bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influencia de la constitución de Cádiz en el derecho constitucional uruguayo
Authors: Esteva Gallicchio Eduardo G.
Published: December 2014

El artículo tiene por objeto estudiar la influencia de la Constitución de Cádiz de 1812 en el constitucionalismo uruguayo. La impronta liberal gaditana fue muy notable en los diferentes textos constitucionales que han jalonado la vida política y social de Uruguay desde 1830, primera Constitución, hasta nuestros días, de forma que tras más de ciento ochenta años de perfeccionamiento de la primera Constitución codificada de Uruguay, es posible aventurar que los principios doceañistas tienden a formar parte de una suerte de edicto perpetuo constitucional uruguayo exclusivamente afectado durante los períodos de facto.The article intends to study the influence of the Constitution of Cadiz of 1812 in the Uruguayan constitucionalismo. Impronta liberal gaditana was very remarkable in different constitutional texts that they have laid out the political life and social of Uruguay from 1830, first Constitution, to the present time, so that after more than one hundred eighty years of improvement of the first codified Constitution of Uruguay, it is possible to venture that the doceañistas principles tend to de facto comprise of a luck of perpetual law exclusively affected Uruguayan constitutionalist during the periods.
Margen de apreciación estatal, libertad religiosa y crucifijos (o las consecuencias de un deficiente diálogo entre jurisdicciones)
Authors: Naranjo de la Cruz Rafael
Published: December 2014

El recurso por parte del Tribunal Constitucional a la doctrina establecida por el Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos como argumento de autoridad es criticable cuando sirve para disminuir el nivel de protección que nuestro ordenamiento constitucional otorga a los derechos fundamentales. Este es el caso de la STC 34/2011, que utiliza para su fundamentación argumentos de la sentencia Lautsi II, sin tener para ello en cuenta ni el margen de apreciación que esta concede a los Estados ni su carácter de estándar mínimo de protección. Frente a este planteamiento, este trabajo reivindica el papel de la vertiente negativa de la libertad religiosa y la neutralidad religiosa del Estado en el análisis de la presencia de crucifijos en las paredes de las aulas escolares públicas.The use by the Spanish Constitutional Court of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights may raise some criticism when the result is the reduction of the level of protection given to a fundamental right according to the domestic constitutional system. This may be the case of STC 34/2011, grounded on ECtHR judgment in Lautsi II, but without taking into account that it relies on the Member State’s margin of appreciation and that the ECHR only provides a minimum standard of protection. In opposition to that line of reasoning, the negative side of religious freedom and the neutrality of the State in religious matters are emphasized as relevant domestic constitutional arguments to analyze the presence of crucifixes on state school walls in Spain.
Estado autonómico, cooperación intergubernamental y conferencias de presidentes
Authors: Gálvez muñoz Luis A. , Ruiz González José Gabriel
Published: December 2014

La existencia de relaciones de cooperación es algo consustancial al Estado autonómico, aunque en España la cooperación entre los distintos poderes territoriales ha sido, cualitativa y cuantitativamente, escasa, pues durante largo tiempo pivotó, casi exclusivamente, sobre los mecanismos sectoriales de cooperación. Sin embargo, coincidiendo con el último proceso de reformas estatutarias, se han incorporado a la praxis política española dos nuevos mecanismos de cooperación de carácter general propios de los Estados federales: la Conferencia de Presidentes y la Conferencia de los Gobiernos de las Comunidades Autónomas. Este artículo se centra en el estudio de estos nuevos instrumentos, analizando los resultados obtenidos y determinando las dificultades a superar para consolidarse y contribuir a lograr un funcionamiento más coherente y eficaz del Estado autonómico.The existence of cooperative relations is inherent to the State of Autonomies, yet cooperation among the various regional authorities has been scarce in Spain, both qualitatively and quantitatively. For a long time, intergovernmental relations hinged on cooperative sectoral mechanisms. However, concurring with the last statutory reforms, new cooperation mechanisms of a general nature own federal states have been introduced in the Spanish political praxis: Conference of Presidents and the Conference of Autonomous-Community Governments. This paper focuses on the new instruments which have been institutionalized to comply with the principle of intergovernmental cooperation. It analyses the results obtained so far and identifies the problems which need to be addressed for said instruments to consolidate and contribute to a more coherent and efficient functioning of the State of Autonomies.
El trato discriminatorio de la filiación extramatrimonial en Marruecos
Authors: Adnane Abdelhamid
Published: December 2014

No hay ninguna disposición de rango constitucional que pueda legítimamente fundamentar un trato desigualitario entre hijos nacidos de un matrimonio legítimo y los nacidos a raíz de una relación extramatrimonial. Los derechos de los hijos son cuestiones integrantes de los conceptos de orden público e interés social, prevalentes ante cualquier derecho individual del progenitor.There is no disposition of constitutional range that could base legitimately a not egalitarian treatment between born children of a legitimate marriage and born immediately after an extramarital relation. The rights of the children are integral questions of the concepts of public order and social interest, which must prevail before any individual right of the progenitor.
La reciente constitucionalización de la estabilidad presupuestaria: ¿una reforma necesaria?
Authors: Delgado Ramos David
Published: December 2014

