bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fatigue under Shear Stress by Using the Iosipescu Method for Carbon/Epoxy Composites
Authors: Gonçalves Vanderlei O. , Pardini Luiz Claudio , Ancelotti Jr. Antonio Carlos
Published: January 2017

Composite materials have increasingly being used on aerospace industry due to its low density and high mechanical strength as well as high fatigue endurance. Consequently, increase attention is being devoted to study the fatigue behavior of these materials under cyclic loads. This work presents results on fatigue under shear stress by using the Iosipescu method. For fatigue testing a cured neat epoxy resin and a carbon fiber/epoxy composite having orientations of 0/90o and ± 45o in relation to the loading axis were tested by using the Iosipescu coupon. Firstly, the specimens were submitted to static tests in order to obtain the ultimate shear strength (τ) and the in-plane shear modulus (G12). Further batches of specimens were tested under definite levels of stress ratio as a function of number of cycles. So, the S-N curves were obtained. The maximum number of cycles was set at 120,000 cycles, which corresponds approximately to two times the life of a structural element from a civilian airplane. The stress ratio used was R=0.1 and R=0.5. At the limit of 120,000 cycles the epoxy resin exhibited a shear strength of 18 MPa, for a stress ratio of R=0.5, and 10 MPa for a stress ratio of R=0.1. The carbon fiber/epoxy 0/90o composite, at the limit of 120,000 cycles, showed a shear strength of 84 MPa for a stress ratio of R=0.5, and 64 MPa for a stress ratio of R=0.1. For the carbon fiber/epoxy ±45o composite, at the limit of 120,000 cycles, a shear strength of 105 MPa and 90 MPa, where found for a stress ratio of R=0.5 and R=0.1, respectively.
Targeting Metabolism as a Novel Therapeutic Approach to Autoimmunity, Inflammation, and Transplantation
Authors: Bettencourt Ian A. , Powell Jonathan D.
Published: January 2017

Immune cell activation and differentiation occurs concurrently with metabolic reprogramming. This ensures that activated cells generate the energy and substrates necessary to perform their specified function. Likewise, the metabolic programs among different cells of the immune system vary. By targeting different metabolic pathways, these differences allow for selective regulation of immune responses. Further, the relative susceptibility of cells to a metabolic inhibitor is dictated by their metabolic demands; cellular selectivity is based on demand. Therefore, where differences exist in metabolic pathways between healthy and pathogenic cells, there is opportunity for selective regulation with agents lacking intrinsic specificity. There are now a host of studies demonstrating how inhibitors of metabolism (e.g., glycolysis, glutamine metabolism, and fatty acid oxidation) can regulate immune responses and treat immune-mediated pathogenesis. In this brief review we detail how inhibitors of metabolism can be employed to regulate immune responses in both autoimmunity and transplantation.
Type II NKT Cells and Their Emerging Role in Health and Disease
Authors: Dhodapkar Madhav V. , Kumar Vipin
Published: January 2017

NKT cells recognize lipid Ags presented by a class I MHC-like molecule CD1d, a member of the CD1 family. Although most initial studies on NKT cells focused on a subset with semi-invariant TCR termed invariant NKT cells, the majority of CD1d-restricted lipid-reactive human T cells express diverse TCRs and are termed type II NKT cells. These cells constitute a distinct population of circulating and tissue-resident effector T cells with immune-regulatory properties. They react to a growing list of self- as well as non–self-lipid ligands, and share some properties with both invariant NKT and conventional T cells. An emerging body of evidence points to their role in the regulation of immunity to pathogens/tumors and in autoimmune/metabolic disorders. An improved understanding of the biology of these cells and the ability to manipulate their function may be of therapeutic benefit in diverse disease conditions.
Editorial
Authors: Ijeoma Edwin
Published: January 2017

No abstract available.
Assessing the Global Development Agenda (Goal 1) in Uganda: The Progress Made and the Challenges that Persist
Authors: Ndaguba E. A. , Ndaguba D. C.N. , Okeke A.
Published: January 2017

The international development agenda (2000-2015) that was hailed in Uganda was unsuccessful and powerless in elevating individuals and groups to a place of comfort through the achievement of the MDGs. Hence, according to a survey of the Directorate of Social Protection in 2012, 67% of citizens of Uganda are either highly vulnerable to remaining in poverty or being poor.  This study therefore assesses the gains of the global development agenda (2000 – 2015) in Uganda. The study relies heavily on review papers, secondary dataset and material, and quasi-quantitative method in analyzing the research aim. Results show that ambiguous and unrealistic targets of the MDGs did not take into cognizance the structures, institutions, and interaction of systems and governance issues in Uganda. Despite these, the gains were also shortchanged as a result of drought, flood, and high prices of commodities, due to low farm production in most (rural) areas in Uganda. In addition to the drought and the negative effects of climate change, other challenges include deficient access to markets and market place, lack of motorized and non-motorized load-carrying wheel vehicles, lack of capacity and infrastructure, lack of mechanized farming implements, and the lack of access to credit reduced the potency of the achievement of most of its goals. However, significant strides were attempted and the country was able to achieve several targets, which are worth celebrating. The study contends that the realization of the SDGs will only be wishful thinking, if challenges of rural poverty, governance and institution are not put in check. Shared progress and prosperity as acclaimed by the World Bank will never be visible in Uganda.
Wildlife-livestock interactions and risk areas for cross-species spread of bovine tuberculosis
Authors: Meunier Natascha V. , Sebulime Peregrine , White Richard G. , Kock Richard
Published: January 2017

