bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Film as teacher education genre: Developing student agency in the production of #Taximaths – How children make their world mathematical
Authors: Ragpot Lara
Published: September 2016

The article reports on the process of producing a film for students in a university course. The purpose of the production was to make local film material that could assist students in their learning of developmental cognitive psychology theory in general, but specifically also the mathematical cognition of children. Although the students in the production team set out as actors and technical helpers, they gradually appropriated their acting roles and the plot of the story to the extent that they learned the theory that the film was portraying. Not only did they show interest in the psychology texts and the story, but they also developed agency – they became the owners of the film. The argument of this paper is that a multimodal foundation in teacher education can give students multiple semiotic entry points, but also, if given the opportunity to make a dramatic film, they can learn the content of mathematical cognition while learning film production. The article argues that contemporary teacher education programmes are by their very nature briefed to be multimodal, because teachers’ work in schools in the 21st century requires more than language text and oral, in-person communication.
Review: Van den Heuvel-Panhuizen M, Kuehne C & Lombard A-P. 2014. Learning Pathway for Number in the Early Primary Grades. South Africa.
Authors: Askew Mike
Published: September 2016

I cringe at the fashion of reducing everything to a set of discrete points – ‘the five keys to eternal happiness’, ‘twenty-seven ways to beat procrastination’ – yet find myself attracted to the 4 E’s model of cognition: that cognition is embodied, embedded, enactive, and extended. Far yet from being a coherent model in the sense of general agreement over what each of these terms means, and despite sounding reductionist, the model seems to have traction through bringing together differing theoretical positions and suggesting that cognition cannot be accounted for by just one of them.
For example, Lakoff & Núñez (2000) argue for embodied origins of mathematics, but the power of mathematics also resides in the way that it extends our ‘natural’ understandings. And while the Vygotskian position of cognition arising from the move from the interpersonal – the embedded and enactive – to the intrapersonal is popular, it seems to lack explanatory power about how it is that what originates between people comes to be located within the individual. The proprioceptor emphasis of embodied theories (that cognition originates through our literal, common senses of position and the movement of our bodies in space) has, I think, potential to unlock this connection between the social and individual.
‘Minding the gap?’ A national foundation phase teacher supply and demand analysis: 2012-2020
Authors: Green Whitfield , Adendorff Michael , Mathebula B
Published: September 2016

This paper explores the extent to which foundation phase teacher supply meets demand in South Africa, against a backdrop of considerable change in an education system endeavouring to fulfil the needs of a 21st century society while still battling with significant inequalities in the distribution of skills. The primary purpose of the paper is to use recently sourced teacher education data from a range of national databases to determine to what extent state-led interventions are assisting to meet the foundation phase teacher supply and demand challenge. The data, as well as the more qualitative aspects of their context, are analysed at the macro (national) level to present a more nuanced picture of foundation phase teacher supply and demand. The study attempts to move beyond simply basing an analysis of supply and demand on teacher attrition, and takes into account multiple variables that should be considered in supply and demand planning. It also goes beyond simply matching supply to demand in the most recent year for which data is available, to forecasting a future scenario which will need to be planned for. The paper concludes by suggesting steps that should be taken to ensure a better match between supply and demand.
Becoming a (male) foundation phase teacher: A need in South African schools?
Authors: Mashiya Nontokoza
Published: September 2016

This paper reports on a case study of male foundation phase pre-service students who were among the first cohort to specialise in the foundation phase since the inception of the programme at one South African university. The students reported on their experiences of teaching in a female-dominated field and their views about their preparedness to teach in the field. This qualitative study is interpretive in nature. Using purposive sampling, eighteen students were sampled from a population of twenty. Data was generated through focus group interviews and then analysed and categorised. The patterns across categories showed that the pre-service teachers had faced an unwelcoming environment in the schools at the outset, but that this changed over time. Some parents were negative about male teachers in the foundation phase. However, the pre-service teachers were able to work hard and show that they can work with foundation phase learners. The study concluded that male students who enter foundation phase teacher education programmes need a lot of encouragement to boost their self-confidence and to realise the important role they can play in working with young children in a country where many young learners grow up in fatherless homes.
Service learning in foundation phase teacher education: Experiential learning opportunities for student teachers
Authors: Petker Gadija Mia , Petersen Nadine
Published: September 2016

This paper reports on the implementation of a model that infuses service-learning into a four-year foundation phase teacher education programme. We argue for an integrated curriculum design utilising specifically the teaching (laboratory) school of the faculty, not only for clinical experience or work-integrated learning, but also for service-learning. In this way, the relation of the teacher education programme to the teaching school and its location within Soweto, an area within Johannesburg, optimises the affordances of learning from and through experience for students. The service-learning activities were designed to inform and draw on students’ practical and situational learning (learning in and about context) and address the notions of integrated and applied knowledge in the ‘Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications’ (RSA DHET 2011). We argue in this paper that the incremental inclusion of service-learning over a four-year period and the varied nature of the service-learning projects within the programme extend students’ learning from practice, provide opportunities for students to see people outside of formal education as ‘experts’ who have something to contribute to their education, and maximize the potential civic and academic outcomes for students.
A research base for teaching in primary school: a coherent scholarly focus on the object of learning
Authors: Osman Ruksana , Booth Shirley
Published: September 2016