La reforma constitucional del artículo 135 de la Constitución, operada en septiembre de 2011 para introducir la estabilidad presupuestaria y la sostenibilidad financiera como principios fundamentales de nuestro ordenamiento, supuso un cambio de importancia trascendental en nuestro ordenamiento jurídico. Su implantación, consecuencia directa de la gravedad de la crisis económica y de la Unión Europea, fue objeto de una fuerte controversia jurídica a causa tanto de la celeridad con la que se tramitó, como por el motivo del que traía causa. Su incidencia e importancia es analizada en este artículo, estudiando sus causas, tramitación y necesidad.The constitutional reform of article 135 of the Constitution operated in September 2011 to introduce stability budget and financial sustainability as fundamental principles of our legal system meant a change of transcendental importance in our legal system. Its implementation, a direct result of the gravity of the economic crisis and the European Union, was the subject of a strong legal controversy to cause both the speed with which is transacted, as for the reason that brought cause. Its incidence and importance is analyzed in this article, studying its causes, processing and need.
Derechos en serio, recurso de amparo, reordenación de la garantía judicial y reforma de la Ley Orgánica del Poder Judicial
Authors: Tenorio Pedro
Published: December 2014

Con ocasión de comentar la regulación de la protección de los derechos fundamentales la Propuesta de reforma de la Ley Orgánica del Poder Judicial elaborada por la Comisión institucional creada por Acuerdo del Consejo de Ministros de 2 marzo 2012, Propuesta hecha pública en febrero de 2013, se repasan las cuestiones que plantea en la actualidad la ordenación procesal de los referidos derechos en España. Las dos reformas que presenta la Propuesta en el ámbito que interesa son: el establecimiento de un procedimiento para garantizar la ejecución de las Sentencias TEDH en España y la desaparición de un mecanismo procesal que se había establecido en 2007 («nulidad de actuaciones »). Lo primero se valora positivamente, si bien se señala que acaso haya que reformar también la Ley Orgánica del Tribunal Constitucional (LOTC). Lo segundo también se valora favorablemente, pero se considera que exige establecer algunas garantías adicionales más efectivas, como serían Salas especializadas en los Tribunales Superiores de Justicia y una Sala del mismo carácter en el Tribunal Supremo. También se recomienda que se aplique más literalmente el requisito que establece la LOTC de invocar el derecho fundamental tan pronto como el mismo es vulnerado, pues ello a la larga mejoraría el conocimiento de los derechos.In this paper, while discussing the regulation of fundamental rights in the Proposal of Ammendment of the Judicial Branch Act, drafted by the Institutional Committee established by resolution of the Council of Ministers of March 2, 2012, Proposal issued in February 2013, we review the issues raised in the field of the procedural management of fundamental rights in Spain. The two proposed reforms in the area of our interest are: the establishment of a procedure to guarantee the effectiveness of the European Court Judgments in Spain and the disappearance of a procedural mechanism that was established in 2007 («nulidad de actuaciones»/«annulment of the procedures»). The former is welcome, though the fact that perhaps it is also necessary to reform the Organic Law of the Spanish Constitutional Court (Constitutional Court Organization Act, LOTC hereinafter) is suggested. The latter is also positively valued, but the establishment of additional guarantees, such as specialized Chambers in High Courts of the Autonomous Communities and a Chamber of the same type in the Supreme Court is considered necessary. A more literal application of the LOTC requirement of the invocation of the right as soon as it has been violated is also suggested which should improve the protection of rights.
Políticas públicas y marco de protección jurídica del menor en España
Authors: Alemán Bracho Carmen
Published: December 2014

Resumen:El artículo examina las políticas públicas para la infancia, en el contexto de las actuales transformaciones sociales, que han activado considerablemente este campo. En las últimas décadas, y a causa de distintos problemas, los organismos internacionales han tenido gran protagonismo en la regulación de la protección del menor y en el establecimiento de medidas para su ejecución. Los derechos establecidos para salvaguardarla han impulsado numerosos servicios sociales destinados a la protección del menor.Las medidas desarrolladas por los organismos internacionales se han ido paulatinamente integrando en países europeos, como en España donde no solo existe legislación estatal, sino también prolijas legislaciones autonómicas. Se han elaborado numerosos Planes administrativos de intervención con vigencia plurianual, que han articulado un elenco amplio de prestaciones para la infancia. Sin duda, nos encontramos, ante uno de los servicios sociales con mayor dinamismo, debido a la constante mutación de sus necesidades de protección.El artículo analiza el impacto que la crisis está teniendo en la infancia y adolescencia, tanto como consecuencia de las situaciones familiares, o como resultado de las medidas de políticas públicas tomadas para enfrentarse a ella.El estudio concluye destacando las consecuencias que supone no tener en cuenta el impacto en los niños, de las decisiones en políticas sociales, económicas, educativas, sanitarias y de no proteger adecuadamente a la infancia y sus derechos durante este difícil y complejo periodo de transformaciones sociales y económicas.Abstract:The article examines the public policies for the Child, in the context of the social transformations that have recently emerged in this field. In the last decades, and due to various reasons, the international organizations have had great prominence in the regulation of the Child protection and in the establishment of measures for its execution. The rights established for the safeguard of the Child protection have driven numerous social services.The measures developed by the International Organizations have been slowly assumed by European countries, such as Spain that not only has a State-level legislation, but also a prolix Autonomic-level one. Many Administrative Plans of Intervention have been elaborated with validity for several years and have articulated a wide range of benefits for Child. Without any doubt, we have one of the social services with a larger dynamism due to the constant changes of the need of protection.The article analyzes the impact of the crisis in children and teenagers, as a consequence of family situations, or as a result of the public policies taken to face those situations.The study finally highlights the consequences of not taking into consideration the impact in Child of the decisions in social, economic, educative and health politics, and the consequences of not protecting correctly the Child and its rights during this hard and complex period of social and economic transformations.
In Vitro Cell Motility as a Potential Mesenchymal Stem Cell Marker for Multipotency
Authors: Bertolo Alessandro , Gemperli Armin , Gruber Marco , Gantenbein Benjamin , Baur Martin , Pötzel Tobias , Stoyanov Jivko
Published: December 2014

