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Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and autophagy are two major regulators involved in both tumor initiation and progression. However, the association between these two signaling pathways still remains obscure. In this work, we demonstrate that dihydroartemisinin (DHA) stimulates the induction of autophagy in several cancer cell lines through repression of NF-κB activity. We also show that inhibiting NF-κB results in an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which participate in the stimulation of autophagy. These findings present a pathway by which DHA promotes autophagy in cancer cells and provide evidence for the DHA-induced sensitization effect of some chemotherapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the spring AO on ENSO has been demonstrated in several recent studies. This analysis further explores the physical process of the influence of AO on ENSO using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data over the period 1958-2010. We focus on the formation of the westerly wind burst in the tropical western Pacific, and examine the evolution and formation of the atmospheric circulation, atmospheric heating, and SST anomalies in association with the spring AO variability. The spring AO variability is found to be independent from the East Asian winter monsoon activity. The spring AO associated circulation anomalies are supported by the interaction between synoptic-scale eddies and the mean-flow and its associated vorticity transportation. Surface wind changes may affect surface heat fluxes and the oceanic heat transport, resulting in the SST change. The AO associated warming in the equatorial SSTs results primarily from the ocean heat transport in the face of net surface heat flux damping. The tropical SST warming is accompanied by anomalous atmospheric heating in the subtropical north and south Pacific, which sustains the anomalous westerly wind in the equatorial western Pacific through a Gill-like atmospheric response from spring to summer. The anomalous westerly excites an eastward propagating and downwelling equatorial Kelvin wave, leading to SST warming in the tropical central-eastern Pacific in summer-fall. The tropical SST, atmospheric heating, and atmospheric circulation anomalies sustain and develop through the Bjerknes feedback mechanism, which eventually result in an El Niño-like warming in the tropical eastern Pacific in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main task of the research is to describe the winter types of both the Baltic Sea region and Lithuania. After doing the cluster analysis, winters of the Baltic Sea region (1948-2012) and Lithuania (1961-2010) were classified into five types. Distribution of air temperature anomalies in November-March and spatial distribution of snow cover duration anomalies for each winter types of the Baltic Sea region were determined. Lithuanian winters were classified into types by analyzing dynamics of mean air temperature and snow cover depth during the winter season and comparing each type values with mean long-term values. Winters of the Baltic Sea region were classified according to the monthly November-March temperature anomalies. Mean temperature anomaly ranged from -4.2 °C (the fifth type) to 4.6 °C (the first type). It was identified that in most cases November and March months keep the same sign (positive or negative) temperature anomalies while opposite sign anomalies were determined in December, January and February. The largest total snow cover duration deviations from long-term (1966-2012) average were determined in the southwest of the Baltic Sea region where snow cover duration is 65% less than the long-term average in the case of the first type and 70% longer in the case of the fifth type. The smallest relative deviations were determined in the north-eastern and northern part of the region. Air temperature and snow characteristics are very specific for all types of Lithuanian winters. The temperature of the first type exceeds the long-term one during the first half of winter and is lower in the second; the thickest snow cover (18 cm) lies in the second ten-day period of March. The temperature of the second type in the beginning and the end of the winter coincides with long-term average however air temperature during January and February is lower; the thickest snow cover (16 cm) lies in the third ten-day period of February. The third type can be mainly described by lower temperature than the long-term one; the thickest snow cover (20 cm) lies in the first ten-day period of March. Winter temperature of the fourth type varies a lot; the thickest snow cover (15 cm) forms in the first ten-day period of January and February. The air temperature of the fifth type exceeds the long-term one during the majority of the winter while snow cover reaches only 6 centimetres (in late February-early March). Relationships between winter types and circulation patterns over the North Atlantic were also investigated. During the highest NAO and AO Index values at the biggest anomalies of positive air temperature in the Baltic Sea region and higher than the long-term average air temperature in Lithuania were determined, whereas during the lowest NAO and AO Index values the opposite deviations were recorded. Closer relationships were determined in the second half of winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Review of Finance / Revista Brasileira de Finanças is the property of Sociedade Brasileira de Financas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Interannual variations in the number of winter extreme warm and cold days over eastern China (EC) and their relationship with the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) were