bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PROGNOSTIC IMPACT OF WT-1 GENE EXPRESSION IN EGYPTIAN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA
Authors: Hagag Adel Abd Elhaleim
Published: December 2015

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer representing 23% of pediatric cancers. Wilms' tumor -1 gene has is a novel prognostic factor, minimal residual disease marker and therapeutic target in acute leukemia. Aim of the work: The aim of this work was to study the impact of WT-1 gene expression in prognosis of Egyptian children with ALL. Patients and methods: This study was conducted on 40 children with newly diagnosed ALL who were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination and laboratory investigations including; complete blood count, LDH, BM aspiration, cytochemistry, immunophenotyping, assessment of WT-1 Gene by real time PCR in BM samples at time of diagnosis. Results: Positive WT-1 gene expression was found in 22 cases (55%) and negative expression in 18 cases (45%). Positive WT-1 gene expression group (n=22) includes 14 males and 8 females with mean age at presentation of 5.261 ± 0.811 while negative WT-1 gene expression group (n=18) includes 12 males and 6 females with mean age at diagnosis of 9.669 ± 3.731 with significantly older age in negative WT-1 gene expression group but no significant differences between positive and negative WT-1 gene expression groups regarding sex and clinical presentations. There were no significant differences in platelets and WBCs counts, hemoglobin and LDH levels and number of peripheral blood and BM blast cells at diagnosis between positive and negative WT-1 gene expression groups but after induction therapy there were significantly lower BM blast cells in positive WT-1 gene expression group. There were no statistically significant differences between positive and negative WT-1 gene expression groups regarding immunophenotyping. There were significantly higher relapse and death rates and lower rates of CR, DFS and OAS in negativeWT-1 gene expression group.MRD at end of induction therapy was found in 14 cases out of 40 patients. There was significantly higher number of cases with MRD in negative WT-1 gene expression group (In 26 cases with negative MRD; 20 have positive WT-1 gene expression and 6 have negative WT-1gene expression while in 14 cases with positive MRD ; 12 cases showed negative WT-1 gene expression and 2 cases showed positive WT-1 gene expression) (p value = 0.006). Conclusions and Recommendation: WT-1 gene expression is important prognostic factor in patients with ALL and therefore we recommend its incorporation into novel risk-adapted therapeutic strategies in patients with ALL.
Metabolic bone disease in the context of metastatic neuroendocrine tumor: differentiation from skeletal metastasis, the molecular PET-CT imaging features, and exploring the possible etiopathologies including parathyroid adenoma (MEN1) and paraneoplastic humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy due to PTHrp hypersecretion
Authors: Ranade Rohit , Basu Sandip
Published: December 2015

Three cases of metabolic bone disease in the setting of metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) are illustrated with associated etiopathologies.  One of these cases harbored mixed lesions in the form of vertebral metastasis (biopsy proven) while the other skeletal lesions were caused due to metabolic bone disease related to multiple parathyroid adenomas. While the metastatic lesion was positive on 68Ga-DOTATATE positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), the lesions of metabolic bone disease were negative and the 18F-fluoride PET-CT demonstrated the features of metabolic bone scan. Similar picture of metabolic bone disease [18-sodium fluoride (18NaF)/68Ga-DOTATATE mismatch] was documented in the other two patients, while fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET-CT was variably positive, primarily showing tracer uptake in the metabolic skeletal lesions of the patient with hypersecretion of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) by the underlying tumor. Discordance between 18NaF PET-CT and 68Ga-DOTATATE PET-CT serves as a good marker for identification of metabolic bone disease and diagnosing such a clinical entity. In a patient of NET with metabolic bone disease and hypercalcemia, thus, two causes need to be considered: (i) Coexisting parathyroid adenoma in multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN-I) syndrome and (ii) humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) related to hypersecretion of PTHrP by the tumor. The correct diagnosis of metabolic bone disease in metastatic NET can alter the management substantially. Interestingly, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) can emerge as a very promising treatment modality in patients of metabolic bone disease caused by HHM in the setting of NET.
La investigación en comunicación con metodología BigData
Authors: López Cantos Francisco
Published: December 2015

Las tecnologías digitales están facilitando nuevas herramientas y metodologías de análisis en el ámbito de la comunicación, al igual que en otras áreas de investigación. En este trabajo abordamos los aspectos relacionados con la investigación [1] en comunicación con la metodología Big Data, que está creando muchas expectativas y está dando buenos resultados en otros ámbitos científicos. Metodología: Tomamos como corpus de trabajo un conjunto de artículos y utilizamos sobre esa muestra las técnicas de análisis y representación de Big Data como metodología de análisis de contenido para valorar su pertinencia y efectividad. Conclusiones: Como resultado de nuestro estudio podemos concluir que esta metodología en nuestra área de conocimiento puede ser de utilidad pero tiene una efectividad limitada.