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are expected to have a fundamental role in future cell-based therapies because of their high proliferative ability, multilineage potential, and immunomodulatory properties. Autologous transplantations have the “elephant in the room” problem of wide donor variability, reflected by variability in MSC quality and characteristics, leading to uncertain outcomes in the use of these cells. We propose life imaging as a tool to characterize populations of human MSCs. Bone marrow MSCs from various donors and in vitro passages were evaluated for their in vitro motility, and the distances were correlated to the adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic differentiation potentials and the levels of senescence and cell size. Using life-image measuring of track lengths of 70 cells per population for a period of 24 hours, we observed that slow-moving cells had the higher proportion of senescent cells compared with fast ones. Larger cells moved less than smaller ones, and spindle-shaped cells had an average speed. Both fast cells and slow cells were characterized by a low differentiation potential, and average-moving cells were more effective in undergoing all three lineage differentiations. Furthermore, heterogeneity in single cell motility within a population correlated with the average-moving cells, and fast- and slow-moving cells tended toward homogeneity (i.e., a monotonous moving pattern). In conclusion, in vitro cell motility might be a useful tool to quickly characterize and distinguish the MSC population's differentiation potential before additional use.
Proceedings: Immune Tolerance and Stem Cell Transplantation: A CIRM Mini-Symposium and Workshop Report
Authors: Talib Sohel , Millan Maria T. , Jorgenson Rebecca L. , Shepard Kelly A.
Published: December 2014

The mission of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. Immune rejection is one hurdle that stem cell therapies must overcome to achieve a durable and effective therapeutic benefit. In July 2014, CIRM convened a group of clinical investigators developing stem cell therapeutics, immunologists, and transplantation biologists to consider strategies to address this challenge. Workshop participants discussed current approaches for countering immune rejection in the context of organ transplant and cellular therapy and defined the risks, challenges, and opportunities for adapting them to the development of stem cell-based therapeutics. This effort led to the development of a Roadmap to Tolerance for allogeneic stem cell therapy, with four fundamental steps: (a) the need to identify “tolerance-permissive” immune-suppressive regimens to enable the eventual transition from current, drug-based approaches to a newer generation of technologies for inducing tolerance; (b) testing new biologics and small molecules for inducing tolerance in stem cell-based preclinical and clinical studies; (c) stimulation of efforts to develop novel therapeutic approaches to induce central and peripheral tolerance, including manipulation of the thymus, transplantation of purified stem cells, and cell therapy with T-regulatory cells; and (d) development of robust and sensitive immune monitoring technologies for identifying biomarkers of tolerance and rejection after allogeneic stem cell treatments in the clinical setting.
Mental Health Status in Patients with Fibromyalgia
Authors: Sousan Kolahi  , Ali Fakhari  , Mehrzad Hajaliloo  , Alireza Khabbazi  , Sahar Hassanzadeh Dizaj  , Mahdi Hemati
Published: December 2014

Background: It has long been shown that chronic conditions are usually accompanied by psychosocial disorders. Fibromyalgia (FM) is not an exception in this regard. The aim of this study is to evaluate the mental health in FM patients.Methods: In an analytic-descriptive setting, patients with diagnosis of FM were inquired according to general health questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) and severity of pain was inquired based on visual analogue scale (VAS). Somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction and severe depression were assessed.Results: One hundred female patients with mean age of 44.66±11.34 years were enrolled. According to GHQ-28, 55% of the patients with FM have suffered from psychological abnormalities.The prevalence of suspected psychological disorders, were 68 % in ""somatic symptoms"", 18% in “depression” and ""anxiety and insomnia"" and 53% in ""social dysfunction"". There were a significant positive correlation between VAS and level of somatic symptoms, social dysfunction and severe depression.Conclusion: This study showed that a considerable portion of patients with FM may suffer concurrently from psychological disorders. The probability of these diseases increases with the severity of pain, hence effective pain reducing policies may be useful in providing a better quality of life.
Continuous generation and two‐dimensional structure of equatorial plasma bubbles observed by high‐density GPS receivers in Southeast Asia
Authors: Buhari S. M. , Abdullah M. , Hasbi A. M. , Otsuka Y. , Yokoyama T. , Nishioka M. , Tsugawa T.
Published: December 2014

