bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Five-Year Record of Summer Melt on Eurasian Arctic Ice Caps
Authors: Sharp Martin , Wang Libo 
Published: July 2008

AbstractClimatologies and annual anomaly patterns (2000–04) of melt season duration and dates of melt onset/freeze-up on Eurasian Arctic ice masses were derived from Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) backscatter data. Severnaya Zemlya, Russia, has later melt onset, earlier freeze-up, and shorter melt seasons than Svalbard, Norway/Novaya Zemlya, Russia. In all three archipelagos 2001 was the longest melt season and 2000 was the shortest. Anomalously long (short) melt seasons on Svalbard were associated with negative (positive) sea ice concentration anomalies along the north coast in June and August. Annual mean melt duration was strongly correlated with the mean (June + August) NCEP–NCAR reanalysis 850-hPa air temperature, allowing reconstruction of melt durations for the period of 1948–2005. The 2000–04 pentad had the second or third longest mean melt duration of all pentads in the 1950–2004 epoch, while the 1950–54 pentad probably had the longest. Integration of these results with previous results from Greenland and the Canadian Arctic identifies 2002 as the longest melt season in the 2000–04 period across the Arctic as a whole, and 2001 as the shortest. Correlation of melt duration anomalies for 19 discrete regions identifies seven spatially coherent areas of the Arctic with common patterns of variability in annual melt duration.
A Precipitation Climatology and Dataset Intercomparison for the Western United States
Authors: Guirguis Kristen J. , Avissar Roni 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
This paper presents the results of a regionalization study of the precipitation climate of the western United States using principal component analysis. Past eigen-based regionalization studies have relied on rain gauge networks, which is restrictive because rain gauge coverage is sparse, especially over complex terrain that exists in the western United States. Here, the use of alternate data products is examined by conducting a comparative regionalization using nine precipitation datasets used in hydrometeorological research. Five unique precipitation climates are identified within the western United States, which have centers and boundaries that are physically reasonable and that highlight the relationship between the precipitation climatology and local topography. Using the congruence coefficient as the measure of similarity between principal component solutions, the method is found to be generally stable across datasets. The exception is the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–Department of Energy (NCEP–DOE) Reanalysis 2, which frequently demonstrates only borderline agreement with the other datasets. The loading pattern differences among datasets are shown to be primarily a result of data differences in the representation of (i) precipitation over the Rocky Mountains, (ii) the eastward wet-to-dry precipitation gradient that occurs during the cold season, (iii) the magnitude and spatial extent of the North American monsoon signal, and (iv) precipitation in the desert southwest during spring and summer. Sensitivity tests were conducted to determine whether the spatial resolution and temporal domain of the input data would dramatically affect the solution, and these results show the methodology to be stable to differences in spatial/temporal data features. The results suggest that alternate data products can be used in regionalization studies, which has applications for rain gauge installation and planning, climate research, and numerical modeling experiments.
Investigation of the Sensitivity of Water Cycle Components Simulated by the Canadian Regional Climate Model to the Land Surface Parameterization, the Lateral Boundary Data, and the Internal Variability
Authors: Music Biljana , Caya Daniel 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
This study investigates the sensitivity of components of the hydrological cycle simulated by the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM) to lateral boundary forcing, the complexity of the land surface scheme (LSS), and the internal variability arising from different models’ initial conditions. This evaluation is a contribution to the estimation of the uncertainty associated to regional climate model (RCM) simulations. The analysis was carried out over the period 1961–99 for three North American watersheds, and it looked at climatological seasonal means, mean (climatological) annual cycles, and interanual variability. The three watersheds—the Mississippi, the St. Lawrence, and the Mackenzie River basins—were selected to cover a large range of climate conditions. An evaluation of simulated water budget components with available observations was also included in the analysis.
Results indicated that the response of climatological means and annual cycles of water budget components to land surface parameterizations and lateral boundary conditions varied from basin to basin. Sensitivity to lateral boundary conditions is, in general, smaller than sensitivity to LSS and tends to be stronger for the northern basins (Mackenzie and St. Lawrence). Interannual variability was unaffected by changes in LSS and in driving data. Internal variability triggered by different initial conditions and the nonlinear nature of the climate model did not significantly affect either the 39-yr climatology, the climatological annual cycles, or the interannual variability. A comparison with observations suggests that although the simple Manabe-based LSS may be adequate for simulations of climatological means, skillful simulation of annual cycles require the use of a state-of-the-art LSS.
Scene Radiance–Dependent Intersatellite Biases of HIRS Longwave Channels
Authors: Shi Lei , Bates John J. , Cao Changyong 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
Measurements from the simultaneous nadir overpass (SNO) observations of the High Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) are examined. The SNOs are the measurements taken at the orbital intersections of each pair of satellites viewing the same Earth target within a few seconds at high latitudes. The dataset includes satellites from NOAA-6 through NOAA-17 from 1981 to 2004. The authors found that for many channels, intersatellite biases vary significantly with respect to scene radiances. For a number of these channels, the change of the intersatellite bias within a channel can be larger than 1 mW (m2 sr cm−1)−1, which is approximately 1 K in brightness temperature, across the channel scene radiance ranges. Many of the channels with large variations of intersatellite biases are the tropospheric sounding channels centered along the sharp slope of the transmission line. These channels are particularly sensitive to the difference in spectral response functions from satellite to satellite. This radiance-dependency feature of the biases is an important factor to consider when performing intersatellite calibrations.
Clutter Suppression for Staggered PRT Waveforms
Authors: Moisseev Dmitri N. , Nguyen Cuong M. , Chandrasekar V. 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
This paper presents a clutter suppression methodology for staggered pulse repetition time (PRT) observations. It is shown that spectral moments of precipitation echoes can be accurately estimated even in cases where clutter-to-signal ratios are high by using a parametric time domain method (PTDM).
Based on radar signal simulations, the accuracy of the proposed method is evaluated for various observation conditions. The performance of PTDM is demonstrated by the implementation of the staggered PRT at the Colorado State University–University of Chicago–Illinois State Water Survey (CSU–CHILL). Based on this study, it is found that the accuracy of the retrieval is comparable to the current state of the art methods applied to the uniformly sampled observations and that the estimated velocity is unbiased for the complete Nyquist range.
Contributions from a Local Ensemble Prediction System (LEPS) for Improving Fog and Low Cloud Forecasts at Airports
Authors: Roquelaure Stevie , Bergot Thierry 
Published: July 2008

