bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Zugspitze radiative closure experiment for quantifying water vapor
absorption over the terrestrial and solar infrared –
Part 1: Setup, uncertainty analysis, and assessment of far-infrared water
vapor continuum
Authors: Sussmann Ralf , Reichert Andreas , Rettinger Markus
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Quantitative knowledge of water vapor radiative processes in the atmosphere throughout the terrestrial and solar infrared spectrum is still incomplete even though this is crucial input to the radiation codes forming the core of both remote sensing methods and climate simulations. Beside laboratory spectroscopy, ground-based remote sensing field studies in the context of so-called radiative closure experiments are a powerful approach because this is the only way to quantify water absorption under cold atmospheric conditions. For this purpose, we have set up at the Zugspitze (47.42° N, 10.98° E; 2964 m a.s.l.) a long-term radiative closure experiment designed to cover the infrared spectrum between 400 and 7800 cm−1 (1.28–25 µm). As a benefit for such experiments, the atmospheric states at the Zugspitze frequently comprise very low integrated water vapor (IWV; minimum  =  0.1 mm, median  =  2.3 mm) and very low aerosol optical depth (AOD  =  0.0024–0.0032 at 7800 cm−1 at air mass 1). All instruments for radiance measurements and atmospheric-state measurements are described along with their measurement uncertainties. Based on all parameter uncertainties and the corresponding radiance Jacobians, a systematic residual radiance uncertainty budget has been set up to characterize the sensitivity of the radiative closure over the whole infrared spectral range. The dominant uncertainty contribution in the spectral windows used for far-infrared (FIR) continuum quantification is from IWV uncertainties, while T profile uncertainties dominate in the mid-infrared (MIR). Uncertainty contributions to near-infrared (NIR) radiance residuals are dominated by water vapor line parameters in the vicinity of the strong water vapor bands. The window regions in between these bands are dominated by solar Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) calibration uncertainties at low NIR wavenumbers, while uncertainties due to AOD become an increasing and dominant contribution towards higher NIR wavenumbers. Exceptions are methane or nitrous oxide bands in the NIR, where the associated line parameter uncertainties dominate the overall uncertainty. As a first demonstration of the Zugspitze closure experiment, a water vapor continuum quantification in the FIR spectral region (400–580 cm−1) has been performed. The resulting FIR foreign-continuum coefficients are consistent with the MT_CKD 2.5.2 continuum model and also agree with the most recent atmospheric closure study carried out in Antarctica. Results from the first determination of the NIR water vapor continuum in a field experiment are detailed in a companion paper (Reichert and Sussmann, 2016) while a novel NIR calibration scheme for the underlying FTIR measurements of incoming solar radiance is presented in another companion paper (Reichert et al., 2016).
Aerosol measurements during COPE: composition, size, and sources of CCN and
INPs at the interface between marine and terrestrial influences
Authors: Taylor Jonathan W. , Choularton Thomas W. , Blyth Alan M. , Flynn Michael J. , Williams Paul I. , Young Gillian , Bower Keith N. , Crosier Jonathan , Gallagher Martin W. , Dorsey James R. , Liu Zixia , Rosenberg Philip D.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Heavy rainfall from convective clouds can lead to devastating flash flooding, and observations of aerosols and clouds are required to improve cloud parameterisations used in precipitation forecasts. We present measurements of boundary layer aerosol concentration, size, and composition from a series of research flights performed over the southwest peninsula of the UK during the COnvective Precipitation Experiment (COPE) of summer 2013. We place emphasis on periods of southwesterly winds, which locally are most conducive to convective cloud formation, when marine air from the Atlantic reached the peninsula. Accumulation-mode aerosol mass loadings were typically 2–3 µg m−3 (corrected to standard cubic metres at 1013.25 hPa and 273.15 K), the majority of which was sulfuric acid over the sea, or ammonium sulfate inland, as terrestrial ammonia sources neutralised the aerosol. The cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations in these conditions were  ∼  150–280 cm−3 at 0.1 % and 400–500 cm−3 at 0.9 % supersaturation (SST), which are in good agreement with previous Atlantic measurements, and the cloud drop concentrations at cloud base ranged from 100 to 500 cm−3. The concentration of CCN at 0.1 % SST was well correlated with non-sea-salt sulfate, meaning marine sulfate formation was likely the main source of CCN. Marine organic aerosol (OA) had a similar mass spectrum to previous measurements of sea spray OA and was poorly correlated with CCN. In one case study that was significantly different to the rest, polluted anthropogenic emissions from the southern and central UK advected to the peninsula, with significant enhancements of OA, ammonium nitrate and sulfate, and black carbon. The CCN concentrations here were around 6 times higher than in the clean cases, and the cloud drop number concentrations were 3–4 times higher. Sources of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) were assessed by comparing different parameterisations used to predict INP concentrations, using measured aerosol concentrations as input. The parameterisations based on total aerosol produced INP concentrations that agreed within an order of magnitude with measured first ice concentrations at cloud temperatures as low as −12 °C. Composition-specific parameterisations for mineral dust, fluorescent particles, and sea spray OA were 3–4 orders of magnitude lower than the measured first ice concentrations, meaning a source of INPs was present that was not characterised by our measurements and/or one or more of the composition-specific parameterisations greatly underestimated INPs in this environment.
Snow albedo reduction in seasonal snow due to
anthropogenic dust and carbonaceous aerosols across
northern China
Authors: Wang Xin , Pu Wei , Ren Yong , Zhang Xuelei , Zhang Xueying , Shi Jinsen , Jin Hongchun , Dai Mingkai , Chen Quanliang
Published: September 2016

