bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Indigenous Model of a Contested Pacific Herring Fishery in Sitka, Alaska
Authors: Thornton Thomas F. , Kitka Harvey
Published: January 2015

This paper uses GIS and spatiotemporal analysis of a historically and culturally modified marine ecosystem to evaluate Pacific herring abundance, declines, vulnerabilities, and future prospects, about which a Native Tribe and state fisheries managers disagree. In 2008, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) requested that an area within its traditional waters be closed to commercial sac roe fishing to protect spawning Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), a key species for Native subsistence and marine ecosystem health. This proposal was opposed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), which estimated that adequate biomass was available to accommodate all herring users' needs. The disagreement exposes divisions between the Tribe's and the State's conceptualizations of the status, health, and management priorities for fisheries and marine ecosystems. The Tribe's model is one of cultivated abundance, wherein herring eggs are harvested conservatively and habitat is enhanced to make coastal spawning areas more productive, stable, and resilient. The State's paradigm, in contrast, follows a constitutional mandate to manage fisheries for Maximum Sustained Yield (MSY). A single-species biomass model is used to estimate a “surplus” herring for commercial roe harvesting within management areas. This work analyses and compares the spatiotemporal prescriptions of State and Indigenous models of herring fisheries management as they are used within debates over a closed area (Proposal 239), and assesses their relative potential for improving herring fisheries and marine ecosystem management using a combination of GIS spatial and scientific analysis and traditional ecological knowledge.
Intelligent Learning Management Systems
Authors: Fardinpour Ali , Pedram Mir Mohsen , Burkle Martha
Published: January 2015

Virtual Learning Environments have been the center of attention in the last few decades and help educators tremendously with providing students with educational resources. Since artificial intelligence was used for educational proposes, learning management system developers showed much interest in making their products smarter and more intelligent. Nevertheless, the questions of what an intelligent learning management system (ILSM) is and which tools and features are needed to make such system intelligent, are not clearly answered, therefore educational institutes do not have a proper tool to decide upon the degree of intelligence they need for their LMSs. This paper proposes a prevalent, thorough definition of “Intelligent Learning Management Systems”, and the design of a fuzzy model to measure the intelligence of these systems. In order to devise a comprehensive definition of an Intelligent Learning Management System, experts from around the world were consulted. Following that, different proposed Intelligent Learning Management Systems were studied, and forty-one features and tools were found and analyzed. After the analysis, experts' opinions were taken into account to rank these features. The paper proposes thirteen most significant features and tools as criteria to be used in fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a fuzzy model to measure the intelligence of Learning Management System.
The Business Value of Information System-Enabled E-Collaboration Capabilities
Authors: Ghobakhloo Morteza , Hong Tang Sai
Published: January 2015

This study aims to understand how firms in developing countries can effectively use their Information System (IS) resources to develop valuable e-collaboration capabilities that in turn improve business performance. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from 408 Iranian and Malaysian manufacturing firms. Findings revealed that Supply Chain-Wide Process Integration (SCPI) and Collaborative Knowledge Management (CKM) are key IS-enabled capabilities that enhance performance gain of manufacturing firms. The work found that these capabilities serve as catalysts in transforming the value of IS resources controlled by firms into business performance improvement. The results suggest that SCPI, as a determinant of a highly integrated and dynamic supply chain, is an important intermediate organizational capability through which value of IS resources can be materialized. Likewise, the findings imply that CKM across a given supply network, as a valuable intermediate organizational capability, converts the benefits of both technical and human IS resources into performance gain at the corporate level.
Distributed Agile Development
Authors: Gill Asif Qumer
Published: January 2015

Organizations have shown a significant interest in the adoption of emerging social technologies to support communication and collaboration needs of their Distributed Agile or Adaptive Development Environment (DADE). However, the challenge is how best to assess contemporary social technologies for supporting communication and collaboration in the DADE. Here, a communication technology assessment tool, called CTAT, is developed as a part of the Adaptive Enterprise Service System (AESS) toolkit by using the design research approach. This paper presents the evaluation of the CTAT construct through its use in the assessment of three social technologies within the context of a DADE. The results of this evaluation indicate that CTAT is shown to be useful, for example, when assessing a particular social technology for a specific DADE communication and collaboration context. The CTAT is intended to be used by senior developers for assessing social technologies for their DADE context.
Seizing Opportunities for the Support of Innovation through Committee Standards and Standardization
Authors: Abdelkafi Nizar , Makhotin Sergiy
Published: January 2015

This paper provides insights into the key results of a research project funded by the German Institute for Standardization DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung e. V.). It investigates how German companies, in particular SMEs, can leverage committee standards to drive innovations. Whereas the impact of standardization on innovation has been acknowledged in the scientific literature from the macro-perspective, little is known on how standards and standardization can support innovation on the company level. This research builds upon findings from 40 semi-structured interviews conducted with experts from German companies in five sectors: biotechnology, nanotechnology, services, security, and mechanical engineering. The key informants are practitioners with R&D and standardization experience. The interview data are fitted into a qualitative model that explains how standards and standardization can lead to innovation, given certain contextual factors (internal and external). The analysis of this data shows that companies that use standards and are involved regularly in standardization processes are able to create six types of opportunities supporting innovation.
How Can Technology Improve Government Financial Transparency?
Authors: Soverchia Michela
Published: January 2015

