bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PCAOB Quality Control Inspection Reports and Auditor Reputation
Authors: Nagy Albert L.
Published: March 2014

In 2002, the peer review auditor program was replaced with independent inspections of audit firms by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). The PCAOB inspections differ from the peer reviews in several key areas including the independence level of the reviewers, the nature and timing of the reviews, and the content and timing of the findings' disclosures. This study focuses on the informational value of the quality control criticisms disclosure included in Part II of the PCAOB inspection reports. After each inspection, the PCAOB issues inspection reports that include a public portion (Part I) of identified audit deficiencies, and most include a nonpublic portion (Part II) of identified quality control weaknesses. Part II of the report only becomes public if the firm fails to satisfactorily remediate the quality control deficiencies in a 12-month period. This study examines the change in audit firms' market share following the public disclosure of Part II of the inspection report. The results find that audit firms lose a significant amount of market share following the public disclosure of quality control criticisms, and suggest that such a disclosure provides a credible signal of auditor quality to audit clients.
Physical Therapists' Clinical Knowledge of Multidisciplinary Low Back Pain Treatment Guidelines
Authors: Learman Kenneth E. , Ellis Alyson R. , Goode Adam P. , Showalter Christopher , Cook Chad E.
Published: March 2014

Background

Numerous clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been developed to assist clinicians in care options for low back pain (LBP). Knowledge of CPGs has been marginal across health-related professions.

Objective

The aims of this study were: (1) to measure US-based physical therapists' knowledge of care recommendations associated with multidisciplinary LBP CPGs and (2) to determine which characteristics were associated with more correct responses.

Design

A cross-sectional survey was conducted.

Methods

Consenting participants attending manual therapy education seminars read a clinical vignette describing a patient with LBP and were asked clinical decision-making questions regarding care, education, and potential referral. Descriptive statistics illustrating response accuracy and binary logistic regression determined adjusted associations between predictor variables and appropriate decisions.

Results

A total of 1,144 of 3,932 surveys were eligible for analysis. Correct responses were 55.9% for imaging, 54.7% for appropriate medication, 62.0% for advice to stay active, 92.7% for appropriate referral with failed care, and 16.6% for correctly answering all 4 questions. After adjustment, practicing in an outpatient facility was significantly associated with a correct decision on imaging. Female participants were more likely than male participants to correctly select proper medications, refer the patient to another health care professional when appropriate, and answer all 4 questions correctly. Participants reporting caseloads of greater than 50% of patients with LBP were more likely to select proper medications, give advice to stay active, and answer all 4 questions correctly. Participants attending more continuing education were more likely to give advice to stay active and older, and more experienced participants were more likely to appropriately refer after failed care.

Limitations

There was potential selection bias, which limits generalizability.

Conclusions

The survey identified varied understanding of CPGs when making decisions that were similar in recommendation to the CPGs. No single predictor for correct responses for LBP CPGs was found.
Epidemiology of tuberculosis in big cities of the European Union and European Economic Area countries
Authors: de Vries G , Aldridge R W , Caylà J A , Haas W.  H. , Sandgren A , van Hest N A , Abubakar I , the Tuberculosis in European Union Big Cities Working Group Collective
Published: March 2014

Binary file ES_Abstracts_Final_ECDC.txt matches
Multitarget, dual-electrode deep brain stimulation of the thalamus and subthalamic area for treatment of Holmes' tremor
Authors: Kobayashi Kazutaka , Katayama Yoichi , Oshima Hideki , Watanabe Mitsuru , Sumi Koichiro , Obuchi Toshiki , Fukaya Chikashi , Yamamoto Takamitsu
Published: March 2014

Object

Holmes' tremor (HT) is generally considered to be a symptomatic tremor associated with lesions of the cerebellum, midbrain, or thalamus. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy for essential tremor and parkinsonian tremor has proved quite successful. In contrast, surgical treatment outcomes for HT have often been disappointing. The use of 2 ipsilateral DBS electrodes implanted in parallel within the thalamus for severe essential tremor has been reported. Since dual-lead stimulation within a single target can cover a wider area than single-lead stimulation, it produces greater effects. On the other hand, DBS of the subthalamic area (SA) was recently reported to be effective for refractory tremor.

Methods

The authors implanted 2 DBS electrodes (one at the nucleus ventralis oralis/nucleus ventralis intermedius and the other at the SA) in 4 patients with HT. For more than 2 years after implantation, each patient's tremor was evaluated using a tremor rating scale under the following 4 conditions of stimulation: “on” for both thalamus and SA DBS; “off” for both thalamus and SA DBS; “on” for thalamus and “off” for SA DBS; and “on” for SA and “off” for thalamus DBS.

Results

The tremor in all patients was improved for more than 2 years (mean 25.8 ± 3.5 months). Stimulation with 2 electrodes exerted greater effect on the tremor than did 1-electrode stimulation. Interestingly, in all patients progressive effects were observed, and in one patient treated with DBS for 1 year, tremor did not appear even while stimulation was temporarily switched off, suggesting irreversible improvement effects.

