bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Circulating and liver tissue levels of retinol‐binding protein‐4 in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Schina Maria , Koskinas John , Tiniakos Dina , Hadziyannis Emilia , Savvas Savvas , Karamanos Basil , Manesis Emanuel , Archimandritis Athanasios 
Published: July 2009

Aim:  Retinol‐binding protein‐4 (RBP4) has been proposed as a new adipokine that regulates insulin action in muscles and the liver, and contributes to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. As non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is related to insulin resistance, we aimed to evaluate RBP4 levels in the serum and liver of patients with NAFLD.Methods:  Serum RBP4 was measured in 30 NAFLD patients and 30 matched healthy controls. RBP4 expression in the liver of NAFLD patients was shown by immunohistochemistry.Results:  Serum RPB4 was significantly lower in NAFLD patients compared with controls (25.15 vs 34.66 µg/mL, P < 0.001) and there was no correlation with metabolic parameters or insulin resistance. RBP4 liver tissue immunostaining was more extensive and intense in NAFLD liver compared with normal liver and the RBP4 immunohistochemical score was positively correlated with the grade of steatosis, grade of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis activity and stage of fibrosis.Conclusions:  In NAFLD patients, serum RBP4 was significantly lower as compared with controls and did not correlate with insulin resistance. In contrast, RBP4 liver tissue expression was enhanced and correlated with NAFLD histology.
An insight into the protection of rat liver against ischemia/reperfusion injury by 2‐selenium‐bridged β‐cyclodextrin
Authors: Lin Ting‐ting , Wang Bing‐mei , Li Xin‐yang , Pan Yu , Wang Wei , Mu Ying , Liu Jun‐qiu , Shen Jia‐cong , Luo Gui‐min 
Published: July 2009

Aim:  The reperfusion following liver ischemia results in the damage and apoptosis of hepatocytes. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects and mechanism of a new synthesized glutathione peroxidase (GPX) mimic, 2‐selenium‐bridged β‐cyclodextrin (2‐SeCD), on rat liver ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury.Methods:  Male Wistar rats (n = 32) were randomly divided into four groups: I. sham‐operated group, II. I/R group, III. I/R +2‐SeCD group, IV. I/R + Ebselen group. Hepatic I/R was administered by 90 min of ischemia and 12 h of reperfusion. Liver tissues were collected at the end of reperfusion period for measurement of various biochemical parameters.Results:  The serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and tissue malondialdehyde, myeloperoxidase levels were increased in I/R group, while the increase was significantly reduced by 2‐SeCD treatment. The glutathione level, depressed by I/R, was elevated back to normal levels by treatment with 2‐SeCD. Severe hepatic damage were observed by light and transmission electron microscopy whilst pretreatment with 2‐SeCD resulted in tissue and cellular preservation. Furthermore, 2‐SeCD reduced cytochrome c release from mitochondria and subsequent DNA fragmentation by regulating Bcl‐2/Bax expression ratio. Results suggested that 2‐SeCD was more effective than ebselen in the reversal of the alteration in tissue structural and biochemical parameters caused by I/R injury.Conclusion:  2‐selenium‐bridged β‐cyclodextrin playes an important role in the protection of liver against I/R injury and this treatment may be a novel pharmacological agent for liver surgery.
Investigations on the
Discharge and Total Temperature Increase Characteristics of the Labyrinth Seals With Honeycomb and
Smooth Lands
Authors: Yan Xin , Li Jun , Song Liming , Feng Zhenping 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
The viscous work generated by the rotating components of a seal not only represents a direct loss of power but also causes an increase in the total temperature of fluid (windage effect). In order to study the discharge and total temperature increase characteristics of the stepped labyrinth seals with smooth and honeycomb lands, 3D Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes solutions from CFX is used in this work. At first, the influences of the inlet preswirl, leakage flow rate, and rotational speed on the total temperature increase in the convergent and divergent stepped labyrinth seals with smooth and honeycomb lands are conducted. The obtained 3D numerical results are well in agreement with the referenced experimental data. It shows that the utilized numerical approach has sufficient precision to predict the total temperature increase in seals. Then, a range of pressure ratios and four sizes of sealing clearance are performed to investigate the effects of sealing clearances and pressure ratio impact on the discharge and total temperature increase of the stepped labyrinth seals with honeycomb and smooth liners.