The aim of the article is to conduct a theoretical analysis concerning the role that XBRL – eXtensible Business Reporting Language – a digital and open standard more and more widespread all over the world for business disclosure, could play within governmental financial reporting. Literature about that is poor, and this research topic seems to be particularly relevant: considering the strong need for governments' information transparency strengthened by the fiscal crisis, XBRL could be a useful digital standard to push and improve governments' accountability and information transparency and comparability, also to prevent or avoid future crisis. This issue needs specific research because the role of XBRL within governmental financial reporting is partly different to the role of XBRL in corporate disclosure.
Exploring the Factors Influencing the Adoption of Open Government Data by Private Organisations
Authors: Kaasenbrood Maaike , Zuiderwijk Anneke , Janssen Marijn , de Jong Martin , Bharosa Nitesh
Published: January 2015

Governments are increasingly opening their datasets, allowing use. Drawing on a multi-method approach, this paper develops a framework for identifying factors influencing the adoption of Open Government Data (OGD) by private organisations. Subsequently the framework was used to analyse five cases. The findings reveal that for private organizations to use OGD, the content and source of the data needs to be clear, a usable open data license must be present and continuity of data updates needs to be ensured. For none of the investigated private organisations OGD was key to their existence. Organisations use OGD in addition to, or as an enhancement of their core activities. As the official OGD-channels are bypassed trustworthy relationships between the data user and data provider were found to play an important role in finding and using OGD. The findings of this study can help government agencies in developing OGD-policies and stimulating OGD-use.
Restful Web Service and Web-Based Data Visualization for Environmental Monitoring
Authors: Lee Sungchul , Jo Ju-Yeon , Kim Yoohwan
Published: January 2015

The Nevada Solar Energy-Water-Environment Nexus project collects a large amount of environmental data from a variety of sensors such as soil, atmosphere, biology, and ecology. Mostly, the environmental data is related to a development of renewable energy resources in the Nexus project. The environmental data can have an impact on other research fields if it can easily be shared with other researchers, students, teachers, and general users. Therefore, Nevada Climate Change Portal (NCCP) site was created for Nexus project with a purpose of sharing such data. However, there are some challenges to address in utilizing such data, collecting the data, and sharing the data among the users. In this research, the authors propose Extended Web Service Architecture for solving these challenges. The authors implement Arduino instead of CR1000 as a collector due to its cost effectiveness. The authors also use REST API to overcome the limitations of Arduino. Moreover, the authors experiment with popular Web-based data visualization tools such as Google Chart, Flex, OFC, and D3 to visualize NCCP data.
A Tagging Approach to Extract Security Requirements in Non-Traditional Software Development Processes
Authors: Tetmeyer Annette , Hein Daniel , Saiedian Hossein
Published: January 2015

While software security has become an expectation, stakeholders often have difficulty expressing such expectations. Elaborate (and expensive) frameworks to identify, analyze, validate and incorporate security requirements for large software systems (and organizations) have been proposed, however, small organizations working within short development lifecycles and minimal resources cannot justify such frameworks and often need a light and practical approach to security requirements engineering that can be easily integrated into their existing development processes. This work presents an approach for eliciting, analyzing, prioritizing and developing security requirements which can be integrated into existing software development lifecycles for small organizations. The approach is based on identifying candidate security goals using part of speech (POS) tagging, categorizing security goals based on canonical security definitions, and understanding the stakeholder goals to develop preliminary security requirements and to prioritize them. It uses a case study to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Introducing a Taxonomy for Classifying Qualitative Spreadsheet Errors
Authors: Leon Linda , Przasnyski Zbigniew H. , Seal Kala Chand
Published: January 2015

Most organizations use large and complex spreadsheets that are embedded in their mission-critical processes and are used for decision-making. Identification of the various types of errors that can be present in these spreadsheets is, therefore, an important first step to creating controls that organizations can use to govern their spreadsheets. While a considerable amount of research on quantitative error taxonomies exists, there is comparatively little research concerning qualitative error taxonomies. In this paper, we propose a taxonomy for categorizing qualitative errors in spreadsheet models that offers an exploratory framework for evaluating the quality of a spreadsheet model before it is released for use by others in the organization. The classification was developed based on types of qualitative errors identified in the literature and errors committed by end-users in developing a spreadsheet model for Panko's (1996) “Wall Problem.” A principal component analysis of the errors reveals four logical groupings thereby creating four categories of qualitative errors. The usability and limitations of the proposed taxonomy and areas for future research are discussed.
E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Cbl-b Regulates Thymic-Derived CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cell Development by Targeting Foxp3 for Ubiquitination
Authors: Zhao Yixia , Guo Hui , Qiao Guilin , Zucker Mark , Langdon Wallace Y. , Zhang Jian
Published: January 2015

