bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of Surface Analyses over the Western United States to RAWS Observations
Authors: Myrick David T. , Horel John D. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Federal, state, and other wildland resource management agencies contribute to the collection of weather observations from over 1000 Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) in the western United States. The impact of RAWS observations on surface objective analyses during the 2003/04 winter season was assessed using the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) Data Assimilation System (ADAS). A set of control analyses was created each day at 0000 and 1200 UTC using the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) analyses as the background fields and assimilating approximately 3000 surface observations from MesoWest. Another set of analyses was generated by withholding all of the RAWS observations available at each time while 10 additional sets of analyses were created by randomly withholding comparable numbers of observations obtained from all sources.
Random withholding of observations from the analyses provides a baseline estimate of the analysis quality. Relative to this baseline, removing the RAWS observations degrades temperature (wind speed) analyses by an additional 0.5°C (0.9 m s−1) when evaluated in terms of rmse over the entire season. RAWS temperature observations adjust the RUC background the most during the early morning hours and during winter season cold pool events in the western United States while wind speed observations have a greater impact during active weather periods. The average analysis area influenced by at least 1.0°C (2.5°C) by withholding each RAWS observation is on the order of 600 km2 (100 km2). The spatial influence of randomly withheld observations is much less.
The Thermal Wake of Kauai Island: Satellite Observations and Numerical Simulations*
Authors: Yang Yang , Xie Shang-Ping , Hafner Jan 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Island thermal effects on the trail cloud band over the central North Pacific are investigated for the lee of Hawaii using satellite observations and a regional atmospheric model. The trail cloud band develops around noon and peaks in cloudiness in the early afternoon. The analysis of numerical simulations of the Kauai wake suggests that a dynamically induced convergence zone forms in the lee of Kauai and Oahu (maximum elevation at 1.5 and 1.2 km, respectively) under the trade wind flow. The island thermal effect significantly modulates the island wake and creates a diurnal cycle of development and decay in the lee cloud band. As solar radiation heats up the island from morning to afternoon, warm air moves downstream (warm advection) from the island in the wake zone, increasing the air temperature, decreasing the air pressure, and enhancing low-level wind convergence in favor of the formation of the trail clouds. Conversely the cold advection during night suppresses cloud formation in the wake. The warm advection and the convergence in the wake increase with the upstream trade wind strength, consistent with satellite observations that the cloudiness increases in the wake under strong wind conditions in the afternoon.
The similarity in the trail cloud and its diurnal cycle between Kauai and Oahu suggests that the thermal wake effect is quite common. The conditions for such a thermal wake are discussed.
Verification of Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts via Stochastic Downscaling
Authors: Brussolo Elisa , von Hardenberg Jost , Ferraris Luca , Rebora Nicola , Provenzale Antonello 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
The use of dense networks of rain gauges to verify the skill of quantitative numerical precipitation forecasts requires bridging the scale gap between the finite resolution of the forecast fields and the point measurements provided by each gauge. This is usually achieved either by interpolating the numerical forecasts to the rain gauge positions, or by upscaling the rain gauge measurements by averaging techniques. Both approaches are affected by uncertainties and sampling errors due to the limited density of most rain gauge networks and to the high spatiotemporal variability of precipitation. For this reason, an estimate of the sampling errors is crucial for obtaining a meaningful comparison. This work presents the application of a stochastic rainfall downscaling technique that allows a quantitative comparison between numerical forecasts and rain gauge measurements, in both downscaling and upscaling approaches, and allows a quantitative assessment of the significance of the results of the verification procedure.
QuikSCAT Impacts on Coastal Forecasts and Warnings: Operational Utility of Satellite Ocean Surface Vector Wind Data
Authors: Milliff Ralph F. , Stamus Peter A. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
This study reports on the operational utility of ocean surface vector wind (SVW) data from Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) observations in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) covering the coastal United States, including island states and territories. Thirty-three U.S. coastal WFOs were surveyed, and 16 WFO site visits were conducted, from late summer 2005 to the 2005/06 winter season, in order to quantify the impact of QuikSCAT SVW data on forecasts and warnings, with a particular focus on operations affecting marine users. Details of the survey design and site visit strategies are described. Survey results are quantified and site visit impressions are discussed. Key findings include (i) QuikSCAT data supplement primary datasets and numerical weather prediction fields, in the manual production of local public (weather) and marine forecasts and warnings; (ii) operational utility of satellite SVW data would be enhanced by SVW retrievals of finer temporal resolution, closer to the coasts; and (iii) rain flags in the SVW data have little impact on utility for WFO operations.
NPM and beyond — structure, culture and demography
Authors: Christensen Tom , Lægreid Per 
Published: March 2008

