bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Enhanced oxidation of Si using low-temperature oxidation catalyst SrTi1−
xMgxO3−δ
Authors: Li Li , Ikeda Akihiro , Asano Tanemasa 
Published: April 2016

Abstract
We newly propose the use of functional oxide to produce O* radicals in an oxidation furnace for the application to oxidation of semiconductor at low temperatures. SrTi1−

x
Mg
x
O3−δ is prepared and placed together with a Si wafer in an electric furnace to perform oxidation of Si in flowing O2 under the atmospheric pressure. X-ray diffraction and gas desorption analyses show that SrTi1−

x
Mg
x
O3−δ contains oxygen vacancies and emits atomic oxygen at temperatures above 400 °C. Growth rate of SiO2 at the Si surface is shown to be increased by placing SrTi1−

x
Mg
x
O3−δ with Si and the rate increases with increasing the composition x of the oxide. It is also shown that the activation energies of the linear and parabolic rate constants in the Deal–Grove oxidation model is reduced by using SrTi1−

x
Mg
x
O3−δ oxidation catalyst.
Three‐Dimensional Transvaginal Sonography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Local Staging of Cervical Cancer
Authors: Arribas Sara , Alcázar Juan Luis , Arraiza Maria , Benito Alberto , Minguez José Angel , Jurado Matias 
Published: April 2016

ObjectivesTo evaluate the agreement of clinical examination, 2‐dimensional (2D) sonography, and 3‐dimensional (3D) sonography with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for local staging of cervical cancer.MethodsWe conducted a prospective study including women with a diagnosis of carcinoma of the cervix. All women were staged clinically and underwent 2D and 3D transvaginal sonography and MRI before treatment for assessing tumor size and parametrial, bladder, and rectal involvement using the examiner's subjective impression. Agreement between sonography and MRI was assessed by calculating the κ index and percentage of agreement.ResultsForty women were included (mean age ± SD, 46.6 ± 11.4 years). Eleven had early‐stage (IA and IB1) disease, and 29 had advanced‐stage (IB2–IVB) disease. A significant correlation for tumor size estimation was found between MRI and pelvic examination (r = 0.754; P < .001), MRI and 2D sonography (r = 0.649; P < .001), and MRI and 3D sonography (r = 0.657; P< .001). Agreement for parametrial infiltration between MRI and pelvic examination was fair (κ = 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10–0.54; 62.5% agreement), between MRI and 2D sonography was moderate (κ = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.15–0.66; 70.0% agreement), and between MRI and 3D sonography was good (κ = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.35–0.85; 80.0% agreement). Agreement for bladder involvement between MRI and pelvic examination was moderate (κ = 0.48; 95% CI, 0.10–0.99; 95.0% agreement), between MRI and 2D sonography was moderate (κ = 0.48; 95% CI, 0.10–0.99; 95.0% agreement), and between MRI and 3D sonography was very good (κ = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.55–1.0; 97.5% agreement). Agreement for rectal involvement was not calculated because of the very small number of cases.ConclusionsThree‐dimensional sonography showed good agreement with MRI for assessing parametrial infiltration and bladder involvement in cervical cancer.
Second‐Trimester Sonographic Thymus Measurements Are Not Associated With Preterm Birth and Other Adverse Obstetric Outcomes
Authors: Brandt Justin S. , Bastek Jamie A. , Wang Eileen , Purisch Stephanie , Schwartz Nadav 
Published: April 2016