The presence of both resting and intentional/action tremor implies combined destruction of the pallidothalamic and cerebellothalamic pathways in HT. A larger stimulation area may thus be required for HT patients. Multitarget, dual-lead stimulation permits coverage of the wide area needed to suppress the tremor without adverse effects of stimulation. Some reorganization of the neural network may be involved in the development of HT because the tremor appears several months after the primary insult. The mechanism underlying the absence of tremor while stimulation was temporarily off remains unclear, but the DBS may have normalized the abnormal neural network.

Conclusions

The authors successfully treated patients with severe HT by using dual-electrode DBS over a long period. Such DBS may offer an effective and safe treatment modality for intractable HT.
Clinical results of patients with thoracolumbar spine trauma treated according to the Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score
Authors: Joaquim Andrei F. , Ghizoni Enrico , Tedeschi Helder , Batista Ulysses Caus , Patel Alpesh A.
Published: March 2014

Object

The Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score (TLICS) was developed to improve injury classification and guide surgical decision making, yet validation remains necessary. This study evaluates the neurological outcome of patients with thoracolumbar spine trauma (TLST) treated according to the TLICS.

Methods

The TLICS was prospectively applied to a consecutive series of patients treated for TLST between 2009 and 2012. Patients with a TLICS of 4 points or more were surgically treated, whereas patients with a TLICS of 3 points or fewer were conservatively managed. The primary outcome was the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS).

Results

A total of 65 patients were treated. In 37 patients, the TLICS was 3 points or fewer and the patients were treated nonsurgically (Group 1). The remaining 28 patients with a TLICS of 4 or more points underwent surgical treatment (Group 2). In Group 1, 28 patients underwent some follow-up at the authors' institution; all of these patients were neurologically intact with compression or burst fractures (TLICS of 1 or 2 points; median 2). The average age in this group was 44.5 years, and follow-up ranged from 1 to 36 months (mean 6.7 months, median 3 months). Two patients (both with a TLICS of 2 points) underwent late surgery for axial back pain and mild focal kyphosis, without significant clinical improvement. In Group 2, follow-up ranged from 1 to 18 months (mean 4.4 months, median 3 months) and the TLICS ranged from 4 to 10 points (median 7 points). In this group, preoperatively, 9 (32%) patients had AIS Grade E injuries, 6 (21%) had AIS Grade C, 1 (4%) had AIS Grade B, and 12 (43%) had AIS Grade A injuries. At the final follow-up, the AIS grade was E in 11 patients (39%), D in 5 (18%), and A in 12 (43%). No patient had neurological worsening during the follow-up.

Conclusions

The TLICS can be used to guide treatment that is safe with regard to the neurological status of patients treated for TLST.
Symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas during pregnancy
Authors: Moles Alexis , Hamel Olivier , Perret Christophe , Bord Eric , Robert Roger , Buffenoir Kevin
Published: March 2014

Symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas during pregnancy are rare, as only 27 cases have been reported in the literature since 1948. However, symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas can be responsible for spinal cord compression, in which case they constitute a medical emergency, which raises management difficulties in the context of pregnancy. Pregnancy is a known factor responsible for deterioration of these vascular tumors. In this paper, the authors report 2 clinical cases of symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas during pregnancy, including 1 case of spontaneous fracture that has never been previously reported in the literature. The authors then present a brief review of the literature to discuss emergency management of this condition. The first case was a 28-year-old woman at 35 weeks of gestation, who presented with paraparesis. Spinal cord MRI demonstrated a vertebral hemangioma invading the body and posterior arch of T-3 with posterior epidural extension. Laminectomy and vertebroplasty were performed after cesarean section, allowing neurological recovery. The second case involved a 35-year-old woman who presented with spontaneous fracture of T-7 at 36 weeks of gestation, revealing a vertebral hemangioma with no neurological deficit, but it was responsible for pain and local instability. Treatment consisted of postpartum posterior interbody fusion. With a clinical and radiological follow-up of 2 years, no complications and no modification of the hemangiomas were observed. A review of the literature reveals discordant management of these rare cases, which is why the treatment course must be decided by a multidisciplinary team as a function of fetal gestational age and maternal neurological features.
Energy Efficiency in Greenhouse Evaporative Cooling Techniques: Cooling Boxes versus Cellulose Pads
Authors: Franco Antonio , Valera Diego , Peña Araceli
Published: March 2014

Evaporative cooling systems using a combination of evaporative pads and extractor fans require greenhouses to be hermetic. The greatest concentration of greenhouses in the world is located in southeast Spain, but these tend not to be hermetic structures and consequently can only rely on fogging systems as evaporative cooling techniques. Evaporative cooling boxes provide an alternative to such systems. Using a low-speed wind tunnel, the present work has compared the performance of this system with four pads of differing geometry and thickness manufactured by two different companies. The results obtained show that the plastic packing in the cooling unit produces a pressure drop of 11.05 Pa at 2 m·s−1, which is between 51.27% and 94.87% lower than that produced by the cellulose pads. This pressure drop was not influenced by increases in the water flow. The evaporative cooling boxes presented greater saturation efficiency at the same flow, namely 82.63%, as opposed to an average figure of 65% for the cellulose pads; and also had a lower specific consumption of water, at around 3.05 L·h−1·m−2·°C−1. Consequently, we conclude that evaporative cooling boxes are a good option for cooling non-hermetic greenhouses such as those most frequently used in the Mediterranean basin.
Exosomes Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Yu Bo , Zhang Xiaomin , Li Xiaorong
Published: March 2014

