bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Overview of E-Parliament Services
Authors: Papaloi Aspasia , Gouscos Dimitris
Published: November 2011

In an era of citizens’ discontentment towards parliamentary democracy and a common perception that public opinion is not properly taken into account by governments, many national parliaments are striving to implement e-services that will attract citizens’ interest and engage them actively in parliamentary procedures. This chapter provides an overview of e-parliament concepts and services, relevant initiatives organized by parliaments, governmental agencies, or NGOs, as well as technologies that can be used for such applications. The chapter intends to bring forward issues and opportunities for implementing e-parliament initiatives according to the needs and capabilities of different target groups, with a view to rendering e-parliament services more attractive for citizens, and, at the same time, more effective in their civic education aspects, more efficient in providing feedback to parliament stakeholders, and delivering usable outcomes for parliamentary e-participation.
Connecting Citizens to the European Parliament
Authors: Karlsson Martin
Published: November 2011

In recent years, a number of e-participation projects have been implemented with the objective to strengthening the relationship between European citizens and members of the European parliament (MEPs). This chapter investigates the most extensive of these projects, the European Citizens Consultations (ECC), with a focus on the relationship between citizens and MEPs. Two potential functions of e-consultations for strengthening political representation are analyzed, the connectivity function and the inquiry function. The results indicate that the ECC project fall short of offering a functional tool for strengthening political representation. Participating MEPs are shown to express disappointment with the project and participating citizens show signs of a growing dissent with the European parliament following their participation. This analysis suggests that the shortcomings of the ECC project are due to an insufficient understanding of political representation and the role of MEPs in the design of the ECC project. Three lessons of the ECC project are highlighted.
The Role of Parliamentary Websites in the Budget Process
Authors: Demirbas Tolga
Published: November 2011

The “power of the purse” is one of the fundamental powers of the parliament. This power is defined as a parliament’s authority to determine the amount of public expenditures to be made and the category and amount of taxes to be collected from citizens. To exercise this power, parliaments must debate and review the budget drawn up by the government to ensure that it reflects the preferences of citizens. Nevertheless, it is quite apparent that parliaments today do not sufficiently debate government budgets and do not completely exercise their existing authority. This development weakens the political function of the budget process and sometimes leads to non-optimal budget outcomes. Information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly websites, are significant tools that parliaments have at their disposal to address this problem. When they are effectively designed, parliamentary websites can contribute to more efficient outcomes to the budget process by enabling the members of a parliament and the citizens they represent to involve themselves in that process. This chapter addresses the potential contributions of parliamentary websites to the budget process. These contributions promise to make budget information more transparent and understandable. This chapter engages in this task by using a content-analysis methodology to examine the website of the Turkish parliament.
The Invisible Side of Political Participation
Authors: Perna Andréa , Braga Sérgio
Published: November 2011

The aim of this chapter is to map out the main digital political participation initiatives available in the websites of Latin American parliaments, highlighting the e-democracy project of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies. We argue that, although there is increased willingness by Latin American parliaments to offer society diverse digital channels, this concern is not matched by equivalent efforts in efficient management of information made available by citizens through mechanisms of e-participation. We illustrate this argument with an analysis of experiences in information management of citizen political participation mechanisms present in the e-democracy program of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.
Promoting E-Democracy and Citizen Participation through ICT Initiatives in Parliament
Authors: Kanjo Chipo
Published: November 2011

This chapter proposes an experience-based model for the low-ICT resource countries that promotes the use of multiple ICTs, both traditional (radio, television) and contemporary (computers, mobile phones, internet), as a way of enhancing citizens’ participation towards issues that are deliberated in parliament. In general, the technological change pace is slower in developing countries. For this reason, e-democracy can not be achievable using contemporary technology alone. Based on the Malawi experience, where ICT availability and access is still low, this chapter argues that use of multiple ICTs may be an appropriate approach in low-resource context.
Fighting Hunger the Rights Way
Authors: Covell Katherine , MacLean Robin
Published: November 2011

The chapter will be grounded in theory and research with the WFP game and resource described as an example of how to make global citizenship education from a rights perspective engaging to students and non-threatening to teachers.
Band-Aid Pedagogy, Celebrity Humanitarianism, and Cosmopolitan Provincialism
Authors: Bryan Audrey
Published: November 2011