CD28 costimulation is essential for the development of thymic-derived CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (“tTregs”). E3 ubiquitin ligase Cbl-b has been shown to regulate CD28 dependence of T cell activation. In this paper, we report that the loss of Cbl-b partially but significantly rescues the defective development of tTregs in Cd28−/− mice. This partial rescue is independent of IL-2. Mechanistically, Cbl-b binds to Foxp3 upon TCR stimulation and, together with Stub1, targets Foxp3 for ubiquitination and subsequently degradation in the proteasome. As Cbl-b self-ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation is impaired in Cd28−/− T cells, the defective development of tTregs in Cd28−/− mice may in part be due to increased Foxp3 ubiquitination and degradation targeted by Stub1 and Cbl-b. Treating Cd28−/− mice with a proteasome inhibitor completely rescues defective tTreg development in these mice. Therefore, Cbl-b, together with Stub1, ubiquitinate Foxp3, and regulate tTreg development.
Balance Training and Center-of-Pressure Location in Participants With Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: Mettler Abby , Chinn Lisa , Saliba Susan A. , McKeon Patrick O. , Hertel Jay
Published: January 2015

Context

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) occurs in some people after a lateral ankle sprain and often results in residual feelings of instability and episodes of the ankle's giving way. Compared with healthy people, patients with CAI demonstrated poor postural control and used a more anteriorly and laterally positioned center of pressure (COP) during a single-limb static-balance task on a force plate. Balance training is an effective means of altering traditional COP measures; however, whether the overall location of the COP distribution under the foot also changes is unknown.

Objective

To determine if the spatial locations of COP data points in participants with CAI change after a 4-week balance-training program.

Design

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting

Laboratory.

Patients or Other Participants

Thirty-one persons with self-reported CAI.

Intervention(s)

Participants were randomly assigned to a 4-week balance-training program or no balance training.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

We collected a total of 500 COP data points while participants balanced using a single limb on a force plate during a 10-second trial. The location of each COP data point relative to the geometric center of the foot was determined, and the frequency count in 4 sections (anteromedial, anterolateral, posteromedial, posterolateral) was analyzed for differences between groups.

Results

Overall, COP position in the balance-training group shifted from being more anterior to less anterior in both eyes-open trials (before trial = 319.1 ± 165.4, after trial = 160.5 ± 149.5; P = .006) and eyes-closed trials (before trial = 387.9 ± 123.8, after trial = 189.4 ± 102.9; P < .001). The COP for the group that did not perform balance training remained the same in the eyes-open trials (before trial = 214.1 ± 193.3, after trial = 230.0 ± 176.3; P = .54) and eyes-closed trials (before trial = 326.9 ± 134.3, after trial = 338.2 ± 126.1; P = .69).

Conclusions

In participants with CAI, the balance-training program shifted the COP location from anterolateral to posterolateral. The program may have repaired some of the damaged sensorimotor system pathways, resulting in a more optimally functioning and less constrained system.
Detection of Pancreatic Cancer Biomarkers Using Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Kim Kiyoun , Ahn Soohyun , Lim Johan , Yoo Byong Chul , Hwang Jin-Hyeok , Jang Woncheol
Published: January 2015

Background

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Therefore, in order to improve survival rates, the development of biomarkers for early diagnosis is crucial. Recently, diabetes has been associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. The aims of this study were to search for novel serum biomarkers that could be used for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and to identify whether diabetes was a risk factor for this disease.

Methods

Blood samples were collected from 25 patients with diabetes (control) and 93 patients with pancreatic cancer (including 53 patients with diabetes), and analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS). We performed preprocessing, and various classification methods with imputation were used to replace the missing values. To validate the selection of biomarkers identified in pancreatic cancer patients, we measured biomarker intensity in pancreatic cancer patients with diabetes following surgical resection and compared our results with those from control (diabetes-only) patients.

Results

By using various classification methods, we identified the commonly splitting protein peaks as m/z 1,465, 1,206, and 1,020. In the follow-up study, in which we assessed biomarkers in pancreatic cancer patients with diabetes after surgical resection, we found that the intensities of m/z at 1,465, 1,206, and 1,020 became comparable with those of diabetes-only patients.
AAC Burdett pinto dry bean
Authors: Balasubramanian P. M. , Mündel H.-H. , Chatterton S. , Conner R. L. , Hou A.
Published: January 2015

Balasubramanian, P., Mündel, H.-H., Chatterton, S., Conner, R. L. and Hou, A. 2015. AAC Burdett pinto dry bean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 179–181. AAC Burdett is an early-maturing pinto bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar with an upright, indeterminate bush growth habit, lodging resistance, white mould avoidance and high yield potential. AAC Burdett was developed at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Research Centre, Lethbridge, AB. AAC Burdett is suitable for irrigated production in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The Category of Bratteli Diagrams
Authors: Amini Massoud , Elliott George A. , Golestani Nasser
Published: January 2015