High‐density GPS receivers located in Southeast Asia (SEA) were utilized to study the two‐dimensional structure of ionospheric plasma irregularities in the equatorial region. The longitudinal and latitudinal variations of tens of kilometer‐scale irregularities associated with equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) were investigated using two‐dimensional maps of the rate of total electron content change index (ROTI) from 127 GPS receivers with an average spacing of about 50–100 km. The longitudinal variations of the two‐dimensional maps of GPS ROTI measurement on 5 April 2011 revealed that 16 striations of EPBs were generated continuously around the passage of the solar terminator. The separation distance between the subsequent onset locations varied from 100 to 550 km with 10 min intervals. The lifetimes of the EPBs observed by GPS ROTI measurement were between 50 min and over 7 h. The EPBs propagated 440–3000 km toward the east with velocities of 83–162 m s−1. The longitudinal variations of EPBs by GPS ROTI keogram coincided with the depletions of 630 nm emission observed using the airglow imager. Six EPBs were observed by GPS ROTI along the meridian of Equatorial Atmosphere Radar (EAR), while only three EPBs were detected by the EAR. The high‐density GPS receivers in SEA have an advantage of providing time continuous descriptions of latitudinal/longitudinal variations of EPBs with both high spatial resolution and broad geographical coverage. The spatial periodicity of the EPBs could be associated with a wavelength of the quasiperiodic structures on the bottomside of the F region which initiate the Rayleigh‐Taylor instability.
Modeling subsolar thermospheric waves during a solar flare and penetration electric fields
Authors: Zhu Jie , Ridley Aaron J.
Published: December 2014

Thermospheric waves occurring around the time of the 14 July 2000 solar flare were investigated using the Global Ionosphere and Thermosphere Model. The simulation results showed that extensive acoustic and gravity waves were excited by the solar flare in the subsolar region. The subsolar buoyancy period at 400 km altitude was approximately 16 min. Gravity waves with frequencies lower than the buoyancy frequency traveled from the dayside to the nightside and converged in the longitudinal region that was the antisubsolar region when the flare occurred. Acoustic waves with frequencies well above the buoyancy frequency propagated upward from approximately 130 km altitude with increasing amplitudes. The power spectra of the vertical neutral winds in the acoustic branch peaked at a period of approximately 13 min, just below the buoyancy period. The gradient in pressure was the driver of the two waves, while the ion drag caused a phase delay between the variations in the pressure gradient and the vertical velocity in the acoustic waves. An anticorrelation in the high‐frequency component of the vertical neutral wind exists between the subsolar and antisubsolar points at times away from the flare, which was driven by the rapid variations of the ion flows due to the penetration electric field. It is suggested that the penetration of the high‐latitude interplanetary magnetic field electric field to low latitudes can drive neutral waves in the equatorial region through momentum coupling with rapidly changing ion flows.
Transient small‐scale structure in the main auroral emission at Jupiter
Authors: Palmaerts B. , Radioti A. , Grodent D. , Chané E. , Bonfond B.
Published: December 2014

The main auroral emission at Jupiter results from the ionosphere‐magnetosphere coupling current system associated with the corotation breakdown of iogenic plasma in the current sheet. The morphology and brightness of the main auroral emission are generally suggested to be stable during time intervals of the order of an hour. Here we reveal a transient small‐scale structure in the main emission that is characterized by a localized brightness enhancement close to noon local time. The evolution of this small‐scale structure is investigated in both hemispheres on the basis of far UV images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope between 1997 and 2007. Our observations indicate that the transient feature vary within a few tens of minutes. As one plausible explanation based on Galileo observations, we suggest that the localized enhancement of the field‐aligned currents associated with the transient structure is due to the shear induced by intermittent inward plasma flow near noon in the equatorial plane.
Crustal and upper mantle velocity structure in the vicinity of the eastern Tennessee seismic zone based upon radial P wave transfer functions
Authors: Graw Jordan H. , Powell Christine A. , Langston Charles A.
Published: December 2014

Teleseismic transfer function analysis is used to investigate crust and upper mantle velocity structure in the vicinity of the active eastern Tennessee seismic zone (ETSZ). The ETSZ is associated with the New York‐Alabama (NY‐AL) magnetic lineament, a prominent aeromagnetic anomaly indicative of Grenville‐age, basement structure. Radial component, P wave transfer functions for 10 short‐period stations operated by the Center for Earthquake Research and Information are inverted for velocity structure. Velocity profiles are also determined for three broadband stations by converting the instrument response to that of an S‐13 short‐period seismometer. Distinct differences in the velocity profiles are found for stations located on either side of the NY‐AL magnetic lineament; velocities west of the lineament are lower than velocities to the east of the lineament in the upper 10 km and in the depth range 30 to 50 km. A gradational Moho boundary is found beneath several stations located in the Valley and Ridge province. A Moho boundary is absent at four Valley and Ridge stations located east of the magnetic lineament and south of 35.5°N.
Variability of aerosol particle number concentrations observed over the western Pacific in the spring of 2009
Authors: Takegawa N. , Moteki N. , Oshima N. , Koike M. , Kita K. , Shimizu A. , Sugimoto N. , Kondo Y.
Published: December 2014

