bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ages of the Bulge Globular Clusters NGC 6522 and NGC 6626 (M28) from HST Proper-motion-cleaned Color–Magnitude Diagrams*
Authors: Kerber L. O. , Nardiello D. , Ortolani S. , Barbuy B. , Bica E. , Cassisi S. , Libralato M. , Vieira R. G.
Published: January 2018

Bulge globular clusters (GCs) with metallicities [Fe/H] ≲ −1.0 and blue horizontal branches are candidates to harbor the oldest populations in the Galaxy. Based on the analysis of HST proper-motion-cleaned color–magnitude diagrams in filters F435W and F625W, we determine physical parameters for the old bulge GCs NGC 6522 and NGC 6626 (M28), both with well-defined blue horizontal branches. We compare these results with similar data for the inner halo cluster NGC 6362. These clusters have similar metallicities (−1.3 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ −1.0) obtained from high-resolution spectroscopy. We derive ages, distance moduli, and reddening values by means of statistical comparisons between observed and synthetic fiducial lines employing likelihood statistics and the Markov chain Monte Carlo method. The synthetic fiducial lines were generated using α-enhanced BaSTI and Dartmouth stellar evolutionary models, adopting both canonical (Y ∼ 0.25) and enhanced (Y ∼ 0.30–0.33) helium abundances. RR Lyrae stars were employed to determine the HB magnitude level, providing an independent indicator to constrain the apparent distance modulus and the helium enhancement. The shape of the observed fiducial line could be compatible with some helium enhancement for NGC 6522 and NGC 6626, but the average magnitudes of RR Lyrae stars tend to rule out this hypothesis. Assuming canonical helium abundances, BaSTI and Dartmouth models indicate that all three clusters are coeval, with ages between ∼12.5 and 13.0 Gyr. The present study also reveals that NGC 6522 has at least two stellar populations, since its CMD shows a significantly wide subgiant branch compatible with 14% ± 2% and 86% ± 5% for first and second generations, respectively.
Neglected Under Lip Cancer
Authors: Tchernev Georgi , Cardoso Jose Carlos , Pidakev Ivan , Wollina Uwe , Lotti Torello , Lotti Jacopo , Gianfaldoni Serena , Maximov Georgi Konstantinov , Lozev Ilia
Published: January 2018

The lip represents an anatomical area of the interface between the skin and oral mucosa. It is, therefore, not entirely surprising that SCC of the lip exhibits mixed features between cutaneous and oral mucosal SCC, namely regarding risk factors and biological behaviour. The main risk factors for lip SCC include ultraviolet radiation exposure, low phototype, tobacco and alcohol use, and immunosuppression. Lip SCC usually presents clinically as a nodule or a tumour with a keratotic surface that commonly ulcerates. There is often a background of actinic cheilitis. The particularly exuberant presentation of our case can most probably be explained by the long evolution of a tumour before the patient reached medical attention. Patients with regional lymph node metastasis are usually offered regional lymph node dissection (usually of the neck). Radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy may be used in advanced cases, particularly in unresectable tumours, tumours with high-risk features and metastatic disease. The large size of a tumour in our case, most probably due to its long evolution, highlights the importance of timely diagnosis to avoid such extreme presentations and the consequent need for more aggressive treatment.
Para - And Intraurethral Penile Tumor - Like Condylomatosis
Authors: Chokoeva Anastasiya Atanasova , Wollina Uwe , Lotti Torello , Maximov Georgi Konstantinov , Lozev Ilia , Tchernev Georgi
Published: January 2018

Condyloma acuminata represents an epidermal manifestation, associated with the epidermotropic human papillomavirus (HPV). They have been reported as the most common sexually transmitted disease, with prevalence exceeding 50%, increased up to 4 times, within the last two decades, as the most common side of affection are the penis, vulva, vagina, cervix, perineum, and perianal area, with increased prevalence in young, sexually active individuals.  Increased attention should be focused on lesions, caused by types, with moderate (33, 35, 39, 40, 43, 45, 51-56, 58) or high risk potential (types 16, 18) for malignant transformation, leading to further development of cancers of anus, vagina, vulva and penis, as well as cancers of the head and neck . A provident of coexistence of many of these types in the same patient could be seen in approximately 10-15% of patients, as the lack of adequate information on the oncogenic potential of many other types complicated the treatment and the further outcome. Although the variety of treatment options, genital condylomata acuminata still show high recurrent rate to destructive topical regiments, because of the activation of the viruses at some point, which emphasise the importance of virus- eradication, instead only of the topical destruction of the lesions.  Despite decreasing the recurrent rate, the most important goal of immunisation is the reduction of the incidence of HPV-associated squamous cell carcinomas using either the quadrivalent (Silgard/Gardasil) or the bivalent (Cervarix) HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine. We present a patient with periurethral condylomata acuminate, who refused performing of a biopsy for determining the virus type, as we want to emphasize the importance of the virus - treatment in all cases of genital warts, instead only of topical destruction of the lesions, not only because of the recurrence incidence rate, but also because of the well - known oncogenic potential of some HPV - types, as well as the unknown potential of various underestimated types, in contrast.
Violet - Colored Inguinal Located Cutaneous Tumour?
Authors: Tchernev Georgi , Chokoeva Anastasiya Atanasova , Lotti Torello , Wollina Uwe , Yungareva Irina , Lozev Ilia , Maximov Georgi Konstantinov
Published: January 2018

