bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Uses of the Desert in the Sixth-Century West
Authors: Leyser Conrad 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThis essay surveys the cultural uses of the Egyptian desert in western ascetic culture across the fifth and sixth centuries. Challenging the commonly-held assumption that the desert was effectively suppressed by clerical hierarchies or monastic communities in the West, the essay argues that the institutions of the episcopacy and the monastery, the twin pillars of the medieval Church, in fact sought to lay their foundations squarely in the memory of the desert. The bishops selected for discussion are Caesarius of Arles, Fulgentius of Ruspe, and Gregory of Tours; the monastic communities are those described in the Life of the Jura Fathers and the Rule of Saint Benedict.
A Global Root-Zone Soil Moisture Analysis Using Simulated L-band Brightness Temperature in Preparation for the Hydros Satellite Mission
Authors: Balsamo G. , Mahfouf J-F. , Bélair S. , Deblonde G. 
Published: November 2006

Abstract
The aim of this study is to test a land data assimilation prototype for the production of a global daily root-zone soil moisture analysis. This system can assimilate microwave L-band satellite observations such as those from the future Hydros NASA mission. The experiments are considered in the framework of the Interaction Soil Biosphere Atmosphere (ISBA) land surface scheme used operationally at the Meteorological Service of Canada for regional and global weather forecasting. A land surface reference state is obtained after a 1-yr global land surface simulation, forced by near-surface atmospheric fields provided by the Global Soil Wetness Project, second initiative (GSWP-2). A radiative transfer model is applied to simulate the microwave L-band passive emission from the surface. The generated brightness temperature observations are distributed in space and time according to the satellite trajectory specified by the Hydros mission. The impact of uncertainties related to the satellite observations, the land surface, and microwave emission models is investigated. A global daily root-zone soil moisture analysis is produced with a simplified variational scheme. The applicability and performance of the system are evaluated in a data assimilation cycle in which the L-band simulated observations, generated from a land surface reference state, are assimilated to correct a prescribed initial root-zone soil moisture error. The analysis convergence is satisfactory in both summer and winter cases. In summer, when considering a 3-K observation error, 90% of land surface converges toward the reference state with a soil moisture accuracy better than 0.04 m3 m−3 after a 4-week assimilation cycle. A 5-K observation error introduces 1-week delay in the convergence. A study of the analysis error statistics is performed for understanding the properties of the system. Special features associated with the interactions between soil water and soil ice, and the presence of soil moisture vertical gradients, are examined.
Impact of Climate Change on River Discharge Projected by Multimodel Ensemble
Authors: Nohara Daisuke , Kitoh Akio , Hosaka Masahiro , Oki Taikan 
Published: November 2006

Abstract
This study investigates the projections of river discharge for 24 major rivers in the world during the twenty-first century simulated by 19 coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation models based on the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios A1B scenario. To reduce model bias and uncertainty, a weighted ensemble mean (WEM) is used for multimodel projections. Although it is difficult to reproduce the present river discharge in any single model, the WEM results produce more accurate reproduction for most rivers, except those affected by anthropogenic water usage. At the end of the twenty-first century, the annual mean precipitation, evaporation, and runoff increase in high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, southern to eastern Asia, and central Africa. In contrast, they decrease in the Mediterranean region, southern Africa, southern North America, and Central America. Although the geographical distribution of the changes in precipitation and runoff tends to coincide with that in the river discharge, it should be emphasized that the change in runoff at the upstream region affects the river flow in the downstream region. In high-latitude rivers (Amur, Lena, MacKenzie, Ob, Yenisei, and Yukon), the discharge increases, and the peak timing shifts earlier because of an earlier snowmelt caused by global warming. Discharge tends to decrease for the rivers in Europe to the Mediterranean region (Danube, Euphrates, and Rhine), and southern United Sates (Rio Grande).
Thermodynamic and Hydrological Impacts of Increasing Greenness in Northern High Latitudes
Authors: Zhang Jing , Walsh John E. 
Published: November 2006

