Search

In this study, we perform a data assimilation (DA) experiment on a very large number (>700) of small‐ and medium‐scale (150–10,000 km2) European catchments to assess the impact of satellite soil moisture (SM) DA on streamflow simulations for different climatic and hydrologic conditions. In the experiment, Climate Change Initiative SM active, passive and combined products are assimilated over a time period 2003–2016 via an Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF). The results show that, on average, the assimilation of the three products provides relatively small improvements as compared to analogous open loop (OL) results (i.e., with an increase on median Kling‐Gupta Efficiency equal to 0.0048, 0.0033, and 0.0022 [−] for the active, the passive, and the combined products, respectively). OL performance itself is found to be a significant driver of the assimilation results: greater improvements are observed in catchments with poor OL streamflow predictions and inaccurate precipitation estimates. The remotely sensed product accuracy also emerges as relevant for assimilation efficiency, while factors affecting SM retrievals such as vegetation density, topographic complexity and basin area are found to have only a limited impact on the spatial pattern of performance. Small and detrimental effects of SM assimilation are observed over fully humid catchments and at high latitudes where pre‐storm soil moisture has reduced control on runoff generation as well as in basins where the hydrological model contains structural limitations. Key Points: The added value of satellite soil moisture assimilation on runoff simulations is assessed within 700 European catchmentsThe assimilation of the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative, satellite soil moisture products show limited improvements, with the active product providing the best resultsThe impact of open loop model performance, remotely sensed data accuracy, climate conditions and catchment characteristics are evaluated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although proprioceptive impairment is likely to affect in a significant manner the capacity of stroke patients to recover functionality of upper limb, clinical assessment methods currently in use are rather crude, with a low level of reliability and a limited capacity to discriminate the relevant features of this severe deficit. In the present paper, we describe a new technique based on robot technology, with the goal of providing a reliable, accurate, and quantitative evaluation of kinesthetic acuity, which can be integrated in robot therapy. The proposed technique, based on a pulsed assistance paradigm, has been evaluated on a group of healthy subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper deals with the construction of a class of high-order accurate residual distribution schemes for advection-diffusion problems using conformal meshes. The problems considered range from pure diffusion to pure advection. The approximation of the solution is obtained using standard Lagrangian finite elements and the total residual of the problem is constructed taking into account both the advective and the diffusive terms in order to discretize with the same scheme both parts of the governing equation. To cope with the fact that the normal component of the gradient of the numerical solution is discontinuous across the faces of the elements, the gradient of the numerical solution is reconstructed at each degree of freedom of the grid and then interpolated with the same shape functions used for the solution. Linear and nonlinear schemes are constructed and their accuracy is tested with the discretization of advection-diffusion and anisotropic diffusion problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY A complete set of equivalence conditions, relating the mass-lumped Bubnov-Galerkin finite element (FE) scheme for Lagrangian linear elements to node-centred finite volume (FV) schemes, is derived for the first time for conservation laws in a three-dimensional cylindrical reference. Equivalence conditions are used to devise a class of FV schemes, in which all grid-dependent quantities are defined in terms of FE integrals. Moreover, all relevant differential operators in the FV framework are consistent with their FE counterparts, thus opening the way to the development of consistent hybrid FV/FE schemes for conservation laws in a three-dimensional cylindrical coordinate system. The two-dimensional schemes for the polar and the axisymmetrical cases are also explicitly derived. Numerical experiments for compressible unsteady flows, including expanding and converging shock problems and the interaction of a converging shock waves with obstacles, are carried out using the new approach. The results agree fairly well with one-dimensional simulations and simplified models. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY We are interested in the numerical approximation of steady scalar convection-diffusion problems by means of high order schemes called Residual Distribution schemes. In the inviscid case, one can develop nonlinear Residual Distribution schemes that are nonoscillatory, even in the case of very strong discontinuities, while having the most possible compact stencil, on hybrid unstructured meshes. This paper proposes and compare extensions of these schemes for the convection-diffusion problem. This methodology, in particular in terms of accuracy, is evaluated on problem with exact solutions. Its nonoscillatory behavior is tested against the Smith and Hutton problem. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of prefermentative cold maceration (PCM) on Merlot winemaking was studied in order to evaluate its influence on the content of phenolic and volatile compounds. The results showed that PCM increased the concentration of phenolic compounds in Merlot red wine. This is particularly important for the extraction of anthocyanins, mainly malvidine-3-glucoside, which contributes to the colour stability. PCM also increased the concentration of the volatile compounds, particularly the esters, α-terpineol, geraniol and 2-phenylethanol which are fingerprints for this wine. The application of the cold maceration process proved to be successful. In fact the concentration of the esters responsible for the typical flavour of Merlot increased by more than 20% in the PCM-wine with respect to the traditional wine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work several experiments were performed in 50cm3 shaken-tubes, thus allowing methanol to be selected as the most appropriate leaching solvent for alizarin from roots of common madder (Rubia tinctorum). Methanol at 25°C was found to be able to extract not only free alizarin but also its glycosidic forms, thus resulting in an overall alizarin extraction yield of 2.9±0.1gkg−1 of dried material when leaching madder root particles with 100dm3 of methanolkg−1. Further extraction tests using a liquid–solid ratio of 40dm3 kg−1 in a 1-dm3 stirred extractor allowed the production of a methanolic extract, which was then dried under vacuum. The solid residues were re-dissolved in ethanol so as to avoid methanol vapours exhaling from dyeing baths. Dyed standard specimens of raw cotton and wool exhibited almost the same reddish-yellow hue, even if those coloured with the ethanolic extract had a lighter colour intensity and a more pinkish shade than those dyed with Rubia root particles. Whatever the dyeing procedure used, the colour intensity or hue of cotton specimens was found to be brighter or more pinkish than the wool ones. These characteristics were also more evident for the cotton specimens dyed with the ethanolic extract. The fastness properties of dyed cotton and wool specimens were evaluated and it was found that all the dyed specimens were not or just slightly affected by manual washing at 40°C, acid or basic perspiration tests, and it was also found that the resistance to fading of dyed wool specimens was generally greater than that of cotton ones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

BACKGROUND: Preinfarction angina, a clinical equivalent of ischemic preconditioning, seems to protect against in-hospital death, cardiogenic shock, and the combined endpoints in adult but not in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction. Experimental evidence indicates that caloric restriction may restore ischemic preconditioning in aged animals. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to verify whether body mass index (BMI) influences the cardioprotective effect of preinfarction angina in the elderly. DESIGN: We retrospectively studied 820 patients aged >/= 65 y with acute myocardial infarction by evaluating BMI and major (death and cardiogenic shock) and minor in-hospital outcomes. RESULTS: In-hospital death, cardiogenic shock, and the combined endpoints were not significantly different between elderly patients with and without preinfarction angina. Interestingly, in-hospital death, cardiogenic shock, and the combined endpoints were significantly fewer in elderly patients with than without preinfarction angina in the subset of patients with the lowest BMI (P < 0.01, < 0.01, and < 0.01, respectively). Regression analysis showed that preinfarction angina did not protect against in-hospital death when analyzed in all patients independently of BMI, whereas it was protective in the subset of patients with the lowest BMI (odds ratio: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.54). CONCLUSIONS: Preinfarction angina does not protect against in-hospital death, cardiogenic shock, or the combined endpoints in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction. With stratification by quartiles of BMI, the protective effect of preinfarction angina is preserved in elderly patients with the