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We define quasi-quadratic modules in a commutative ring generalizing the notion of quadratic modules. The main result is a structure theorem of quasi-quadratic modules in a subring A of a 2-henselian valued field (K , val) whose residue class field F is of characteristic ≠ 2 . We further assume that the valuation ring B is contained in A. Set H = val (A ×) and G ≥ e = { g ∈ G ∣ g ≥ e } . The notation X R denotes the set of all the quasi-quadratic modules in a commutative ring~ R. Our structure theorem asserts that there exists a one-to-one correspondence between X A and a subset T F H ∪ G ≥ e of ∏ g ∈ H ∪ G ≥ e X F . We explicitly construct the map Θ : X A → T F H ∪ G ≥ e and its inverse. We also give explicit expressions of Θ (M ∩ N) and Θ (M + N) for M , N ∈ X A . In addition, we briefly investigate the case in which the field F is of characteristic two in the appendix as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary What is known on the subject? Empowerment of family caregivers of adults with mental health issues has received increasing attention among mental health nurses in Japan and has been recognized as a new goal of family interventions., The Family Empowerment Scale ( FES) was originally developed to measure the empowerment status of parents of children with emotional disorders. However, it was later applied to broader health issues., What this paper adds to existing knowledge? We developed a Japanese version of the FES for family caregivers of adults with mental health issues ( FES- AMJ) and examined the validity and reliability among parents. Results showed that the FES- AMJ had acceptable concurrent validity and reliability; however, insufficient construct validity was found, especially for the subscale regarding the service system., What are the implications for practice? Further studies need to modify the scale. Clarification of ideal family empowerment status in the service system through discussion with mental health nurses and family caregivers may be important., Abstract Introduction The Family Empowerment Scale ( FES) was originally developed for parents of children with emotional disorders. In Japan, family empowerment is gaining increasing attention and may be one goal of nursing interventions. Aim To develop a Japanese version of the FES for family caregivers of adults with mental health issues and to study the validity and reliability of this scale among parents. Method We translated the FES into Japanese and administered this self-report questionnaire to 275 parents. Results The multitrait scaling analysis revealed acceptable convergent validity and insufficient discriminant validity among all subscales. In particular, all items of the Service system subscale had insufficient discriminant and/or convergent validity. Each subscale significantly correlated with the indicator of empowerment. The intraclass correlation coefficients of each subscale were .855-.917. Cronbach's alpha of each factor ranged from .867 to .895. Discussion The Service system subscale may not linearly reflect family empowerment, and instead may depend on unclear roles of family caregivers of adults, disorder severity or insufficient services. Implications for practice Further studies need to modify the scale. Clarification of ideal family empowerment status in the service system through discussion with mental health nurses and family caregivers may be important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present an imaging technique utilizing a neutron spin interferometer. Neutron spin phase contrast is achieved in spatial resolved measurements of the phase difference between two superposed neutron spin states introduced by passing through a magnetic sample. Since the phase difference of spin states parallel and anti-parallel to the magnetic field is proportional to the magnetic field integral, it is possible to record images of the internal magnetic field distribution of the sample. Taking advantage of high transmission probabilities, neutron spin phase contrast provides non-destructive images of internal magnetic structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mid-latitude eddies are an important component of the climatic system due to their role in transporting heat, moisture and momentum from the tropics to the poles, and also for the precipitation associated with their fronts, especially in winter. We study northern hemisphere storm-tracks at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and their influence on precipitation using ocean-atmosphere general circulation model (OAGCM) simulations from the second phase of the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP2). The difference with PMIP1 results in terms of sea-surface temperature forcing, fundamental for storm-track dynamics, is large, especially in the eastern North Atlantic where sea-ice extends less to the south in OAGCMs compared to atmospheric-only GCMs. Our analyses of the physics of the eddies are based on the equations of eddy energetics. All models simulate a consistent southeastward shift of the North Pacific storm-track in winter, related to a similar displacement of the jet stream, partly forced by the eddies themselves. Precipitation anomalies are consistent with storm-track changes, with a southeastward displacement of the North Pacific precipitation pattern. The common features of North Atlantic changes in the LGM simulations consist of a thinning of the storm-track in its western part and an amplification of synoptic activity to the southeast, in the region between the Azores Islands and the Iberian Peninsula, which reflects on precipitation. This southeastward extension is related to a similar displacement of the jet, partly forced by the eddies. In the western North Atlantic, the synoptic activity anomalies are at first order related to baroclinic generation term anomalies, but the mean-flow baroclinicity increase due to the presence of the Laurentide ice-sheet is partly balanced by a loss of eddy efficiency to convert energy from the mean flow. Moisture availability in this region is greatly reduced due to more advection of dry polar air by stationary waves, leading to less synoptic-scale latent heat release and hence less precipitation also. In terms of seasonality, the stormy season is shifted later in the year by a few days to a month depending on the season and the model considered. This shift does not directly reflect on the first-order seasonal cycle of precipitation, which also depends on other mechanisms, especially in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of large ice sheets over North America and North Europe at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) strongly impacted Northern hemisphere river pathways. Despite the fact that such changes may significantly alter the freshwater input to the ocean, modified surface hydrology has never been accounted for in coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model simulations of the LGM climate. To reconstruct the LGM river routing, we use the ICE-5G LGM topography. Because of the uncertainties in the extent of the Fennoscandian ice sheet in the Eastern part of the Kara Sea, we consider two more realistic river routing scenarios. The first scenario is characterised by the presence of an ice dammed lake south of the Fennoscandian ice sheet, and corresponds to the ICE-5G topography. This lake is fed by the Ob and Yenisei rivers. In the second scenario, both these rivers flow directly into the Arctic Ocean, which is more consistent with the latest QUEEN ice sheet margin reconstructions. We study the impact of these changes on the LGM climate as simulated by the IPSL_CM4 model and focus on the overturning thermohaline circulation. A comparison with a classical LGM simulation performed using the same model and modern river basins as designed in the PMIP2 exercise leads to the following conclusions: (1) The discharge into the North Atlantic Ocean is increased by 2,000 m3/s between 38° and 54°N in both simulations that contain LGM river routing, compared to the classical LGM experiment. (2) The ice dammed lake is shown to have a weak impact, relative to the classical simulation, both in terms of climate and ocean circulation. (3) In contrast, the North Atlantic deep convection and meridional overturning are weaker than during the classical LGM run if the Ob and Yenisei rivers flow directly into the Arctic Ocean. The total discharge into the Arctic Ocean is increased by 31,000 m3/s, relative to the classical LGM simulation. Consequentially, northward ocean heat transport is weaker, and sea ice more extensive, in better agreement with existing proxy data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Past and future polar amplification of climate change: climate model intercomparisons and ice-core constraints" that was electronically published on May 19, 2006.

