bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Velocity Dealiasing Technique Using Rapidly Updated Analysis from a Four-Dimensional Variational Doppler Radar Data Assimilation System
Authors: Lim Eunha , Sun Juanzhen 
Published: March 2010

Abstract
A Doppler velocity dealiasing algorithm is developed within the storm-scale four-dimensional radar data assimilation system known as the Variational Doppler Radar Analysis System (VDRAS). The innovative aspect of the algorithm is that it dealiases Doppler velocity at each grid point independently by using three-dimensional wind fields obtained either from an objective analysis using conventional observations and mesoscale model output or from a rapidly updated analysis of VDRAS that assimilates radar data. This algorithm consists of three steps: preserving horizontal shear, global dealiasing using reference wind from the objective analysis or the VDRAS analysis, and local dealiasing. It is automated and intended to be used operationally for radar data assimilation using numerical weather prediction models.
The algorithm was tested with 384 volumes of radar data observed from the Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) for a severe thunderstorm that occurred during 15 June 2002. It showed that the algorithm was effective in dealiasing large areas of aliased velocities when the wind from the objective analysis was used as the reference and that more accurate dealiasing was achieved by using the continuously cycled VDRAS analysis.
A Multisodar Approach to Wind Profiling
Authors: Behrens Paul , Bradley Stuart , Wiens Travis 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThis paper presents the development of a multisodar mode from a five-beam sodar whereby a wind speed vector is found for sets of three acoustic beams. If the vertical beam is used, this mode enables the profiling of four wind speed measurements around the sodar. These multisodars can be used to investigate the spatial and temporal nature of winds in both flat and complex terrain. The spatial, temporal, and signal-to-noise qualities of the sodar signal in this mode are analyzed, and a metric for understanding the inhomogeneity of the atmosphere through cross-correlating opposing multisodars is developed. A driving factor for this work is developing the use of such sodar systems in complex terrain, where experimental measurements are traditionally difficult and expensive.
An Improved Method for Estimating the Wind Power Density Distribution Function
Authors: Morrissey Mark L. , Cook Werner E. , Greene J. Scott 
Published: March 2010

AbstractThe wind power density (WPD) distribution curve is essential for wind power assessment and wind turbine engineering. The usual practice of estimating this curve from wind speed data is to first estimate the wind speed probability density function (PDF) using a nonparametric or parametric method. The density function is then multiplied by one-half the wind speed cubed times the air density. Unfortunately, this means that minor errors in the estimation of the wind speed PDF can result in large errors in the WPD distribution curve because the cubic term in the WPD function magnifies the error. To avoid this problem, this paper presents a new method of estimating the WPD distribution curve through a direct estimation of the curve using a Gauss–Hermite expansion. It is demonstrated that the proposed method provides a much more reliable estimate of the WPD distribution curve.
The Dynamic and Thermodynamic Structures Associated with a Series of Heavy Precipitation Events over China during January 2008
Authors: Shi Xiaohui , Xu Xiangde , Lu Chungu 
Published: March 2010

Abstract
In the winter of 2008, China experienced once-in-50-yr (or once in 100 yr for some regions) snow and ice storms. These storms brought huge socio economical impacts upon the Chinese people and government. Although the storms had been predicted, their severity and persistence were largely underestimated. In this study, these cases were revisited and comprehensive analyses of the storms’ dynamic and thermodynamic structures were conducted. These snowstorms were also compared with U.S. east coast snowstorms. The results from this study will provide insights on how to improve forecasts for these kinds of snowstorms. The analyses demonstrated that the storms exhibited classic patterns of large-scale circulation common to these types of snowstorms. However, several physical processes were found to be unique and thought to have played crucial roles in intensifying and prolonging China’s great snowstorms of 2008. These include a subtropical high over the western Pacific, an upper-level jet stream, and temperature and moisture inversions. The combined effects of these dynamic and thermodynamic structures are responsible for the development of the storms into one of the most disastrous events in Chinese history.
Collective Trauma Transmission and Traumatic Reactions Among Descendants of Armenian Refugees
Authors: Karenian Hatsantour , Livaditis Miltos , Karenian Sirpouhi , Zafiriadis Kyriakos , Bochtsou Valentini , Xenitidis Kiriakos 
Published: March 2010