Abstract
Satellite remote sensing data indicate that greenness has been increasing in the northern high latitudes, apparently in response to the warming of recent decades. To identify feedbacks of this land-cover change to the atmosphere, the authors employed the atmospheric general circulation model ARPEGE-CLIMAT, an adaptation of the Action de Recherche Petite Echelle Grande Echelle model for climate studies, to conduct a set of control and sensitivity modeling experiments. In the sensitivity experiments, they increased the greenness poleward of 60°N by 20% to mimic the manifestation of vegetation changes in the real world, and by 60% and 100% to represent potential aggressive vegetation change scenarios under global warming. In view of the direct exposure of vegetation to sunlight during the warm seasons, the authors focused their study on the results from late spring to early fall. The results revealed significant thermodynamic and hydrological impacts of the increased greenness in northern high latitudes, resulting in a warmer and wetter atmosphere. Surface and lower-tropospheric air temperature showed a marked increase, with a warming of 1°–2°C during much of the year when greenness is increased by 100%. Precipitation and evaporation also showed a notable increase of 10% during the summer. Snow cover decreased throughout the year, with a maximum reduction in the spring and early summer. The above changes are attributable to the following physical mechanisms: 1) increased net surface solar radiation due to a decreased surface albedo and enhanced snow–albedo feedback as a result of increased greenness; 2) intensified vegetative transpiration by the additional plant cover; and 3) reduced atmospheric stability leading to enhanced convective activity. The results imply that increased greenness is a potentially significant contributing factor to the amplified polar effects of global warming.
Effects of Frozen Soil on Snowmelt Runoff and Soil Water Storage at a Continental Scale
Authors: Niu Guo-Yue , Yang Zong-Liang 
Published: November 2006

AbstractThe presence of ice in soil dramatically alters soil hydrologic and thermal properties. Despite this important role, many recent studies show that explicitly including the hydrologic effects of soil ice in land surface models degrades the simulation of runoff in cold regions. This paper addresses this dilemma by employing the Community Land Model version 2.0 (CLM2.0) developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and a simple TOPMODEL-based runoff scheme (SIMTOP). CLM2.0/SIMTOP explicitly computes soil ice content and its modifications to soil hydrologic and thermal properties. However, the frozen soil scheme has a tendency to produce a completely frozen soil (100% ice content) whenever the soil temperature is below 0°C. The frozen ground prevents infiltration of snowmelt or rainfall, thereby resulting in earlier- and higher-than-observed springtime runoff. This paper presents modifications to the above-mentioned frozen soil scheme that produce more accurate magnitude and seasonality of runoff and soil water storage. These modifications include 1) allowing liquid water to coexist with ice in the soil over a wide range of temperatures below 0°C by using the freezing-point depression equation, 2) computing the vertical water fluxes by introducing the concept of a fractional permeable area, which partitions the model grid into an impermeable part (no vertical water flow) and a permeable part, and 3) using the total soil moisture (liquid water and ice) to calculate the soil matric potential and hydraulic conductivity. The performance of CLM2.0/SIMTOP with these changes has been tested using observed data in cold-region river basins of various spatial scales. Compared to the CLM2.0/SIMTOP frozen soil scheme, the modified scheme produces monthly runoff that compares more favorably with that estimated by the University of New Hampshire–Global Runoff Data Center and a terrestrial water storage change that is in closer agreement with that measured by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites.
Modeling the Recent Evolution of Global Drought and Projections for the Twenty-First Century with the Hadley Centre Climate Model
Authors: Burke Eleanor J. , Brown Simon J. , Christidis Nikolaos 
Published: November 2006