Abstract: Evaluating the ability of models to simulate climates different from the modern one is important for climate prediction. Here we present a first comparison between results from simulations of the Last Glacial Maximum climate and continental and surface ocean reconstructions for the North Atlantic, Europe and western Siberia. The simulations include prescribed sea surface temperature (SST) and slab-ocean atmospheric general circulation model runs performed within the PMIP1 project, and atmosphere–ocean fully coupled runs performed after PMIP1 and within the PMIP2 project. The surface ocean reconstructions are from the MARGO project. Continental reconstructions are based on pollen data. Over the North Atlantic, most models simulate the strengthening of the SST meridional gradient suggested by the reconstructions, but most do not reproduce the LGM–control SST anomaly at the right location, nor with the right amplitude. Over western Siberia, the model results are much improved when a new ice-sheet reconstruction (ICE-5G) is used to force the models. The main discrepancy remains for western Europe winter temperatures, for which LGM–control anomalies are significantly underestimated by all models. All models indicate that this region during the LGM experienced significantly higher interannual variability in coldest-month temperatures compared to the control runs. This increased variability could have conspired to bias the apparently extremely cold pollen-based temperature reconstructions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Climate model simulations available from the PMIP1, PMIP2 and CMIP (IPCC-AR4) intercomparison projects for past and future climate change simulations are examined in terms of polar temperature changes in comparison to global temperature changes and with respect to pre-industrial reference simulations. For the mid-Holocene (MH, 6,000 years ago), the models are forced by changes in the Earth’s orbital parameters. The MH PMIP1 atmosphere-only simulations conducted with sea surface temperatures fixed to modern conditions show no MH consistent response for the poles, whereas the new PMIP2 coupled atmosphere–ocean climate models systematically simulate a significant MH warming both for Greenland (but smaller than ice-core based estimates) and Antarctica (consistent with the range of ice-core based range). In both PMIP1 and PMIP2, the MH annual mean changes in global temperature are negligible, consistent with the MH orbital forcing. The simulated last glacial maximum (LGM, 21,000 years ago) to pre-industrial change in global mean temperature ranges between 3 and 7°C in PMIP1 and PMIP2 model runs, similar to the range of temperature change expected from a quadrupling of atmospheric CO2 concentrations in the CMIP simulations. Both LGM and future climate simulations are associated with a polar amplification of climate change. The range of glacial polar amplification in Greenland is strongly dependent on the ice sheet elevation changes prescribed to the climate models. All PMIP2 simulations systematically underestimate the reconstructed glacial–interglacial Greenland temperature change, while some of the simulations do capture the reconstructed glacial–interglacial Antarctic temperature change. Uncertainties in the prescribed central ice cap elevation cannot account for the temperature change underestimation by climate models. The variety of climate model sensitivities enables the exploration of the relative changes in polar temperature with respect to changes in global temperatures. Simulated changes of polar temperatures are strongly related to changes in simulated global temperatures for both future and LGM climates, confirming that ice-core-based reconstructions provide quantitative insights on global climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We will calculate completely the Grothendieck rings, in the sense of first order logic, of o-minimal expansions of ordered abelian groups by introducing the notion of the bounded Euler characteristic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Extratropical weather systems are an essential feature of the midlatitude climate and global circulation. At the last glacial maximum (LGM), the formation of regions of high transient activity, referred to as "storm tracks," is strongly affected by the presence of large ice sheets over northern America and Scandinavia and by differences in sea surface temperature (SST) distributions. In the framework of the Palaeoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project, simulations of the LGM climate have been run with a wide range of atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) using the same set of boundary conditions, allowing a valuable comparison between simulations of a climate very different from the present one. In this study, the authors focus on the storm track representation in the models and its relationship with the surface temperatures, the mean flow, and the precipitation. Storm tracks are described using transient eddy diagnostics such as mean sea level pressure variance and three-dimensional E vectors, computed from daily output. It is found that the general response to the changes in boundary conditions from present day to LGM is consistent for all models: they nearly all give an eastward shift for both storm tracks, with a larger shift for the Atlantic one. This is intrinsically linked to changes in stationary waves, which is also studied using the E vector diagnostic. Differences between the models reside in the value of the shift of the storm tracks and the change in their amplitude, which the authors analyze in terms of differences in resolution and parameterizations in the models. The sensitivity of the storm tracks to the sea surface temperatures and sea-ice extent are also examined by comparing the differences between prescribed and computed SST simulations. All in all, it is the eastern part of the storm tracks that is found to be most model-dependent, which relates to differences in the simulated climates over America's west... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented on the topic of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs).