Abstract
At Paris’ international airport, named Roissy Charles de Gaulle (CdG), air traffic safety and management as well as economic issues related to poor visibility conditions are crucial. Meteorologists face the challenge of supplying airport authorities with accurate forecasts of fog and cloud ceiling. A specific event, which is called a low visibility procedure (LVP), has been defined for a visibility under 600 m and/or a ceiling under 60 m. Forecasters have to provide two LVP human predictions at 0600 and 0900 local time, providing estimates of the LVP occurrence on the airport area for the next 3 h. This estimation has a probabilistic nature since the forecasters have to classify their forecasts into the following four forecast categories: “certain,” “likely,” “unlikely,” and “excluded.” A Local Ensemble Prediction System (LEPS) has been recently designed around the Code de Brouillard á l’Echelle Locale–Interactions between Soil, Biosphere, and Atmosphere (COBEL-ISBA) numerical model and has been tested to assess the predictability of LVP events and estimate their likelihood. This work compares the operational human LVP forecasts with LEPS LVP forecasts during the winter season 2004–05. This study shows that the use of LEPS for LVP prediction can significantly improve the current design of the operational LVP forecast by providing reliable forecasts up to 12 h ahead of time. Moreover, the system can be easily run on a personal computer without high computational resources.
Globalization and Multicultural Communication
Authors: Nihalani Paroo 
Published: July 2008

Communication is one of the keywords of the global age. The ever-increasing use of English as a World language has clearly meant that British RP and American Standard English (GA) are no longer seen as the models that learners aspire to. With the global spread of English, three major related questions come to our mind: (a) diversity and multicultural identity, (b) mutually intelligible international communication, and lastly (c) the pedagogical issue of an educational target for global communication. After a critical examination of the impact of globalization on the educational patterns in general and English language teaching in particular, this paper focuses on the intercultural communication in the global context, and examines the three much-debated major related issues of `comprehensibility', `intelligibility' and `interpretability' from the perspectives of linguistics and social psychology. Quantitative acoustic data from the Expanding Circle (Japanese English), the Outer Circle (Indian English, Malaysian English, Singapore English, Brunei English, Nigerian English, etc.), and the Inner Circle (British English, Scottish English and American English) will be presented. In conclusion, a pragmatic model that is informed by the multi-dimensional view of intelligibility and, more importantly, multicultural interpretability will be discussed in order to address the third major concern of language standardization for global communication.
Differential Forces within the Proximal Patellar Tendon as an Explanation for the Characteristic Lesion of Patellar Tendinopathy
Authors: Dillon Edwin Mark , Erasmus Pieter J. , Müller Jacobus H. , Scheffer Cornie , de Villiers Richard V. P. 
Published: July 2008