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) represents an aggressive CD30 – positive T cell lymphoma, as it is the second most common T cell lymphoma and 2% to 5% of all non - Hodgkin lymphomas. The cutaneous involvement can be primary or secondary within systemic ALCL, resembling inflammatory and other neoplastic lesions both clinically and cytologically. Various pigmented cutaneous tumours with a different origin, cutaneous metastasis and B-cell lymphoma must be carefully considered in the differential diagnostic plan. While simple surgical excision is usually curative, with good prognosis, systemic involvement must also be excluded. We present a case of a patient, with clinically unspecific single violet nodular lesion, as the only clinical manifestation of ALCL. The diagnosis was confirmed histologically, as the surgical excision was enough therapeutic management, regarding the early disease stage. Further following up with the patient is mandatory, because of the high recurrence rate. We want to emphasise the diversity of clinical manifestation of ALCL, regarding the importance of its early diagnosis and treatment.
Disseminated Porokeratosis with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia - Case Report and Literature Review of Porokeratosis and Related Disorders
Authors: Chokoeva Anastasiya Atanasova , Wollina Uwe , Lotti Torello , Maximov Georgi Konstantinov , Lozev Ilia , Tchernev Georgi
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND: Porokeratosis is characterised by one or more atrophic patches surrounded by a distinctive peripheral keratotic ridge, typically found on sun-exposed areas, with several clinical variants and typical histological findings. Despite ultraviolet radiation, varies antibody - related autoimmune disease treated with systemic steroids and other immunosuppressive conditions such as chronic liver disease, HIV and organ transplantations have been implicated in its etiopathology.CASE REPORT: We present a case of porokeratosis, associated with idiopathic thrombocytopenia in 74 - year old, otherwise healthy male patient, as we discuss the previously reported associated disorders.CONCLUSION: Regarding all of the polymorphism of clinical presentation, associated disorders and treatment responses, we could conclude that disseminated porokeratosis is still an unknown well disorder, which will continue to surprise the physicians in future. The screening and follow up of the patients is mandatory in all cases because as we see, porokeratosis has multiple unexpected faces, which require circumstantial clinical and paraclinical behaviour.
Small Dysplastic Congenital Melanocytic Nevi in Childhood as Possible Melanoma Imitators
Authors: Tchernev Georgi , Chokoeva Anastasiya Atanasova , Terziev Ivan , Grigorov Yavor , Lotti Torello , Wollina Uwe , Cardoso José Carlos , Yungareva Irina , Lozev Ilia , Maximov Georgi Konstantinov
Published: January 2018

Small pigmented lesions in children can represent a significant diagnostic challenge. If the diagnostic features and therapeutic approach are relatively well established in large and giant nevi, there is still much controversy regarding small and intermediate-sized congenital pigmented lesions that can lead to significant diagnostic challenges, both clinically and dermoscopically, and consequently to difficulty in defining the optimal approach in such cases. Although dermoscopy can be useful in the diagnosis of pigmented lesions, the diversity of clinical and dermoscopic features of pigmented nevi in children usually hinder the differentiation between them and melanoma. Histological findings after resection often show surprising results that do not correspond either to the clinical nor the dermoscopic features. With the present case, we want to emphasise the variable natural behaviour of melanocytic lesions in children, which sometimes leads to unnecessary surgical excisions, which should be avoided in pediatric patients.
Écologie territoriale et métabolisme urbain : quelques enjeux de la transition socioécologique
Authors: Barles Sabine
Published: January 2018

L’écologie territoriale permet de caractériser les régimes socioécologiques locaux, dont l’expression est le métabolisme territorial, ensemble des flux d’énergie et de matières mis en jeu par le fonctionnement des sociétés humaines ; elle contribue par là aux discussions sur la transition socioécologique. Posant la dématérialisation comme l’un des objectifs majeurs de cette transition, et après avoir décrit les spécificités du métabolisme urbain, cet article aborde les enjeux qui en découlent dans le cas particulier des villes, en traitant successivement des matières minérales, des éléments biogènes et des relations interterritoriales. Il insiste sur les limites du recyclage tout en mettant l’accent sur l’importance des mines urbaines pour certains matériaux ; sur la nécessaire réinscription des villes dans les grands cycles biogéochimiques ; enfin sur les externalités matérielles urbaines que les politiques locales ne devraient pas ignorer.
The impact of probiotics and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on intestinal permeability in pregnancy: a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Mokkala K. , Pussinen P. , Houttu N. , Koivuniemi E. , Vahlberg T. , Laitinen K.
Published: January 2018

