bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
City Branding and Local SMEs: A Smart Specialisation Perspective
Authors: Pasquinelli Cecilia
Published: May 2015

The growing literature on city branding has widely overlooked the relationship between firms and city brands. This paper analyses firms, with a focus on local SMEs as city image consumers and users, but it also draws attention to them as producers of city images. From a smart specialisation perspective, this analysis suggests that firms may contribute to a new wave of ‘innovation brands’ according to which the place-based approach to innovation is made visible and perceived locally and internationally. The city brand may represent a source of values and symbols that legitimize and help understand local smart specialization rationale, hence fostering the path of innovation at local and regional scale.
Composition, size distribution, optical properties and radiative effects of re-suspended local mineral dust of Rome area by individual-particle microanalysis and radiative transfer modelling
Authors: Pietrodangelo A. , Salzano R. , Bassani C. , Pareti S. , Perrino C.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. New information on the PM10 mineral dust from site-specific (Rome area, Latium) outcropped rocks, and on the microphysics, optical properties and radiative effects of mineral dust at local level were gained in this work. A multi-disciplinary approach was used, based on individual-particle scanning electron microscopy with X-ray energy-dispersive microanalysis (SEM XEDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of dust, size distribution of mineral particles, and radiative transfer modelling (RTM).The mineral composition of Rome lithogenic PM10 varies between an end-member dominated by silicate minerals and one exclusively composed of calcite. The first is obtained from volcanic lithotypes, the second from travertine or limestones; lithogenic PM10 with intermediate composition derives mainly from siliciclastic rocks or marlstones of Rome area. Size and mineral species of PM10 particles of silicate-dominated dust types are tuned mainly by weathering and, to lesser extent, by debris formation or crystallization; chemical precipitation of CaCO3 plays a major role in calcite-dominated types. These differences are evidenced by the diversity of volume distributions, within either dust types, or mineral species. Further differences are observed between volume distributions of calcite from travertine (natural source) and from road dust (anthropic source), specifically on the width, shape and enrichment of the fine fraction (unimodal at 5 μm a.d. for travertine, bimodal at 3.8 and 1.8 μm a.d. for road dust). Log-normal probability density functions of volcanics and travertine dusts affect differently the single scattering albedo (SSA) and the asymmetry parameter (g) in the VISible and Near Infrared (NIR) regions, depending also on the absorbing/non-absorbing character of volcanics and travertine, respectively. The downward component of the BOA solar irradiance simulated by RTM for a volcanics-rich or travertine-rich atmosphere shows that volcanics contribution to the solar irradiance differs significantly from that of travertine in the NIR region, while similar contributions are modelled in the VIS.
Measurements of methane emissions from natural gas gathering facilities and processing plants: measurement methods
Authors: Roscioli J. R. , Yacovitch T. I. , Floerchinger C. , Mitchell A. L. , Tkacik D. S. , Subramanian R. , Martinez D. M. , Vaughn T. L. , Williams L. , Zimmerle D. , Robinson A. L. , Herndon S. C. , Marchese A. J.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Increased natural gas production in recent years has spurred intense interest in methane (CH4) emissions associated with its production, gathering, processing, transmission, and distribution. Gathering and processing facilities (G&P facilities) are unique in that the wide range of gas sources (shale, coal-bed, tight gas, conventional, etc.) results in a wide range of gas compositions, which in turn requires an array of technologies to prepare the gas for pipeline transmission and distribution. We present an overview and detailed description of the measurement method and analysis approach used during a 20-week field campaign studying CH4 emissions from the natural gas G&P facilities between October 2013 and April 2014. Dual-tracer flux measurements and on-site observations were used to address the magnitude and origins of CH4 emissions from these facilities. The use of a second tracer as an internal standard revealed plume-specific uncertainties in the measured emission rates of 20–47%, depending upon plume classification. Combining downwind methane, ethane (C2H6), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and tracer gas measurements with on-site tracer gas release allows for quantification of facility emissions and in some cases a more detailed picture of source locations.
Properties of dissolved and total organic matter in throughfall, stemflow and forest floor leachate of central European forests
Authors: Bischoff S. , Schwarz M. T. , Siemens J. , Thieme L. , Wilcke W. , Michalzik B.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. We present the first investigation of the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) compared to total organic matter (TOM, consisting of DOM, < 0.45 μm and particulate organic matter 0.45 μm < POM < 500 μm) in throughfall, stemflow and forest floor leachate of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) forests using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We hypothesized that the composition and properties of organic matter (OM) in forest ecosystem water samples differ between DOM and TOM and between the two tree species. The 13C NMR results, derived from 21 samples, point to pronounced differences in the composition of DOM and TOM in throughfall solution at the beech sites, with TOM exhibiting higher relative intensities for the alkyl C region, which represents aliphatic C from less decomposed organic material compared to DOM. Furthermore, TOM shows lower intensities for lignin-derived and aromatic C of the aryl C region resulting in lower aromaticity indices and a diminished degree of humification. Across the ecosystem compartments, differences in the structural composition of DOM and TOM under beech lessened in the following order: throughfall > stemflow ≈ forest floor leachate. In contrast to the broadleaved sites, differences between DOM and TOM in throughfall solution under spruce were less pronounced and spectra were, overall, dominated by the alkyl C region, representing aliphatic C. Explanations of the reported results might be substantiated in differences in tree species-specific structural effects, leaching characteristics or differences in the microbial community of the tree species' phyllosphere and cortisphere. However, the fact that throughfall DOM under beech showed the highest intensities of recalcitrant aromatic and phenolic C among all samples analysed likely points to a high allelopathic potential of beech trees negatively affecting other organisms and hence ecosystem processes and functions.
The Eocene–Oligocene transition at ODP Site 1263, Atlantic Ocean: decreases in nannoplankton size and abundance and correlation with benthic foraminiferal assemblages
Authors: Bordiga M. , Henderiks J. , Tori F. , Monechi S. , Fenero R. , Thomas E.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The biotic response of calcareous nannoplankton to environmental and climatic changes during the Eocene–Oligocene transition (~34.8–32.7 Ma) was investigated at high resolution at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1263 (Walvis Ridge, South East Atlantic Ocean), and compared with a lower resolution benthic foraminiferal record. During this time interval, the global climate which had been warm during the Eocene, under high levels of atmospheric CO2 (pCO2), transitioned into the cooler climate of the Oligocene, with overall lower pCO2. At Site 1263, the absolute nannofossil abundance (coccoliths per gram of sediment; N g−1) and the mean coccolith size decreased distinctly across the E–O boundary (EOB; 33.89 Ma), mainly due to a sharp decline in abundance of large-sized Reticulofenestra and Dictyococcites, within ~53 kyr. Since carbonate dissolution did not vary much across the EOB, the decrease in abundance and size of nannofossils may highlight an overall decrease in their export production, which could have led to an increased ratio of organic to inorganic carbon (calcite) burial, as well as variations in the food availability for benthic foraminifers. The benthic foraminiferal assemblage data show the global decline in abundance of rectilinear species with complex apertures in the latest Eocene (~34.5 Ma), potentially reflecting changes in the food source, thus phytoplankton, followed by transient increased abundance of species indicative of seasonal delivery of food to the sea floor (Epistominella spp.; ~34.04–33.54 Ma), with a short peak in overall food delivery at the EOB (buliminid taxa; ~33.9 Ma). After Oi-1 (starting at ~33.4 Ma), a high abundance of Nuttallides umbonifera indicates the presence of more corrosive bottom waters, possibly combined with less food arriving at the sea floor. The most important signals in the planktonic and benthic communities, i.e. the marked decrease of large reticulofenestrids, extinctions of planktonic foraminifer species and more pronounced seasonal influx of organic matter, preceded the major expansion of the Antarctic ice sheet (Oi-1) by ~440 kyr. During Oi-1, our data show no major change in nannofossil abundance or assemblage composition occurred at Site 1263, although benthic foraminifera indicate more corrosive bottom waters following this event. Marine plankton thus showed high sensitivity to fast-changing conditions, possibly enhanced but pulsed nutrient supply, during the early onset of latest Eocene-earliest Oligocene climate change, or to a threshold in these changes (e.g. pCO2 decline, high-latitude cooling and ocean circulation).
Quantification of the influence of preferential flow on slope stability using a numerical modelling approach
Authors: Shao W. , Bogaard T. A. , Bakker M. , Greco R.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The effect of preferential flow on the stability of landslides is studied through numerical simulation of two types of rainfall events on a hypothetical hillslope. A model is developed that consists of two parts. The first part is a model for combined saturated/unsaturated subsurface flow and is used to compute the spatial and temporal water pressure response to rainfall. Preferential flow is simulated with a dual-permeability continuum model consisting of a matrix domain coupled to a preferential flow domain. The second part is a soil mechanics model and is used to compute the spatial and temporal distribution of the local factor of safety based on the water pressure distribution computed with the subsurface flow model. Two types of rainfall events were considered: long-duration, low-intensity rainfall, and short-duration, high-intensity rainfall. The effect of preferential flow on slope stability is assessed through comparison of the failure area when subsurface flow is simulated with the dual-permeability model as compared to a single-permeability model (no preferential flow). For the low-intensity rainfall case, preferential flow has a positive effect on drainage of the hillslope resulting in a smaller failure area. For the high-intensity rainfall case, preferential flow has a negative effect on the slope stability as the majority of rainfall infiltrates into the preferential flow domain when rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity of the matrix domain, resulting in larger water pressure and a larger failure area.
Interdependence and dynamics of essential services in an extensive risk context: a case study in Montserrat, West Indies
Authors: Sword-Daniels V. L. , Rossetto T. , Wilson T. M. , Sargeant S.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The essential services that support urban living are complex and interdependent, and their disruption in disasters directly affects society. Yet there are few empirical studies to inform our understanding of the vulnerabilities and resilience of complex infrastructure systems in disasters. This research takes a systems thinking approach to explore the dynamic behaviour of a network of essential services, in the presence and absence of volcanic ashfall hazards in Montserrat, West Indies. Adopting a case study methodology and qualitative methods to gather empirical data, we centre the study on the healthcare system and its interconnected network of essential services. We identify different types of relationship between sectors and develop a new interdependence classification system for analysis. Relationships are further categorised by hazard conditions, for use in extensive risk contexts. During heightened volcanic activity, relationships between systems transform in both number and type: connections increase across the network by 41%, and adapt to increase cooperation and information sharing. Interconnections add capacities to the network, increasing the resilience of prioritised sectors. This in-depth and context-specific approach provides a new methodology for studying the dynamics of infrastructure interdependence in an extensive risk context, and can be adapted for use in other hazard contexts.
Runup parameterization and beach vulnerability assessment on a barrier island: a downscaling approach
