ice caps and the Murray and Simmons ice caps, are rapidly shrinking, and the remnants of the St. Patrick Bay ice caps are likely to disappear entirely within the next 5 years. Vertical aerial photographs of these Little Ice Age relics taken during August of 1959 show that the larger of the St. Patrick Bay ice caps had an area of 7.48 km2 and the smaller one 2.93 km2; the Murray and Simmons ice caps covered 4.37 and 7.45 km2 respectively. Outlines determined from ASTER satellite data for July 2016 show that, compared to 1959, the larger and the smaller of the St. Patrick Bay ice caps had both been reduced to only 5 % of their former area, with the Murray and Simmons ice caps faring better at 39 and 25 %, likely reflecting their higher elevation. Consistent with findings from other glaciological studies in the Queen Elizabeth Islands, ASTER imagery in conjunction with past GPS surveys documents a strikingly rapid wastage of the St. Patrick Bay ice caps over the last 15 years. These two ice caps shrank noticeably even between 2014 and 2015, apparently in direct response to the especially warm summer of 2015 over northeastern Ellesmere Island. The well-documented recession patterns of the Hazen Plateau ice caps over the last 55+ years offer an opportunity to examine the processes of plant recolonization of polar landscapes.
A comparison of two Stokes ice sheet models applied to the Marine Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for plan view models (MISMIP3d)
Authors: Zhang Tong , Price Stephen , Ju Lili , Leng Wei , Brondex Julien , Durand Gaël , Gagliardini Olivier
Published: January 2017

Abstract. We present a comparison of the numerics and simulation results for two "full" Stokes ice sheet models, FELIX-S (Leng et al. 2012) and Elmer/Ice (Gagliardini et al. 2013). The models are applied to the Marine Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for plan view models (MISMIP3d). For the diagnostic experiment (P75D) the two models give similar results ( <  2 % difference with respect to along-flow velocities) when using identical geometries and computational meshes, which we interpret as an indication of inherent consistencies and similarities between the two models. For the standard (Stnd), P75S, and P75R prognostic experiments, we find that FELIX-S (Elmer/Ice) grounding lines are relatively more retreated (advanced), results that are consistent with minor differences observed in the diagnostic experiment results and that we show to be due to different choices in the implementation of basal boundary conditions in the two models. While we are not able to argue for the relative favorability of either implementation, we do show that these differences decrease with increasing horizontal (i.e., both along- and across-flow) grid resolution and that grounding-line positions for FELIX-S and Elmer/Ice converge to within the estimated truncation error for Elmer/Ice. Stokes model solutions are often treated as an accuracy metric in model intercomparison experiments, but computational cost may not always allow for the use of model resolution within the regime of asymptotic convergence. In this case, we propose that an alternative estimate for the uncertainty in the grounding-line position is the span of grounding-line positions predicted by multiple Stokes models.
¿Reprimarización En La Periferia?: El Caso Brasileño (2003-2013)
Authors: Orozco Christian
Published: January 2017

El propósito de esta investigación es adentrarnos en la discusión sobre el significado de la desindustrialización, entendiendo que este fenómeno se puede manifestar de distintas formas dependiendo de dos factores: el primero, relacionado con el grado de desarrollo general e industrial de una economía; y el segundo, asociado a la abundancia/dependencia de uno o una pequeña cesta de productos primarios. Por otra parte, asumiendo que la economía brasileña lleva experimentando un proceso de desindustrialización dependiente desde finales de los años ochenta y, sobre todo, mediados de los noventa; nos centramos en constatar si en el periodo comprendido entre 2003 y 2013 se ha producido un proceso de reprimarización, interpretando este fenómeno como una vertiente de la llamada enfermedad holandesa. La metodología empírica aplicada está basada en el análisis de datos organizados en tablas y figuras. La conclusión principal, anticipada aquí, es que hay pocos indicios que apuntan a que Brasil ha experimentado durante el periodo de estudio un proceso de reprimarización de su estructura productiva.
Green Workplace Behaviour in Saudi Arabia: The Case of EnviroCo
Authors: Abdulghaffar Nadia
Published: January 2017

In order to enhance sustainability in the workplace, recent research has focused on the practices which can promote employees’ green behaviour. However, there is little work that examines the extent to which companies use HRM practices to foster green bahaviour. This study has investigated this issue through a survey conducted in a government agency in Saudi Arabia. Overall, the findings suggest that senior managers are aware of the importance of green workplace behaviour and recognize that a certain number of HRM practices can promote and support this behaviour. However, these practices are not used effectively and senior managers can only marginally foster pro-environmental behaviour in their organization.
Doorbraakinnovaties en ‘omgekeerde’ technologiebeoordeling: het geval van deeleconomie
Authors: Frenken Koen
Published: January 2017

