bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Revisiting the Relationship between Eyewall Contraction and Intensification
Authors: Stern Daniel P. , Vigh Jonathan L. , Nolan David S. , Zhang Fuqing 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
In the widely accepted convective ring model of tropical cyclone intensification, the intensification of the maximum winds and the contraction of the radius of maximum winds (RMW) occur simultaneously. This study shows that in idealized numerical simulations, contraction and intensification commence at the same time, but that contraction ceases long before peak intensity is achieved. The rate of contraction decreases with increasing initial size, while the rate of intensification does not vary systematically with initial size. Utilizing a diagnostic expression for the rate of contraction, it is shown that contraction is halted in association with a rapid increase in the sharpness of the tangential wind profile near the RMW and is not due to changes in the radial gradient of the tangential wind tendency. It is shown that a number of real storms exhibit a relationship between contraction and intensification that is similar to what is seen in the idealized simulations. In particular, the statistical distribution of intensifying tropical cyclones indicates that, for major hurricanes, most contraction is completed prior to most intensification.
By forcing a linearized vortex model with the diabatic heating and frictional tendencies from a simulation, it is possible to qualitatively reproduce the simulated secondary circulation and separately examine the vortex responses to heating and friction. It is shown that heating and friction both contribute substantially to boundary layer inflow. They also both contribute to the contraction of the RMW, as the positive wind tendency from heating-induced inflow is maximized inside of the RMW, while the net negative wind tendency from friction and frictionally induced inflow is maximized outside of the RMW.
A Standardized Global Climate Model Study Showing Unique Properties for the Climate Response to Black Carbon Aerosols
Authors: Sand M. , Iversen T. , Bohlinger P. , Kirkevåg A. , Seierstad I. , Seland Ø. , Sorteberg A. 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
The climate response to an abrupt increase of black carbon (BC) aerosols is compared to the standard CMIP5 experiment of quadrupling CO2 concentrations in air. The global climate model NorESM with interactive aerosols is used. One experiment employs prescribed BC emissions with calculated concentrations coupled to atmospheric processes (emission-driven) while a second prescribes BC concentrations in air (concentration-driven) from a precalculation with the same model and emissions, but where the calculated BC does not force the climate dynamics. The difference quantifies effects of feedbacks between airborne BC and other climate processes. BC emissions are multiplied with 25, yielding an instantaneous top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiative forcing (RF) comparable to the quadrupling of atmospheric CO2. A radiative kernel method is applied to estimate the different feedbacks.
In both BC runs, BC leads to a much smaller surface warming than CO2. Rapid atmospheric feedbacks reduce the BC-induced TOA forcing by approximately 75% over the first year (10% for CO2). For BC, equilibrium is quickly re-established, whereas for CO2 equilibration requires a much longer time than 150 years. Emission-driven BC responses in the atmosphere are much larger than the concentration-driven. The northward displacement of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) in the BC emission-driven experiment enhances both the vertical transport and deposition of BC from Southeast Asia. The study shows that prescribing BC concentrations may lead to seriously inaccurate conclusions, but other models with less efficient transport may produce results with smaller differences.
Latitude of Eastward Jet Prematurely Separated from the Western Boundary in a Two-Layer Quasigeostrophic Model
Authors: Sue Yasunori , Kubokawa Atsushi 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThis paper investigates the formation of eastward jets extended from western boundary currents, using a simple two-layer quasigeostrophic (QG) model forced by a wind stress curl consistent with the formation of a subtropical gyre. The study investigated the dependency of the latitude of the eastward jet on various parameters and on the meridional distribution of the Ekman pumping velocity. The parameters considered in the present study included the viscous and inertial western boundary layer width, the parameter representing the degree of the partial-slip boundary condition, the ratio of the upper- to lower-layer depth, and the bottom friction. With the parameters used, two types of stable structures are found in the time-mean field. One type of structure represented the “prematurely separated jet case,” in which the eastward extension jet was located far south of the northern boundary of the subtropical gyre, as is the Kuroshio Extension; the other type was the “gyre boundary jet case,” in which the eastward jet occurred along the northern boundary. The initial condition decides which type of structure would occur. When the prematurely separated jet case occurred, the authors found that the latitude of the eastward jet depended very little on the parameters. In addition, this study also observed that the latitude was determined by the meridional distribution of the Ekman pumping velocity. The eastward extension jet was usually located near the latitude that was half of the maximum value of the Sverdrup streamfunction and satisfied an integral condition derived from the QG potential vorticity equation.
Empirical Removal of Artifacts from the ISCCP and PATMOS-x Satellite Cloud Records
Authors: Norris Joel R. , Evan Amato T. 
Published: January 2015