This paper makes a case for a new impetus in creating a coherent research basis for childhood education and teacher education in South Africa. We are proposing a three-level – teacher educators, student teachers and practising teachers – research-led approach that integrates teacher education, schooling and early learning. The aim of the approach is to enhance the quality of learning in primary schools through systematic focus on the object of learning, whether in terms of teaching in school or educating entrants to the teaching profession at the university, or teacher educators inquiring into their practice. There are two thrusts involved: on the one hand bringing the focus of teachers, teaching students and teacher educators coherently onto the object of learning and thereby bringing it to the attention of their respective learners, and on the other hand invoking the principles of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) movement, thereby enabling its sustainability. We illustrate our case with two examples from the literature that show clearly how learning in school can be enhanced when teachers are actively studying what and how their learners are learning in connection with their teaching and where the work is disseminated in a scholarly manner.
Towards a governance and management model for teaching schools in South Africa
Authors: Gravett Sarah , Loock Coert
Published: September 2016

This article reports on a project that was aimed at establishing a model for the governance of teaching schools in South Africa within the framework of the current legal dispensation for the public and the independent schooling sector. The paper mainly addresses the powers and functions of public schools and school governing bodies as defined within the broader framework of The South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, The National Education Policy Act (Act 27 of 1996), and the Employment of Educators Act (Act 76 of 1998). The analysis of these statutes informed the proposal of four possible models for governance of teaching schools. The article recommends two models that fit the mandate of teaching schools as envisioned in the Integrated Strategic Planning Framework for Teacher Education and Development in South Africa, 2011–2025: 1) a model that provides for teaching schools as a school type at national (not provincial) level, and 2) the independent school model
Teachers and the developing mind of the individual child
Authors: Henning Elizabeth
Published: September 2016

No abstract available.
Music education in the Grade R classroom: How three teachers learned in a participatory action inquiry
Authors: Delport Aletta , Cloete Erna
Published: September 2016

The contribution of music education to the holistic development of the young learner is uncontested. However, in South Africa, the vast majority of Reception Year (Grade R) teachers do not have the required competences to teach music in ways that optimally enhance the holistic growth of their learners, as this aspect has been largely neglected during their pre-service and in-service training. In this paper, we report on a year-long intervention aimed at enabling three Grade R non-music specialist teachers at one urban township school in the Eastern Cape to create music-based learning opportunities for their learners. We employed a participatory action learning and action research (PALAR) approach to the inquiry, which combines research with development. Our findings indicate that after a series of collaborative interactions, the participants started to explore and tap into their own musical competences. They revisited notions of the self as (ill-)equipped, (un)confident, (in)competent and (in)dependent music teachers, and began to assume autonomy and agency with regard to effective music education in the Grade R classroom. We consequently argue that under-qualified in-service teachers can be enabled to improve their practice through research interventions that stimulate maximum participant involvement, such as PALAR.
Policy research comes of age in South Africa
Authors: Taylor Nick , Mabogoane Thabo
Published: September 2016

No abstract available.
Evaluation of myeloid cells (tumor-associated tissue eosinophils and mast cells) infiltration in different grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Debta Priyanka , Debta Fakir Mohan , Chaudhary Minal , Bussari Smita
Published: September 2016

Background: The multifunctional involvement and infiltration of myeloid cells (tumor-associated tissue eosinophils [TATE] and mast cells) can provide a unique opportunity to define relevant effectors functions that may represent novel, therapeutic options for modulation of tumor onset/growth. Aim: Our study aimed to evaluate infiltration of myeloid cells (TATE and Mast cells) infiltration in different grades (WHO grading) of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and Methods: Total 30 cases of OSCC were selected for this study. Hematoxylin and eosin stain and toluidine blue special stain, to evaluate TATE and the mast cells infiltration, were used. Three-year follow-up of OSCC cases was done. Result: Among 30 cases, 63.33% cases of OSCC showed TATE-positive and 36.66% cases showed TATE-negative. Regarding mast cells infiltration, 66.66% OSCC cases showed mast cells positive and 33.33% cases did not show significant mast cells infiltration. We found significant association of TATE and mast cells infiltration in OSCC cases. These myeloid cells infiltration significantly associated with age of patients but did not show any significant association with gender, site, and habit of cases. When we compared these cells infiltration with clinical stages and different histological grades of tumor, we found their infiltration is decreasing, from Stages 1 to Stage 3 of tumor and from well to poorly differentiated carcinoma. We have also found the less infiltration of these myeloid in recurrence cases of OSCC. Conclusion: As the infiltration of TATE and mast cells are correlated, along with evaluation of TATE, we should also evaluate the presence of mast cells infiltration in OSCC. The assessment of myeloid cells could become, in the future, useful for therapeutic approaches in this subset of the patient.
Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation in adenocarcinoma lung in a North Indian population: Prevalence and relation with different clinical variables
Authors: Kasana Basharat Ahmad , Dar Waseem Raja , Aziz Sheikh Aijaz , Lone Abdul Rashid , Sofi Najeeb Ullah , Dar Imtiyaz Ahmad , Latief Muzamil , Arshad Faheem , Hussain Moomin , Hussain Mir
Published: September 2016