The unbound brain-to-plasma concentration ratio (Kp,uu,brain) is a parameter that indicates the extent of central nervous system penetration. Pharmaceutical companies build prediction models because many experiments are required to obtain Kp,uu,brain. However, the lack of data hinders the design of an accurate prediction model. To construct a quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) model with a small dataset of Kp,uu,brain, we investigated whether the prediction accuracy could be improved by incorporating software-predicted brain penetration-related parameters (BPrPs) as explanatory variables for pharmacokinetic parameter prediction. We collected 88 compounds with experimental Kp,uu,brain from various official publications. Random forest was used as the machine learning model. First, we developed prediction models using only structural descriptors. Second, we verified the predictive accuracy of each model with the predicted values of BPrPs incorporated in various combinations. Third, the Kp,uu,brain of the in-house compounds was predicted and compared with the experimental values. The prediction accuracy was improved using five-fold cross-validation (RMSE = 0.455, r2 = 0.726) by incorporating BPrPs. Additionally, this model was verified using an external in-house dataset. The result suggested that using BPrPs as explanatory variables improve the prediction accuracy of the Kp,uu,brain QSAR model when the available number of datasets is small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of precipitation is a key question concerning future climatic changes, especially in regions like the Mediterranean area which are currently prone to droughts. The influence of atmospheric circulation changes (in the mid-latitude westerlies or in the strength of the subtropical subsidence), along with changes in local mechanisms generating precipitation (such as convection) make it difficult to predict precipitation changes confidently over this area. Understanding its governing mechanisms is crucial. A possible approach is to test our understanding on different documented past climatic contexts. This paper focuses on the Last Glacial Maximum period (LGM) over the western Mediterranean region and puts in perspective the available information inferred from paleo-climatic records and the outputs of nine global climate models. We first review the available information on LGM precipitation in this region and find that the environmental conditions prevailing at this period range from humid to semi-arid, depending on the proxies. Model outputs from the PMIP3-CMIP5 database also yield a wide range of mean annual responses in this area, from wetter to drier conditions with respect to the pre-industrial period. This variety of responses allows to investigate the mechanisms governing LGM precipitation in the western Mediterranean area. Over the Iberian Peninsula and northern Morocco, most models simulate a larger amount of LGM precipitation in winter w.r.t. the pre-industrial period. This feature is mainly due to the large-scale effect of the southward shift of the North Atlantic jet stream, which is closely associated with the surface air temperature changes over the northwestern North Atlantic. In summer, precipitation changes mainly result from convection and are correlated to local surface air temperature anomalies, highlighting the key role of local processes. These contrasted changes in winter and summer, linked to different mechanisms, could explain the range of various signals derived from paleo-climatic archives, especially if the climatic indicators are sensitive to seasonal precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the creation of a data set describing changes related to the presence of ice sheets, including ice-sheet extent and height, ice-shelf extent, and the distribution and elevation of ice-free land at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), which were used in LGM experiments conducted as part of the fifth phase of the Coupled Modelling Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and the third phase of the Palaeoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP3). The CMIP5/PMIP3 data sets were created from reconstructions made by three different groups, which were all obtained using a model-inversion approach but differ in the assumptions used in the modelling and in the type of data used as constraints. The ice-sheet extent in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) does not vary substantially between the three individual data sources. The difference in the topography of the NH ice sheets is also moderate, and smaller than the differences between these reconstructions (and the resultant composite reconstruction) and ice-sheet reconstructions used in previous generations of PMIP. Only two of the individual reconstructions provide information for Antarctica. The discrepancy between these two reconstructions is larger than the difference for the NH ice sheets, although still less than the difference between the composite reconstruction and previous PMIP ice-sheet reconstructions. Although largely confined to the ice-covered regions, differences between the climate response to the individual LGM reconstructions extend over the North Atlantic Ocean and Northern Hemisphere continents, partly through atmospheric stationary waves. Differences between the climate response to the CMIP5/PMIP3 composite and any individual ice-sheet reconstruction are smaller than those between the CMIP5/PMIP3 composite and the ice sheet used in the last phase of PMIP (PMIP2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last deglaciation, which marked the transition between the last glacial and present interglacial periods, was punctuated by a series of rapid (centennial and decadal) climate changes. Numerical climate models are useful for investigating mechanisms that underpin the events, especially now that some of the complex models can be run for multiple millennia. We have set up a Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP) working group to coordinate efforts to run transient simulations of the last deglaciation, and to facilitate the dissemination of expertise between modellers and those engaged with reconstructing the climate of the last 21 thousand years. Here, we present the design of a coordinated Core simulation over the period 21-9 thousand years before present (ka) with time varying orbital forcing, greenhouse gases, ice sheets, and other geographical changes. A choice of two ice sheet reconstructions is given, but no ice sheet or iceberg meltwater should be prescribed in the Core simulation. Additional focussed simulations will also be coordinated on an ad-hoc basis by the working group, for example to investigate the effect of ice sheet and iceberg meltwater, and the uncertainty in other forcings. Some of these focussed simulations will focus on shorter durations around specific events to allow the more computationally expensive models to take part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the creation of boundary conditions related to the presence of ice sheets, including ice sheet extent and height, ice shelf extent, and the distribution and altitude of ice-free land, at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) for use in LGM experiments conducted as part of the fifth phase of the Coupled Modelling Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) and the third phase of the Palaeoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP3). The CMIP5/PMIP3 data sets were created from reconstructions made by three different groups, which were all obtained using a model-inversion approach but differ in the assumptions used in the modelling and in the type of data used as con straints. The ice sheet extent, and thus the albedo mask, for the Northern Hemisphere (NH) does not vary substantially between the three individual data sources. The difference in the topography of the NH ice sheets is also moderate, and smaller than the differences between these reconstructions (and the resultant composite reconstruction) and ice-sheet reconstructions used in previous generations of PMIP. Only two of the individual reconstructions provide information for Antarctica. The