Breakthrough innovations and ‘reverse’ technology assessment: the case of sharing economy

This article shows how the municipality of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) has coped with the popularity of home sharing platform Airbnb. In collaboration with Airbnb, the municipality of Amsterdam was the first to come up with regulations for home sharing. However, enforcement of these rules proved difficult without access to user data of the Airbnb platform. In addition, a scientific (statistical) assessment of the effects of homesharing is also difficult without open data. As a result, the legitimacy of the platform has weakened in the eyes of some stakeholders. The article ends with some general reflections how government can cope with sharing economy platform. In particular, it is argued that the right-to-challenge principle may prove hard to apply to sharing platforms.
Participant of databron?
Authors: Meijer Albert , Tomor Zsuzsanna , Michels Ank , Geertman Stan
Published: January 2017

Participant or data source? Citizens as extension of urban innovative capacity

In the private sector, user innovation is used to develop innovations that better fit the needs of customers. In the public sector, interest for citizen innovation is also on the rise and new information and communication technologies seem to offer a great potential for accessing the power of citizens. At the same time these technologies offer another potential value: they can turn citizens into data sources. This data can offer governments crucial insights and may form the basis for datadriven innovation. Innovating with citizens in both different ways seems to offer great potential for broadly supported issues such as urban sustainability. This article develops a framework for studying these new developments and presents explorative research in three cities (Curitiba, Glasgow en Utrecht). The research shows that cities make different choices in their use of new technologies to innovate with or for citizens.
Waarden borgen, praktijken innoveren
Authors: van Buuren Arwin , Ellen Gerald Jan
Published: January 2017

Keeping values, innovating practices

In The Netherlands an innovative water safety policy is under development: multi-layered safety. This innovation is a move from a preventive approach (levees) towards a risk approach. Mitigation of consequences for spatial measures and disaster management too are considered in reducing flood risks. The theory of path dependence teaches us that many technical, financial and institutional factors keep the current policy system in its equilibrium. This complicates policy innovations. This article contains a case study that explains how pilots contribute to a process of policy innovation. It concludes that enshrining results in the ‘home organizations’ and synchronizing pilots with running policy processes is essential. The pilots also show that policy renewal concerns a process of ‘muddling through intelligently’.
Toenemende publieke steun voor meer eigen verantwoordelijkheid in de zorg?
Authors: Verbakel Ellen
Published: January 2017

Growing public support for more self-responsibility in social care?

The Dutch government aims at a participatory society, for example by striving for a larger amount of self-responsibility in providing social care, since the introduction of the Societal Support Law (in Dutch called ‘Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning’ or in short Wmo). Does public opinion in the Netherlands reflect this change of mentality? This article investigates (a) how far public opinion on responsibility for social care for the elderly has changed between 2003 and 2010, (b) which factors explain why some people put most responsibility on the government and others on the family and (c) which factors explain intra-individual changes of attitude. This research has used survey data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study (2003, 2006/07, 2010). A shift in public opinion appears to have taken place in line with government policy: less responsibility for the government and more for the family. However, a majority of the Dutch population still puts most responsibility on the government. Attitudes appear to be connected with normative motives rather than with utilitarian motives. Intra-individual changes in attitudes in the direction of less government responsibility are mainly explained by normative factors and not by factors related to self-interest.
Stedelijke ontwikkeling als een emergente adaptieve strategie
Authors: Verheul Wouter Jan , Daamen Tom
Published: January 2017

Urban development as an emergent adaptive strategy

While the belief in a socially engineered society has been renounced to a large extent, in cities actors continue to struggle with the question how their plans can be steered on goal achievement. This article addresses a steering philosophy that is based on an emergent adaptive urban development process. This means that urban strategies adapt during the process by connecting to initiatives from the market and civil society. The central question of this article is how specific projects are ‘made’ in accordance with the intentions of the actors involved and how these projects are connected to larger policy stories for the city. In this article perspectives are explored that have replaced the old thinking in terms of ‘social engineering’. On the basis of two case studies in the Netherlands (Brainport Eindhoven and Mainport Rotterdam) an emergent adaptive strategy is explored as a perspective for action. This perspective is not only about ‘social engineering’, but also about ‘social connecting’. An emergent adaptive strategy is not designed on the drawing table, but it emerges during the practice of project development out of an attitude that is conscious of the environment, connective and reflective.
De screening van ministers (en staatssecretarissen) in het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden: ‘to screen or not to screen, that is the question …’
Authors: Murray M.F.
Published: January 2017

De screening van ministers (en staatssecretarissen) in het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden: ‘to screen or not to screen, that is the question …’