Airborne measurements of aerosols were conducted over the western Pacific in the spring of 2009 during the Aerosol Radiative Forcing in East Asia (A‐FORCE) aircraft campaign. The A‐FORCE flights intensively covered an important vertical‐latitudinal range in the outflow region of East Asia (0–9 km altitude; 27°N–38°N). This paper presents the variability of aerosol particle number concentrations obtained by condensation particle counters and a Single‐Particle Soot Photometer (SP2), with the focus on those in the free troposphere. The number concentration data include total condensation nuclei with particle diameters (dp) larger than 10 nm (total CN10), PM0.17‐CN10 (dp ~10–130 nm), and SP2 black carbon (NBC; dp ~75–850 nm). Large increases in total CN10 that were not associated with NBC were observed in the free troposphere, suggesting influences from new particle formation (NPF). Statistical characteristics of total CN10, PM0.17‐CN10, and NBC in the lower troposphere (LT; 0–3 km), middle troposphere (MT; 3–6 km), and upper troposphere (UT; 6–9 km) are investigated. The correlation between total CN10 and NBC, along with the ratio of PM0.17 to total CN10 and carbon monoxide mixing ratio (CO), is used to interpret the observed variability. The median concentrations of total CN10 and PM0.17‐CN10 in the UT were higher than those in the MT by a factor of ~1.4 and ~1.6, respectively. We attribute the enhancements of CN10 in the UT to NPF. Possible mechanisms affecting NPF in the free troposphere are discussed.
Statistical downscaling of rainfall changes in Hawai‘i based on the CMIP5 global model projections
Authors: Timm Oliver Elison , Giambelluca Thomas W. , Diaz Henry F.
Published: December 2014

Seasonal mean rainfall projections for Hawai‘i are given based on statistical downscaling of the latest Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) global model results for two future representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The spatial information content of our statistical downscaling method is improved over previous efforts through the inclusion of spatially extensive, high‐quality monthly rainfall data set and the use of improved large‐scale climate predictor information. Predictor variables include moisture transport in the middle atmosphere (700 hPa), vertical temperature gradients, and geopotential height fields of the 1000 and 500 hPa layers. The results allow for the first time to derive a spatially interpolated map with future rainfall change estimates for the main Hawaiian Islands. The statistical downscaling was applied to project wet (November–April) and dry (May–October) season rainfall anomalies for the middle and late 21st century. Overall, the statistical downscaling gives more reliable results for the wet season than for the dry season. The wet‐season results indicate a pronounced dipole structure between windward facing mountain slopes and the leeward side of most of the islands. The climatically wet regions on the windward slopes of the mountain regions are expected to become wetter or remain stable in their seasonal precipitation amounts. On the climatically dry leeward sides of Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island, future precipitation exhibits the strongest drying trends. The projected future rainfall anomaly pattern is associated with a circulation anomaly that resembles a shift in the position or strength of the subtropical high and the average location of extratropical troughs. These new results suggest that a negative trend dominates the area‐averaged changes in the statistical downscaling over the Hawaiian Islands. However, the islands are expected to experience a greater contrast between the wet and dry regions in the future.
Assessment of simulated water balance from Noah, Noah‐MP, CLM, and VIC over CONUS using the NLDAS test bed
Authors: Cai Xitian , Yang Zong‐Liang , Xia Youlong , Huang Maoyi , Wei Helin , Leung L. Ruby , Ek Michael B.
Published: December 2014

This study assesses the hydrologic performance of four land surface models (LSMs) for the conterminous United States using the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) test bed. The four LSMs are the baseline community Noah LSM (Noah, version 2.8), the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC, version 4.0.5) model, the substantially augmented Noah LSM with multiparameterization options (hence Noah‐MP), and the Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4). All four models are driven by the same NLDAS‐2 atmospheric forcing. Modeled terrestrial water storage (TWS), streamflow, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil moisture are compared with each other and evaluated against the identical observations. Relative to Noah, the other three models offer significant improvements in simulating TWS and streamflow and moderate improvements in simulating ET and soil moisture. Noah‐MP provides the best performance in simulating soil moisture and is among the best in simulating TWS, CLM4 shows the best performance in simulating ET, and VIC ranks the highest in performing the streamflow simulations. Despite these improvements, CLM4, Noah‐MP, and VIC exhibit deficiencies, such as the low variability of soil moisture in CLM4, the fast growth of spring ET in Noah‐MP, and the constant overestimation of ET in VIC.
Impacts of upwind wildfire emissions on CO, CO2, and PM2.5 concentrations in Salt Lake City, Utah
Authors: Mallia D. V. , Lin J. C. , Urbanski S. , Ehleringer J. , Nehrkorn T.
Published: December 2014