A category structure for Bratteli diagrams is proposed and a functor from the category of AF algebras to the category of Bratteli diagrams is constructed. Since isomorphism of Bratteli diagrams in this category coincides with Bratteli’s notion of equivalence, we obtain in particular a functorial formulation of Bratteli’s classification of AF algebras (and at the same time, of Glimm’s classification of UHF algebras). It is shown that the three approaches to classification of AF algebras, namely, through Bratteli diagrams, K-theory, and a certain natural abstract classifying category, are essentially the same from a categorical point of view.
A graph discretization of the Laplace–Beltrami operator
Authors: Burago Dmitri , Ivanov Sergei , Kurylev Yaroslav
Published: January 2015

We show that eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the Laplace–Beltrami operator on a Riemannian manifold are approximated by eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a (suitably weighted) graph Laplace operator of a proximity graph on an epsilon-net.
Supersymmetry and Schrödinger-type operators with distributional matrix-valued potentials
Authors: Eckhardt Jonathan , Gesztesy Fritz , Nichols Roger , Teschl Gerald
Published: January 2015

Building on work on Miura's transformation by Kappeler, Perry, Shubin, and Topalov, we develop a detailed spectral theoretic treatment of Schrödinger operators with matrix-valued potentials, with special emphasis on distributional potential coefficients. Our principal method relies on a supersymmetric (factorization) formalism underlying Miura's transformation, which intimately connects the triple of operators

(D, H_1, H_2)

of the form

D= \left(\begin{smallmatrix} 0 & A^* \\ A & 0 \end{smallmatrix}\right) \, \text{ in } \, L^2(\mathbb{R})^{2m} \, \text{ and } \, H_1 = A^* A, \;\; H_2 = A A^* \, \text{ in } L^2(\mathbb{R})^m.

Here

A= I_m (d/dx) + \phi

in

L^2(\mathbb{R})^m

, with a matrix-valued coefficient

\phi = \phi^* \in L^1_{\text{loc}}(\mathbb{R})^{m \times m}

,

m \in \mathbb{N}

, thus explicitly permitting distributional potential coefficients

V_j

in

H_j

,

j=1,2

, where

H_j = - I_m \frac{d^2}{dx^2} + V_j(x), \quad V_j(x) = \phi(x)^2 + (-1)^{j} \phi'(x), \; j=1,2.

Upon developing Weyl–Titchmarsh theory for these generalized Schrödinger operators

H_j

, with (possibly, distributional) matrix-valued potentials

V_j

, we provide some spectral theoretic applications, including a derivation of the corresponding spectral representations for

H_j

,

j=1,2

. Finally, we derive a local Borg–Marchenko uniqueness theorem for

H_j

,

j=1,2

, by employing the underlying supersymmetric structure and reducing it to the known local Borg–Marchenko uniqueness theorem for

D

.
Eigenvalue estimates for the resolvent of a non-normal matrix
Authors: Szehr Oleg
Published: January 2015

We investigate the relation between the spectrum of a non-normal matrix and the norm of its resolvent. We provide spectral estimates for the resolvent of matrices whose largest singular value is bounded by 1 (so-called Hilbert space contractions) and for power-bounded matrices. In the rst case our estimate is optimal and we present explicit matrices that achieve equality in the bound. is result recovers and generalizes previous estimates obtained by E.B. Davies and B. Simon in the study of orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle. In case of power-bounded matrices we achieve the strongest estimate so far. Our result unies previous approaches, where the resolvent was estimated in certain restricted regions of the complex plane. To achieve our estimates we relate the problem of bounding the norm of a function of a matrix to a Nevanlinna–Pick interpolation problem in a corresponding function space. In case of Hilbert space contractions this problem is connected to the theory of compressed shift operators to which we contribute by providing explicit matrix representations for such operators. Finally, we apply our results to study the sensitivity of the stationary states of a classical or quantumMarkov chainwith respect to perturbations of the transition matrix.
Surgical Treatment of Multiple Hydatid Cysts in the Liver of a Pediatric Patient
Authors: Lv Hailong , Jiang Yufeng , Liu Guisheng , Zhang Shijie , Peng Xinyu
Published: January 2015

Multiple hydatid cysts in the liver rarely occur in the pediatric population. Here, we present the case of a 16-year-old girl who presented with six hydatid cysts in the liver. The cysts were surgically removed and all found to be infertile. Interestingly, the patient had post-operative eosinophilia. From this experience, we conclude that individualized treatment is necessary for patients with multiple hydatid cysts.
Advanced Care Directives: Overcoming the Obstacles
Authors: Allen Sarah Leatherman , Davis Kimberly S. , Rousseau Paul C. , Iverson Patty J. , Mauldin Patrick D. , Moran William P.
Published: January 2015

Background

Advanced care directives (ACDs) and end-of-life discussions are important and typically difficult to initiate because of the sensitive nature of the topic and competing clinical priorities. Resident physicians need to have these conversations but often do not in their continuity clinics.

