bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impacts of Beam Broadening and Earth Curvature on Storm-Scale 3D Variational Data Assimilation of Radial Velocity with Two Doppler Radars
Authors: Ge Guoqing , Gao Jidong , Brewster Keith , Xue Ming 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
The radar ray path and beam broadening equations are important for assimilation of radar data into numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. They can be used to determine the physical location of each radar measurement and to properly map the atmospheric state variables from the model grid to the radar measurement space as part of the forward observation operators. Historically, different degrees of approximations have been made with these equations; however, no systematic evaluation of their impact exists, at least in the context of variational data assimilation. This study examines the effects of simplifying ray path and ray broadening calculations on the radar data assimilation in a 3D variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system. Several groups of Observational System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) are performed to test the impact of these equations to radar data assimilation with an idealized tornadic thunderstorm case. This study shows that the errors caused by simplifications vary with the distance between the analyzed storm and the radar. For single time level wind analysis, as the surface range increases, the impact of beam broadening on analyzed wind field becomes evident and can cause relatively large error for distances beyond 150 km. The impact of the earth’s curvature is more significant, even for distances beyond 60 km, because it places the data at the wrong vertical location. The impact of refractive index gradient is also tested. It is shown that the variations of refractive index gradient have a very small impact on the wind analysis results.
Two time series of 1-h-long data assimilation experiments are further conducted to illustrate the impact of the beam broadening and earth curvature on all retrieved model variables. It is shown that all model variables can be retrieved to some degrees in all data assimilation experiments. Similar to the wind analysis experiments, the impacts of both factors are not obvious when radars are relatively close to the storm. When the radars are far from the storm (especially beyond 150 km), overlooking beam broadening degrades the accuracy of assimilation results slightly, whereas ignoring the earth’s curvature leads to significant errors.
Comparison of C-Band Scatterometer CMOD5.N Equivalent Neutral Winds with ECMWF
Authors: Hersbach Hans 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
This article describes the evaluation of a C-band geophysical model function called C-band model 5.N (CMOD5.N). It is used to provide an empirical relation between backscatter as sensed by the spaceborne European Remote Sensing Satellite-2 (ERS-2) and Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) scatterometers and equivalent neutral ocean vector wind at 10-m height (neutral surface wind) as function of scatterometer incidence angle.
CMOD5.N embodies a refit of CMOD5, a C-band model function, which was previously derived to obtain nonneutral surface wind, in such a way that its 28 tunable coefficients lead, for a given backscatter observation, to an enhancement of 0.7 m s−1 in wind speed. The value of 0.7 m s−1 is chosen to be independent of wind speed and incidence angle, and it incorporates the average difference between neutral and nonneutral wind (∼0.2 m s−1) and for a known bias of CMOD5 (∼0.5 m s−1) when compared to buoy wind data. The quality of the CMOD5.N fit is successfully tested for the Active Microwave Instrument (AMI) scatterometer on ERS-2 and ASCAT instrument on Meteorological Operational-A (MetOp-A) for July 2007 and January 2008.
ASCAT and ERS-2 wind speed obtained from CMOD5.N compares well on average with operational neutral wind from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). In comparison with nonneutral wind, the local, seasonally dependent biases between scatterometer and ECMWF model are reduced. Besides effects introduced by sea state, orography, and ocean currents, a residual stability-dependent bias between scatterometer and neutral wind remains, which is likely connected to a nonoptimality in the ECMWF boundary layer formalism that is reported in the literature.
Accurate and Fast Neural Network Emulations of Model Radiation for the NCEP Coupled Climate Forecast System: Climate Simulations and Seasonal Predictions*
Authors: Krasnopolsky V. M. , Fox-Rabinovitz M. S. , Hou Y. T. , Lord S. J. , Belochitski A. A. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
The approach to accurate and fast-calculating model physics using neural network emulations was previously developed by the authors for both longwave and shortwave radiation parameterizations or the full model radiation, which is the most time-consuming component of model physics. It was successfully tested for a moderate-resolution uncoupled NCAR Community Atmospheric Model (CAM) that is driven by climatological SST for a decadal climate simulation mode. In this study, the approach has been further developed and implemented into the NCEP coupled Climate Forecast System (CFS) with significantly higher resolution and time-dependent CO2. The higher complexity of NCEP CFS required further adjustments to the neural network emulation methodology. Validation of the approach for the NCEP CFS has been performed through a decadal climate simulation and seasonal predictions. The developed highly-accurate neural network emulations of longwave and shortwave radiation parameterizations are, on average, 16 and 60 times faster than the original/control longwave and shortwave radiation parameterizations, respectively. The authors present a detailed comparison of parallel decadal climate simulations and seasonal predictions performed with the original NCEP model radiation parameterizations and with their neural network emulations. The differences between the parallel runs are overall within or less than the observation errors and uncertainties of reanalysis. Moreover, the differences (both in terms of bias and RMSE) are of a similar magnitude as the model’s internal variability. These results justify the practical use of efficient neural network emulations of full model radiation for climate simulations and seasonal predictions.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors versus angiotensin receptor blockers for diabetic nephropathy: a retrospective comparison
Authors: Robles Nicolás Roberto , Romero Baldomero , Fernandez-Carbonero Enrique , Sánchez-Casado Emilio , Cubero Juan Jose 
Published: December 2009