investigated using an updated temperature dataset comprising 542 Chinese stations during the period 1961-2011. Results showed that the number of winter extreme warm (cold) days across EC experienced a significant increase (decrease) around the mid-1980s, which could be attributed to interdecadal variation of the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM). Probability distribution functions (PDFs) of winter temperature extremes in different phases of the AO and ENSO were estimated based on Generalized Extreme Value Distribution theory. Correlation analysis and the PDF technique consistently demonstrated that interannual variation of winter extreme cold days in the northern part of EC (NEC) is closely linked to the AO, while it is most strongly related to the ENSO in the southern part (SEC). However, the number of winter extreme warm days across EC has little correlation with both AO and ENSO. Furthermore, results indicated that, whether before or after the mid-1980s shift, a significant connection existed between winter extreme cold days in NEC and the AO. However, a significant connection between winter extreme cold days in SEC and the ENSO was only found after the mid-1980s shift. These results highlight the different roles of the AO and ENSO in influencing winter temperature extremes in different parts of EC and in different periods, thus providing important clues for improving short-term climate prediction for winter temperature extremes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the warm/cold phases of the El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) as a background, the impacts of monthly variation in the Arctic Oscillation (AO) on the winter climate anomalies in East Asia are studied with the NCEP/DOE Reanalysis 2 data and the Chinese station data regarding temperature and rainfall. The combined effects of ENSO and the AO indicate that the winter climate anomalies are mainly influenced by the AO in northern China and the ENSO in southern China, when an El Niño couples with a negative AO month or a La Niña couples with a positive AO month. These climate anomalies in China are consistent with the mechanisms proposed in previous studies. However, most of China presents a different pattern of climate anomalies if an El Niño couples with a positive AO month or a La Niña couples with a negative AO month, with the exception of the temperature anomalies in northern China, which are still affected dominantly by the AO. Further analysis suggests that the causes are attributed to the differences in both the stratosphere-troposphere interaction and the extratropics-tropics interaction. In the former cases, zonal symmetric circulation prevails in the winter and the extratropics-tropics interaction is weakened. Thus, the influences of the ENSO and the AO on the East Asian climate mainly present linear combination effects. On the contrary, an annular mode of atmospheric circulation is not favored in the latter cases and the extratropics-tropics interaction is strong. Hence, the combined effects of the ENSO and the AO on the winter climate in East Asia present nonlinear characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, the Northern Hemisphere, in particular Russia and Japan, experienced an abnormally hot summer characterized by record-breaking warm temperatures and associated with a strongly positive Arctic Oscillation (AO), that is, low pressure in the Arctic and high pressure in the midlatitudes. In contrast, the AO index the previous winter and spring (2009/2010) was record-breaking negative. The AO polarity reversal that began in summer 2010 can explain the abnormally hot summer. The winter sea surface temperatures (SST) in the North Atlantic Ocean showed a tripolar anomaly pattern-warm SST anomalies over the tropics and high latitudes and cold SST anomalies over the midlatitudes-under the influence of the negative AO. The warm SST anomalies continued into summer 2010 because of the large oceanic heat capacity. A model simulation strongly suggested that the AO-related summertime North Atlantic oceanic warm temperature anomalies remotely caused blocking highs to form over Europe, which amplified the positive summertime AO. Thus, a possible cause of the AO polarity reversal might be the 'memory' of the negative winter AO in the North Atlantic Ocean, suggesting an interseasonal linkage of the AO in which the oceanic memory of a wintertime negative AO induces a positive AO in the following summer. Understanding of this interseasonal linkage may aid in the long-term prediction of such abnormal summer events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Satellite measurements (Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder/Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A, MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis have been utilized to analyze the relative influence of the climate variability (AO: Arctic Oscillation, ENSO: El Niño-Southern Oscillation, QBO: Quasi-Biennial Oscillation) on the zonal-mean temperature and wind variations over the globe from September 2002 to August 2011. We also extended the usage of MERRA data for the period of 1979–2011; furthermore, three climate indices of AO, NINO3.4, and QBO were used as the corresponding climate indicators. The correlations between the temperature anomalies and the climate indices indicate that the tropospheric temperature variability in the mid-latitude (30–60N) linked to both AO and ENSO has been more pronounced over ocean than over land. However, the low stratospheric temperature variability in the mid-latitude is mainly associated with ENSO and QBO. The north–south symmetric patterns over the globe are seen in the wind anomaly distributions for ENSO and QBO, but not