Authors: Medellín G. , Brinkkemper J. A. , Torres-Freyermuth A. , Appendini C. M. , Mendoza E. T. , Salles P.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. We present a downscaling approach for the study of wave-induced extreme water levels at a location on a barrier island in Yucatan (Mexico). Wave information from a 30 year wave hindcast is validated with in situ measurements at 8 m water depth. The Maximum Dissimilarity Algorithm is employed for the selection of 600 representative cases, encompassing different wave characteristics and tidal level combinations. The selected cases are propagated from 8 m water depth till the shore using the coupling of a third-generation wave model and a phase-resolving non-hydrostatic Nonlinear Shallow Water Equations model. Extreme wave runup, R2%, is estimated for the simulated cases and can be further employed to reconstruct the 30 year period using an interpolation algorithm. Downscaling results show runup saturation during more energetic wave conditions and modulation owing to tides. The latter suggests that the R2% can be parameterized using a hyperbolic-like formulation with dependency on both wave height and tidal level. The new parametric formulation is in agreement with the downscaling results (r2 = 0.78), allowing a fast calculation of wave-induced extreme water levels at this location. Finally, an assessment of beach vulnerability to wave-induced extreme water level is conducted at the study area by employing the two approaches (reconstruction/parametrization) and a storm impact scale. The 30 year extreme water level hindcast allows the calculation of beach vulnerability as a function of return periods. It is shown that the downscaling-derived parameterization provides reasonable results as compared with the numerical approach. This methodology can be extended to other locations and can be further improved by incorporating the storm surge contributions to the extreme water level.
Oscillations in a simple climate–vegetation model
Authors: Rombouts J. , Ghil M.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. We formulate and analyze a simple dynamical systems model for climate–vegetation interaction. The planet we consider consists of a large ocean and a land surface on which vegetation can grow. The temperature affects vegetation growth on land and the amount of sea ice on the ocean. Conversely, vegetation and sea ice change the albedo of the planet, which in turn changes its energy balance and hence the temperature evolution. Our highly idealized, conceptual model is governed by two nonlinear, coupled ordinary differential equations, one for global temperature, the other for vegetation cover. The model exhibits either bistability between a vegetated and a desert state or oscillatory behavior. The oscillations arise through a Hopf bifurcation off the vegetated state, when the death rate of vegetation is low enough. These oscillations are anharmonic and exhibit a sawtooth shape that is characteristic of relaxation oscillations, as well as suggestive of the sharp deglaciations of the Quaternary. Our model's behavior can be compared, on the one hand, with the bistability of even simpler, Daisyworld-style climate–vegetation models. On the other hand, it can be integrated into the hierarchy of models trying to simulate and explain oscillatory behavior in the climate system. Rigorous mathematical results are obtained that link the nature of the feedbacks with the nature and the stability of the solutions. The relevance of model results to climate variability on various timescales is discussed.
Study of a dynamic downscaling scheme for quantitative precipitation forecasting
Authors: Li Y. , Lu G. H. , Wu Z. Y. , Shi J.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Dynamic downscaling is the best way to get high resolution quantitative precipitation forecasts. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) was utilized as a dynamic downscaling tool in this study. The influence of the horizontal resolutions and the model domains on precipitation forecasts has been analysed to establish an optimized dynamic downscaling scheme. Three precipitation events over Xijiang basin, China, were simulated with different horizontal resolutions and domains. The results indicate that both the horizontal resolution and model domain have an influence on the precipitation forecast. However, the correlation between high precipitation forecast accuracy and the high horizontal resolution or the large model domain were not very strong. Comprehensive consideration of the results shows that the accuracy of forecast is best when the horizontal resolution is 20-km. Although the model domain size has no significant influence on the precipitation forecast, a larger domain may improve the stability of forecasting.
Urban flood simulation based on the SWMM model
Authors: Jiang L. , Chen Y. , Wang H.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. China is the nation with the fastest urbanization in the past decades which has caused serious urban flooding. Flood forecasting is regarded as one of the important flood mitigation methods, and is widely used in catchment flood mitigation, but is not widely used in urban flooding mitigation. This paper, employing the SWMM model, one of the widely used urban flood planning and management models, simulates the urban flooding of Dongguan City in the rapidly urbanized southern China. SWMM is first set up based on the DEM, digital map and underground pipeline network, then parameters are derived based on the properties of the subcatchment and the storm sewer conduits; the parameter sensitivity analysis shows the parameter robustness. The simulated results show that with the 1-year return period precipitation, the studied area will have no flooding, but for the 2-, 5-, 10- and 20-year return period precipitation, the studied area will be inundated. The results show the SWMM model is promising for urban flood forecasting, but as it has no surface runoff routing, the urban flooding could not be forecast precisely.
Optimal application of conceptual rainfall–runoff hydrological models in the Jinshajiang River basin, China
Authors: Tayyab M. , Zhou J. , Zeng X. , Chen L. , Ye L.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. For specific research areas different hydrological models have shown different characteristics. By comparing different hydrological models on the same area we should get better and more authentic results. The objective of this research study is to highlight the importance of model selection for specific research areas. For the Jinshajiang River basin, three conceptual hydrological models including the Xin’anjiang model, the Antecedent precipitation index (API) model and the Tank model are applied to select the most suitable model for flood forecasting, based on the hourly rainfall and hourly discharge data. Data were analysed by comparing the simulation outputs of the three models with the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency and Correlation coefficient index. Results showed that the performance of the three models were not very different. On the basis of data need and the characteristics of the research basin, the Xin’anjiang model was selected as the optimal and practical conceptual hydrological model for the Jinshajiang River basin.
Effects of dams on river flow regime based on IHA/RVA
Authors: Zuo Q. , Liang S.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The river hydrologic regime is a driving force of the river ecosystem. Operation of dams and sluices has significant impacts on rivers’ hydrological situation. Taking the example of the Shaying River, the Jieshou hydrologic section was selected to study the influence of the sluice and all its upstream dams on the hydrologic regime. Using 55 years of measured daily flows at Jieshou hydrologic station, the hydrological date were divided into two series as pre- and post-impact periods. Based on the IHA, the range of variability in 33 flow parameters was calculated, and the hydrologic alteration associated with dams and sluices operation was quantified. Using the RVA method, hydrologic alteration at the stream gauge site was assessed to demonstrate the influence of dams on the hydrological condition. The results showed that dams have a strong influence on the regime; the river eco-hydrological targets calculated in this study can afford some support for water resources and ecosystem management of Shaying River.
Calculation of design flood for regions with no data but influencedby warping dam projects
Authors: Yi Q. , Qize Q. , Ke L. , Xuechun L.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Construction of warping dams destroys the consistency of annual maximum discharge series, which makes it difficult to calculate design floods, and even harder to calculate design floods in regions with no data. In this paper, an approach including consistency handling and regional formulae for statistical parameters was proposed to solve the problem encountered in calculation of design flood in no data regions influenced by warping dam projects. Analysis showed that the calculation results of such an approach are close to the actual situations and the approach has flexibility.
Development of Chengdu and sustainable utilization of the ancient Dujiangyan Water-Conservancy Project
Authors: Huang X. , You J. , Yang P. , Chai X.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. The Dujiangyan Water-Conservancy Project is a great water irrigation works in Chinese cultural history, which led the Min River water to the vast Chengdu Plain, and created fertile and pretty "land of abundance". Now Chengdu is facing increased water demand stress due mainly to rapid urbanization. This paper first analyses the available water resources of Chengdu based on historical hydrological data from 1964 to 2008. The results show that the average annual water resources were 8.9 billion m3 in 1986 and 7.9 billion m3 in 2008 under various environmental conditions. The future tendency of water demand in city development planning is predicted by the Policy Dialogue Model (PODIUM). Finally, the strategies for water resources exploitation accompanying the sustainable development pattern are studied. The result illustrates that rational and careful management are required to balance the gap between water supply and demand
Combining the trapezoidal relationship between land surface temperature and vegetation index with the Priestley-Taylor equation to estimate evapotranspiration
Authors: Wang X. , Wang W. , Jiang Y.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Evapotranspiration (ET) plays an important role in the hydrological cycle. A method of combining the Priestley-Taylor (P-T) equation with a trapezoidal space between land surface temperature (Ts) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) is proposed based on the principle of energy balance. Generally, this method is divided into three major parts: (1) construct the Ts versus EVI (Ts-VI) trapezoidal space for calculating the Ts at four extreme conditions (i.e. well-watered vegetation, water-stressed vegetation, saturated bare soil and dry bare soil); (2) calculate the P-T coefficient for each pixel according to the position of the observed (EVI, Ts) point in the trapezoid space; (3) calculate actual ET of the pixel using the P-T equation. The method is validated using Landsat-8 images and ground-observed data for a semi-humid area in China. The result shows that the ET estimates match the observations well, which indicates the effectiveness the proposed method here.
Confined aquifer vulnerability induced by a pumping well in a leakage area
Authors: Meng X. , Deng B. , Shao J. , Yin M. , Liu D. , Hu Q.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Due to the pollution of shallow groundwater and the rapid development of society and economy which consume more freshwater, the exploitation of confined groundwater is steadily increasing in north China. Therefore, the rapid decline of the confined groundwater head increases the risk of confined aquifer pollution by leaky recharge from shallow aquifers. In this paper, a quantitative method for assessing confined aquifer vulnerability to contamination due to pumping has been developed. This method is based on the shallow and confined groundwater flow model and the advection and dispersion in the aquitard, including sorption. The cumulative time for the pollutant concentration at the top boundary of confined aquifer exceeding the maximum allowable level is defined as the confined aquifer vulnerability index, which can be obtained by numerically solving the solute transport equation. A hypothetical example is chosen as a case study to illustrate the whole process. The results indicate that the proposed method is a practical and reasonable assessment method of confined aquifer vulnerability.
Water budget and its variation in Hutuo River basin predicted with the VIP ecohydrological model
Authors: Huang F. , Mo X.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Accurate assessment of water budgets is important to water resources management and sustainable development in catchments. Here the VIP (Vegetation Interface Processes) ecohydrological model is used to estimate the water budget and its influence factors in Hutuo River basin, China. The model runs from 1956 to 2010 with a spatial resolution of 1 km, utilizing remotely sensed LAI data of MODIS. During the study period the canopy transpiration takes up 58% of evapotranspiration over the whole catchment and the fractions of soil and interception evaporation are 36% and 6% respectively. The annual evapotranspiration and streamflow are both declining, mainly resulting from the decrease of annual precipitation. Attribution analysis shows that the contributions of climate change and human activities to the decrease of streamflow are 48% and 52%, respectively.
An evaluation of different measures of dynamically recrystallized grain size for paleopiezometry or paleowattometry studies
Authors: Lopez-Sanchez M. A. , Llana-Fúnez S.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Paleopiezometry and paleowattometry studies are essential to validate models of lithospheric deformation and therefore increasingly common in structural geology. These studies require a single measure of dynamically recrystallized grain size in natural mylonites to estimate the magnitude of differential paleostress (or the rate of mechanical work). This contribution tests the various measures of grain size used in the literature and proposes the frequency peak of a grain size distribution as the most robust estimator for paleopiezometry or paleowattometry studies. The novelty of the approach resides in the use of the Gaussian kernel density estimator as an alternative to the classical histograms, which improves reproducibility. A free, open-source, easy-to-handle script named GrainSizeTools ( http://www.TEOS-10.org) was developed with the aim of facilitating the adoption of this measure of grain size in paleopiezometry or paleowattometry studies. The major advantage of the script over other programs is that by using the Gaussian kernel density estimator and by avoiding manual steps in the estimation of the frequency peak, the reproducibility of results is improved.
Multi-modal albedo distributions in the ablation area of the southwestern Greenland Ice Sheet
Authors: Moustafa S. E. , Rennermalm A. K. , Smith L. C. , Miller M. A. , Mioduszewski J. R. , Koenig L. S. , Hom M. G. , Shuman C. A.
Published: May 2015