Introduction. There are no adequate head-to-head comparisons of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) in type 2 diabetic patients in spite of some interesting attempts. Furthermore, there are no adequate studies about the effects of ACE inhibitors in type 2 diabetic patients, who are the great majority of diabetic individuals. This study has retrospectively compared the effects of ACE inhibitors and ARBs used to treat diabetic nephropathy in a group of type 2 diabetic subjects. Design and methods. Patients (n=154) were treated with ACE inhibitors (mean age 59.5±13.3 years, 52.6% were male). Eighty-five patients had been treated with ARBs from 1999 until now (mean age 62.6±10.9 years, 56.0% were male, differences not significant). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to calculate survival before reaching end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (glomerular filtration < 15 ml/min, stage V of renal disease as defined by KDOQI clinical guidelines) or starting renal replacement therapy. Only patients treated for more than six months were included in the survival analysis. Comparison of survival was made at three, five and seven years after starting treatment. Results. Pre-ESRD survival was 91.9% at three years, 81.6% at five years and 61.9% at seven years of follow-up for patients treated with ACE inhibitors. For patients treated with ARBs, pre-ESRD survival was 95.3% at three years, 82.1% at five years and 78.2% at seven years of follow-up (p=0.02, log-rank test). At 36 months, the comparative odds ratio for having started renal replacement therapy or reaching end-stage renal failure was 0.246 (95% confidence interval 0.114—0.531, p<0.001 for chi-square and likelihood ratio tests). The risk for the ARB cohort was 0.682 (95% confidence interval 0.578—0.804), meanwhile for ACE inhibitor patients it was 2.768 (95% confidence interval 1.481—5.172). Conclusions. The effects of ACE inhibitors and ARBs seem to be different, favouring the use of ARBs. These results may have been influenced by the different circumstances when each kind of drug was indicated, since ARBs were used with the specific recommendations for control of blood pressure in diabetic patients. An earlier referral of these patients may also have had some effect on these results. The need for a well-designed prospective study on type 2 diabetic patients with heavy proteinuria is warranted.
microRNA evaluation of unknown primary lesions in the head and neck
Authors: Barker Emma V , Cervigne Nilva K , Reis Patricia P , Goswami Rashmi S , Xu Wei , Weinreb Ilan , Irish Jonathan C , Kamel-Reid Suzanne 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Unknown primary malignancy in the head and neck is not an infrequent diagnosis for patients with metastatic cervical lymph nodes. Although linked with a relatively good prognosis following radiation treatment, widespread radiation is coupled with significant morbidity. Altered microRNA (miRNA) expression has been associated with both cancer progression and metastasis. We sought to determine whether miRNA expression analysis could be used as a diagnostic tool to discover the primary site of malignancy, within the head and neck. We used quantitative real-time PCR to identify miRNA expression profiles of squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil, base of tongue and post-nasal space, as well as their corresponding metastatic lymph nodes, from 6 patients. Our results revealed that each cancer maintained its expression profile between the primary site and the nodal metastasis (r = 0.82, p < 0.0001). In addition, each anatomical sub-site maintained a distinct miRNA profile between individual patients (r = 0.79, p < 0.0001). Finally, between sub-sites, the miRNA profiles were distinct (p < 0.0001). As proof of principle, our study provides an indication that miRNA expression analysis may be useful to compare the primary lesion and local metastatic disease. This may be clinically relevant to predict the primary site of origin of metastatic disease, when the primary site remains obscure.
Primary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of renal pelvis: a case report
Authors: Fareghi Mehdi , Mohammadi Afshin , Madaen Kazem 
Published: December 2009

