bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are changes in atmospheric cleansing responsible for observed variations of impurity concentrations in ice cores?
Authors: Hansson Margareta E.
Published: September 2017

A simple model tests the effect on ice-core impurity concentrations of climate-induced changes in the physical conditions of the atmosphere influencing transport and deposition processes, while keeping source areas and production rates constant. The model results show that the increased glacial concentrations observed for most impurities can be explained entirely by changes in transport and deposition. No increase in source emission is necessary, however possible, to explain the ten-fold increase in impurity concentrations during the Last Glacial Maximum. This shows that the effect of dynamic changes in the atmosphere can be large and has to be taken into account before translating deposition records into emission records. The total impurity content in the global atmosphere during the glacial period was higher if dynamic changes in the atmosphere rather than source-emission changes were responsible for the variations observed in polar areas. This implies that a climate-forcing mechanism is to be found in the dynamics of the atmosphere, since the radiative properties of the atmosphere depend on the total content of impurities in the atmosphere. The effect on the climate can probably be compared with, although opposite in sign to, the present-day anthropogenic greenhouse forcing.
Change in position and altitude of a small outlet glacier during the period 1943–92: Leverett Glacier, West Greenland
Authors: Van Tatenhove Frank G.M. , Roelfsema Chris M. , Blommers Geert , Voorden Anton Van
Published: September 2017

Fluctuations in the position and surface altitude of Leverett Glacier, a small outlet glacier at the western margin of the Greenland ice sheet, are determined from a photogrammetric analysis. During the Greenland Ice-Margin Experiment (GIMEX) 1992 expedition, six control points were measured on the exposed rock surrounding Leverett Glacier, using a distancemeter (AGA 220 Geodimeter) and theodolite (Wild T2). Photogrammetric measurements were carried out on an analytical plotter (Zeiss Planicomp C100). The altitude of points could be photogrammetrically measured with a maximum error of 0.86 m.

The data on the altitude changes of Leverett Glacier presented here are the first in West Greenland that span a time period of nearly 50 years. During the period 1943–68 the rate of altitude change was –0.6 m w.e.a−1. The thickening rate during the period 1968–85 was + 1.2 m w.e.a−1. Thickening continued dining the period 1985–92 at a rate of + 0.4 m w.e.a−1. This recent thickening is significant when compared to year-to-year variation in ablation. Trends in air temperature from the nearby climate station at Kangerlussuaq are consistent with the possibility that observed changes in the altitude of the glacier surface are the result of local changes in meteorological conditions determining ablation rates.
Velocities of Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, from ERS-1 SAR images
Authors: Lucchitta B. K. , Rosanova C. E. , Mullins K. F.
Published: September 2017

Pine Island Glacier is one of the major ice streams draining West Antarctica. We calculated average velocities for both its grounded and floating parts by tracking crevasses and other patterns moving with the ice on two sequential images acquired in February and December 1992 by ERS-1 SAR (European Remote-Sensing Satellite, Synthetic Aperture Radar). Velocities in the fast-moving central parts of the glacier range from about 1.3 km a−1 on the grounded part to about 2.6 km a−1 on the floating part. Velocity increases rapidly just below the grounding line. For the floating part, velocities are approximately 0.3 km a−1 faster than previously established from Landsat images by other workers. This observation suggests that the discharge is larger and, therefore, the mass balance less positive than previously thought; however, our study also shows that current information is insufficient to allow for precise mass-balance calculations. Images of the glacier front show that a calving event released an iceberg about 5 km wide between February and December 1992. The position of the glacier front has not changed substantially between 1973 (Landsat image) and 1992 (ERS-1 images).
Recent variations of calving glaciers in Patagonia, South America, revealed by ground surveys, satellite-data analyses and numerical experiments
Authors: Naruse Renji , Aniya Masamu , Skvarca Pedro , Gasassa Gino
Published: September 2017

Large retreats were revealed for most glaciers in Patagonia, South America, by analyzing satellite images and air photographs. For example, Glaciar O’Higgins retreated 13 km during 41 years from 1945 to 1986 and Glaciar Upsala retreated about 3 km between 1968 and 1990. During the 41 years former period, however, the southern tongue of Glaciar Pio XI advanced by up to 8.5 km and Glaciar Moreno remained almost in a steady state. Considerable ice-thinning rates, from 3.0 to 11 ma−1, were measured by surveying surface profiles in the ablation areas of Tyndall and Upsala glaciers, respectively, during the period from 1985 (or 1990) to 1993. The ice thickness of Glaciar Moreno, however, has changed very little.