Antibiotic Treatment of Animals Infected withBorrelia burgdorferi
Authors: Wormser Gary P. , Schwartz Ira 
Published: July 2009

SUMMARYDespite resolution of the objective manifestations of Lyme disease after antibiotic treatment, a minority of patients have fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and/or difficulties with concentration or short-term memory of uncertain etiology; these are called post-Lyme disease symptoms or, in more severe cases, post-Lyme disease syndrome or “chronic Lyme disease.” Several recent studies in whichBorrelia burgdorferi-infected animals were treated with antibiotic therapy have demonstrated the presence of PCR positivity forB. burgdorferiDNA in the absence of culture positivity. In mice that were treated with antibiotic therapy, residual spirochetes could be taken up by ticks during a blood meal and could be transmitted to SCID mice. These spirochetes are attenuated; their presence is not associated with either inflammation or disease. In this review the methodology and findings of these studies are critically analyzed, and the significance of the results with regard to human Lyme disease is evaluated, with special emphasis on whether these studies provide useful insights into post-Lyme disease syndrome. A serious methodological concern is the failure to consider the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic properties of the antibiotic in choosing the dosage regimen used. We conclude that there is no scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that such spirochetes, should they exist in humans, are the cause of post-Lyme disease syndrome.
Food-Borne Trematodiases
Authors: Keiser Jennifer , Utzinger Jürg 
Published: July 2009

SUMMARY

An estimated 750 million people are at risk of infections with food-borne trematodes, which comprise liver flukes (
Clonorchis sinensis
,
Fasciola gigantica
,
Fasciola hepatica
,
Opisthorchis felineus
, and
Opisthorchis viverrini
), lung flukes (
Paragonimus
spp.), and intestinal flukes (e.g.,
Echinostoma
spp.,
Fasciolopsis buski
, and the heterophyids). Food-borne trematodiases pose a significant public health and economic problem, yet these diseases are often neglected. In this review, we summarize the taxonomy, morphology, and life cycle of food-borne trematodes. Estimates of the at-risk population and number of infections, geographic distribution, history, and ecological features of the major food-borne trematodes are reviewed. We summarize clinical manifestations, patterns of infection, and current means of diagnosis, treatment, and other control options. The changing epidemiological pattern and the rapid growth of aquaculture and food distribution networks are highlighted, as these developments might be associated with an elevated risk of transmission of food-borne trematodiases. Current research needs are emphasized.
Bias in Minimum Temperature Introduced by a Redefinition of the Climatological Day at the Canadian Synoptic Stations
Authors: Vincent Lucie A. , Milewska Ewa J. , Hopkinson Ron , Malone Leslie 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
On 1 July 1961, the climatological day was redefined to end at 0600 UTC (coordinated universal time) at all synoptic (airport) stations in Canada. Prior to that, the climatological day ended at 1200 UTC for maximum temperature and 0000 UTC for minimum temperature. This study shows that the redefinition of the climatological day in 1961 has created a cold bias in the annual and seasonal means of daily minimum temperatures across the country while the means of daily maximum temperatures were not affected. Hourly temperatures taken at 121 stations for 1953–2007 are used to determine the magnitude of the bias and its spatial variation. It was found that the bias is more pronounced in the eastern regions; its annual mean varies from −0.2° in the west to −0.8°C in the east. Not all days are affected by this change in observing time, and the annual percentage of affected days ranges from 15% for locations in the west to 38% for locations in the east. An approach based on hourly values is proposed for adjusting the affected daily minimum temperatures over 1961–2007. The adjustment on any individual day varies from 0.5° to 12.5°C. The impact of the adjustment is assessed by examining the trends in the annual mean of the daily minimum temperatures for 1950–2007. Overall, with the adjustment, the trends are becoming either more positive or are reversing from negative to positive, and they have changed by as much as 1°C in numerous locations in the eastern regions.