Abstract. A survey was performed to collect 92 seasonal snow samples across northern China in January 2014. The results show that mixing ratios of black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), and anthropogenic dust (AD) range from 60 to 4200 ng g−1, 280 to 32 000 ng g−1, and 1300 to 5800 ng g−1 in surface snow, respectively. A relatively high correlation (R2 = 0.87, n = 13) between OC and BC in surface snow is observed, indicating similar emission sources, and high OC/BC ratios suggest that biomass burning may be a major contributor at most snow sampling sites. In addition to the BC and AD parameters in the Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiation (SNICAR) model, the OC content in snow is considered an initial parameter for calculating snow albedo through a new radiative transfer model (Spectral Albedo Model for Dirty Snow, or SAMDS). The spectral albedo of snow reduction caused by OC (20 μg g−1) is up to a factor of 3 for a snow grain size of 800 μm compared to 100 μm. We find a larger difference in snow albedo levels between the model simulations and surface measurements for higher insoluble light-absorbing impurities (ILAPs) using the measured snow grain radii. However, using the optical effective radii (Reff), snow albedos modeled through both the SNICAR and SAMDS models are consistent with surface measurements, especially in the case of near-infrared wavelengths.
Vertical Velocity Variance Measurements from Wind
Profiling Radars
Authors: McCaffrey Katherine , Bianco Laura , Johnston Paul , Wilczak James M.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Observations of turbulence in the planetary boundary layer are critical for developing and evaluating boundary layer parameterizations in mesoscale numerical weather prediction models. These observations, however, are expensive, and rarely profile the entire boundary layer. Using optimized configurations for 449 MHz and 915 MHz wind profiling radars during the eXperimental Planetary boundary layer Instrumentation Assessment, improvements have been made to the historical methods of measuring vertical velocity variance through the time series of vertical velocity, as well as the Doppler spectral width. Using six heights of sonic anemometers mounted on a 300-m tower, correlations of up to R2 = 0.74 are seen in measurements of the large-scale variances from the radar time series, and R2 = 0.79 in measurements of small-scale variance from radar spectral widths. The total variance, measured as the sum of the small- and large-scales agrees well with sonic anemometers, with R2 = 0.79. Correlation is higher in daytime, convective boundary layers than nighttime, stable conditions when turbulence levels are smaller. With the good agreement with the in situ measurements, highly-resolved profiles up to 2 km can be accurately observed from the 449 MHz radar, and 1 km from the 915 MHz radar. This optimized configuration will provide unique observations for the verification and improvement to boundary layer parameterizations in mesoscale models.
AerGOM, an improved algorithm for stratospheric aerosol extinction
retrieval from GOMOS observations – Part 1: Algorithm description
Authors: Vanhellemont Filip , Mateshvili Nina , Blanot Laurent , Robert Charles Étienne , Bingen Christine , Sofieva Viktoria , Dalaudier Francis , Tétard Cédric , Fussen Didier , Dekemper Emmanuel , Kyrölä Erkki , Laine Marko , Tamminen Johanna , Zehner Claus
Published: September 2016

Abstract. The GOMOS instrument on Envisat has successfully demonstrated that a UV–Vis–NIR spaceborne stellar occultation instrument is capable of delivering quality data on the gaseous and particulate composition of Earth's atmosphere. Still, some problems related to data inversion remained to be examined. In the past, it was found that the aerosol extinction profile retrievals in the upper troposphere and stratosphere are of good quality at a reference wavelength of 500 nm but suffer from anomalous, retrieval-related perturbations at other wavelengths. Identification of algorithmic problems and subsequent improvement was therefore necessary. This work has been carried out; the resulting AerGOM Level 2 retrieval algorithm together with the first data version AerGOMv1.0 forms the subject of this paper. The AerGOM algorithm differs from the standard GOMOS IPF processor in a number of important ways: more accurate physical laws have been implemented, all retrieval-related covariances are taken into account, and the aerosol extinction spectral model is strongly improved. Retrieval examples demonstrate that the previously observed profile perturbations have disappeared, and the obtained extinction spectra look in general more consistent. We present a detailed validation study in a companion paper; here, to give a first idea of the data quality, a worst-case comparison at 386 nm shows SAGE II–AerGOM correlation coefficients that are up to 1 order of magnitude larger than the ones obtained with the GOMOS IPFv6.01 data set.
Global Evaluation of Gross Primary Productivity in the JULES
Land Surface Model
Authors: Slevin Darren , Tett Simon F. B. , Exbrayat Jean-François , Bloom A. Anthony , Williams Mathew
Published: September 2016