Numerical experiments using a simple mass-balance model show that a 100 m rise in the equilibrium-line altitude due to climatic change would result in about a 200–350 m rise in the frontal altitude at Glaciar Upsala corresponding to a retreat of 5–8 km, while it would cause only about a 70–100 m rise at Glaciar Moreno. The large difference between these two neighbouring glaciers results from the difference in contributions of the calving amount to the total mass balance, as well as the difference in the altitudinal distributions of drainage areas.
Modelling mass balance on former maritime ice caps: a Patagonian example
Authors: Hulton Nicholas R.J. , Sugden David E.
Published: September 2017

Understanding the response of present and former ice caps to climatic fluctuations depends on an effective means of modelling mass balance. Ablation can be reasonably well approximated from surface energy-balance calculations, but changes in snowfall, the primary mass-gain mechanism, are poorly understood. This is a particularly important limitation in those mid-latitude areas where the location of precipitation belts changes from glacial to interglacial conditions. This paper develops a method of modelling the spatial and temporal variability of snowfall in Patagonia. Snowfall is predicted from a vertically integrated moisture-balance equation representing winter, equinoctial and summer seasons. Inputs to the model are sea-surface temperatures and the geostrophic wind at 700 mbar. The dominant process affecting precipitation is the advection of moisture in an air column whose ability to hold moisture is dependent on temperature and altitude. Relative humidity controls evaporation and precipitation, both of which increase with higher wind speeds. Snowfall is calculated from seasonal precipitation and the annual temperature regime, while ablation is estimated from degree-day calculations. The model successfully simulates present-day precipitation and mass-balance patterns in Patagonia. We also run the model for full-glacial conditions with and without an ice cap, revealing the extreme variability of mass balance at different stages of a glacial cycle and the relative importance of altitude/mass-balance feed-back in ice-cap growth. Since the model is driven by wind and temperature fields it has the potential to use the results of GCMs as input.
Spatial and temporal variability of Arctic ice thickness
Authors: Flato Gregory M.
Published: September 2017

A numerical model is used to study the spatial and temporal variability of ice thickness in the Arctic. The model is run to cyclo-stationary equilibrium, forced with daily varying geostrophic winds and monthly varying surface air temperatures from 1951 to 1990. Decadal-average winter ice-thickness fields exhibit a trend of increasing ice thickness in the East Siberian Sea and somewhat thicker ice overall in the 1980s. Inter-annual variability was largest in the Beaufort and East Siberian Seas and generally lower in the Laptev Sea and central Arctic. Spatial correlation patterns show that ice thickness at a point is correlated with ice thickness over a surrounding area of roughly 4 × 105 km2 with a correlation coefficient of 0.7. Temporal auto-correlation functions indicate that the total ice volume has a correlation time-scale of roughly 7 years, while the volume of ice between 2 and 5 m thick and the volume of ice less than 1 m thick have correlation times of roughly 2 years and 2 months, respectively.
Spring-season climate variability in the central Canadian Arctic Islands
Authors: Agnew T. A. , Silis A.
Published: September 2017

The Resolute Bay area in the central Canadian Arctic Islands is in a region of maximum variability in 50 kPa heights in spring. This is the northern part of an oscillation in large-scale atmospheric circulation called the Baffin Island West Atlantic Oscillation (BWA). The historical record of temperature at Resolute Bay, Northwest Territories, over the 1948–93 period is compared with circulation patterns for extremely warm and cold spring seasons, using a composite technique and a simple index of the intensity of the BWA. The extremely cold spring of 1992, the second coldest of the 46a record, was probably caused by reduced solar radiational forcing due to the increased dust veil caused by Mount Pinatubo.

Within each spring season, large-scale synoptic conditions provided an important control on the timing of critical stages leading to full snow melt on the sea-ice surface. The first stage is the change from dominance of the region by wintertime continental polar air to the frequent invasion of maritime polar air masses, resulting in increased cloud cover and reduced frequency of Arctic inversions. The second stage is the transition to full melt on the ice with a sharp drop in surface albedo. During the spring on 1993, the first stage was triggered by a major storm which moved through the area on 9–10 May 1993. The second snow-melt stage was triggered by a stationary upper ridge which remained over the area for a 2 week period from 15 May to early June and produced clear to scattered-cloud conditions and high downward solar radiation.
Spectral albedo of snow-covered first-year and multi-year sea ice during spring melt
Authors: De Abreu Roger A. , Barber David G. , Misurak Kevin , Ledrew E. F.
Published: September 2017

Surface spectral-albedo data collected over snow-covered first-year and multi-year sea ice under diffuse sky conditions during the springtime transition are examined. Of specific interest is the relationship between changes in the visible and near-infrared albedo of sea ice and concurrent changes in the geophysical characteristics of the ice volume. With the onset of melt conditions, visible and near-infrared sea-ice albedo decreased due to physical changes within the snow and ice volumes. Visible albedo was found to be sensitive to changes occurring throughout the sea-ice volume, while the near-infrared albedo appeared most influenced by near-surface conditions.
Recent sea-ice advances in Baffin Bay/Davis Strait and retreats in the Bellingshausen Sea
Authors: Parkinson Claire L.
Published: September 2017