A Physically Based Daily Hydrometeorological Model for Complex Mountain Terrain
Authors: MacDonald Ryan J. , Byrne James M. , Kienzle Stefan W. 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
This paper describes the continued development of the physically based hydrometeorological model Generate Earth Systems Science input (GENESYS) and its application in simulating snowpack in the St. Mary (STM) River watershed, Montana. GENESYS is designed to operate a high spatial and temporal resolution over complex mountainous terrain. The intent of this paper is to assess the performance of the model in simulating daily snowpack and the spatial extent of snow cover over the St. Mary River watershed. A new precipitation estimation method that uses snowpack telemetry (SNOTEL) and snow survey data is presented and compared with two other methods, including Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) precipitation data. A method for determining daily temperature lapse rates from NCEP reanalysis data is also presented and the effect of temperature lapse rate on snowpack simulations is determined. Simulated daily snowpack values compare well with observed values at the Many Glacier SNOTEL site, with varying degrees of accuracy, dependent on the method used to estimate precipitation. The spatial snow cover extent compares well with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow cover products for three dates selected to represent snow accumulation and ablation periods.
Soil Surface Energy and Water Budgets during a Monsoon Season in Korea
Authors: Cassardo Claudio , Park Seon Ki , Malla Thakuri Bindu , Priolo Daniela , Zhang Ying 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
In this study, attention has been focused on the climatology of some variables linked to the turbulent exchanges of heat and water vapor in the surface layer during a summer monsoon in Korea. In particular, the turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat, the hydrologic budget, and the soil temperatures and moistures have been analyzed. At large scale, because the measurements of those data are not only fragmentary and exiguously available but also infeasible for the execution of climatologic analyses, the outputs of a land surface scheme have been used as surrogate of observations to analyze surface layer processes [this idea is based on the methodology Climatology of Parameters at the Surface (CLIPS)] in the Korean monsoonal climate. Analyses have been made for the summer of 2005. As a land surface scheme, the land surface process model (LSPM) developed at the University of Torino, Italy, has been employed, along with the data collected from 635 Korean meteorological stations. The LSPM predictions showed good agreement with selected observations of soil temperature. Major results show that, during the rainfall season, soil moisture in the first tenths of centimeters frequently exceeds the field capacity, whereas most of the rainfall is “lost” as surface runoff. Evapotranspiration is the dominant component of the energy budget, sometimes even exceeding net radiation, especially during the short periods between the precipitation events; in these periods, daily mean soil temperatures are about 28°C or even more. The Gyeonggi-do region, the metropolitan area surrounding Seoul, shows some particularities when compared with the neighboring regions: solar radiation and precipitations are lower, causing high values of sensible heat flux and soil temperatures, and lower values of latent heat flux and soil moistures.
Stochastic Precipitation Generation Based on a Multivariate Autoregression Model
Authors: Makhnin Oleg V. , McAllister Devon L. 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
The problem of stochastic precipitation generation has long been of interest. A good generator should produce time series with statistical properties to match those of the real precipitation. Here, a multivariate autoregression model designed to capture the covariance and lag-1 cross-covariance structure of the precipitation measurements is presented. A truncated and power-transformed normal distribution is used to simultaneously model both occurrences and amounts of daily precipitation. The methodology is illustrated using daily rain gauge datasets for three areas in the continental United States.