for AO. The ENSO events are globally vigorous but also localized during the recent 9 years compared with those based on the period of 1979–2011. The tropospheric warming and stratospheric cooling phenomena during this period are more remarkable in the recent 9 years, although according to IPCC (2012). their linkage to the ENSO variability is still uncertain. The ENSO is found to have more significant impact on the tropospheric and low stratosphere temperature variability over the tropics in the recent period, consistent with more active zonal wind meridional circulations. The discrepancies between satellite observations and MERRA are also discussed. The estimated relative impact of the three major concurrent large-scale climate phenomena on regional temperature variability can be of great use in its long-term predictability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The reporting and interpretation of data from clinical trials of proximal humeral fractures are hampered by the use of two partly incommensurable fracture classification systems: the Neer classification and the AO/OTA classification. It remains difficult to interpret and generalize results, to conduct prognostic studies, and to obtain consensus on treatment recommendations when concise definitions and a common 'fracture language' are lacking. Thus, we compared both classifications systems using primary data from large clinical studies to assess how thoroughly both systems conveyed clinically important classification information. Methods: Classification data from each study were organized in a cross-table covering the 432 theoretically possible combinations between the 16 Neer categories and the 27 AO/OTA subgroups, and the plausibility of all observed combinations were assessed and discussed by the authors until consensus. Results: We analyzed primary data from 2530 observations from seven studies providing primary data from both classification systems. Thirty-five percent (151 out of 432) of the combinations were considered 'not plausible' and thirty-four percent (149 out of 432) were considered 'problematic'. Conclusions: Clinically important information was lost within both classification systems. Most important, the varus/ valgus distinction was not found within the Neer classification and a clear definition of displacement was lacking in the AO/OTA classification. We encourage surgeons and researches to report data from both classification systems for a more thorough description of the fracture patterns and to enable cross-checking of the coding. A suitable table for cross-checking of the coding is provided herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In January 2021, we published findings evaluating the validity of thoracolumbar injury classification and biomechanical approach in the clinical outcome of operative and non-operative treatments. A notable result in our study was patients with unstable burst fractures received an Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen System (AO) score that recommended conservative treatment compared to a Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Scale (TLICS) score that recommended surgical intervention. We designed a survey to determine reported differences in thoracolumbar injury classification, including the percentage of thoracolumbar spine fractures, type of classification system(s) used, use of classification system by board-certified neurosurgeons and neurosurgical residents, reliance on classification system to guide management, use of MRI in the evaluation of the posterior ligamentous complex, and readmission rate < 90 days at treating facilities. This study aims to determine which areas of neurosurgical practice in spine trauma patients differ among surgeons in North America and East Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan. Multiple classification systems have been proposed to describe thoracolumbar spine injuries. We hypothesized that there would be marked variability in the classification systems used to evaluate thoracolumbar spine injury among neurosurgeons in North America and East Africa. Methods The survey consisted of seven questions and was sent to 440 neurosurgeons practicing on the continents of North America and East Africa. Results A total of 67 surgeons responded, 50 from North America and 17 from East Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan. A significant percentage of African respondents reported a higher thoracolumbar spine fracture rate than respondents in North America (53% and 30%, respectively). Regarding the classification system used, 65% of surgeons in East Africa reported using TLICS, whereas 62% of surgeons in North America reported using Denis 3-column classification. For patients with spine trauma, surgeons in East Africa and North America reported a similar percentage of readmission <90 days (47% and 52%, respectively). Conclusion Our findings vary in spine trauma classification for American and East African patients and still highlight crucial areas for improvement due to patient load, education, and resource accessibility., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Smith et al.)

The Aquila optimizer (AO) is a recently developed swarm algorithm that simulates the hunting behavior of Aquila birds. In complex optimization problems, an AO may have slow convergence or fall in sub-optimal regions, especially in high complex ones. This paper tries to overcome these problems by using three different strategies: restart strategy, opposition-based learning and chaotic local search. The developed algorithm named as mAO was tested using 29 CEC 2017 functions and five different engineering constrained problems. The results prove the superiority and efficiency of mAO in solving many optimization issues.