Introduction: Lung cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths worldwide. Adenocarcinoma is taking over squamous cell lung cancer as the predominant histological subtype. Several cytotoxic drugs are available for the treatment of lung cancer, but side effects limit their use. Recently, targeted therapies for cancers have come into clinical practice. Aims and Objectives: To determine the prevalence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation in adenocarcinoma lung in a North Indian population and its relation with different clinical variables. Materials and Methods: A total of 57 patients who met inclusion criteria were recruited into the study. Relevant history, clinical examination and investigations were done. EGFR mutation was done in all patients. Results: A total of twenty patients tested positive for EGFR mutation. EGFR was more frequently detected in female patients (53.8%), while as only 19.4% of the male patients expressed EGFR mutation, which was statistically very significant P = 0.007). EGFR mutation was more frequently detected in nonsmokers (52%) as compared to smokers (21.9%) which also was statistically significant P value of 0.018). EGFR mutation was more common in Stage III and IV adenocarcinomas (48%) as compared to Stage I and II (21.4%) which was statistically significant P value 0.034). Conclusion: EGFR mutation should be routinely done in all patients of adenocarcinoma lung particularly non-smoker females with Stage III and IV disease.
Tobacco-related cancers in India: A review of incidence reported from population-based cancer registries
Authors: Asthana Smita , Patil Rakshit S , Labani Satyanarayana
Published: September 2016

Background: Tobacco related cancers (TRC) account for major share of all cancers and updated of incidence data are helpful in policy changes. The aim was to present an update of TRCs on age-adjusted incidence data and corresponding lifetime risk of developing TRC for different regions of the country. Methods: The data for this study were obtained from published reports of 25 population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) in India. The PBCRs in different parts of India were divided into seven regions such as North, South, Central, Northeast, West, Rural West, and East. Data indicators such as age-adjusted rates (AARs) of incidence and the cumulative risks of TRCs up to the age of 64 years for each of the 10 TRC sites of either sex in each of 25 registries were obtained from the National Cancer Registry Programme reports. Results: Among all TRCs, esophagus, lung, hypopharynx, and mouth are the leading sites for both males and females. Males in Northeast region had the highest risk 1 in 27 of developing esophageal cancer, 1 in 67 for cancer of lungs and hypopharynx, followed by 1 in 143 for both mouth and tongue cancers. Females also had the highest risk of esophagus and lungs (1 in 63 female) and cancer of mouth (1 in 250) in Northeast region. Proportion of TRC in comparison of all cancer ranged from 11–25% for men and 3–18% for women. Conclusions: Proportion of TRC in relation to all cancers was still high in different registries of India including the Northeast region.
Efficacy and safety of eribulin mesylate in advanced soft tissue sarcomas
Authors: Noujaim Jonathan , Alam Salma , Thway Khin , Jones Robin Lewis
Published: September 2016

Despite recent advances in the field, treatment options for metastatic soft tissue sarcoma patients are limited. Eribulin, an antimitotic derived from the natural marine sponge product halichondrin B, is currently approved for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Following the promising activity of eribulin in sarcoma in a Phase II trial, the drug was recently compared to dacarbazine in pretreated advanced leiomyosarcoma (LMS) and liposarcoma (LPS) patients in a Phase III trial. Eribulin was associated with a significant 2-month improvement in median overall survival compared to dacarbazine (13.5 vs. 11.5 months, heart rate: 0.768) despite no documented significant difference in progression-free survival. In a subgroup analysis, the survival advantage associated with eribulin was evident in the LPS subgroup but not in the LMS subgroup. Following these encouraging results, the Food and Drug Administration has approved eribulin for the treatment of advanced LPS for patients who received prior anthracycline chemotherapy. In this short review, we will evaluate the evidence for eribulin in soft tissue sarcoma, highlight its mechanisms of action, and summarize the results of the major preclinical and clinical studies with a particular focus on the results of the Phase III trial.
Newly established stem cell transplant program: 100 days follow-up of patients and its comparison with published Indian literature
Authors: Tiwari Aseem Kumar , Arora Dinesh , Dara Ravi C , Dorwal Pranav , Sood Nitin , Misra Ruchira , Gupta Sunil Kumar , Raina Vimarsh , Vaid Ashok Kumar
Published: September 2016