The notion that our identity transcends local and national borders, captured in the now ubiquitous concepts of the “global” or “world” citizen, has had an important influence on educational curricula in recent years. The idea of global citizenship has evolved in part as a result of a growing awareness that trends, events, and political-economic arrangements in one part of the world can profoundly impact lives far away (Tully, 2009). The formal education sector is increasingly recognized as having an important role to play in the alleviation of global crises and injustices by cultivating informed and ethical “global citizens” who understand the asymmetries of economic globalization and who are motivated to redress social and global injustices (Dower, 2003; Schattle, 2008; Tully, 2009). While traditionally geared towards developing a sense of national identity and loyalty, citizenship curricula are increasingly being re-formulated to cultivate citizens who possess multiple identities, and a sense of belonging which embraces global as well as local and national perspectives (Reid & Gill, 2010). Citizenship education, as a discrete area of study, is now a compulsory subject in schools in many countries, and the “global dimension” is seen as an important aspect of this curriculum. Drawing on the Republic of Ireland as a case study, this chapter offers a critical exploration of dominant discursive representations of development and “the global” as they are articulated in citizenship education textbooks designed for use with lower secondary students. The analysis suggests that global citizenship, as it is currently conceived in state-sanctioned curriculum resources, is unlikely to foster the kinds of individual and collective action necessary for a substantively more equitable relationship between the First and Third Worlds to be forged.
Branding Identity*
Authors: Roberti Geraldina , Marinelli Alberto
Published: November 2011

Such processes seem to be emphasized by Social Network Sites; in this chapter we analyze a sample of posts published on Facebook by fans of successful brands, in order to try and understand if consumption is more related to individuals’ identities and expressions or if it is still connected to the product itself and its qualities. We will try to observe the dynamics of brand appropriation and the mechanisms through which individuals include lovemarks (Roberts, 2006) among the identity resources they use to express themselves and to experiment - with no substantial differences between mediated and face to face relationships - their experience in the world.
Checking in at the Urban Playground
Authors: Berg Martin
Published: November 2011

Taking its point of departure in a critical discussion of the imagined dividing line between physical and digital spaces, this chapter demonstrates a socio-spatial turn in Internet studies and sets out to explore the meaning of locative technologies as an illuminating example of how such spatial boundaries increasingly collapse. Being empirically grounded in an analysis of twelve qualitative interviews with users of the applications Foursquare and Gowalla, this chapter focuses on the interplay between what is termed electronic flâneurs and digital geographies, and demonstrates in what ways the use of locative technologies provokes changes at two levels in the social realm: first, by adding a communicative digital layer to the spatial organisation of physical space, and second, by adding a spatially bound layer to interactions in digital space.1
Technology Roadmapping, An Efficient Tool for Driving Regional Technological Changes
Authors: Daim Tugrul , Oliver Terry , Iskin Ibrahim , Kim Jisun
Published: November 2011

Technology has played a central role in the Northwest’s development, from the Federal Columbia River Power System to technology giants like Boeing, Microsoft and Intel to thousands of businesses, universities and laboratories. In the Northwest, irrigation is high tech. This savvy has allowed the region to meet half of its load growth through cost-effective investments in energy efficiency for more than thirty years. Through the leadership of the region’s utilities, labs, universities, energy organizations and private businesses, the Northwest has been able to successfully deliver energy efficiency as a reliable resource. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Sixth Power Plan calls for roughly 85 percent of the region’s power needs to be met with energy efficiency by 2030. In order to meet these goals, we must find ways to increase the adoption rates of existing products and services. At the same time, we must also strategically target the region’s research and development resources into efforts that will produce the technologies needed to enable the products of tomorrow. Beginning in December 2009, thirty-five experts from twenty organizations pooled their efforts to develop an energy efficiency technology roadmap that would define a research agenda for the Northwest. The results of the intensive ten-week effort, along with revisions based on critical comments received following the release of a Northwest Energy Efficiency Technology Roadmap.
Globalization of the Environmental Issues
Authors: Abdel Gelil Ibrahim
Published: November 2011

Environment is now considered the “common heritage of mankind,” and addressing global environmental problems are increasingly topping the international development policy agenda because of their cross-border effects. Since the Rio Conference in 1992, the world has witnessed a proliferation of multilateral environmental agreements, which aim to protect the global environment. This has put extra burdens on the institutional setup in the Arab countries, which already suffers from weak capacity, lack of resources, and power struggle in the national policy arena. This chapter portrays the evolution of the global environmental governance system and the development of a parallel legislative and institutional framework in the Arab region to respond to global environmental problems. Challenges faced by Arab countries while meeting its obligation in the MEAs include inadequate financing; low public awareness; limited negotiation capacity; and marginal involvement of civil society and the private sector. The effects of these barriers on the level of implementation by the Arab countries of different MEAs are reviewed.
Use of Policy Instruments to Promote Sustainable Energy Practices and Implications for the Environment
Authors: Hin Leo Tan Wee , Subramaniam R.
Published: November 2011