Abstract. This study evaluates the ability of the JULES Land Surface Model (LSM) to simulate Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) at regional and global scales for 2001–2010. Model simulations, performed at various spatial resolutions and driven with a variety of meteorological datasets (WFDEI-GPCC, WFDEI-CRU and PRINCETON), were compared to the MODIS GPP product, spatially gridded estimates of upscaled GPP from the FLUXNET network (FLUXNET-MTE) and the CARDAMOM terrestrial carbon cycle analysis. Firstly, JULES was found to simulate interannual variability (IAV) at global scales. When JULES was driven with the WFDEI-GPCC dataset (at 0.5º × 0.5º spatial resolution), it was found that the annual average global GPP simulated by JULES for 2001–2010 was higher than the observation-based estimates (MODIS and FLUXNET-MTE), by 25 % and 8 %, respectively, and CARDAMOM estimates by 23 %. Secondly, GPP fluxes simulated by JULES for various biomes (forests, grasslands and shrubs) at global and regional scales were compared. It was found that differences between JULES, FLUXNET-MTE, MODIS and CARDAMOM at global scales were mostly due to differences in the tropics with CARDAMOM performing better than JULES in this region. Thirdly, it was shown that spatial resolution (0.5º × 0.5º, 1º × 1º and 2º × 2º) had no impact on simulated GPP on these large scales. Finally, the sensitivity of JULES to meteorological driving data, a major source of model uncertainty, was examined. Estimates of annual average global GPP were higher when JULES was driven with the PRINCETON meteorological dataset than when driven with the WFDEI-GPCC dataset by 4 PgC year−1. At regional scales, differences between two were observed with the WFDEI-GPCC driven model simulations estimating higher GPP in the tropics (at 5º N–5º S) and the PRINCETON driven model simulations estimating higher GPP in the extratropics (at 30º N–60º N).
PLASIM–GENIE v1.0: a new intermediate complexity AOGCM
Authors: Holden Philip B. , Edwards Neil R. , Fraedrich Klaus , Kirk Edilbert , Lunkeit Frank , Zhu Xiuhua
Published: September 2016

Abstract. We describe the development, tuning and climate of Planet Simulator (PLASIM)–Grid-ENabled Integrated Earth system model (GENIE), a new intermediate complexity Atmosphere–Ocean General Circulation Model (AOGCM), built by coupling the Planet Simulator to the ocean, sea-ice and land-surface components of the GENIE Earth system model. PLASIM–GENIE supersedes GENIE-2, a coupling of GENIE to the Reading Intermediate General Circulation Model (IGCM). The primitive-equation atmosphere includes chaotic, three-dimensional (3-D) motion and interactive radiation and clouds, and dominates the computational load compared to the relatively simpler frictional-geostrophic ocean, which neglects momentum advection. The model is most appropriate for long-timescale or large ensemble studies where numerical efficiency is prioritised, but lack of data necessitates an internally consistent, coupled calculation of both oceanic and atmospheric fields. A 1000-year simulation with PLASIM–GENIE requires approximately 2 weeks on a single node of a 2.1 GHz AMD 6172 CPU. We demonstrate the tractability of PLASIM–GENIE ensembles by deriving a subjective tuning of the model with a 50-member ensemble of 1000-year simulations. The simulated climate is presented considering (i) global fields of seasonal surface air temperature, precipitation, wind, solar and thermal radiation, with comparisons to reanalysis data; (ii) vegetation carbon, soil moisture and aridity index; and (iii) sea surface temperature, salinity and ocean circulation. Considering its resolution, PLASIM–GENIE reproduces the main features of the climate system well and demonstrates usefulness for a wide range of applications.
A Reference Model of Sustainability Disclosure based on four Sustainability Stock Indexes
Authors: Ching Hong Yuh , Toste Thiago , Tardelli Renan
Published: September 2016

The study proposes to develop a reference model of sustainability disclosure based on the models and requirements of four sustainability indexes - Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Corporate Sustainability Index ISE, Frankfurt STOXX and Financial Times FTSE ESG. The approach employed to develop the model is a qualitative analysis of the complementarity among the Stock indexes above mentioned alongside a literature review on sustainability disclosure frameworks. There is no consensus around what should be measured and how. Yet, there is no study in the literature that has ever discussed the models of the sustainability stock indexes and the respective data required in each one of them or compared these models and their requirements. The present study attempts to fulfill this gap by examining the initiatives and requirements of four prominent sustainability indexes. This study contributes to the sustainability responsible investment literature. The inclusion of a firm in a sustainability index can be perceived as a positive signal by investors and this can be explained by signaling theory. This analysis can help investors and/or socially responsible fund managers to screen the stocks against this reference model and determine those firms that are more adherent to it.
Zero-Sum Coefficient Derivations in Three Variables of Triangular Algebras
Authors: Kim Youngsoo , Lee Byunghoon
Published: September 2016