AbstractThe International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) dataset and the Pathfinder Atmospheres–Extended (PATMOS-x) dataset are two commonly used multidecadal satellite cloud records. Because they are constructed from weather satellite measurements lacking long-term stability, ISCCP and PATMOS-x suffer from artifacts that inhibit their use for investigating cloud changes over recent decades. The present study describes and applies a post hoc method to empirically remove spurious variability from anomalies in total cloud fraction at each grid box. Spurious variability removed includes that associated with systematic changes in satellite zenith angle, drifts in satellite equatorial crossing time, and unrealistic large-scale spatially coherent anomalies associated with known and unidentified problems in instrument calibration and ancillary data. The basic method is to calculate for each grid box the least squares best-fit line between cloud anomalies and artifact factor anomalies, and to let the residuals from the best-fit line be the newly corrected data. After the correction procedure, the patterns of regional trends in ISCCP and PATMOS-x total cloud fraction appear much more natural. The corrected data cannot be used for studies of globally averaged cloud change, however, because the methods employed remove any real cloud variability occurring on global scales together with spurious variability. An examination of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) total cloud fraction data indicates that removing global-scale variability has little impact on regional patterns of cloud change. Corrected ISCCP and PATMOS-x data are available from the Research Data Archive at NCAR.
Tornado Climatology of Poland
Authors: Taszarek Mateusz , Brooks Harold E. 
Published: January 2015

Abstract
Very few studies on the occurrence of tornadoes in Poland have been performed and, therefore, their temporal and spatial variability have not been well understood. This article describes an updated climatology of tornadoes in Poland and the major problems related to the database. In this study, the results of an investigation of tornado occurrence in a 100-yr historical record (1899–1998) and a more recent 15-yr observational dataset (1999–2013) are presented. A total of 269 tornado cases derived from the European Severe Weather Database are used in the analysis. The cases are divided according to their strength on the F scale with weak tornadoes (unrated/F0/F1; 169 cases), significant tornadoes (F2/F3/F4; 66 cases), and waterspouts (34 cases). The tornado season extends from May to September (84% of all cases) with the seasonal peak for tornadoes occurring over land in July (23% of all land cases) and waterspouts in August (50% of all waterspouts). On average 8–14 tornadoes (including 2–3 waterspouts) with 2 strong tornadoes occur each year and 1 violent one occurs every 12–19 years. The maximum daily probability for weak and significant tornadoes occurs between 1500 and 1800 UTC while it occurs between 0900 and 1200 UTC for waterspouts. Tornadoes over land are most likely to occur in the south-central part of the country known as the “Polish Tornado Alley.” Cases of strong, and even violent, tornadoes that caused deaths indicate that the possibility of a large-fatality tornado in Poland cannot be ignored.
Serum albumin-adjusted glycated albumin is a better indicator of glycaemic control in diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease not on haemodialysis
Authors: Fukami Kei , Shibata Ryo , Nakayama Hitomi , Yamada Kentaro , Okuda Seiya , Koga Masafumi 
Published: January 2015

Backgrounds Diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease who are not on haemodialysis show low concentrations of HbA1c and glycated albumin due to renal anaemia and proteinuria, respectively. In the present study, we examined whether serum albumin-adjusted glycated albumin could accurately reflect glycaemic control in these patients. Methods To examine the correlation between glycated albumin and serum albumin (Study 1), 49 diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease not on haemodialysis were used. To evaluate the association between the glycaemic control indicators and the glycaemic control state (Study 2), 30 diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease were enrolled. The estimated HbA1c and the estimated glycated albumin concentrations were calculated based on the mean blood glucose concentrations obtained from the diurnal variation. The adjusted glycated albumin concentrations were calculated from the regression formula between the serum albumin and glycated albumin obtained from Study 1. Results No significant correlation was found between the measured HbA1c and estimated HbA1c concentrations. The estimated HbA1c (inversely) and measured HbA1c/estimated HbA1c ratio (positively), but not measured HbA1c, showed a significant correlation with Hb concentrations. The estimated glycated albumin was positively associated with the measured glycated albumin and adjusted glycated albumin concentrations. Although measured glycated albumin/estimated glycated albumin ratio was positively correlated with serum albumin, there was no significant association between the adjusted glycated albumin/estimated glycated albumin ratio and serum albumin, Hb and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Conclusions We found for the first time that the adjustment of glycated albumin by serum albumin could be useful to determine glycaemic control in diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease not on haemodialysis. These findings suggest that adjusted glycated albumin might be a better indicator of glycaemic control than measured HbA1c and measured glycated albumin in these patients.
Influence of training changes on the stability of specialty choices of UK medical graduates: surveys of the graduates of 2002 and 2008
Authors: Svirko Elena , Lambert Trevor W , Goldacre Michael J 
Published: January 2015