Biomass burning is known to contribute large quantities of CO2, CO, and PM2.5 to the atmosphere. Biomass burning not only affects the area in the vicinity of fire but may also impact the air quality far downwind from the fire. The 2007 and 2012 western U.S. wildfire seasons were characterized by significant wildfire activity across much of the Intermountain West and California. In this study, we determined the locations of wildfire‐derived emissions and their aggregate impacts on Salt Lake City, a major urban center downwind of the fires. To determine the influences of biomass burning emissions, we initiated an ensemble of stochastic back trajectories at the Salt Lake City receptor within the Stochastic Time‐Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model, driven by wind fields from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The trajectories were combined with a new, high‐resolution biomass burning emissions inventory—the Wildfire Emissions Inventory. Initial results showed that the WRF‐STILT model was able to replicate many periods of enhanced wildfire activity observed in the measurements. Most of the contributions for the 2007 and 2012 wildfire seasons originated from fires located in Utah and central Idaho. The model results suggested that during intense episodes of upwind wildfires in 2007 and 2012, fires contributed as much as 250 ppb of CO during a 3 h period and 15 µg/m3 of PM2.5 averaged over 24 h at Salt Lake City. Wildfires had a much smaller impact on CO2 concentrations in Salt Lake City, with contributions rarely exceeding 2 ppm enhancements.
Evaluating biases in simulated snow albedo feedback in two generations of climate models
Authors: Fletcher Christopher G. , Thackeray Chad W. , Burgers Tonya M.
Published: December 2014

This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of snow albedo feedback (SAF) in two generations of climate models (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project versions 3 (CMIP3) and 5 (CMIP5)). A comparison of the models is performed against a multiobservation‐based reference data set (mOBS) derived from the seasonal cycle of albedo, snow cover, and temperature. The observed total SAF shows low uncertainty and is generally well simulated by the CMIP3 and CMIP5 ensemble mean, except for a low (high) bias over the Arctic (northern boreal forest). Most CMIP5 models overestimate the snow cover component of SAF (SNC) and underestimate the temperature sensitivity component (TEM). The high bias in SNC is due to simulated snow albedos 4–5% brighter than observed driving unrealistically large albedo contrasts. However, overall representation of surface albedo—and mean climate—has improved, as fewer CMIP5 models exhibit large cold temperature, or high snow, biases. The low bias in TEM is related to overly persistent snow albedo during spring, particularly over southern Eurasia and North America. There is large observational uncertainty in the reference data set mOBS that is traced primarily to the different snow cover products, with a secondary contribution from the albedo products and a small contribution from the temperature products. The conclusion is that the model mean tends to simulate the multiobservation mean very closely; however, this masks considerable spread in both models and observations. There is clear motivation for producing improved submonthly snow cover products for the purpose of model evaluation.
Structure–property relationships of polycarbonate diol‐based polyurethanes as a function of soft segment content and molar mass
Authors: Costa Victor , Nohales Andrés , Félix Paula , Guillem Carmen , Gutiérrez David , Gómez Clara María
Published: December 2014

Segmented thermoplastic polyurethanes (PUs) have been synthesized with polycarbonate diol as soft segment and 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate and butanediol as hard segment. Two different series employing two different soft‐segment molar mass, 1000 and 2000 g/mol, and by changing the hard‐segment content from 32 to 67% have been investigated with the aim to elucidate the effect of the different content variations on the properties. Morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties have been studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), wide angle X‐ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, tensile and tear strength, hardness, and specific gravity tests. Properties have been explained from the standpoint of miscibility between hard‐ and soft‐segment microdomains of the tailored segmented PUs through an exhaustive analysis. FTIR, DSC, and DMA measurements revealed that miscibility between hard and soft microdomains increases as the molar mass of the macrodiol decreases. An increase in hard‐segment content entailed the formation of larger hard domains with higher crystallinity what results in superior mechanical properties such as higher tensile stress and tear strength, and hardness. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41704.
Fremde Fische in Flüssen und Seen
Authors: Holm Patricia , Kalchhauser Irene , Hirsch Philipp
Published: December 2014

Mit der Globalisierung steigt auch die Zahl nicht‐heimischer Fischarten in unseren Gewässern. Sie kommen über künstliche Kanäle, werden mit Ballastwasser verschleppt oder heften ihre Eier an Schiffe und andere Gegenstände. Viele dieser Arten bleiben unbemerkt, einige können sich jedoch etablieren und sogar Schaden anrichten. Wir zeigen am Beispiel der bei uns eingewanderten Grundeln aus dem Schwarzen Meer, insbesondere der Kesslergrundel und der Schwarzmundgrundel, wie vorgegangen werden kann, um die Biologie und Ökologie dieser Arten zu charakterisieren, und den Schaden abzuschätzen. Mit dem Einsatz einfacher Laichfallen zeigen wir eine Möglichkeit, wie die Ausbreitung dieser Fische vielleicht eingeschränkt werden kann. Grundsätzlich vielversprechend sind solche Maßnahmen dort, wo wie am Hochrhein durch Kraftwerke künstliche Barrieren und damit möglicherweise kontrollierbare Nadelöhre bestehen.
Spatial Scale Effects on Rayleigh Convection and Interfacial Mass Transfer Characteristics in CO2 Absorption
Authors: Guo Kai , Liu Chunjiang , Chen Shuyong , Fu Bo , Liu Botan
Published: December 2014