The transmission of diseases between livestock and wildlife can be a hindrance to effective disease control. Maintenance hosts and contact rates should be explored to further understand the transmission dynamics at the wildlife-livestock interface. Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) has been shown to have wildlife maintenance hosts and has been confirmed as present in the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in the Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) in Uganda since the 1960s. The first aim of this study was to explore the spatio-temporal spread of cattle illegally grazing within the QENP recorded by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers in a wildlife crime database. Secondly, we aimed to quantify wildlife-livestock interactions and cattle movements, on the border of QENP, using a longitudinal questionnaire completed by 30 livestock owners. From this database, 426 cattle sightings were recorded within QENP in 8 years. Thirteen (3.1%) of these came within a 300 m–4 week space-time window of a buffalo herd, using the recorded GPS data. Livestock owners reported an average of 1.04 (95% CI 0.97–1.11) sightings of Uganda kob, waterbuck, buffalo or warthog per day over a 3-month period, with a rate of 0.22 (95% CI 0.20–0.25) sightings of buffalo per farmer per day. Reports placed 85.3% of the ungulate sightings and 88.0% of the buffalo sightings as further than 50 m away. Ungulate sightings were more likely to be closer to cattle at the homestead (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.6) compared with the grazing area. Each cattle herd mixed with an average of five other cattle herds at both the communal grazing and watering points on a daily basis. Although wildlife and cattle regularly shared grazing and watering areas, they seldom came into contact close enough for aerosol transmission. Between species infection transmission is therefore likely to be by indirect or non-respiratory routes, which is suspected to be an infrequent mechanism of transmission of BTB. Occasional cross-species spillover of infection is possible, and the interaction of multiple wildlife species needs further investigation. Controlling the interface between wildlife and cattle in a situation where eradication is not being considered may have little impact on BTB disease control in cattle.
Bio-electrical activity
Authors: Kulkarni Dattatreya Devarao , Bhogal Ranjeet Singh , Verma Anita , Shete Sanjay Uddhav
Published: January 2017

Background:

The claims of ancient yogic text indicate that yoga practice leads to enhanced body awareness; however, the present research tool, as seen in research reviews, to measure such psychophysiological phenomenon aspect of body awareness has not been proven so far. Therefore, this study is taken to propose bio-electrical activity as a suitable experimental variable to quantify the awareness phenomena of yoga practices.

Objective:

To explore conceptual plausibility for establishing a suitable cellular electrophysiological variable to quantify body awareness.

Method:

The separate reviews of past research literature on both whole-body bio-electrical activity and human information processing (HIP) aspect of body awareness in relation to yoga were explored. The studies which indicate improvement in energy storage, energy circulation, and energy expenditure at cellular and somato-cortical levels were included in this review. Furthermore, studies indicating enhancement in brain abilities such as perception, attention, learning, and motor functions demonstrating that profile of bio-electrical activity may be a suitable parameter common to both quantification of body awareness and whole-body bio-electrical activity were included.

Results:

The present study explores the bio-electrical energy dynamics of human consciousness. The bio-electrical response variables, such as impedance (Z), reactance (X
c), and relative arrival time of current (I), and voltage (V), measured as phase angle of the cell, have been proposed to be a valid tool to understand enhancing psychobiological basis of body awareness due to yogic practices.

Conclusion:

The bio-electrical measure of cell activity reflects HIP aspect of awareness from cellular level to whole-body level.
Karma Yoga
Authors: Mukherjee Rajeshwar
Published: January 2017

Background:

Karma Yoga is a valid way to the ultimate realization of the Self. It has been emphasized by Yogeśvara Krṣna in Śrīmadbhagavadgītā. There is a prevalent misconception that the traditional exponents of Advaita Vedānta have declined to accept it as a path leading to supreme illumination. A careful and in-depth study of the traditional works of Śaṅkara and the modern interpretation by Swami Vivekananda reveal that Karma Yoga is not only a very effective path of yoga but it is a pre-requisite to the highest realization.

Aim:

This paper attempts to unravel the finer shades of Karma Yoga in the light of Vedānta.

Method:

The real import of yoga is derived from the etymology of the word 'yoga' and from the definition furnished by Patañjali in his Yogasūtra. Then, Karma Yoga has been substantiated as an independent path to the supreme realization through an analytical study. Ideas about the concept have been carefully culled from Śrīmadbhagavadgita and from the works of Swami Vivekananda. The entire discussion has been carried out without compromising Advaita i.e. non-duality, at any point.

Results:

The study reveals the following results (a) Karma Yoga can lead to the highest realization. (b) It is complementary to Jñāna Yoga and is not opposed to the findings of Advaita Vedānta.