In this study, the interdecadal changes in the zonal symmetry of both Arctic Oscillation (AO) and Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) were analyzed. To describe the zonal asymmetry, a local index of AO and AAO was defined using the normalized sea level pressure (SLP) differences between 40° and 65° (latitudes) in both hemispheres. The zonal covariability of local AO and AAO can well represent the zonal symmetry of AO and AAO. Results show that the zonal asymmetry of both AO and AAO significantly changed in the late 1970s. AO was less asymmetric in the zonal direction in the boreal winter season during the latter period, while in the boreal summer it became more asymmetric after 1979. The zonal symmetry of AAO in both austral summer and winter has also significantly decreased since the late 1970s. These changes may imply interdecadal transition in the atmospheric circulation at middle and high latitudes, which is of vital importance to understanding climate variability and predictability across the globe, including the African-Asian-Australian monsoon regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) in future projections were studied based on two core future projections of CMIP5 in coordinated experiments with the IAP-coupled model FGOALS2-s. The projected changes of EAWM in climatology, seasonality, and interannual variability are reported here; the projections indicated strong warming in winter season. Warming increased with latitude, ranging from 1°C to 3°C in the Representative Concentration Pathways simulation RCP4.5 projection (an experiment that results in additional radiative forcing of ∼4.5 W m in 2100) and from 4°C to 9°C in the RCP8.5 projection (an experiment that results in additional radiative forcing of ∼8.5 W m in 2100). The northerly wind along the East Asian coastal region became stronger in both scenarios, indicating a stronger EAWM. Accordingly, interannual variability (described by the standard deviation of temperature) increased around the South China Sea and lower latitudes and decreased over eastern China, especially in North China. The two EAWM basic modes, defined by the temperature EOF analysis over East Asia, were associated with the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and stratospheric polar vortex. The future projections revealed more total variance attributable to the secondary mode, suggesting additional influences from the stratosphere. The correlation between AO and the leading mode decreased, while the correlation between AO and the secondary mode increased, implying increased complexity regarding the predictability of EAWM interannual variations in future projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The climatology and hydrology of western North America display strong periodic cycles which are correlated with the low-frequency Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The PDO's signature is seen throughout the entire North Pacific region, with related significant associations to hydrology and ecology in western North America and northeastern Asia. Therefore, the status of the PDO in a warmer world caused by anthropogenic climate change is of great interest. We developed early 21st-century projections of the PDO, using data from archived runs of the most recent high-resolution global climate models from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (Phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project). Because of the geographical adjacency and hypothesized interactions between the PDO and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and between the PDO and the North Atlantic Oscillation/Arctic Oscillation (NAO/AO), we also developed concurrent projections of ENSO and the NAO and examined their relationships with the projected PDO. For the B1, A1B and A2 Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) emission scenarios, the PDO projections for 2000-2050 showed a weak multi-model mean shift towards more occurrences of the negative phase PDO, which becomes statistically significant for the time period 2000-2099. However, not all the models showed a consistent shift to negative PDO conditions. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main task of this study is assessment of the wind regime and its changes in Lithuania during period from 1971 till 2010 as well as evaluation of relationships between the wind parameters (direction and speed) and large scale atmospheric circulation indexes (NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) and (AO) Arctic Oscillation). Monthly wind speed and direction data from 8 meteorological stations were analyzed in this research. The wind direction recurrence tendencies in the territory of Lithuania differ a lot. The particularly profound shift in wind direction regime was found in Utena and Klaipėda MS. The largest changes were recorded in the winter. Significant increase in frequency of south-west and north-east winds was observed in the western part of Lithuania, while reoccurrence of south-west winds decreased in the rest of the territory. Almost in the whole territory of Lithuania increase of eastern winds was observed. The mean annual wind speed declined in almost whole Lithuanian territory during investigation period. The strongest negative changes were observed in the eastern part of Lithuania. Wind speed from all directions decreased by 0.4-0.9 m/s in Utena MS. Weakening of wind from west and southwest was common for the large part of Lithuania. Measured changes in winter were more significant than in summer. It was determined that the strongest influence of NAO and AO on the wind regime occurs in winter and in case of AO also in autumn. The influence of NAO and AO on wind direction is more significant. According