Under mild assumptions Benkovi\v{c} showed that an $f$-derivation of a triangular algebra is a derivation when the sum of the coefficients of the multilinear polynomial $f$ is nonzero. We investigate the structure of $f$-derivations of triangular algebras when $f$ is of degree 3 and the coefficient sum is zero. The zero-sum coeffient derivations include Lie derivations (degree 2) and Lie triple derivations (degree 3), which have been previously shown to be not necessarily derivations but in standard form, i.e., the sum of a derivation and a central map. In this paper, we present sufficient conditions on the coefficients of $f$ to ensure that any $f$-derivations are derivations or are in standard form.
Strawberry Footrot in a Blackbellysheepin the Ecuador Amazonia
Authors: Riofrio A. C. , Lopez J. C. , Moyano J. C. , Quinteros R. , Marini P. R. , Fischman M. L.
Published: September 2016

Dermatophilosis is an acute or cronic disease of the epidermis characterized by inflammatory, exudative and bleeding lesions with scabs, caused by the bacterium Dermathophiluscongolensis. It affects bovine, ovine, equine, cattle, goats, wild animals and also humans when it is considered aminor zoonosis. This work is about a case caused by Dermathophiluscongolensisin a sheep from Ecuadorian Amazonia. The affected sheep presented claudication with non itchy lesions in its right front limb, bleeding and painful at first. An exudate culture was taken to the laboratory. The samples were processed for a bacteriological diagnosis. Based on the clinical symptoms together with the lab results, Dermatophiluscongolensis was diagnosed. It was treated with BenzathinPenicilin 100,000 UI, each dosis of 10,000 UI / kg PV, every 48 hours, in 5 consecutive applications combined with Tolfenamic Acid 8gr. In doses of 2mg / kg, that is to say 1 ml / 40 Kg PV every 48 hours. 10 days after the beginning of the treatment, the claudication and the pain lessened and the animal tried to set its limb on the ground.
Inequality in Energy Intensity in the EU-28: Evidence from a New Decomposition Method
Authors: Grossi Luigi , Mussini Mauro
Published: September 2016

This paper investigates inequality in energy intensity between EU-28 member countries over the 2007-2012 period. Inequality in energy intensity is measured by using the Zenga inequality index. The analysis is carried out by measuring inequality from the bottom of the energy intensity distribution to the top. This approach enables to identify the most unequal portions of the energy intensity distribution. To provide information on the causes of inequality at every point of the distribution, we show that inequality can be broken down into three components explaining the roles played by energy transformation, final energy intensity and their interaction in determining inequality in energy intensity. This decomposition reveals the impact of each component of inequality from the bottom of energy intensity distribution to the top. Results show that final energy intensity plays a major role in explaining inequality in the energy intensity distribution. The interaction component explains that EU-28 countries with low energy intensity are more efficient in energy transformation and less energy-intensive in enduse sectors than EU-28 countries with high energy intensity. The energy transformation component is higher when measuring inequality between the countries at the bottom of the distribution and those in the rest of the distribution, suggesting that disparities in energy transformation efficiency play an important role in determining inequality in energy intensity between the least energy-intensive countries and the other countries. The high inequality at the top of the distribution is due to the lower efficiency in energy transformation in the most energy-intensive countries, which reinforces the effect of disparity in final energy intensity between the countries at the top of the distribution and the other countries.
Efficient Labelling of Pedestrian Supervisions
Authors: Htike Kyaw Kyaw
Published: September 2016

Object detection is a fundamental goal to achieve intelligent visual perception by computers due to the fact that objects are the basic building blocks to achieve higher level image understanding. Among the numerous categories of objects in the real-world, pedestrians are among the most important due to several potential benefits brought about by successful pedestrian detection. Often, pedestrian detectors are trained in state-of-the-art systems using supervised machine learning algorithms which necessitates costly and often tedious manual annotation of pedestrians in the form of precise bounding boxes. In this paper, a novel weakly supervised learning algorithm is proposed to train a pedestrian detector that requires, instead of bounding boxes, only annotations of estimated centres of pedestrians. The algorithm makes use of a pedestrian prior learnt in an unsupervised way from the video and this prior is fused with the given weak supervision information in a systematic manner. By evaluating on publicly available datasets, we demonstrate that our weakly supervised algorithm reduces the cost of manual annotation of pedestrians by more than four times while achieving similar performance to a pedestrian detector trained with standard bounding box annotations.
Suppression of Transforming Growth Factor-βSignaling Delays Cellular Senescence and Preserves the Function of Endothelial Cells Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Bai Hao , Gao Yongxing , Hoyle Dixie L. , Cheng Tao , Wang Zack Z.
Published: September 2016