Recently reported decreases in the summertime ice coverage of the Bellingshausen Sea over the period 1988–91 have been mentioned in the popular press with some loss of the larger spatial and temporal context in which they occurred. Experience over the past two decades with the continually lengthening satellite record has frequently revealed prominent increases or decreases in regional or even hemispheric sea-ice coverage which last for a several-year period and are then reversed. Also, in almost any several-year period in the short satellite record available, at least one region could be highlighted as having prominent ice-cover increases and at least one as having prominent ice-cover decreases. In the 1988–91 period of low ice coverage in the Bellingshausen Sea, mid-winter sea-ice extents noticeably increased in the Baffin Bay/Davis Strait region. Placed in the longer temporal context of ice extents since the late 1970s, the ice-extent increases from 1988 to 1991 in Baffin Bay/Davis Strait conform much better with an interpretation of cyclically varying wintertime ice extents than with one of a long-term upward trend. The time series for the Bellingshausen Sea also shows marked multi-year fluctuations and, although in the 1989–91 period the summertime coverage was unusually low, the wintertime ice coverage noticeably increased.
Climatic-change implications from long-term (1823-1994) ice records for the Laurentian Great Lakes
Authors: Assel R.A. , Robertson D.M. , Hoff M.H. , Selgeby J.H.
Published: September 2017

Long-term ice records (1823-1994) from six sites in different parts of the Laurentian Great Lakes region were used to show the type and general timing of climatic changes throughout the region. The general timing of both freeze-up and ice loss varies and is driven by local air temperatures, adjacent water bodies and mixing, and site morphometry. Grand Traverse Bay and Buffalo Harbor represent deeper-water environments affected by mixing of off-shore waters; Chequamegon Bay, Menominee, Lake Mendota, and Toronto Harbor represent relatively shallow-water, protected environments. Freeze-up dates gradually became later and ice-loss dates gradually earlier from the start of records to the 1890s in both environments, marking the end of the “Little lce Age”. After this, freeze-up dates remained relatively constant, suggesting little change in early-winter air temperatures during the 20th century. Ice-loss dates at Grand Traverse Bay and Baffalo Harbor but not at the other sites became earlier during the 1940s and 1970s and became later during the 1960s. The global warming of the 1980s was marked by a trend toward earlier ice-loss dates in both environments.
Sensitivity of lake freeze-up and break-up to climate change: a physically based modeling study
Authors: Liston Glen E. , Hall Dorothy K.
Published: September 2017

To assess the response of lake Freeze-up and break-up dates to changes in atmospheric forcing, a physically based computational model of the coupled lake, lake-ice, snow and atmosphere system has been developed. Model performance is validated using meteorological and lake-ice observations from Great Slave Lake in northern Canada (1991/92) and St Mary Lake in Glacier National Park, Montana, (1992/93). Model integrations with modified atmospheric forcing indicate that air-temperature changes of ±4°C can delay or speed up the freeze-up and break-up dates by as much as 4 weeks for St Mary Lake, and 2 weeks for Great Slave Lake. For both lakes, break-up date is more sensitive to air-temperature changes than is freeze-up. Changes of ±3/10 cloud-cover fraction produce a shifting of break-tip dates by 1 week. Changes in wind speeds of ± 3 m s−1 modify the maximum ice depth of the lakes by 5–10 cm. For Great Slave Lake, lower wind speeds produced a surface temperature low enough to delay the onset of break-up by 2 weeks.
Ion Content of polygonal wedge ice on Bolshoi Lyakhov: a source of palaeoenvironmental information
Authors: Savoskul Oksana S.
Published: September 2017

Bolshoi Lyakhov is one of the group of the New Siberian Islands in the Laptev Sea. The permafrost of the island is of an extremely low temperature regime, polygonal wedge ice being the most specific feature. The geomorphological level considered is a so-called edoma, presumably of late-Quaternary origin: polygonal ice wedges are more than 10 m wide and up to 25 m deep on this level, and about 1 m × 1.5 m on the peat bogs of Holocene age. Sixty-six samples of underground ice were taken on both surfaces. The macro-ion content was analyzed, i.e. Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, Cl, SO4. A significant difference in ion content was found between the older and the younger ice. The late-Quaternary wedge ice is characterized by the predominance of Ca and HCO3, while the Holocene ice contains considerably higher proportions of Na and Cl. This may be attributed to different environmental conditions during wedge-ice growth: more continental in the late Quaternary and more maritime in the Holocene.
Iceberg Water: An Assessment (Invited paper)
Authors: Weeks W. F.
Published: September 2017

This review of the idea of using icebergs as a source of fresh water starts with a historical survey covering the period up to April 1980 and stresses how the approach to the subject has changed with time. Both the progress that has been made and the problems that have either just surfaced or never been adequately addressed are discussed. It is concluded that successful tows to Australia, clearly the most easily-reached potential delivery site, are a possibility if icebergs can be demonstrated to retain their structural integrity during tows in high seas and if favorable schemes can be developed for docking and processing. Tows to sites in the northern hemisphere such as Saudi Arabia and California are significantly more difficult and will remain so until an effective and operationally-realistic method is developed for isolating the iceberg from the warm sea-water that will be encountered during part of the tow. Whatever the ultimate resolution of the iceberg-water proposal may prove to be, research stimulated by this idea has already resulted in a major improvement in our knowledge of the life and times of real icebergs in real oceans.
Measurements of Oscillations and Flexure of Icebergs
Authors: Foldvik A. , Gammelsrød T. , Gjessing Y.
Published: September 2017