Background: Hematopoietic progenitor stem cell transplantation (HPSCT) is used as a standard treatment option to improve outcome in hematological and nonhematological disorders. It is important for new HPSCT program to look at its patient outcome data and compare it with the published data to evaluate the efficacy of program. Aims: The aim was to compile and collate the patient outcome data of HPSCT and compare with published reports. Materials and Methods: Patient demographics, indications, stem cell harvest by apheresis, dose collected, infusion, engraftment, and follow-up data were collected from hospital information system from 2010 to 2013 in a tertiary care hospital. HPSCs were mobilized with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and harvests were done on the 5th day. Engraftment was decided for neutrophil when counts were 0.5 × 109/L and for platelets when counts were 20 × 109/L on two consecutive days without any transfusion support. Results: There were 133 harvests for 95 patients with various disorders; multiple myeloma was most common in autologous and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in allogeneic group. One hundred harvests were done for autologous and 33 for allogeneic HPSCT. In autologous group, of 66 patients, 60 (90.9%) received stem cell infusion at median dose of 4.63 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg. Similarly, in allogeneic group, of 29 patients, 27 (93.10%) received infusion at median dose of 5.8 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg. 58 (96.9%) patients and 25 (92.6%) engrafted in autologous and allogeneic group, respectively. The median time for neutrophils engraftment was 11 days in autologous group and 12 days in allogeneic group. The median time for platelet engraftment was 11.5 days in autologous group and 13 days in allogeneic group. The 100-day survival rate was 95% n = 57) in autologous group and 77.8% n = 21) in allogeneic group. Conclusion: This data analysis shows reasonably good results of HPSCTs with majority of patients surviving at 100-day follow-up.
Isolated humeral recurrence in endometrial carcinoma
Authors: Devdas Santosh Kumar , Digumarti Leela , Digumarti Raghunadharao , Patro Kunha Charan , Nutakki Ramakoteswararao
Published: September 2016

Isolated skeletal metastasis in endometrial carcinoma at recurrence is very rare. We report a 52-year-old woman diagnosed to have FIGO Stage 1b, Grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma, presenting with isolated distal humerus metastasis, 2 years after surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy for primary disease. Imaging, bone scintigraphy, and cytology confirmed the diagnosis of poorly differentiated metastatic adenocarcinoma. She was treated with local radiotherapy followed by six cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy along with zoledronic acid, monthly. She is symptom-free after the treatment and at a first follow-up visit after 3 months.
A Bayesian level set method for geometric inverse problems
Authors: Iglesias Marco A. , Lu Yulong , Stuart Andrew M.
Published: September 2016

We introduce a level set based approach to Bayesian geometric inverse problems. In these problems the interface between different domains is the key unknown, and is realized as the level set of a function. This function itself becomes the object of the inference. Whilst the level set methodology has been widely used for the solution of geometric inverse problems, the Bayesian formulation that we develop here contains two significant advances: firstly it leads to a well-posed inverse problem in which the posterior distribution is Lipschitz with respect to the observed data, and may be used to not only estimate interface locations, but quantify uncertainty in them; and secondly it leads to computationally expedient algorithms in which the level set itself is updated implicitly via the MCMC methodology applied to the level set function – no explicit velocity field is required for the level set interface. Applications are numerous and include medical imaging, modelling of subsurface formations and the inverse source problem; our theory is illustrated with computational results involving the last two applications.
A Modification of the Lipschitz Condition in the Newton–Kantorovich Theorem
Authors: Ezquerro José Antonio , Hernández-Verón Miguel Ángel
Published: September 2016

We analyse the semilocal convergence of Newton’s method in Banach spaces under a modification of the classic Lipschitz condition on the first derivative of the operator involved in Kantorovich’s theory. For this, we use a technique based on recurrence relations instead of the well-known majorant principle of Kantorovich. We illustrate this analysis with an application where a Hammerstein nonlinear integral equation of the second kind is involved.
Stability for Semilinear Parabolic Problems in $L_2$ and $W^{1,2}$
Authors: Gurevich Pavel , Väth Martin
Published: September 2016

Asymptotic stability is studied for semilinear parabolic problems in

L_2 (\Omega)

and interpolation spaces. Some known results about stability in

W^{1,2} (\Omega)

are improved for semilinear parabolic systems with mixed boundary conditions. The approach is based on Amann’s power extrapolation scales. In the Hilbert space setting, a better understanding of this approach is provided for operators satisfying Kato’s square root problem.
Identification of Blood Meals from Potential Arbovirus Mosquito Vectors in the Peruvian Amazon Basin
Authors: Palermo Pedro M. , Aguilar Patricia V. , Sanchez Juan F. , Zorrilla Víctor , Flores-Mendoza Carmen , Huayanay Anibal , Guevara Carolina , Lescano Andrés G. , Halsey Eric S.
Published: September 2016