Conclusion:

Karma Yoga performed in the spirit of discrimination or devotion consummates in the supreme vision of the non-dual reality.
Assessment of Correlation between Chromosomal Radiosensitivity of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes after In vitro Irradiation and Normal Tissue Side Effects for Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy
Authors: Guogytė Kamilė , Plieskienė Aista , Ladygienė Rima , Vaisiūnas Žygimantas , Sevriukova Olga , Janušonis Vinsas , Žiliukas Julius
Published: January 2017

Patients receiving identical radiation treatments experience different effects, from undetectable to severe, on normal tissues. A crucial factor of radiotherapy related side effects is individual radiosensitivity. It is difficult to spare surrounding normal tissues delivering radiation to cancer cells during radiotherapy. Therefore, it may be useful to develop a simple routine cytogenetic assay which would allow the screening of a large number of individuals for radiosensitivity optimizing tumor control rates and minimizing severe radiotherapy effects with possibility to predict risk level for developing more severe early normal tissue adverse events after irradiation. This study was conducted to assess the correlation between in vitro radiosensitivity of peripheral blood lymphocytes from cancer patients who are undergoing radiotherapy using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN), G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity assays, and normal tissue acute side effects. The CBMN and G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity assays were performed on blood samples taken from cancer patients before radiotherapy, after first fractionation, and after radiotherapy. Acute normal tissue reactions were graded according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. This study suggests that there is a correlation between higher frequency of micronuclei after in vitro irradiation of blood samples and higher degree of normal tissue reactions. In addition, higher number of chromatid breaks was observed in patients with more severe normal tissue reactions. This pilot study included only 5 cancer patients, and therefore, further studies with a bigger cohort are required to identify radiosensitive patients.
Professional Reward in the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator Role
Authors: Stutz-Tanenbaum Patricia , Greene David , Hanson Debra J. , Koski Jeanette
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this national survey was to explore perceptions of professional reward among occupational therapist (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs). Agreement was found in ranking the value of six role factors: (1) fieldwork data management, (2) fieldwork site management, (3) fieldwork teaching and consultation, (4) departmental and institutional compliance, (5) scholarship and accreditation, and (6) laying groundwork for students in fieldwork. Both levels of AFWC indicated teaching and consultation had the highest value and data management the least. OT AFWCs placed significantly higher value on publishing articles and lower value on educating fieldwork educators about role delineation than OTA AFWCs. Five themes emerged regarding professional reward: (1) intrinsic reward, (2) collaboration, (3) development of the profession, (4) feeling appreciated, and (5) student success. AFWCs value activities involving personal interaction, promoting professional development, and facilitating student success. Results have implications for AFWC collaboration, workload distribution, and scholarship.
Biomass burning aerosols and the low-visibility events in Southeast Asia
Authors: Lee Hsiang-He , Bar-Or Rotem Z. , Wang Chien
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Fires including peatland burning in Southeast Asia have become a major concern to the general public as well as governments in the region. This is because aerosols emitted from such fires can cause persistent haze events under certain weather conditions in downwind locations, degrading visibility and causing human health issues. In order to improve our understanding of the spatiotemporal coverage and influence of biomass burning aerosols in Southeast Asia, we have used surface visibility and particulate matter concentration observations, supplemented by decade-long (2003 to 2014) simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with a fire aerosol module, driven by high-resolution biomass burning emission inventories. We find that in the past decade, fire aerosols are responsible for nearly all events with very low visibility (< 7 km). Fire aerosols alone are also responsible for a substantial fraction of low-visibility events (visibility  < 10 km) in the major metropolitan areas of Southeast Asia: up to 39 % in Bangkok, 36 % in Kuala Lumpur, and 34 % in Singapore. Biomass burning in mainland Southeast Asia accounts for the largest contribution to total fire-produced PM2.5 in Bangkok (99 %), while biomass burning in Sumatra is a major contributor to fire-produced PM2.5 in Kuala Lumpur (50 %) and Singapore (41 %). To examine the general situation across the region, we have further defined and derived a new integrated metric for 50 cities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): the haze exposure day (HED), which measures the annual exposure days of these cities to low visibility (< 10 km) caused by particulate matter pollution. It is shown that HEDs have increased steadily in the past decade across cities with both high and low populations. Fire events alone are found to be responsible for up to about half of the total HEDs. Our results suggest that in order to improve the overall air quality in Southeast Asia, mitigation policies targeting both biomass burning and fossil fuel burning sources need to be implemented.
Concentrations and stable carbon isotope compositions of oxalic acid and related SOA in Beijing before, during, and after the 2014 APEC
Authors: Wang Jiayuan , Wang Gehui , Gao Jian , Wang Han , Ren Yanqin , Li Jianjun , Zhou Bianhong , Wu Can , Zhang Lu , Wang Shulan , Chai Fahe
Published: January 2017