Concentration gradient‐induced Rayleigh convections in the CO2 absorption process were investigated by the hybrid Lattice‐Boltzmann/finite‐difference method (LBM‐FDM). The spatial scale effects on Rayleigh convection were studied by simulating Rayleigh convections with different liquid layers. The scale of convection increased with the liquid layer height but the average mass transfer coefficient showed the adverse tendency. The Rayleigh convection had a pronounced effect on the surface renewal. For better assessment of the renewal intensity, two statistical quantities were proposed. The transient variations of these quantities provided a good following feature with the mass transfer coefficient which confirms their accuracy and precision in characterizing the mass transfer process.
ChemInform Abstract: Tuning the Magnetic Properties of Nanoparticles
Authors: Kolhatkar Arati G. , Jamison Andrew C. , Litvinov Dmitri , Willson Richard C. , Lee T. Randall
Published: December 2014

Review: 136 refs.
Removal of three and hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions using a microalgae biomass‐derived biosorbent
Authors: Shokri Khoubestani Roghayeh , Mirghaffari Nourollah , Farhadian Omidvar
Published: December 2014

Dry biomass of green microalgae, Scenedesmus quadricauda (Chlorophyta), was used as a biosorbent to remove Cr(III) and Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions using batch experiments. The biomass composed of 43.5% protein, 20.2% carbohydrate, and 9.2% lipid. Different functional groups including hydroxyl, amine and sulfoxide were observed in the biosorbent. The equilibrium time for the removal of Cr(III and VI) was 120 min. The maximum adsorption was obtained at pH 6 (98.3%) and pH 1 (47.6%) for Cr(III) and Cr(VI), respectively. The kinetics data was better fitted by the pseudo‐second‐order model for both Cr species. The biosorption of Cr(III) was described by the Langmuir and that of Cr(IV) by the Freundlich isotherm models. According to the Langmuir model, the maximum biosorption capacity was 58.47 and 46.51 mg g−1 for Cr(III) and Cr(VI), respectively. The regeneration of biosorbent was achieved by HNO3 (85%) for Cr(III) and NaOH (60%) solutions for Cr(VI). The application of dry microalgae biomass could be suitable as an alternative technology for the heavy metal removal from wastewater, especially for the small and medium industry. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 34: 949–956, 2015
Biotransformation of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane in the benthic polychaete, Nereis succinea: Quantitative estimation by analyzing the partitioning of chemicals between gut fluid and lipid
Authors: Wang Fei , Pei Yuan-yuan , You Jing
Published: December 2014

Biotransformation plays an important role in the bioaccumulation and toxicity of a chemical in biota. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) commonly co-occurs with its metabolites (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane [DDD] and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene [DDE]), in the environment; thus it is a challenge to accurately quantify the biotransformation rates of DDT and distinguish the sources of the accumulated metabolites in an organism. The present study describes a method developed to quantitatively analyze the biotransformation of p,p′-DDT in the benthic polychaete, Nereis succinea. The lugworms were exposed to sediments spiked with DDT at various concentrations for 28 d. Degradation of DDT to DDD and DDE occurred in sediments during the aging period, and approximately two-thirds of the DDT remained in the sediment. To calculate the biotransformation rates, residues of individual compounds measured in the bioaccumulation testing (after biotransformation) were compared with residues predicted by analyzing the partitioning of the parent and metabolite compounds between gut fluid and tissue lipid (before biotransformation). The results suggest that sediment ingestion rates decreased when DDT concentrations in sediment increased. Extensive biotransformation of DDT occurred in N. succinea, with 86% of DDT being metabolized to DDD and <2% being transformed to DDE. Of the DDD that accumulated in the lugworms, approximately 70% was the result of DDT biotransformation, and the remaining 30% was from direct uptake of sediment-associated DDD. In addition, the biotransformation was not dependent on bulk sediment concentrations, but rather on bioaccessible concentrations of the chemicals in sediment, which were quantified by gut fluid extraction. The newly established method improved the accuracy of prediction of the bioaccumulation and toxicity of DDTs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;9999:1–9. © 2014 SETAC
A semi-empirical model for transport of inorganic nanoparticles across a lipid bilayer: Implications for uptake by living cells
Authors: Nolte Tom M. , Kettler Katja , Meesters Johannes A.J. , Hendriks A. Jan , van de Meent Dik
Published: December 2014

Due to increasing application, release of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanomaterials into the environment becomes likely. Knowledge about NP uptake in organisms is crucial for risk assessment including estimations on the behavior of NPs based on their physicochemical properties. In the present study, the authors have applied current scientific knowledge to construct a mathematical model, which estimates the transport of NPs through a model biological membrane. The semi-empirical model developed showed all parameters studied to substantially affect the agglomeration of the NPs in suspension, thereby also affecting passive transport. The authors quantified the effects of pH, ionic strength, organic matter concentration of medium, and NP size of several inorganic NPs on the permeation through the lipid membrane. Model outcomes and experimental results described in literature were strongly correlated for several metal oxide NPs. With caution, the model may be used to explain some of the existing variance in nano-uptake and toxicity experiments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:488–496. © 2014 SETAC
Differential uptake and translocation of β-HCH and dieldrin by several plant species from hydroponic medium
Authors: Namiki Sayuri , Otani Takashi , Seike Nobuyasu , Satoh Shinobu
Published: December 2014