ObjectivesPrevious studies have demonstrated an association between adverse obstetric outcomes, such as preterm birth, and in utero inflammation. The fetal thymus, which can be visualized in the anterior mediastinum on obstetric sonography, may involute in response to such inflammation and thus may identify pregnancies at increased risk for these outcomes. We therefore sought to determine whether second‐trimester fetal thymus measurements are associated with preterm birth.MethodsTransabdominal fetal thymus measurements were prospectively obtained in singleton pregnancies at gestational ages of 18 weeks to 23 weeks 6 days during a 5‐month period. The transverse and anterorposterior thymus diameters and the thymic‐thoracic ratio were measured. Delivery outcomes were collected from our clinical database. The primary outcome was preterm birth, which we defined as delivery between 24 weeks and 36 weeks 6 days. Small for gestational age (SGA) and pregnancy‐related hypertension, which are adverse obstetric outcomes that may also be associated with in utero inflammation, were included as secondary outcomes.ResultsWe included 520 patients with thymus measurements and obstetric outcome data. The prevalence of preterm birth was 12.3% (n = 64). None of the thymus measurements were associated with preterm birth. Similarly, there was no association between thymus measurements and SGA or pregnancy‐related hypertension.ConclusionsSonographic assessment of the second‐trimester fetal thymus did not identify patients at increased risk for preterm birth, SGA, and pregnancy‐related hypertension. Routine thymus measurements during the second‐trimester anatomic scan are not clinically useful for prediction of preterm birth and other adverse outcomes.
Comparison of 2‐ and 3‐Dimensional Sonography for Estimation of Birth Weight and Neonatal Adiposity in the Setting of Suspected Fetal Macrosomia
Authors: Gibson Kelly S. , Stetzer Bradley , Catalano Patrick M. , Myers Stephen A. 
Published: April 2016

ObjectivesTo compare the accuracy of 2‐dimensional (2D) and 3‐dimensional (3D) fetal measurements for prediction of birth weight Z score and neonatal adiposity (percent body fat) in the setting of suspected fetal macrosomia.MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational study of term singleton pregnancies with suspected macrosomia. Patients were enrolled on admission to labor and delivery and underwent sonographic examinations. Within 48 hours of delivery, neonatal anthropometric measurements were obtained.ResultsThirty‐four neonates were included in the analysis. Mothers were very obese (mean body mass index ± SD, 39.1 ± 7.8 kg/m2); 56.5% were white; and 39.1% had diabetes. Neonates were 38% female and had a mean birth weight of 3940.0 ± 496.8 g, percent body fat of 18.5% ± 4.0%, and Ponderal index of 2.8 ± 0.3 g/cm3. Mean 2D estimated fetal weight was 3973 ± 443 g; mean 3D estimated fetal weight was 3803 ± 528 g; and mean thigh volume was 102.5 ± 19.6 cm3. Both 2D and 3D measurements accounted for about half the variance in predicted birth weight (R2 for 2D = 0.53, 71% within 10% of birth weight; R2 for 3D = 0.47, 65% within 10% of birth weight). Thigh volume Z score was the prenatal parameter most highly correlated with both birth weight Z score (R2 = 0.52; r = 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.54–0.84; P < .001) and percent body fat (R2 = 0.22; r = 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.17–0.69; P = .04).ConclusionsIn our population of fetuses with suspected macrosomia, fractional thigh volume was the best sonographic estimate of neonatal percent body fat and birth weight Z score. Future research on prediction of neonatal weight and adiposity in macrosomic fetuses should include an estimate of fetal soft tissue given the generalized increase in body fat of these fetuses.
Compression Real‐time Elastography for Evaluation of Salivary Gland Lesions
Authors: Li Changtian , Zhang Changsheng , Li Nan , Li Junlai 
Published: April 2016