The functional mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have become a research focus in recent years. Accumulating evidence supports the notion that MSCs act in a paracrine manner. Therefore, the biological factors in conditioned medium, including exosomes and soluble factors, derived from MSC cultures are being explored extensively. The results from most investigations show that MSC-conditioned medium or its components mediate some biological functions of MSCs. Several studies have reported that MSC-derived exosomes have functions similar to those of MSCs, such as repairing tissue damage, suppressing inflammatory responses, and modulating the immune system. However, the mechanisms are still not fully understood and the results remain controversial. Compared with cells, exosomes are more stable and reservable, have no risk of aneuploidy, a lower possibility of immune rejection following in vivo allogeneic administration, and may provide an alternative therapy for various diseases. In this review, we summarize the properties and biological functions of MSC-derived exosomes and discuss the related mechanisms.
Predicting “Heart Age” Using Electrocardiography
Authors: Ball Robyn , Feiveson Alan , Schlegel Todd , Starc Vito , Dabney Alan
Published: March 2014

Knowledge of a patient’s cardiac age, or “heart age”, could prove useful to both patients and physicians for better encouraging lifestyle changes potentially beneficial for cardiovascular health. This may be particularly true for patients who exhibit symptoms but who test negative for cardiac pathology. We developed a statistical model, using a Bayesian approach, that predicts an individual’s heart age based on his/her electrocardiogram (ECG). The model is tailored to healthy individuals, with no known risk factors, who are at least 20 years old and for whom a resting ~5 min 12-lead ECG has been obtained. We evaluated the model using a database of ECGs from 776 such individuals. Secondarily, we also applied the model to other groups of individuals who had received 5-min ECGs, including 221 with risk factors for cardiac disease, 441 with overt cardiac disease diagnosed by clinical imaging tests, and a smaller group of highly endurance-trained athletes. Model-related heart age predictions in healthy non-athletes tended to center around body age, whereas about three-fourths of the subjects with risk factors and nearly all patients with proven heart diseases had higher predicted heart ages than true body ages. The model also predicted somewhat higher heart ages than body ages in a majority of highly endurance-trained athletes, potentially consistent with possible fibrotic or other anomalies recently noted in such individuals.
Cytotoxic Effects of Fascaplysin against Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Hamilton Gerhard
Published: March 2014

Fascaplysin, the natural product of a marine sponge, exhibits anticancer activity against a broad range of tumor cells, presumably through interaction with DNA, and/or as a highly selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibitor. In this study, cytotoxic activity of fascaplysin against a panel of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines and putative synergism with chemotherapeutics was investigated. SCLC responds to first-line chemotherapy with platinum-based drugs/etoposide, but relapses early with topotecan remaining as the single approved therapeutic agent. Fascaplysin was found to show high cytotoxicity against SCLC cells and to induce cell cycle arrest in G1/0 at lower and S-phase at higher concentrations, respectively. The compound generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induced apoptotic cell death in the chemoresistant NCI-H417 SCLC cell line. Furthermore, fascaplysin revealed marked synergism with the topoisomerase I-directed camptothecin and 10-hydroxy-camptothecin. The Poly(ADP-ribose)-Polymerase 1 (PARP1) inhibitor BYK 204165 antagonized the cytotoxic activity of fascaplysin, pointing to the involvement of DNA repair in response to the anticancer activity of the drug. In conclusion, fascaplysin seems to be suitable for treatment of SCLC, based on high cytotoxic activity through multiple routes of action, affecting topoisomerase I, integrity of DNA and generation of ROS.
Potentiality of Soybean Proteomics in Untying the Mechanism of Flood and Drought Stress Tolerance
Authors: Hossain Zahed , Komatsu Setsuko
Published: March 2014

Dissecting molecular pathways at protein level is essential for comprehensive understanding of plant stress response mechanism. Like other legume crops, soybean, the world’s most widely grown seed legume and an inexpensive source of protein and vegetable oil, is also extremely sensitive to abiotic stressors including flood and drought. Irrespective of the kind and severity of the water stress, soybean exhibits a tight control over the carbon metabolism to meet the cells required energy demand for alleviating stress effects. The present review summarizes the major proteomic findings related to changes in soybean proteomes in response to flood and drought stresses to get a clear insight into the complex mechanisms of stress tolerance. Furthermore, advantages and disadvantages of different protein extraction protocols and challenges and future prospects of soybean proteome study are discussed in detail to comprehend the underlying mechanism of water stress acclimation.
Biotin-Streptavidin Binding Interactions of Dielectric Filled Silicon Bulk Acoustic Resonators for Smart Label-Free Biochemical Sensor Applications
Authors: Heidari Amir , Yoon Yong-Jin , Park Woo-Tae , Su Pei-Chen , Miao Jianmin , Lin Julius , Park Mi
Published: March 2014