The use of policy instruments in the environmental framework to promote sustainable energy practices in Singapore, a country in the South East Asian region, is explored in this chapter. Four areas are specifically identified for coverage: waste production, water consumption, transportation and atmospheric emission, owing to their highly entrenched nexus with the environment. The presence of these policy instruments has been a major factor why sustainable energy practices are well ensconced in Singapore and the rate of increase of the carbon footprint on the environment has been lessened significantly. It is suggested that there are useful lessons to be drawn from the Singapore experience for other countries. Several recommendations are provided in this context.
Developing Sustainable Governance Systems for Regional Sustainability Programmes and ‘Green’ Business Practices
Authors: Cadman Tim , Hume Margee
Published: November 2011

Achieving sustainable consumption and sustainable living is a response to the scientific and international communities’ concern that the world is living beyond its ecological systems, facing a potential crisis with regard to its environmental and other resources. All individuals, firms and communities, in relation to production of housing, transport and food consumption decisions must unite to develop sustainable change and well being. They all have a role to play in creating and promoting sustainable community development. Sustainability is an umbrella term that incorporates sustainability’s environmental, social and economic dimensions and takes on such ideas as reducing environmental impact, enhancing quality of life, minimising waste, taking a life cycle approach and looking at ecological preservation for future generations. From a business perspective sustainable green practice incorporates all elements of business from inputs procurement, manufacture, packaging design and marketing. To ensure the process of sustainable business is successful and ethical the goals of sustainability and good governance need to be managed in business practice. This chapter offers an overview of current implementation of green governance systems that relate to regional sustainability programmes and green firm’s practices. This work offers credibility to the field of sustainability research and practice by identifying and discussing all actors in the business community and how they interact with sustainability. From a regional perspective innovative primary producers and resource stewards often take up green initiatives with little or no knowledge of the governance quality and legitimacy of the schemes they are seeking to implement. This chapter looks at market-based sustainability initiatives, investigates the strengths and weaknesses of two timber certification programmes, and identifies some key governance requirements to improve green practice at the global, regional and local levels
Sustainable and Equitable Urbanism
Authors: Spinak Abby , Casalegno Federico
Published: November 2011

This chapter explores how information and communication technology (ICT) can be used in urban sustainability planning to encourage more ecologically friendly habits and improve social equity. We start by asking why current initiatives to teach ecological urban practices are not more aligned with social equity goals. To understand this misalignment, we review the historical relationship between environmental and social concerns within evolving notions of sustainable development. We then define a framework for urban sustainability that more fully incorporates equity concerns. Unpacking the idea that there are no technical solutions to urban poverty, we argue that intelligent applications of ICT in urban services can significantly improve the reach of public transportation, resource distribution, and civic engagement. We encourage future initiatives to design with social goals in mind, ending with a discussion of current challenges and future opportunities for using ICT in urban sustainability planning.
Eco-Methodology for Urban and Transport Planning for the Future Eco-Technology
Authors: Knoflacher Hermann , Ocalir Ebru Vesile
Published: November 2011

This study gives the reasons and basics of a new approach which adopts eco-technologies to urban and transport planning. In this chapter, in the case of urban and transport planning, based on research findings about human behaviour in the artificial and technical modified environment, the discrepancy between assumptions and real system behaviour is demonstrated. This gives the framework not only to improve urban structures and the transport system, but also to select (eco) technologies which are needed to solve existing problems and to develop agreeable technologies for the future. The study criticizes the use of technology in creating vulnerable urban structures instead of sustainable ones focusing mostly on the last 150 years, when the availability of cheap fossil fuels for use of new transport modes and for heating and cooling has changed urban life. The resulting part is the introduction of a new methodology which uses eco technologies in urban and transport planning with some success stories.
“Green Infrastructure” Concept as an Effective Medium to Manipulating Sustainable Urban Development
Authors: Kaplan Adnan
Published: November 2011

This chapter aims at exploring and conceptualizing green infrastructure (GI) as a comprehensive system in planning schemes of metropolitan cities such as Melbourne (Australia) and Izmir (Türkiye). Urban open space network(s) and its further step, “GI,” stretches out from the urban core through its periphery. This requires investigation of the planning hierarchy between metropolitan planning and urban design with a focus on connectivity and urban sustainability. Supporting and managing physical development, modes of transportation, and social life, GI provides ecological and social services to cities in pursuit of sustainable development. Following the scrutiny of Melbourne’s GI and its relevance to the planning history, this work undertakes a comparative analysis between Melbourne and Izmir in order to address the development of a metropolitan GI system for these cities. Such an approach would support policies and strategies relating to sustainable urban development.
The Sustainable Waterfront
Authors: Bradbury Matthew
Published: November 2011