A disruption in intestinal barrier integrity may predispose individuals to metabolic aberrations, particularly during the vulnerable period of pregnancy. We investigated whether intestinal permeability, as measured by serum zonulin concentration, changes over the duration of pregnancy and whether this change is reflected in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activity. Second, we tested in a randomised double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial the impact of consuming dietary probiotics and/or long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) supplements in lowering serum zonulin concentration and LPS activity. The probiotic supplement was a combination of two bacteria,Bifidobacterium animalisssp.lactis420 andLactobacillus rhamnosusHN001. This study included 200 overweight pregnant women participating in an on-going study; participants were randomised to consume either (1) probiotics, (2) LC-PUFA, (3) probiotics and LC-PUFA, or (4) placebo for each supplement. Blood samples were obtained at early, the baseline, and late pregnancy (mean 14 and 35 weeks of gestation, respectively). Serum zonulin concentration increased from early (mean (standard deviation): 62.7 (12.9) ng/ml) to late pregnancy by 5.3 (95%CI 3.7-6.9) ng/ml, and LPS activity increased from (0.16 (0.04) EU/ml) by 0.04 (95%CI 0.03-0.05) EU/ml. No differences among the intervention groups were detected in the change from early to late pregnancy in serum zonulin concentration (P=0.8) or LPS activity (P=0.2). The change in serum zonulin concentration during the pregnancy was associated with the weeks of follow up (r=0.25,P<0.001). Serum LPS activity was correlated with higher maternal weight gain (r=0.19,P=0.008). As a conclusion, intestinal permeability increased with the progression of pregnancy in overweight and obese women and was reflected in LPS activity. No efficacy of supplementation with probiotics and/or LC-PUFA was demonstrated in pregnancy-induced changes in serum zonulin concentration or LPS activity.
Fostering Affordability of ICT Access in Developing Countries Through Infrastructure Sharing
Authors: Zanamwe Ngonidzashe , Mapako Benard , Rupere Taurai , Nyambo Benny M.
Published: January 2018

Infrastructure sharing has been viewed as a plausible route to affordable ICT access in the wake of duplication of ICT infrastructure in developing countries. In spite of this belief in its effectiveness, getting ICT operators to share infrastructure can be inhibited by several challenges relating to regulatory approach, competition between players, and lack of consensus between regulators and business. This chapter uses evidence from Zimbabwe to assess how infrastructure sharing can be implemented in developing countries where coverage competition is yet to give way to service provision-based competition in the wake of disproportionate investment by network operators. It suggests that instead of push factors alone, infrastructure can best be shared when business' commercial interests and regulators' quest for affordable universal services coincide to form a win-win situation built on both push and pull factors.
In memoriam of Peppe Morabito
Authors: Manca Marina M.
Published: January 2018

“Lightly we passed on Earth” is the title of a novel by Sergio Atzeni, published in 1996, one year after his untimely death by drowning in the Tyrrhenian sea. The author is referring to the levity of water. «Lightly we passed on Earth”…. “like the water that flows, jumps from the hollow spring, winds between mosses and ferns up to the roots of almond and cork trees or rolls over the stones from mountains and hills toward the plain, from stream to river, slowing down on the way to the swamps and the sea, transmuted by the sun in steam, in clouds moved by the wind, and in blissful rain…”
Medical management in locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer: Does changes in treatment policy have any specific effect on PSA levels?
Authors: Bagcioglu Murat , Surcel Cristian , Ozcan Serkan , Mirvald Cristian , Karagoz Mehmet Ali , Karadag Mert Ali , Huri Emre , Sarica Kemal
Published: January 2018

Objective: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is commonly used as a first-line treatment for locally advanced and metastatic prostatic cancer (Pca). There is no consensus about which alternative treatment should be used after the failure of initial ADT. We aimed to investigate the effect of changes in treatment on PSA and testosterone levels. Material and methods: A total of 120 patients with an established diagnosis of either locally advanced or metastatic Pca in two different centers. Depending on the type of medical and/or surgical management protocol planned at initial presentation, all cases were divided into three main groups as follows. Group 1 (n: 80) included the patients who underwent medical management during whole follow-up period in whom the initial management protocol was later on switched to another medical treatment with different agents, Group 2 (n: 20) included patients who were initially treated with a medical management protocol and switched to surgical castration during follow-up evaluation and lastly Group 3 (n: 20) included the patients undergoing treated surgical castration as initial treatment modality without any further medical management protocol. Results: Evaluation of our data did clearly demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the initial and final PSA as well as testosterone levels in Group 1 cases. Mean PSA and testosterone levels increased significantly in these cases despite a change in hormonal therapy by using another agent for androgen deprivation. Cases in Group 2 and 3 cases did not show any statistically significant difference with respect to the mean PSA as well as testosterone values during the same follow-up period. Conclusions: Our data clearly indicated that in case of a biochemical progression, switching into another alternative medical treatment was not effective enough in limiting the rising PSA levels in a statistically significant manner when compared with the approaches of switching to surgical castration after initial medical treatment or continuing with regular and close follow-up after initial surgical castration alone.
Longitudinal prospective observational type study about determinants of renal resistive index variations in chronic renal failure patients treated with conventional medical and dietetic therapy
Authors: Brardi Simone , Cevenini Gabriele , Giovannelli Vanni , Romano Giuseppe
Published: January 2018