Sensor performance of a dielectric filled silicon bulk acoustic resonator type label-free biosensor is verified with biotin-streptavidin binding interactions as a model system. The mass sensor is a micromachined silicon square plate with a dielectric filled capacitive excitation mechanism. The resonance frequency of the biotin modified resonator decreased 315 ppm when exposed to streptavidin solution for 15 min with a concentration of 10−7 M, corresponding to an added mass of 3.43 ng on the resonator surface. An additional control is added by exposing a bovine serum albumin (BSA)-covered device to streptavidin in the absence of the attached biotin. No resonance frequency shift was observed in the control experiment, which confirms the specificity of the detection. The sensor-to-sensor variability is also measured to be 4.3%. Consequently, the developed sensor can be used to observe in biotin-streptavidin interaction without the use of labelling or molecular tags. In addition, biosensor can be used in a variety of different immunoassay tests.
Feasibility Study of a Wearable System Based on a Wireless Body Area Network for Gait Assessment in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Authors: Cancela Jorge , Pastorino Matteo , Arredondo Maria , Nikita Konstantina , Villagra Federico , Pastor Maria
Published: March 2014

Parkinson’s disease (PD) alters the motor performance of affected individuals. The dopaminergic denervation of the striatum, due to substantia nigra neuronal loss, compromises the speed, the automatism and smoothness of movements of PD patients. The development of a reliable tool for long-term monitoring of PD symptoms would allow the accurate assessment of the clinical status during the different PD stages and the evaluation of motor complications. Furthermore, it would be very useful both for routine clinical care as well as for testing novel therapies. Within this context we have validated the feasibility of using a Body Network Area (BAN) of wireless accelerometers to perform continuous at home gait monitoring of PD patients. The analysis addresses the assessment of the system performance working in real environments.
A Simple Small Size and Low Cost Sensor Based on Surface Plasmon Resonance for Selective Detection of Fe(III)
Authors: Cennamo Nunzio , Alberti Giancarla , Pesavento Maria , D'Agostino Girolamo , Quattrini Federico , Biesuz Raffaela , Zeni Luigi
Published: March 2014

A simple, small size, and low cost sensor based on a Deferoxamine Self Assembled Monolayer (DFO-SAM) and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) transduction, in connection with a Plastic Optical Fiber (POF), has been developed for the selective detection of Fe(III). DFO-SAM sensors based on appropriate electrochemical techniques can be frequently found in the scientific literature. In this work, we present the first example of a DFO-SAM sensor based on SPR in an optical fiber. The SPR sensing platform was realized by removing the cladding of a plastic optical fiber along half the circumference, spin coating a buffer of Microposit S1813 photoresist on the exposed core, and finally sputtering a thin gold film. The hydroxamate siderophore deferoxamine (DFO), having high binding affinity for Fe(III), is then used in its immobilized form, as self-assembled monolayer on the gold layer surface of the POF sensor. The results showed that the DFO-SAM-POF-sensor was able to sense the formation of the Fe(III)/DFO complex in the range of concentrations between 1 μm and 50 μm with a linearity range from 0 to 30 μm of Fe(III). The selectivity of the sensor was also proved by interference tests.
Maximization of the Supportable Number of Sensors in QoS-Aware Cluster-Based Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks
Authors: Nguyen Thi-Tham , Le Duc , Yoon Seokhoon
Published: March 2014

This paper proposes a practical low-complexity MAC (medium access control) scheme for quality of service (QoS)-aware and cluster-based underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASN), in which the provision of differentiated QoS is required. In such a network, underwater sensors (U-sensor) in a cluster are divided into several classes, each of which has a different QoS requirement. The major problem considered in this paper is the maximization of the number of nodes that a cluster can accommodate while still providing the required QoS for each class in terms of the PDR (packet delivery ratio). In order to address the problem, we first estimate the packet delivery probability (PDP) and use it to formulate an optimization problem to determine the optimal value of the maximum packet retransmissions for each QoS class. The custom greedy and interior-point algorithms are used to find the optimal solutions, which are verified by extensive simulations. The simulation results show that, by solving the proposed optimization problem, the supportable number of underwater sensor nodes can be maximized while satisfying the QoS requirements for each class.
Rectourethral Fistula: Systemic Review of and Experiences With Various Surgical Treatment Methods
Authors: Choi Ji Hye , Jeon Byeong Geon , Choi Sang-Gi , Han Eon Chul , Ha Heon-Kyun , Oh Heung-Kwon , Choe Eun Kyung , Moon Sang Hui , Ryoo Seung-Bum , Park Kyu Joo
Published: March 2014

Purpose A rectourethral fistula (RUF) is an uncommon complication resulting from surgery, radiation or trauma. Although various surgical procedures for the treatment of an RUF have been described, none has gained acceptance as the procedure of choice. The aim of this study was to review our experience with surgical management of RUF.Methods The outcomes of 6 male patients (mean age, 51 years) with an RUF who were operated on by a single surgeon between May 2005 and July 2012 were assessed.Results The causes of the RUF were iatrogenic in four cases (two after radiation therapy for rectal cancer, one after brachytherapy for prostate cancer, and one after surgery for a bladder stone) and traumatic in two cases. Fecal diversion was the initial treatment in five patients. In one patient, fecal diversion was performed simultaneously with definitive repair. Four patients underwent staged repair after a mean of 12 months. Rectal advancement flaps were done for simple, small fistula (n = 2), and flap interpositions (gracilis muscle flap, n = 2; omental flap, n = 1) were done for complex or recurrent fistulae. Urinary strictures and incontinence were observed in patients after gracilis muscle flap interposition, but they were resolved with simple treatments. The mean follow-up period was 28 months, and closure of the fistula was achieved in all five patients (100%) who underwent definitive repairs. The fistula persisted in one patient who refused further definitive surgery after receiving only a fecal diversion.Conclusion Depending on the severity and the recurrence status of RUF, a relatively simple rectal advancement flap repair or a more complex gracilis muscle or omental flap interposition can be used to achieve closure of the fistula.
Review of the genus Namadytes Hesse, 1969 (Insecta: Diptera: Mydidae: Syllegomydinae)
Authors: Dikow Torsten , Leon Stephanie
Published: March 2014