to data from all meteorological stations, there were observed increase in the frequency of western winds and decrease in the frequency of eastern winds in strongly positive phase of NAO/AO values in winter. Also, increase of mean annual wind speed as well as increase in wind speed from western and southern directions during the high NAO/AO index values were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of large-scale forcings on the variability of the mean air temperature of Saudi Arabia, using the observed data and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis gridded datasets for the period 1978-2010. The analysis shows that the seasonal mean temperature variability is high in the northern and central regions compared to the southern. Moreover, the temperature variability is highest (~30%) in the winter season and lowest (~2 %) in the summer. Following global warming indications, the interannual variability of the mean air temperature of Saudi Arabia indicates a warming phase that started in the late 1990s. The analysis reveals that the strong variability in temperature over Saudi Arabia is closely associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index for all seasons except the autumn; however, the relationship is most prominent during the winter season. The study indicates that the winter season temperature is also influenced by the Arctic Oscillation (AO) index, whereas the spring season temperature is influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). This research concludes that the negative phases of ENSO, AO and NAO all play a major role in the temperature increase over most parts of Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Collected Papers of Zagreb Law Faculty / Zbornik Pravnog Fakulteta u Zagrebu is the property of Sveuciliste u Zagrebu, Pravni Fakultet and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Aldehyde oxidase (AO) is a molybdenum-containing enzyme distributed throughout the animal kingdom and capable of metabolising a wide range of aldehydes and N-heterocyclic compounds. Although metabolism by this enzyme in man is recognised to have significant clinical impact where human AO activity was not predicted by screening in preclinical species, there is very little reported literature offering real examples where drug discoverers have successfully designed away from AO oxidation. This article reports on some strategies adopted in the Pfizer TLR7 agonist programme to successfully switch off AO metabolism that was seen principally in the rat. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyzes interannual variations of the blocking high over the Ural Mountains in the boreal winter and their association with the Arctic Oscillation/North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO). In January, the relationship between the Ural blocking high (UR) and the AO index is statistically significant. The UR tends to occur more frequently and with greater strength during negative AO periods. Some strong URs also occur during positive AO phases (positive UR-AO events), as in January 2008. This paper discusses the characteristics of atmospheric circulation in the cases of positive UR-AO events and contrast cases (negative UR-AO events). The eastward extending of the Icelandic Low (IL) center and the associated NAO dipole anomaly pattern in the upstream region may play a more important role for the UR-AO events. When the center of the IL shifts eastward to 30°W, the amplitude of zonal wavenumber 2 (wavenumber 3) is intensified in the positive (negative) UR-AO events, which favors positive (negative) height anomalies over the Urals. Further analyses indicate that the intensified zonal wind in high latitudes and weakened zonal wind in midlatitudes over the North Atlantic Ocean render the eastward shift of the IL and the NAO dipole anomaly pattern. The Ural blocking in January 2008 bears similar characteristics to the positive UR-AO events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modulation of the relationship between the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the East Asian winter climate by the 11-year solar cycle was investigated. During winters with high solar activity (HS), robust warming appeared in northern Asia in a positive AO phase. This result corresponded to an enhanced anticyclonic flow at 850 hPa over northeastern Asia and a weakened East Asian trough (EAT) at 500 hPa. However, during winters with low solar activity (LS), both the surface warming and the intensities of the anticyclonic flow and the EAT were much less in the presence of a positive AO phase. The possible atmospheric processes for this 11-year solar-cycle modulation may be attributed to the indirect influence that solar activity induces in the structural changes of AO. During HS winters, the sea level pressure oscillation associated with the AO became stronger, with the significant influence of AO extending to East Asia. In the meantime, the AO-related zonal-mean zonal winds tended to extend more into the stratosphere during HS winters, which implies a stronger coupling to the stratosphere. These trends may have led to an enhanced AO phase difference; thus the associated East Asian climate anomalies became larger and more significant. The situation tended to reverse during LS winters. Further analyses revealed that the relationship between the winter AO and surface-climate anomalies in the following spring is also modulated by the 11-year solar cycle, with significant signals appearing only during HS phases. Solar-cycle variation should be taken into consideration when the AO is used to predict winter and spring climate anomalies over East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The innovative use of an oblique relational morpheme