discrepancy between these two reconstructions is larger than the difference for the NH ice sheets although still less than the difference between the composite reconstruction and previous PMIP ice-sheet reconstructions. Differences in the climate response to the individual LGM reconstructions, and between these reconstructions and the CMIP5/PMIP3 composite, are largely confined to the ice-covered regions, but also extend over North Atlantic Ocean and Northern Hemisphere continents through atmospheric stationary waves. There are much larger differences in the climate response to the latest reconstructions (or the derived composite) and ice-sheet reconstructions used in previous phases of PMIP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the original formulation of the positive-degree- day (PDD) method, different PDD calibrations have been proposed in the literature in response to the increasing number of observations. Although these formulations generally provide a satisfactory description of the presentday Greenland geometry, they have not all been tested for paleo ice sheets. Using the climate-ice sheet model CLIMBER-GRISLI coupled with different PDD models, we evaluate how the parameterisation of the ablation may affect the evolution of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets in the transient simulations of the last glacial cycle. Results from fully coupled simulations are compared to time-slice experiments carried out at different key periods of the last glacial period. We find large differences in the simulated ice sheets according to the chosen PDD model. These differences occur as soon as the onset of glaciation, therefore affecting the subsequent evolution of the ice system. To further investigate how the PDD method controls this evolution, special attention is given to the role of each PDD parameter. We show that glacial inception is critically dependent on the representation of the impact of the temperature variability from the daily to the inter-annual time scale, whose effect is modulated by the refreezing scheme. Finally, an additional set of sensitivity experiments has been carried out to assess the relative importance of melt processes with respect to initial ice sheet configuration in the construction and the evolution of past Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. Our analysis reveals that the impacts of the initial ice sheet condition may range from quite negligible to explaining about half of the LGM ice volume depending on the representation of stochastic temperature variations which remain the main driver of the evolution of the ice system. The main findings of this paper underline the need for conducting studies with high resolution climate models coupled to detailed snow models to better constrain the temporal and spatial variations of the PDD parameters. The development of such approaches could improve the calibration of the PDD formulation which is still widely used in climate-ice sheet studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The direct sea–land correlation applied to core MD99-2331 retrieved from the north-western Iberian margin shows a two-phase pattern within Heinrich events 4, 2 and 1 in the ocean and in the adjacent landmasses. Changes between wet/cold and dry/cool conditions in the Iberian Peninsula detected during these extreme events cannot be explained by a simple oceanographic mechanism related to changes in the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Here we propose an additional atmospheric mechanism able to produce this scenario based on the comparison between the MD99-2331 record and other available palaeoclimate sequences from the North Atlantic region (18–75°N and 0–75°W). The climatic asymmetry observed between mid- and subtropical eastern North Atlantic latitudes (wet/dry) and the Blake Outer Ridge (dry/wet) during H4, H2 and H1 can be explained by changes in the position of the Atlantic jet-stream. During the first phase of H4, H2 and H1 the Atlantic jet-stream was located further south following the southward displacement of the oceanic thermal front as far south as 35°–37°N. On the contrary, during the second phase of H4, H2 and H1 the jet-stream was located further north following the northward displacement of this thermal front as far north as 42°N. From the atmospheric point of view, these two phases are reminiscent of the present-day negative and positive prevailing modes of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), respectively, but high-resolution studies of additional North Atlantic key sites and climate simulations are needed to confirm the hypothesis of a NAO-like mechanism operating on millennial timescales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The analyses of low-resolution models simulations of the last glacial maximum (LGM, 21 kyr BP) climate have revealed a large discrepancy between all the models and pollen-based palaeoclimatic reconstructions. In general, the models are too warm relative to the observations, especially in winter, where the difference is of the order of 10°C over western Europe. One of the causes of this discrepancy may be related to the low spatial resolution of these models. To assess the impact of using high-resolution models on simulated climate sensitivity, we use three approaches to obtain high-resolution climate simulations over Europe: first an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) with a stretched grid over Europe, second a homogeneous T106 AGCM (high resolution everywhere on the globe) and last a limited area model (LAM) nested in a low-resolution AGCM. With all three methods, we have performed simulations of the European climate for present and LGM conditions, according to the experimental design recommended by the Palaeoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project (PMIP). Model results have been compared with updated pollen-based palaeoclimatic indicators for temperature and precipitation that were initially developed in PMIP. For each model, a low-resolution global run was also performed. As expected, the low-resolution simulations underestimate the large cooling indicated by pollen data, especially in winter, despite revised slightly warmer reconstructions of the temperatures of the coldest month, and show results in the range of those obtained in PMIP with similar models. The two high-resolution AGCMs do not improve the temperature field and cannot account for the discrepancy between model results and data, especially in winter. However, they are able to reproduce trends in precipitation more closely than their low-resolution counterparts do, but the simulated climates are still not as arid as depicted by the data. Conversely, the LAM temperature results compare well with climate reconstructions in winter but the simulated hydrological cycle is not consistent with the data. Finally, these results are discussed in regard of other possible causes for discrepancies between models and palaeoclimatic reconstructions for the LGM European climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dogs with atopic dermatitis are sensitized to allergens from Dermatophagoides farinae. • Der f 2 and Zen 1 are major allergens in dogs with atopic dermatitis. • The constant contact with textile material may favor sensitization to house dust mites. Atopic dermatitis is associated with the production of IgE antibodies against environmental allergens and allergens of the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae are frequently implicated in the disease. We aimed to observe the allergen-specific IgE against crude D. farinae , Der f 2 and Zen 1 in dogs with atopic dermatitis and report if these dogs are in contact with material that could shelter mite allergens. 