Abstract. To ensure good air quality for the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, stringent emission controls were implemented in Beijing and its surrounding regions, leading to a significant reduction in PM2.5 loadings. To investigate the impact of the emission controls on aerosol chemistry, high-volume PM2.5 samples were collected in Beijing from 8 October to 24 November 2014 and determined for secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA, i.e., SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+), dicarboxylic acids, keto-carboxylic acid, and α-dicarbonyls, as well as stable carbon isotope composition of oxalic acid (C2). Our results showed that SIA, C2, and related secondary organic aerosols in PM2.5 during APEC were 2–4 times lower than those before APEC, which is firstly ascribed to the strict emission control measures and secondly attributed to the relatively colder and drier conditions during the event that are unfavorable for secondary aerosol production.C2 in the polluted air masses, which mostly occurred before APEC, are abundant and enriched in 13C. On the contrary, C2 in the clean air masses, which mostly occurred during APEC, is much less abundant but still enriched in 13C. In the mixed type of clean and polluted air masses, which mostly occurred after APEC, C2 is lower than that before APEC but higher than that during APEC and enriched in lighter 12C. A comparison on chemical composition of fine particles and δ13C values of C2 in two events that are characterized by high loadings of PM2.5 further showed that after APEC SIA and the total detected organic compounds (TDOC) are much less abundant and fine aerosols are enriched with primary organics and relatively fresh, compared with those before APEC.
Particulate sulfur in the upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere – sources and climate forcing
Authors: Martinsson Bengt G. , Friberg Johan , Sandvik Oscar S. , Hermann Markus , van Velthoven Peter F. J. , Zahn Andreas
Published: January 2017