Objectives To explore the impact of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) training on the stability of medical career choices in the UK. Setting UK Participants Graduates of 2002 and 2008 from all UK medical schools, 1 and 3 years postgraduation. Design Questionnaire surveys were conducted of 2002 and 2008 graduates from all UK medical schools 1 and 3 years post graduation. Main outcome measures Doctors gave their specialty choice(s) and rated the influence of each of 11 factors on their career choice. Results 2008 graduates were a little more likely than graduates of 2002 to retain their year 1 choice in year 3 (77.3% vs. 73.3%; p = 0.002). Among 2008 graduates, the percentage retaining their year 1 choice varied between 42% (clinical oncology) and 79% (general practice). Enthusiasm for a specialty, student experience and inclinations before medical school were associated with choice retention; consideration of domestic circumstances and hours/working conditions were associated with changes of choice. 2008 graduates were more likely than 2002s to be influenced by enthusiasm for a specialty, self-appraisal of their skills, working hours and their domestic circumstances; and less likely to be influenced by their experience of jobs, a particular teacher/department or eventual financial prospects. Conclusions Post-MMC, graduates were less likely to change their career choice and more likely to be motivated by personal factors and self-assessment of their suitability to a particular area of work.
The effect of physician gender on length of patient consultations: observational findings from the UK hospital setting and synthesis with existing studies
Authors: Jefferson Laura , Bloor Karen , Hewitt Catherine 
Published: January 2015

Objectives To investigate the effect of physician gender on consultation length in UK hospital outpatient clinics and compare this, through meta-analysis, with previous studies outside the UK. Design Observational data on clinic times were analysed and findings were combined in a meta-analysis with existing studies investigating the effect of physician gender on consultation length. Setting UK hospital practice. Participants A total of 174 observations of outpatient consultations with 10 hospital specialists (consultants) from different specialties in two UK hospital trusts. Main outcome measures Clinic times were recorded and analysis of consultation length was undertaken with physician gender as a covariate. Data were then synthesised through meta-analysis with 10 existing studies in this field. Results No statistically significant difference was found in the length of consultations for male and female doctors in these UK hospital settings. When pooled with existing studies, consultations with women doctors were found to be approximately two minutes longer than with men ( p = 0.01). Conclusions Findings from this analysis of clinic consultations in the UK National Health Service do not support previous studies, which were undertaken predominantly in North America and primary care settings. Overall, meta-analysis suggests doctors’ gender may influence consultation length. Gender differences in communication should be considered in training clinicians and in overall clinical practice.
Exploring gender differences in the working lives of UK hospital consultants
Authors: Jefferson Laura , Bloor Karen , Spilsbury Karen 
Published: January 2015

Objective Internationally, increasing numbers of women are practising medicine. Gender differences in doctors’ working hours, specialty choices and communication styles are well documented, but studies often neglect contextual factors such as the role of socialised gender expectations on behaviours in the workplace and the medical profession. These may be important as recent studies have reported gender differences in doctors’ activity rates that cannot be explained by specialty or contracted hours, suggesting other sources of variation. This study sought to explore the working lives of hospital doctors and how their work is negotiated according to gender and context. Design Gender differences in the day-to-day work of hospital specialists (consultants) in the NHS were investigated using a qualitative approach, including observation and interview methods. Data were analysed inductively using qualitative observation and interview methods. Setting Two NHS hospital trusts in England. Participants Data were collected from 13 participants working in a variety of specialties and in a range of clinical and non-clinical settings. Main outcome measures Various behaviours, attitudes and experiences were explored, such as doctor–patient communication, interactions with colleagues and workload. Results Influences at both individual and situational levels, appear to affect differentially the work of male and female doctors. Female consultants described awareness of the impact of behaviours on relationships with colleagues, and their interactions appeared to be more carefully performed. Nurses and other colleagues tend to demonstrate less cooperation with female consultants. Gender differences also exist in patient communication, feelings of work–family conflict and barriers to career progression. Conclusions These variations in hospital consultants’ work may have implications for both the quantity and quality of care provided by male and female consultants. This is timely and of importance to the medical workforce as the gender composition approaches parity.
Estimating the prevalence of aero-allergy and/or food allergy in infants, children and young people with moderate-to-severe atopic eczema/dermatitis in primary care: multi-centre, cross-sectional study
Authors: Dhami Sangeeta , Sheikh Aziz 
Published: January 2015