The Mydidae genus Namadytes Hesse, 1969 is reviewed. It is known from five species, primarily occurring in Namibia. The study of newly available material from both Namibia and South Africa deposited in several natural history collections results in the recognition of three species and new synonymy of two, i.e., Namadytes pallidus Hesse, 1972 is a new junior synonym of Namadytes maculiventris (Hesse, 1969) and Namadytes prozeskyi Hesse, 1969: 282 is a new junior synonym of Namadytes vansoni Hesse, 1969: 280. All three species are re-described and comments on sexual dimorphism and intraspecific variation are made, a dichotomous key for their identification is presented, and illustrations and photographs are provided to support the descriptions and facilitate future identification. Distribution, occurrence in biodiversity hotspots sensu Conservation International, and seasonal incidence with associated weather and climatic data are discussed for all species. A morphological structure ventral to the halter and posterior to the metathoracic spiracle, the infra-halter sclerite, is here newly termed.
L'institution de la famille
Authors: Broda Philippe
Published: March 2014

Cet article examine la position de Commons et Veblen sur une institution spécifique, la famille. Commons adhère au modèle conventionnel, dans lequel l’homme est responsable des moyens de subsistance et la femme, de la dimension affective. Il accepte donc l’inégalité entre les hommes et les femmes. L’évolution historique laisse simplement espérer une relation davantage fondée sur la persuasion que sur la coercition. De son côté, Veblen soutient la cause féministe. Il considère que la femme doit s’émanciper et travailler. La maintenir à l’intérieur du foyer permet au contraire l’instauration de rapports de domination qui s’expriment à travers la consommation « ostentatoire » et le loisir « par délégation ».
Droit de propriété et économie politique dans l'analyse saint-simonienne
Authors: Jacoud Gilles
Published: March 2014

De 1825 à 1832, les saint-simoniens prônent une évolution de l’ordre économique et social qui découle de leur analyse du droit de propriété et de ses effets sur le fonctionnement d’une société où les propriétaires exploitent les travailleurs. L’amélioration du sort des travailleurs et le progrès économique nécessitent des mesures pour abaisser les revenus des propriétaires oisifs, assurer une meilleure affectation des capitaux aux travailleurs et modifier les conditions d’accès à la propriété. Les saint-simoniens recommandent ainsi la création d’un système bancaire combinant centralisation et spécialisation ainsi qu’une réforme du droit d’héritage.
An Examination of Game-Based Learning from Theories of Flow Experience and Cognitive Load
Authors: Lai Chih-Hung , Chu Chih-Ming , Liu Hsiang-Hsuan , Yang Shun-Bo , Chen Wei-Hsuan
Published: March 2014

This study aims to discuss whether game-based learning with the integration of games and digital learning could enhance not only the flow experience in learning but achieve the same flow experience in pure games. In addition, the authors discovered that whether the game-based learning could make learners to reveal higher cognitive load. The effects of computer-assisted learning, computer games, and computer-assisted learning on the fifth-grade students are compared. The results showed that game-based learning is able to promote and achieve the same flow experience in games as well as increase the learners’ cognitive load. However, repeatedly using such software would not present significant difference on cognitive load.
The Immunology of Food Allergy
Authors: Johnston Laura K. , Chien Karen B. , Bryce Paul J.
Published: March 2014