The transmission dynamics of many arboviruses in the Amazon Basin region have not been fully elucidated, including the vectors and natural reservoir hosts. Identification of blood meal sources in field-caught mosquitoes could yield information for identifying potential arbovirus vertebrate hosts. We identified blood meal sources in 131 mosquitoes collected from areas endemic for arboviruses in the Peruvian Department of Loreto by sequencing polymerase chain reaction amplicons of the cytochrome b gene. Psorophora (Janthinosoma) albigenu, Psorophora (Grabhamia) cingulata, Mansonia humeralis, Anopheles oswaldoi s.l., and Anopheles benarrochi s.l. had mainly anthropophilic feeding preferences; Aedes (Ochlerotatus) serratus, and Aedes (Ochlerotatus) fulvus had feeding preferences for peridomestic animals; and Culex (Melanoconion) spp. fed on a variety of vertebrates, mainly rodents (spiny rats), birds, and amphibians. On the basis of these feeding preferences, many mosquitoes could be considered as potential enzootic and bridge arbovirus vectors in the Amazon Basin of Peru.
Experiences of Pain and Expectations for Its Treatment Among Former Buruli Ulcer Patients
Authors: Woolley Rebecca J. , Velink Anita , Phillips Richard O. , Thompson William A. , Abass K. Mohammed , van der Werf Tjip S. , de Zeeuw Janine , Stienstra Ymkje
Published: September 2016

Buruli ulcer (BU) is one of the 17 neglected tropical diseases for which the World Health Organization has adopted resolutions to improve treatment. BU was previously described as a relatively painless condition; however, recent research has indicated that some patients experience substantial pain. The objective of this study was to explore patients' experiences of pain and their expectations for its treatment. Semistructured interviews were conducted in a BU-endemic region of Ghana. Interviews were held with former BU patients (N = 20) and community controls (N = 19). Former patients were asked about BU-related pain and their expectations for its treatment. The interviews were conducted in October 2014, and were audiotaped, translated and transcribed into English, and then qualitatively analyzed. Of the 20 former BU patients interviewed, 19 (95%) reported experiencing pain, with patients reporting pain as a consequence of the ulcer and wound management. Some participants expressed pain through crying, whereas others did not openly express pain, sometimes because they feared the repercussions of doing so. Patients wanted to receive pain relief; however, many were unable to name a medication. Nonpharmaceutical options were cited as being an alternative. Many BU patients experience pain; however, former patients and community members alike appear to have a limited knowledge about available pain relief. A low-cost alternative to medication may be the use of nonpharmaceutical means for pain relief. Routine pain assessment may reduce patients' fear and unwillingness to express pain. Awareness of such issues will be valuable when implementing a BU pain relief guideline.
Genetic analysis of productive life length in Holstein dairy cows
using Weibull proportional risk model
Authors: Amirpour Najafabadi Hamed , Ansari Mahyari Saeid , Edriss Mohammad Ali , Strapakova Eva
Published: September 2016