Abstract. Surface albedo is a key variable controlling solar radiation absorbed at the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) surface and, thus, meltwater production. Recent decline in surface albedo over the GrIS has been linked to enhanced snow grain metamorphic rates, earlier snowmelt, and amplified melt–albedo feedback from atmospheric warming. However, the importance of distinct surface types on ablation area albedo and meltwater production is still relatively unknown. In this study, we analyze albedo and ablation rates using in situ and remotely sensed data. Observations include (1) a new high-quality in situ spectral albedo data set collected with an Analytical Spectral Devices Inc. spectroradiometer measuring at 325–1075 nm along a 1.25 km transect during 3 days in June 2013; (2) broadband albedo at two automatic weather stations; and (3) daily MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo (MOD10A1) between 31 May and 30 August 2012 and 2013. We find that seasonal ablation area albedos in 2013 have a bimodal distribution, with snow and ice facies characterizing the two peaks. Our results show that a shift from a distribution dominated by high to low albedos corresponds to an observed melt rate increase of 51.5% (between 10–14 July and 20–24 July 2013). In contrast, melt rate variability caused by albedo changes before and after this shift was much lower and varied between ~10 and 30% in the melting season. Ablation area albedos in 2012 exhibited a more complex multimodal distribution, reflecting a transition from light to dark-dominated surface, as well as sensitivity to the so called "dark-band" region in southwest Greenland. In addition to a darkening surface from ice crystal growth, our findings demonstrate that seasonal changes in GrIS ablation area albedos are controlled by changes in the fractional coverage of snow, bare ice, and impurity-rich surface types. Thus, seasonal variability in ablation area albedos appears to be regulated primarily as a function of bare ice expansion at the expense of snow, surface meltwater ponding, and melting of outcropped ice layers enriched with mineral materials, enabling dust and impurities to accumulate. As climate change continues in the Arctic region, understanding the seasonal evolution of ice sheet surface types in Greenland's ablation area is critical to improve projections of mass loss contributions to sea level rise.
Funciones de la documentación informativa en la comunicación externa de los gabinetes de prensa
Authors: Torregrosa Carmona Juan Francisco
Published: May 2015