Background Patellar tendinopathy is a common condition affecting the posterior region of the proximal patellar tendon, but the reason for this typical location remains unclear. Hypothesis The posterior region of the proximal patellar tendon is subjected to greater tendinous forces than is the corresponding anterior region. Study Design Descriptive laboratory study. Method An optic fiber technique was used to detect forces in both the anterior and the posterior regions of the proximal patellar tendon in 7 healthy persons. The optic fiber force sensor works on the principle of the amplitude modulation of transmitted light when the optic fiber is geometrically altered owing to the forces acting on it. Longitudinal strain in the tendon or ligament produces a negative transverse strain, thus causing a force that effectively squeezes the optic fiber. Measurements were recorded during the following exercises: closed kinetic chain quadriceps contraction (eccentric and concentric), open kinetic chain quadriceps contraction (eccentric and concentric), a step exercise, and a jump exercise. Results During all the exercises, the peak differential signal output in the posterior location of the proximal patellar tendon was greater than in the corresponding anterior location. The greatest differential signal output was found in the jump and squat exercises. Conclusion The posterior region of the proximal patellar tendon is subjected to greater tendinous forces than is the corresponding anterior region. This finding supports the tensile-overload theory of patellar tendinopathy. Clinical Relevance Jump activities and deep squat exercises expose the patellar tendon to very large tendinous forces.
Reliability of Navigated Lower Limb Alignment in High Tibial Osteotomies
Authors: Goleski Patrick , Warkentine Blaine , Lo Darrick , Gyuricza Cassie , Kendoff Daniel , Pearle Andrew D. 
Published: July 2008

BackgroundNavigation allows for determination of the mechanical axis of the lower extremity during high tibial osteotomy (HTO) procedures. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the reliability of noninvasive registration with an image-free navigation system for HTO and (2) determine the accuracy of the navigation system to monitor changes in lower limb alignment as compared with alignment measured with a novel 3-dimensional computed tomography method.HypothesisNavigated limb alignment demonstrates good reliability and accuracy in all 3 planes.Study DesignDescriptive laboratory study.MethodsThirteen cadaver legs were used to examine the intra- and interobserver registration reliability of 3 observers. Initial coronal, sagittal, and axial alignment was measured on 6 legs, 3 times each, at intervals >36 hours. Navigated HTOs were then performed on all 13 legs, pre- and postoperative alignment was recorded, and data were compared with equivalent measures obtained by 3-dimensional computed tomography. Reliability and accuracy data were both analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients with the following established thresholds: good, >0.75; fair, 0.4 to 0.75; and poor, <0.4.ResultsIntraclass correlation coefficients for intraobserver reliability were categorized as follows: varus-valgus, good; flexion-extension fair; and femoral-tibial rotation, poor. For interobserver reliability, results were varus-valgus, fair; flexion-extension, fair; and femoral-tibial rotation, poor. Intraclass correlation coefficients for navigation accuracy were varus-valgus, good; tibial slope, good; and tibial torsion, poor. Maximum differences in navigation-computed tomography measurements were Δ varus-valgus angle, 4.5°; Δ tibial slope, 8.8°; and Δ tibial torsion, 16.5°.Conclusion and Clinical RelevanceNavigation may be reliable and clinically useful for dynamic monitoring of coronal leg alignment but has limits in determination of sagittal and axial plane alignment.
Impact of the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement on the Sri Lankan Economy
Authors: Perera M.S.S. 
Published: July 2008

The Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ILFTA), which was signed in December 1998 at the highest political level, and its subsequent implementation in March 2000 marked an important milestone in India–Sri Lanka relations, and in trade relations in particular, as it concretized and paved the way for closer economic integration. This article provides a quantitative assessment of the impact of the ILFTA on macroeconomic variables, welfare and output focusing on the Sri Lankan economy. In addition, the study investigates the impact of trade liberalization on trade structure, bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and India and trade partners of Sri Lanka. We perform simulations using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model Version 6, to quantify the impacts of liberalized trade between Sri Lanka and India. The GTAP is a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the world economy. The results indicated that both Sri Lanka and India will experience welfare gains from the ILFTA. Moreover, it was evident that the Indo-Lanka full trade liberalization scenario ensures higher welfare to both the countries than the Indo-Lanka FTA with negative lists. Hence, the scenario with negative lists could be treated as a second best solution as ‘with-negative-lists’ scenario where both the countries could not reap the maximum benefits under the FTA. The simulation results demonstrate that trade diversion effects are not much significant due to trade liberalization between the two countries. The industry analysis reflected that the industries, such as metal products, paper products and publishing, electronic equipment, chemical, rubber and plastic products, machinery and equipment necessaries and other primary products will benefit due to the ILFTA. However, it could be seen that the industrial sector is benefiting more than the agricultural sector due to trade liberalization between the two countries.
Implementation of dietary and general lifestyle advice among women with polycystic ovarian syndrome
Authors: Humphreys Laura , Costarelli Vassiliki 
Published: July 2008