Abstract. In recent decades, there has been a downward trend in length of productive life (LPL) in Holstein cows across industrial dairy herds. This study examined the factors that might influence LPL and estimated the genetic parameters of LPL in Holstein dairy herds in Isfahan province, Iran. LPL is defined as the number of days between the first calving and the end of recording. Data consisted of 35 137 records of productive life from registered cows that started first calving between 1991 and 2012. Cows that remained alive at the end of the study were considered right-censored. The average lifetime for culled and censored cows was 938 and 1003 days, respectively. A survival analysis was applied using a proportional risk model with a Weibull distribution. Milk production was divided into five groups, where the culling risk of cows with a milk yield of less than 1.5 standard deviations (SD) of the mean was 3.5 times greater than the culling risk of high-producing cows producing more than 1.5 SD above the mean. Results showed that culling risk increased almost linearly beyond the milk production groups. Furthermore, somatic cell count and age at first calving significantly increased the culling risk across the herds. The results for the combined effect of parity  ×  stage of lactation showed a decrease in culling risk during the first calving, and an increase during the further parities. Moreover, a higher age at first calving was observed, reflecting a lower risk of culling. Estimated heritability were 0.074 and 0.18 based on a logarithmic scale and original scale, respectively. According to the results, use of Weibull models showed that the proportional culling risk was higher in low-production cows, but a higher risk ratio was revealed in high-milk-production cows. However, there were some fluctuations in genetic trends, but an overall increase was observed in LPL which will lead to a longer LPL of Holstein cows in Isfahan province.
A long-term study of aerosol–cloud interactions and their radiative effect
at the Southern Great Plains using ground-based measurements
Authors: Sena Elisa T. , McComiskey Allison , Feingold Graham
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Empirical estimates of the microphysical response of cloud droplet size distribution to aerosol perturbations are commonly used to constrain aerosol–cloud interactions in climate models. Instead of empirical microphysical estimates, here macroscopic variables are analyzed to address the influence of aerosol particles and meteorological descriptors on instantaneous cloud albedo and the radiative effect of shallow liquid water clouds. Long-term ground-based measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program over the Southern Great Plains are used. A broad statistical analysis was performed on 14 years of coincident measurements of low clouds, aerosol, and meteorological properties. Two cases representing conflicting results regarding the relationship between the aerosol and the cloud radiative effect were selected and studied in greater detail. Microphysical estimates are shown to be very uncertain and to depend strongly on the methodology, retrieval technique and averaging scale. For this continental site, the results indicate that the influence of the aerosol on the shallow cloud radiative effect and albedo is weak and that macroscopic cloud properties and dynamics play a much larger role in determining the instantaneous cloud radiative effect compared to microphysical effects. On a daily basis, aerosol shows no correlation with cloud radiative properties (correlation = −0.01 ± 0.03), whereas the liquid water path shows a clear signal (correlation = 0.56 ± 0.02).
Evaluation of Anthropogenic Secondary Organic Aerosol Tracers
Authors: Al-Naiema Ibrahim M. , Stone Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Products of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from aromatic volatile organic compounds (VOC) – 2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxopentanoic acid, dicarboxylic acids, nitromonoaromatics, and furandiones – were evaluated for their potential to serve as anthropogenic SOA tracers with respect to their 1) ambient concentrations and detectability in PM2.5 in Iowa City, IA, USA, 2) gas-particle partitioning behaviour, and 3) source specificity by way of correlations with primary and secondary source tracers and literature review. A widely used tracer for toluene-derived SOA, 2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxopentanoic acid was only detected in the particle phase (Fp = 1) at low, but consistently measureable ambient concentrations (averaging 0.3 ng m−3). Four aromatic dicarboxylic acids were detected at relatively higher concentrations (9.1–34.5 ng m−3), of which phthalic acid was the most abundant. Phthalic acid had a low particle-phase fraction (Fp = 0.26) likely due to quantitation interferences from phthalic anhydride, while 4-methylphthalic acid was predominantly in the particle phase (Fp = 0.82). Phthalic acid and 4-methyl phthalic acid were both highly correlated with 2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxopentanoic acid (rs = 0.73, p = 0.003; rs = 0.80, p < 0.001, respectively), suggesting that they were derived from aromatic VOC. Isophthalic and terephthalic acids, however, were detected only in the particle phase (Fp = 1) and correlations suggested association with primary emission sources. Nitromonoaromatics were dominated by particle-phase concentrations of 4-nitrocatechol (1.6 ng m−3) and 4-methyl-5-nitrocatechol (1.6 ng m−3) that were associated with biomass burning. Meanwhile, 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzyl alcohol was detected in a lower concentration (0.06 ng m−3) in the particle phase only (Fp = 1), and is known as a product of toluene photooxidation. Furandiones in the atmosphere have only been attributed to the photooxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons, however the substantial partitioning toward the gas phase (Fp ≤ 0.16) and their water sensitivity limit their application as tracers. The outcome of this study is the demonstration that 2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxopentanoic acid, phthalic acid, 4-methylphthalic acid, and 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzyl alcohol are good candidates for tracing SOA from aromatic VOC.
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: September 2016

Abstract. Glacier mass balance measurements help to provide an understanding of the behavior of glaciers and their response to local and regional climate influences. In 2005, the United States Geological Survey established a surface mass balance monitoring program on Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA. This program is the first quantitative study of mass changes of a glacier in this region and continues to the present. This paper describes the methods used during the first eleven years of measurements and reports the associated results. Between years 2005–2015, we estimate Sperry Glacier lost approximately 4.37 m of water equivalent averaged over its entire area. The mean winter, summer, and annual glacier-wide mass balances were 2.92 m per year, −3.41 m per year, and −0.40 m per year respectively. We derive these cumulative and mean results from an expansive dataset of snow depth, snow density, and ablation measurements taken at selected points on the glacier, the resultant mass balance point values for these measurement sites, and a time series of seasonal and annual glacier-wide mass balances for all eleven measurement years. We also provide measurements of total glacier surface and accumulation areas for select years. All data have been submitted to the World Glacier Monitoring Service and are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.5904/wgms-fog-2016-08. This foundational data enhances our basic understanding of mass balance of Sperry Glacier, and future work will focus on the processes that control accumulation and ablation patterns across the glacier.
Hydrometeorological observations from the rain-to-snow transition
zone: a dataset from the Johnston Draw catchment, Reynolds Creek
Experimental Watershed, Idaho, USA
Authors: Enslin Clarissa L. , Godsey Sarah E. , Marks Danny , Kormos Patrick R. , Seyfried Mark S. , McNamara James P. , Link Timothy E.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Detailed hydrometeorological data from the rain-to-snow transition zone in mountain regions are limited. As the climate warms, the transition from rain to snow is moving to higher elevations, and these changes are altering the timing of down slope water delivery. To understand how these changes impact hydrological and biological processes in this climatologically sensitive region, detailed observations from the rain-to-snow transition zone are required. We present a complete hydrometeorological dataset for water years 2004 through 2014 for a watershed that spans the rain-to-snow transition zone (DOI:10.15482/USDA.ADC/1258769). The Johnston Draw watershed (1.8 sq. km), ranging from 1497–1869 m in elevation, is a sub-watershed of the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) in southwestern Idaho. The dataset includes continuous hourly hydrometeorological variables across a 372 m elevation gradient, on north- and south-facing slopes, including air temperature, relative humidity, and snow depth from 11 sites in the watershed. Hourly measurements of shortwave radiation, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and soil moisture and temperature are available at selected stations. The dataset includes hourly stream discharge measured at the watershed outlet. These data provide the scientific community with a unique dataset useful for forcing and validating models and will allow for better representation and understanding of the complex processes that occur in the rain-to-snow transition zone.
Spatio-temporal trends in the hydroclimate of Turkey for the last decades
based on two reanalysis datasets
Authors: Gokmen Mustafa
Published: September 2016