La documentación desempeña un papel clave en el día a día de los gabinetes de comunicación de empresas e instituciones. Más allá de eso, cuando sobrevienen situaciones de crisis, la capacidad de respuesta de la organización depende en buena medida de contar con una adecuada planificación y una gestión documental profesional. Este trabajo repasa las funciones de dicha documentación, plasmadas en los formatos y los cauces habituales de difusión de información tanto a públicos externos, a través de los medios de comunicación, como en el seno de las propias entidades cuya imagen se pretende cuidar. Con el paso de los años la influencia de los gabinetes de prensa dentro de los medios ha ido aumentando, en detrimento de la producción informativa propia. La relativa facilidad con que las empresas e instituciones imponen su discurso mediante notas de prensa y otros recursos amenaza la exclusividad y la calidad de las fuentes en el resultado del trabajo periodístico ofrecido a la ciudadanía.
Immunobiology of Fibrin-Based Engineered Heart Tissue
Authors: Conradi Lenard , Schmidt Stephanie , Neofytou Evgenios , Deuse Tobias , Peters Laura , Eder Alexandra , Hua Xiaoqin , Hansen Arne , Robbins Robert C. , Beygui Ramin E. , Reichenspurner Hermann , Eschenhagen Thomas , Schrepfer Sonja
Published: May 2015