Background: It has been suggested, mainly by case reports, that the collective trauma generated by mass calamities may be transmitted to, and have long-lasting effects on, new generations. Aims: To investigate the psychological impact on contemporary Armenians of traumatic events suffered by Armenians during the period 1914—1918. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study investigating demographic and cultural characteristics of a population of 689 people of Armenian origin, residents of Greece and Cyprus. Subjects were recruited during a range of Armenian cultural, athletic or charitable events. The participants completed a version of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Self-Rating) Scale and a questionnaire including ad hoc questions regarding their relationship to the Armenian community, their attitudes and their source of information about the 1914—1918 events. Results: Over a third (35.7%) of participants presented at least sub-clinical forms of such reactions during long periods of their lives. Women, older people, participants with a close relative lost during the events and those with strong connections to the Armenian community were more vulnerable. Conclusion: The results are indicative of a long-lasting (though gradually fading) cross-generational traumatizing effect of the discussed events. Clinicians having to deal with patients belonging to cultural or ethnic groups that suffered persecutions in the past should take into account the probable effects caused by a trauma-transmission mechanism.
Community and Health Professionals’ Attitude Toward Depression: a Pilot Study in Nine Eaad Countries
Authors: Scheerder Gert , Van Audenhove Chantal , Arensman Ella , Bernik Barbara , Giupponi Giancarlo , Horel Anne-Claire , Maxwell Margaret , Sisask Merike , Szekely Andras , Värnik Airi , Hegerl Ulrich 
Published: March 2010

Background: Community facilitators (CFs), such as pharmacists, policemen, teachers and clergy, may be an important community resource for patients with depression in addition to (mental) health professionals. However, they are ill prepared for such a role and little is known about their attitudes toward depression, which may affect practice. Aim: To investigate CFs’ attitudes toward depression and compare them to those of (mental) health professionals and nurses. Method: Attitudes were assessed in participants ( n = 2,670) of training programmes about depression in nine countries of the European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD). The EAAD questionnaire included attitudes toward depression and its treatment, perceived causes, preferred treatment options, and knowledge of depression symptoms. Results: CFs and nurses had a more negative attitude toward patients with depression and toward antidepressants, and more limited knowledge of depression symptoms than (mental) health professionals. CFs more frequently supported non-standard treatment for depression. Nurse assistants clearly differed from registered nurses with their attitudes being among the least favourable and their knowledge the most limited of all groups. Conclusions: CFs and nurses had less favourable attitudes and more limited knowledge regarding depression when compared to mental health professionals and doctors. This may negatively affect professional collaboration, challenge optimal treatment and stigmatize patients. CFs’ and nurses’ knowledge and attitudes may be similar to those of the general population and be related to a lack of training in mental health issues.
Sports Activity After Total Hip Resurfacing
Authors: Banerjee Marc , Bouillon Bertil , Banerjee Carolin , Bäthis Holger , Lefering Rolf , Nardini Miriam , Schmidt Joachim 
Published: March 2010

Background: Little is known about sports activity after total hip resurfacing. Hypothesis: Patients undergoing total hip resurfacing can have a high level of sports activity. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: The authors evaluated the level of sports activities with a standardized questionnaire in 138 consecutive patients (152 hips) 2 years after total hip resurfacing. Range of motion, Harris hip score, and Oxford score were assessed, and radiological analysis was performed. Results: Preoperatively, 98% of all patients participated in sports activities. Two years postoperatively, 98% of the patients participated in at least 1 sports activity. The level of sports activity decreased after surgery. The number of sports activities per patient decreased from 3.6 preoperatively to 3.2 postoperatively. Intermediate- and high-impact sports, especially tennis, soccer, jogging, squash, and volleyball, showed a significant decrease while the low-impact sports (stationary cycling, Nordic walking, and fitness/weight training) showed a significant increase. Physical activity level at the time of follow-up as measured by the Grimby scale was significantly higher than in the year before surgery. Duration of sports participation per week increased significantly after surgery. Men had a significantly higher sport level than women before and after surgery. Eighty-two percent felt no restriction while performing sports. One-third missed certain sports activities such as jogging, soccer, tennis, and downhill skiing. The Harris hip and Oxford scores showed a significant increase postoperatively. Conclusion: The results of this short-term follow-up study show that sports activity after total hip resurfacing surgery is still possible. Physical activity level increased with a shift toward low-impact sports. Duration of sports participation increased. High-impact sports activities decreased. These findings can be important for the decision-making process for hip surgery and should be communicated to the patient.
Comparison of multifocal visual evoked potential, standard automated perimetry and optical coherence tomography in assessing visual pathway in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Laron Michal , Han Cheng  , Bin Zhang  , Schiffman Jade S , Tang Rosa A , Frishman Laura J 
Published: March 2010