Abstract. We present a regional assessment of the spatiotemporal trends in several hydro-climate variables from 1979 to 2010 in Turkey, one of the countries of the eastern Mediterranean vulnerable to climate change, using the two reanalysis products of the ECMWF: ERA-Interim and ERA-Interim/Land. The trend analysis revealed that an average warming of 1.26 °C [0.8–1.8] occurred in Turkey from 1979 to 2010, with high confidence intervals (95–99 %, mostly). Geographically, the largest warming (up to 1.8 °C) occurred in the western coastal areas next to the Aegean Sea and in the southeastern regions. The air temperature trends were generally confirmed by the in situ data from about 100 weather stations around the country, though in situ data indicated slightly higher trends ranging from 1 to 2.5°. With respect to the regional trends in hydrological variables, ERA-Interim and ERA-Interim/Land revealed quite different pictures: the ERA-Interim dataset indicated that there have been significant decreasing trends of precipitation, snow water equivalent (SWE) and runoff in some parts of inner/southeastern Anatolia (a total decrease of up to 250 mm in the upstream of the Euphrates, Kizilirmak and Seyhan basins), while ERA-Interim/Land showed no or minor trends in the same areas. Based on the extensive comparisons with precipitation and SWE gauge data, we can suggest that the hydrological trends shown by the ERA-Interim/Land dataset, which is said to be a model improvement, are relatively closer to the observations. From the hydrological trends revealed by the ERA-Interim/Land dataset, we can conclude that, despite the strong warming trends over Turkey from 1979 to 2010, there have been no widespread and strong hydrological trends for the same period throughout the country. In this regard, we can suggest that the impacts of global warming on the water cycle are not straightforward, especially at the regional scale, and future climate simulations indicating considerable reductions in precipitation along with the significant increases in temperatures throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East by the end of the twenty-first century need to be dealt with cautiously.
Rainfall and streamflow sensor network design: a review of applications, classification, and a proposed framework
Authors: Chacon-Hurtado Juan Carlos , Alfonso Leonardo , Solomatine Dimitri
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Sensors and sensor networks play an important role in decision-making related to water quality, operational streamflow forecasting, flood early warning systems and other areas. Although there is a variety of evaluation and design procedures for sensor networks, most of the existing approaches focus on maximising the observability and information content of a variable of interest. Moreover, from the context of hydrological modelling, only a few studies use the performance of the hydrological simulation of discharge as design criteria. In this paper, we review the existing methodologies and propose a framework for classifying the design methods, as well as a generalised procedure for an optimal network design in the context of rainfall-runoff hydrological modelling.
Concomitant ocean acidification and increasing total alkalinity at a coastal site in the NW Mediterranean Sea (2007-2015)
Authors: Kapsenberg Lydia , Alliouane Samir , Gazeau Frédéric , Mousseau Laure , Gattuso Jean-Pierre
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Monitoring of global ocean change is necessary in coastal zones due to their physical and biological complexity. Here, we document changes in coastal carbonate chemistry at the coastal time-series station, Point B, in the NW Mediterranean Sea from 2007 through 2015 at 1 and 50 m. The rate of surface ocean acidification (−0.0028 ± 0.0003 units pHT yr−1) was faster-than-expected based on atmospheric carbon dioxide forcing alone. Changes in carbonate chemistry were predominantly driven by an increase in total dissolved inorganic carbon (CT, +2.97 ± 0.20 μmol kg−1 yr−1), > 50 % of which was buffered by a synchronous increase in total alkalinity (AT, +2.08 ± 0.19 μmol kg−1 yr−1). The increase in AT was unrelated to salinity and its cause remains to be identified. Interestingly, concurrent increases in AT and CT were most rapid from May to July. Changes at 50 m were slower compared to 1 m. It seems therefore likely that changes in coastal AT cycling via a shallow coastal process gave rise to these observations. This study exemplifies the importance of understanding coastal ocean acidification through localized biogeochemical cycling that extends beyond simple air-sea gas exchange dynamics, in order to make relevant predictions about future coastal ocean change and ecosystem function.
An Exploratory Factor Analysis of Older Adults’ Resistance to Innovation Adoption: A Case Study of University of Botswana
Authors: Ifezue Alexander Ngozi , Ama Njoku Ola , Moseki K. K.
Published: September 2016