Different tissue-engineering approaches have been developed to induce and promote cardiac regeneration; however, the impact of the immune system and its responses to the various scaffold components of the engineered grafts remains unclear. Fibrin-based engineered heart tissue (EHT) was generated from neonatal Lewis (Lew) rat heart cells and transplanted onto the left ventricular surface of three different rat strains: syngeneic Lew, allogeneic Brown Norway, and immunodeficient Rowett Nude rats. Interferon spot frequency assay results showed similar degrees of systemic immune activation in the syngeneic and allogeneic groups, whereas no systemic immune response was detectable in the immunodeficient group (p < .001 vs. syngeneic and allogeneic). Histological analysis revealed much higher local infiltration of CD3- and CD68-positive cells in syngeneic and allogeneic rats than in immunodeficient animals. Enzyme-linked immunospot and immunofluorescence experiments revealed matrix-directed TH1-based rejection in syngeneic recipients without collateral impairment of heart cell survival. Bioluminescence imaging was used for in vivo longitudinal monitoring of transplanted luciferase-positive EHT constructs. Survival was documented in syngeneic and immunodeficient recipients for a period of up to 110 days after transplant, whereas in the allogeneic setting, graft survival was limited to only 14 ± 1 days. EHT strategies using autologous cells are promising approaches for cardiac repair applications. Although fibrin-based scaffold components elicited an immune response in our studies, syngeneic cells carried in the EHT were relatively unaffected.