ObjectivesTo evaluate the performance of compression real‐time elastography for differentiation between benign and malignant salivary gland lesions.MethodsA systematic literature database search was conducted. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LR+), and negative likelihood ratio (LR−) values for real‐time elastography were analyzed. Summary receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were also constructed. Heterogeneity was evaluated by χ2 and I2 tests. I2 > 50% or P < .05 indicated heterogeneity, and then a random‐effects model was applied. A Deek funnel plot was used to assess publication bias. Fagan plot analysis was performed to evaluate the clinical utility of real‐time elastography. When heterogeneity was found, subgroup analyses were used to explore the sources of heterogeneity. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by omitting 1 study at a time and examining the influence of each individual study on the overall results.ResultsNine articles with 581 lesions were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of real‐time elastography for differentiation between benign and malignant lesions were 76% (95% confidence interval [CI], 65%–85%; 95% prediction interval [PI], 29%–95%) and 73% (95% CI, 62%–81%; 95% PI, 24%–96%), respectively. The LR+ and LR− were 2.81 (95% CI, 1.79–4.39; 95% PI, 0.65–12.16) and 0.33 (95% CI, 0.20–0.55; 95% PI, 0.07–1.69). The area under the ROC curve was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.77–0.84). No publication bias was detected, according to the Deek funnel plot (P = .51). The Fagan plot showed that when pretest probabilities were 25%, 50%, and 75%, positive posttest probabilities were 48%, 74%, and 89%, and negative probabilities were 10%, 25%, and 50%.ConclusionsReal‐time elastography is a novel supplementary adjunct to conventional sonography for evaluation of salivary gland lesions. However, its overall accuracy is less promising, and biopsy may still be necessary in routine clinical practice.
Sea ice circulation around the Beaufort Gyre: The changing role of wind forcing and the sea ice state
Authors: Petty Alek A. , Hutchings Jennifer K. , Richter‐Menge Jacqueline A. , Tschudi Mark A. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractSea ice drift estimates from feature tracking of satellite passive microwave data are used to investigate seasonal trends and variability in the ice circulation around the Beaufort Gyre, over the multidecadal period 1980–2013. Our results suggest an amplified response of the Beaufort Gyre ice circulation to wind forcing, especially during the late 2000s. We find increasing anticyclonic ice drift across all seasons, with the strongest trend in autumn, associated with increased ice export out of the southern Beaufort Sea (into the Chukchi Sea). A flux gate analysis highlights consistency across a suite of drift products. Despite these seasonal anticyclonic ice drift trends, a significant anticyclonic wind trend occurs in summer only, driven, in‐part, by anomalously anticyclonic winds in 2007. Across all seasons, the ice drift curl is more anticyclonic than predicted from a linear relationship to the wind curl in the 2000s, compared to the 1980s/1990s. The strength of this anticyclonic ice drift curl amplification is strongest in autumn and appears to have increased since the 1980s (up to 2010). In spring and summer, the ice drift curl amplification occurs mainly between 2007 and 2010. These results suggest nonlinear ice interaction feedbacks (e.g., a weaker, more mobile sea ice pack), enhanced atmospheric drag, and/or an increased role of the ocean. The results also show a weakening of the anticyclonic wind and ice circulation since 2010.
Nonlinear effects of anthropogenic aerosol and urban land surface forcing on spring climate in eastern China
Authors: Deng Jiechun , Xu Haiming , Zhang Leying 
Published: April 2016