Transplantation of vascular cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offers an attractive noninvasive method for repairing the ischemic tissues and for preventing the progression of vascular diseases. Here, we found that in a serum-free condition, the proliferation rate of hPSC-derived endothelial cells is quickly decreased, accompanied with an increased cellular senescence, resulting in impaired gene expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and impaired vessel forming capability in vitro and in vivo. To overcome the limited expansion of hPSC-derived endothelial cells, we screened small molecules for specific signaling pathways and found that inhibition of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling significantly retarded cellular senescence and increased a proliferative index of hPSC-derived endothelial cells. Inhibition of TGF-β signaling extended the life span of hPSC-derived endothelial and improved endothelial functions, including vascular network formation on Matrigel, acetylated low-density lipoprotein uptake, and eNOS expression. Exogenous transforming growth factor-β1 increased the gene expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p15Ink4b, p16Ink4a, and p21CIP1, in endothelial cells. Conversely, inhibition of TGF-β reduced the gene expression of p15Ink4b, p16Ink4a, and p21CIP1. Our findings demonstrate that the senescence of newly generated endothelial cells from hPSCs is mediated by TGF-β signaling, and manipulation of TGF-β signaling offers a potential target to prevent vascular aging.
Tetherin is an exosomal tether
Authors: Edgar James R , Manna Paul T , Nishimura Shinichi , Banting George , Robinson Margaret S
Published: September 2016

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that are released when endosomes fuse with the plasma membrane. They have been implicated in various functions in both health and disease, including intercellular communication, antigen presentation, prion transmission, and tumour cell metastasis. Here we show that inactivating the vacuolar ATPase in HeLa cells causes a dramatic increase in the production of exosomes, which display endocytosed tracers, cholesterol, and CD63. The exosomes remain clustered on the cell surface, similar to retroviruses, which are attached to the plasma membrane by tetherin. To determine whether tetherin also attaches exosomes, we knocked it out and found a 4-fold reduction in plasma membrane-associated exosomes, with a concomitant increase in exosomes discharged into the medium. This phenotype could be rescued by wild-type tetherin but not tetherin lacking its GPI anchor. We propose that tetherin may play a key role in exosome fate, determining whether they participate in long-range or short-range interactions.
Effect of nitrogen incorporation into Al-based gate insulators in AlON/AlGaN/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor structures
Authors: Asahara Ryohei , Nozaki Mikito , Yamada Takahiro , Ito Joyo , Nakazawa Satoshi , Ishida Masahiro , Ueda Tetsuzo , Yoshigoe Akitaka , Hosoi Takuji , Shimura Takayoshi , Watanabe Heiji
Published: September 2016

The superior physical and electrical properties of aluminum oxynitride (AlON) gate dielectrics on AlGaN/GaN substrates in terms of thermal stability, reliability, and interface quality were demonstrated by direct AlON deposition and subsequent annealing. Nitrogen incorporation into alumina was proven to be beneficial both for suppressing intermixing at the insulator/AlGaN interface and reducing the number of electrical defects in Al2O3 films. Consequently, we achieved high-quality AlON/AlGaN/GaN metal–oxide–semiconductor capacitors with improved stability against charge injection and a reduced interface state density as low as 1.2 × 1011 cm−2 eV−1. The impact of nitrogen incorporation into the insulator will be discussed on the basis of experimental findings.
Successful population establishment from small introductions appears to be less common than believed
Authors: Corbett King Alyssa , Reed J. Michael
Published: September 2016

Although small populations are at high risk of extinction, there are regular reports in the scientific literature of purported small, isolated, persistent populations. One source of evidence of the viability of small populations comes from the alleged successful introduction of species to areas outside their original range from introductions of few individuals. We reviewed the examples from introduction compendia on deliberate translocations of birds, and the original sources, to identify and evaluate purported examples of successful establishments from small introductions. We found 23 purportedly successful introductions from few (<30) individuals. After assessing original sources, we found that two of the claims were substantiated; the rest were ambiguous or could be rejected as examples, primarily due to a lack of evidence in original sources of the number of birds released and because of supplemental individuals from other releases, releases in nearby regions, and the possibility of natural invasion. Our results suggest that reports of successful establishment of birds from introductions of few individuals have been overstated. These results strengthen the relationship previously reported between propagule pressure and likelihood of establishment, and support the lack of viability of small populations presumed by population theory. We suggest that analyses of introduction failure and success would benefit from excluding studies where introduction effort is unknown or unreliably documented.
Risk Factors for Postoperative Complications in Elderly After Colorectal Cancer Resection
Authors: Kyuno Daisuke , Sasaki Kazuaki , Ohno Keisuke , Konno Ai , Murakami Takeshi , Hirata Koichi
Published: September 2016

This study aimed to assess perioperative morbidity and mortality in elderly patients following colorectal cancer resection and to investigate risk factors for postoperative complications. This study reviewed 697 consecutive patients who underwent elective colorectal cancer resection between 2005 and 2013 at our institution. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to their age: ≤74 (n = 420), 75 to 89 (n = 261), and ≥90 years (n = 16). Clinical findings, morbidity, and mortality were compared among these groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with clinically relevant variables for the complications that increased with aging. Postoperative delirium and pneumonia showed significant increases with aging. There were no significant differences in mortality and morbidity among the 3 groups, except for the 2 aforementioned diseases. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that dementia and laparoscopic surgery were independent determinants of postoperative delirium and that age and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score were independent risk factors for postoperative pneumonia. Dementia, high ASA score, and age were the risk factors for higher postoperative morbidity in elderly patients. Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of laparoscopic surgery for the prevention of postoperative delirium after colorectal resection.
Localized field‐aligned currents in the polar cap associated with airglow patches
Authors: Zou Ying , Nishimura Yukitoshi , Burchill Johnathan K. , Knudsen David J. , Lyons Larry R. , Shiokawa Kazuo , Buchert Stephan , Chen Steve , Nicolls Michael J. , Ruohoniemi J. Michael , McWilliams Kathryn A. , Nishitani Nozomu
Published: September 2016