Objective

We implemented a program to (1) increase physician opportunity to discuss end-of-life wishes with their patients, and (2) improve residents' confidence in leading discussions regarding ACDs.

Intervention

A total of 95 residents in an academic outpatient internal medicine resident continuity clinic participated in a formalized curriculum (didactic sessions, simulations, and academic detailing). Clinic workflow alterations prompted the staff to question if patients had an ACD or living will, and then cued residents to discuss these issues with the patients if they did not.

Results

Of the 77% of patients who were asked about ACDs, 74% had no ACD but were interested in discussing this topic. After our intervention, 65% (62 of 95) of our residents reported having at least 1 outpatient discussion with their patients. Residents reported increased confidence directing and discussing advanced care planning with older patients and conducting a family meeting (P < .01).

Conclusions

By delivering a formalized curriculum and creating a clinical environment that supports such discussions, resident physicians had more ACD discussions with their patients and reported increased confidence. When provided information and opportunity, patients consistently expressed interest in talking with their physician about their advanced care wishes.
The Courteous Consult: A CONSULT Card and Training to Improve Resident Consults
Authors: Podolsky Anna , Stern David T. , Peccoralo Lauren
Published: January 2015

Background

Communication and courtesy are important elements of consultations, but there is limited published data about the quality of trainee consults.

Objectives

This study assessed residents' views on consult interactions, evaluated the impact of the consult interactions on patient care, and developed and implemented a pocket card and training on trainee consults.

Methods

We surveyed resident and fellow physicians at Mount Sinai Hospital to assess perceptions, created a CONSULT card that uses a mnemonic for key elements, and developed a training session for how to call consults. We also conducted a consult training session using the CONSULT card as part of orientation in 2011 for all interns. We assessed the acceptability, feasibility, and sustainability of this intervention.

Results

Of 1001 trainees, 403 (40%) responded. Respondents reported that the most important components of calling consults included giving patient name, medical record number, and location (91%), and giving a clear question/reason (89%). Respondents also reported that these behaviors are done consistently for only 64%, and 10% of consults, respectively. Trainees reported that consult interactions affect the timeliness of treatment (62%), timeliness of tests performed (57%), appropriateness of diagnosis (56%), and discharge planning (49%). Approximately 300 interns attended the consult training session, and their feedback demonstrated acceptability and utility of the session.

Conclusions

Trainees believe that consult interactions impact patient care, but important components of the consult call are often missing. Our training and CONSULT card is an acceptable, feasible, and novel training intervention. Once developed, the training session and CONSULT card require minimal faculty time to deliver.
Clinic Design and Continuity in Internal Medicine Resident Clinics: Findings of the Educational Innovations Project Ambulatory Collaborative
Authors: Francis Maureen D. , Wieland Mark L. , Drake Sean , Gwisdalla Keri Lyn , Julian Katherine A. , Nabors Christopher , Pereira Anne , Rosenblum Michael , Smith Amy , Sweet David , Thomas Kris , Varney Andrew , Warm Eric , Wininger David , Francis Mark L.
Published: January 2015

Background

Many internal medicine (IM) programs have reorganized their resident continuity clinics to improve trainees' ambulatory experience. Downstream effects on continuity of care and other clinical and educational metrics are unclear.

Methods

This multi-institutional, cross-sectional study included 713 IM residents from 12 programs. Continuity was measured using the usual provider of care method (UPC) and the continuity for physician method (PHY). Three clinic models (traditional, block, and combination) were compared using analysis of covariance. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to analyze the effect of practice metrics and clinic model on continuity.

Results

UPC, reflecting continuity from the patient perspective, was significantly different, and was highest in the block model, midrange in combination model, and lowest in the traditional model programs. PHY, reflecting continuity from the perspective of the resident provider, was significantly lower in the block model than in combination and traditional programs. Panel size, ambulatory workload, utilization, number of clinics attended in the study period, and clinic model together accounted for 62% of the variation found in UPC and 26% of the variation found in PHY.