Voorafgaand aan de benoeming van ministers (en staatssecretarissen in Nederland) van de landen in het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden vindt er een toetsing van de benoembaarheid plaats. Deze toetsing, ook wel aangeduid als screening, is in de afzonderlijke landen verschillend geregeld. De auteur bespreekt de overeenkomsten en verschillen van de screening die allen als doel hebben de integriteit van het bestuur in het Koninkrijk te waarborgen. De revue passeren aldus de wijze van benoeming van ministers, de vastlegging van de toetsing (variërend van een schrijven van de minister-president aan de Tweede Kamer tot een wet in formele zin in Curacao en Sint Maarten), de legaliteit van de verschillende regelingen maar ook de feitelijk uit te voeren onderzoeken en daaraan te verbinden conclusies. Afgesloten wordt met een aanbeveling tot uniformering van de screening in het Koninkrijk.
Ministeriabel
Authors: Sybesma J. , Rogier L.J.J.
Published: January 2017

Ministeriabel – een reactie op het artikel van dr. R.S.J. Martha LLM

Reactie op het artikel van dr. R.S.J. Martha LLM over de ministerbenoeming als een voor beroep vatbare beschikking.
De Curaçaose zbo
Authors: Sybesma J.
Published: January 2017

De Curaçaose zbo

De bestuurlijke organisatie van de Curaçaose overheid kent naast de klassieke bestuursorganen, als de raad van ministers en de individuele minister, ook entiteiten die op afstand zijn geplaatst, zoals overheidsnv’s en overheidsstichtingen. Daarnaast kent de Staatsregeling van Curaçao sedert 2004 ook nog de mogelijkheid om openbare lichamen en zelfstandige bestuursorganen in te stellen. Vooral van deze laatste bestuursvorm, de zbo, wordt door de wetgever van Curaçao de laatste tijd veel gebruikgemaakt. In dit artikel wordt antwoord gegeven op wat precies een Curaçaose zbo is, waarbij nader wordt ingegaan op de diverse publiekrechtelijke entiteiten die lang voor 2004 werden ingesteld. Tevens komen aan de orde de bevoegdheden en verplichtingen die een zbo kent. Een en ander toegelicht aan de hand van een praktijkvoorbeeld, namelijk de Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten.
The Right to Mental Health in the Digital Era
Authors: Kokabisaghi Fatemeh , Bakx Iris , Zenelaj Blerta
Published: January 2017

The Right to Mental Health in the Digital Era

People with mental illness usually experience higher rates of disability and mortality. Often, health care systems do not adequately respond to the burden of mental disorders worldwide. The number of health care providers dealing with mental health care is insufficient in many countries. Equal access to necessary health services should be granted to mentally ill people without any discrimination. E-mental health is expected to enhance the quality of care as well as accessibility, availability and affordability of services. This paper examines under what conditions e-mental health can contribute to realising the right to health by using the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality (AAAQ) framework that is developed by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Research shows e-mental health facilitates dissemination of information, remote consultation and patient monitoring and might increase access to mental health care. Furthermore, patient participation might increase, and stigma and discrimination might be reduced by the use of e-mental health. However, e-mental health might not increase the access to health care for everyone, such as the digitally illiterate or those who do not have access to the Internet. The affordability of this service, when it is not covered by insurance, can be a barrier to access to this service. In addition, not all e-mental health services are acceptable and of good quality. Policy makers should adopt new legal policies to respond to the present and future developments of modern technologies in health, as well as e-Mental health. To analyse the impact of e-mental health on the right to health, additional research is necessary.
Het ontslagrecht als onderwerp van de verkiezingsprogramma’s: terugblik en overzicht
Authors: Visser Ea
Published: January 2017

Het ontslagrecht als onderwerp van de verkiezingsprogramma’s: Terugblik en overzicht

Met de verkiezingen van maart 2017 in aantocht zijn de verkiezingsprogramma’s bekend gemaakt. Een grote visie op de arbeidsmarkt blijkt te ontbreken. Opvallend is dat diverse partijen de mogelijkheden voor tijdelijke arbeid willen uitbreiden. Op de vraag waarom zo veel gebruik wordt gemaakt van tijdelijke arbeid, wordt niet ingegaan. De politieke partijen bouwen met de programma’s voornamelijk verder op het bestaande systeem.