Objective: This longitudinal prospective observational type study was conceived with the aim to examine the impact on renal resistive index (RRI) of the variables that we can manipulate with therapeutic and or dietetic interventions in a chronic kidney disease population in order to known which of these variables was statistically related to changes in RRI and therefore could become the object of the greatest therapeutic effort. Material and methods: This study was undertaken between May 2016 to May 2017 in the outpatient nephrology and urology clinic of San Donato Hospital in Arezzo. The study population (84 patients: 47 males and 37 females) was randomly selected among the chronic kidney patients (with various degrees of renal impairment) affected by hypertension and or diabetes mellitus. After a comprehensive medical examination these patients were submitted to determination of serum creatinine, glycated hemoglobin, 24-hour urinary albumin excretion and finally renal Doppler ultrasonography. Then the patients were submitted to a full therapeutic and dietetic intervention to ameliorate the renal impairment by a wide range of actions and after on average a one-year interval were submitted again to a new medical examination and a second determination of serum creatinine, glycated hemoglobin, 24-hour urinary albumin excretion and a new renal Doppler ultrasonography too. Results: The comparison between basal and final data revealed a slight reduction in the mean of bilateral renal resistance indices (Delta RRI: -0.0182 ± 0.08), associated to a slight increase in the mean glomerular filtration rate (Delta GFR: 0.8738 ± 10.95 ml/min/1.73 m2), a reduction in mean body weight (Delta weight: -1.9548 ± 5.26 Kg) and mean BMI (Delta BMI: -0.7643 ± 2.10 Kg/m2) as well as a reduction in the mean systolic blood pressure (Delta systolic blood pressure: -8.8333 ± 25.19 mmHg). Statistical analysis showed statistically significant correlations (p < 0.05) between Delta RRI and Delta weight (p < 0.03), Delta BMI (p < 0.02) and Delta systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Despite the many limitations the our study clearly identifies the targets (yet widely known) to act on to prevent kidney alterations related to RRI and provides further evidence, if any, of the utility of RRI as a key parameter in monitoring patients with chronic renal failure and as a valuable tool to drive the clinical efforts to contrast the kidney disease.
Epidemiology of interstitial lung disease in Palestine: first national data
Authors: Yamin Hasan S. , Alastal Amro Y. , Bakri Izzedin
Published: January 2018

Significant progress has been made in recent years in understanding the epidemiology of interstitial lung diseases (ILD) across the world, but the amount of information available is still small compared to other respiratory diseases like obstructive lung diseases or lung cancer. In this study we tried to explore the epidemiology of ILD in a virgin area of the world (Palestine), by describing a retrospectively collected cohort of newly diagnosed ILD cases in a single – and the only – Pulmonology center in Palestine over two years.
Conversaciones políticas en Facebook. Explorando el papel de la homofilia en la argumentación y la interacción comunicativa
Authors: Valera-Ordaz Lidia , Calvo Dafne , López-García Guillermo
Published: January 2018

La investigación sobre la conversación política online ha estado muy influenciada por la teoría deliberativa, como resultado del optimismo depositado originalmente en Internet para revolucionar la política. Sin embargo, dos décadas de investigación empírica señalan que estas interacciones comunicativas informales difícilmente se parecen a los ideales deliberativos. En este estudio exploramos si internautas de Facebook que comparten posturas ideológicas presentan una mayor probabilidad de a) justificar sus puntos de vista y b) interactuar entre ellos. Aplicamos el análisis de contenido a una muestra de 2.800 comentarios publicados en los muros de los cuatro principales partidos españoles durante las Elecciones Generales de 2015. Los resultados muestran que la homofilia se relaciona negativamente con la argumentación y la interacción comunicativa. Es el electorado de otras organizaciones quien con más probabilidad razona sus opiniones, mientras que aquellos con puntos de vista neutros son más proclives a la interacción.
Spatial distribution and occurrence probability of regional new particle formation events in eastern China
Authors: Shen Xiaojing , Sun Junying , Kivekäs Niku , Kristensson Adam , Zhang Xiaoye , Zhang Yangmei , Zhang Lu , Fan Ruxia , Qi Xuefei , Ma Qianli , Zhou Huaigang
Published: January 2018

