Multidetector computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of double superior mesenteric veins:A case report

BACKGROUND This study aimed to describe the findings of double superior mesenteric veins(SMVs),a rare anatomical variation,on multidetector computer tomography(MDCT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)images.CASE SUMMARY We describe the case of a 34-year-old male,who underwent both MDC and MRI examinations of the upper abdomen because of liver cirrhosis.MDCT and MRI angiography images of the upper abdomen revealed an anatomic variation of the superior mesenteric vein(SMV),the double SMVs.CONCLUSION The double SMVs are a congenital abnormality without potential clinical manifestation.Physicians need to be aware of this anatomical variation during abdominal surgery to avoid iatrogenic injury.

Geomagnetic diurnal-variation anomalies and their relation to strong earthquakes

The diurnal-variation anomalies of the vertical-component in geomagnetic field are mainly the changes of phase and amplitude before strong earthquakes. On the basis of data recorded by the network of geomagnetic observato- ries in China for many years, the anomalous features of appearance time of the minima of diurnal variations (i.e, low-point time) of the geomagnetic vertical components and the variation of their spatial distribution (i.e, phe- nomena of low-point displacement) have been studied before over 30 strong earthquakes with MS≥6.6 such as Kunlunshan MS=8.1 earthquake on November 14, 2001; Bachu-Jashi MS=6.8 earthquake on February 24, 2003; Xiaojin MS=6.6 earthquake on September 22, 1989, etc. There are good relations between such rare phenomena of geomagnetic anomalies and the occurrence of earthquakes. It has been found that most earthquakes occur in the vicinity of the boundary line of sudden change of the low-point displacement and generally within four days before and after the 27th or 41st day counting from the day of appearance of the anomaly. In addition, the anomalies of diurnal-variation amplitude near the epicentral area have been also studied before Kunlunshan MS=8.1 earthquake and Bachu-Jiashi MS=6.8 earthquake.

Statistical Study of foF2 Diurnal Variation at Dakar Station from 1971 to 1996:Effect of Geomagnetic Classes of Activity on Seasonal Variation at Solar Minimum and Maximum

The statistical study of F2 layer critical frequency at Dakar station from 1971 to 1996 is carried out. This paper shows foF2 statistical diurnal for all geomagnetic activities and all seasons and that during solar maximum and minimum phases. It emerges that foF2 diurnal variation graphs at Dakar station exhibits the different types of foF2 profiles in African EIA regions. The type of profile depends on solar activity, season and solar phase. During solar minimum and under quiet time condition, data show?the signature of a strength electrojet that is coupled with intense counter electrojet in the afternoon. Under disturbed conditions,?mean intense electrojet is observed in winter?during fluctuating and recurrent activities. Intense counter electrojet is seen under fluctuating and shock activities in all seasons coupled with strength electrojet in autumn. In summer?and spring under all geomagnetic activity condition, there is intense counter electrojet. During solar maximum, in summer and spring there is no electrojet under geomagnetic activity conditions.?Winter shows a mean intense electrojet. Winter and autumn are marked by the signature of the reversal electric field.

Diurnal Variations of Summer Precipitation in the Beijing Area and the Possible Effect of Topography and Urbanization

The present study examined the diurnal variations of summer precipitation in the Beijing area by usingsubdaily precipitation and wind observations. A combined effect of topography and urbanization on thecharacteristics of diurnal variations was suggested. It was shown that stations located in the plain areaexhibited typical night rain peaks, whereas those in the mountainous area exhibited clear afternoon peaks ofprecipitation diurnal variations. The precipitation peaks were associated with wind fields around the Beijingarea, which were found to be highly modulated by mountain-valley circulation and urban-country circulation.The lower-tropospheric wind exhibited a clear diurnal shift in its direction from north at 0800 LST to southat 2000 LST, which reflected mountain-valley circulation. The transitions from valley to mountain windand the opposite generally happened after sunset and sunrise, respectively, and both occurred earlier for thestations located closer to mountains. By comparing the diurnal variations of precipitation at stations in anortheast suburb, an urban area, and a southwest suburb, it was revealed that the northeast suburb grouphad the highest normalized rainfall frequency, but the southwest group had the lowest from late afternoon tolate evening. On the contrary, in the early morning from about 0200 to 1000 LST, the southwest group andurban group had the highest normalized rainfall frequency. This pattern might originate from the combinedeffects of mountain-valley topography and urbanization.