Het CPB heeft onlangs gewezen op de groei van de flexibele arbeid en bijbehorende gevaren . Uitdrukkelijk is aangekaart dat de keuze aan de politiek is. De politiek is (echter niet met een verstrekkende visie gekomen over de arbeidsmarkt en dat is een gemis.
The Celiac Patient Antibody Response to Conventional and Gluten-Removed Beer
Authors: Allred Laura K , Lesko Katherine , McKiernan Diane , Kupper Cynthia , Guandalini Stefano
Published: January 2017

Enzymatic digestion, or hydrolysis, has been proposed for treating gluten-containing foods and beverages tomake them safe for persons with celiac disease (CD). There are no validated testing methods that allow the quantitation of all the hydrolyzed or fermented gluten peptides in foods and beverages that might be harmful to CD patients, making it difficult to assess the safety of hydrolyzed products. This study examines an ELISA-based method to determine whether serum antibody binding of residual peptides in a fermented barley-based productis greater among active-CD patients than a normal control group, using commercial beers as a test case. Sera from 31 active-CD patients and 29 nonceliac control subjects were used to assess the binding of proteins from barley, rice, traditional beer, gluten-free beer, and enzymatically treated (gluten-removed) traditional beer. In the ELISA, none of the subjects' sera bound to proteins in the gluten-free beer. Eleven active-CD patient serum samples demonstrated immunoglobulin A (IgA) or immunoglobulin G (IgG) binding to a barley extract, compared to only one nonceliac control subject. Of the seven active-CD patients who had an IgA binding response to barley, four also responded to traditional beer, and two of these responded to the gluten-removed beer. None ofthe nonceliac control subjects' sera bound to all three beer samples. Binding of protein fragments in hydrolyzed or fermented foods and beverages by serum from active-CD patients, but not nonceliac control subjects, may indicate the presence of residual peptides that are celiac-specific.
Chemometrics-Assisted Fast-Elution HPLC–DAD for the Quantification of Selected UV Filters and Parabens in Suncare Formulations
Authors: Vosough Maryam , Shekari Nafiseh , Salemi Amir , Heidar Koorosh Tabar
Published: January 2017

In the present study, a fast LC method coupled with multivariate curve resolution (MCR) alternating least-squares (ALS) and alternating trilinear decomposition (ATLD) was developed for the determination of the resolution of and quantitation of benzophenone-3, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor, octocrylene, ethylhexyl dimethyl para-aminobenzoic acid, butyl methoxydibenzoilmethane, and methyl and propyl parabens in suncare products. Chromatographic separation was optimized using full factorial and Box–Behnken designs. MCR-ALS and ATLD performance in quantitating the analytes in synthetic mixtures (which were randomly prepared in ultra-pure water) andblank sunscreen products was studied, and satisfying results were obtained. Acceptable qualification and quantification results were also achieved in the presence of matrix interferences via a short chromatographic runtime (5 min), and the second-order advantage was fully exploited, with MCR-ALS clearly emerging as the superior model. Average recoveries ranged from 98.0 to 112.5%, and RSD values were lower than 6.5%. LODs between 0.066 and 0.243 μg/g were achieved. In addition to acceptable precision and accuracy, the merits of the proposed method are that the analysis is fast and there is minimal solvent consumption. Moreover, coelution of analytes and interference from components in the sample matrixes were overcome with multivariate analysis.
RAPD- and ERIC-Based Typing of Clinical and Environmental Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates
Authors: Auda Ibtesam Ghadban , Al-Kadmy Israa M S , Kareem Sawsan Mohammed , Lafta Aliaa Khyuon , A'Affus Mustafa Hussein Obeid , Khit Ibrahim Abd Aloahd , Al Kheraif Abdulaziz Abdullah , Divakar Darshan Devang , Ramakrishnaiah Ravikumar
Published: January 2017

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of nosocomial infection in children and adults, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality due to its ability to acquire drug resistance. The ability of P. aeruginosa in the environment to cause infection in individuals has been reported previously; henceforth, surveillance of the emergence and transmission of P. aeruginosa strains among patients is important for infection control in a clinical setup. Various gene-typing methods have been used for epidemiological typing of P. aeruginosa isolates for the purpose of surveillance. In this work, the suitability and comparability of two typing methods, enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus(ERIC)-PCR and random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR fingerprinting, were studied to characterizeP. aeruginosa strains isolated from clinical and environmental sources. Forty-four clinical and environmental bacterial isolates of P. aeruginosa were collected between October 2015 and January 2016. DNA extraction, ERIC-PCR and RAPD-PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, and phylogenetic analyses were carried using the unweighted pair-group method with mean. RAPD typing revealed less clonality among clinicalisolates, whereas the ERIC method showed greater similarity in comparison with RAPD. Environmental isolates, however, showed greater similarity using RAPD compared with ERIC typing. With only a few exceptions, most clinical isolates were distinct from environmental isolates, irrespective of the typing method. In conclusion, boththe RAPD and ERIC typing methods proved to be good tools in understanding clonal diversity. The results also suggest that there is no relationship between clinical and environmental isolates. The absence of clonality among the clinical isolates may indicate that most P. aeruginosa infection cases could be endemic and not epidemic and that endemic infections may be due to nonclonal strains of P. aeruginosa.
Rapid Measurement of Food Adulteration with Minimal Sample Preparation and No Chromatography Using Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Dalmia Avinash
Published: January 2017