100 dogs with clinical diagnosis of atopic dermatitis were included after exclusion of other forms of pruritic skin disease and dogs that already received specific or non-specific immunotherapy. These dogs were of different breeds and ages and they were presented at a veterinary teaching hospital and a private service of veterinary dermatology, both located in Curitiba, Southern Brazil. At the time of anamnesis, some questions were applied to know the possibility of these dogs having had contact with furniture and textile material which could shelter house dust mites. Sera samples were obtained and further analyzed by ELISA assay to measure serum IgE levels against these allergens with an established cut-off of 0.200 IgE optical density. The allergen-specific IgE positivity against crude D. farinae (92 %) and Zen 1 (77 %) was higher than Der f 2 (56 %). There was a correlation in sensitization to crude D. farinae and Zen 1 that was not observed between crude D. farinae and Der f 2 and Der f 2 and Zen 1. The sensitization to D. farinae and its allergens was associated with an unrestricted exposition to furniture and textile material. dogs with atopic dermatitis are frequently sensitized to D. farinae and its allergens, Der f 2 and Zen 1, may be considered major allergens in these dogs. Zen 1 may be the main allergen responsible for the sensitization to crude D. farinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) is the most common pathological finding in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but the relationship between MTS and hyperexcitability has not been defined. The neuropathological findings of MTS on the basis of our histochemical investigations using surgically resected specimens from patients with intractable TLE will be reviewed and discussed. Various sclerotic changes including neuronal loss and astrogliosis were observed not only in the hippocampus but also in the other mesial temporal structures such as the amygdala and entorhinal cortex. Moreover, aberrant residual pyramidal neurons were recognized, which showed morphological abnormalities; abnormal distribution of zinc, γ-aminobutyric acid-A receptor and glutamate decarboxy-lase; and disorganization of the granule cell layer (dispersion and bilaminar distribution). Increases in density of the corpora amylacea and peripheral type benzodiazepine receptor binding corresponded with glial proliferation. Histochemical studies demonstrated the association of mossy fiber sprouting with synaptic reorg-anization and changes of several chemically defined inter-neuron systems in the dentate gyrus. Quantitative analysis using in vitro autoradiography showed that neurotrans-mitter receptor bindings related to neuronal excitation (AMPA and NMDA receptor) and inhibition (central type benzodiazepine receptor) were reduced differently as a function of neuronal loss in MTS. These cytochemical changes associated with neurotransmitters and their receptors in the sclerotic hippocampus may constitute the pathological background of epileptogenesis in TLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen isotope analysis of benthic foraminifera in deep sea cores from the Atlantic and Southern Oceans shows that during the last interglacial period, North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) was 0.4° ± 0.2°C warmer than today, whereas Antarctic Bottom Water temperatures were unchanged. Model simulations show that this distribution of deep water temperatures can be explained as a response of the ocean to forcing by high-latitude insolation. The warming of NADW was transferred to the Circumpolar Deep Water, providing additional heat around Antarctica, which may have been responsible for partial melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray Vector Radiography (XVR) is an imaging technique that reveals the orientations of sub-pixel sized structures within a sample. Several dark-field radiographs are acquired by rotating the sample around the beam propagation direction and stepping one of the gratings to several positions for every pose of the sample in an X-ray grating interferometry setup. In this letter, we present a method of performing XVR of a continuously moving sample without the need of any grating motion. We reconstruct the orientations within a sample by analyzing the change in the background moire fringes caused by the sample moving and simultaneously rotating in plane (trochoidal trajectory) across the detector field-of-view. Avoiding the motion of gratings provides significant advantages in terms of stability and repeatability, while the continuous motion of the sample makes this kind of system adaptable for industrial applications such as the scanning of samples on a conveyor belt. Being the first step in the direction of utilizing advanced sample trajectories to replace grating motion, this work also lays the foundations for a full three dimensional reconstruction of scattering function without grating motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All Earth System models project a consistent decrease in the oxygen content of oceans for the coming decades because of ocean warming, reduced ventilation and increased stratification. But large uncertainties for these future projections of ocean deoxygenation remain for the subsurface tropical oceans where the major oxygen minimum zones are located. Here, we combine global warming projections, model-based estimates of natural shortterm variability, as well as data andmodel estimates of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ocean oxygenation to gain some insights into the major mechanisms of oxygenation changes across these different time scales. We show that the primary uncertainty on future ocean deoxygenation in the subsurface tropical oceans is in fact controlled by a robust compensation between decreasing oxygen saturation (O2sat) due to warming and decreasing apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) due to increased ventilation of the corresponding water masses. Modelled shortterm natural variability in subsurface oxygen levels also reveals a compensation between O2sat and AOU, controlled by the latter. Finally, using a model simulation of the LGM, reproducing data-based reconstructions of past ocean (de)oxygenation, we show that the deoxygenation trend of the subsurface ocean during deglaciation was controlled by a combination of warming-induced decreasing O2sat and increasing AOU driven by a reduced ventilation of tropical subsurface waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes that describe the distribution of vegetation and ecosystem succession after disturbance are an important component of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The vegetation dynamics module (ORC-VD) within the process-based ecosystem model ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems) has not been updated and evaluated since many years and is known to produce unrealistic results. This study presents a new parameterization of ORC-VD for mid- to high-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including processes that influence the existence, mortality and competition between tree functional types. A new set of metrics is also proposed to quantify the performance of ORC-VD, using up to five different data sets of satellite land cover, forest biomass from remote sensing and inventories, a data-driven estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and two gridded data sets of soil organic carbon content. The scoring of ORC-VD derived from these metrics integrates uncertainties in the observational data sets. This multi-data set evaluation framework is a generic method that could be applied to the evaluation of other DGVM models. The results of the original ORC-VD published in 2005 for mid- to high-latitudes and