Abstract
Meteorological drought in the Hadley Centre global climate model is assessed using the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), a commonly used drought index. At interannual time scales, for the majority of the land surface, the model captures the observed relationship between the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and regions of relative wetness and dryness represented by high and low values of the PDSI respectively. At decadal time scales, on a global basis, the model reproduces the observed drying trend (decreasing PDSI) since 1952. An optimal detection analysis shows that there is a significant influence of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gasses and sulphate aerosols in the production of this drying trend. On a regional basis, the specific regions of wetting and drying are not always accurately simulated. In this paper, present-day drought events are defined as continuous time periods where the PDSI is less than the 20th percentile of the PDSI distribution between 1952 and 1998 (i.e., on average 20% of the land surface is in drought at any one time). Overall, the model predicts slightly less frequent but longer events than are observed. Future projections of drought in the twenty-first century made using the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A2 emission scenario show regions of strong wetting and drying with a net overall global drying trend. For example, the proportion of the land surface in extreme drought is predicted to increase from 1% for the present day to 30% by the end of the twenty-first century.
Acquired C1q deficiency caused by monoclonal paraproteinaemia
Authors: Gordon Margaret-Mary , Lucie Norman , Porter Duncan 
Published: November 2006

Acquired C1q deficiency secondary to anti C1q auto-antibodies may result in the hypocomplementaemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome and may also be seen in active systemic lupus erythematosus. Some patients with acquired C1 inhibitor deficiency are found to have an underlying malignancy, most commonly lymphoma. We report a case of a 40-year-old man presenting with a lupus-like illness with acquired C1q deficiency secondary to a monoclonal paraprotein in the presence of splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes. His clinical symptoms correlated with the presence of the paraprotein. Relapse coincided with a rise in the paraprotein and fall in C1q, C3 and C4. There was no improvement in his clinical condition following combination chemotherapy. He remains on oral prednisolone.
Renal immunofluorescence and the prediction of renal outcome in patients with proliferative lupus nephritis
Authors: Nossent H , Berden J , Swaak T 
Published: November 2006

The risk for endstage renal failure in patients with proliferative lupus nephritis (PLN) depends largely on the severity and reversibility of the inflammatory process as determined by light microscopy (LM). As the intrarenal formation of immune complexes is thought to initiate this inflammation, we studied whether renal immunofluorescence microscopy (IFM) provides clinical or prognostic information in addition to LM findings. Clinical data at the time of renal biopsy and during a mean follow-up of 46 months were extracted from the records of 69 SLE patients with proliferative LN (WHO class III/IV). Biopsy specimens were analyzed by LM for AI and CI, while IFM was performed on cryostat sections with the use of antisera against IgG, 1gM, IgA, C3, C1q and fibrin. IFM findings were recorded in terms of the localization (glomerular, tubular or vascular) and intensity of fluorescence (score from zero to three). IFM findings were then related to clinical and LM findings and its prognostic value studied by survival analysis. Glomerular immune deposits were present in 99% of patients, tubular deposits in 38% and vascular deposits in 17%. A ‘full-house’ pattern (all three Ig classes) was found in 67% of biopsies and C3 and C1q deposits in 93% and 74% respectively. Median scores for AI and CI were 6 (1–18) and 3 (0–10); aside from a negative correlation between IgA deposits and CI, we found no other correlation between the amount or type of immune deposits and AI or CI. IgM deposits were associated with high serumlevels of anti-dsDNA, while IgG deposits correlated with high ESR and serumcreatinin levels. IFM scores were not related to steroiddose at the time of biopsy and neither type of glomerular, tubular or overall renal immunedeposits had prognostic value for renal survival. Renal immunofluorescence does not reflect light microscopy findings in patients with PLN and does not contribute prognostic information in patients with PLN.
Anetoderma in systemic lupus erythematosus: relationship to antiphospholipid antibodies
Authors: Montilla C , Alarcón-Segovia D 
Published: November 2006

Anetoderma is an elastolytic disorder where multiple patches of slack skin are formed. Twelve patients with anetoderma associated with systemic lupus erythematous have been described, all in the dermatological literature. Recently, a role for antiphospholipid antibodies has been proposed with microthromboses as its pathogenic mechanism. We present herein a 20-year-old female patient who developed anetoderma soon after sun exposure. She was found to have a false positive VDRL and gradually developed other manifestations of SLE, including interstitial cystitis. She has had repeatedly positive antiphospholipid antibodies. Although there are patients who may have a primary form, diagnosis of anetoderma should trigger a search for SLE and/or antiphospholipid antibodies.
Pulmonary embolism and transitory anti-b2-GPI antibodies in an adult with chicken pox
Authors: Viseux V , Darnige L , Carmi E , Chaby G , Poulain J F , Cevallos R , Lok C , Denoeux J P 
Published: November 2006

Anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies are considered as a specific marker for the antiphospholipid syndrome. In contrast to lupus circulating anticoagulant and anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies, they are usually not found at significant levels in infections. We report a case of pulmonary embolism in an adult with varicella. Transient significant levels of aCL antibodies and of IgM anti-b2-GPI antibodies were observed. No other prothrombotic factor, including free protein S antigen deficiency, was found. The direct pathogenic role of these transient antibodies on the thrombotic event may then be suspected. They are probably associated with VZV acute infection and are absent two months after varicella.
Osteoporosis screening in systemic lupus erythematosus: impact of disease duration and organ damage
Authors: Becker A , Fischer R , Scherbaum W A , Schneider M 
Published: November 2006

The aim of the present studywas to assess the effects of disease severityand demonstrable organ damage as risk factors for the development of osteoporosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Sixty-four SLE patients were included. Mean disease duration was 7.7–5.7 y. Thirty-two patients had persistent organ damage, defined as SLICC-ACR damage score ≥1. Disease activitymeasured bySLAM-2 ranged from 3 to 27. Bone mineral density(BMD) measurements were performed with dual X-rayabsorptiometry. In addition, biochemical markers of bone metabolism were studied. BMD was inverselycorrelated with disease duration, damage score and cumulative glucocorticoid intake, but no correlation was found for current glucocortioid use or with markers of bone metabolism. In a multivariate analysis, body weight, disease duration and damage index fitted best for the prediction of BMD at both lumbar spine and femoral neck. Seven out of 64 patients had osteoporosis according to WHO criteria. In conclusion, severe osteoporosis is uncommon in lupus patients. Disease activityand severity were no major risk factors for loss of BMD in this study, but persistent non-bone-related organ damage was significantlylinked to the presence of osteoporosis measured as decreased BMD. Our data suggest that, in addition to patients receiving glucocorticoids, patients with an SLICC-ACR ≥1 or a disease duration ≤7 ymight benefit from regular monitoring of BMD as secondary prevention of damage.
Immunizing patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a review of effectiveness and safety
Authors: O'Neill S G , Isenberg D A 
Published: November 2006

Concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of immunization in patients with SLE have persisted for over 60 years, despite the increased risk of infection in these patients. There are many anecdotal case reports of SLE induction or exacerbation following immunization, but overall, these events seem to be very rare. Evidence from prospective trials suggests that inactivated and component vaccines are probably safe in patients with SLE. Live vaccines are contraindicated in patients on immunosuppressive agents or high dose steroids (prednisone 20 mg/day or greater). There is limited evidence regarding efficacy of vaccination in patients with SLE. Studies assessing serological response to vaccination have generally shown that the majority of patients have an appropriate response, but a significant minority do not. Response to hepatitis B vaccination may be impaired and serological responses should be assessed post vaccination. It is not clear if disease activity or immunosuppressive medications are risk factors for a poor response, rather than intrinsic abnormalities of immune function in patients with SLE. The majority of patients appear to have a reasonable serological response to vaccination.
Do antibodies to β2-glycoprotein 1 contribute to the better characterization of the antiphospholipid syndrome?
Authors: Detková D , Gil-Aguado A , Lavilla P , Cuesta M V , Fontaán G , Pascual-Salcedo D 
Published: November 2006