Food allergies represent an increasingly prevalent human health problem, and therapeutic options remain limited, with avoidance being mainstay, despite its adverse effects on quality of life. A better understanding of the key immunological mechanisms involved in such responses likely will be vital for development of new therapies. This review outlines the current understanding of how the immune system is thought to contribute to prevention or development of food allergies. Drawing from animal studies, as well as clinical data when available, the importance of oral tolerance in sustaining immunological nonresponsiveness to food Ags, our current understanding of why oral tolerance may fail and sensitization may occur, and the knowledge of pathways that may lead to anaphylaxis and food allergy–associated responses are addressed.
Effects of 2010 Hurricane Earl amidst geologic evidence for greater overwash at Anegada, British Virgin Islands
Authors: Atwater B. F. , Fuentes Z. , Halley R. B. , Ten Brink U. S. , Tuttle M. P.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. A post-hurricane survey of a Caribbean island affords comparisons with geologic evidence for greater overwash at the same place. This comparison, though of limited application to other places, helps calibrate coastal geology for assessment of earthquake and tsunami potential along the Antilles Subduction Zone. The surveyed island, Anegada, is 120 km south of the Puerto Rico Trench and is near the paths of hurricanes Donna (1960) and Earl (2010), which were at or near category 4 when at closest approach. The survey focused on Earl's geologic effects, related them to the surge from Hurricane Donna, and compared them further with erosional and depositional signs of southward overwash from the Atlantic Ocean that dates to 1200–1450 AD and to 1650–1800 AD. The main finding is that the geologic effects of these earlier events dwarf those of the recent hurricanes. Hurricane Earl's geologic effects at Anegada, observed mainly in 2011, were limited to wrack deposition along many of the island's shores and salt ponds, accretion of small washover (spillover) fans on the south shore, and the suspension and deposition of microbial material from interior salt ponds. Earl's most widespread deposit at Anegada, the microbial detritus, was abundantly juxtaposed with evidence for catastrophic overwash in prior centuries. The microbial detritus formed an extensive coating up to 2 cm thick that extended into breaches in beach-ridge plains of the island's north shore, onto playas that are underlain by a sand-and-shell sheet that extends as much as 1.5 km southward from the north shore, and among southward-strewn limestone boulders pendant to outcrops as much as 1 km inland. Earl's spillover fans also contrast with a sand-and-shell sheet, which was dated previously to 1650–1800, by being limited to the island's south shore and by extending inland a few tens of meters at most. These findings complement those reported in this issue by Michaela Spiske and Robert Halley (Spiske and Halley, 2014), who studied a coral-rubble ridge that lines part of Anegada's north shore. Spiske and Halley attribute the ridge to storms that were larger than Earl. But they contrast the ridge with coral boulders that were scattered hundreds of meters inland by overwash in 1200–1450.
GOME-2 total ozone columns from MetOp-A/MetOp-B and assimilation in the MACC system
Authors: Hao N. , Koukouli M. E. , Inness A. , Valks P. , Loyola D. G. , Zimmer W. , Balis D. S. , Zyrichidou I. , Van Roozendael M. , Lerot C. , Spurr R. J. D.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The two Global Ozone Monitoring Instrument (GOME-2) sensors operated in tandem are flying onboard EUMETSAT's MetOp-A and MetOp-B satellites, launched in October 2006 and September 2012 respectively. This paper presents the operational GOME-2/MetOp-A (GOME-2A) and GOME-2/MetOp-B (GOME-2B) total ozone products provided by the EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facility on Ozone and Atmospheric Chemistry Monitoring (O3M-SAF). These products are generated using the latest version of the GOME Data Processor (GDP version 4.7). The enhancements in GDP 4.7, including the application of Brion–Daumont–Malicet ozone absorption cross-sections, are presented here. On a global scale, GOME-2B has the same high accuracy as the corresponding GOME-2A products. There is an excellent agreement between the ozone total columns from the two sensors, with GOME-2B values slightly lower with a mean difference of only 0.55 ± 0.29%. First global validation results for 6 months of GOME-2B total ozone using ground-based measurements show that on average the GOME-2B total ozone data obtained with GDP 4.7 slightly overestimate Dobson observations by about 2.0 ± 1.0% and Brewer observations by about 1.0 ± 0.8%. It is concluded that the total ozone columns (TOCs) provided by GOME-2A and GOME-2B are consistent and may be used simultaneously without introducing trends or other systematic effects. GOME-2A total ozone data have been used operationally in the Copernicus atmospheric service project MACC-II (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate – Interim Implementation) near-real-time (NRT) system since October 2013. The magnitude of the bias correction needed for assimilating GOME-2A ozone is reduced (to about −6 DU in the global mean) when the GOME-2 ozone retrieval algorithm changed to GDP 4.7.
Binning effects on in-situ raindrop size distribution measurements