Objective We sought to determine the primary care-based prevalence of moderate-to-severe atopic eczema/dermatitis in children and to estimate what proportion had co-morbid aero-allergy and/or food allergy that was contributing to their atopic eczema/dermatitis. Design Multi-centre, cross-sectional study. Participants Infants, children and young people aged between 0–17 years. Setting Primary Care. Methods General practice electronic health records were interrogated to identify children (0–17 years) with current moderate-to-severe atopic eczema/dermatitis. Eligible children were assessed by an allergy specialist nurse, this involving a detailed allergy history, examination and, if appropriate, measurement of total IgE and specific IgE to relevant aero-allergens and/or food allergens. Main outcome measures Prevalence of atopic eczema, moderate to severe atopic eczema, IgE-mediated atopic eczema. Results We recruited eight practices, which together enrolled 16,877 children. Of these, 4331 (25.7%; 95% CI 25.0, 26.3) children had a recorded diagnosis of atopic eczema/dermatitis and 1316 (7.8%; 95% CI 7.4, 8.2) had treatment indicative of current moderate-to-severe atopic eczema/dermatitis. We recruited 159 children for clinical assessment, and complete data were available for 157. The clinical assessment revealed that 130/157 (82.8%) had no indication of IgE-mediated allergy contributing to their atopic eczema/dermatitis; the remaining 27/157 (17.2%; 95% CI 12.1, 23.9) were on clinical assessment considered to possibly have underlying IgE-mediated disease. Specific IgE tests were positive in 14/27 (51.9%; 95% CI 34.0, 69.3) children. Of the 14 children who tested positive, six (42.9%; 95% CI 21.4, 67.4) were positive to food allergens and six (42.9%; 95% CI 21.4, 67.4) to aero-allergens; the remaining two (14.3%; 95% CI 4.0, 40.0) were positive to both food and aero-allergens. Conclusions Although atopic eczema/dermatitis is a very common diagnosis in children in primary care, most appear to be relatively mild and/or transient. Only a small proportion of children had evidence of ongoing underlying IgE-mediated atopic eczema/dermatitis.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for thromboprophylaxis: A systematic review
Authors: Hajibandeh S , Hajibandeh S , Antoniou GA , Scurr JRH , Torella F 
Published: January 2015

Objective To evaluate the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on lower limb venous blood flow and its role in thromboprophylaxis. Method Systematic review of randomised and non-randomised studies evaluating neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and reporting one or more of the following outcomes: incidence of venous thromboembolism, venous blood flow and discomfort profile. Results Twenty-one articles were identified. Review of these articles showed that neuromuscular electrical stimulation increases venous blood flow and is generally associated with an acceptable tolerability, potentially leading to good patient compliance. Ten comparative studies reported DVT incidence, ranging from 2% to 50% with neuromuscular electrical stimulation and 6% to 47.1% in controls. There were significant differences, among included studies, in terms of patient population, neuromuscular electrical stimulation delivery, diagnosis of venous thromboembolism and blood flow measurements. Conclusion Neuromuscular electrical stimulation increases venous blood flow and is well tolerated, but current evidence does not support a role for neuromuscular electrical stimulation in thromboprophylaxis. Randomised controlled trials are required to investigate the clinical utility of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in this setting.
Guanfacine enhances inhibitory control and attentional shifting in early abstinent cocaine-dependent individuals
Authors: Fox Helen , Sofuoglu Mehmet , Sinha Rajita 
Published: January 2015

Objectives: Attenuation of adrenergic drive and cognitive enhancement, via stimulation of alpha2 pre- and post-synaptic receptors, may selectively enhance executive performance in early abstinent cocaine-dependent individuals. As these cognitive processes underpin important treatment-related behaviors, the alpha2 agonist, guanfacine HCl, may represent an effective pharmaco-therapeutic intervention. Methods: Twenty-five early abstinent cocaine-dependent individuals were administered a battery of neurocognitive tasks on entry into treatment (baseline) and again following 3 weeks of either placebo or guanfacine treatment (up to 3 mg). Tasks included: Stop Signal, Stroop, 3-Dimentional Intra-dimensional/Extra-dimensional (IDED) task, Spatial Working Memory (SWM), Paired Associates Learning (PAL), Verbal Fluency and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Results: Compared with placebo, the guanfacine group demonstrated attenuated anxiety and negative affect as well as improved performance on selective executive tests. This included fewer directional errors on the stop signal task, fewer errors on the extra-dimensional shift component of the IDED task and better attentional switching during verbal fluency. Guanfacine did not improve strategic working memory or peripheral memory. Conclusion: Guanfacine improves selective cognitive processes which may underlie salient treatment-related regulatory behaviors. Alpha2 agonists may therefore represent important agents for cocaine dependence.