Significance

An initial insight into immunological consequences after transplantation of engineered heart tissue was gained through this study. Most important, this study was able to demonstrate cell survival despite rejection of matrix components. Generation of syngeneic human engineered heart tissue, possibly using human induced pluripotent stem cell technology with subsequent directed rejection of matrix components, may be a potential future approach to replace diseased myocardium.
The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Paclitaxel in Adjuvant Therapy of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Hua-Qing Chen  , Yi-Si Li  , Si-Chao Huang  , Ya-Hua Lin  , Qiu-Tong Tan  , Shu-Ting Ao  , Jun Xu  , Shao-Hui Cai
Published: May 2015

Purpose: To systematically review the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of Paclitaxel for the treatment of mammary cancer. Math: We searched Web of knowledge, PubMed, VIP information and CNKI (to October 2013) on randomised controlled trial about Paclitaxel for the treatment of mammary cancer and retrieved relevant reference and research material by hand. Two authors independently screened document, extracted data and assessed the quality according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, we finally used the software RevMan 5.2 from Cochrane for Meta-analysis. Result: 18 randomized controlled clinical study were brought into our study according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 10712 patients. The result of meta-analysis showed that the odds ratios of Paclitaxel for adjunctive therapy [OR = 1.64, 95% CI (1.40, 1.92), P <0.00001] was better than conventional drugs, while the overall survival was no significant difference between Paclitaxel and conventional drugs. The further Subgroup analysis showed that the efficacy of Paclitaxel for adjunctive therapy was better than cyclophosphamide [OR = 1.41, 95%C I (1. 07, 1.85), P =0. 01] and NVB [OR = 2.10, 95% CI (1.33, 3.30), P =0.001]. The adverse reactions analysis results showed the ratio of myelosuppression and alopecia by treated with Paclitaxel was improved, while the occurrence of gastrointestinal reaction rate was decreased. Conclusion: The current evidence showed Paclitaxel was effective for the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer, but the above conclusions still need future expansion of more samples, high quality RCT verify. Keyword: Paclitaxel, Breast cancer, efficacy, adverse reactions, systematically review, Meta-analysis, randomized controlled trial.
Clostridium difficile colitis in an immunocompromised patient treated with fidaxomicin
Authors: Feasi Marcello
Published: May 2015