This chapter discusses how a methodology for the development of a sustainable waterfront might be shaped through an understanding and consideration of environmental remediation technologies. The chapter begins by considering the history of waterfront development in Europe and America and how this model has become codified into a generic real estate process. The author develops a critique of this model from an environmental perspective. The use of sustainability as an ideology to provide a framework for critique but also strategies and techniques for moving towards a new model of waterfront development are explored. The development of a possible hypothesis for the design of a sustainable waterfront is developed, followed by a speculative case study of a waterfront project that explores how the design hypotheses might be tested. The chapter concludes by speculating on the ways in which a study of urban ecology, in particular urban biodiversity, could enhance the finding of the case study towards the development of a waterfront design process that could contribute to the ecological health of the 21st century city.
A Theory for Sustainability of Townscape
Authors: Gurer Tan Kamil
Published: November 2011

Many metropolitan cities have been faced with sustainability issues at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The problems are related to several subjects. Two of them are essential for the sustainability of townscapes: one is the subject of visual sustainability of the character of a townscape, and the other is the sustainable development of the city and its relation with the urban form. Overcoming the difficulties arising from the improper use of city’s resources can be possible by understanding the true nature of its urban form, how urban landscapes have developed historically, and which processes have shaped their forms. Typomorphology is a method for understanding the character of the urban form. It reveals the physical and spatial structure of cities. In this work, typomorphological method will be introduced, and its importance will be discussed according to sustainability of townscapes.
Clustering of the Web Search Results in Educational Recommender Systems
Authors: Bodea Constanta-Nicoleta , Dascalu Maria-Iuliana , Lipai Adina
Published: November 2011

This chapter presents a meta-search approach, meant to deliver bibliography from the internet, according to trainees’ results obtained at an e-assessment task. The bibliography consists of web pages related to the knowledge gaps of the trainees. The meta-search engine is part of an education recommender system, attached to an e-assessment application for project management knowledge. Meta-search means that, for a specific query (or mistake made by the trainee), several search mechanisms for suitable bibliography (further reading) could be applied. The lists of results delivered by the standard search mechanisms are used to build thematically homogenous groups using an ontology-based clustering algorithm. The clustering process uses an educational ontology and WordNet lexical database to create its categories. The research is presented in the context of recommender systems and their various applications to the education domain.
A Recommender System for Learning Objects Personalized Retrieval
Authors: Casali Ana , Gerling Valeria , Deco Claudia , Bender Cristina
Published: November 2011

This chapter describes the development of a recommender system of learning objects. This system helps a user to find educational resources that are most appropriate to his/her needs and preferences. The search is performed in different repositories of learning objects, where each object has descriptive metadata. Metadata is used to retrieve objects that satisfy not only the subject of the query, but also the user profile, taking into account his/her characteristics and preferences. A multi-agent architecture that includes several types of agents with different functionalities is used. In this chapter, we describe the modelization of the Personalized Search Agent (PS-Agent) as a graded BDI (Belief-Desire-Intention) agent. This agent is responsible for making a flexible content-based retrieval and provides an ordered list of the resources that better meet the user profile data. A prototype was implemented, and experimentation results are presented.
Case Study
Authors: Leino Juha
Published: November 2011

As recommender systems are making inroads to e-learning, the new ecosystem is placing new challenges on them. This Chapter discusses the author’s experiences of adding recommender features to additional reading materials listing page in an undergraduate-level course. Discussion is based on use-log and student questionnaire data. Students could both add materials to lecture readings and peer-evaluate the pertinence of the materials by rating and commenting them. Students were required to add one material and rate five as part of the course requirements. Overall, students perceived the system as useful and did not resent compulsoriness. In addition, perceived social presence promoted social behavior in many students. However, many students rated materials without viewing them, thus undermining the reliability of aggregated ratings. Consequently, while recommenders can enhance the e-learner experience, they need to be robust against some students trying to get points without earning them.
Providing Recommendations for Mobile Learning
Authors: Liu Chengzhi , Divitini Monica
Published: November 2011

At the interdisciplinary intersection of mobile computing and e-learning, mobile learning is a new paradigm that promises to revolutionize learning by supporting new pedagogical approaches and learning experiences. The unique advantage of mobile learning is to encourage learners to learn in an authentic environment with the help of their mobile devices. In mobile learning systems, recommendation technology can play an important role by providing suitable learning resources to learners according to their interests and preferences. However, the learning needs of learners are dynamically changing as they change their physical location and participate in different activities in the mobile learning environment. Recommendation results cannot reflect actual demands of learners if the learner’s context is ignored. Integrating context into the recommendation process brings along opportunities to better understand the dynamic requirements of learners, but also challenges to constantly improve the existing recommendation mechanism. This chapter aims at providing an overview of these opportunities and challenges.
Aeromechanics and Control of a Shrouded Rotor Micro Air Vehicle in Hover and in Edgewise Flow
Authors: Hrishikeshavan Vikram , Chopra Inderjit
Published: November 2011