Abstract. In this work, the spatial extent of new particle formation (NPF) events and
the relative probability of observing particles originating from different
spatial origins around three rural sites in eastern China were investigated
using the NanoMap method, using particle number size distribution (PNSD) data
and air mass back trajectories. The length of the datasets used were 7, 1.5,
and 3 years at rural sites Shangdianzi (SDZ) in the North China Plain (NCP), Mt.
Tai (TS) in central eastern China, and Lin'an (LAN) in the Yangtze River Delta
region in eastern China, respectively. Regional NPF events were observed to
occur with the horizontal extent larger than 500 km at SDZ and TS,
favoured by the fast transport of northwesterly air masses. At LAN, however,
the spatial footprint of NPF events was mostly observed around the site
within 100–200 km. Difference in the horizontal spatial distribution
of new particle source areas at different sites was connected to typical
meteorological conditions at the sites. Consecutive large-scale regional NPF
events were observed at SDZ and TS simultaneously and were associated with
a high surface pressure system dominating over this area. Simultaneous NPF
events at SDZ and LAN were seldom observed. At SDZ the polluted air masses
arriving over the NCP were associated with higher particle growth rate
(GR) and new particle formation rate (J) than air masses from Inner
Mongolia (IM). At TS the same phenomenon was observed for J, but GR
was somewhat lower in air masses arriving over the NCP compared to those arriving
from IM. The capability of NanoMap to capture the NPF occurrence probability
depends on the length of the dataset of PNSD measurement but also on
topography around the measurement site and typical air mass advection speed
during NPF events. Thus the long-term measurements of PNSD in the planetary
boundary layer are necessary in the further study of spatial extent and
the probability of NPF events. The spatial extent, relative probability of
occurrence, and typical evolution of PNSD during NPF events presented in this
study provide valuable information to further understand the climate and air
quality effects of new particle formation.
CALIPSO IIR Version 2 Level 1b calibrated radiances: analysis and reduction of residual biases in the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Garnier Anne , Trémas Thierry , Pelon Jacques , Lee Kam-Pui , Nobileau Delphine , Gross-Colzy Lydwine , Pascal Nicolas , Ferrage Pascale , Scott Noëlle A.
Published: January 2018

Abstract. A new Version 2 of the Level 1b calibrated radiances of the Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR) onboard the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite has been released recently. This new version incorporates corrections of small but systematic seasonal calibration biases previously revealed in Version 1 data products mostly north of 30° N. These biases, of different amplitudes in the three IIR channels 8.65 µm (IIR1), 10.6 µm (IIR2), and 12.05 µm (IIR3), were made apparent by a striping effect in images of IIR inter-channel brightness temperature differences (BTDs) and through seasonal warm biases of nighttime IIR brightness temperatures in the 30° N-60° N latitude range. The latter were highlighted through observed and simulated comparisons with similar channels of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Aqua spacecraft. To characterize the calibration biases affecting Version 1 data, a semi-empirical approach is developed, which is based on the in-depth analysis of the IIR internal calibration procedure in conjunction with observations such as statistical comparisons with similar MODIS/Aqua channels. Two types of calibration biases are revealed: an equalization bias affecting part of the individual IIR images and a global bias affecting the radiometric level of each image. These biases are observed only when the temperature of the instrument increases and they are found to be functions of elapsed time since night-to-day transition, regardless of the season. Correction coefficients of Version 1 radiances could thus be defined and implemented in the Version 2 code. As a result, the striping effect seen in Version 1 is significantly attenuated in Version 2. Systematic discrepancies between nighttime and daytime IIR-MODIS BTDs in the 30° N-60° N latitude range in summer are reduced from 0.2 K in Version 1 to 0.1 K in Version 2 for IIR1-MODIS29. For IIR2-MODIS31 and IIR3-MODIS32, they are reduced from 0.4 K to close to zero, except for IIR3-MODIS32 in June where the night-minus-day difference is around −0.1 K.
On the role of neutral flow in field-aligned currents
Authors: Mannucci Anthony J. , Verkhoglyadova Olga P. , Meng Xing , McGranaghan Ryan
Published: January 2018

Abstract. In this brief note we explore the role of the neutral atmosphere in
magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling. We analyze momentum balance in
the ion rest frame to form hypotheses regarding the role of neutral
momentum in the lower ionosphere during geomagnetic storms. Neutral
momentum that appears in the ion rest frame is likely the result of
momentum imparted to ionospheric ions by solar wind flow and
the resultant magnetospheric dynamics. The resulting ion-neutral
collisions lead to the existence of an electric field. Horizontal
electron flow balances the momentum supplied by this electric
field. We suggest a possible role played by the neutral atmosphere
in generating field-aligned currents due to local auroral
heating. Our physical interpretation suggests that thermospheric
neutral dynamics plays a complementary role to the high-latitude
field-aligned currents and electric fields resulting from
magnetospheric dynamics. Keywords. Ionosphere (ionosphere–magnetosphere interactions; polar ionosphere) – magnetospheric physics (magnetosphere–ionosphere interactions)
An enhanced forest classification scheme for modeling vegetation–climate interactions based on national forest inventory data
Authors: Majasalmi Titta , Eisner Stephanie , Astrup Rasmus , Fridman Jonas , Bright Ryan M.
Published: January 2018