Diurnal variations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with PM_(2.5) in Shanghai, China

Forty-eight daily time interval PM2.5 samples were collected from December 2006 to January 2008 in an urban site in Shanghai, China. Concentrations and compositions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） were analyzed with GC-MS to study the diurnal and seasonal variations and to identify the main emitting sources. The diurnal variation of the PAHs concentrations was greater in the late autumn and winter sampling days, and was greatly influenced by meteorological conditions such as wind speed and ambient temperature. The concentration of PAHs in the mornings （6：30–10：00） increased distinctly, and was high in the late autumn and winter sampling days, indicating the contribution from vehicle emissions during rush hours. The diurnal variation of the high molecular weight PAHs did not seem to be controlled by the shift of gas-particle partitioning due to temperature variation, instead, it could be indicative of the variation in the source. Statistical analyses showed that the concentrations of PAHs were negatively correlated with temperature and wind speed, and positively correlated with relative humidity. Diagnostic ratios of PAHs suggested mixed emission sources of petroleum and coal/biomass combustion for PAHs in the PM2.5 in Shanghai.

Impacts of Diurnal Variation of Mountain-plain Solenoid Circulations on Precipitation and Vortices East of the Tibetan Plateau during the Mei-yu Season

Diurnal variations of two mountain-plain solenoid （MPS） circulations associated with ＂first-step＂ terrain [Tibetan Plateau （TP）] and ＂second-step＂ terrain （high mountains between the TP and ＂east plains＂） in China and their influence on the south west vortex （SWV） and the mei-yu front vortex （MYFV） were investigated via a semi-idealized mesoscale numerical model [Weather Research and Forecasting （WRF）] simulation integrated with ten-day average fields （mei-yu period of 1-10 July 2007）. The simulations successfully reproduced two MPS circulations related to first and second-step terrain, diurnal vari- ations from the eastern edge of the TP to the Yangtze River-Huaihe River valleys （YHRV）, and two precipitation maximum centers related to the SWV, MYFV. Analyses of the averaged final seven-day simulation showed the different diurnal peaks of precipitation at different regions： from the aftemoon to early evening at the eastern edge of the TP; in the early evening to the next early morning in the Sichuan Basin （SCB）; and in the late evening to the next early morning over the mei-yu front （MYF）. Analyses of individual two-day cases confirmed that the upward branches of the nightlime MPS circulations enhanced the precipitation over the SWV and the MYFV and revealed that the eastward extension of the SWV and its con vection were conducive to triggering the MYFVs. The eastward propagation of a rainfall streak from the eastern edge of the TP to the eastern coastal region was primarily due to a series of convective activities of several systems from west to east, including the MPS between the TP and SCB, the SWV, the MPS between second-step terrain and tile east plains, and the MYFV.

Diurnal Variations of Air Pollution and Atmospheric Boundary Layer Structure in Beijing During Winter 2000/2001

The diurnal variations of gaseous pollutants and the dynamical and thermodynamic structures of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) in the Beijing area from January to March 2001 are analyzed in this study using data from the Beijing City Air Pollution Observation Field Experiment (BECAPEX). A heavy pollution day (22 February) and a good air quality day (24 February) are selected and individually analyzed and compared to reveal the relationships between gaseous pollutants and the diurnal variations of the ABL. The results show that gaseous pollutant concentrations exhibit a double-peak-double-valley-type diurnal variation and have similar trends but with different magnitudes at different sites in Beijing. The diurnal variation of the gaseous pollutant concentrations is closely related to (with a 1-2 hour delay of) changes in the atmospheric stability and the mean kinetic energy in the ABL.

Warm-Season Diurnal Variations of Total, Stratiform, Convective, and Extreme Hourly Precipitation over Central and Eastern China

Diurnal variations in amount, frequency and intensity of warm-season hourly precipitation(HP) at seven levels, which are defined as HP 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 mm, are revealed based on no less than 30 years of hourly rain-gauge observations at national stations over central and eastern China(CEC). This study investigates the variations, relationships, differences and similarities of total, stratiform, convective and extreme HP over the entire CEC and various subregions. Results indicate that the variations in the amount and frequency of HP at the seven levels over the entire CEC all display a bimodal feature. For various regions, the variations of total HP mostly feature two peaks, while convective HP mainly occurs in the late afternoon and determines the diurnal variation of total HP intensity. On the basis of the primary peak time periods of HP frequency at all levels over different subregions, the variations can be classified into three main categories: late-afternoon primary peak, nocturnal primary peak, and time-shifting primary peak. However, the variations over some coastal regions like the Liaodong Peninsula, the Shandong Peninsula, and the coastal regions of Guangdong, distinctly differ from those over their corresponding larger regions. Overall, the normalized diurnal variation amplitude of amount and frequency increases with the increasing HP intensity; convective precipitation can be represented by HP 10 mm; and the intensity of HP 50 mm is slightly larger during the nighttime than during the daytime over the entire CEC. In northern China, diurnal variation in HP 5 mm can represent well that in convective precipitation.