Hydroclimatic Response of Watersheds to Urban Intensity: An Observational and Modeling-Based Analysis for the White River Basin, Indiana
Authors: Yang Guoxiang , Bowling Laura C. , Cherkauer Keith A. , Pijanowski Bryan C. , Niyogi Dev 
Published: July 2009

AbstractImpervious surface area (ISA) has different surface characteristics from the natural land cover and has great influence on watershed hydrology. To assess the urbanization effects on streamflow regimes, the authors analyzed the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow data of 16 small watersheds in the White River [Indiana (IN)] basin. Correlation between hydrologic metrics (flow distribution, daily variation in streamflow, and frequency of high-flow events) and ISA was investigated by employing the nonparametric Mann–Kendall method. Results derived from the 16 watersheds show that urban intensity has a significant effect on all three hydrologic metrics. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model was modified to represent ISA in urbanized basins using a bulk parameterization approach. The model was then applied to the White River basin to investigate the potential ability to simulate the water and energy cycle response to urbanization. Correlation analysis for individual VIC grid cells indicates that the VIC urban model was able to reproduce the slope magnitude and mean value of the USGS streamflow metrics. The urban model also reproduced the urban heat island (UHI) seen in the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface temperature products, especially for the grids encompassing the city of Indianapolis, IN. The difference of the hydrologic metrics obtained from the VIC model with and without urban representation indicates that the streamflow regime in the White River has been modified because of urban development. The observed data, together with model analysis, suggested that 3%–5% ISA in a watershed is the detectable threshold, beyond which urbanization effects start to have a statistically significant influence on streamflow regime.
Linear Fluctuation Growth during Frontogenesis
Authors: McWilliams James C. , Molemaker M. J. , Olafsdottir E. I. 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
Near-surface, two-dimensional (2D) baroclinic frontogenesis induced by a barotropic deformation flow enhances the growth of three-dimensional (3D) fluctuations that occur on an ever smaller scale as the front progressively sharpens. The 3D fluctuation growth rate further increases with a larger deformation rate. The fluctuations grow by a combination of baroclinic and barotropic energy conversions from the 2D frontal flow, with the former dominating for most of the situations examined, ranging from small to 𝒪(1) values of the Rossby and Froude numbers and nondimensional deformation rate. Averaged 3D fluctuation buoyancy fluxes resist the 2D frontogenesis by a frontolytic tendency. They also augment the buoyancy restratification and potential-to-kinetic energy conversion tendencies of the 2D frontogenesis itself, and the 2D frontogenetic and 3D eddy-induced secondary circulations are mostly reinforcing (unlike in turbulent baroclinic jets). This shows that frontal instability coexists with, and potentially may even overcome, active frontogenesis; this conclusion is contrary to some previous studies. Frontal instability thus can augment frontogenesis in accomplishing a forward cascade of energy from oceanic mesoscale eddies into the submesoscale regime en route to finescale dissipation.
Enhancement of Mesoscale Eddy Stirring at Steering Levels in the Southern Ocean
Authors: Abernathey Ryan , Marshall John , Mazloff Matt , Shuckburgh Emily 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
Meridional cross sections of effective diffusivity in the Southern Ocean are presented and discussed. The effective diffusivity, Keff, characterizes the rate at which mesoscale eddies stir properties on interior isopycnal surfaces and laterally at the sea surface. The distributions are obtained by monitoring the rate at which eddies stir an idealized tracer whose initial distribution varies monotonically across the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). In the absence of observed maps of eddying currents in the interior ocean, the advecting velocity field is taken from an eddy-permitting state estimate of the Southern Ocean (SOSE). A three-dimensional advection–diffusion equation is solved and the diffusivity diagnosed by applying the Nakamura technique on both horizontal and isopycnal surfaces. The resulting meridional sections of Keff reveal intensified isopycnal eddy stirring (reaching values of ∼2000 m2 s−1) in a layer deep beneath the ACC but rising toward the surface on the equatorward flank. Lower effective diffusivity values (∼500 m2 s−1) are found near the surface where the mean flow of the ACC is strongest. It is argued that Keff is enhanced in the vicinity of the steering level of baroclinic waves, which is deep along the axis of the ACC but shallows on the equatorial flank. Values of Keff are also found to be spatially correlated with gradients of potential vorticity on isopycnal surfaces and are large where those gradients are weak and vice versa, as expected from simple dynamical arguments. Finally, implications of the spatial distributions of Keff for the dynamics of the ACC and its overturning circulation are discussed.
An Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) for Aerosol Optical Depth from Satellites
Authors: Timmermans Renske M. A. , Schaap Martijn , Builtjes Peter , Elbern Hendrik , Siddans Richard , Tjemkes Stephen , Vautard Robert 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
Monitoring aerosols over wide areas is a scientific challenge with important applications for human health and the understanding of climate. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements from satellites can improve the highly needed analyzed and forecasted distributions of ground-level aerosols in combination with models and ground-based measurements. To assess the benefit of future satellite AOD measurements, an observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) is developed. In this pilot study, the OSSE is applied to total AOD measurements from a flexible combined imager (FCI) proposed to fly on a geostationary satellite. OSSEs are widely used in the meteorological research community, but their use for air quality applications and specifically for aerosols is new. In this paper, the functionality and potential of the developed OSSE for evaluation of aerosol data from future satellite missions are demonstrated. The results show a positive impact of adding AOD observations next to in situ observations for the analysis of PM2.5 (particles smaller than 2.5 μm in median diameter) distributions. However, the development of an OSSE for aerosols presents a number of further challenges, as discussed in this paper, which prohibits a detailed quantitative analysis of the results of this pilot study.
Microwave Radiometer Calibration on Decadal Time Scales Using On-Earth Brightness Temperature References: Application to the TOPEX Microwave Radiometer
Authors: Brown Shannon , Desai Shailen , Keihm Stephen , Lu Wenwen 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
A method is described to calibrate a satellite microwave radiometer operating near 18–37 GHz on decadal time scales for the purposes of climate studies. The method uses stable on-earth brightness temperature references over the full dynamic range of on-earth brightness temperatures to stabilize the radiometer calibration and is applied to the Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX) Microwave Radiometer (TMR). These references are a vicarious cold reference, which is a statistical lower bound on ocean surface brightness temperature, and heavily vegetated, pseudoblackbody regions in the Amazon rain forest. The sensitivity of the on-earth references to climate variability is assessed. No significant climate sensitivity is found in the cold reference, as it is not sensitive to a climate minimum (e.g., coldest sea surface temperature or driest atmosphere) but arises because of a minimum in the sea surface radio brightness that occurs in the middle of the climatic distribution of sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The hot reference is observed to have a small climate dependency, which is most evident during the 1997/98 El Niño event. A time-dependent model for the hot reference region is constructed using meteorological fields from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis product. This model is shown to accurately account for the small climate variations in this reference. In addition to the long-term stabilization of the brightness temperatures, an improvement to the TMR antenna pattern correction is described that removes residual geographically correlated errors, in particular errors correlated with distance to land or sea ice. The recalibrated TMR climate data record is cross-validated with the climate data record produced from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). It is shown that the intersensor drift is small, providing realistic error bars for the climate trends generated from the instrument pair, as well as validating both the methodology described in this paper and the SSM/I climate data record.
A Portable Airborne Scanning Lidar System for Ocean and Coastal Applications
Authors: Reineman Benjamin D. , Lenain Luc , Castel David , Melville W. Kendall 
Published: July 2009

Abstract
A portable compact airborne scanning lidar system based on the Riegl LMS-Q240i has been developed and its functionality demonstrated for oceanographic and coastal measurements. Differential GPS (DGPS) and an inertial navigation system are synchronized with the lidar, resulting in vertical rms errors of less than 9 cm. Surveys with this airborne system are compared with ground-based DGPS surveys of fixed targets. Measurements of the southern California coastline and nearshore surface wave fields from 17 research flights between August 2007 and December 2008 are analyzed and discussed. The October 2007 landslide on Mt. Soledad in La Jolla, California, was documented by two of the flights. The topography, lagoon, reef, and surrounding wave field of Lady Elliot Island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef were measured with the airborne scanning lidar system on eight research flights in April 2008. Applications of the system, including coastal topographic surveys, wave measurements, ship wake studies, and coral reef research, are presented and discussed.