On Polynomial Maximum Entropy Method for Classical Moment Problem
Authors: Ding Jiu , Rhee Noah H. , Zhang Chenhua
Published: December 2015

The maximum entropy method for the Hausdorff moment problem suffers from ill conditioning as it uses monomial basis {1,x,x2,...,xn}. The maximum entropy method for the Chebyshev moment probelm was studied to overcome this drawback in. In this paper we review and modify the maximum entropy method for the Hausdorff and Chebyshev moment problems studied in and present the maximum entropy method for the Legendre moment problem. We also give the algorithms of converting the Hausdorff moments into the Chebyshev and Lengendre moments, respectively, and utilizing the corresponding maximum entropy method.
Reduction of Numerical Oscillations in Simulating Moving-Boundary Problems by the Local DFD Method
Authors: Zhang Yang , Zhou Chunhua
Published: December 2015

In this work, the hybrid solution reconstruction formulation proposed by Luo et al. [H. Luo, H. Dai, P. F. de Sousa and B. Yin, On the numerical oscillation of the direct-forcing immersed-boundary method for moving boundaries, Computers & Fluids, 56 (2012), pp. 61–76] for the finite-difference discretization on Cartesian meshes is implemented in the finite-element framework of the local domain-free discretization (DFD) method to reduce the numerical oscillations in the simulation of moving-boundary flows. The reconstruction formulation is applied at fluid nodes in the immediate vicinity of the immersed boundary, which combines weightly the local DFD solution with the specific values obtained via an approximation of quadratic polynomial in the normal direction to the wall. The quadratic approximation is associated with the no-slip boundary condition and the local simplified momentum equation. The weighted factor suitable for unstructured triangular and tetrahedral meshes is constructed, which is related to the local mesh intervals near the immersed boundary and the distances from exterior dependent nodes to the boundary. Therefore, the reconstructed solution can account for the smooth movement of the immersed boundary. Several numerical experiments have been conducted for two- and three-dimensional moving-boundary flows. It is shown that the hybrid reconstruction approach can work well in the finite-element context and effectively reduce the numerical oscillations with little additional computational cost, and the spatial accuracy of the original local DFD method can also be preserved.
A High-Order Discontinuous Galerkin Method for the Two-Dimensional Time-Domain Maxwell’s Equations on Curved Mesh
Authors: Lu Hongqiang , Xu Yida , Gao Yukun , Qin Wanglong , Sun Qiang
Published: December 2015

In this paper, a DG (Discontinuous Galerkin) method which has been widely employed in CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) is used to solve the two-dimensional time-domain Maxwell’s equations for complex geometries on unstructured mesh. The element interfaces on solid boundary are treated in both curved way and straight way. Numerical tests are performed for both benchmark problems and complex cases with varying orders on a series of grids, where the high-order convergence in accuracy can be observed. Both the curved and the straight solid boundary implementation can give accurate RCS (Radar Cross-Section) results with sufficiently small mesh size, but the curved solid boundary implementation can significantly improve the accuracy when using relatively large mesh size. More importantly, this CFD-based high-order DG method for the Maxwell’s equations is very suitable for complex geometries.
Archaeology and rapid climate changes: from the collapse concept to a panarchy interpretative model
Authors: Budja Mihael
Published: December 2015

The ‘rapid climate change’, ‘cycles of abrupt climate shift’, and ‘cold events’ in the Holocene are discussed in relation to the ‘collapse of civilisation’ concept, and adaptive cycles and the panarchy interpretative model.
Vessel guardians: sculpture and graphics related to the ceramics of NorthEastern European hunter-gatherers
Authors: Kashina Ekaterina Aleksandrovna , Zhulnikov Aleksandr
Published: December 2015

North-Eastern European hunter-gatherer ceramic sculptures, relief sculptures and graphic images on vessels are discussed. Five groups of finds are distinguished according to their chronology (4000–2500 BC cal) and represented subject (birds, human head, human figure, mammal head etc.). Their production believes to be a female craft, their making had ritual aims and their emerging was independent from any influences of pastoral/agricultural societies.
Modelling the initial expansion of the Neolithic out of Anatolia
Authors: Brami Maxime , Zanotti Andrea
Published: December 2015

Using the space-time distribution of 1162 uniformly recalibrated dates from 71 sites in Asia Minor, the Aegean Basin, Southern Thrace and Macedonia, this article presents geostatistical (kriging) and graphical simulations of the Neolithic expansion out of Anatolia. How fast was the advance of the agricultural pioneer front? Did it proceed in a single wave, moving at a steady pace, or did it involve instead long periods of stasis, punctuated by rapid advances? The article suggests that the expansion was more arrhythmic than linear. The spread of farming halted in Central Anatolia for several hundred years, before quickly expanding into Europe.
Farmers’ spatial behaviour, demographic density dependence and the spread of Neolithic agriculture in Central Europe
Authors: Svizzero Serge
Published: December 2015

Since the early 1970s, the demic diffusion model is the cornerstone of the migrationist approach of the European neolithization. It considers the latter as a slow, gradual and unintentionally process. During the last decade its relevance has been challenged by the observed variability of the spread, such as the extreme one exhibited by the LBK expansion in Central Europe. To account for it, migration - which is usually explained by exogenous push-pull factors - must rather be viewed as the result of farmers’ spatial behaviour. We adopt this approach and highlight the influence on farmers’ location choice of agglomeration effects and Allee effect in settled areas, an influence which also leads to define migration endogenously. Both effects – which find support in archaeological records - exhibit demographic density dependence and help to explain an observed but counter-intuitive result. Indeed, a high demographic density is associated with a slower rate of expansion of farming; this may result from strong agglomeration and Allee effects which hinder – or even stop - the migratory spread of agriculture. Farmers’ cooperation with indigenous populations are leading to acculturation of the latter and therefore may reduce the influence of both effects, fostering farmers’ migration.