The main research questions in this article are to what degree New Public Management (NPM) and post-NPM reform elements have been perceived as relevant or significant in the Norwegian civil service; what have been the most significant reform elements; and how to explain the variation in the perceived significance of different administrative reform tools. How important is leadership relative to other structural factors and to demographic and cultural features? The empirical data used in the analysis are taken mainly from surveys of civil servants in the Norwegian ministries conducted in 1996 and 2006. A general finding is that cultural features make a significant difference, but having a leadership position and task structure also have explanatory power. Generally, we face a combination of robustness and amenability to administrative policy reforms. Points for practitioners This article shows that the perceived significance of different administrative reform tools is high within government ministries in Norway. Four families of reform measures are revealed: performance-management reforms, cultural-managerial reforms, structural reforms and market-related reforms. Reform measures connected to performance management systems generally have high scores, while market-related reforms score low. The administrative reforms show a robust pattern from 1996 to 2006, but new reform tools are added to existing measures and this produces increased complexity. The variations in significance of different reform tools can be traced back to administrative culture, leadership position and main tasks.
Environmental and genetic modifiers of the progression to fibrosis and cirrhosis in hemochromatosis
Authors: Wood Marnie J. , Powell Lawrie W. , Ramm Grant A. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract
Hereditary hemochromatosis is a genetic disorder of iron metabolism leading to inappropriate iron absorption and iron loading in various organs especially the liver. Despite the genetic mutation being relatively common in those of Anglo Celtic descent, cirrhosis of the liver occurs in only a small proportion of affected individuals. The risk of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis relates to the degree of iron loading with threshold hepatic iron concentrations being identified from population studies. However, other environmental and possibly genetic factors appear to modify this risk. Excess alcohol consumption appears to be one of the most important cofactors with steatosis and coexistent viral infection also implicated. Genetic polymorphisms in genes associated with fibrogenesis, antioxidant activity, and inflammation have been investigated in several different forms of chronic liver disease. The variability in the expression of these genes that predispose patients with hemochromatosis to increased risk of severe liver disease is the subject of ongoing investigations. Clearly the progression of iron loading to cirrhosis marks a crucial stage in the natural history of a patient's disease and therefore therapy and prognosis. This review explores recent developments in knowledge of environmental and genetic modifiers of this process.
Evolution of a family of metazoan active-site-serine enzymes from penicillin-binding proteins: a novel facet of the bacterial legacy
Authors: Peitsaro Nina , Polianskyte Zydrune , Tuimala Jarno , Pörn-Ares Isabella , Liobikas Julius , Speer Oliver , Lindholm Dan , Thompson James , Eriksson Ove 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBackgroundBacterial penicillin-binding proteins and β-lactamases (PBP-βLs) constitute a large family of serine proteases that perform essential functions in the synthesis and maintenance of peptidoglycan. Intriguingly, genes encoding PBP-βL homologs occur in many metazoan genomes including humans. The emerging role of LACTB, a mammalian mitochondrial PBP-βL homolog, in metabolic signaling prompted us to investigate the evolutionary history of metazoan PBP-βL proteins.ResultsMetazoan PBP-βL homologs including LACTB share unique structural features with bacterial class B low molecular weight penicillin-binding proteins. The amino acid residues necessary for enzymatic activity in bacterial PBP-βL proteins, including the catalytic serine residue, are conserved in all metazoan homologs. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that metazoan PBP-βL homologs comprise four alloparalogus protein lineages that derive from α-proteobacteria.ConclusionWhile most components of the peptidoglycan synthesis machinery were dumped by early eukaryotes, a few PBP-βL proteins were conserved and are found in metazoans including humans. Metazoan PBP-βL homologs are active-site-serine enzymes that probably have distinct functions in the metabolic circuitry. We hypothesize that PBP-βL proteins in the early eukaryotic cell enabled the degradation of peptidoglycan from ingested bacteria, thereby maximizing the yield of nutrients and streamlining the cell for effective phagocytotic feeding.
Analysis of tall fescue ESTs representing different abiotic stresses, tissue types and developmental stages
Authors: Mian MA Rouf , Zhang Yan , Wang Zeng-Yu , Zhang Ji-Yi , Cheng Xiaofei , Chen Lei , Chekhovskiy Konstantin , Dai Xinbin , Mao Chunhong , Cheung Foo , Zhao Xuechun , He Ji , Scott Angela D , Town Christopher D , May Gregory D 
Published: March 2008