During the Norwegian Antarctic Research Expedition 1978–79, direct measurements of oscillations were carried out on 15 icebergs using a tiltmeter with an accuracy of ± 10 μrad. The amplitude of the oscillations varied from zero to about 103 μrad. The zero amplitude indicates that the berg was grounded and this was confirmed by echo-sounding from the ship. The observed oscillation periods ranged from 16 to 50 s. The observed oscillation periods and the calculated values based on the dimensions and mean density of the bergs were compared and the results are discussed. The flexure of the berg was measured with a theodolite and stakes. Relative movements exceeding the accuracy of the system (1 mm over 1 km distance) were not observed.
Iceberg Oscillations and Ocean Waves
Authors: Schwerdtfeger Peter
Published: September 2017

The frequencies of both linear and angular oscillations in a vertical plane of a floating iceberg are shown to converge as the horizontal dimensions become relatively larger. For icebergs of thickness of 250 m, the calculated period of about 30 s is supported by actual observations which have been reported. Because swell in the Southern Ocean may extend to such long periods, a critical relationship between iceberg dimensions and ocean wavelengths has been formulated. This relates the conditions under which the length and natural period of an iceberg may, respectively, coincide with the wavelength and wave period of the ocean.
Prediction of an Iceberg Drift Trajectory During a Storm
Authors: Sodhi D. S. , El-Tahan Mona
Published: September 2017

A numerical model is presented for predicting iceberg drift trajectories from known or derived information regarding iceberg characteristics and the environmental forces affecting the motion of an iceberg. The validity of such a model is studied by comparing predicted and observed trajectories of icebergs near Saglek, Labrador, during a storm on 21–22 August. 1972. At this time, iceberg positions (determined by radar), winds, and currents were monitored as part of an oceanographic study, conducted by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Memorial University of Newfoundland. The comparison between observed and predicted iceberg drift trajectories is good when the characteristics of the iceberg are assumed to be those of a mediumsized non-tabular iceberg. In order to appreciate the effect of wind and current forces on the drift of the iceberg, several trajectories arc plotted in which various environmental forces are excluded. From this study, it is evident that a good prediction of an iceberg drift trajectory is only possible if rather detailed information is available on the current and wind field.
Iceberg Melt-Driven Convection Inferred from Field Measurements of Temperature
Authors: Josberger Edward G. , Neshyba Steve
Published: September 2017

An expendable bathythermograph (XBT) survey around an iceberg grounded in 100 m of water shows that iceberg melt-driven convection significantly alters the surrounding water properties in two ways, by a general cooling of the water in the upper 40 m by as much as 3 deg and by the formation of isothermal layers with a 5 m vertical-length scale in the pycnocline. Both of these effects become more pronounced as the distance to the iceberg decreases. The overall cooling of the upper layers supports the upwelling concept of Neshyba (1977) and of Josberger and Martin (in preparation*), while the formation of a step-like structure supports the cell formation idea of Huppert and Turner (1978) and Huppert and Josberger (1980).

Synoptic surface surveys around the iceberg show the existence of melt plumes containing water of a lower temperature than the adjacent water, and these plumes are detectable at distances of 0.5 km.

Concentrated rhodamine placed at depths of 14 and 18 m adjacent to an ice wall sloping down-ward at a 30° angle flowed upward along the ice. The dye reached the surface immediately next to the ice in 240 s and 540 s, respectively, to give a characteristic upward velocity of approximately 0.07 m s−1. The dye then dispersed outward away from the iceberg until it was no longer visible.
The Melting of Free-Drifting Icebergs
Authors: Russell-Head D. S.
Published: September 2017

Blocks of ice with the proportions of tabular icebergs have been observed melting in water of different temperatures and salinities. The sub-surface shape adopted by the blocks melting in water of the same salinity as sea-water was typically a ‘bath-tub’ one. The basal and mean-side melt rates were of a similar value. The melt rates obtained in the laboratory for icebergs in water of a low temperature match those inferred from population studies of Antarctic icebergs. The melt rate is proportional to the water temperature above the onset of freezing raised to the power 1.5 and melt rates at 18°C are likely to be greater than one metre per day.
Interface Tracking in Digitally Recorded Glaciological Data
Authors: Cooper A.P.R.
Published: September 2017

As more data are recorded in digital form the importance of automatically extracting parameters of glaciological significance increases. This paper addresses the problem, with particular reference to tracking bedrock or internal reflectors in digitally recorded Radio Echo Sounding (RES) data. It has been found that the simplest solution to this problem is a “supervised” system, where operator decisions may be added interactively, either on operator command or upon loss of track. Increasing internal decision making within the program may reduce the number of operator interventions required, but is unlikely to eliminate them completely.