Background: Multifocal visual evoked potentials (mfVEP) measure local response amplitude and latency in the field of vision. Objective: To compare the sensitivity of mfVEP, Humphrey visual field (HVF) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in detecting visual abnormality in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods: mfVEP, HVF, and OCT (retinal nerve fiber layer [RNFL]) were performed in 47 MS-ON eyes (last optic neuritis [ON] attack ≥6 months prior) and 65 MS-no-ON eyes without ON history. Criteria to define an eye as abnormal were: (1) mfVEP amplitude/latency — either amplitude or latency probability plots meeting cluster criteria with 95% specificity; (2) mfVEP amplitude or latency alone (specificity: 97% and 98%, respectively); and (3) HVF and OCT, mean deviation and RNFL thickness meeting p < 0.05, respectively. Results: MfVEP (amplitude/latency) identified more abnormality in MS-ON eyes (89%) than HVF (72%), OCT (62%), mfVEP amplitude (66%) or latency (67%) alone. Eighteen percent of MS-no-ON eyes were abnormal for both mfVEP (amplitude/latency) and HVF compared with 8% with OCT. Agreement between tests ranged from 60% to 79%. mfVEP (amplitude/latency) categorized an additional 15% of MS-ON eyes as abnormal compared with HVF and OCT combined. Conclusions: mfVEP, which detects both demyelination (increased latency) and neural degeneration (reduced amplitude), revealed more abnormality than HVF or OCT in MS patients.
Angiotensin II type 1 receptor gene A1166C polymorphism and essential hypertension in Chinese: a meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Jia-Li , Li Xue  , Hao Pan-Pan , Feng Xu  , Chen Yu-Guo , Yun Zhang  
Published: March 2010

Introduction. We performed a meta-analysis with the aim of assessing the association of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor gene A1166C polymorphism with essential hypertension in Chinese case-control studies. Methods. Studies were searched from the Chinese Biomedicine Database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure platform, Pubmed and Medline, using the search terms ‘hypertension’, ‘angiotensin II type 1 receptor’, ‘AT1R’, ‘polymorphism’, ‘China’ and ‘Chinese’, without limiting to any specific language. The strength of the association between the A1166C polymorphism and hypertension was evaluated by the odds ratio (OR) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). The analyses were performed with Cochrane RevMan software version 4.2.Results. Overall, the variant genotype AC/CC was associated with a statistically increased essential hypertension risk with the pooled OR 1.48 (95% CI: 1.20—1.83). In the subgroup analyses, the association was also significant among studies using Northern populations, Southern populations, Han Chinese and hospital-based controls. The age did not influence the relationship between the AT1receptor A1166C polymorphism and hypertension in the subgroup analyses.Conclusions. The present meta-analysis suggests that the AT1receptor 1166 AC/CC genotype is associated with susceptibility to hypertension in the Chinese population.
Influence of genetic ancestry on the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome
Authors: Guindalini C. , Colugnati F.A.B. , Pellegrino R. , Santos-Silva R. , Bittencourt L.R.A. , Tufik S. 
Published: March 2010

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of ethnicity on the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) using genomic analysis methods to estimate ancestry.DNA samples were obtained from 1,010 individuals participating in the São Paulo Epidemiologic Sleep Study, who underwent full-night polysomnography. A total of 31 genetic ancestry-informative markers were selected in order to estimate individual admixture proportions.Of patients with a diagnosis of OSAS, a higher number self-reporting Caucasian ethnicity (65.3%), as well as an increased percentage of European ancestry (78.2±16.7%) and lower percentage of West African ancestry (16.1±15.3%), than among individuals without OSAS (53.6, 73.5±18.1 and 20.1±16.8%, respectively) (p<0.001) was observed. Moreover, after correcting for sex, age, body mass index and socioeconomic status, logistic regression demonstrated that European ancestry was significantly associated with an increased risk of manifesting OSAS (OR 2.80, 95% CI 1.11–7.09). Conversely, West African ancestry was associated with a reduced risk of the OSAS phenotype (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.09–0.72).This is the first study to incorporate genomic analysis methods to measure the influence of ethnicity on the risk of OSAS. Since genetically determined ancestry may not capture unmeasured cultural and lifestyle differences, the contribution of environmental factors to the current findings should not be disregarded.
Unified translation repression mechanism for microRNAs and upstream AUGs
Authors: Ajay Subramanian S , Athey Brian D , Lee Inhan 
Published: March 2010

Abstract

Background
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs that modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by binding complementary sites in the 3'-UTR. In a recent genome-wide study reporting a new miRNA target class (miBridge), we identified and validated interactions between 5'-UTRs and miRNAs. Separately, upstream AUGs (uAUGs) in 5'-UTRs are known to regulate genes translationally without affecting mRNA levels, one of the mechanisms for miRNA-mediated repression.