Abstract. This study is based on fine mode aerosol samples collected in the upper troposphere (UT) and the lowermost stratosphere (LMS) of the northern hemisphere extratropics during monthly intercontinental flights of the IAGOS-CARIBIC platform in the time period 1999–2014. The samples were analyzed for a large number of chemical elements using the accelerator-based methods PIXE (particle-induced X-ray emission) and PESA (particle elastic scattering analysis). Here the particulate sulfur concentrations, obtained by PIXE analysis, are investigated. A steep gradient in particulate sulfur concentration extends several kilometers into the LMS, affected by increasing dilution of particulate sulfur-rich by stratospheric air towards the tropopause. Observed concentrations are related to the distance to the dynamical tropopause. A linear regression methodology revealing seasonal variation and impact from volcanism is used to convert each data point to standalone estimates of a concentration profile and column concentration of particulate sulfur in a 3 km altitude band above the tropopause. We find distinct responses to volcanic eruptions and a significant contribution to the stratospheric aerosol optical depth and radiative forcing of this lowest part of the LMS. Further, the origin of UT particulate sulfur shows a strong seasonal variation. We find that tropospheric sources dominate during summer and fall, whereas these sources make a small contribution during winter and spring. In these latter seasons the stratosphere is the clearly dominating source of particulate sulfur in the UT during moderate volcanic influence as well as background conditions.
PathfinderTURB: an automatic boundary layer algorithm. Development, validation and application to study the impact on in-situ measurements at the Jungfraujoch
Authors: Poltera Yann , Martucci Giovanni , Collaud Coen Martine , Hervo Maxime , Emmenegger Lukas , Henne Stephan , Brunner Dominik , Haefele Alexander
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Continuous observations of the vertical structure of the planetary boundary layer are invaluable for the validation of atmospheric transport models on the micro and meso scale. Lidar and ceilometer backscatter observations offer a robust technique with growing spatial coverage, but the obtained backscatter profiles need to be carefully translated into boundary layer parameters. Here we present the development of the PathfinderTURB algorithm for the analysis of ceilometer backscatter data and the real-time detection of the vertical structure of the planetary boundary layer. Two typical aerosol layer heights are retrieved by PathfinderTURB: the Convective Boundary Layer (CBL) and the Continuous Aerosol Layer (CAL). PathfinderTURB combines the strengths of gradient- and variance-based methods and addresses the layer attribution problem by adopting a geodesic approach. The algorithm has been applied to one year of data measured by two CHM15k ceilometers operated at the Aerological Observatory of Payerne (491 m, a.s.l.) on the Swiss plateau, and at the Kleine Scheidegg (2061 m, a.s.l.) in the Swiss Alps. The retrieval of the CBL has been validated at Payerne using two reference methods: (1) manual detections of the CBL height performed by independent human experts using the ceilometer backscatter data of the year 2014; (2) values of CBL heights calculated using the Richardson's method from co-located radio sounding data. We found average biases as small as 27 m (53 m) with respect to reference method 1 (2). Based on the excellent agreement with the two reference methods, PathfinderTURB has been applied to the ceilometer data at the mountainous site of the Kleine Scheidegg for the period September 2014 till November 2015. At this site, the CHM15k is operated in a novel, tilted configuration at 71° zenith angle to probe the air next to the Sphinx Observatory (3580 m, a.s.l.) on the Jungfraujoch (JFJ). The analysis of the retrieved layers led to the following results: the CAL reaches the JFJ during 41 % of the time in summer and during 21 % of the time in winter for a total of 97 days during the two seasons. The season-averaged daily cycles show that the CBL height reaches the JFJ only during short periods (4 % of the time) on 20 individual days in summer and never during winter. Especially during summer the CBL and the CAL modify the air sampled in-situ at JFJ, resulting in an unequivocal dependence of the measured absorption coefficient on the height of both layers. This highlights the relevance of retrieving the height of CAL and CBL in mountainous regions.
Reviews and syntheses: Hidden forests, the role of vegetated coastal habitats in the ocean carbon budget
Authors: Duarte Carlos M.
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Vegetated coastal habitats, including seagrass and macroalgal beds, mangrove forests and salt marshes, form highly productive ecosystems, but their contribution to the global carbon budget remains overlooked, and these forests remain hidden in representations of the global carbon budget. Despite being confined to a narrow belt around the shoreline of the world's oceans, where they cover less than 7 million km2, vegetated coastal habitats support about 1 to 10 % of the global marine net primary production and generate a large organic carbon surplus of about 40 % of their net primary production (NPP), which is either buried in sediments within these habitats or exported away. Large, 10-fold uncertainties in the area covered by vegetated coastal habitats, along with variability about carbon flux estimates, result in a 10-fold bracket around the estimates of their contribution to organic carbon sequestration in sediments and the deep sea from 73 to 866 Tg C yr−1, representing between 3 % and 1∕3 of oceanic CO2 uptake. Up to 1∕2 of this carbon sequestration occurs in sink reservoirs (sediments or the deep sea) beyond these habitats. The organic carbon exported that does not reach depositional sites subsidizes the metabolism of heterotrophic organisms. In addition to a significant contribution to organic carbon production and sequestration, vegetated coastal habitats contribute as much to carbonate accumulation as coral reefs do. While globally relevant, the magnitude of global carbon fluxes supported by salt-marsh, mangrove, seagrass and macroalgal habitats is declining due to rapid habitat loss, contributing to loss of CO2 sequestration, storage capacity and carbon subsidies. Incorporating the carbon fluxes' vegetated coastal habitats' support into depictions of the carbon budget of the global ocean and its perturbations will improve current representations of the carbon budget of the global ocean.
Diversity and mineral substrate preference in endolithic microbial communities from marine intertidal outcrops (Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico)
Authors: Couradeau Estelle , Roush Daniel , Guida Brandon Scott , Garcia-Pichel Ferran
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Endolithic microbial communities are prominent features of intertidal marine habitats, where they colonize a variety of substrates, contributing to their erosion. Almost 2 centuries worth of naturalistic studies focused on a few true-boring (euendolithic) phototrophs, but substrate preference has received little attention. The Isla de Mona (Puerto Rico) intertidal zone offers a unique setting to investigate substrate specificity of endolithic communities since various phosphate rock, limestone and dolostone outcrops occur there. High-throughput 16S rDNA genetic sampling, enhanced by targeted cultivation, revealed that, while euendolithic cyanobacteria were dominant operational taxonomic units (OTUs), the communities were invariably of high diversity, well beyond that reported in traditional studies and implying an unexpected metabolic complexity potentially contributed by secondary colonizers. While the overall community composition did not show differences traceable to the nature of the mineral substrate, we detected specialization among particular euendolithic cyanobacterial clades towards the type of substrate they excavate but only at the OTU phylogenetic level, implying that close relatives have specialized recurrently into particular substrates. The cationic mineral component was determinant in this preference, suggesting the existence in nature of alternatives to the boring mechanism described in culture that is based exclusively on transcellular calcium transport.
Annual variability and regulation of methane and sulfate fluxes in Baltic Sea estuarine sediments
Authors: Sawicka Joanna E. , Brüchert Volker
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Marine methane emissions originate largely from near-shore coastal systems, but emission estimates are often not based on temporally well-resolved data or sufficient understanding of the variability of methane consumption and production processes in the underlying sediment. The objectives of our investigation were to explore the effects of seasonal temperature, changes in benthic oxygen concentration, and historical eutrophication on sediment methane concentrations and benthic fluxes at two type localities for open-water coastal versus eutrophic, estuarine sediment in the Baltic Sea. Benthic fluxes of methane and oxygen and sediment pore-water concentrations of dissolved sulfate, methane, and 35S-sulfate reduction rates were obtained over a 12-month period from April 2012 to April 2013. Benthic methane fluxes varied by factors of 5 and 12 at the offshore coastal site and the eutrophic estuarine station, respectively, ranging from 0.1 mmol m−2 d−1 in winter at an open coastal site to 2.6 mmol m−2 d−1 in late summer in the inner eutrophic estuary. Total oxygen uptake (TOU) and 35S-sulfate reduction rates (SRRs) correlated with methane fluxes showing low rates in the winter and high rates in the summer. The highest pore-water methane concentrations also varied by factors of 6 and 10 over the sampling period with the lowest values in the winter and highest values in late summer–early autumn. The highest pore-water methane concentrations were 5.7 mM a few centimeters below the sediment surface, but they never exceeded the in situ saturation concentration. Of the total sulfate reduction, 21–24 % was coupled to anaerobic methane oxidation, lowering methane concentrations below the sediment surface far below the saturation concentration. The data imply that bubble emission likely plays no or only a minor role in methane emissions in these sediments. The changes in pore-water methane concentrations over the observation period were too large to be explained by temporal changes in methane formation and methane oxidation rates due to temperature alone. Additional factors such as regional and local hydrostatic pressure changes and coastal submarine groundwater flow may also affect the vertical and lateral transport of methane.
Glaciological measurements and mass balances from Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA, years 2005–2015
Authors: Clark Adam M. , Fagre Daniel B. , Peitzsch Erich H. , Reardon Blase A. , Harper Joel T.
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Glacier mass balance measurements help to provide an understanding of the behavior of glaciers and their response to local and regional climate. In 2005 the United States Geological Survey established a surface mass balance monitoring program on Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA. This project is the first quantitative study of mass changes of a glacier in the US northern Rocky Mountains and continues to the present. The following paper describes the methods used during the first 11 years of measurements and reports the associated results. From 2005 to 2015, Sperry Glacier had a cumulative mean mass balance loss of 4.37 m w.e. (water equivalent). The mean winter, summer, and annual glacier-wide mass balances were 2.92, −3.41, and −0.40 m w.e. yr−1 respectively. We derive these cumulative and mean results from an expansive data set of snow depth, snow density, and ablation measurements taken at selected points on the glacier. These data allow for the determination of mass balance point values and a time series of seasonal and annual glacier-wide mass balances for all 11 measurement years. We also provide measurements of glacier extent and accumulation areas for select years. All data have been submitted to the World Glacier Monitoring Service and are available at doi:10.5904/wgms-fog-2016-08. This foundational work provides valuable insight about Sperry Glacier and supplies additional data to the worldwide record of glaciers measured using the glaciological method. Future research will focus on the processes that control accumulation and ablation patterns across the glacier. Also we plan to examine the uncertainties related to our methods and eventually quantify a more robust estimate of error associated with our results.
Development of a Spatial Hydrologic Soil Map Using Spectral Reflectance Band Recognition and a Multiple-Output Artificial Neural Network Model
Authors: Sayl Khamis Naba , Afan Haitham Abdulmohsin , Muhammad Nur Shazwani , ElShafie Ahmed
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Soil type is important in any civil engineering project. Thorough and comprehensive information on soils in both the spatial and temporal domains can assist in sustainable hydrological, environmental and agricultural development. Conventional soil sampling and laboratory analysis are generally time-consuming, costly and limited in their ability to retrieve the temporal and spatial variability, especially in large areas. Remote sensing is able to provide meaningful data, including soil properties, on several spatial scales using spectral reflectance. In this study, a multiple-output artificial neural network model was integrated with geographic information system, remote sensing and survey data to determine the distributions of hydrologic soil groups in the Horan Valley in the Western Desert of Iraq. The model performance was evaluated using seven performance criteria along with the hydrologic soil groups developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). On the basis of the performance criteria, the model performed best for predicting the spatial distribution of clay soil, and the predicted soil types agreed well with the soil classifications of the USGS. Most of the samples were categorized as sandy loam, whereas one sample was categorized as loamy sand. The proposed method is reliable for predicting the hydrological soil groups in a study area.
Comparison of measured brightness temperatures from SMOS with modelled ones from ORCHIDEE and H-TESSEL over the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Barella-Ortiz Anaïs , Polcher Jan , de Rosnay Patricia , Piles Maria , Gelati Emiliano
Published: January 2017