Abstract

Background
We report a case of primary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of renal pelvis which radiologically resembled large multicystic mass in 45 years old man.

Case Presentation
The patient referred to our center with loin pain and progressive abdominal distention from 4 years ago. In the previous published literature, four cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of renal origin have been published. Abdominal CT showed complete replacement of left kidney by a large multiloculated cystic mass accompanied with multiple large nephrolithiasis. Nephrectomy was performed and histopathology revealed covering of epithelium of renal pelvis by columnar epithelium and scattered goblet cells and mucous gland.

Conclusion
Mucinous cystic neoplasms of kidney are rare entity and our case and few similar reported cases showed that this tumor is an unique clinicopathologic renal mass that may be classified by World Health Organization classification in the future
Active immunization to tumor necrosis factor-α is effective in treating chronic established inflammatory disease: a long-term study in a transgenic model of arthritis
Authors: Delavallée Laure , Semerano Luca , Assier Eric , Vogel Géraldine , Vuagniaux Grégoire , Laborie Marion , Zagury Daniel , Bessis Natacha , Boissier Marie-Christophe 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Introduction
Passive blockade of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) has demonstrated high therapeutic efficiency in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, although some concerns remain such as occurrence of resistance and high cost. These limitations prompted investigations of an alternative strategy to target TNF-α. This study sought to demonstrate a long-lasting therapeutic effect on established arthritis of an active immunotherapy to human (h) TNF-α and to evaluate the long-term consequences of an endogenous anti-TNF-α response.

Methods
hTNF-α transgenic mice, which spontaneously develop arthritides from 8 weeks of age, were immunized with a heterocomplex (TNF kinoid, or TNF-K) composed of hTNF-α and keyhole limpet hemocyanin after disease onset. We evaluated arthritides by clinical and histological assessment, and titers of neutralizing anti-hTNF-α antibody by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and L929 assay.

Results
Arthritides were dramatically improved compared to control mice at week 27. TNF-K-treated mice exhibited high levels of neutralizing anti-hTNF-α antibodies. Between weeks 27 and 45, all immunized mice exhibited symptoms of clinical deterioration and a parallel decrease in anti-hTNF-α neutralizing antibodies. A maintenance dose of TNF-K reversed the clinical deterioration and increased the anti-hTNF-α antibody titer. At 45 weeks, TNF-K long-term efficacy was confirmed by low clinical and mild histological scores for the TNF-K-treated mice. Injections of unmodified hTNF-α did not induce a recall response to hTNF-α in TNF-K immunized mice.