Airglow patches have been recently associated with channels of enhanced antisunward ionospheric flows propagating across the polar cap from the dayside to nightside auroral ovals. However, how these flows maintain their localized nature without diffusing away remains unsolved. We examine whether patches and collocated flows are associated with localized field‐aligned currents (FACs) in the polar cap by using coordinated observations of the Swarm spacecraft, a polar cap all‐sky imager, and Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) radars. We commonly (66% of cases) identify substantial FAC enhancements around patches, particularly near the patches' leading edge and center, in contrast to what is seen in the otherwise quiet polar cap. These FACs have densities of 0.1–0.2 μA/m−2 and have a distribution of width peaking at ~75 km. They can be approximated as infinite current sheets that are orientated roughly parallel to patches. They usually exhibit a Region 1 sense, i.e., a downward FAC lying eastward of an upward FAC. With the addition of Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter radar data, we find that the FACs can close through Pedersen currents in the ionosphere, consistent with the locally enhanced dawn‐dusk electric field across the patch. Our results suggest that ionospheric polar cap flow channels are imposed by structures in the magnetospheric lobe via FACs, and thus manifest mesoscale magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling embedded in large‐scale convection.
Planetary period oscillations in Saturn's magnetosphere: Coalescence and reversal of northern and southern periods in late northern spring
Authors: Provan G. , Cowley S. W. H. , Lamy L. , Bunce E. J. , Hunt G. J. , Zarka P. , Dougherty M. K.
Published: September 2016

We investigate planetary period oscillations (PPOs) in Saturn's magnetosphere using Cassini magnetic field and Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) data over the interval from late 2012 to the end of 2015, beginning ~3 years after vernal equinox and ending ~1.5 years before northern solstice. Previous studies have shown that the northern and southern PPO periods converged across equinox from southern summer values ~10.8 h for the southern system and ~10.6 h for the northern system and near coalesced ~1 year after equinox, before separating again with the southern period ~10.69 h remaining longer than the northern ~10.64 h. We show that these conditions ended in mid‐2013 when the two periods coalesced at ~10.66 h and remained so until mid‐2014, increasing together to longer periods ~10.70 h. During coalescence the two systems were locked near magnetic antiphase with SKR modulations in phase, a condition in which the effects of the generating rotating twin vortex flows in the two ionospheres reinforce each other via hemisphere‐to‐hemisphere coupling. The magnetic‐SKR relative phasing indicates the dominance of postdawn SKR sources in both hemispheres, as was generally the case during the study interval. In mid‐2014 the two periods separated again, the northern increasing to ~10.78 h by the end of 2015, similar to the southern period during southern summer, while the southern period remained fixed near ~10.70 h, well above the northern period during southern summer. Despite this difference, this behavior resulted in the first enduring reversal of the two periods, northern longer than southern, during the Cassini era.
Lithospheric deformation in the Africa‐Iberia plate boundary: Improved neotectonic modeling testing a basal‐driven Alboran plate
Authors: Neres M. , Carafa M. M. C. , Fernandes R. M. S. , Matias L. , Duarte J. C. , Barba S. , Terrinha P.
Published: September 2016

We present an improved neotectonic numerical model of the complex NW Africa‐SW Eurasia plate boundary segment that runs from west to east along the Gloria Fault up to the northern Algerian margin. We model the surface velocity field and the ongoing lithospheric deformation using the most recent version of the thin‐shell code SHELLS and updated lithospheric model and fault map of the region. To check the presence versus the absence of an independently driven Alboran domain, we develop two alternative plate models: one does not include an Alboran plate; another includes it and determines the basal shear tractions necessary to drive it with known velocities. We also compare two alternative sets of Africa‐Eurasia velocity boundary conditions, corresponding to geodetic and geological‐scale averages of plate motion. Finally, we perform an extensive parametric study of fault friction coefficient, trench resistance, and velocities imposed in Alboran nodes. The final run comprises 5240 experiments, each scored to geodetic velocities (estimated for 250 stations and here provided), stress direction data, and seismic strain rates. The model with the least discrepancy to the data includes the Alboran plate driven by a basal WSW directed shear traction, slightly oblique to the westward direction of Alboran motion. We provide estimates of long‐term strain rates and slip rates for the modeled faults, which can be useful for further hazard studies. Our results support that a mechanism additional to the Africa‐Eurasia convergence is required to drive the Alboran domain, which can be related to subduction processes occurring within the mantle.
Intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke after dabigatran reversal with idarucizumab – a case report
Authors: Mutzenbach Johannes Sebastian , Pikija Slaven , Otto Ferdinand , Halwachs Ursula , Weymayr Friedrich , Sellner Johann
Published: September 2016