Shrouded rotors are efficient in hover but are quite sensitive to disturbances in external flow. In this paper, the dynamics and control of a shrouded rotor micro air vehicle is studied in hover and when it is subjected to edgewise gust. The importance of incorporating a hingeless rotor
in a shrouded rotor configuration was shown and was flight-tested in hover using a proportional-integral attitude feedback controller. In edgewise flow, the shrouded rotor produced up to 300% higher pitching moment than the unshrouded rotor. To counter this pitching moment, the control moments
were about 80–100% higher for the shrouded rotor. Time domain attitude dynamics identification of the vehicle, restrained in translation, was conducted with and without the flybar. It was shown to be desirable to incorporate a flybarless rotor for improved maneuverability and hover efficiency.
A linear quadratic regulator (LQR) controller was developed based on the extracted attitude dynamics model. Gust disturbance rejection capabilities of the controller were tested with the vehicle in edgewise flow using a spherical gimbal setup. The shrouded vehicle was found to tolerate up
to 2 m/s of edgewise gusts, whereas the unshrouded configuration could reject gusts of up to 4.8 m/s.
Management of Palatal Vascular Malformation Using Absolute Ethanol Sclerotherapy
Authors: El-Hakim Ibrahim , Alyamani Ahmed
Published: November 2011

Arteriovenous malformation is treated by variety of techniques over the years. Sclerotherapy is considered an effective and conservative technique for the treatment of benign vascular lesions and replaced the traditional role of surgical therapy, especially for the venous lesions that are surgically difficult or at inaccessible areas. Absolute ethanol was adopted as a new sclerosant agent for this complex form of venous defects to improve overall treatment results with acceptable morbidity and recurrence rates. Sclerotherapy has the advantage of no external scaring, low cost, and few complications in comparison to the surgical treatment.
Sigmoid Adenocarcinoma with Renal Metastasis
Authors: Dagnoni Carini , Silva Granero Luzete Cristina , Kraft Rovere Rodrigo
Published: November 2011

We report a case of a 75-year-old man submitted to a rectosigmoidectomy and partial cystectomy because of a sigmoid cancer and colovesical fistula. Seven months later and after four cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, a lesion was detected in the kidney. Histology revealed tubular adenocarcinoma, which meant sigmoid cancer metastasis. Kidney metastases are very rare in colorectal cancer (CRC), but may be generally associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Thus, patients with metastatic CRC and kidney tumors are a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.
A Case of Endocarditis with Cerebral Embolism Successfully Treated with Daptomycin
Authors: Doria Roberta , Tagliaferri Enrico , Andreotti Giovanni , Taddei Riccardo , Nardini Rubinia , Tascini Carlo , Menichetti Francesco
Published: November 2011

A young girl was admitted for fever, headache, paresthesia of the hands, involuntary blinking of the left eye and aphasia. Imaging revealed mycotic cerebral aneurysms and finally infective endocarditis was diagnosed and successfully treated with daptomycin. She had a history of mitral prolapse and she had undergone dental procedures some months before without any antibiotic prophylaxis, according to the 2007 guidelines of the American Heart Association.
Challenges of Establishing the Correct Diagnosis of Outbreaks of Acute Febrile Illnesses in Africa: The Case of a Likely Brucella Outbreak among Nomadic Pastoralists, Northeast Kenya, March–July 2005
Authors: Ari Mary D. , Guracha Argata , Fadeel Moustafa Abdel , Njuguna Charles , Njenga M. Kariuki , Kalani Rosalia , Abdi Hassan , Warfu Osman , Omballa Victor , Tetteh Christopher , Breiman Robert F. , Pimentel Guillermo , Feikin Daniel R.
Published: November 2011

An outbreak of acute febrile illness was reported among Somali pastoralists in remote, arid Northeast Kenya, where drinking raw milk is common. Blood specimens from 12 patients, collected mostly in the late convalescent phase, were tested for viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens. All were negative for viral and typhoid serology. Nine patients had Brucella antibodies present by at least one of the tests, four of whom had evidence suggestive of acute infection by the reference serologic microscopic agglutination test. Three patients were positive for leptospiral antibody by immunoglobulin M enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and two were positive for malaria. Although sensitive and specific point-of-care testing methods will improve diagnosis of acute febrile illness in developing countries, challenges of interpretation still remain when the outbreaks are remote, specimens collected too late, and positive results for multiple diseases are obtained. Better diagnostics and tools that can decipher overlapping signs and symptoms in such settings are needed.
Efficacy and Safety of Artemether-Lumefantrine in the Treatment of Acute, Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria: A Pooled Analysis
Authors: Makanga Michael , Bassat Quique , Falade Catherine O. , Premji Zulfiqarali G. , Krudsood Srivicha , Hunt Philip , Walter Verena , Beck Hans-Peter , Marrast Anne-Claire , Cousin Marc , Rosenthal Philip J.
Published: November 2011