Algorithms are presented and discussed for determining the position of the interface, for predicting the position of the interface in successive records, for determining the loss of track condition, and for re-acquiring track after loss of track.
Seasat Altimeter Observations of an Antarctic “Lake”
Authors: Cudlip W. , McIntyre N.F.
Published: September 2017

The word “lake” in the context of Antarctica has been used to describe both surface features (10–12 km in size) and areas of liquid water on the bedrock beneath the ice sheet (typically a few kilometres in size and at a depth of over 3000 m), There has been however only limited evidence for a relationship between the two phenomena.

This paper reports an analysis of Seasat altimeter observations of an extremely flat area on the surface of the East Antarctic ice sheet, approximately 30 km in extent, centred at 68.6°S 136.0°E and close to the edge of the sub-glacial Astrolabe Basin. It has a regional slope of between zero and 0.01° , and non-random variations in height along track of about ± 1m on the scale of a few kilometres. The average radar backscatter coefficient is 5±2 dB in the region of the Astrolabe Basin, compared to a more usual value of about 10 dB for other areas of the ice sheet. A computer enhanced Landsat image of the region clearly shows the rougher steeper terrain to the North, with the surface in and around the flat area appearing totally smooth and featureless.

NSF/SPRI/TUD radio echo-sounding data from the region, although limited in extent, shows a relatively strong signal (indicative of ice at the pressure melting point) over a large region. The signal under the flat area, however, is particularly strong and smooth, confirming the association between the surface feature and a bedrock lake 3800 m below.
A Comparative Study of Tool-Pin Profile on Process Response of Friction Stir Welding of AA6082-T6 Aluminium Alloy
Authors: Oyedemi Kayode , McGrath Patrick , Lombard Hannalie , Varbai Balázs
Published: September 2017

This paper presents research work conducted to experimentally establish the process response of two diverse shaped tool-pin profiles for friction stir welding (FSW) AA6082-T6 aluminium. The dwell time was optimised by plunging each tool-pin into a plate sample until the spindle torque stabilised thus ensuring sufficient plasticised material in contact with tool shoulder and the tool-pins. The welds were conducted by employing the optimised dwell time, which in turn revealed a minimised process response time and distance to reach weld stability with respect to (1) the force exerted on the tool-pin in the welding direction, Fx , and (2) the spindle torque, T, during the welding process. Both Fx and T stabilised well within the set (pre-determined) ramp-up distance of 20 mm, indicating that the effective (useful) weld length is maximised. The macrographs also revealed good dynamic material flow within the nugget zone regions and more evident in the nugget zone of the flared tool.
MACROANATOMICAL ASPECTS OF BRACHIAL PLEXUS AND ITS BRANCHES IN THE INDIGENOUS DUCK
Authors: Alam J. , Arifin M. S. , Hussan M. T.
Published: September 2017

The injury to the peripheral nervous system is common clinical problem especially injury to the wing is the most common in birds. The present study aimed to document the detailed features of the morphological structure and the innervations areas of the brachial plexus in indigenous duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus). A total of six mature indigenous ducks (three of them were male and three were female) were used in this study. After administering an anesthetic to the birds, the body cavities were opened. The birds were fixed with formaldehyde after draining of the blood. The nerves of the brachial plexus were dissected separately and photographed. The brachial plexus was formed by the union of the ventral branches of 14thand 15th cervical spinal nerve and 1st, 2nd and 3rd thoracic spinal nerves, which were confirmed by palpation and counting the cervical vertebrae. Present study revealed that few small and large branches originated from brachial plexus and innervated into the specific muscles and their adjacent structure. Five nerve roots formed three nerve trunks in the duck, which constitute the dorsal and ventral cords. The pectoral trunk and median-ulnar nerve originated from ventral cord, while dorsal cord gives axillary nerve continued as a radial nerve into the wing of duck. The axillary nerve innervated into to skin of the dorsal side of the wing and shoulder deltoideous muscles, coracobrachialis muscles and propatagiasis cervical muscles. The radial nerve innervated to the humuro-brachial and triceps muscles, extensor carpi radial and supinator muscles. The ulnar nerve innervated extensor aspect of joint, flexor carpi ulnar muscles and superficial flexor muscle. The median nerve innervated into the median surface of the brachial and metacarpal region, flexor carpi radial muscle, pronator teres muscles, superficial and profound digital flexor muscles. The general macroanatomical shape of the brachial plexus and the distribution of the nerves originating from this plexus displayed some differences from other birds.
Outcomes of Posterior Wall Thickness, Interventricular Septal Thickness and LA diameter after Surgical Closure of Ventricular Septal Defect in Different Age Group
Authors: Aminullah Md , Sarker Swadesh Ranjan , Hasan Rakibul , Rahman Mahbubur , Hoque Rezwanul
Published: September 2017