Much excitement has been generated with the approval of idarucizumab, a humanized monoclonal antigen‐binding antibody fragment that is capable of reversing the anticoagulant activity of dabigatran. Here, we describe our initial experience of using tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in an acute posterior circulation ischemic stroke after dabigatran reversal with idarucizumab. Both treatments were well tolerated and no hemorrhagic or procoagulatory complications were observed. We propose that the option of dabigatran reversal needs to be considered for contemporary treatment concepts of acute ischemic stroke.
Voltage Amplifier Based on Organic Electrochemical Transistor
Authors: Braendlein Marcel , Lonjaret Thomas , Leleux Pierre , Badier Jean‐Michel , Malliaras George G.
Published: September 2016

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) are receiving a great deal of attention as amplifying transducers for electrophysiology. A key limitation of this type of transistors, however, lies in the fact that their output is a current, while most electrophysiology equipment requires a voltage input. A simple circuit is built and modeled that uses a drain resistor to produce a voltage output. It is shown that operating the OECT in the saturation regime provides increased sensitivity while maintaining a linear signal transduction. It is demonstrated that this circuit provides high quality recordings of the human heart using readily available electrophysiology equipment, paving the way for the use of OECTs in the clinic.
Expression of dermcidin in human sinonasal secretions
Authors: Cottrill Elizabeth E. , Chen Bei , Adappa Nithin D. , Palmer James N. , Kennedy David W. , Lee Robert J. , Cohen Noam A.
Published: September 2016

Background

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by the epithelium are important for innate immune defense. In 2001, a novel AMP dermcidin (DCD) was described with no homology to other AMPs and an expression pattern restricted to eccrine sweat glands. In contrast to other AMPs, DCD expression has not been shown to be induced under inflammatory conditions in the skin. After identifying DCD by mass spectrometry in a protein sample isolated from human nasal secretions, we sought to determine the role of DCD in innate defense of the sinonasal airway.

Methods

After institutional review board approval, sinonasal mucosal tissue specimens were acquired from residual clinical material obtained during sinonasal surgery and used to grow cultures in an air‐liquid interface environment. After stimulation of the cultures with various bitter compounds and phosphate‐buffered saline, airway surface liquid was collected, and a DCD‐specific enzyme‐linked immunoassay was used to quantify DCD in each sample. To localize DCD expression, ALI cultures were fixed and immunofluorescence performed against DCD, β‐tubulin IV, and Muc‐5A.

Results

Enzyme‐linked immunoassay showed DCD in air‐surface liquid and in clinical nasal secretion samples at concentrations comparable to eccrine sweat. There was no evidence of inducible expression with any of the tested stimulants. Confocal microscopy revealed DCD expression in sinonasal mucosal goblet cells.

Conclusion

This is the first report of the presence of DCD in nasal mucosa and demonstration of DCD in clinical samples of human nasal secretions at clinically relevant concentrations, which may represent a novel arm of sinonasal airway innate defense.
Multi‐period mean variance portfolio selection under incomplete information
Authors: Zhang Ling , Li Zhongfei , Xu Yunhui , Li Yongwu
Published: September 2016

This paper solves an optimal portfolio selection problem in the discrete‐time setting where the states of the financial market cannot be completely observed, which breaks the common assumption that the states of the financial market are fully observable. The dynamics of the unobservable market state is formulated by a hidden Markov chain, and the return of the risky asset is modulated by the unobservable market state. Based on the observed information up to the decision moment, an investor wants to find the optimal multi‐period investment strategy to maximize the mean‐variance utility of the terminal wealth. By adopting a sufficient statistic, the portfolio optimization problem with incompletely observable information is converted into the one with completely observable information. The optimal investment strategy is derived by using the dynamic programming approach and the embedding technique, and the efficient frontier is also presented. Compared with the case when the market state can be completely observed, we find that the unobservable market state does decrease the investment value on the risky asset in average. Finally, numerical results illustrate the impact of the unobservable market state on the efficient frontier, the optimal investment strategy and the Sharpe ratio. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical implication of Keap1 and phosphorylated Nrf2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Chen Jiang , Yu Yaojun , Ji Tong , Ma Rui , Chen Mingming , Li Gaofeng , Li Feibo , Ding Qiong , Kang Qingsong , Huang Diyu , Liang Xiao , Lin Hui , Cai Xiujun
Published: September 2016

In this paper, variation tendency of phosphorylated Nrf2, as the activated form of native Nrf2, was studied in 107 primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) specimens treated by curative hepatectomy. Moreover, the coexpression of oxidative stress markers Keap1 and pNrf2, and their association with pathological features were also evaluated based on those specimens. The results showed that preserved cytoplasmic Keap1 expression of cancer cells was observed in 59 HCCs, while reduced Keap1 expression was determined in remaining 48 ones. With regarding to nuclear pNrf2 expression, 75 HCCs were defined as high and the other 32 ones as low. There was a significant association between Keap1 and pNrf2 expression in HCCs. Higher pNrf2 expression was observed, at a more substantial proportion, in those specimens with reduced Keap1 expression, compared to those with preserved Keap1 expression. The subset with higher pNrf2 and reduced Keap1 expression was defined as pNrf2+ Keap1−. According to the analysis of prognosis, this subset was significantly associated with poor 5‐year overall survival and worse disease‐free survival in HCCs, indicating that pNrf2 and Keap1 were two‐functional biomolecules, not only the oxidative stress markers but also biomarkers for prognosis of HCCs.
Resistance, early engagement and outcome in psychoanalytic psychotherapy of patients with psychosomatic disorders
Authors: Yasky Jaime , King Robert , O'Brien Tom
Published: September 2016

Background

Difficulties engaging people with psychosomatic disorders in psychotherapy are widely recognised. Such patients are often reluctant to participate in psychotherapy and to consider the contribution of psychological factors to their somatic experience. However, less is known about effective ways to address what is commonly referred to as resistance to psychotherapy among this population.