A rapid method, with minimal sample preparation and no chromatography, was developed for analyzing food samples such as olive oil and pomegranate juice to measure adulteration with cheaper ingredients using the novel Direct Sample Analysis™ (DSA) ion source in conjunction with a time-of-flight (TOF)-MS. In less than 30s, with minimal sample preparation and method development, adulteration of olive oil and pomegranate juice with cheaper seed oils and fruit juices, respectively, was measured with DSA/TOF-MS.
Systematic revision of the family Pleioplanidae Faubel, 1983 (Polycladida, Acotylea): new genus and combinations
Authors: Rodríguez Jorge , Grande Cristina , Bulnes Natalia Veronica , Almon Bruno , Perez Jacinto , Noreña Carolina
Published: January 2017

New morphological information, reconsiderations and the first combination of a generic name based on a previously established species are presented in the current revision of the family Pleioplanidae (Polycladida, Acotylea). Species belonging to this family are briefly presented and Laqueusplana bocki gen. et sp. nov. is described. An identification key to all valid species of Pleioplanidae is provided. Furthermore, results from phylogenetic analyses of the species treated herein are discussed.
Description of Mycobacterium tuberculosis mutations conferring resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid detected by GenoType® MTBDRplus V.2 in Colombia
Authors: Llerena Claudia , Medina Raquel
Published: January 2017

Introducción. La metodología de GenoType® MTBDRplus V.2 es una técnica molecular aprobada por la Organización Mundial de la Salud y la Organización Panamericana de la Salud para la detección de las mutaciones en el gen rpoβ del complejo Mycobacterium tuberculosis, las cuales confieren resistencia a la rifampicina, y las de los genes katG e inhA que la confieren frente a la isoniacida. Debido a la variación genética en las cepas circulantes a nivel mundial, los programas nacionales de control de la tuberculosis deben comprobar el desempeño de los nuevos métodos de diagnóstico para su aplicación como prueba rápida.Objetivo. Describir las mutaciones detectadas mediante la técnica GenoType® MTBDRplus V.2 en muestras pulmonares y aislamientos de M. tuberculosis procesados en el Laboratorio Nacional de Referencia del Instituto Nacional de Salud durante el 2014.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo un estudio retrospectivo descriptivo que determinó la expresión de los genes inhA, KatG y rpoβ responsables de la resistencia a isoniacida y rifampicina, utilizando la técnica GenoType® MTBDRplus V.2 en 837 muestras y aislamientos de casos de tuberculosis.Resultados. Se obtuvieron 689 resultados de pruebas: 581(84,3 %) sensibles, 58 (8,4 %) resistentes y 50 (7,2 %) multirresistentes. Se detectaron diversas mutaciones en el gen rpoβ, de las cuales la más frecuente fue la Ser531Leu (36,6 %), seguida por la Asp516Val (21,6 %), en tanto que en el gen katG la más frecuente fue la Ser315Thr1 (91,9 %).Conclusiones. Se detectaron varias mutaciones en los casos resistentes reportados en el país, con frecuencias similares a las reportadas en otros países de la región de América del Sur.
Retrospective study of prognostic factors in pediatric invasive pneumococcal disease
Authors: Chiu Nan-Chang , Chi Hsin , Peng Chun-Chih , Chang Hung-Yang , Huang Daniel Tsung-Ning , Chang Lung , Lei Wei-Te , Lin Chien-Yu
Published: January 2017

Streptococcus pneumoniaeremains the leading causative pathogen in pediatric pneumonia and bacteremia throughout the world. The invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is known as isolation ofS. pneumoniaefrom a normally sterile site (e.g., blood, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pericardial fluid, pleural fluid, or peritoneal fluid). The aim of this study is to survey the clinical manifestations and laboratory results of IPD and identify the prognostic factors of mortality. From January 2001 to December 2006, a retrospective review of chart was performed in a teaching hospital in Taipei. The hospitalized pediatric patients with the diagnosis of pneumonia, arthritis, infectious endocarditis, meningitis or sepsis were recruited. Among them, 50 patients were pneumococcal infections proved by positive culture results or antigen tests. Clinical manifestations, laboratory data and hospitalization courses were analyzed. The median age was 3.5-year-old and there were 30 male patients (60%). Eight patients (16%) had underlying disease such as leukemia or congenital heart disease. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) was observed in ten patients and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was performed in three patients. Leukocytosis, elevated C-reactive protein and AST level were noted in most of the patients. The overall mortality rate was 10%. We found that leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and high CRP level were significant predictors for mortality. In conclusion,S. pneumoniaeremains an important health threat worldwide and IPD is life-threatening with high mortality rate. We found leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and high CRP levels to be associated with mortality in pediatric IPD, and these factors are worthy of special attention at admission. Although we failed to identify a statistically significant prognostic factor in multivariate analysis due to relatively small sample size, we suggest an aggressive antibiotic treatment in patients with these factors at admission. Further large-scale studies are warranted.
Model simulations of ion and electron density profiles in ionospheric E and F regions
Authors: Lin Y. C. , Chu Y. H.
Published: January 2017