Background: Good outcome after surgical closure of ventricular septal defect is essential. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to see the improvement of posterior wall thickness, interventricular septal thickness and LA diameter after surgical closure of ventricular septal defect in different age group.Methodology: This prospective cohort studies was conducted in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD), Dhaka. Patient with surgical closure of VSD were enrolled into this study purposively and were divided into 3 groups according to the age. In group A (n=10), patients were within the age group of 2.0 to 6.0 years; age of group B (n=8) patients were 6.1-18.0 years and the group C (n=6) ages range was 18.1-42.0 years. Echocardiographic variables such as posterior wall thickness, interventricular septal thickness and LA diameter were taken preoperatively and at 1st and 3rd month of postoperative values.Result: Totally 24 patients were recruited for this study. The mean age was 12.60±12.09. After 1 month posterior wall thickness was increased by 12.07%, 7.02% and 5.26% in group A, group B and group C respectively. After 3 months left ventricular posterior wall thickness was decreased by 36.21%, 29.78% and 17.58% in group A, group B and group C respectively. After 1 month interventricular septal thickness was increased by 3.51%, 8.86% and 9.22% in group A, group B and group C respectively. After 3 months interventricular septal thickness was decreased by 31.58%, 25.00% and 16.67% in group A, group B and group C respectively. After 1 month LA diameter was increased by 4.81%, 4.28% and 4.75% in group A, group B and group C respectively. After 3 months LA diameter was decreased by 15.93%, 12.84% and 5.96% in group A, group B and group C respectively.Conclusion: Cardiac remodeling occurred after surgical closure of ventricular septal defect and remodeling were more significant in younger age group.University Heart Journal Vol. 12, No. 1, January 2016; 12-16
Unusual Presentation of Congenital Protein C Deficiency as Arterial Thrombosis along with Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Khan Tunaggina Afrin , Ahmed Saiful , Abdullah Abu Sadique , Alam Mohammad Sarwar , Kabir SM Eftarjahan , Haque Mostashirul , Jannat Sufia , Rahman Aparna , Islam Lohani M Tajul , Safiuddin Mohammad
Published: September 2017

Abstract not availableUniversity Heart Journal Vol. 12, No. 1, January 2016; 34-36
Isolated Rheumatic Mitral Regurgitation with Giant Left Atrium in Sinus Rhythm  A Case Report
Authors: Kabir Md Faisal Ibn , Amin Md Rasul , Mandol Mohammad Rayhan Masum , Joarder Md Ariful Islam , Mahabub Sm Ear E , Khaled Md Fakhrul Islam , Haque Mustashirul , Bajracharya Prashant , Ahmed Khurshed , Hoque Md Harisul
Published: September 2017

A 30-year-old woman, patient of severe MR with pulmonary hypertension presented with symptoms. On evaluation, giant left atrium was found on echocardiography (65 mm). Most strikingly, the patient was still in sinus rhythm. She was managed medically and after stabilization of symptoms, discharged with advice for mitral valve surgery and regular follow-up.University Heart Journal Vol. 12, No. 1, January 2016; 51-54
Energy and Carbon Impact of Precision Livestock Farming Technologies Implementation in the Milk Chain: From Dairy Farm to Cheese Factory
Authors: Todde Giuseppe , Caria Maria , Gambella Filippo , Pazzona Antonio
Published: September 2017

Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) is being developed in livestock farms to relieve the human workload and to help farmers to optimize production and management procedure. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the consequences in energy intensity and the related carbon impact, from dairy farm to cheese factory, due to the implementation of a real-time milk analysis and separation (AfiMilk MCS) in milking parlors. The research carried out involved three conventional dairy farms, the collection and delivery of milk from dairy farms to cheese factory and the processing line of a traditional soft cheese into a dairy factory. The AfiMilk MCS system installed in the milking parlors allowed to obtain a large number of information related to the quantity and quality of milk from each individual cow and to separate milk with two different composition (one with high coagulation properties and the other one with low coagulation properties), with different percentage of separation. Due to the presence of an additional milkline and the AfiMilk MCS components, the energy requirements and the related environmental impact at farm level were slightly higher, among 1.1% and 4.4%. The logistic of milk collection was also significantly reorganized in view of the collection of two separate type of milk, hence, it leads an increment of 44% of the energy requirements. The logistic of milk collection and delivery represents the process which the highest incidence in energy consumption occurred after the installation of the PLF technology. Thanks to the availability of milk with high coagulation properties, the dairy plant, produced traditional soft cheese avoiding the standardization of the formula, as a result, the energy uses decreased about 44%, while considering the whole chain, the emissions of carbon dioxide was reduced by 69%. In this study, the application of advance technologies in milking parlors modified not only the on-farm management but mainly the procedure carried out in cheese making plant. This aspect makes precision livestock farming implementation unimportant technology that may provide important benefits throughout the overall milk chain, avoiding about 2.65 MJ of primary energy every 100 kg of processed milk.
Registration of Urban Aerial Image and LiDAR Based on Line Vectors
Authors: Sheng Qinghong , Wang Qi , Zhang Xinyue , Wang Bo , Zhang Bin , Zhang Zhengning
Published: September 2017