Conclusions

Clinic model appeared to have a significant effect on continuity measured from both the patient and resident perspectives. Continuity requires balance between provider availability and demand for services. Optimizing this balance to maximize resident education, and the health of the population served, will require consideration of relevant local factors and priorities in addition to the clinic model.
Comparison of continuous in situ CO2 observations at Jungfraujoch using two different measurement techniques
Authors: Schibig M. F. , Steinbacher M. , Buchmann B. , van der Laan-Luijkx I. T. , van der Laan S. , Ranjan S. , Leuenberger M. C.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. Since 2004, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is being measured at the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch by the division of Climate and Environmental Physics at the University of Bern (KUP) using a nondispersive infrared gas analyzer (NDIR) in combination with a paramagnetic O2 analyzer. In January 2010, CO2 measurements based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) as part of the Swiss National Air Pollution Monitoring Network were added by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). To ensure a smooth transition – a prerequisite when merging two data sets, e.g., for trend determinations – the two measurement systems run in parallel for several years. Such a long-term intercomparison also allows the identification of potential offsets between the two data sets and the collection of information about the compatibility of the two systems on different time scales. A good agreement of the seasonality, short-term variations and, to a lesser extent mainly due to the short common period, trend calculations is observed. However, the comparison reveals some issues related to the stability of the calibration gases of the KUP system and their assigned CO2 mole fraction. It is possible to adapt an improved calibration strategy based on standard gas determinations, which leads to better agreement between the two data sets. By excluding periods with technical problems and bad calibration gas cylinders, the average hourly difference (CRDS – NDIR) of the two systems is −0.03 ppm ± 0.25 ppm. Although the difference of the two data sets is in line with the compatibility goal of ±0.1 ppm of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the standard deviation is still too high. A significant part of this uncertainty originates from the necessity to switch the KUP system frequently (every 12 min) for 6 min from ambient air to a working gas in order to correct short-term variations of the O2 measurement system. Allowing additional time for signal stabilization after switching the sample, an effective data coverage of only one-sixth for the KUP system is achieved while the Empa system has a nearly complete data coverage. Additionally, different internal volumes and flow rates may affect observed differences.
Big grains go far: reconciling tephrochronology with atmospheric measurements of volcanic ash
Authors: Stevenson J. A. , Millington S. C. , Beckett F. M. , Swindles G. T. , Thordarson T.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. There is a large discrepancy between the size of volcanic ash particles measured from deposits on the ground (known as cryptotephra; 20–125 μm in length) and those reported by satellite remote sensing (effective radii of 0.5–9 μm; 95% of particles < 17 μm diameter). We use results from the fields of tephrochronology (a dating technique based on volcanic ash layers), dispersion modelling and satellite remote sensing in an attempt to understand from where it arises. We show that Icelandic cryptotephras deposited in NW Europe have lognormal particle size distributions (PSDs) with median lengths of 20–70 μm (geometric standard deviation: 1.40–1.66; 95th percentile length: 42–126 microns). This is consistent with semi-quantitative grainsize range estimates from the literature. Using measured fall velocities of ash particles, a release height typical of moderate Icelandic eruptions (10 km) and a wind speed typical for NW Europe (10 m s−1), we find that an ash cloud can transport particles < 80 μm diameter up to 850 km in 24 h, so that even moderately sized Icelandic eruptions can deposit cryptotephra on mainland Europe. The proportion of cryptotephra in airborne clouds is unknown. We used simulated satellite data of dispersion-model-derived ash clouds to investigate the effect of PSD on satellite retrievals and show that as the median radius of the input PSD increases, fewer ash-containing pixels are correctly identified. Where retrievals are made of simulated clouds with mass median radii larger than ~ 10 μm, the mean retrieved reff plateaus at around 9 μm. This is a systematic bias in the retrieval algorithm that would cause the grainsize of distal clouds containing significant cryptotephra to be underestimated. This cannot explain discrepancies in coarser proximal clouds, however, which may be because the complex physics of scattering by highly irregularly-shaped grains is inadequately represented by assuming that particles are dense spheres.
Technical Note: Large overestimation of pCO2 calculated from pH and alkalinity in acidic, organic-rich freshwaters
Authors: Abril G. , Bouillon S. , Darchambeau F. , Teodoru C. R. , Marwick T. R. , Tamooh F. , Ochieng Omengo F. , Geeraert N. , Deirmendjian L. , Polsenaere P. , Borges A. V.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. Inland waters have been recognized as a significant source of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere at the global scale. Fluxes of CO2 between aquatic systems and the atmosphere are calculated from the gas transfer velocity and the water–air gradient of the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). Currently, direct measurements of water pCO2 remain scarce in freshwaters, and most published pCO2 data are calculated from temperature, pH and total alkalinity (TA). Here, we compare calculated (pH and TA) and measured (equilibrator and headspace) water pCO2 in a large array of temperate and tropical freshwaters. The 761 data points cover a wide range of values for TA (0 to 14 200 μmol L−1), pH (3.94 to 9.17), measured pCO2 (36 to 23 000 ppmv), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (29 to 3970 μmol L−1). Calculated pCO2 were >10% higher than measured pCO2 in 60% of the samples (with a median overestimation of calculated pCO2 compared to measured pCO2 of 2560 ppmv) and were >100% higher