Abstract. L-band radiometry is considered to be one of the most suitable techniques to estimate surface soil moisture (SSM) by means of remote sensing. Brightness temperatures are key in this process, as they are the main input in the retrieval algorithm which yields SSM estimates. The work exposed compares brightness temperatures measured by the SMOS mission to two different sets of modelled ones, over the Iberian Peninsula from 2010 to 2012. The two modelled sets were estimated using a radiative transfer model and state variables from two land-surface models: (i) ORCHIDEE and (ii) H-TESSEL. The radiative transfer model used is the CMEM. Measured and modelled brightness temperatures show a good agreement in their temporal evolution, but their spatial structures are not consistent. An empirical orthogonal function analysis of the brightness temperature's error identifies a dominant structure over the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula which evolves during the year and is maximum in autumn and winter. Hypotheses concerning forcing-induced biases and assumptions made in the radiative transfer model are analysed to explain this inconsistency, but no candidate is found to be responsible for the weak spatial correlations at the moment. Further hypotheses are proposed and will be explored in a forthcoming paper. The analysis of spatial inconsistencies between modelled and measured TBs is important, as these can affect the estimation of geophysical variables and TB assimilation in operational models, as well as result in misleading validation studies.
Quantifying the changes of soil surface microroughness due to rainfall-induced erosion on a smooth surface
Authors: Abban Benjamin K. B. , Papanicolaou A. N. Thanos , Giannopoulos Christos P. , Dermisis Dimitrios C. , Wacha Kenneth M. , Wilson Christopher G. , Elhakeem Mohamed
Published: January 2017