The incidence of C. difficile-associated colitis has significantly increased in recent years in hospitals and long-term healthcare facilities. It has a great impact on morbidity and mortality, particularly in high-risk patients (e.g. elderly and subjects with comorbidities or immunosuppression), who frequently have severe or recurrent infections and sometimes do not respond to conventional therapy with metronidazole or vancomycin. Fidaxomicin, recently approved in clinical use, is a new option for the treatment of C. difficile infections.A 65-year-old woman with cryptogenetic decompensated cirrhosis underwent orthotopic liver transplantation and started immunosuppressive therapy. She had a prolonged hospitalization of nine months after transplantation with several infectious complications and numerous episodes of severe C. difficile-associated colitis. Metronidazole and vancomycin were not completely effective. Fidaxomicin showed a sustained clinical cure without other recurrence.
Stimuler l’éveil à la lecture et à l’écriture des enfants d’âge préscolaire : rôle des bibliothèques publiques dans les communautés défavorisées
Authors: Myre-Bisaillon Julie , Boudreau Alex , Boutin Nancy , Dion Jan-Sébastien
Published: May 2015

Cet article présente une partie des résultats d’une recherche portant sur les interventions visant à favoriser l’éveil à la lecture et à l’écriture (ÉLÉ) d’enfants d’âge préscolaire dans leur communauté. Le cas des bibliothèques publiques est approfondi. Abordant la famille depuis une perspective écosystémique, les chercheurs ont sondé par questionnaires et groupes de discussion plus de 200 intervenants dans des organismes oeuvrant en éducation, et 150 familles dans quinze régions québécoises. Les résultats de cette approche mixte permettent d’identifier des facteurs favorisant l’ÉLÉ dans les bibliothèques publiques, notamment en outillant les parents en milieu défavorisé.
Les défis de la formation initiale des enseignants du primaire en milieu à risque
Authors: Tremblay Nicole , Dumoulin Catherine , Gagnon Mathieu , Côté Philippe
Published: May 2015

Les enseignants débutant leur carrière dans les écoles accueillant une forte proportion d’élèves issus des milieux à risque (MR) seraient plus susceptibles d’abandonner la profession. La formation initiale qui leur est offerte ne leur permet possiblement pas de s’adapter au contexte d’enseignement en MR. Grâce à trois entrevues réalisées auprès de 21 futurs enseignants en stage et de leurs 21 enseignants associés, cette recherche a permis d’identifier trois défis de la formation initiale. Ainsi, il serait important pour les futurs enseignants : 1) d’acquérir une compréhension critique de leur cheminement culturel et des limites de ce dernier ; 2) d’intégrer leurs connaissances des particularités des MR dans leurs pratiques ; et 3) de réguler celles-ci au contexte de pauvreté.
Les modèles et la modélisation vus par des enseignants de sciences et technologies du secondaire au Québec
Authors: Roy Patrick , Hasni Abdelkrim
Published: May 2015

Cet article présente les résultats d’une étude exploratoire menée auprès de cinq enseignants de sciences et technologies (S & T) québécois du secondaire sur l’enseignement des modèles et de la modélisation. Le cadre conceptuel et méthodologique vise l’analyse de leurs pratiques d’enseignement sous l’angle de deux dimensions : la dimension épistémologique (quelles significations attribuent-ils aux modèles et à la démarche de modélisation ?) et la dimension fonctionnelle (pourquoi recourent-ils aux modèles et à la démarche de modélisation en classe ?). L’analyse de leur discours révèle que ceux-ci ont une compréhension partielle de ces objets et de leurs finalités dans l’enseignement et l’apprentissage des sciences et souligne la nécessité d’assurer leur formation continue sur ces questions.
Teaching for Transfer: Insights from theory and practices in
primary-level French-second-language classrooms
Authors: Thomas Reed , Mady Callie
Published: May 2015

This paper illustrates teaching for transfer across languages by synthesizing key insights from theory and previously published research alongside our case study data from primary-level teachers in core French-second-language (CF) classrooms in Ontario, Canada. Drawing on research that redefines language transfer as a resource, this study drew on several influential theoretical notions and data collected through interviews and classroom observations. All of these sources point to a multi-leveled approach to teaching for transfer that includes considerations of learning, teaching and contextual features. Study data suggest that CF teachers plan for transfer and use a range of strategies likely to promote its use with students. This paper connects theory, research and practice with the aim of strengthening dialogue among researchers and educators.
The First Female Academics in Programs of Educational Administration in Canada: Riding waves of opportunity
Authors: Wallace Janice , Wallin Dawn , Viczko Melody , Anderson Heather
Published: May 2015