Validation of farm-scale methane emissions using nocturnal boundary layer budgets
Authors: Stieger J. , Bamberger I. , Buchmann N. , Eugster W.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. This study provides the first experimental validation of Swiss agricultural methane emission estimates at the farm scale. We measured CH4 concentrations at a Swiss farmstead during two intensive field campaigns in August 2011 and July 2012 to (1) quantify the source strength of livestock methane emissions using a tethered balloon system and (2) to validate inventory emission estimates via nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) budgets. Field measurements were performed at a distance of 150 m from the nearest farm buildings with a tethered balloon system in combination with gradient measurements at eight heights on a 10 m tower to better resolve the near-surface concentrations. Vertical profiles of air temperature, relative humidity, CH4 concentration, wind speed, and wind direction showed that the NBL was strongly influenced by local transport processes and by the valley wind system. Methane concentrations showed a pronounced time course, with highest concentrations in the second half of the night. NBL budget flux estimates were obtained via a time–space kriging approach. Main uncertainties of NBL budget flux estimates were associated with nonstationary atmospheric conditions and the estimate of the inversion height zi (top of volume integration). The mean NBL budget fluxes of 1.60 ± 0.31 μg CH4 m-2 s-1 (1.40 ± 0.50 and 1.66 ± 0.20 μg CH4 m-2 s-1 in 2011 and 2012 respectively) were in good agreement with local inventory estimates based on current livestock number and default emission factors, with 1.29 ± 0.47 and 1.74 ± 0.63 μg CH4 m-2 s-1 for 2011 and 2012 respectively. This indicates that emission factors used for the national inventory reports are adequate, and we conclude that the NBL budget approach is a useful tool to validate emission inventory estimates.
Response of OH airglow emissions to the mesospheric gravity waves and its comparisons with full wave model simulation at a low latitude Indian station
Authors: Ghodpage R. N. , Hickey M. P. , Taori A. , Siingh D. , Patil P. T.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The quasi-monochromatic gravity wave induced oscillations, monitored using the mesospheric OH airglow emission over Kolhapur (16.8° N and 74.2° E), India during January to April 2010 and January to December 2011, have been characterized using the Krassovsky method. The nocturnal variability reveals prominent wave signatures with periods ranging from 5.2–10.8 h as the dominant nocturnal wave with embedded short period waves having wave periods 1.5–4.4 h. The results show that the magnitude of the Krassovsky parameter, viz., |η| ranged from 2.1 to 10.2 for principal or long nocturnal waves (5.2 to10.8 h observed periods), and, from 1.5 to 5.4 for the short waves (1.5 to 4.4 h observed periods) during the years of 2010 and 2011, respectively. The phase, i.e., Φ values of the Krassovsky parameters exhibited larger variability and varied from −8.1 to −167°. The deduced mean vertical wavelengths are found to be approximately −60.2 ± 20 and −42.8 ± 35 km for long and short wave periods for the year 2010. Similarly, for 2011 the mean vertical wavelengths are found to be approximately −77.6 ± 30 km and −59.2 ± 30 km for long and short wave periods, respectively, indicating that the observations over Kolhapur were dominated by upward propagating waves. We use a full wave model to simulate the response of OH emission to the wave motion and compare the results with observed values. In the present report, we discuss the observed wave characteristics and cause of the noted differences.
Effectiveness of replacing catalytic converters in LPG-fueled vehicles in Hong Kong
Authors: Lyu X. P. , Guo H. , Simpson I. J. , Meinardi S. , Louie P. K. K. , Ling Z. H. , Wang Y. , Liu M. , Luk C. W. Y. , Wang N. , Blake D. R.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Many taxis and public buses are powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Hong Kong. With more vehicles using LPG, they have become the major contributor to ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Hong Kong. An intervention program aimed to reduce the emissions of VOCs and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from LPG-fueled vehicles was implemented by the Hong Kong Government in September 2013. Long-term real-time measurements indicated that the program was remarkably effective in reducing LPG-related VOCs, NOx and nitric oxide (NO) in the atmosphere. Receptor modeling results further revealed that propane, propene, i-butane, n-butane and NO in LPG-fueled vehicle exhaust emissions decreased by 37.3 ± 0.4, 50.2 ± 0.3, 32.9 ± 0.4, 41.1 ± 0.4 and 75.9 ± 0.3 %, respectively, during the implementation of the program. In contrast, despite the reduction of VOCs and NOx, the O3 production following the program increased by 0.25 ± 0.04 ppbv h−1 (4.8 %). Moreover, the production rate of HOx decreased due to the reduction of VOCs, whereas NO reduction resulted in a more significant decrease of the HOx in destruction compared to the decrease in production, and an increase of hydroxyl (OH) and hydroperoxyl (HO2). Analysis of O3-VOCs-NOx sensitivity in ambient air indicated VOC-limited regimes in the O3 formation before and during the program. Moreover, a maximum reduction percentage of NOx (i.e., 29.4 %) and the lowest reduction ratio of VOCs / NOx (i.e., ~ 3 : 1) in LPG-fueled vehicle emissions were determined to give a zero O3 increment. The findings are of great help to future formulation and implementation of control strategies on vehicle emissions in Hong Kong.