AbstractBackgroundTall fescue (Festuca arundinaceaSchreb) is a major cool season forage and turf grass species grown in the temperate regions of the world. In this paper we report the generation of a tall fescue expressed sequence tag (EST) database developed from nine cDNA libraries representing tissues from different plant organs, developmental stages, and abiotic stress factors. The results of inter-library and library-specificin silicoexpression analyses of these ESTs are also reported.ResultsA total of 41,516 ESTs were generated from nine cDNA libraries of tall fescue representing tissues from different plant organs, developmental stages, and abiotic stress conditions. TheFestucaGene Index (FaGI) has been established. To date, this represents the first publicly available tall fescue EST database.In silicogene expression studies using these ESTs were performed to understand stress responses in tall fescue. A large number of ESTs of known stress response gene were identified from stressed tissue libraries. These ESTs represent gene homologues of heat-shock and oxidative stress proteins, and various transcription factor protein families. Highly expressed ESTs representing genes of unknown functions were also identified in the stressed tissue libraries.ConclusionFaGI provides a useful resource for genomics studies of tall fescue and other closely related forage and turf grass species. Comparative genomic analyses between tall fescue and other grass species, including ryegrasses (Loliumsp.), meadow fescue (F. pratensis) and tetraploid fescue (F. arundinacea var glaucescens) will benefit from this database. These ESTs are an excellent resource for the development of simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) PCR-based molecular markers.
Identification of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and analysis of Linkage Disequilibrium in sunflower elite inbred lines using the candidate gene approach
Authors: Fusari Corina M , Lia Verónica V , Hopp H Esteban , Heinz Ruth A , Paniego Norma B 
Published: March 2008

Abstract

Background
Association analysis is a powerful tool to identify gene loci that may contribute to phenotypic variation. This includes the estimation of nucleotide diversity, the assessment of linkage disequilibrium structure (LD) and the evaluation of selection processes. Trait mapping by allele association requires a high-density map, which could be obtained by the addition of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and short insertion and/or deletions (indels) to SSR and AFLP genetic maps. Nucleotide diversity analysis of randomly selected candidate regions is a promising approach for the success of association analysis and fine mapping in the sunflower genome. Moreover, knowledge of the distance over which LD persists, in agronomically meaningful sunflower accessions, is important to establish the density of markers and the experimental design for association analysis.

Results
A set of 28 candidate genes related to biotic and abiotic stresses were studied in 19 sunflower inbred lines. A total of 14,348 bp of sequence alignment was analyzed per individual. In average, 1 SNP was found per 69 nucleotides and 38 indels were identified in the complete data set. The mean nucleotide polymorphism was moderate (θ = 0.0056), as expected for inbred materials. The number of haplotypes per region ranged from 1 to 9 (mean = 3.54 ± 1.88). Model-based population structure analysis allowed detection of admixed individuals within the set of accessions examined. Two putative gene pools were identified (G1 and G2), with a large proportion of the inbred lines being assigned to one of them (G1). Consistent with the absence of population sub-structuring, LD for G1 decayed more rapidly (r2 = 0.48 at 643 bp; trend line, pooled data) than the LD trend line for the entire set of 19 individuals (r2 = 0.64 for the same distance).

Conclusion
Knowledge about the patterns of diversity and the genetic relationships between breeding materials could be an invaluable aid in crop improvement strategies. The relatively high frequency of SNPs within the elite inbred lines studied here, along with the predicted extent of LD over distances of 100 kbp (r2~0.1) suggest that high resolution association mapping in sunflower could be achieved with marker densities lower than those usually reported in the literature.
Isolation of soybean protein P34 from oil bodies using hydrophobic interaction chromatography
Authors: Sewekow Eva , Kessler Lars Christian , Seidel-Morgenstern Andreas , Rothkötter Hermann-Josef 
Published: March 2008

Abstract

Background
Soybeans play a prominent role in allergologic research due to the high incidence of allergic reactions. For detailed studies on specific proteins it is necessary to have access to a large amount of pure substance.

Results
In this contribution, a method for purifying soybean (Glycine max) protein P34 (also called Gly m Bd 30 K or Gly m 1) using hydrophobic interaction chromatography is presented. After screening experiments using 1 mL HiTrap columns, Butyl Sepharose 4 FF was selected for further systematic investigations. With this stationary phase, suitable operation conditions for two-step gradient elution using ammonium sulphate were determined experimentally. The separation conditions obtained in a small column could be scaled up successfully to column volumes of 7.5 and 75 mL, allowing for high product purities of almost 100% with a yield of 27% for the chromatographic separation step. Conditions could be simplified further using a onestep gradient, which gave comparable purification in a shorter process time. The identity of the purified protein was verified using in-gel digestion and mass spectrometry as well as immunological techniques.