Abstract. Forest management
affects the distribution of tree species and the age class of a forest,
shaping its overall structure and functioning and in turn the
surface–atmosphere exchanges of mass, energy, and momentum. In order to
attribute climate effects to anthropogenic activities like forest
management, good accounts of forest structure are necessary. Here, using
Fennoscandia as a case study, we make use of Fennoscandic National Forest
Inventory (NFI) data to systematically classify forest cover into groups of
similar aboveground forest structure. An enhanced forest classification
scheme and related lookup table (LUT) of key forest structural attributes
(i.e., maximum growing season leaf area index (LAImax),
basal-area-weighted mean tree height, tree crown length, and total stem
volume) was developed, and the classification was applied for multisource NFI
(MS-NFI) maps from Norway, Sweden, and Finland. To provide a complete surface
representation, our product was integrated with the European Space Agency
Climate Change Initiative Land Cover (ESA CCI LC) map of present day land
cover (v.2.0.7). Comparison of the ESA LC and our enhanced LC products
(https://doi.org/10.21350/7zZEy5w3) showed that forest extent notably
(κ = 0.55, accuracy 0.64) differed between the two products. To
demonstrate the potential of our enhanced LC product to improve the
description of the maximum growing season LAI (LAImax) of managed
forests in Fennoscandia, we compared our LAImax map with
reference LAImax maps created using the ESA LC product (and
related cross-walking table) and PFT-dependent LAImax values used
in three leading land models. Comparison of the LAImax maps
showed that our product provides a spatially more realistic description of
LAImax in managed Fennoscandian forests compared to reference
maps. This study presents an approach to account for the transient nature of
forest structural attributes due to human intervention in different land
models.
The Open-source Data Inventory for Anthropogenic CO2, version 2016 (ODIAC2016): a global monthly fossil fuel CO2 gridded emissions data product for tracer transport simulations and surface flux inversions
Authors: Oda Tomohiro , Maksyutov Shamil , Andres Robert J.
Published: January 2018

Abstract. The Open-source Data Inventory for Anthropogenic CO2 (ODIAC) is a global high-spatial-resolution gridded emissions data product that distributes carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion. The emissions spatial distributions are estimated at a 1  ×  1 km spatial resolution over land using power plant profiles (emissions intensity and geographical location) and satellite-observed nighttime lights. This paper describes the year 2016 version of the ODIAC emissions data product (ODIAC2016) and presents analyses that help guide data users, especially for atmospheric CO2 tracer transport simulations and flux inversion analysis. Since the original publication in 2011, we have made modifications to our emissions modeling framework in order to deliver a comprehensive global gridded emissions data product. Major changes from the 2011 publication are (1) the use of emissions estimates made by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by fuel type (solid, liquid, gas, cement manufacturing, gas flaring, and international aviation and marine bunkers); (2) the use of multiple spatial emissions proxies by fuel type such as (a) nighttime light data specific to gas flaring and (b) ship/aircraft fleet tracks; and (3) the inclusion of emissions temporal variations. Using global fuel consumption data, we extrapolated the CDIAC emissions estimates for the recent years and produced the ODIAC2016 emissions data product that covers 2000–2015. Our emissions data can be viewed as an extended version of CDIAC gridded emissions data product, which should allow data users to impose global fossil fuel emissions in a more comprehensive manner than the original CDIAC product. Our new emissions modeling framework allows us to produce future versions of the ODIAC emissions data product with a timely update. Such capability has become more significant given the CDIAC/ORNL's shutdown. The ODIAC data product could play an important role in supporting carbon cycle science, especially modeling studies with space-based CO2 data collected in near real time by ongoing carbon observing missions such as the Japanese Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT), NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2), and upcoming future missions. The ODIAC emissions data product including the latest version of the ODIAC emissions data (ODIAC2017, 2000–2016) is distributed from http://db.cger.nies.go.jp/dataset/ODIAC/ with a DOI (https://doi.org/10.17595/20170411.001).
Glacio-hydrological melt and runoff modelling: a limits of
acceptability framework for model selection
Authors: Mackay Jonathan D. , Barrand Nicholas E. , Hannah David M. , Krause Stefan , Jackson Christopher R. , Everest Jez , Aðalgeirsdóttir Guðfinna
Published: January 2018