The aim of this study was to determine if the measurement of anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ2-GPI) in serum levels contributes to the better characterization of the clinical situation of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). For this purpose aβ2-GPI of both isotypes was measured in 42 patients with APS and 32 SLE patients without APS. Clinical records of all patients were thoroughly reviewed. The presence of aβ2-GPI was correlated with the clinical manifestations of APS and compared with the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and lupus anticoagulant (LA) activity. There was a positive correlation between levels of aCL and aβ2-GPI for both IgG and IgM isotypes (r of Spearman = 0.82 and 0.64 respectively, P = 0.0001). Both antibodies presented significantly higher titres in LA positive patients (P 0.05). The specificity for APS was 91% for IgG aβ2-GPI vs 75% for IgG aCL and 87% for IgM aβ2-GPI vs 81% for IgM aCL. 68% of patients with thrombosis of 100% of patients with thrombocytopenia showed positive tests for all three markers (aCL, LA, aβ2-GPI). Simultaneous presence of circulating LA and high titres of both aCL and aβ2-GPI identify a subset of patients with primary APS (PAPS) who have a more severe clinical course of the disease. Although the specificity of aβ2-GPI IgG is higher than that of aCL IgG, when all three tests are performed aβ2-GPI testing provides only additional information to that of aCL and LA. Therefore, we concluded that the aβ2-GPI test should not be considered as a substitute for conventional LA or aCL assays. However, performance of aβ2-GPI seems to be important in PAPS with high aCL titres, to alert the physician about the risk for the worst course of the illness.
The association between the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and neuropsychological impairment in SLE
Authors: Whitelaw D A , Spangenberg J J , Rickman R , Hugo F H , Roberts M 
Published: November 2006

Objective: To examine the relationship between neuropsychological impairment and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (aPL syndrome) in patients with systemic lupus erythermatosus (SLE). Patients: Sixty-nine patients satisfying ACR criteria were studied. Sixteen patients with the aPL syndrome and 53 patients without the syndrome were subjected to eight neuropsychological tests, a physical examination and serological investigations. No patients with other pathology, known to cause acute or chronic impairment of neuropsychological function, were included. Sixty-five underwent MRI scans. Results: There were no significant differences in age, level of education, incidence of hypertension or disease activity in the two groups. Pearson's correlation coefficients revealed a significant negative correlation with duration of disease in six out of eight tests in the aPL positive group and one out of eight in the aPL negative group. This suggests that aPL syndrome may be involved in the psychological impairment in SLE patients. A larger cohort needs to be studied to confirm this observation.
ADHD With Comorbid Anxiety
Authors: Schatz David Beck , Rostain Anthony L. 
Published: November 2006

Objective/Method: ADHD is often comorbid with anxiety disorders, with rates approaching 25% in many samples. This current review’s goal is to examine the literature on ADHD with comorbid anxiety from 1998 to the present. Results: Recent studies indicate that anxiety in ADHD may a) partially inhibit the impulsivity and response inhibition deficits, b) make working memory deficits worse, and c) may be qualitatively different from more phobic types of anxiety seen in pure anxiety samples. In examining subtypes of ADHD, measures of sluggish cognitive tempo show strong correlations with anxiety measures. Insights into the nature of the comorbidity between ADHD and anxiety may be gained by examining the possible comorbidity between Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and ADHD, shared risk factors for ADHD and anxiety, and the current pathogenic models of ADHD. Conclusion: The article concludes with a synthesis of the above work, along with directions for future research.
Manual Transmission Enhances Attention and Driving Performance of ADHD Adolescent Males
Authors: Cox Daniel J. , Punja Mohan , Powers Katie , Merkel R. Lawrence , Burket Roger , Moore Melissa , Thorndike Frances , Kovatchev Boris 
Published: November 2006

Objective: Inattention is a major contributor to driving mishaps and is especially problematic among adolescent drivers with ADHD, possibly contributing to their 2 to 4 times higher incidence of collisions. Manual transmission has been demonstrated to be associated with greater arousal. This study tests the hypotheses that manual transmission, compared to automatic transmission, would be associated with better attention and performance on a driving simulator. Method: Ten adolescent drivers with ADHD practice driving on the simulator in the manual and automatic mode. Employing a single-blind, cross-over design, participants drive the simulator at 19:30 and 22:30 hr for 30 min in both transmissions and rate their attention to driving. Results: Subjectively, participants report being more attentive while driving in manual transmission mode. Objectively, participants drive safer in the manual transmission mode. Conclusion: Although in need of replication, this pilot study suggests a behavioral intervention to improve driving performance among ADHD adolescents.