To compare the uptake and translocation of hydrophobic organic chemicals by plant species, the authors performed uptake experiments with β-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) and 1,2,3,4,10,10-Hexachloro-6,7-epoxy-1,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-endo-1,4-exo-5,8-dimethanonaphthalene (dieldrin) using 5 species: Hordeum vulgare, Glycine max, Solanum lycopersicum, Brassica oleracea, and Cucurbita pepo. The present study evaluated uptake ability using root concentration factor (RCF) and translocation ability by transpiration stream concentration factor (TSCF). The RCFs of β-HCH and dieldrin did not differ remarkably among species, except that the RCF of β-HCH in B. oleracea was high. The TSCFs of β-HCH and dieldrin were high in C. pepo, which was not superior in uptake as estimated by RCF. The TSCF of dieldrin in C. pepo was decreased in darkness and was markedly decreased by heating of roots. These results support the hypothesis that transport proteins produced in the root contribute to dieldrin translocation. In contrast, TSCF of β-HCH was not decreased by these treatments. Therefore, translocation of β-HCH might not need the contribution of transport proteins. It is possible that C. pepo has a certain function to transport hydrophobic organic chemicals smoothly in root tissues. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:536–544. © 2014 SETAC
Effects of progesterone and norethindrone on female fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) steroidogenesis
Authors: Petersen Lene H. , Hala David , Carty Dennis , Cantu Mark , Martinović Dalma , Huggett Duane B.
Published: December 2014

As knowledge of contaminants capable of adversely modulating endocrine functions increases, attention is focused on the effects of synthetic progestins as environmental endocrine disrupters. In the present study, effects of exposure to a synthetic progestin (norethindrone, 168 ± 7.5 ng/L) and endogenous progestogen (progesterone, 34 ± 4.1 ng/L) on steroidogenesis in adult female fathead minnows were examined. In vivo exposure to either compound lowered expression (nonsignificant) of luteinizing hormone (LHβ) levels in the brain along with significantly down-regulating the beta isoform of membrane progesterone receptor (mPRβ) in ovary tissue. The correspondence between lowered LHβ levels in the brain and mPRβ in the ovary is suggestive of a possible functional association as positive correlations between LHβ and mPR levels have been demonstrated in other fish species. In vitro exposure of ovary tissue to progesterone resulted in significantly elevated progestogen (pregnenolone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, and 17α,20β-dihydroxypregnenone) and androgen (testosterone) production. Whereas in vitro exposure to norethindrone did not significantly impact steroid hormone production but showed decreased testosterone production relative to solvent control (however this was not significant). Overall, this study showed that exposure to a natural progestogen (progesterone) and synthetic progestin (norethindrone), was capable of modulating LHβ (in brain) and mPRβ expression (in ovary). Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;9999:1–12. © 2014 SETAC
Model‐based event‐triggered predictive control for networked systems with communication delays compensation
Authors: Yin Xiuxia , Yue Dong , Hu Songlin
Published: December 2014

This paper addresses the model‐based event‐triggered predictive control problem for networked control systems (NCSs). Firstly, we propose a discrete event‐triggered transmission scheme on the sensor node by introducing a quadratic event‐triggering function. Then, on the basis of the aforementioned scheme, a novel class of model‐based event‐triggered predictive control algorithms on the controller node is designed for compensating for the communication delays actively and achieving the desired control performance while using less network resources. Two cases, that is, the value of the communication delay of the first event‐triggered state is less or bigger than the sampling period, are considered separately for certain NCSs, regardless of the communication delays of the subsequent event‐triggered states. The codesign problems of the controller and event‐triggering parameter for the two cases are discussed by using the linear matrix inequality approach and the (switching) Lyapunov functional method. Furthermore, we extended our results to the NCSs with systems uncertainties. Finally, a practical ball and beam system is studied numerically to demonstrate the compensation effect for the communication delays with the proposed novel model‐based event‐triggered predictive control scheme. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Addressing Racialized Multicultural Discourses in an EAP Textbook: Working Toward a Critical Pedagogies Approach
Authors: Chun Christian W.
Published: December 2014

Racialized multicultural discourses emerge in the TESOL classroom via textbook representations of immigrant success stories and perceived racial and cultural differences among students. Although liberal multicultural discourses may be well intentioned, these discourses warrant closer examination for the ways in which they can essentialize cultural identities and enact power dynamics of who is defining and who is being defined. Drawing on an ethnographic English for academic purposes (EAP) classroom case study, and with the aim of bridging the gap between critical theories and actual classroom practices, this article explores the approaches an instructor implemented with students in addressing such discourses in an EAP textbook chapter. The article first presents the chapter's passages and then describes how the discourses were initially taken up by the participants. A conversation between the instructor and the author in which the instructor shared a racializing experience is then featured, providing the context for her subsequent approach in which she revisited the reading with students. The author examines the classroom interactions with two questions in mind: How did the instructor's critical pedagogies approach work to mediate the racialized representations in the chapter? Did this approach facilitate more meaningful dialogical engagements enabling the students to develop their academic literacies?