We develop a time‐dependent theoretical numerical model to simulate the density profiles of the ions (i.e., O+(2P), O+(2D), N2+, O+(4S), N+, O2+, and NO+) and free electrons in E and F regions. In this model, the ion photoionization production rates, the photoelectron ionization production effect, and the chemical reactions between the ionized species and the neutral compositions are considered, and the plasma transport processes are not included. The simulation results show that the mean electron density ratios of the model simulations to the AE‐C satellite measurements for the Solar Dynamics Observatory‐Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (SDO‐EVE), EUV flux model for Aeronomic Calculations, and Hinteregger‐Fukui‐Gilson solar irradiance models are, respectively, 0.97, 0.79, and 0.71 in a height range 140–400 km and 0.79, 0.75, and 0.64 in a height range 90–150 km. A comparison shows that the electron densities simulated by the model developed in this study are much more consistent with the in situ measurements made by the AE‐C satellite than those predicted by the International Reference Ionosphere model and simulated by the Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model. The model simulations with SDO‐EVE solar irradiance input indicate that the photoelectron impact production process contributes about 20%–30% of the total atomic ion densities throughout the height range 130–400 km around noon. However, the photoelectron production effect on the molecular ion densities is very minor (less than about 7%) above 275 km. Below 250 km, its effect increases with the decrease of height for O2+ and N2+, from about 4% and 10% at 250 km to 13% and 27% at 150 km, respectively.
Variability of equatorial counter electrojet signatures in the Indian region
Authors: Chandrasekhar N. Phani , Archana R. K. , Nagarajan Nandini , Arora Kusumita
Published: January 2017

The limited longitudinal extent of equatorial counter electrojet (CEJ) has been inferred by several workers based on the analysis of ground data. However, the scale length of CEJ characteristics at 2 h or less has not been estimated so far. The present study seeks to characterize the longitudinal variability of CEJ phenomena at a longitudinal separation of ~15° by using hourly averaged variations at two equatorial electrojet (EEJ) pairs of stations: Hyderabad and Vencode at 77°E and Port Blair and Campbell Bay at 93°E. The nature of CEJ events is classified by time of occurrence and studied by using 12 months of concurrent data at the two longitudes. From examination of 323 CEJ events at VEN (Vencode) and 239 at CBY (Campbell Bay) over a period of 346 days, the observations are as follows: (i) the occurrence of CEJ is not simultaneous at VEN and CBY for about 40% of events; (ii) the amplitude and occurrence frequency of CEJ events is greater at VEN than at CBY during both Kp < 2 and Kp ≥ 2; and (iii) the influence of westward currents on the EEJ peak was evidenced by early or late peak occurrences comprising about 175 days at VEN and 89 days at CBY. It is established here that considerable variability of CEJ signatures is observed between the two longitudes at 15° separation, revealing the impact of local electrodynamics. These local processes therefore significantly influence the characteristics of EEJ.
Numerical study of the propagation characteristics of coronal mass ejections in a structured ambient solar wind
Authors: Zhou Yufen , Feng Xueshang
Published: January 2017

Using a three‐dimensional (3‐D) magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model, we analyze and study the propagation characteristics of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) launched at different positions in a realistic structured ambient solar wind. Here the ambient solar wind structure during the Carrington rotation 2095 is selected, which is the characteristics of activity rising phase. CMEs with a simple spherical plasmoid structure are initiated at different solar latitudes with respect to the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) and the Earth in the same ambient solar wind. Then, we numerically obtained the evolution process of the CMEs from the Sun to the interplanetary space. When the Earth and the CME launch position are located on the same side of the HCS, the arrival time of the shock at the Earth is faster than that when the Earth and the CME launch position are located on the opposite side of the HCS. The disturbance amplitudes for the same side event are also larger than those for the opposite side event. This may be due to the fact that the HCS between the CME and the Earth for the opposite side event hinders its propagation and weaken it. The CMEs tend to deflect toward the HCS in the latitudinal direction near the corona and then propagate almost parallel to the HCS in the interplanetary space. This deflecting tendency may be caused by the dynamic action of near‐Sun magnetic pressure gradient force on the ejected coronal plasma.
Variations of the Martian plasma environment during the ICME passage on 8 March 2015: A time‐dependent MHD study
Authors: Ma Y. J. , Russell C. T. , Fang X. , Dong C. F. , Nagy A. F. , Toth G. , Halekas J. S. , Connerney J. E. P. , Espley J. R. , Mahaffy P. R. , Benna M. , McFadden J. , Mitchell D. L. , Andersson L. , Jakosky B. M.
Published: January 2017