Randomized trials have confirmed the efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) for treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Data from seven studies supported by Novartis (1996–2007), including 647 adults (> 16 years of age, 83.3% completed the study) and 1,332 children (≤ 16 years of age, 89.3% completed the study) with microscopically confirmed uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria and treated with the recommended regimen of AL, were pooled. The 28-day polymerase chain reaction–corrected parasitologic cure rate (primary efficacy endpoint) was 97.1% (495 of 510) in adults and 97.3% (792 of 814) in children (evaluable population). Gametocytemia prevalence after day was 4.2% (23 of 554) in adults and 0.9% (8 of 846) in children. No noteworthy safety signals were observed. Serious adverse events occurred in 1.4% of the adults and 1.3% of the children. This study is the largest data set to date assessing AL therapy for treatment of acute uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Artemether-lumefantrine showed high cure rates and rapid resolution of parasitemia, fever, and gametocytemia in adults and children, and showed an excellent safety and tolerability profile.
A Cutaneous Ulcer Resulting from Mycobacterium ulcerans—Leishmania braziliensis Coinfection in South America
Authors: Mougin Benjamin , Avenel-Audran Martine , Hasseine Lilia , Martin Ludovic , Cottin Jane , Pomares Christelle , Delaunay Pascal , Marty Pierre , Ravel Christophe , Chabasse Dominique , Abgueguen Pierre
Published: November 2011

Buruli ulcer is a tropical skin disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Its mode of transmission is not yet clearly understood. We report here a cutaneous ulcer in a European traveler in South America resulting from a coinfection detected specifically for Mycobacterium ulcerans and Leishmania braziliensis DNA with real-time polymerase chain reaction. This observation of a unique cutaneous ulcer raises the issue about possible modes of transmission of those two pathogens by the same vector.
Validation of Probability Equation and Decision Tree in Predicting Subsequent Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in Adult Dengue Inpatients in Singapore
Authors: Thein Tun L. , Leo Yee-Sin , Lee Vernon J. , Sun Yan , Lye David C.
Published: November 2011

We developed a probability equation and a decision tree from 1,973 predominantly dengue serotype 1 hospitalized adult dengue patients in 2004 to predict progression to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), applied in our clinic since March 2007. The parameters predicting DHF were clinical bleeding, high serum urea, low serum protein, and low lymphocyte proportion. This study validated these in a predominantly dengue serotype 2 cohort in 2007. The 1,017 adult dengue patients admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore had a median age of 35 years. Of 933 patients without DHF on admission, 131 progressed to DHF. The probability equation predicted DHF with a sensitivity (Sn) of 94%, specificity (Sp) 17%, positive predictive value (PPV) 16%, and negative predictive value (NPV) 94%. The decision tree predicted DHF with a Sn of 99%, Sp 12%, PPV 16%, and NPV 99%. Both tools performed well despite a switch in predominant dengue serotypes.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: A Tool for Malaria Diagnosis?
Authors: Karl Stephan , Gutiérrez Lucía , House Michael J. , Davis Timothy M. E. , St. Pierre Tim G.
Published: November 2011

Malaria control can be improved by rapid, sensitive, low-cost detection of infection. Several such strategies are being pursued. Rapid diagnostic tests can detect infections at parasite densities above 200 μL−1. Polymerase chain reaction methods can detect low parasite densities, but are slow and prone to contamination under field conditions. Methods that detect hemozoin presence in blood have been proposed as alternatives for rapid detection of infection. In this study, we used a benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) device to detect hemozoin. This device could be deployed in malaria-endemic settings. We measured synthetic hemozoin in phosphate-buffered saline and malaria parasites in human blood. The NMR detected hemozoin in suspensions of 4 ng μL−1 and parasites at densities of 8,000–10,000 μL−1 (0.2% parasitemia). Thus, our preliminary NMR approach, although providing very rapid measurements, is unlikely to achieve the required sensitivity and specificity for malaria diagnosis, unless a preliminary concentration step is performed.
Combining PCR with Microscopy to Reduce Costs of Laboratory Diagnosis of Buruli Ulcer
Authors: Yeboah-Manu Dorothy , Asante-Poku Adwoa , Asan-Ampah Kobina , Ampadu Emelia Danso Edwin , Pluschke Gerd
Published: November 2011