Abstract. Glacio-hydrological models (GHMs) underpin our understanding how future climate change will affect river flow regimes in glaciated watersheds. A variety of simplified GHM structures and parameterisations exist, yet the performance of these are rarely quantified at the process-level or with metrics beyond global summary statistics. A fuller understanding of the deficiencies in competing model structures and parameterisations and the ability of models to simulate physical processes require performance metrics utilising the full range of uncertainty information within input observations. Here, the glacio-hydrological characteristics of the Virkisá river basin in southern Iceland are characterised using 33 signatures derived from observations of ice melt, snow coverage and river discharge. The uncertainty of each set of observations are harnessed to define limits of acceptability (LOA), a set of criteria used to objectively evaluate the acceptability of different GHM structures and parameterisations. This framework is used to compare and diagnose deficiencies in three melt and three runoff-routing model structures. Increased model complexity is shown to improve acceptability when evaluated against specific signatures, but does not always result in better consistency across all signatures, emphasising the difficulty in appropriate model selection and the need for multi-model prediction approaches to account for model selection uncertainty. Melt and runoff-routing structures demonstrate a hierarchy of influence on river discharge signatures with melt model structure having the most influence on discharge hydrograph seasonality and runoff-routing structure on shorter-timescale discharge events. None of the tested GHM structural configurations returned acceptable simulations across the full population of signatures. The framework outlined here provides a comprehensive and rigorous assessment tool for evaluating the acceptability of different GHM process hypotheses. Future melt and runoff model forecasts should seek to diagnose structural model deficiencies and evaluate diagnostic signatures of system behaviour using the LOA framework.
Student Discipline Management: An Examination of the State Secondary School Principal’s Leadership in Mauritius
Authors: Belle Louis Jinot
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this study was to determine the leadership approaches that state secondary school principals adopt in Mauritius in order to manage student discipline. Semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation were done in this multisite case study. Purposive convenient sampling was used to gather information from 84 participants. It was found that principals use visionary leadership, distributed leadership, learner leadership, inclusive leadership and ethical leadership. This is the result of the political and legal framework, the unwillingness of the educators to assume their professional commitment to discipline students, the complicated protocol to be observed by principals to address indiscipline, and the feeling of disempowerment of the principal to manage student behaviour due to the centralisation of the education system. The study recommends for a mix of leadership approaches to ensure effective student discipline.
The implications of ‘jam’ and other ideation technologies for organisational decision making
Authors: Morrison Kate
Published: January 2018

New advances in collaborative technologies, often grouped under the umbrella term ‘web 2.0’, are changing the opportunity space for organisational collaboration and decision making. Research and development can now be outsourced to external self-organising communities of scientists, new business models rely wholly on content created by end users and customers are increasingly asked for input to the development of new products and services. The way in which many strategic and operational decisions are made, once the sole prevail of executive management, is being challenged by new forms of knowledge, expertise and opinion from non-management employees, and increasingly, from those outside the organisation such as customers, partners and suppliers. The widespread adoption of web 2.0 technologies and their increasing use in the business context, in other words, is creating an inevitable tension between traditional ‘top-down’ strategic decision-making principles and ‘bottom-up’, ad hoc and sometimes unstructured collaborative processes.

This paper examines recent changes to the innovation process and the advent of so-called fifth generation innovation, and discusses the way in which web 2.0 technologies are further evolving these models, highlighting that ideation technologies are an important part of the new breed of so-called innovation technologies. It then explores the particular example of jam events, which bring together a targeted group of participants on the web for a time-limited period to respond to a specific challenge, defined by decision-makers, with ideas, opinions and votes in a socially mediated process. The final section introduces the concept of co-created strategy, and discusses the factors required for an organisation to build the absorptive capacity needed to truly take advantage of the new knowledge created by ideation technologies.
Modelling Creative Innovation
Authors: Ormerod Paul , Alexander Bentley R.
Published: January 2018

The economic concept of rationality seems inappropriate in the context of creative innovation, because of its assumption that the tastes and preferences of agents are fixed. The concept of copying, of imitating the behaviour of others, has equal claim to the description 'rational' in an innovative context. Models of ‘binary choices with externalities’ are predicated on copying and potentially show us not only why most innovations fail, but also why big social changes do not necessarily require big causes. In the ‘Long-tail’ world of a huge range of choice, however, many choices are not ‘binary, either-or’. In the long-tail world, popular choices tend to become more popular, but not forever, as innovation drives a constant turnover in the popularity rankings. A very simple model of ‘neutral’ copying with occasional originality of choice can explain real-world patterns of long-tail distributions under continual turnover.
Evolutionary Synthesis in the Social Sciences and Humanities
Authors: Mesoudi Alex
Published: January 2018

Cultural change constitutes a Darwinian evolutionary process, comprising the three Darwinian principles of variation, selection and inheritance. Yet cultural evolution is not identical to genetic evolution: the sources of variation, the forms of selection and the modes of inheritance found in cultural evolution may be very different to those found in genetic evolution. Here, I review research conducted in the last 30 years that has built a Darwinian theory of cultural change by borrowing the rigorous, quantitative methods developed by biologists to explain biological evolution, yet simultaneously acknowledging the differences between cultural and genetic evolution. I argue that the quantitative nature of Darwinian methods (e.g. statistical analysis, formal models, laboratory experiments) has resulted in a significantly better understanding of cultural phenomena than many traditional non-evolutionary, non-scientific approaches to cultural change in the social sciences and humanities. Evolutionary theory also provides a synthetic framework within which different branches of the social sciences and humanities may be integrated, equivalent to the “evolutionary synthesis” that integrated the biological sciences in the early 20th century.
The Cultural Science of Consumption: Brains, Networks, and Identities
Authors: Herrmann-Pillath Carsten
Published: January 2018