Results
Using sequence data from whole-genome cDNA alignments we identified 1418 uAUG sequences on the 5'-UTR that specifically interact with 3'-ends of conserved miRNAs. We computationally identified miRNAs that can target six genes through their uAUGs that were previously reported to suppress translation. We extended this meta-analysis by confirming expression of these miRNAs in cell-lines used in the uAUG studies. Similarly, seven members of the KLF family of genes containing uAUGs were computationally identified as interacting with several miRNAs. Using KLF9 as an example (whose protein expression is limited to brain tissue despite the mRNA being expressed ubiquitously), we show computationally that miRNAs expressed only in HeLa cells and not in neuroblastoma (N2A) cells can bind the uAUGs responsible for translation inhibition. Our computed results demonstrate that tissue- or cell-line specific repression of protein translation by uAUGs can be explained by the presence or absence of miRNAs that target these uAUG sequences. We propose that these uAUGs represent a subset of miRNA interaction sites on 5'-UTRs in miBridge, whereby a miRNA binding a uAUG hinders the progression of ribosome scanning the mRNA before it reaches the open reading frame (ORF).

Conclusions
While both miRNAs and uAUGs are separately known to down-regulate protein expression, we show that they may be functionally related by identifying potential interactions through a sequence-specific binding mechanism. Using prior experimental evidence that shows uAUG effects on translation repression together with miRNA expression data specific to cell lines, we demonstrate through computational analysis that cell-specific down-regulation of protein expression (while maintaining mRNA levels) correlates well with the simultaneous presence of miRNA and target uAUG sequences in one cell type and not others, suggesting tissue-specific translation repression by miRNAs through uAUGs.
Whole genome evaluation of horizontal transfers in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Mallet Ludovic V , Becq Jennifer , Deschavanne Patrick 
Published: March 2010

AbstractBackgroundNumerous cases of horizontal transfers (HTs) have been described for eukaryote genomes, but in contrast to prokaryote genomes, no whole genome evaluation of HTs has been carried out. This is mainly due to a lack of parametric methods specially designed to take the intrinsic heterogeneity of eukaryote genomes into account. We applied a simple and tested method based on local variations of genomic signatures to analyze the genome of the pathogenic fungusAspergillus fumigatus.ResultsWe detected 189 atypical regions containing 214 genes, accounting for about 1 Mb of DNA sequences. However, the fraction of atypical DNA detected was smaller than the average amount detected in the same conditions in prokaryote genomes (3.1% vs 5.6%). It appeared that about one third of these regions contained no annotated genes, a proportion far greater than in prokaryote genomes. When analyzing the origin of these HTs by comparing their signatures to a home made database of species signatures, 3 groups of donor species emerged: bacteria (40%), fungi (25%), and viruses (22%). It is to be noticed that though inter-domain exchanges are confirmed, we only put in evidence very few exchanges between eukaryotic kingdoms.ConclusionsIn conclusion, we demonstrated that HTs are not negligible in eukaryote genomes, bearing in mind that in our stringent conditions this amount is a floor value, though of a lesser extent than in prokaryote genomes. The biological mechanisms underlying those transfers remain to be elucidated as well as the biological functions of the transferred genes.
A comparative epidemiologic analysis of SARS in Hong Kong, Beijing and Taiwan
Authors: Lau Eric HY , Hsiung C Agnes , Cowling Benjamin J , Chen Chang-Hsun , Ho Lai-Ming , Tsang Thomas , Chang Chiu-Wen , Donnelly Christl A , Leung Gabriel M 
Published: March 2010

AbstractBackgroundThe 2002-2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak infected 8,422 individuals leading to 916 deaths around the world. However, there have been few epidemiological studies of SARS comparing epidemiologic features across regions. The aim of this study is to identify similarities and differences in SARS epidemiology in three populations with similar host and viral genotype.MethodsWe present a comparative epidemiologic analysis of SARS, based on an integrated dataset with 3,336 SARS patients from Hong Kong, Beijing and Taiwan, epidemiological and clinical characteristics such as incubation, onset-to-admission, onset-to-discharge and onset-to-death periods, case fatality ratios (CFRs) and presenting symptoms are described and compared between regions. We further explored the influence of demographic and clinical variables on the apparently large differences in CFRs between the three regions.ResultsAll three regions showed similar incubation periods and progressive shortening of the onset-to-admission interval through the epidemic. Adjusted for sex, health care worker status and nosocomial setting, older age was associated with a higher fatality, with adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.10 (95% confidence interval: 1.45, 3.04) for those aged 51-60; AOR: 4.57 (95% confidence interval: 3.32, 7.30) for those aged above 60 compared to those aged 41-50 years. Presence of pre-existing comorbid conditions was also associated with greater mortality (AOR: 1.74; 95% confidence interval: 1.36, 2.21).ConclusionThe large discrepancy in crude fatality ratios across the three regions can only be partly explained by epidemiological and clinical heterogeneities. Our findings underline the importance of a common data collection platform, especially in an emerging epidemic, in order to identify and explain consistencies and differences in the eventual clinical and public health outcomes of infectious disease outbreaks, which is becoming increasingly important in our highly interconnected world.