The airborne mass spectrometer AIMS – Part 1: AIMS-H2O for UTLS water vapor measurements
Authors: Kaufmann S. , Voigt C. , Jurkat T. , Thornberry T. , Fahey D. W. , Gao R.-S. , Schlage R. , Schäuble D. , Zöger M.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. In the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), the accurate quantification of low water vapor concentrations has presented a significant measurement challenge. The instrumental uncertainties are passed on to estimates of H2O transport, cloud formation and the H2O role in the UTLS energy budget and resulting effects on surface temperatures. To address the uncertainty in UTLS H2O determination, the airborne mass spectrometer AIMS-H2O, with in-flight calibration, has been developed for fast and accurate airborne water vapor measurements. We present the new setup to measure water vapor by direct ionization of ambient air. Air is sampled via a backward facing inlet that includes a bypass flow to assure short residence times (< 0.2 s) in the inlet line, which allows the instrument to achieve a time resolution of ∼ 4 Hz. From the main inlet flow, a smaller flow is extracted into the novel pressure-controlled gas discharge ion source of the mass spectrometer. The air is directed through the gas discharge region where water molecules react to form hydronium ion clusters, H3O+(H2O)n (n= 0, 1, 2), in a complex reaction scheme similar to the reactions in the D-region of the ionosphere. These ions are counted to quantify the ambient water vapor mixing ratio. The instrument is calibrated during flight using a new calibration source based on the catalytic reaction of H2 and O2 on a Pt surface to generate a calibration standard with well defined and stable H2O mixing ratios. In order to increase data quality over a range of mixing ratios, two data evaluation methods are presented for lower and higher H2O mixing ratios respectively, using either only the H3O+(H2O) ions or the ratio of all water vapor dependent ions to the total ion current. Altogether, a range of water vapor mixing ratios from 1 to 500 ppmv (mole ratio, 10−6 mol mol−1) can be covered with an accuracy between 7 and 15 %. AIMS-H2O was deployed on two DLR research aircraft, the Falcon during CONCERT (Contrail and Cirrus Experiment) in 2011, and HALO during ML-CIRRUS (Mid-Latitude Cirrus) in 2014. The comparison of AIMS-H2O with the SHARC tunable diode laser hygrometer during ML-CIRRUS shows a very good overall agreement between both instruments for the entire campaign.
Quality assessment of solar UV irradiance measured with array spectroradiometers
Authors: Egli L. , Gröbner J. , Hülsen G. , Bachmann L. , Blumthaler M. , Dubard J. , Khazova M. , Kift R. , Hoogendijk K. , Serrano A. , Smedley A. R. D. , Vilaplana J.-M.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The reliable quantification of ultraviolet (UV) radiation at the Earth's surface requires accurate measurements of spectral global solar UV irradiance in order to determine the UV exposure to human skin and to understand long-term trends in this parameter. Array spectroradiometers are small, light, robust and cost effective instruments and are increasingly used for spectral irradiance measurements. Within the European EMRP-ENV03 project "Solar UV", new devices, guidelines, and characterization methods have been developed to improve solar UV measurements with array spectroradiometers and support to the end-user community has been provided. In order to assess the quality of 14 end-user array spectroradiometers, a solar UV intercomparison was held on the measurement platform of the World Radiation Center (PMOD/WRC) in Davos, Switzerland, from 10 to 17 July 2014. The results of the intercomparison revealed that array spectroradiometers, currently used for solar UV measurements, show a large variation in the quality of their solar UV measurements. Most of the instruments overestimate the erythema weighted UV index – in particular at low solar zenith angles – due to stray light contribution in the UV-B range. The spectral analysis of global solar UV irradiance further supported the finding that the uncertainties in the UV-B range are very large due to stray light contribution in this wavelength range. In summary, the UV index may be detected by some commercially available array spectroradiometer within 5 % compared to the world reference spectroradiometer, if well characterized and calibrated, but only for a limited range or solar zenith angle. Generally, the tested instruments are not yet suitable for solar UV measurements for the entire range between 290 to 400 nm under all atmospheric conditions.