Abstract. This study examines the rainfall induced change in soil microroughness of a bare soil surface in agricultural landscapes. The focus is on the quantification of roughness length under the action of rainfall for initial microroughness length scales of 2 mm or less, defined here as initial smooth surface conditions. These conditions have not been extensively examined in the literature as most studies have focused on initial disturbed surface conditions (bed surface conditions with initial length scales greater than 2 mm and varying between 5–50 mm). Three representative intensities namely 30 mm/h, 60 mm/h and 75 mm/h were applied over a smoothened bed surface at a field plot via a rainfall simulator. Soil surface microroughness measurements were obtained via a surface-profile laser scanner. Two indices were utilized to quantify soil surface microroughness, namely the Random Roughness (RR) index and the crossover length. Findings show a consistent increase in roughness under the action of rainfall for initial microroughness length scales of 2 mm. This contradicts existing literature where a monotonic decay of roughness of soil surfaces with rainfall is recorded for disturbed surfaces. Analysis shows that on an average the RR and the crossover length post run increase by a multiple of 3.15 and 1.9, respectively from their corresponding values apriori the runs.
Leguminous species sequester more carbon than gramineous species in cultivated grasslands of a semi-arid area
Authors: Liu Yu , Tian Fuping , Jia Pengyan , Zhang Jingge , Hou Fujiang , Wu Gaolin
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The establishment of grasslands on abandoned cropland has been proposed as an effective method to mitigate climate change. In this study, five cultivated grasslands (three leguminous species and two gramineous species), one abandoned cropland, and one natural grassland were studied to examine how soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration rate and sequestration efficiency change in a semi-arid area in China. Our results showed that leguminous grasslands had greater total biomass (above- and belowground biomass), SOC storage, SOC sequestration rate, and efficiency than gramineous grasslands, abandoned cropland, and natural grassland during the experimental period. The largest soil carbon (C) accumulation in leguminous grassland was mainly attributed to the capacity to incorporate C and the higher biomass production. Leguminous grasslands accumulated more SOC than gramineous grasslands by 0.64 Mg C ha−1 yr−1. The average SOC sequestration efficiency in leguminous grassland (1.00) was about 2 times greater than gramineous grassland (0.34). The results indicate that cultivated leguminous grassland sequestered more SOC with higher SOC sequestration efficiency than cultivated gramineous grassland in arid and semi-arid areas. Our results provide a reference for ecological management in arid and semi-arid areas.
Evaluation of single-band snow-patch mapping using high-resolution microwave remote sensing: an application in the maritime Antarctic
Authors: Mora Carla , Jiménez Juan Javier , Pina Pedro , Catalão João , Vieira Gonçalo
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The mountainous and ice-free terrains of the maritime Antarctic generate complex mosaics of snow patches, ranging from tens to hundreds of metres. These can only be accurately mapped using high-resolution remote sensing. In this paper we evaluate the application of radar scenes from TerraSAR-X in High Resolution SpotLight mode for mapping snow patches at a test area on Fildes Peninsula (King George Island, South Shetlands). Snow-patch mapping and characterization of snow stratigraphy were conducted at the time of image acquisition on 12 and 13 January 2012. Snow was wet in all studied snow patches, with coarse-grain and rounded crystals showing advanced melting and with frequent ice layers in the snow pack. Two TerraSAR-X scenes in HH and VV polarization modes were analysed, with the former showing the best results when discriminating between wet snow, lake water and bare soil. However, significant overlap in the backscattering signal was found. Average wet-snow backscattering was −18.0 dB in HH mode, with water showing −21.1 dB and bare soil showing −11.9 dB. Single-band pixel-based and object-oriented image classification methods were used to assess the classification potential of TerraSAR-X SpotLight imagery. The best results were obtained with an object-oriented approach using a watershed segmentation with a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, with an overall accuracy of 92 % and Kappa of 0.88. The main limitation was the west to north-west facing snow patches, which showed significant error, an issue related to artefacts from the geometry of satellite imagery acquisition. The results show that TerraSAR-X in SpotLight mode provides high-quality imagery for mapping wet snow and snowmelt in the maritime Antarctic. The classification procedure that we propose is a simple method and a first step to an implementation in operational mode if a good digital elevation model is available.
Demonstration and uncertainty analysis of synchronised scanning lidar measurements of 2D velocity fields in a boundary-layer wind tunnel
Authors: van Dooren Marijn F. , Campagnolo Filippo , Sjöholm Mikael , Angelou Nikolas , Mikkelsen Torben , Kühn Martin
Published: January 2017