in the 25% most organic-rich and acidic samples (with a median overestimation of 9080 ppmv). We suggest these large overestimations of calculated pCO2 with respect to measured pCO2 are due to the combination of two cumulative effects: (1) a more significant contribution of organic acids anions to TA in waters with low carbonate alkalinity and high DOC concentrations; (2) a lower buffering capacity of the carbonate system at low pH, which increases the sensitivity of calculated pCO2 to TA in acidic and organic-rich waters. No empirical relationship could be derived from our data set in order to correct calculated pCO2 for this bias. Owing to the widespread distribution of acidic, organic-rich freshwaters, we conclude that regional and global estimates of CO2 outgassing from freshwaters based on pH and TA data only are most likely overestimated, although the magnitude of the overestimation needs further quantitative analysis. Direct measurements of pCO2 are recommended in inland waters in general, and in particular in acidic, poorly buffered freshwaters.
Photic zone changes in the north-west Pacific Ocean from MIS 4–5e
Authors: Swann G. E. A. , Snelling A. M.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. In comparison to other sectors of the marine system, the palaeoceanography of the subarctic North Pacific Ocean is poorly constrained. New diatom isotope records of δ13C, δ18O, δ30Si (δ13Cdiatom, δ18Odiatom, and δ30Sidiatom) are presented alongside existing geochemical and isotope records to document changes in photic zone conditions, including nutrient supply and the efficiency of the soft-tissue biological pump, between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 and MIS 5e. Peaks in opal productivity in MIS 5b/c and MIS 5e are both associated with the breakdown of the regional halocline stratification and increased nutrient supply to the photic zone. Whereas the MIS 5e peak is associated with low rates of nutrient utilisation, the MIS 5b/c peak is associated with significantly higher rates of nutrient utilisation. Both peaks, together with other smaller increases in productivity in MIS 4 and 5a, culminate with a significant increase in freshwater input which strengthens/re-establishes the halocline and limits further upwelling of sub-surface waters to the photic zone. Whilst δ30Sidiatom and previously published records of diatom δ15N (δ15Ndiatom) (Brunelle et al., 2007, 2010) show similar trends until the latter half of MIS 5a, the records become anti-correlated after this juncture and into MIS 4, suggesting a possible change in photic zone state such as may occur with a shift to iron or silicon limitation.
New insights into the reconstructed temperature in Portugal over the last 400 years
Authors: Santos J. A. , Carneiro M. F. , Correia A. , Alcoforado M. J. , Zorita E. , Gómez-Navarro J. J.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. The reliability of an existing reconstructed annual (December–November) temperature series for the Lisbon region (Portugal) from 1600 onwards is assessed in the present study. The consistency of this series with: (1) five local borehole temperature-depth profiles; (2) synthetic temperature-depth profiles generated from both reconstructed temperatures and paleoclimate simulations in Portugal; (3) instrumental data sources over the twentieth century; and (4) temperature indices from documentary sources during the late Maunder Minimum (1675–1715) is assessed. It is found that reconstructed annual mean temperature series in Portugal, after European-wide reconstructions, is not consistent with both borehole profiles and paleoclimate simulations in their long-term variability and trends. Hence, the non-linear trend in the paleoclimate simulations is estimated and added to the reconstructed series (first-stage calibration). The annual reconstructed series is then calibrated in its location and scale parameters, using the instrumental series and a linear regression between them (second-stage calibration). The resulting calibrated series is then in clear accordance with the low-frequency variability of both borehole temperature-depth profiles and paleoclimate simulations. This calibrated series shows clear footprints of the Maunder and Dalton minima, mainly attributed to changes in solar activity and explosive volcanic eruptions, and a strong recent-past warming, attributed to human-driven forcing. Lastly, it is also in overall agreement with independently-derived annual temperature indices for the late Maunder Minimum. Thus, the series resulting of this re-calibration process for Lisbon can be of foremost relevance to improve the current understanding of the driving mechanisms of climate variability in Portugal.
Bedload transport controls intra-event bedrock erosion
Authors: Beer A. R. , Turowski J. M.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. Fluvial bedrock incision constrains the pace of mountainous landscape evolution. Fluvial erosion processes have been described with incision models that are widely applied in river reach and catchment scale studies. However, so far, no linked field data set at the process scale had been published that allows to assess model requirements and adequacy. Here, we evaluate the predictive power of various incision models on data on hydraulics, bedload transport and erosion recorded on an artificial bedrock slab installed in a steep mountain stream for a single bedload transport event. The influence of transported bedload on erosion rate (the "tools effect") is shown to be dominant while other effects are of minor importance. Hence, a simple temporal distributed incision model in which erosion rate is proportional to bedload transport rate is proposed for transient local studies. This model can be site-calibrated with temporally lumped bedload and erosion data and its applicability can be assessed by visual inspection of the study site. Basic discharge-based models like derivatives of the stream power model family however, are adequate to reproduce the overall trend of the observed erosion rate, at least for the event on hand. This is relevant for long-term studies of e.g. landscape evolution with no interest in transient local behaviour.
Parameterizing deep convection using the assumed probability density function method