Authors: Checa-Garcia R. , Tokay A. , Tapiador F. J.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. This paper investigates the binning effects on drop size distribution (DSD) measurements obtained by Joss-Waldvogel disdrometer (JWD), Precipitation Occurrence Sensor System (POSS), Thies disdrometer (Thies), Parsivel OTT disdrometer, two-dimensional video disdrometer (2DVD) and optical spectro-pluviometer (OSP) instruments, therefore the evaluation comprises non-regular bin sizes and the effect of minimum and maximum measured sizes of drops. To achieve this goal, 2DVD measurements and simulated gamma size distributions were considered. The analysis of simulated gamma DSD binned according each instrument was performed to understand the role of discretisation and truncation effects together on the integral rainfall parameters and estimators of the DSD parameters. In addition, the drop-by-drop output of the 2DVD is binned to simulate the raw output of the other disdrometers which allowed us estimate sampling and binning effects on selected events from available dataset. From simulated DSD it has been found that binning effects exist in integral rainfall parameters and in the evaluation of DSD parameters of a gamma distribution. This study indicates that POSS and JWD exhibit underestimation of concentration and mean diameter due to binning. Thies and Parsivel report a positive bias for rainfall and reflectivity (reaching 5% for heavy rainfall intensity events). Regarding to DSD parameters, distributions of estimators for the shape and scale parameters were analyzed by moment, truncated moment and maximum likelihood methods. They reported noticeable differences between instruments for all methodologies of estimation applied. The measurements of 2DVD allow sampling error estimation of instruments with smaller capture areas than 2DVD. The results show that the instrument differences due to sampling were a~relevant uncertainty but that concentration, reflectivity and mass-weighted diameter were sensitive to binning.
Causal relationships vs. emergent patterns in the global controls of fire frequency
Authors: Bistinas I. , Harrison S. P. , Prentice I. C. , Pereira J. M. C.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Global controls on month-by-month fractional burnt area (2000–2005) were investigated by fitting a generalized linear model to Global Fire Emissions Database data with 11 predictor variables representing vegetation, climate, land use and potential ignition sources. Burnt area is shown to increase with annual net primary production (NPP), number of dry days, maximum temperature, grazing-land area, grass/shrub cover and diurnal temperature range, and to decrease with soil moisture, cropland area and population density. Lightning showed an apparent (weak) negative influence, but this disappeared when pure seasonal-cycle effects were taken into account. The model predicts observed geographic and seasonal patterns, and the emergent relationships seen when burnt area is plotted against each variable separately. Unimodal relationships to mean annual temperature and precipitation, population density and gross domestic product (GDP) are reproduced too, and thus shown to be secondary consequences of correlations among different controls (e.g. high NPP with high precipitation; low NPP with low population density and GDP). These findings have major implications for the design of global fire models, as several assumptions in current models – most notably, the widely assumed dependence of fire frequency on ignition rates – are evidently incorrect.
An update to the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT version 2)
Authors: Bakker D. C. E. , Pfeil B. , Smith K. , Hankin S. , Olsen A. , Alin S. R. , Cosca C. , Harasawa S. , Kozyr A. , Nojiri Y. , O'Brien K. M. , Schuster U. , Telszewski M. , Tilbrook B. , Wada C. , Akl J. , Barbero L. , Bates N. R. , Boutin J. , Bozec Y. , Cai W.-J. , Castle R. D. , Chavez F. P. , Chen L. , Chierici M. , Currie K. , de Baar H. J. W. , Evans W. , Feely R. A. , Fransson A. , Gao Z. , Hales B. , Hardman-Mountford N. J. , Hoppema M. , Huang W.-J. , Hunt C. W. , Huss B. , Ichikawa T. , Johannessen T. , Jones E. M. , Jones S. D. , Jutterström S. , Kitidis V. , Körtzinger A. , Landschützer P. , Lauvset S. K. , Lefèvre N. , Manke A. B. , Mathis J. T. , Merlivat L. , Metzl N. , Murata A. , Newberger T. , Omar A. M. , Ono T. , Park G.-H. , Paterson K. , Pierrot D. , Ríos A. F. , Sabine C. L. , Saito S. , Salisbury J. , Sarma V. V. S. S. , Schlitzer R. , Sieger R. , Skjelvan I. , Steinhoff T. , Sullivan K. F. , Sun H. , Sutton A. J. , Suzuki T. , Sweeney C. , Takahashi T. , Tjiputra J. , Tsurushima N. , van Heuven S. M. A. C. , Vandemark D. , Vlahos P. , Wallace D. W. R. , Wanninkhof R. , Watson A. J.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT), an activity of the international marine carbon research community, provides access to synthesis and gridded fCO2 (fugacity of carbon dioxide) products for the surface oceans. Version 2 of SOCAT is an update of the previous release (version 1) with more data (increased from 6.3 million to 10.1 million surface water fCO2 values) and extended data coverage (from 1968–2007 to 1968–2011). The quality control criteria, while identical in both versions, have been applied more strictly in version 2 than in version 1. The SOCAT website (http://www.socat.info/) has links to quality control comments, metadata, individual data set files, and synthesis and gridded data products. Interactive online tools allow visitors to explore the richness of the data. Applications of SOCAT include process studies, quantification of the ocean carbon sink and its spatial, seasonal, year-to-year and longerterm variation, as well as initialisation or validation of ocean carbon models and coupled climate-carbon models. Data coverage Repository-References: Individual data set files and synthesis product: doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.811776 Gridded products: doi:10.3334/CDIAC/OTG.SOCAT_V2_GRID Available at: http://www.socat.info/ Coverage: 79° S to 90° N; 180° W to 180° E Location Name: Global Oceans and Coastal Seas Date/Time Start: 16 November 1968 Date/Time End: 26 December 2011
Potential ecological risk assessment and prediction of soil heavy metal pollution around coal gangue dump
Authors: Jiang X. , Lu W. X. , Yang Q. C. , Yang Z. P.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Aim of the present study is to evaluate the potential ecological risk and predict the trend of soil heavy metal pollution around a~coal gangue dump in Jilin Province (Northeast China). The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr and Zn were monitored by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The potential ecological risk index method developed by Hakanson (1980) was employed to assess the potential risk of heavy metal pollution. The potential ecological risk in an order of E(Cd) > E(Pb) > E(Cu) > E(Cr) > E(Zn) have been obtained, which showed that Cd was the most important factor led to risk. Based on the Cd pollution history, the cumulative acceleration and cumulative rate of Cd were estimated, and the fixed number of years exceeding standard prediction model was established, which was used to predict the pollution trend of Cd under the accelerated accumulation mode and the uniform mode. Pearson correlation analysis and correspondence analysis are employed to identify the sources of heavy metal, and the relationship between sampling points and variables. These findings provide some useful insights for making appropriate management strategies to prevent and decrease heavy metal pollution around coal gangue dump in Yangcaogou coal mine and other similar areas elsewhere.