lowest BMI. Copyright © 2003 American Society for Clinical Nutrition [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High resolution genotyping of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I and II alleles is important for stem cell transplantation, however it is unclear whether polymorphisms outside of exon 2 and 3 are relevant. With the development of Sanger Sequence Based Typing (SSBT) methods, a high degree of polymorphism at the HLA loci has been identified, making allele identification challenging. Allele ambiguities frequently occur because of the inability to set phase and the lack of complete genomic sequences in reference databases. With the introduction of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), it is now possible to sequence the HLA genes clonally, completely and simultaneously. Using in-house long range PCR-NGS protocols on the Ion PGM, the aim of this study was to confirm and obtain complete gene sequence for submission to the IMGT/HLA database, on samples identified as novel or rare for HLA Class I alleles by traditional short range (exons 2 and 3) SSBT. In addition, the full length sequences generated by NGS were confirmed using the novel full-length, group-specific sequence based typing (SBT) method, which results in hemizygous sequences, developed in Maastricht. For NGS, long range PCR which amplifies the full gene of HLA-A, -B and -C and exon 2 through to exon 3 of HLA Class II genes was performed. Long range amplicons for each individual are pooled for single library preparation using a modified version of the Ion PGM library preparation and 400 bp chemistry sequencing protocol. All data generated was analysed with software provided by Conexio Genomics and Life Technologies. Analysis of NGS-Ion PGM data identified and confirmed HLA Class I novel and rare alleles reported by short range SSBT. Furthermore, the group-specific sequence based typing results also confirmed data obtained by NGS-Ion PGM. In addition, a number of novel polymorphisms, mainly in intronic sequences, were identified by both sequence based typing methods. NGS-Ion PGM sequencing in addition to group-specific sequence based typing allowed the submission of several full length sequences to the IMGT/HLA database. This study shows the strength of NGS as a tool to complete the IMGT/HLA reference database and the continued relevance of SSBT as a reference methodology. This approach is currently been developed and applied to HLA Class II novel and rare alleles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to study the phenolic compounds evolution during the off-vine drying process in chamber at controlled temperature and to assess whether this dehydration technique might be used to avoid strong oxidations. Grapes were placed in perforated plastic boxes inside a chamber; fans were installed to ensure humidity and temperature control. Phenolic compounds were characterized by HPLC. Dehydration was fast and regular. This technique ensures phenols protection, artificially dried grapes maintained a higher phenolic concentration than those just harvested. This grape drying technique may ensure the production of sweet wines in which phenols content is preserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To compare the uniformity and image quality between contrast media injection protocols adjusted for patient body weight (BW) versus body surface area (BSA) during coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA).Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients (n=489) with suspected coronary artery disease were randomised prospectively to one of two CCTA protocols. In the BW protocol (n=245), patients received individualised iodine delivery rates (≤50 kg: 1 g/s; 51-60 kg: 1.2 g/s; 61-70 kg: 1.4 g/s; 71-80 kg: 1.6 g/s; 81-90 kg: 1.8 g/s; 91-100 kg: 2 g/s; >100 kg: 2.2 g/s). In the BSA protocol (n=244), patients received 9,600 mg iodine/m2 of contrast medium over 12 seconds. Attenuation and image noise were measured. Signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio were calculated. Image quality was scored. Attenuation was assessed for correlation with BW and BSA using linear regression.Results: There were no statistically significant differences in mean arterial attenuation (396.8±47.6 versus 395.8±42.2 HU, p=0.804; 95% confidence interval: -7 to 9), image noise (25.2±5.8 versus 25.5±5.4 HU; p=0.549), signal-to-noise ratio (16.7±4.4 versus 16.6±3.6; p=0.902), contrast-to-noise ratio (25.1±5.8 versus 25.8±7.4; p=0.258) or image quality scores (4.1±0.9 versus 4±0.9; p=0.770) between the BW and BSA protocols. There was no correlation between BW and aortic attenuation or between BSA and aortic attenuation (p=0.324 and 0.932, respectively).Conclusion: The average contrast media attenuation and image quality was comparable between BW-adjusted protocol and BSA-adjusted protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]