Our research situates, contextualizes, and analyzes the lived experiences of ten female academics who were among the first women in the academic discipline of educational administration in seven of the ten provinces in Canada. Using institutional ethnography and life history to inform our analysis, this article explores three of the themes that emerged from participant interviews in the first stage of a multi-stage research process: mapping careers, transforming knowledge, and negotiating institutional tensions between the personal and professional aspects of their work.
Escola Familia: A proposal
Authors: Carani George , Carani José , Strong-Wilson Teresa
Published: May 2015

Alphabetização (literacy) of young children involves a school exclusively devoted to the early years, parental participation, and teachers specialized in early literacy. This is the basis of José Carani’s proposal for an escola familia in the municipality of Cambé (Brazil). This Note from the Field, based on our conversations with José, relates his proposal to the Canadian context.
Fundamental Concepts Bridging Education and the Brain
Authors: Masson Steve , Brault Foisy Lorie-Marlène
Published: May 2015

Although a number of papers have already discussed the relevance of brain research for education, the fundamental concepts and discoveries connecting education and the brain have not been systematically reviewed yet. In this paper, four of these concepts are presented and evidence concerning each one is reviewed. First, the concept of neuroplasticity is proposed as a sine qua non for linking education and the brain. Then, the concepts of neuronal recycling and inhibition are presented as two fundamental mechanisms of school learning that emphasize the importance of knowing the initial brain structure of learners and, finally, the concept of attention is discussed as a central concept for linking teaching and the brain.
Myoblast cytonemes mediate Wg signaling from the wing imaginal disc and Delta-Notch signaling to the air sac primordium
Authors: Huang Hai , Kornberg Thomas B
Published: May 2015

The flight muscles, dorsal air sacs, wing blades, and thoracic cuticle of the Drosophila adult function in concert, and their progenitor cells develop together in the wing imaginal disc. The wing disc orchestrates dorsal air sac development by producing decapentaplegic and fibroblast growth factor that travel via specific cytonemes in order to signal to the air sac primordium (ASP). Here, we report that cytonemes also link flight muscle progenitors (myoblasts) to disc cells and to the ASP, enabling myoblasts to relay signaling between the disc and the ASP. Frizzled (Fz)-containing myoblast cytonemes take up Wingless (Wg) from the disc, and Delta (Dl)-containing myoblast cytonemes contribute to Notch activation in the ASP. Wg signaling negatively regulates Dl expression in the myoblasts. These results reveal an essential role for cytonemes in Wg and Notch signaling and for a signal relay system in the myoblasts.
Aeolian process and climatic changes in loess records from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau: Response to global temperature forcing since 30 ka
Authors: Wang Xianyan , Yi Shuangwen , Lu Huayu , Vandenberghe Jef , Han Zhiyong
Published: May 2015

The response of surface processes to global climatic changes since the last glacial is critical to understanding the mechanism of climatic changes on the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, loess from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP) was closely spaced dated to provide an independent high‐resolution record of dust accumulation processes and millennial‐scale climatic changes. Optically stimulated luminescence ages reveal episodes of rapid dust deposition at approximately 12.3 ka, 16 ka, 21–23 ka, 25–28 ka, and possibly also at 30–33 ka. These episodes are broadly correlated with high‐latitude and marine records cold climatic events, such as the Younger Dryas, Heinrich event 1, and the Last Glacial Maximum. This correlation implies that dust storms in the NETP represent episodic aridification and wind strengthening, which is ascribed to the southward shift of the polar front and the intensification of the Siberian high‐pressure cell that was forced by millennial‐scale cooling in high northern latitudes.
Flood response for the watersheds of the Fernow Experimental Forest in the central Appalachians
Authors: Bates Naomi S. , Smith James A. , Villarini Gabriele
Published: May 2015

We examine flood response of high‐gradient, forested central Appalachian watersheds through analyses of rainfall, streamflow, and piezometer observations from the Fernow Experimental Forest near Parsons, West Virginia. Analyses focus on hydrologic processes that control the “upper tail” of flood distributions. The largest flood peaks in the Fernow are an order of magnitude smaller than record floods in the central Appalachian region (for basins of comparable drainage area). We examine flood distributions in the Fernow using extreme value distributions (Generalized Extreme Value and Generalized Pareto distributions) and compare them to other watersheds in the central Appalachians. To examine the role of antecedent soil moisture on flood response, we installed a network of 415 crest‐stage piezometers on two headwater watersheds (0.30 and 0.14 km2) of the Fernow. Observations show pronounced heterogeneity of subsurface saturation even within the unchannelized swales of headwater watersheds. Shallow perched water tables over large portions of a watershed occur infrequently in forested central Appalachian basins, but may play an important role in extreme flood response. Fernow watersheds include “treated” and control watersheds with stream gaging records extending back to 1951. We examine nonstationarites in flood frequency in the Fernow and show that forest management practices have had relatively minor impacts on flood frequency.