Consistency and quality assessment of the Metop-A/IASI and Metop-B/IASI operational trace gas products (O3, CO, N2O, CH4 and CO2) in the Subtropical North Atlantic
Authors: García O. E. , Sepúlveda E. , Schneider M. , Hase F. , August T. , Blumenstock T. , Kühl S. , Munro R. , Gómez-Peláez A. , Hultberg T. , Redondas A. , Barthlott S. , Wiegele A. , González Y. , Sanromá E.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. This paper presents the tools and methodology for performing a routine comprehensive monitoring of consistency and quality of IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer) trace gas Level 2 (L2) products (O3, CO, N2O, CH4 and CO2) generated at EUMETSAT (European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites) using ground-based observations at the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory (IZO, Tenerife). As a demonstration the period 2010–2014 was analysed, covering the version 5 of the IASI L2 processor. Firstly, we assess the consistency between the total column (TC) observations from the IASI sensors on-board the EUMETSAT Metop-A and Metop-B meteorological satellites (IASI-A and IASI-B, respectively) in the subtropical North Atlantic region during the first two years of IASI-B operations (2012–2014). By analysing different time scales, we probe the daily and annual consistency of the variability observed by IASI-A and IASI-B and, thereby, assess the suitability of IASI-B for continuation of the IASI-A time series. The continuous inter-comparison of both IASI sensors also offers important diagnostics for identifying inconsistencies between the data records and for documenting their temporal stability. Once the consistency of IASI sensors is documented we estimate the overall accuracy of all the IASI trace gas TC products by comparing to coincident ground-based Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTS) measurements performed at IZO from 2010 to 2014. The IASI L2 products reproduce the ground-based FTS observations well at the longest temporal scales, i.e., annual cycles and long-term trends for all the trace gases considered (Pearson correlation coefficient, R, larger than 0.95 and 0.75 for long-term trends and annual cycles, respectively) with the exception of CO2. For CO2 acceptable agreement is only achieved for long-term trends (R~0.70). The differences observed between IASI and FTS observations can be in part attributed to the different vertical sensitivities of the two remote sensing instruments and also to the degree of maturity of the IASI products: O3 and CO are pre-operational, while N2O, CH4 and CO2 are, for the period covered by this study, aspirational products only and are not considered mature. Regarding shorter timescales (single or daily measurements), only the O3 product seems to be show good sensitivity to actual atmospheric variations (R~0.80), while the CO product is only moderately sensitive (R~0.50). For the remainder of the trace gases, further improvements would be required to capture the day-to-day real atmospheric variability.
Boltzmann electron PIC simulation of the E-sail effect
Authors: Janhunen P.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The solar wind electric sail (E-sail) is a planned in-space propulsion device that uses the natural solar wind momentum flux for spacecraft propulsion with the help of long, charged, centrifugally stretched tethers. The problem of accurately predicting the E-sail thrust is still somewhat open, however, due to a possible electron population trapped by the tether. Here we develop a new type of particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation for predicting E-sail thrust. In the new simulation, electrons are modelled as a fluid, hence resembling hybrid simulation, but in contrast to normal hybrid simulation, the Poisson equation is used as in normal PIC to calculate the self-consistent electrostatic field. For electron-repulsive parts of the potential, the Boltzmann relation is used. For electron-attractive parts of the potential we employ a power law which contains a parameter that can be used to control the number of trapped electrons. We perform a set of runs varying the parameter and select the one with the smallest number of trapped electrons which still behaves in a physically meaningful way in the sense of producing not more than one solar wind ion deflection shock upstream of the tether. By this prescription we obtain thrust per tether length values that are in line with earlier estimates, although somewhat smaller. We conclude that the Boltzmann PIC simulation is a new tool for simulating the E-sail thrust. This tool enables us to calculate solutions rapidly and allows to easily study different scenarios for trapped electrons.
Reconstruction of MIS 5 climate in the central Levant using a stalagmite from Kanaan Cave, Lebanon
Authors: Nehme C. , Verheyden S. , Noble S. R. , Farrant A. R. , Sahy D. , Hellstrom J. , Delannoy J. J. , Claeys P.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Lying at the transition between the temperate Mediterranean domain and subtropical deserts, the Levant is a key area to study the palaeoclimatic response over glacial–interglacial cycles. This paper presents a precisely dated last interglacial (MIS 5) stalagmite (129–84 ka) from the Kanaan Cave, Lebanon. Variations in growth rate and isotopic records indicate a warm humid phase at the onset of the last interglacial at ~ 129 ka that lasted until ~ 125 ka. A gradual shift in speleothem isotopic composition (125–122 ka) is driven mainly by the δ18O source effect of the eastern Mediterranean surface waters during sapropel 5 (S5). The onset of glacial inception began after ~ 122 ka, interrupted by a short wet pulse during the sapropel 4 (S4) event. Low growth rates and enriched oxygen and carbon values until ~ 84 ka indicate a transition to drier conditions during Northern Hemisphere glaciation.