Abstract. This paper combines the currently relevant research methodologies of scaled wind turbine model experiments in wind tunnels with remote-sensing short-range WindScanner lidar measurement technology. The wind tunnel of the Politecnico di Milano was equipped with three wind turbine models and two short-range WindScanner lidars to demonstrate the benefits of synchronised scanning lidars in such experimental surroundings for the first time. The dual-lidar system can provide fully synchronised trajectory scans with sampling time scales ranging from seconds to minutes. First, staring mode measurements were compared to hot-wire probe measurements commonly used in wind tunnels. This yielded goodness of fit coefficients of 0.969 and 0.902 for the 1 Hz averaged u- and v-components of the wind speed, respectively, validating the 2D measurement capability of the lidar scanners. Subsequently, the measurement of wake profiles on a line as well as wake area scans were executed to illustrate the applicability of lidar scanning to measuring small scale wind flow effects. An extensive uncertainty analysis was executed to assess the accuracy of the method. The downsides of lidar with respect to the hot-wire probes are the larger measurement probe volume and the loss of some measurements due to moving blades. In contrast, the benefits are the high flexibility in conducting both point measurements and area scanning, and the fact that remote sensing techniques do not disturb the flow while measuring. The research campaign revealed a high potential for using short-range synchronised scanning lidars to accurately measure small scale flow structures in a wind tunnel, and increased the knowledge about the corresponding uncertainties.
Elementos Neolamarckistas do Selecionismo Skinneriano
Authors: Lopes Carlos Eduardo , Laurenti Carolina
Published: January 2017

A biologia evolutiva tem sido palco de um debate entre as teorias neodarwinista e neolamarckista. Oneodarwinismo explica todo processo evolutivo em termos da seleção de variações genéticas randômicas,assim, o que acontece no âmbito da história de vida do indivíduo, no desenvolvimento e naaprendizagem, não interfere no curso evolutivo. Já a teoria neolamarckista defende a existência demúltiplas fontes de variação, nem sempre randômicas, sobre as quais a seleção opera; ela também admiteque desenvolvimento e aprendizagem podem influenciar a evolução. O objetivo deste ensaio é mostrarque o modelo selecionista skinneriano apresenta características de uma teoria evolutiva neolamarckista.Conclui-se que essa aproximação ajudaria a análise do comportamento a participar ativamente dediscussões contemporâneas da biologia evolutiva.
Fermat's Theorem -- a Geometrical View
Authors: Teia Luis
Published: January 2017

Fermat's Last Theorem questions not only what is a triple, but more importantly, what is an integer in the context of equations of the type $x^n+y^n=z^n$. This paper explores these questions in one, two and three dimensions. It was found that two conditions are required for an integer element to exist in the context of the Pythagoras' theorem in 1D, 2D and 3D. An integer must satisfy the Pythagoras' theorem of the respective dimension -- condition 1. And, it must be completely successfully split into multiple unit scalars -- condition 2. In 1D, the fundamental unit scalar is the line length 1. All integers in 1D satisfy $x+y=z$, and can be decomposed into multiples of the unit line, hence integers exist and can form 1D triples $(x,y,z)$. In 2D, the fundamental unit scalar is the square side 1. Only some groups of integers (called triples) satisfy $x^2+y^2=z^2$, and can be decomposed into multiples of the unit square, forming 2D triples. In 3D, the fundamental unit scalar is the octahedron side 1. The geometry of the 3D Pythagoras' theorem dictates that $x^3+y^3=z^3$ is governed by octahedrons, validating condition 1. However, octahedrons with side length integer cannot be completely divided into unit octahedrons (as tetrahedrons appear), invalidating condition 2. Hence, if integers do not exist in the context of the 3D Pythagoras' theorem, then neither do triples. This confirms Fermat's Last Theorem for three dimensions ($n=3$). The geometrical interdependency between integers in 1D and 2D suggests that all integers of higher dimensions are built, and hence are dependent, on the integers of lower dimensions. This interdependency coupled with the absence of integers in 3D suggests that there are no integers above $n>2$, and therefore there are also no triples that satisfy $x^n+y^n=z^n$ for $n>2$.
The Impact of the Fracking Boom on Arab Oil Producers
Authors: Kilian Lutz
Published: January 2017

ABSTRACT

This article makes four contributions. First, it investigates the extent to which the U.S. fracking boom has caused Arab oil exports to decline since late 2008. Second, the article quantifies for the first time by how much the U.S. fracking boom has lowered the global price of oil. Using a novel econometric methodology, it is shown that in mid-2014, for example, the Brent price of crude oil was lower by $10 than it would have been in the absence of the fracking boom. Third, the article provides evidence that the decline in Saudi net foreign assets between mid- 2014 and August 2015 would have been reduced by 27% in the absence of the fracking boom. Finally, the article discusses the policy choices faced by Saudi Arabia and other Arab oil producers.
New data to the knowledge of macrofungi of Wolin National Park
Authors: Stasińska Małgorzata , Sotek Zofia
Published: January 2017

This paper presents the results of mycological studies conducted in the Wolin National Park from July to November 2012, and sporadically in the following 4 years. Explorations were made by a route method over the whole area of the Park, mainly in forest associations: Cephalanthero rubrae-Fagetum, Galio odorati-Fagetum, Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum, and Fago-Quercetum petraeae. In total, 322 taxa of macrofungi were found, 37 Ascomycota and 285 Basidiomycota. Two of them, Hericium coralloides and Inonotus obliquus, are under partial protection, 39 on the red list of fungi in Poland. For the first time, Russula torulosa, previously not reported from Poland, was found in Wolin National Park. Among the examined phytocoenoses, Galio odorati-Fagetum and Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum are characterized by the highest species variety and abundance.