to disambiguate semantic roles or to signal the increased agency of the referent of a core argument can result in the reanalysis of a case marker that is employed in a new, purely function of marking a core grammatical function. The extent to which such marking of a core argument becomes obligatory in the grammar of a language has implications for the development of case alignment patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the extent to which the phenomenon of transitivity contributes to syntactic organization in Ao, a Tibeto-Burman language of north-east India, by considering its manifestations from a pragmatic perspective. Agentive case marking is found to be the only formal correlate of transitivity in this language. This serves an obligatory marking function on actor arguments of verbal clauses expressing the habitual activity of a referent, and agentive marking is also consistently used to distinguish the causer argument of causativized predicates. However, in all other types of clause structures its use is pragmatically determined. Transitivity thus appears to be a construction-based phenomenon that has grammaticalized for only some aspects of Ao clausal syntax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Review of Finance / Revista Brasileira de Finanças is the property of Sociedade Brasileira de Financas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Eletrônica de Enfermagem is the property of Revista Eletronica de Enfermagem and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Epoxy resin reinforced with 3D parabeam glass fibre was subjected to low earth orbit (LEO) simulation conditions comprising ultra high vacuum, temperature cycling (TC), and ultraviolet (UV) radiation and atomic oxygen (AO) bombardment. Inspection of the same composite using only a selection of these hazardous conditions provided comparison measures to identify the effect of each condition on the surface degradation of the resin composite. Each of the individually selected conditions showed a different degradation mechanism that is accelerated by the presence of other conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to provide surface information. The resin composite samples suffered surface oxidation that increased the oxygen content to 17.24% in comparison with the untreated sample (only 14.2%). The samples that were treated with AO showed higher C–O and Cnal groups on the surface in comparison with the rest of the samples (as indicated by XPS). Molecular information (from ToF-SIMS) showed that surface oxidation differs with different conditions and in comparison with the use of all conditions. All treated samples were shown to suffer significant chain scission and loss of volatiles as a result of the LEO conditions. The extent of the chain scission reaction for each condition can be indicated by the extent of the reduction of the relative concentration of the aliphatic hydrocarbon ions. The relative intensity of the C4H11N4O2 + ion showed that AO bombardment accelerated the oxidation of the surface. The AO effect is doubled when UV and TC are also present. SEM results indicated that sample surfaces were eroded and roughened upon exposure to LEO conditions. Presence of AO and UV in the LEO conditions introduced white deposits onto the surface, believed to be crosslinked formations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The AO/ASIF Comprehensive Classification of Fractures is a logical system to describe and compare long-bone fractures. We adapted this classification to the hand to classify fractures of the metacarpals and phalanges. The alphanumeric sequence codes the bone involved, the bone segment, and the fracture type. To assess the reliability of this classification, one hundred radiographs of hand fractures were classified by nine observers in four sessions. Using Cohen's kappa coefficient, overall inter-observer agreement was 0.93 for bone identification, 0.80 for bone segment, and 0.44 for fracture type. Corresponding intra-observer agreement was 0.94, 0.92 and 0.62 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reconstructed decadal to centennial variability of maximum sea ice extent in the Western Nordic Seas for A.D. 1200–1997 using a combination of a regional tree-ring chronology from the timberline area in Fennoscandia and δ18O from the Lomonosovfonna ice core in Svalbard. The reconstruction successfully explained 59% of the variance in sea ice extent based on the calibration period 1864–1997. The significance of the reconstruction statistics (reduction of error, coefficient of efficiency) is computed for the first time against a realistic noise background. The twentieth century sustained the lowest sea ice extent values since A.D. 1200: low sea ice extent also occurred before (mid-seventeenth and mid-eighteenth centuries, early fifteenth and late thirteenth centuries), but these periods were in no case as persistent as in the twentieth century. Largest sea ice extent values occurred from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, during the Little Ice Age (LIA), with relatively smaller sea ice-covered area during the sixteenth century. Moderate sea ice extent occurred during thirteenth–fifteenth centuries. Reconstructed sea ice extent variability is dominated by decadal oscillations, frequently associated with decadal components of the North Atlantic Oscillation/Arctic Oscillation (NAO/AO), and multi-decadal lower frequency oscillations operating at ~50–120 year. Sea ice extent and NAO showed a non-stationary relationship during the observational period. The present low sea ice extent is unique over the last 800 years, and results from a decline started in late-nineteenth century after the LIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]