Mitigation of coupled model biases induced by dynamical core misfitting through parameter optimization: simulation with a simple pycnocline prediction model
Authors: Han G.-J. , Zhang X.-F. , Zhang S. , Wu X.-R. , Liu Z.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Imperfect dynamical core is an important source of model biases that adversely impact on the model simulation and predictability of a coupled system. With a simple pycnocline prediction model, in this study, we show the mitigation of model biases through parameter optimization when the assimilation model consists of a "biased" time-differencing. Here, the "biased" time-differencing is defined by a different time-differencing scheme from the "truth" model that is used to produce "observations", which generates different mean values, climatology and variability of the assimilation model from the "truth" model. A series of assimilation experiments is performed to explore the impact of parameter optimization on model bias mitigation and climate estimation, as well as the role of different media parameter estimations. While the stochastic "physics" implemented by perturbing parameters can enhance the ensemble spread significantly and improve the representation of the model ensemble, signal-enhanced parameter estimation is able to mitigate the model biases on mean values and climatology, thus further improving the accuracy of estimated climate states, especially for the low-frequency signals. In addition, in a multiple timescale coupled system, parameters pertinent to low-frequency components have more impact on climate signals. Results also suggest that deep ocean observations may be indispensable for improving the accuracy of climate estimation, especially for low-frequency signals.
Implications of model error for numerical climate prediction
Authors: Martínez-Alvarado O.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Numerical climate models constitute the best available tools to tackle the problem of climate prediction. Two assumptions lie at the heart of their suitability: (1) a climate attractor exists, and (2) the numerical climate model's attractor lies on the actual climate attractor, or at least on the projection of the climate attractor on the model's phase space. In this contribution, the Lorenz '63 system is used both as a prototype system and as an imperfect model to investigate the implications of the second assumption. By comparing results drawn from the Lorenz '63 system and from numerical weather and climate models, the implications of using imperfect models for the prediction of weather and climate are discussed. It is shown that the imperfect model's orbit and the system's orbit are essentially different, purely due to model error and not to sensitivity to initial conditions. Furthermore, if a model is a perfect model, then the attractor, reconstructed by sampling a collection of initialised model orbits (forecast orbits), will be invariant to forecast lead time. This conclusion provides an alternative method for the assessment of climate models.
About uncertainties in sea ice thickness retrieval from satellite radar altimetry: results from the ESA-CCI Sea Ice ECV Project Round Robin Exercise
Authors: Kern S. , Khvorostovsky K. , Skourup H. , Rinne E. , Parsakhoo Z. S. , Djepa V. , Wadhams P. , Sandven S.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. One goal of the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative sea ice Essential Climate Variable project is to provide a quality controlled 20 year long data set of Arctic Ocean winter-time sea ice thickness distribution. An important step to achieve this goal is to assess the accuracy of sea ice thickness retrieval based on satellite radar altimetry. For this purpose a data base is created comprising sea ice freeboard derived from satellite radar altimetry between 1993 and 2012 and collocated observations of snow and sea ice freeboard from Operation Ice Bridge (OIB) and CryoSat Validation Experiment (CryoVEx) air-borne campaigns, of sea ice draft from moored and submarine Upward Looking Sonar (ULS), and of snow depth from OIB campaigns, Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer aboard EOS (AMSR-E) and the Warren Climatology (Warren et al., 1999). An inter-comparison of the snow depth data sets stresses the limited usefulness of Warren climatology snow depth for freeboard-to-thickness conversion under current Arctic Ocean conditions reported in other studies. This is confirmed by a comparison of snow freeboard measured during OIB and CryoVEx and snow freeboard computed from radar altimetry. For first-year ice the agreement between OIB and AMSR-E snow depth within 0.02 m suggests AMSR-E snow depth as an appropriate alternative. Different freeboard-to-thickness and freeboard-to-draft conversion approaches are realized. The mean observed ULS sea ice draft agrees with the mean sea ice draft computed from radar altimetry within the uncertainty bounds of the data sets involved. However, none of the realized approaches is able to reproduce the seasonal cycle in sea ice draft observed by moored ULS satisfactorily. A sensitivity analysis of the freeboard-to-thickness conversion suggests: in order to obtain sea ice thickness as accurate as 0.5 m from radar altimetry, besides a freeboard estimate with centimetre accuracy, an ice-type dependent sea ice density is as mandatory as a snow depth with centimetre accuracy.
Un estudio de libros de texto de electricidad de 6º grado: respuestas de los estudiantes y análisis de contenido
Authors: Qadeer Altaf
Published: March 2014

La presente tesis se centra esencialmente en el estudio de dos variables: el lenguaje de dos libros de texto en cuanto a si favorece o no la comprensión explicativa, y las respuestas de los estudiantes cuando utilizan otras fuentes de información complementaria. La muestra pertenece a dos países: Canadá y Pakistán, y como metodología se utilizó el análisis documental y un diseño cuasiexperimental. Los resultados apuntan a la necesidad de mejorar los libros de texto y su uso.
Editorial
Authors: Enseñanza de las Ciencias Revista
Published: March 2014

Editorial