The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft observed a strong interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) impacting Mars on 8 March 2015. We use a time‐dependent global MHD model to investigate the response of the Martian ionosphere and induced magnetosphere to the large solar wind disturbance associated with the ICME. Taking observed upstream solar wind conditions from MAVEN as inputs to the MHD model, the variations of the Martian plasma environments are simulated realistically in a time period from 2.5 h prior to the arrival of the ICME shock to about 12 h after the impact. Detailed comparisons between the model results and the relevant MAVEN plasma measurements are presented, which clearly show that the time‐dependent multispecies single‐fluid MHD model is able to reproduce the main features observed by the spacecraft during the ICME passage. Model results suggest that the induced magnetosphere responds to solar wind variation on a very short time scale (approximately minutes). The variations of the plasma boundaries' distances from the planet along the subsolar line are examined in detail, which show a clear anticorrelation with the magnetosonic Mach number. Plasma properties in the ionosphere (especially the induced magnetic field) varied rapidly with solar wind changes. Model results also show that ion escape rates could be enhanced by an order of magnitude in response to the high solar wind dynamic pressure during the ICME event.
Climatology of plasmaspheric total electron content obtained from Jason 1 satellite
Authors: Shim Ja Soon , Jee Geonhwa , Scherliess Ludger
Published: January 2017

We used more than 40 million total electron content (TEC) measurements obtained from the GPS TurboRogue Space Receiver receiver on board the Jason 1 satellite in order to investigate the global morphology of the plasmaspheric TEC (pTEC) including the variations with local time, latitude, longitude, season, solar cycle, and geomagnetic activity. The pTEC corresponds to the total electron content between Jason 1 (1336 km) and GPS (20,200 km) satellite altitudes. The pTEC data were collected during the 7 year period from January 2002 to December 2008. It was found that pTEC increases by about 10–30% from low to high solar flux conditions with the largest variations occurring at low latitudes for equinox. During low solar flux condition, pTEC is largely independent of geomagnetic activity. However, it slightly decreases with increasing geomagnetic activity at low latitudes during high solar flux. The seasonal variations such as the annual and semiannual anomalies in the ionosphere also exist in the low‐latitude plasmasphere. In particular, the American sector (around 300°E) shows strong annual asymmetry in the plasmaspheric density, being larger in December than in June solstice.
Computerized ionospheric tomography based on geosynchronous SAR
Authors: Hu Cheng , Tian Ye , Dong Xichao , Wang Rui , Long Teng
Published: January 2017

Computerized ionospheric tomography (CIT) based on spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an emerging technique to construct the three‐dimensional (3‐D) image of ionosphere. The current studies are all based on the Low Earth Orbit synthetic aperture radar (LEO SAR) which is limited by long repeat period and small coverage. In this paper, a novel ionospheric 3‐D CIT technique based on geosynchronous SAR (GEO SAR) is put forward. First, several influences of complex atmospheric environment on GEO SAR focusing are detailedly analyzed, including background ionosphere and multiple scattering effects (induced by turbulent ionosphere), tropospheric effects, and random noises. Then the corresponding GEO SAR signal model is constructed with consideration of the temporal‐variant background ionosphere within the GEO SAR long integration time (typically 100 s to 1000 s level). Concurrently, an accurate total electron content (TEC) retrieval method based on GEO SAR data is put forward through subband division in range and subaperture division in azimuth, obtaining variant TEC value with respect to the azimuth time. The processing steps of GEO SAR CIT are given and discussed. Owing to the short repeat period and large coverage area, GEO SAR CIT has potentials of covering the specific space continuously and completely and resultantly has excellent real‐time performance. Finally, the TEC retrieval and GEO SAR CIT construction are performed by employing a numerical study based on the meteorological data. The feasibility and correctness of the proposed methods are verified.
RISR‐N observations of the IMF By influence on reverse convection during extreme northward IMF
Authors: Maimaiti M. , Ruohoniemi J. M. , Baker J. B. H. , Clauer C. R. , Nicolls Michael J. , Hairston Marc R.
Published: January 2017