of the new parameterization are evaluated against the above-described data sets. Significant improvements were found in the modeling of the distribution of tree functional types north of 40° N. Three additional sensitivity runs were carried out to separate the impact of different processes or drivers on simulated vegetation vegetation distribution, including soil freezing which limits net primary production through soil moisture availability in the root zone, elevated CO2 concentration since 1850, and the effects of frequency and severity of extreme cold events during the spin-up phase of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes that describe the distribution of vegetation and ecosystem succession after disturbance are an important component of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The vegetation dynamics module (ORC-VD) within the process-based ecosystem model ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems) has not been updated and evaluated since many years and is known to produce unrealistic results. This study presents a new parameterization of ORC-VD for mid- to high-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including processes that influence the existence, mortality and competition between tree functional types. A new set of metrics is also proposed to quantify the performance of ORC-VD, using up to five different data sets of satellite land cover, forest biomass from remote sensing and inventories, a data-driven estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and two gridded data sets of soil organic carbon content. The scoring of ORC-VD derived from these metrics integrates uncertainties in the observational data sets. This multi-data set evaluation framework is a generic method that could be applied to the evaluation of other DGVM models. The results of the original ORC-VD published in 2005 for mid- to high-latitudes and of the new parameterization are evaluated against the above-described data sets. Significant improvements were found in the modeling of the distribution of tree functional types north of 40 °N. Three additional sensitivity runs were carried out to separate the impact of different processes or drivers on simulated vegetation distribution, including soil freezing which limits net primary production through soil moisture availability in the root zone, elevated CO2 concentration since 1850, and the effects of frequency and severity of extreme cold events during the spin-up phase of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes that describe the distribution of vegetation and ecosystem succession after disturbance are an important component of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The vegetation dynamics module (ORC-VD) within the process-based ecosystem model ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems) has not been updated and evaluated since many years and is known to produce unrealistic results. This study presents a new parameterization of ORC-VD for mid- to high-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including processes that influence the existence, mortality and competition between tree functional types. A new set of metrics is also proposed to quantify the performance of ORC-VD, using up to five different data sets of satellite land cover, forest biomass from remote sensing and inventories, a data-driven estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and two gridded data sets of soil organic carbon content. The scoring of ORC-VD derived from these metrics integrates uncertainties in the observational data sets. This multi-data set evaluation framework is a generic method that could be applied to the evaluation of other DGVM models. The results of the original ORC-VD published in 2005 for mid- to high-latitudes and of the new parameterization are evaluated against the above-described data sets. Significant improvements were found in the modeling of the distribution of tree functional types north of 40° N. Three additional sensitivity runs were carried out to separate the impact of different processes or drivers on simulated vegetation distribution, including soil freezing which limits net primary production through soil moisture availability in the root zone, elevated CO2 concentration since 1850, and the effects of frequency and severity of extreme cold events during the spin-up phase of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes that describe the distribution of vegetation and ecosystem succession after disturbance are an important component of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The vegetation dynamics module (ORC-VD) within the process-based ecosystem model ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems) has not been updated and evaluated since many years and does not match the progress in modeling the rest of the physical and biogeochemical processes. Therefore, ORC-VD is known to produce unrealistic results. This study presents a new parameterization of ORC-VD for mid-to-high latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including processes that influence the existence, mortality and competition between tree functional types. A new set of metrics is also proposed to quantify the performance of ORC-VD, using up to five different datasets of satellite land cover, forest biomass from remote sensing and inventories, a data-driven estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and two gridded datasets of soil organic carbon content. The scoring of ORC-VD derived from these metrics integrates uncertainties in the observational datasets. This multi-dataset evaluation framework is a generic method that could be applied to the evaluation of other DGVM models. The results of the original ORC-VD published in 2005 for mid-to-high latitudes and of the new parameterization are evaluated against the above-described datasets. Significant improvements were found in the modeling of the distribution of tree functional types north of 40° N. Three additional sensitivity runs were carried out to separate the impact of different processes or drivers on simulated vegetation distribution, including soil freezing which limits net primary production through soil moisture availability in the root zone, elevated CO2 concentration since 1850, and the return frequency of cold climate extremes causing tree mortality during the spin-up phase of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents study which examines the sensitivity of Greenland ice sheet (GSI) model to atmospheric forcing fields. It states that modelled precipitation and near surface air temperature is provided as upper boundary conditions to the GRenoble Ice Shelf and Land Ice model (GRISLI) hybrid ice sheet model (ISM) in Greenland. Results show that the model is much more sensitive to surface mass balance than to the dynamic parameters.