This paper analysed the resistance to innovation of a stratified sample of 279 staff members of the University of Botswana with the view to determine those factors that act as roadblocks, institutional barriers and boosters to innovation use in the university. Using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariate binary logistic regression techniques, lack of innovation, perceived risks and institutional environment were identified as roadblocks/barriers to innovation use by the older adults (50 years and over). Access to computer and years of internet experience significantly, positively affected innovation use (p < 0.05, B>0). Training and motivation were also identified as factors that act as boosters to innovation use. The paper recommends for the designing of intensive training programme for the older adults that is age-specific and which takes into consideration the existing skills in order to motivate them to use the innovations.
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Prospective investigation of penile length with newborn male circumcision and second to fourth digit ratio
Authors: Park Jong Kwan , Doo A. Ram , Kim Joo Heung , Park Hyung Sub , Do Jung Mo , Choi Hwang , Park Seung Chol , Kim Myung Ki , Jeong Young Beom , Kim Hyung Jim , Kim Young Gon , Shin Yu Seob
Published: September 2016

Introduction: We prospectively investigated the relationship between newborn male circumcision (NMC) and second to fourth digit ratio with penile length.

Methods: As participants for our study, we identified already circumcised young patients who visited our hospital for urological treatment. The age at which the circumcision had been done was assessed. The patients’ height and weight were measured. Second to fourth digit ratio was calculated by measuring the second and fourth digit lengths. The flaccid and erectile penile lengths were measured from the base of the penis to the tip of the glans in standing position.

Results: A total of 248 patients were included in our study. In univariate analysis, height, second to fourth digit ratio, flaccid penile length, and age of circumcision were associated with erectile penile
length. Among these variables, second to fourth digit ratio, flaccid penile length, and age of  circumcision were significant predictive factors for erectile penile length in multivariate analysis. The subjects were divided into two groups, including 72 patients in the NMC group and 176 patients in the non-NMC group. No significant difference was found in height, weight, and second to fourth digit ratio between both groups. However, flaccid (p<0.001) and erectile (p=0.001) penile lengths were shorter in the NMC group than in the non-NMC group.

Conclusions: Despite the small number of subjects, this study shows that NMC was associated with shorter penile length. Second to fourth digit ratio, flaccid penile length, and age of circumcision were also significant predictive factors for erectile penile length. Further multicentre studies with larger number of subjects and biochemical analyses are needed for potential clinical applicability
Initial response of renal cell carcinoma to vemurafenib in a patient treated for metastatic melanoma
Authors: Hosier Gregory W. , Roberts Matthew T.
Published: September 2016

Vemurafenib is a selective inhibitor of overactive BRAF oncogene with a substitution of lysine for glutamic acid at residue 600 (BRAFV600E), a mutation expressed in approximately 50% of all melanomas. We report a case of a patient with metastatic melanoma treated with vemurafenib, who subsequently presented with a biopsy-proven conventional renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We observed an initial complete regression of the mass while on vemurafenib. This was unexpected, given that vemurafenib is a specific inhibitor of BRAFV600E and most RCCs do not harbour this mutation.
Survival after partial and radical nephrectomy for high-risk disease: A propensity-matched comparison
Authors: Maurice Matthew J. , Zhu Hui , Kim Simon , Abouassaly Robert
Published: September 2016

Introduction: Increasingly, partial nephrectomy has been applied to high-risk disease without evidence that its survival benefits can be extrapolated to this entity. We aimed to compare overall survival after partial vs. radical nephrectomy in patients with high-risk renal cell carcinoma.

Methods: Using the National Cancer Data Base, we identified patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy for high-risk disease between 2003 and 2006. High-risk disease was defined as the presence of adverse pathological features within the primary tumour, namely high-grade or unfavourable histology, T3 stage, or both. After matching the partial and radical nephrectomy groups
based on propensity scores, 1680, 276, and 76 patients with high-grade or unfavourable histology, T3 stage, or both adverse pathologic features, respectively, were available for analysis. Five-year overall survival was compared after partial vs. radical nephrectomy for each high-risk cohort using the Kaplan-Meier and log rank tests.

Results: Partial nephrectomy was associated with a statistically significant improvement in five-year overall survival compared to radical nephrectomy for small tumours (median size 3.0 cm; interquartile
range 2.1‒4.5 cm) with high-grade or unfavourable histology (87% vs. 81%; p<0.01) or with pT3a stage (82% vs. 71%; p<0.01). For patients concomitantly harbouring both adverse pathologic
features, no difference in survival was detected (p=0.21).

Conclusions: Partial nephrectomy is associated with survival benefits in patients with adverse pathologic features, suggesting that renal preservation is not only safe, but also potentially beneficial for high-risk disease. Due to inherent selection bias associated with partial nephrectomy use, prospective validation of these findings is needed.