The introduction of antibiotic therapy as first-line treatment of Buruli ulcer underlines the importance of laboratory confirmation of clinical diagnosis. Because smear microscopy has very limited sensitivity, the technically demanding and more expensive IS2404 diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has become the main method for confirmation. By optimization of the release of mycobacteria from swab specimen and concentration of bacterial suspensions before smearing, we were able to improve the detection rate of acid-fast bacilli by microscopy after Ziehl–Neelsen staining. Compared with IS2404 PCR, which is the gold standard diagnostic method, the sensitivity and specificity of microscopy with 100 concentrated specimens were 58.4% and 95.7%, respectively. We subsequently evaluated a stepwise laboratory confirmation algorithm with detection of AFB as first-line method and IS2404 PCR performed only with those samples that were negative in microscopic analysis. This stepwise approach reduced unit cost by more than 50% to $5.41, and the total costs were reduced from $917 to $433.
Calibration of TCCON column-averaged CO2: the first aircraft campaign over European TCCON sites
Authors: Messerschmidt J. , Geibel M. C. , Blumenstock T. , Chen H. , Deutscher N. M. , Engel A. , Feist D. G. , Gerbig C. , Gisi M. , Hase F. , Katrynski K. , Kolle O. , Lavrič J. V. , Notholt J. , Palm M. , Ramonet M. , Rettinger M. , Schmidt M. , Sussmann R. , Toon G. C. , Truong F. , Warneke T. , Wennberg P. O. , Wunch D. , Xueref-Remy I.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. The Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) is a ground-based network of Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) sites around the globe, where the column abundances of CO2, CH4, N2O, CO and O2 are measured. CO2 is constrained with a precision better than 0.25% (1-σ). To achieve a similarly high accuracy, calibration to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) standards is required. This paper introduces the first aircraft calibration campaign of five European TCCON sites and a mobile FTS instrument. A series of WMO standards in-situ profiles were obtained over European TCCON sites via aircraft and compared with retrievals of CO2 column amounts from the TCCON instruments. The results of the campaign show that the FTS measurements are consistently biased 1.1% ± 0.2% low with respect to WMO standards, in agreement with previous TCCON calibration campaigns. The standard a priori profile for the TCCON FTS retrievals is shown to not add a bias. The same calibration factor is generated using aircraft profiles as a priori and with the TCCON standard a priori. With a calibration to WMO standards, the highly precise TCCON CO2 measurements of total column concentrations provide a suitable database for the calibration and validation of nadir-viewing satellites.
Yields of oxidized volatile organic compounds during the OH radical initiated oxidation of isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone, and methacrolein under high-NOx conditions
Authors: Galloway M. M. , Huisman A. J. , Yee L. D. , Chan A. W. H. , Loza C. L. , Seinfeld J. H. , Keutsch F. N.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. We present first-generation and total production yields of glyoxal, methylglyoxal, glycolaldehyde, and hydroxyacetone from the oxidation of isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone (MVK), and methacrolein (MACR) with OH under high NOx conditions. Several of these first-generation yields are not included in commonly used chemical mechanisms, such as the Leeds Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) v. 3.2. The first-generation yield of glyoxal from isoprene was determined to be 2.1 (±0.6)%. Inclusion of first-generation production of glyoxal, glycolaldehyde and hydroxyacetone from isoprene greatly improves performance of an MCM based model during the initial part of the experiments. In order to further improve performance of the MCM based model, higher generation glyoxal production was reduced by lowering the first-generation yield of glyoxal from C5 hydroxycarbonyls. The results suggest that glyoxal production from reaction of OH with isoprene under high NOx conditions can be approximated by inclusion of a first-generation production term together with secondary production only via glycolaldehyde. Analogously, methylglyoxal production can be approximated by a first-generation production term from isoprene, and secondary production via MVK, MACR and hydroxyacetone. The first-generation yields reported here correspond to less than 5% of the total oxidized yield from isoprene and thus only have a small effect on the fate of isoprene. However, due to the abundance of isoprene, the combination of first-generation yields and reduced higher generation production of glyoxal from C5 hydroxycarbonyls is important for models that include the production of the small organic molecules from isoprene.
Observation of neutral sulfuric acid-amine containing clusters in laboratory and ambient measurements
Authors: Zhao J. , Smith J. N. , Eisele F. L. , Chen M. , Kuang C. , McMurry P. H.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. Recent ab initio calculations showed that amines can enhance atmospheric sulfuric acid-water nucleation more effectively than ammonia, and this prediction has been substantiated in laboratory measurements. Laboratory studies have also shown that amines can effectively displace ammonia in several types of ammonium clusters. However, the roles of amines in cluster formation and growth at a microscopic molecular scale (from molecular sizes up to 2 nm) have not yet been well understood. Processes that must be understood include the incorporation of amines into sulfuric acid clusters and the formation of organic salts in freshly nucleated particles, which contributes significantly to particle growth rates. We report the first laboratory and ambient measurements of neutral sulfuric acid-amine clusters using the Cluster CIMS, a recently-developed mass spectrometer designed for measuring neutral clusters formed in the atmosphere during nucleation. An experimental technique, which we refer to as Semi-Ambient Signal Amplification (SASA), was employed. Sulfuric acid was added to ambient air, and the concentrations and composition of clusters in this mixture were analyzed by the Cluster CIMS. This experimental approach led to significantly higher cluster concentrations than are normally found in ambient air, thereby increasing signal-to-noise levels and allowing us to study reactions between gas phase species in ambient air and sulfuric acid containing clusters. Mass peaks corresponding to clusters containing four H2SO4 molecules and one amine molecule were clearly observed, with the most abundant sulfuric acid-amine clusters being those containing a C2- or C4-amine (i.e. amines with masses of 45 and 73 amu). Evidence for C3- and C5-amines (i.e. amines with masses of 59 and 87 amu) was also found, but their correlation with sulfuric acid tetramer was not as strong as was observed for the C2- and C4-amines. The formation mechanisms for those sulfuric acid-amine clusters were investigated by varying the residence time in the inlet. It was concluded that the amines react directly with neutral clusters and that ion-induced clustering of sulfuric acid cluster ions with amines was not a dominant process. Results from ambient measurements using the Cluster CIMS without addition of sulfuric acid have shown that the sulfuric acid-amine clusters were reasonably well correlated with sulfuric acid tetramer and consistent with the SASA experiments at the same Boulder sampling site. Also, clusters that contain C2- or C4-amines were more abundant and better correlated with sulfuric acid tetramer than other types of amine containing clusters. However, ambient measurements of sulfuric acid-amine clusters remain difficult and highly uncertain because their concentrations are only slightly above background levels, even during nucleation events.
What do we learn on bromoform transport and chemistry in deep convection from fine scale modelling?
Authors: Marécal V. , Pirre M. , Krysztofiak G. , Josse B.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. Bromoform is one of the main sources of halogenated Very Short-Lived Species (VSLS) that possibly contributes when degradated to the inorganic halogen loading in the stratosphere. Because of its short lifetime of about four weeks, its pathway to the stratosphere is mainly the transport by convection up to the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) and then by radiative ascent in the low stratosphere. Some of its degradation product gases (PGs) that are soluble can be scavenged and not reach the TTL. In this paper we present a detailed modelling study of the transport and the degradation of bromoform and its PGs in convection. We use a 3-D-cloud resolving model coupled with a chemistry model including gaseous and aqueous chemistry. We run idealised simulations up to 10 days, initialised using a tropical radiosounding for atmospheric conditions and using outputs from a global chemistry-transport model for chemical species. Bromoform is initialised only in the low levels. The first simulation is run with stable atmospheric conditions. It shows that the sum of the bromoform and its PGs significantly decreases with time because of dry deposition and that PGs are mainly in the form of HBr after 2 days of simulation. The other simulation is similar to the first simulation but includes perturbations of temperature and of moisture leading to the development of a convective cloud reaching the TTL. Results of this simulation show an efficient vertical transport of the bromoform from the boundary layer in the upper troposphere and TTL (mixing ratio up to 45% of the initial boundary layer mixing ratio). The organic PGs, which are for the most abundant of them not very soluble, are also uplifted efficiently. For the inorganic PGs, which are more abundant than organic PGs, their mixing ratios in the upper troposphere and in the TTL depend on the partitioning between inorganic soluble and inorganic non soluble species in the convective cloud. Important soluble species such as HBr and HOBr are efficiently scavenged by rain. This removal is reduced by the production of Br2 (not soluble) in the gas phase from aqueous processes in the cloud droplets. This Br2 production process is therefore important for the PG budget in the upper troposphere and in the TTL. We also showed that this process is favoured by acidic conditions in the coud droplets, i.e. polluted conditions.
On the ice nucleation spectrum
Authors: Barahona D.
Published: November 2011