Abstract: The climate of the last glacial Marine Isotopic Stage 3 (MIS3) period is characterized by strong millennial-scale variability with a succession of Dansgaard–Oeschger events first identified in Greenland ice cores and associated with variations of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). These abrupt events have a smooth and lagged counterpart in water stable isotopes from Antarctic ice cores. In this study we aim at depicting and understanding the circum-Antarctic expression of this millennial-scale variability. To illustrate the mechanisms potentially at work in the response of the southern high latitudes to an abrupt decrease of the AMOC, we first present results from experiments performed with the IPSL-CM4 atmosphere-ocean coupled model under glacial boundary conditions. When the AMOC is perturbed by imposing an additional freshwater flux in the North Atlantic, our model produces the classical bipolar seesaw mechanism generally invoked to explain the warming of the Southern Ocean/Antarctic region. However, this mechanism can be locally offset by faster atmospheric teleconnections originating from the tropics, even though the precise location of this fast response is not coherent among different climate models. Our model results are confronted with a synthesis of Antarctic records of ice core stable isotope and sea-salt sodium, including new data obtained on the TALDICE ice core. The IPSL-CM4 produces a dipole-like pattern around Antarctica, with warming in the Atlantic/Indian sectors contrasting with an unexpected cooling in the East-Pacific sector. The latter signal is not detected in our data synthesis. Both ice core data and simulations are consistent in depicting a more rapid response of the Atlantic sector compared to the Indian sector. This feature can be explained by the gradual impact of ocean transport on which faster atmospheric teleconnections are superimposed. Detailed investigations of the sequence of events between different proxies are conducted in three ice cores. Earlier shifts in deuterium excess and significant changes in sea-salt sodium fluxes in the most coastal sites (TALDICE and EDML) compared to EDC suggest reorganizations in local moisture sources, possibly linked with sea-ice cover. This study demonstrates the added value of circum-Antarctic ice core records to characterize the patterns and mechanisms of glacial climate variability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Climate models show strong links between Antarctic and global temperature both in future and in glacial climate simulations. Past Antarctic temperatures can be estimated from measurements of water stable isotopes along the EPICA Dome C ice core over the past 800 000 years. Here we focus on the reliability of the relative intensities of glacial and interglacial periods derived from the stable isotope profile. The consistency between stable isotope-derived temperature and other environmental and climatic proxies measured along the EDC ice core is analysed at the orbital scale and compared with estimates of global ice volume. MIS 2, 12 and 16 appear as the strongest glacial maxima, while MIS 5.5 and 11 appear as the warmest interglacial maxima. The links between EDC temperature, global temperature, local and global radiative forcings are analysed. We show: (i) a strong but changing link between EDC temperature and greenhouse gas global radiative forcing in the first and second part of the record; (ii) a large residual signature of obliquity in EDC temperature with a 5ky lag; (iii) the exceptional character of temperature variations within interglacial periods. Focusing on MIS 5.5, the warmest interglacial of EDC record, we show that orbitally forced coupled climate models only simulate a precession-induced shift of the Antarctic seasonal cycle of temperature. While they do capture annually persistent Greenland warmth, models fail to capture the warming indicated by Antarctic ice core δD. We suggest that the model-data mismatch may result from the lack of feedbacks between ice sheets and climate including both local Antarctic effects due to changes in ice sheet topography and global effects due to meltwater–thermohaline circulation interplays. An MIS 5.5 sensitivity study conducted with interactive Greenland melt indeed induces a slight Antarctic warming. We suggest that interglacial EDC optima are caused by transient heat transport redistribution comparable with glacial north–south seesaw abrupt climatic changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Background: To determine the preferable method for self-injecting insulin, we compared the handling, safety, and dose accuracy of a conventional disposable syringe and vial with FlexPen((R)) (Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark), a prefilled pen. Methods: Insulin therapy-naive healthcare professionals (HCPs) (n = 30), unfamiliar with insulin delivery, injected 10 U of insulin into a sponge pad using either a syringe and vial or the FlexPen, both with 30-gauge 8-mm needles, on day 1. The following day, they used the alternative method. They evaluated the handling of the two methods on device-specific questionnaires and compared overall preference on a third questionnaire. To evaluate dose accuracy, 30 insulin therapy-experienced HCPs and 20 insulin therapy-naive HCPs were asked to deliver 10 U of insulin using each method, and the amount discharged was weighed. Results: FlexPen was rated easier to use and overall more preferable than the syringe and vial by insulin therapy-naive HCPs (P < 0.001). The pen device was more accurate than the syringe and vial when used by experienced HCPs (mean +/- SD dose delivered, 9.91 +/- 0.11 U vs. 9.82 +/- 0.25 U, respectively; P < 0.001) and by insulin therapy-naive HCPs (9.91 +/- 0.12 U vs. 9.74 +/- 0.85 U; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Insulin therapy-naive HCPs found FlexPen easier to handle and preferable to use compared to a conventional syringe and vial. Both insulin therapy-experienced and -naive HCPs were able to deliver insulin significantly more accurately with the FlexPen than with a syringe and vial (P < 0.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results from multiple model simulations are used to understand the tropical sea surface temperature (SST) response to the reduced greenhouse gas concentrations and large continental ice sheets of the last glacial maximum (LGM). We present LGM simulations from the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project, Phase 2 (PMIP2) and compare these simulations to proxy data collated and harmonized within the Multiproxy Approach for the Reconstruction of the Glacial Ocean Surface Project (MARGO). Five atmosphere–ocean coupled climate models (AOGCMs) and one coupled model of intermediate complexity have PMIP2 ocean results available for LGM. The models give a range of tropical (defined for this paper as 15°S–15°N) SST cooling of 1.0–2.4°C, comparable to the MARGO estimate of annual cooling of 1.7 ± 1°C. The models simulate greater SST cooling in the tropical Atlantic than tropical Pacific, but interbasin and intrabasin variations of cooling are much smaller than those found in the MARGO reconstruction. The simulated tropical coolings are relatively insensitive to season, a feature also present in the MARGO transferred-based estimates calculated from planktonic foraminiferal assemblages for the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These assemblages indicate seasonality in cooling in the Atlantic basin, with greater cooling in northern summer than northern winter, not captured by the model simulations. Biases in the simulations of the tropical upwelling and thermocline found in the preindustrial control simulations remain for the LGM simulations and are partly responsible for the more homogeneous spatial and temporal LGM tropical cooling simulated by the models. The PMIP2 LGM simulations give estimates for the climate sensitivity parameter of 0.67°–0.83°C per Wm−2, which translates to equilibrium climate sensitivity for doubling of atmospheric CO2 of 2.6–3.1°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have examined the cluster-size effect on fragments in the collision-induced dissociation (CID) of small boron clusters (, n ≦8) by means of ab-initio molecular orbital (MO) calculation, for conditions representative of low-Z cationic clusters in plasma. Single cations B+ (leaving ) are predominantly fragmented from small clusters (n <5) by low-energy collisions (<10eV) with Xe atoms. With increasing the size n, beyond n =5, (leaving B0) clusters are observed preferentially. This alternating trend in experiment has not been quantitatively explained by previous