Conclusion
With the technique presented it is possible to produce, within a short timeframe, pure P34, suitable for further studies where an example antigen is needed.
Variability in prescription drug expenditures explained by adjusted clinical groups (ACG) case-mix: A cross-sectional study of patient electronic records in primary care
Authors: Aguado Alba , Guinó Elisabet , Mukherjee Bhramar , Sicras Antoni , Serrat Josep , Acedo Mateo , Ferro Juan Jose , Moreno Victor 
Published: March 2008

Abstract

Background
In view of rapidly increasing prescription costs, case-mix adjustment should be considered for effective control of costs. We have estimated the variability in pharmacy costs explained by ACG in centers using patient electronic records, profiled centers and physicians and analyzed the correlation between cost and quality of prescription.

Methods
We analyzed 65,630 patient records attending five primary care centers in Spain during 2005. Variables explored were age, gender, registered diagnosed episodes of care during 2005, total cost of prescriptions, physician and center. One ACG was assigned to each patient with ACG case-mix software version 7.1. In a two-part model, logistic regression was used to explain the incurrence of drug expenditure at the first stage and a linear mixed model that considered the multilevel structure of data modeled the cost, conditional upon incurring any expense. Risk and efficiency indexes in pharmacy cost adjusted for ACG were obtained for centers and physicians. Spearman rank correlation between physician expenditure, adjusted for ACG, and a prescription quality index was also obtained. Pediatric and adult data were analyzed separately.

Results
No prescription was recorded for 13% of adults and 39.6% of children. The proportion of variance of the incurrence of expenditure explained by ACGs was 0.29 in adults and 0.21 in children. For adults with prescriptions, the variance of cost explained by ACGs was 35.4%, by physician-center was 1.8% and age 10.5% (residual 52.3%). For children, ACGs explained 22.4% of cost and physician-center 10.9% (residual 66.7%). Center efficiency index for adults ranged 0.58 to 1.22 and for children 0.32 to 2.36.
Spearman correlation between expenditure and prescription quality index was -0.36 in family physicians (p = 0.019, N = 41) and -0.52 in pediatricians (p = 0.08, N = 12).

Conclusion
In our setting, ACG is the variable studied that explains more variability in pharmacy cost in adults compared to physician and center. In children there is greater variability among physicians and centers not related to case-mix. In our sites, ACG is useful to profile physicians and centers using electronic records in real practical conditions. Physicians with lower pharmaceutical expenditure have higher scores for a prescription quality index.
A quantitative method for determining spatial discriminative capacity
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Tannan Vinay , Holden Jameson K , Dennis Robert G , Tommerdahl Mark 
Published: March 2008

Abstract

Background
The traditional two-point discrimination (TPD) test, a widely used tactile spatial acuity measure, has been criticized as being imprecise because it is based on subjective criteria and involves a number of non-spatial cues. The results of a recent study showed that as two stimuli were delivered simultaneously, vibrotactile amplitude discrimination became worse when the two stimuli were positioned relatively close together and was significantly degraded when the probes were within a subject's two-point limen. The impairment of amplitude discrimination with decreasing inter-probe distance suggested that the metric of amplitude discrimination could possibly provide a means of objective and quantitative measurement of spatial discrimination capacity.

Methods
A two alternative forced-choice (2AFC) tracking procedure was used to assess a subject's ability to discriminate the amplitude difference between two stimuli positioned at near-adjacent skin sites. Two 25 Hz flutter stimuli, identical except for a constant difference in amplitude, were delivered simultaneously to the hand dorsum. The stimuli were initially spaced 30 mm apart, and the inter-stimulus distance was modified on a trial-by-trial basis based on the subject's performance of discriminating the stimulus with higher intensity. The experiment was repeated via sequential, rather than simultaneous, delivery of the same vibrotactile stimuli.

Results
Results obtained from this study showed that the performance of the amplitude discrimination task was significantly degraded when the stimuli were delivered simultaneously and were near a subject's two-point limen. In contrast, subjects were able to correctly discriminate between the amplitudes of the two stimuli when they were sequentially delivered at all inter-probe distances (including those within the two-point limen), and improved when an adapting stimulus was delivered prior to simultaneously delivered stimuli.

Conclusion
Subjects' capacity to discriminate the amplitude difference between two vibrotactile stimulations was degraded as the inter-stimulus distance approached the limit of their two-point spatial discriminative capacity. This degradation of spatial discriminative capacity lessened when an adapting stimulus was used. Performance of the task, as well as improvement on the task with adaptation, would most likely be impaired if the cortical information processing capacity of a subject or subject population were systemically altered, and thus, the methods described could be effective measures for use in clinical or clinical research applications.