AbstractAnthropogenic aerosols and urban land cover change induce opposite thermal effects on the atmosphere near surface as well as in the troposphere. One can think of these anthropogenic effects as composed of two parts: the individual effect due to an individual anthropogenic forcing and the nonlinear effects resulting from the coexistence of two forcing factors. In this study, we explored the role of such nonlinear effects in affecting East Asian climate, as well as individual forcing effects, using the Community Atmosphere Model version 5.1 coupled with the Community Land Model version 4. Atmospheric responses were simulated by including anthropogenic aerosol emission only, urban cover only, or the combination of the two, over eastern China. Results showed that nonlinear responses were different from any effects by an individual forcing or the linear combination of individual responses. The nonlinear interaction could generate cold horizontal temperature advection to cool the troposphere, which induced anomalous subsidence along the Yangtze River Valley (YRV). This anomalous vertical motion, together with a weakened low‐level southwesterly, favored below‐normal (above‐normal) rainfall over the YRV (southern China), shifting the spring rain belt southward. The resultant diabatic cooling, in turn, amplified the anomalous descent and further decreased tropospheric temperature over the YRV, forming a positive feedback loop to maintain the nonlinear effects. Consequently, the nonlinear effects acted to reduce the climate anomalies from a simple linear combination of two individual effects and played an important role in regional responses to one anthropogenic forcing when the other is prescribed.
Impact of physics parameterizations on high‐resolution weather prediction over two Chinese megacities
Authors: Barlage Michael , Miao Shiguang , Chen Fei 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe 1 km Institute of Urban Meteorology (IUM) operational model has a high‐temperature bias, especially at night, and a high wind speed bias in urbanized areas, limiting the ability of IUM to provide accurate, high‐resolution prediction of thermal stress and air quality for the densely populated Beijing‐Tianjin metro region. This study provides an assessment of the IUM WRF‐based operational model setups and performs a diagnostic analysis to isolate the contributions of model physics parameterization schemes to operational forecast bias over complex urban regions. Results show that non‐turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) planetary boundary layers (PBL) schemes perform better than their counterpart TKE‐based schemes at night, reducing the warm bias by about 1°C in nonurban areas. However, the best performing urban PBL scheme still produces ~2°C warm bias. Considering aerosol effects in the solar radiation scheme improves downward solar radiation and surface energy budgets but has negligible effect on the simulated temperature. Urban canopy models and the specification of various urban model parameters have comparable or even more significant contributions to forecast biases in temperature and wind speed than PBL schemes. The predicted PBL height using an optimized urban parameter table is lower by about 100–200 m, which is about 50–100% of the interurban scheme effect on the PBL height. Overall, the Building Effect Parameterization urban scheme with the default parameter table, or a parameter table with less urban heat storage, is recommended for the best results in urban areas and shows that most of the urban areas of Beijing and Tianjin have a greater than 4°C improvement in absolute temperature bias and more than 1 m s−1 improvement in absolute wind speed bias.
Characterization of organic residues of size‐resolved fog droplets and their atmospheric implications
Authors: Chakraborty Abhishek , Ervens Barbara , Gupta Tarun , Tripathi Sachchida N. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractSize‐resolved fog water samples were collected in two consecutive winters at Kanpur, a heavily polluted urban area of India. Samples were analyzed by an aerosol mass spectrometer after drying and directly in other instruments. Residues of fine fog droplets (diameter: 4–16 µm) are found to be more enriched with oxidized (oxygen to carbon ratio, O/C = 0.88) and low volatility organics than residues of coarse (diameter > 22 µm) and medium size (diameter: 16–22 µm) droplets with O/C of 0.68 and 0.74, respectively. These O/C ratios are much higher than those observed for background ambient organic aerosols, indicating efficient oxidation in fog water. Accompanying box model simulations reveal that longer residence times, together with high aqueous OH concentrations in fine droplets, can explain these trends. High aqueous OH concentrations in smaller droplets are caused by their highest surface‐volume ratio and high Fe and Cu concentrations, allowing more uptake of gas phase OH and enhanced Fenton reaction rates, respectively. Although some volatile organic species may have escaped during droplet evaporation, these findings indicate that aqueous processing of dissolved organics varies with droplet size. Therefore, large (regional, global)‐scale models need to consider the variable reaction rates, together with metal‐catalyzed radical formation throughout droplet populations for accurately predicting aqueous secondary organic aerosol formation.
Retrieval of ice cloud properties using an optimal estimation algorithm and MODIS infrared observations: 1. Forward model, error analysis, and information content
Authors: Wang Chenxi , Platnick Steven , Zhang Zhibo , Meyer Kerry , Yang Ping 
Published: April 2016

AbstractAn optimal estimation (OE) retrieval method is developed to infer three ice cloud properties simultaneously: optical thickness (τ), effective radius (reff), and cloud top height (h). This method is based on a fast radiative transfer (RT) model and infrared (IR) observations from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This study conducts thorough error and information content analyses to understand the error propagation and performance of retrievals from various MODIS band combinations under different cloud/atmosphere states. Specifically, the algorithm takes into account four error sources: measurement uncertainty, fast RT model uncertainty, uncertainties in ancillary data sets (e.g., atmospheric state), and assumed ice crystal habit uncertainties. It is found that the ancillary and ice crystal habit error sources dominate the MODIS IR retrieval uncertainty and cannot be ignored. The information content analysis shows that for a given ice cloud, the use of four MODIS IR observations is sufficient to retrieve the three cloud properties. However, the selection of MODIS IR bands that provide the most information and their order of importance varies with both the ice cloud properties and the ambient atmospheric and the surface states. As a result, this study suggests the inclusion of all MODIS IR bands in practice since little a priori information is available.
Retrieval of ice cloud properties using an optimal estimation algorithm and MODIS infrared observations: 2. Retrieval evaluation
Authors: Wang Chenxi , Platnick Steven , Zhang Zhibo , Meyer Kerry , Wind Gala , Yang Ping 
Published: April 2016