Conclusions
Anti-TNF-α immunotherapy with TNF-K has a sustained but reversible therapeutic efficacy in an established disease model, supporting the potential suitability of this approach in treating human disease.
National Cost Efficiency of Supported Employees With Intellectual Disabilities: 2002 to 2007
Authors: Cimera Robert E. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractThe cost efficiency of supported employees with intellectual disabilities who were served by vocational rehabilitation agencies throughout the United State from 2002 to 2007 was explored. Findings indicate that, on average, supported employees with intellectual disabilities were cost-efficient from the taxpayers' perspective regardless of whether they had secondary disabilities. In addition, no changes in cost efficiency were found during the period investigated. The data, however, did demonstrate considerable variability in cost efficiency throughout the United States and its territories.
A Methodology for Quantifying Deformations in Stented Coronary Arteries Based on Three-Dimensional Angiography
Authors: Chen S. James , Messenger John C. , Carroll John D. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Coronary arteries possess a curvilinear shape as observed in all vascular trees and undergo a cyclical deformation due to their attachment to the myocardium. Implanted stents result in a permanent alternation of the curvilinearity of the artery. It has been hypothesized that the frequently observed straightening effect of stents implies an uneven distribution of forces within the arterial wall, potentially augmenting the injury reaction of the vessel wall and thereby increasing the rate of restenosis. When a target vessel is very tortuous or its shape changes dramatically during the cardiac cycle, the implanted stent may fracture due to complex bending forces induced from the artery movement. Stent fractures have been reported in coronary and pulmonary artery stenting, aortic coarctation, and peripheral vascular stenting such as femoropopliteal artery, renal artery, common iliac artery, and subclavian artery or even nonvascular stenting such as gastrointestinal tract. It is believed that stent fracture is likely to be affected by a large flexion induced from body movement (e.g., such as knee bending or leg crossing) or cyclic flexion subject to cardiac motion. Additionally, stent fracture might be also associated with the high incidence of target lesion revascularization. It is the intent of this paper to propose a methodology to quantify artery deformation subject to cardiac motion and shape alternation caused by device implantation that are applicable today and also generic to other vascular trees created from the same or different imaging modalities. In experiments, two typical human coronary arterial trees are presented, and the validation study by use of intra-coronary marker wires is reported.
Characterization of Density of Biodiesel from Soybean, Sunflower, Canola, and Beef Tallow in Relation to Temperature, Using a Digital Density Meter with a Metrological Point of View
Authors: Santo Filho D. M. E. , de Abreu F. L. B. , Pereira R. G. , Siqueira J. R. R. , dos Santos Júnior J. J. P. , Daroda R. J. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
In this article we study the behavior of biodiesel density from soybean oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and beef tallow, the last one transesterified with ethanol and the others with methanol in relation to temperature with a metrological point of view. These quantities were measured with a digital density meter, one of the Brazilian density standards, in a temperature range between 15 and 40°C. Measurement uncertainty was calculated. The behavior of density is analyzed considering the estimated uncertainty. The density from all the samples investigated shows a linear behavior with respect to temperature.
The Role of Hydrogen on Rolling Contact Fatigue Response of Rolling Element Bearings
Authors: Vegter R. H. , Slycke J. T. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
It is generally accepted that the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) life of bearing components is strongly reduced when the hardened steel matrix contains hydrogen. Although frequently reported in the literature, a physically sound explanation to this phenomenon has not yet been presented. In recent work on building understanding around the nature of the RCF damage process, we have reported on the development of a physically based fatigue damage model. Here we discuss an attempt to interpret the role of hydrogen on the micro-plastic fatigue damage mechanism on the basis of this concept. In this context, the role of hydrogen on the RCF response has been studied in order to find evidence for and to determine its weakening effect on hardened and low-temperature tempered (bearing) steels. In order to perform valid tests, effort was put in controlling the hydrogen content in bearing components before testing using an electrochemical hydrogen charging process. A number of bearing tests were performed clearly showing differences in fatigue response with different amounts of hydrogen present in the microstructure. The results of testing of bearings with hydrogen-containing steel matrices are given. It was found that increased hydrogen content in bearing steel at 5 ppm (by weight) will significantly promote bearing spalling failure and enhance the formation and growth of so-called white-etching crack systems. This experimental information is interpreted in the light of the physically based fatigue damage model.
Characterization of Corn Grains for Dry-Grind Ethanol Production
Authors: Srichuwong Sathaporn , Gutesa Jelena , Blanco Michael , Duvick Susan A. , Gardner Candice , Jane Jay-Lin 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
The objectives of this study were to understand how the composition of corn kernels and starch structure affected the enzyme hydrolysis of starch in dry-grind corn and the ethanol yield from yeast fermentation. Four selected corn inbred lines were used in this study. Starch in uncooked dry-grind corn samples showed greater enzyme digestibility than did the uncooked starch isolated from the same source by wet-milling process. The greater digestibility of starch in uncooked dry-grind corn correlated with a physical damage of starch granules. In contrast, starch in cooked dry-grind corn samples displayed less enzyme digestibility than did the cooked isolated starch. The difference could be attributed to interference caused by non-starch components in the dry-grind corn. The entrapment of starch in protein matrix and the formation of amylose-lipid helical complexes and/or retrograded starch may decrease the enzyme digestibility of starch in cooked dry-grind corn. Lab-scale ethanol production showed that ethanol yield after 72 h fermentation of the four corn inbred lines ranged between 34.3 and 38.0 g ethanol/100 g dry-grind corn. The conversion efficiency at 72 h of fermentation ranged between 86.8 % and 90.3 % of the theoretical ethanol yield. The highest ethanol yield was found in the corn line containing the largest starch content and the smallest amounts of lipid and protein.
Water Content Determination in Biodiesel: Optimization of Methodology in Coulometric Karl Fischer Titration
Authors: Vicentim M. P. , Barreto Sousa M. V. , Fernandes da Silva V. , Mateus V. Lionel , Rodrigues J. M. , Smarçaro da Cunha V. 
Published: December 2009