In a traditional registration of a single aerial image with airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data using linear features that regard line direction as a control or linear features as constraints in the solution, lacking the constraint of linear position leads to the error propagation of the adjustment model. To solve this problem, this paper presents a line vector-based registration mode (LVR) in which image rays and LiDAR lines are expressed by a line vector that integrates the line direction and the line position. A registration equation of line vector is set up by coplanar imaging rays and corresponding control lines. Three types of datasets consisting of synthetic, theInternational Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) test project, and real aerial data are used. A group of progressive experiments is undertaken to evaluate the robustness of the LVR. Experimental results demonstrate that the integrated line direction and the line position contributes a great deal to the theoretical and real accuracies of the unknowns, as well as the stability of the adjustment model. This paper provides a new suggestion that, for a single image and LiDAR data, registration in urban areas can be accomplished by accommodating rich line features.
A Hospital Recommendation System Based on Patient Satisfaction Survey
Authors: Khoie Mohammad , Sattari Tabrizi Tannaz , Khorasani Elham , Rahimi Shahram , Marhamati Nina
Published: September 2017

Surveys are used by hospitals to evaluate patient satisfaction and to improve general hospital operations. Collected satisfaction data is usually represented to the hospital administration by using statistical charts and graphs. Although such visualization is helpful, typically no deeper data analysis is performed to identify important factors which contribute to patient satisfaction. This work presents an unsupervised data-driven methodology for analyzing patient satisfaction survey data. The goal of the proposed exploratory data analysis is to identify patient communities with similar satisfaction levels and the major factors, which contribute to their satisfaction. This type of data analysis will help hospitals to pinpoint the prevalence of certain satisfaction factors in specific patient communities or clusters of individuals and to implement more proactive measures to improve patient experience and care. To this end, two layers of data analysis is performed. In the first layer, patients are clustered based on their responses to the survey questions. Each cluster is then labeled according to its salient features. In the second layer, the clusters of first layer are divided into sub-clusters based on patient demographic data. Associations are derived between the salient features of each cluster and its sub-clusters. Such associations are ranked and validated by using standard statistical tests. The associations derived by this methodology are turned into comments and recommendations for healthcare providers and patients. Having applied this method on patient and survey data of a hospital resulted in 19 recommendations where 10 of them were statistically significant with chi-square test’s p-value less than 0.5 and an odds ratio z-test’s p-value of more than 2 or less than −2. These associations not only are statistically significant but seems rational too.
Computational and Experimental Study on Molecular Structure of Benzo[g]pyrimido[4,5-b]quinoline Derivatives: Preference of Linear over the Angular Isomer
Authors: Trilleras Jorge , Pacheco Dency , Pérez-Gamboa Alfredo , Quiroga Jairo , Ortiz Alejandro , Gálvez Jaime , Nogueras Manuel , Cobo Justo
Published: September 2017

A series of 5-aryl-2-methylthio-5,12-dihydrobenzo[g]pyrimido[4,5-b]quinoline-4,6,11(3H)-trione was synthesized through an environmental friendly multicomponent methodology and characterized with FT-IR (Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy), 1H NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ), 13C NMR and GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). The 5-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-methylthio-5,12-dihydrobenzo[g]pyrimido[4,5-b]quinoline-4,6,11(3H)-trione 4c compound was characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction. The geometry of 4c has been fully optimized using DFT (Density functional theory), B3LYP functional and 6-31G(d,p) basis set, thus establishing the ground state energy and thermodynamic features for the mentioned compound, which are in accordance with the experimental data and the crystal structure. The experimental results reveal a strong preference for the regioselective formation of 4c linear four fused rings over the angular four fused and suggest a possible kinetic control in product formation.
Application of Deep Networks to Oil Spill Detection Using Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar Images
Authors: Chen Guandong , Li Yu , Sun Guangmin , Zhang Yuanzhi
Published: September 2017

Polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing provides an outstanding tool in oil spill detection and classification, for its advantages in distinguishing mineral oil and biogenic lookalikes. Various features can be extracted from polarimetric SAR data. The large number and correlated nature of polarimetric SAR features make the selection and optimization of these features impact on the performance of oil spill classification algorithms. In this paper, deep learning algorithms such as the stacked autoencoder (SAE) and deep belief network (DBN) are applied to optimize the polarimetric feature sets and reduce the feature dimension through layer-wise unsupervised pre-training. An experiment was conducted on RADARSAT-2 quad-polarimetric SAR image acquired during the Norwegian oil-on-water exercise of 2011, in which verified mineral, emulsions, and biogenic slicks were analyzed. The results show that oil spill classification achieved by deep networks outperformed both support vector machine (SVM) and traditional artificial neural networks (ANN) with similar parameter settings, especially when the number of training data samples is limited.
Improving Skin Hydration and Age-related Symptoms by Oral Administration of Wheat Glucosylceramides and Digalactosyl Diglycerides: A Human Clinical Study
Authors: Bizot Valérie , Cestone Enza , Michelotti Angela , Nobile Vincenzo
Published: September 2017