Objectives

To study early engagement, client resistance and the impact of therapist response on outcome in treatment of psychosomatic disorders.

Methodology

Mixed methods were used in a naturalistic longitudinal study of 22 psychotherapeutic treatments of patients with psychosomatic disorders.

Results

Persistence with treatment was associated with better outcome. The extent to which therapists addressed patients’ in‐session distress was associated with persistence with treatment, even when distress was not resolved.

Discussion

Results do not allow attribution of causality but indicate that further research investigating therapist recognition of and response to client distress may be important in the development of more effective psychotherapeutic response to people with psychosomatic disorders.
Hypercalcemia in pregnancy – a multifaceted challenge: case reports and literature review
Authors: Rey Evelyne , Jacob Claude‐Emilie , Koolian Maral , Morin Francine
Published: September 2016

Key Clinical Message

Hypercalcemia in pregnancy is an uncommon event that can cause major maternal morbidity and/or fetal or neonatal morbidity and mortality. Management is a challenge for the clinicians, especially as regards to investigations in pregnancy, surgery, and the use of cinacalcet and bisphosphonates. We present three case reports and discuss management.
Totally submuscular implantation of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator: a safe and effective solution for obese or oversized patients
Authors: Droghetti Andrea , Locatelli Alessandro , Casiraghi Bruno , Malacrida Maurizio , Arupi Michele , Ragusa Mark
Published: September 2016

Key Clinical Message

The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (S‐ICD) is a safe alternative to transvenous ICD. We describe a submuscular S‐ICD placement technique in a severely obese with an oversized chest. Submuscular configuration allows optimal system positioning and impendence values warranting a safe and effective shock transmission. This technique is safe and improves patients comfort.
Seed‐Mediated Growth of Colloidal Metal Nanocrystals: Scaling up the Production through Geometric and Stoichiometric Analyses
Authors: Figueroa‐Cosme Legna , Park Jinho , Bao Shixiong , Xia Younan
Published: September 2016

Despite the remarkable progress in shape‐controlled synthesis of noble‐metal nanocrystals, there still exists a major gap between academic studies and industrial applications. This gap can be largely attributed to the inability to produce nanocrystals in large quantities while retaining uniformity and good control over both size and shape. Here we provide a new perspective on increasing the volume of production during a synthesis of colloidal nanocrystals via seed‐mediated growth. We demonstrate that the yield of Pd octahedra and Pd@Pt3−4L (L: atomic layers) core–shell octahedra with different sizes can be increased from ca. 2 mg to over 500 mg without compromising the product quality. Specifically, we apply geometric and stoichiometric analyses to calculate the minimum amounts of reagents needed for the complete evolution of Pd cubic seeds into Pd octahedra, and subsequently for the formation of Pd@Pt3−4L core–shell octahedra through conformal Pt coating. The simple analyses allow us to obtain uniform products by avoiding homogeneous nucleation while minimizing the waste of reagents.
Portability with efficiency of the advection of BRAMS between multi‐core and many‐core architectures
Authors: Silva Junior Manoel Baptista , Panetta Jairo , Stephany Stephan
Published: September 2016

The continuous growth of spatial resolution and forecasting period in current atmospheric models demands increasing processing power supplied by supercomputers with hundreds or thousands of nodes. Currently, most of these models are operationally executed on supercomputers composed of nodes with tens of cores (multi‐core architecture). Newer supercomputer generations have nodes with multi‐core processors coupled to processing accelerators, typically graphics cards with hundreds of cores (many‐core architecture). The rewriting of model codes to use both architectures efficiently, that is, executing with or without graphics cards, represents a challenge because these models have hundreds of thousands of lines. The OpenMP programming interface proposed decades ago is a de facto standard that efficiently explores multi‐core architectures. A new programming interface, OpenACC, is being proposed for many‐core architectures. These two programming interfaces are similar, because they are based on parallelization directives for the concurrent execution of threads. This work shows the feasibility of writing a single portable code embedding both interfaces and presenting acceptable efficiency when executed on nodes with multi‐core or many‐core architecture. The code chosen as a case study is the advection of scalars, a part of the dynamics of the regional atmospheric model Brazilian Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (BRAMS). The dynamics of a model is harder to parallelize because of data dependencies between adjacent grid points. Single‐node executions of the advections of scalars for different grid sizes using OpenMP or OpenACC yielded similar speed‐ups, showing the feasibility of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.