The paper proposes a general theory of consumer behaviour in ‘social network markets’ – where individual choices are determined by the choices of others – by conceptualising such markets as examples of distributed cognition; itself part of an ‘externalist’ perspective on human identity. The paper goes on to consider the issues raised by this move, by working through the implications of a distinction between the ‘object self’ (or evaluating agency) and the ‘acting self’ (or implementing agency), a distinction that is required to account for apparent failures of choice within an individual. It transpires that ‘dysfunctional’ choices (choices that apparently harm the self) may be evidence of the evolutionary advantage of ‘dual selves,’ allowing for creativity to cope with novelty through open-ended learning. The paper uses this ‘dual selves’ approach to rethink semiotics and the emergence of meaning, building up an argument about the importance of copying, narrative and language in constituting identity though distributed cognition. Finally, the paper proposes that cultural science can reintegrate the study of meaning and cognition in order to analyse consumer behaviour and choice.
Constraints and sources of nonequilibrium: a case of radical market transformation in Brazil
Authors: Andriani Pierpaolo
Published: January 2018

Illycaffé entered Brazil in 1991 with the simple goal of finding high quality coffee and with a simple but revolutionary procurement strategy based on a) direct interaction with farmers and b) on an Award for the best coffee quality beans. The entry of Illycaffé unleashed a series of long-lasting consequences and unintended effects that revolutionised the Brazilian coffee industry and enabled the emergence of the quality coffee sector from the undifferentiated segment of commodity production. This paper analyses the ‘butterfly effect’ of the emergence of the quality coffee in Brazil in terms of complexity theory; and more specifically in terms of constraints and sources on nonequilibrium. I show how the entry of Illycaffé worked as an attractor (pull-strategy) that caused the decommoditisation of the coffee sector, enabled the emergence of a network of quality producers, and caused the rise of a ‘long tail’ of diversity.
Project 27: Insights Into a Production-centred Study on Art Direction and Love
Authors: Contreras Sandra V.
Published: January 2018

This paper offers insight into the development of a PhD in advertising art direction. For over half a century art directors within the advertising industry have been adapting to the changes occurring in media, culture and the corporate sector, toward enhancing professional performance and competitiveness. These professionals seldom offer explicit justification about the role images play in effective communication. It is uncertain how this situation affects advertising performance, because advertising has, nevertheless, evolved in parallel to this as an industry able to fabricate new opportunities for itself. However, uncertainties in the formalization of art direction knowledge restrict the possibilities of knowledge transfer in higher education.

The theoretical knowledge supporting advertising art direction has been adapted spontaneously from disciplines that rarely focus on specific aspects related to the production of advertising content, like, for example: marketing communication, design, visual communication, or visual art. Meanwhile, in scholarly research, vast empirical knowledge has been generated about advertising images, but often with limited insight into production expertise. Because art direction is understood as an industry practice and not as an academic discipline, an art direction perspective in scholarly contributions is rare. Scholarly research that is relevant to art direction seldom offers viewpoints to help understand how it is that research outputs may specifically contribute to art direction practices. There is a need to formally understanding the knowledge underlying art direction and using it to explore models for visual analysis and knowledge transfer in higher education. This paper provides insight into the development of a thesis that explored this need. The PhD thesis to which this paper refers is Strategic Aesthetics in Advertising Campaigns: Implications for Art Direction Education.
36 Million language pairs
Authors: Petzold Thomas
Published: January 2018

This article provides an overview on some of the key aspects that relate to the co-evolution of languages and its associated content in the Internet environment. A focus on such a co-evolution is pertinent as the evolution of languages in the Internet environment can be better understood if the development of its existing and emerging content, that is, the content in the respective language, is taken into consideration. By doing so, this article examines two related aspects: the governance of languages at critical sites of the Internet environment, including ICANN, Wikipedia and Google Translate. Following on from this examination, the second part outlines how the co-evolution of languages and associated content in the Internet environment extends policy-making related to linguistic pluralism. It is argued that policies which centre on language availability in the Internet environment must shift their focus to the dynamics of available content instead. The notion of language pairs as a new regime of intersection for both languages and content is discussed to introduce an extended understanding of the uses of linguistic pluralism in the Internet environment. The ultimate extrapolation of such an enhanced approach, it is argued, centres less on 6,000 languages but, instead, on 36 million language pairs. This article describes how such a powerful resource evolves in the Internet environment.