Ceramides are known to play a key role in the skin’s barrier function. An age-dependent decrease in ceramides content correlates with cutaneous clinical signs of dryness, loss of elasticity, and increased roughness. The present placebo-controlled clinical study aims to evaluate if an oral supplementation with glucosylceramides (GluCers) contained in a wheat polar lipids complex (WPLC) was able to improve such skin conditions. Sixty volunteers presenting dry and wrinkled skin were supplemented during 60 days with either a placebo or a WPLC extract in oil or powder form (1.7 mg GluCers and 11.5 mg of digalactosyldiglycerides (DGDG)). Skin parameters were evaluated at baseline and after 15, 30, and 60 days of supplementation. Oral intake of WPLC significantly increased skin hydration (p < 0.001), elasticity, and smoothness (p < 0.001), and decreased trans epidermal water loss (TEWL) (p < 0.001), roughness (p < 0.001), and wrinkledness (p < 0.001) in both WPLC groups compared to placebo. In both WPLC treated groups, all parameters were significantly improved in a time-dependent manner compared to baseline. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the positive effect of oral supplementation with GluCers on skin parameters and could reasonably reinforce the observations made on mice that orally-supplied sphingolipids can reach the skin.
Thirty Years of Research on Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (1986–2016): Scientific Advances and Emerging Opportunities
Authors: Pratchett Morgan , Caballes Ciemon , Wilmes Jennifer , Matthews Samuel , Mellin Camille , Sweatman Hugh , Nadler Lauren , Brodie Jon , Thompson Cassandra , Hoey Jessica , Bos Arthur , Byrne Maria , Messmer Vanessa , Fortunato Sofia , Chen Carla , Buck Alexander , Babcock Russell , Uthicke Sven
Published: September 2017

Research on the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) has waxed and waned over the last few decades, mostly in response to population outbreaks at specific locations. This review considers advances in our understanding of the biology and ecology of CoTS based on the resurgence of research interest, which culminated in this current special issue on the Biology, Ecology and Management of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish. More specifically, this review considers progress in addressing 41 specific research questions posed in a seminal review by P. Moran 30 years ago, as well as exploring new directions for CoTS research. Despite the plethora of research on CoTS (>1200 research articles), there are persistent knowledge gaps that constrain effective management of outbreaks. Although directly addressing some of these questions will be extremely difficult, there have been considerable advances in understanding the biology of CoTS, if not the proximate and ultimate cause(s) of outbreaks. Moving forward, researchers need to embrace new technologies and opportunities to advance our understanding of CoTS biology and behavior, focusing on key questions that will improve effectiveness of management in reducing the frequency and likelihood of outbreaks, if not preventing them altogether.
A Dedicated Mixture Model for Clustering Smart Meter Data: Identification and Analysis of Electricity Consumption Behaviors
Authors: Melzi Fateh , Same Allou , Zayani Mohamed , Oukhellou Latifa
Published: September 2017

The large amount of data collected by smart meters is a valuable resource that can be used to better understand consumer behavior and optimize electricity consumption in cities. This paper presents an unsupervised classification approach for extracting typical consumption patterns from data generated by smart electric meters. The proposed approach is based on a constrained Gaussian mixture model whose parameters vary according to the day type (weekday, Saturday or Sunday). The proposed methodology is applied to a real dataset of Irish households collected by smart meters over one year. For each cluster, the model provides three consumption profiles that depend on the day type. In the first instance, the model is applied on the electricity consumption of users during one month to extract groups of consumers who exhibit similar consumption behaviors. The clustering results are then crossed with contextual variables available for the households to show the close links between electricity consumption and household socio-economic characteristics. At the second instance, the evolution of the consumer behavior from one month to another is assessed through variations of cluster sizes over time. The results show that the consumer behavior evolves over time depending on the contextual variables such as temperature fluctuations and calendar events.
DC Grids for Smart LED-Based Lighting: The EDISON Solution
Authors: Thielemans Steffen , Di Zenobio Dario , Touhafi Abdellah , Lataire Philippe , Steenhaut Kris
Published: September 2017

This paper highlights the benefits and possible drawbacks of a DC-based lighting infrastructure for powering Light Emitting Diode (LED)-lamps. It also evaluates the efforts needed for integrating the so called smart lighting and other sensor/actuator based control systems, and compares existing and emerging solutions. It reviews and discusses published work in this field with special focus on the intelligent DC-based infrastructure named EDISON that is primarily dedicated to lighting, but is applicable to building automation in general. The EDISON “PowerLAN” consists of a DC-based infrastructure that offers telecommunication abilities and can be applied to lighting retrofitting scenarios for buildings. Its infrastructure allows simple and efficient powering of DC-oriented devices like LED lamps, sensors and microcontrollers, while offering a wired communication channel. This paper motivates the design choices for organizing DC lighting grids and their associated communication possibilities. It also shows how the EDISON based smart lighting solution is evolving today to include new communication technologies and to further integrate other parts of building management solutions through the OneM2M (Machine to Machine) service bus.