Abstract. This work presents a novel formulation of the ice nucleation spectrum, i.e. the function relating the ice crystal concentration to cloud formation conditions and aerosol properties. The new formulation relies on a statistical view of the ice nucleation process and explicitly accounts for the dependency of the ice crystal concentration on temperature, supersaturation, cooling rate, and particle size, and, in the case of heterogeneous ice nucleation, on the distributions of particle area and surface composition. The new formulation is used to generate ice nucleation parameterizations for the homogeneous freezing of cloud droplets and the heterogeneous deposition ice nucleation on dust and soot ice nuclei. For homogeneous freezing, it was found that by increasing the dispersion in the droplet volume distribution the fraction of supercooled droplets in the population increases. For heterogeneous ice nucleation it was found that ice nucleation on efficient ice nuclei (IN) shows features consistent with the singular hypothesis (characterized by a lack of temporal dependency of the ice nucleation spectrum) whereas less efficient IN tend to display stochastic behavior. Analysis of empirical nucleation spectra suggested that inferring the aerosol heterogeneous ice nucleation properties from measurements of the onset supersaturation and temperature may carry significant error as the variability in ice nucleation properties within the aerosol population is not accounted for. This work provides a simple and rigorous ice nucleation framework were theoretical predictions, laboratory measurements and field campaign data can be reconciled, and that is suitable for application in atmospheric modeling studies.