Authors: Storer R. L. , Griffin B. M. , Höft J. , Weber J. K. , Raut E. , Larson V. E. , Wang M. , Rasch P. J.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. Due to their coarse horizontal resolution, present-day climate models must parameterize deep convection. This paper presents single-column simulations of deep convection using a probability density function (PDF) parameterization. The PDF parameterization predicts the PDF of subgrid variability of turbulence, clouds, and hydrometeors. That variability is interfaced to a prognostic microphysics scheme using a Monte Carlo sampling method. The PDF parameterization is used to simulate tropical deep convection, the transition from shallow to deep convection over land, and midlatitude deep convection. These parameterized single-column simulations are compared with 3-D reference simulations. The agreement is satisfactory except when the convective forcing is weak. The same PDF parameterization is also used to simulate shallow cumulus and stratocumulus layers. The PDF method is sufficiently general to adequately simulate these five deep, shallow, and stratiform cloud cases with a single equation set. This raises hopes that it may be possible in the future, with further refinements at coarse time step and grid spacing, to parameterize all cloud types in a large-scale model in a unified way.
CH4 parameter estimation in CLM4.5bgc using surrogate global optimization
Authors: Müller J. , Paudel R. , Shoemaker C. A. , Woodbury J. , Wang Y. , Mahowald N.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. Over the anthropocene methane has increased dramatically. Wetlands are one of the major sources of methane to the atmosphere, but the role of changes in wetland emissions is not well understood. The Community Land Model (CLM) of the Community Earth System Models contains a module to estimate methane emissions from natural wetlands and rice paddies. Our comparison of CH4 emission observations at 16 sites around the planet reveals, however, that there are large discrepancies between the CLM predictions and the observations. The goal of our study is to adjust the model parameters in order to minimize the root mean squared error (RMSE) between model predictions and observations. These parameters have been selected based on a sensitivity analysis. Because of the cost associated with running the CLM simulation (15 to 30 min on the Yellowstone Supercomputing Facility), only relatively few simulations can be allowed in order to find a near optimal solution within an acceptable time. Our results indicate that the parameter estimation problem has multiple local minima. Hence, we use a computationally efficient global optimization algorithm that uses a radial basis function (RBF) surrogate model to approximate the objective function. We use the information from the RBF to select parameter values that are most promising with respect to improving the objective function value. We show with pseudo data that our optimization algorithm is able to make excellent progress with respect to decreasing the RMSE. Using the true CH4 emission observations for optimizing the parameters, we are able to significantly reduce the overall RMSE between observations and model predictions by about 50%. The CLM predictions with the optimized parameters agree for northern and tropical latitudes more with the observed data than when using the default parameters and the emission predictions are higher than with default settings in northern latitudes and lower than default settings in the tropics.
The past, present, and future of soils and human health studies
Authors: Brevik E. C. , Sauer T. J.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. The idea that human health is tied to the soil is not a new one. As far back as circa 1400 BC the Bible depicts Moses as understanding that fertile soil was essential to the well-being of his people. In 400 BC the Greek philosopher Hippocrates provided a list of things that should be considered in a proper medical evaluation, including the properties of the local ground. By the late 1700s and early 1800s, American farmers had recognized that soil properties had some connection to human health. In the modern world, we recognize that soils have a distinct influence on human health. We recognize that soils influence (1) food availability and quality (food security), (2) human contact with various chemicals, and (3) human contact with various pathogens. Soils and human health studies include investigations into nutrient supply through the food chain and routes of exposure to chemicals and pathogens. However, making strong, scientific connections between soils and human health can be difficult. There are multiple variables to consider in the soil environment, meaning traditional scientific studies that seek to isolate and manipulate a single variable often do not provide meaningful data. The complete study of soils and human health also involves many different specialties such as soil scientists, toxicologists, medical professionals, anthropologists, etc. These groups do not traditionally work together on research projects, and do not always effectively communicate with one another. Climate change and how it will affect the soil environment/ecosystem going into the future is another variable affecting the relationship between soils and health. Future successes in soils and human health research will require effectively addressing difficult issues such as these.
Soil properties and pre-Columbian settlement patterns in the Monumental Mounds Region of the Llanos de Moxos, Bolivian Amazon
Authors: Lombardo U. , Denier S. , Veit H.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. In the present paper we explore to what degree soil properties might have influenced pre-Columbian settlement patterns in the Monumental Mounds Region (MMR) of the Llanos de Moxos (LM), Bolivian Amazon. Monumental mounds are pre-Hispanic earth buildings and were preferentially built on mid- to late Holocene palaeolevees of the Grande River (here denominated PR1), while levees of older palaeorivers (PR0) were only sparsely occupied. We dug two transects across PR0 and PR1 levee–backswamp catenas and analysed them for grain size, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and Corg. Our data show that PR1 soils, where the density of mounds is higher, have far greater agricultural potential than PR0 soils, which are affected by aluminium toxicity in the backswamps and by high levels of exchangeable sodium in the levees. This study provides new data on the soil properties of the south-eastern Bolivian Amazon and reinforces the hypothesis that environmental constraints and opportunities exerted an important role on pre-Columbian occupation patterns and the population density reached in the Bolivian Amazon.