Southern Ocean as a constrain to reduce uncertainty in future ocean carbon sinks
Authors: Kessler A. , Tjiputra J.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Earth System Model (ESM) simulations exhibit large biases compares to observations of the present ocean CO2 sink. The inter-model spread in projections increases by nearly two-fold by the end of the 21st century, and therefore contributes significantly to the uncertainty of future climate projections. In this study, the Southern Ocean (SO) is shown to be one of the hot-spot regions for future uptake of anthropogenic CO2, characterized by both the solubility pump and biological-mediated carbon drawdown in the Spring and Summer. We show, by analyzing a suite of fully-interactive ESMs simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) over the 21st century under the high CO2 RCP8.5 scenario, that the SO is the only region where the atmospheric CO2 uptake rate continues to increase toward the end of the 21st century. Furthermore, our study discovers a strong inter-model link between the contemporary CO2 uptake in the Southern Ocean and the projected global cumulated uptake over the 21st century. The inter-model spread for the contemporary CO2 uptake in the Southern Ocean is attributed to the variations in the simulated seasonal cycle of surface pCO2. Two groups of model behaviour have been identified. The first one simulates anomalously strong SO carbon uptake, generally due to both too-strong net primary production and too-low surface pCO2 in December–January. The second group simulates an opposite CO2 flux seasonal phase, which is driven mainly by the bias in the sea surface temperature variability. We show that these biases are persistent throughout the 21st century, which highlight the urgent need for a sustained and comprehensive biogeochemical monitoring system in the Southern Ocean to better constrain key processes represented in current model systems.
Comparison between manual scaling and Autoscala automatic scaling applied to Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory ionograms
Authors: Enell C.-F. , Kozlovsky A. , Turunen T. , Ulich T. , Välitalo S. , Scotto C. , Pezzopane M.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. This paper presents a comparison between standard ionospheric parameters manually and automatically scaled from ionograms recorded at the high-latitude Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory (SGO, ionosonde SO166, 64.1° geomagnetic latitude), located in the vicinity of the auroral oval. The study is based on 2610 ionograms recorded during the period June–December 2013. The automatic scaling was made by means of the Autoscala software. A few typical examples are shown to outline the method, and statistics are presented of the differences between manually and automatically scaled values of F2, F1, E and sporadic E (Es) layer parameters. We draw the conclusions that: The F2 parameters scaled by Autoscala, foF2 and M(3000)F2, are reliable. F1 is identified by Autoscala in significantly fewer cases (about 50 %) than in the manual routine, but if identified the values of foF1 are reliable. Autoscala E layer parameters are close to those manually scaled when identified; however, Autoscala detects an E layer in many cases when none is identified by the manual scaler. Es and parameters of Es identified by Autoscala are in many cases different from those of the manual scaling. Scaling of Es at auroral latitudes is often a difficult task.
Weather model verification using Sodankylä mast measurements
Authors: Kangas M. , Rontu L. , Fortelius C. , Aurela M. , Poikonen A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Sodankylä, in the heart of Arctic Research Centre of the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI ARC) in northern Finland, is an ideal site for atmospheric and environmental research in the boreal and sub-arctic zone. With temperatures ranging from −50 to +30 °C, it provides a challenging testing ground for numerical weather forecasting (NWP) models as well as weather forecasting in general. An extensive set of measurements has been carried out in Sodankylä for more than 100 years. In 2000, a 48 m high micrometeorological mast was erected in the area. In this article, the use of Sodankylä mast measurements in NWP model verification is described. Started in 2000 with NWP model HIRLAM and Sodankylä measurements, the verification system has now been expanded to include comparisons between 12 NWP models and seven measurement masts. A case study, comparing forecasted and observed radiation fluxes, is also presented. It was found that three different radiation schemes, applicable in NWP model HARMONIE-AROME, produced during cloudy days somewhat different downwelling long-wave radiation fluxes, which however did not change the overall cold bias of the predicted screen-level temperature.
A Consistent Prescription of Stratospheric Aerosol for Both Radiation and Chemistry in the Community Earth System Model (CESM1)
Authors: Neely R. R. , Conley A. , Vitt F. , Lamarque J. F.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Here we describe an updated parameterization for prescribing stratospheric aerosol in the Community Earth System Model (CESM1). The need for a new parameterisation is motivated by the poor global response of most models in Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project 5 (CMIP5) to colossal volcanic perturbations to the stratospheric aerosol layer (such as the 1991 Pinatubo eruption or the 1883 Krakatau eruption) in comparison to observations. In particular, the scheme used in the CMIP5 simulations by CESM1 simulated a global temperature decrease by a factor 2 larger than was observed. The new parameterisation takes advantage of recent improvements in historical stratospheric aerosol databases to allow for varying both the mass loading and effective radius of the prescribed aerosol. Simulations utilizing the new scheme are shown to now reproduce the observed global mean temperature response as well as the temperature response of the stratosphere due to local aerosol heating after the 1991 Pinatubo eruption.
High resolution land surface fluxes from satellite data (HOLAPS v1.0): evaluation and uncertainty assessment
Authors: Loew A. , Peng J. , Borsche M.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Surface water and energy fluxes are essential components of the Earth system. Surface latent heat fluxes provide major energy input to the atmosphere. Despite the importance of these fluxes, state-of-the-art datasets of surface energy and water fluxes largely differ. The present paper introduces a new framework for the estimation of surface energy and water fluxes at the land surface, which allows for temporally and spatially high resolved flux estimates at the global scale (HOLAPS). The framework maximizes the usage of existing long-term satellite data records and ensures internally consistent estimates of the surface radiation and water fluxes. The manuscript introduces the technical details of the developed framework and provides results of a comprehensive sensitivity and evaluation study. Overall the results indicate very good agreement with in situ observations when compared against 49 FLUXNET stations worldwide. Largest uncertainties of latent heat flux and net radiation were found to result from uncertainties in the global solar radiation flux obtained from satellite data products.