Previous studies have demonstrated that the high‐latitude ionospheric convection is strongly influenced by the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) direction. However, the temporal details of how the convection transitions from one state to another are still not understood completely. In this study, we analyze an interval on 12 September 2014 which provided a rare opportunity to examine dynamic variations in the dayside convection throat as the IMF transitioned from strong By+ to strong Bz+. Between 18:00 and 20:00 UT the northward face of the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar (RISR‐N) rotated through the noon sector and directly measured strengthening reverse convection flows in the dayside throat region that peaked at ∼2800 m/s. Near‐simultaneous measurements from DMSP satellites confirm the magnitude of the reverse convection and its proximity to the cusp. Time series comparison of the RISR‐N north‐south flows with the IMF Bz component shows a remarkably high correlation, suggestive of strong linear coupling, with no sign of velocity saturation. Likewise, the east‐west flow variations were highly correlated with the changes in IMF By. However, time‐lagged correlation analysis reveals that the IMF By influence acted on a time scale 10 min shorter than that of the Bz component. As a consequence, the manner in which the convection transitioned from the strong By+ condition to the strong Bz+ condition is inconsistent with either the antiparallel or component reconnection models. Instead, we suggest that these particular observations are consistent with two separate reconnection sites on the magnetopause driven independently by the IMF By and Bz components.
An agricultural biomass burning episode in eastern China: Transport, optical properties, and impacts on regional air quality
Authors: Wu Yonghua , Han Yong , Voulgarakis Apostolos , Wang Tijian , Li Mengmeng , Wang Yuan , Xie Min , Zhuang Bingling , Li Shu
Published: January 2017

Agricultural biomass burning (ABB) has been of particular concern due to its influence on air quality and atmospheric radiation, as it produces large amounts of gaseous and aerosol emissions. This paper presents an integrated observation of a significant ABB episode in Nanjing, China, during early June 2011, using combined ground‐based and satellite sensors (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Atmospheric Infrared Sounder, Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO), and Ozone Monitoring Instrument products). The time‐height distribution, optical properties, sources and transport of smoke, and its impacts on air quality are investigated. Lidar profiles indicate that the smoke aerosols are confined to the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and have a depolarization ratio of less than 0.08. The aerosol optical depths increase from 0.5 to 3.0 at 500 nm, while the extinction‐related Angstrom exponent increases from 1.1 to 1.6 at the wavelength pair of 440–870 nm. The single‐scattering albedo becomes lower at 670–1020 nm following the ABB intrusion and particularly shows a decreasing tendency between wavelengths of 440 to 1020 nm. The absorption Angstrom exponent (0.7) is smaller than 1.0, which may indicate the aged smoke particles mixed or coated with the urban aerosols. Surface particular matter PM10 and PM2.5 show a dramatic increase, reaching hourly mean of 800 µg/m3 and 485 µg/m3, respectively, which results in a heavy air pollution event. The stagnant and high‐moisture weather provides favorable conditions for the aerosols to accumulate near the surface. Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) also illustrate that the large‐scale aerosols are primarily present in the PBL and transported to the ocean, but some dense smoke plumes are misclassified as cloud or polluted dust. By comparing with the observations, we found that the Weather Research and Forecasting–Chemistry model captured the accumulation and downwind transport of surface PM2.5 from 20:00 on 2 June to 10:00 on 3 June (phase 1) but showed a dramatic underestimate from 20:00 on 3–4 June (phase 2) when dense aerosols are present. Such a discrepancy in the model is associated with the improper vertical apportion of transported smoke and atmospheric diffusion conditions when comparing with the observed aerosol and wind profiles. In addition, the model simulations indicate that the transported smoke can contribute to 50–70% of the ground‐level PM2.5 in Nanjing.
The global aerosol‐cloud first indirect effect estimated using MODIS, MERRA, and AeroCom
Authors: McCoy D. T. , Bender F. A.‐M. , Mohrmann J. K. C. , Hartmann D. L. , Wood R. , Grosvenor D. P.
Published: January 2017

Aerosol‐cloud interactions (ACI) represent a significant source of forcing uncertainty in global climate models (GCMs). Estimates of radiative forcing due to ACI in Fifth Assessment Report range from −0.5 to −2.5 W m−2. A portion of this uncertainty is related to the first indirect, or Twomey, effect whereby aerosols act as nuclei for cloud droplets to condense upon. At constant liquid water content this increases the number of cloud droplets (Nd) and thus increases the cloud albedo. In this study we use remote‐sensing estimates of Nd within stratocumulus regions in combination with state‐of‐the‐art aerosol reanalysis from Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA2) to diagnose how aerosols affect Nd. As in previous studies, Nd is related to sulfate mass through a power law relationship. The slope of the log‐log relationship between Nd and SO4 in maritime stratocumulus is found to be 0.31, which is similar to the range of 0.2–0.8 from previous in situ studies and remote‐sensing studies in the pristine Southern Ocean. Using preindustrial emissions models, the change in Nd between preindustrial and present day is estimated. Nd is inferred to have more than tripled in some regions. Cloud properties from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are used to estimate the radiative forcing due to this change in Nd. The Twomey effect operating in isolation is estimated to create a radiative forcing of −0.97 ± 0.23 W m−2 relative to the preindustrial era.