Aims: Central obesity and insulin resistance are strongly implicated in the etiology of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and their reduction is therefore a central treatment focus. Weight loss has been consistently successful in reducing insulin resistance and restoring ovulation and fertility in women with PCOS. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the general attitudes towards dieting and exercise in women with PCOS, together with the extent of implementation of the dietary and lifestyle advice that these women are given as part of their treatment. General knowledge of patients about their condition (PCOS) has also been assessed. Methods: Fifty three pre-menopausal women, over the age of 18 years, with a confirmed diagnosis of PCOS, were recruited from the Endocrinology Department, Middlesex Hospital, London. Subjects were interviewed individually using an interview-guided questionnaire. Results: Sixty four per cent of the subjects were overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2) and 55% of those were obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2). All subjects identified the importance of weight control in the management of their condition. However, only nine out of the 35 overweight women had actually been referred to a dietician and only 22 reported taking moderate exercise at least once a week in order to improve their health. The main sources of information on weight management were the internet and their consultant endocrinologist, who they normally see only twice a year. Conclusion: In spite of the fact that weight loss and weight maintenance are absolutely vital in the treatment of PCOS, our study has shown that the support given to PCOS patients to help reduce and control their weight is inadequate and needs to be improved.
Sun safety: what are the health messages?
Authors: Hedges Trudy , Scriven Angela 
Published: July 2008

Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is a human carcinogen. The UK and the worldwide incidence of cutaneous (skin) melanoma are rising. It is now the second most common cancer in 15-34 year-olds in the UK, increasing by 49% in 1991—2000. The UK government prioritized skin cancer in 1992 in their public health strategy The Health of the Nation, and set the target for reducing the yearly rise in skin cancer incidence by 2005. In 1998 in the Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation strategy, targets were set to reduce the death rate from cancer, including skin cancer, by 20% by 2010. As a consequence of these targets, since the mid-1990s public health campaigns to reduce sun exposure and skin cancer incidence in the UK have used specific interventions for at-risk groups and the mass media to reach the general population. Evidence indicates a shift in knowledge, with further work required to increase change in behaviour and attitudes. An associate health problem is vitamin D deficiency, which is prevalent across certain UK population groups. The main childhood health problem associated with vitamin D deficiency is the development of rickets, with evidence indicating those at high risk are exclusively breastfed dark-skinned infants, the elderly, those with dark skin pigmentation, and certain cultural groups that cover their bodies in clothing. Adolescents are the group with the highest incidence of low vitamin D status in the UK, with children of Asian descent at higher risk than Caucasian children. Increasing the outdoor activity levels of children in winter and during the cooler hours in summer is one way of increasing safe sun exposure. It is imperative to educate the general public on the risk of vitamin D deficiency, and offer advice on safe sun exposure, dietary sources of vitamin D, and dietary supplements. More research is required on recommendations for daily vitamin D supplements to determine optimal vitamin D levels in different population groups. There also needs to be reliable and accessible evidence on the links between vitamin D deficiency and lack of sun exposure, with sun safe messages adjusted accordingly.
Health information: a case of saturation or 57 channels and nothing on?
Authors: Whitelaw Sandy 
Published: July 2008

The claim is made by many that we have reached a point where we are exposed to too much information. This potential phenomenon is particularly prominent in the health field where there is a suggestion that the volume of available information has increased significantly and more importantly that such volume has had detrimental effects on both the overall quality of such information and the ability of people to process and use it. This paper explores the nature and validity of these claims. Within the context of the notion of an `information society', it outlines a range of concerns that have been expressed in relation to this increase, including the simple problem of overload, the potential for less robust information to enter the system and thus the overall quality of available information to decline. This excess of information is seen to act against the benefits that are sought — information can be invalid and people may not have time to reflect and act on excessive information loads. This can result in irrationality or disinformation. The suggestion is made, however, that these concerns are largely unsupported by empirical evidence and are potentially the basis of a panic over the entry of alternative perspectives on health. The pessimistic perspectives are thus balanced by more constructive and optimistic views on this growth and opening up of information production and potential consumption. Seeing information creation as organic and pluralistic, it is suggested that increased information volume can actually be a constructive phenomenon. The paper concludes with the contention that it is unrealistic to expect a return to former circumstances of controlled and limited information flows. Rather, a series of more pragmatic suggestions is offered within existing circumstances, including differentiating between information rich and poor health areas, addressing structural issues like information access and health literacy, and working towards organizing health information so that it is of a high quality, is physically accessible, relevant to the needs and literacy of groups, and in a usable form.