Green and blue water footprint reduction in irrigated agriculture: effect of irrigation techniques, irrigation strategies and mulching
Authors: Chukalla A. D. , Krol M. S. , Hoekstra A. Y.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Consumptive water footprint (WF) reduction in irrigated crop production is essential given the increasing competition for freshwater. This study explores the effect of three management practices on the soil water balance and plant growth, specifically on evapotranspiration (ET) and yield (Y) and thus the consumptive WF of crops (ET / Y). The management practices are four irrigation techniques (furrow, sprinkler, drip and subsurface drip (SSD)), four irrigation strategies (full (FI), deficit (DI), supplementary (SI) and no irrigation), and three mulching practices (no mulching, organic (OML) and synthetic (SML) mulching). Various cases were considered: arid, semi-arid, sub-humid and humid environments in Israel, Spain, Italy and the UK, respectively; wet, normal and dry years; three soil types (sand, sandy loam and silty clay loam); and three crops (maize, potato and tomato). The AquaCrop model and the global WF accounting standard were used to relate the management practices to effects on ET, Y and WF. For each management practice, the associated green, blue and total consumptive WF were compared to the reference case (furrow irrigation, full irrigation, no mulching). The average reduction in the consumptive WF is 8–10 % if we change from the reference to drip or SSD, 13 % when changing to OML, 17–18 % when moving to drip or SSD in combination with OML, and 28 % for drip or SSD in combination with SML. All before-mentioned reductions increase by one or a few per cent when moving from full to deficit irrigation. Reduction in overall consumptive WF always goes together with an increasing ratio of green to blue WF. The WF of growing a crop for a particular environment is smallest under DI, followed by FI, SI and rain-fed. Growing crops with sprinkler irrigation has the largest consumptive WF, followed by furrow, drip and SSD. Furrow irrigation has a smaller consumptive WF compared with sprinkler, even though the classical measure of "irrigation efficiency" for furrow is lower.
A thermodynamic formulation of root water uptake
Authors: Hildebrandt A. , Kleidon A. , Bechmann M.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. By extracting bound water from the soil and lifting it to the canopy, root systems of vegetation perform work. Here we describe how the energetics involved in root water uptake can be quantified. The illustration is done using a simple, four-box model of the soil-root system to represent heterogeneity and a parameterization in which root water uptake is driven by the xylem potential of the plant with a fixed flux boundary condition. We use this approach to evaluate the effects of soil moisture heterogeneity and root system properties on the dissipative losses and export of energy involved in root water uptake. For this, we derive an expression that relates the energy export at the root collar to a sum of terms that reflect all fluxes and storage changes along the flow path in thermodynamic terms. We conclude that such a thermodynamic evaluation of root water uptake conveniently provides insights into the impediments of different processes along the entire flow path and explicitly accounting not only for the resistances along the flow path and those imposed by soil drying but especially the role of heterogenous soil water distribution. The results show that least energy needs to be exported and dissipative losses are minimized by a root system if it extracts water uniformly from the soil. This has implications for plant water relations in forests where canopies generate heterogenous input patterns. Our diagnostic in the energy domain should be useful in future model applications for quantifying how plants can evolve towards greater efficiency in their structure and function, particularly in heterogenous soil environments. Generally, this approach may help to better describe heterogeneous processes in the soil in a simple, yet physically-based way.
An extended stochastic method for seismic hazard estimation
Authors: Abd el-aal A. K. , El-Eraki M. A. , Mostafa S. I.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. In this contribution, we developed an extended stochastic technique for seismic hazard assessment purposes. This technique depends on the hypothesis of stochastic technique of Boore (2003) "Simulation of ground motion using the stochastic method. Appl. Geophy. 160:635–676". The essential characteristics of extended stochastic technique are to obtain and simulate ground motion in order to minimize future earthquake consequences. The first step of this technique is defining the seismic sources which mostly affect the study area. Then, the maximum expected magnitude is defined for each of these seismic sources. It is followed by estimating the ground motion using an empirical attenuation relationship. Finally, the site amplification is implemented in calculating the peak ground acceleration (PGA) at each site of interest. We tested and applied this developed technique at Cairo, Suez, Port Said, Ismailia, Zagazig and Damietta cities to predict the ground motion. Also, it is applied at Cairo, Zagazig and Damietta cities to estimate the maximum peak ground acceleration at actual soil conditions. In addition, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 and 20 % damping median response spectra are estimated using the extended stochastic simulation technique. The calculated highest acceleration values at bedrock conditions are found at Suez city with a value of 44 cm s−2. However, these acceleration values decrease towards the north of the study area to reach 14.1 cm s−2 at Damietta city. This comes in agreement with the results of previous studies of seismic hazards in northern Egypt and is found to be comparable. This work can be used for seismic risk mitigation and earthquake engineering purposes.