Abstract
Coulometric Karl Fischer (KF) titration is a highly accurate technique employed for moisture determination in non-aqueous solvents. Methodology for coulometric titration in a KF apparatus coupled to an autosampler oven was optimized in order to improve the accuracy of moisture determination in biodiesel derived from soybean. Several parameters were investigated, and three of them were optimized according to a central composite 23 star experimental design. The highest accuracy for moisture determinations corresponded to a relative standard deviation of 1.48 %. It was reached when the KF titrator was operated with electrode without diaphragm, the sample mass was 4 g, and the oven temperature was set to 170°C. Other parameters, like carrier gas flux and extraction time, presented minimal or no effects for improving the accuracy of moisture determination.
Application of Impedance Spectroscopy for Determining Fabric Anisotropy of Fine-Grained Soils
Authors: Gumaste Suchit D. , Singh D. N. 
Published: December 2009

AbstractEngineering behavior of fine-grained soils is mainly influenced by its fabric structure, which is the arrangement of soil particles and distribution of the pores. For determination of soil fabric, earlier researchers have relied on instrumentation techniques such as scanning electron microscope (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). However, due to small sample size, complexities involved with the sample preparation, and destructive nature of these techniques, precise interpretation of the results becomes a challenging task. In order to overcome this, efforts were made by the authors to explore the potential of impedance spectroscopy, which is a non-destructive and non-invasive technique of characterizing the soil mass, for determining its fabric. Details of the methodology adopted to achieve this are presented in this paper, which also elaborates the setup employed to determine the electrical conductivity of the marine clay samples in their undisturbed and remolded states. Further, the observed directional dependency of electrical conductivity, i.e., electrical anisotropy, has been expressed as the anisotropy coefficient, Ae, and its potential in defining the fabric anisotropy has been demonstrated. The results have been critically examined vis-à-vis the observations from the SEM and MIP studies. The study reveals that the higher the deviation of Ae from unity, the higher would the fabric anisotropy be, which is indicative of the fabric of the fine-grained soils.