AbstractAn infrared‐based optimal estimation (OE‐IR) algorithm for retrieving ice cloud properties is evaluated. Specifically, the implementation of the algorithm with MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations is assessed in comparison with the operational retrieval products from MODIS on the Aqua satellite (MYD06), Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP), and the Imaging Infrared Radiometer (IIR); the latter two instruments fly on the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellite in the Afternoon Constellation (A‐Train) with Aqua. The results show that OE‐IR cloud optical thickness (τ) and effective radius (reff) retrievals perform best for ice clouds having 0.5 < τ < 7 and reff < 50 µm. For global ice clouds, the averaged retrieval uncertainties of τ and reff are 19% and 33%, respectively. For optically thick ice clouds with τ larger than 10, however, the τ and reff retrieval uncertainties can exceed 30% and 50%, respectively. For ice cloud top height (h), the averaged global uncertainty is 0.48 km. Relatively large h uncertainty (e.g., > 1 km) occurs for τ < 0.5. Analysis of 1 month of the OE‐IR retrievals shows large τ and reff uncertainties in storm track regions and the southern oceans where convective clouds are frequently observed, as well as in high‐latitude regions where temperature differences between the surface and cloud top are more ambiguous. Generally, comparisons between the OE‐IR and the operational products show consistent τ and h retrievals. However, obvious differences between the OE‐IR and the MODIS Collection 6 reff are found.
Assessment of MODIS RSB detector uniformity using deep convective clouds
Authors: Chang Tiejun , Xiong Xiaoxiong (Jack) , Angal Amit , Mu Qiaozhen 
Published: April 2016

AbstractFor satellite sensor, the striping observed in images is typically associated with the relative multiple detector gain difference derived from the calibration. A method using deep convective cloud (DCC) measurements to assess the difference among detectors after calibration is proposed and demonstrated for select reflective solar bands (RSBs) of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Each detector of MODIS RSB is calibrated independently using a solar diffuser (SD). Although the SD is expected to accurately characterize detector response, the uncertainties associated with the SD degradation and characterization result in inadequacies in the estimation of each detector's gain. This work takes advantage of the DCC technique to assess detector uniformity and scan mirror side difference for RSB. The detector differences for Terra MODIS Collection 6 are less than 1% for bands 1, 3–5, and 18 and up to 2% for bands 6, 19, and 26. The largest difference is up to 4% for band 7. Most Aqua bands have detector differences less than 0.5% except bands 19 and 26 with up to 1.5%. Normally, large differences occur for edge detectors. The long‐term trending shows seasonal oscillations in detector differences for some bands, which are correlated with the instrument temperature. The detector uniformities were evaluated for both unaggregated and aggregated detectors for MODIS band 1 and bands 3–7, and their consistencies are verified. The assessment results were validated by applying a direct correction to reflectance images. These assessments can lead to improvements to the calibration algorithm and therefore a reduction in striping observed in the calibrated imagery.
An overview of the CATS level 1 processing algorithms and data products
Authors: Yorks J. E. , McGill M. J. , Palm S. P. , Hlavka D. L. , Selmer P. A. , Nowottnick E. P. , Vaughan M. A. , Rodier S. D. , Hart W. D. 
Published: April 2016

AbstractThe Cloud‐Aerosol Transport System (CATS) is an elastic backscatter lidar that was launched on 10 January 2015 to the International Space Station (ISS). CATS provides both space‐based technology demonstrations for future Earth Science missions and operational science measurements. This paper outlines the CATS Level 1 data products and processing algorithms. Initial results and validation data demonstrate the ability to accurately detect optically thin atmospheric layers with 1064 nm nighttime backscatter as low as 5.0E−5 km−1 sr−1. This sensitivity, along with the orbital characteristics of the ISS, enables the use of CATS data for cloud and aerosol climate studies. The near‐real‐time downlinking and processing of CATS data are unprecedented capabilities and provide data that have applications such as forecasting of volcanic plume transport for aviation safety and aerosol vertical structure that will improve air quality health alerts globally.