Coupling of wave and circulation models in coastal-ocean predicting systems: a case study for the German Bight
Authors: Staneva J. , Wahle K. , Günther H. , Stanev E.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. This study addresses the impact of coupling between wind wave and circulation models on the quality of coastal ocean predicting systems. This is exemplified for the German Bight and its coastal area known as the Wadden Sea. The latter is the area between the barrier islands and the coast. This topic reflects the increased interest in operational oceanography to reduce prediction errors of state estimates at coastal scales, which in many cases are due to unresolved nonlinear feedback between strong tidal currents and wind-waves. In this study we present analysis of wave and hydrographic observations, as well as results of numerical simulations. A nested-grid modelling system is used to producing reliable nowcasts and short-term forecasts of ocean state variables, including wind waves and hydrodynamics. The data base includes ADCP observations and continuous measurements from data stations. The individual and collective role of wind, waves and tidal forcing are quantified. The performance of the forecast system is illustrated for the cases of several extreme events. Effects of ocean waves on coastal circulation and sea level are investigated by considering the wave-dependent stress and wave breaking parameterization. Also the effects which the circulation exerts on the wind waves are tested for the coastal areas using different parameterizations. The improved skill of the coupled forecasts compared to the non-coupled ones, in particular during extreme events, justifies the further enhancements of coastal operational systems by including wind wave models.
Sea ice drift from Sentinel-1 SAR imagery using open source feature tracking
Authors: Muckenhuber S. , Korosov A. , Sandven S.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. A computational efficient, open source feature tracking algorithm, called ORB, is adopted and tuned for sea ice drift retrieval from Sentinel-1 SAR images. The best suitable setting and parameter values have been found using four representative Sentinel-1 image pairs. A new quality measure for feature tracking algorithms is introduced utilising the distribution of the resulting vector field. The performance of the algorithm is compared with two other feature tracking algorithms (SIFT and SURF). Applied on a test image pair acquired over Fram Strait, the tuned ORB algorithm produces the highest number of vectors (6920, SIFT: 1585 and SURF: 518) while being computational most efficient (66 s, SIFT: 182 s and SURF: 99 s using a 2,7 GHz processor with 8 GB memory). For validation purpose, 350 manually drawn vectors have been compared with the closest calculated vectors and the resulting root mean square distance is 609.9 m (equivalent to 7.5 pixel). All test image pairs show a significant better performance of the HV channel. On average, around 4 times more vectors have been found using HV polarisation. All software requirements necessary for applying the presented feature tracking algorithm are open source to ensure a free and easy implementation.
Vertical ground movements in the Polish and Lithuanian Baltic coastal area as measured by satellite interferometry
Authors: Graniczny Marek , Čyžienė Jolanta , van Leijen Freek , Minkevičius Vytautas , Mikulėnas Vidas , Satkūnas Jonas , Przyłucka Maria , Kowalski Zbigniew , Uścinowicz Szymon , Jegliński Wojciech , Hanssen Ramon
Published: December 2015

The article contains results obtained from realization of the Polish and Lithuanian Baltic case study within the EU – FP 7 SubCoast project, which one of the primary aims was analysis of vertical ground movements, potentially causing geohazards in the coastal areas. To reach this goal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data were obtained. For the Polish and Lithuanian Baltic coast ERS archive radar data were processed in order to provide Permanent Scatterer (PSInSAR, PSI) results that were then used to create the new innovative product – Dynamic DEM (DDEM). The deformation model defined by the SubCoast project normally needs to be created by merging InSAR, satellite navigation (GNSS), optical leveling and/or gravimetry measurements. Elaboration of DDEM enables more effective comparison between PS and tectonic features. Comparison of PS time series with groundwater changes shows a direct correlation, confirming impact of groundwater on subsidence or uplift of the ground surface. The results of the geological interpretation demonstrated that the examples of movements detected by PSI include subsidence linked to deformation of engineering constructions, compaction of organic or weak soils, and eolian accumulation or deflation processes of the sand dunes. For the Polish and Lithuanian coasts most of the area proved to be stable, nevertheless some local deviations up to –15 mm per year of movement were found.
Cliff top recession rate and cliff hazards for the sea coast of Wolin Island (Southern Baltic)
Authors: Kostrzewski Andrzej , Zwoliński Zbigniew , Winowski Marcin , Tylkowski Jacek , Samołyk Mariusz
Published: December 2015

The paper presents results of studies on the rate of erosion of the Wolin Island cliffed coast (NW Poland) during the last three decades. Trends of geomorphological changes were defined based on multiannual observations (1984-2014). Changes were controlled by secular and extreme processes. Research has shown that the intensity of the processes shaping the Wolin Island cliffed coast were characterized by a clear seasonal variability. Analysis of hydro-meteorological conditions allowed to present the threshold values of the most important factors initiating cliffs hazard. The destruction of the cliff, differing in range, occurs in the above-threshold conditions. Multiannual research and direct observations of the functioning of the cliffed coast conducted herein gave a base to propose the safety shield and information system about the cliff hazard.