ab-initio MO calculations. We used a density functional method called B3LYP and basis functions 6-31+G∗∗ including diffuse functions, and have succeeded in reproducing the alternation of the competing two dissociation processes as cluster size increases. In addition, the accuracy of ionization potentials and binding energies were also improved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the framework of safe underground storage of radioactive waste in low-permeability layers, it is essential to evaluate the mobility of deep groundwaters over timescales of several million years. On these timescales, the environmental evolution of a repository should depend upon a range of natural processes that are primarily driven by climate and geomorphologic variations. In this paper, the response of the Paris basin groundwater system to variations in its hydrodynamic boundary conditions induced by past climate and geodynamic changes over the last five million years is investigated. A three-dimensional transient modelling of the Paris basin aquifer/aquitard system was developed using the code NEWSAM (Ecole des Mines de Paris, ENSMP). The geometry and hydrodynamic parameters of the model originate from a basin model, NEWBAS (ENSMP), built to simulate the geological history of the basin. Geomorphologic evolution is deduced from digital elevation model analysis, which allows to estimate river-valley incision and alpine surrection. Climate forcing results from palaeoclimate modelling experiments using the LMDz atmospheric general circulation model (Institut Pierre Simon Laplace) with a refined spatial resolution, for the present, the Last Glacial Maximum (21ka) and the Middle Pliocene Warmth (∼3Ma). The water balance is computed by the distributed hydrological model MODSUR (ENSMP). Results about the simulated evolution of piezometric heads in the system in response to the altered boundary conditions are presented, in particular in the vicinity of ANDRA’s Bure potential repository site within the Callovo-Oxfordian argillaceous layer. For the present, the comparison of head patterns between steady state and time dependent simulation shows little differences for aquifer layers close to the surface but suggests a transient state of the current system in the main aquitards of the basin and in the deep aquifers, characterized by abnormally low fluid potentials. The dependence of the boundary-induced transient effects on the hydraulic diffusivity is illustrated by means of a sensitivity study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Within the frame of the multiproxy approach for the reconstruction of the glacial ocean (MARGO) project, sea-surface conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 23–19ka) were reconstructed using different proxies, which were calibrated to a standardized modern hydrography. In the North Atlantic, the revised LGM MARGO data set provides a comprehensive coverage, including the Nordic Seas. The data set includes reconstruction based on planktonic foraminifer assemblages, dinocyst assemblages, alkenone coccolithophorid biomarkers and Mg/Ca ratios in planktonic foraminifers. Several hydrological features of the LGM North Atlantic can be identified, that are supported by all four proxies. They include an extensive perennial sea-ice cover along the eastern Canadian and Greenland margins, seasonally ice-free central North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea, and the winter sea-ice limit being located at about 55°N. All proxies also suggest significantly colder than modern sea-surface conditions in the southeastern part of the North Atlantic and a more zonal temperature pattern than at present, with a steep SST gradient of the order of 10°C between 40°N and 45°N. However, in the Nordic Seas large discrepancies remain, well above the level of uncertainty of the SST reconstructions. These discrepancies might be related to stratification of the upper water mass linked to large annual amplitude of temperature with contrasting winter and summer conditions, high interannual-interdecadal variability, or taphonomic processes affecting some of the proxies. The average LGM SST in the Nordic Seas cannot at present be assessed with confidence. However, the existing evidence suggests that highly variable sea-surface conditions and at least occasional advection of North Atlantic waters may have characterised the glacial Nordic Seas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The orbital configuration at the end of the last interglacial, 115,000 years BP (115 ky BP), was such that the Northern Hemisphere seasonal contrast was decreased when compared to the last interglacial maximum, 126 ky BP. Climatic reconstructions argue for increased latitudinal surface temperature and salinity gradients in the North Atlantic at 115 ky BP compared to 126 ky BP. According to proxy measurements the high-latitude ocean freshening may be explained by enhanced northward atmospheric moisture advection which would have then led to decreased deep convection activity in the northern seas. To evaluate such re-adjustments of the atmospheric circulation to the insolation forcing changes, we have explored the changes in atmospheric energy balance and transport with two AGCM experiments, one for each climate. We show that the northward increase in static heat transport at 115 ky BP to 126 ky BP constitutes a first order response to the changing insolation. It tends to equalise the heat balance of the atmosphere. Despite sea surface temperatures fixed (SSTs) to present-day this feature is strongly amplified by the air–sea heat flux exchanges. By comparing with OAGCM experiments for the same periods, we find that the simulated surface ocean heat flux responses to insolation forcing are similar whether the ocean is allowed to vary or not. The latent heat transport does not undergo the same changes as the dry static one. On an annual basis, it decreases over the high northern latitudes. This is the result of summer modification of moisture sources and transient activity. The latter appears to affect latent heat transport much more than the dry static one. The winter response, however, differs from the summer response which dominates the annual mean. There is an enhanced northward atmospheric moisture advection during winter at 115 ky BP, which is responsible for the freshening of high-latitude ocean during this season. This result seems to confirm the hypothesis inferred from marine data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pathogeneses of allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma are believed to be closely mutually related because of the similar dynamics of allergy‐inducing cells and molecules and clinical overlap. In this study, we compared these diseases in the dynamics of cell apoptosis‐regulating molecules. Methods: Allergic rhinitis patients (n=36), bronchial asthma patients (n=22), and healthy subjects (n=32) were subjected to measurement of serum (soluble Fas) (sFas) levels during the stable and attack disease phases by a sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Serum sFas levels in patients with allergic rhinitis during the attack phase were significantly lower (P<0.0001) than those in healthy individuals. There were no differences between them during the attack and stable disease phases. In contrast, serum sFas levels in patients with bronchial asthma during the attack phase were higher (P<0.0005) than those in healthy individuals. Interestingly, the levels during the attack phase were lower (P<0.002) than those during the stable phase. Conclusions: Our results suggest a different pathogenesis for allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma at the cell apoptosis‐linked step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]