A Modeling Study of Diurnal Rainfall Variations during the 21-Day Period of TOGA COARE

The surface rainfall processes and diurnal variations associated with tropical oceanic convection are examined by analyzing a surface rainfall equation and thermal budget based on hourly zonal-mean data from a series of two-dimensional cloud-resolving simulations. The model is integrated for 21 days with imposed large-scale vertical velocity, zonal wind, and horizontal advection obtained from the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment （TOGA COARE） in the control experiment. Diurnal analysis shows that the infrared radiative cooling after sunset, as well as the advective cooling associated with imposed large-scale ascending motion, destabilize the atmosphere and release convective available potential energy to energize nocturnal convective development. Substantial local atmospheric drying is associated with the nocturnal rainfall peak in early morning, which is a result of the large condensation and deposition rates in the vapor budget. Sensitivity experiments show that diurnal variations of radiation and large-scale forcing can produce a nocturnal rainfall peak through infrared and advective cooling, respectively.

Diurnal and Seasonal Variations of CO2Fluxes and Their Climate Controlling Factors for a Subtropical Forest in Ningxiang

In this study, the diurnal and seasonal variations of CO2 fluxes in a subtropical mixed evergreen forest in Ningxiang of Hunan Province, part of the East Asian monsoon region, were quantified for the first time. The fluxes were based on eddy covariance measurements from a newly initiated flux tower. The relationship between the CO2 fluxes and climate factors was also analyzed. The results showed that the target ecosystem appeared to be a clear carbon sink in 2013, with integrated net ecosystem CO2exchange（NEE）, ecosystem respiration（RE）, and gross ecosystem productivity（GEP） of-428.8, 1534.8 and1963.6 g C m^-2yr^-1, respectively. The net carbon uptake（i.e. the-NEE）, RE and GEP showed obvious seasonal variability,and were lower in winter and under drought conditions and higher in the growing season. The minimum NEE occurred on12 June（-7.4 g C m^-2d^-1）, due mainly to strong radiation, adequate moisture, and moderate temperature; while a very low net CO2 uptake occurred in August（9 g C m^-2month^-1）, attributable to extreme summer drought. In addition, the NEE and GEP showed obvious diurnal variability that changed with the seasons. In winter, solar radiation and temperature were the main controlling factors for GEP, while the soil water content and vapor pressure deficit were the controlling factors in summer. Furthermore, the daytime NEE was mainly limited by the water-stress effect under dry and warm atmospheric conditions, rather than by the direct temperature-stress effect.

Diurnal and seasonal variation of glacier meltwater hydrochemistry in Qiyi glacierized catchment in Qilian Mountains, Northwest China: implication for chemical weathering

In glacierized catchments, glacier runoff typically shows a strong diurnal cycle in the ablation season(June-September). To elucidate the effect of these processes on the chemical weathering, fresh snowfall and water samples were collected and studied from the supraglacial river, proglacial river,and gauging site in Qiyi glacierized catchment Qilian Mountains, Northwestern China, in the summer of2011. The pH and electronic conductivity(EC) were determined in the field, and the concentrations of major ions(Na^+, K^+, Mg^(2+), Ca^(2+), Cl^-, SO_4^(2-), NO_3^-) were measured. The results indicated that EC linearly increased with increasing distance from the glacial snout, and the concentrations of major ions increased with increasing water-rock interaction time. Along the flow path of the glacier runoff, Na^+ and Cl^-are more concentrated than other ions in the supraglacial river while Mg^(2+) and SO_4^(2-)are more concentrated than other ions at the gauging site. The discharge, pH, EC,and the concentrations of major ions exhibited significant diurnal variation along the flow path. On the other hand, the amplitude of variation diminished from upstream to downstream along the flow path.The chemical weathering rate(Na^++K^++Mg^(2+)+Ca^(2+))was determined to be 10.9 t/yr/km^2. Moreover,further research indicated that the sampling method influenced the assessment of chemical weathering rates. When the sample was collected randomly in one diurnal cycle of hydrography, the estimated ionic flux could deviate-47%~73% based on estimated hourly data. In contrast, if three samples were collected at peak, base flow and the discharge decreasing rate starts to slow down in one diurnal cycle of hydrography, respectively, the deviation would be less than 15%. The smaller the diurnal variation of discharge, the smaller deviation calculated.

Diurnal Variation of Tropical Convection during TOGA COARE IOP

Diurnal variation of tropical convection and kinematic and thermodynamic conditions was investigated for different large-scale environments of the convectively active and inactive periods by using satellite observations and surface measurements during the Intensive Observation Period （IOP） of the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere/Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment （TOGA/COARE）. During the convectively active period, the features of nocturnal convection appear in vertical profiles of convergence, vertical velocity, heat source, and moisture sink. The specific humidity increases remarkably in the middle troposphere at dawn. On the other hand, the altitude of maximum convergence and that of the upward motion is lower during the convectively inactive period. The specific humidity peaks in the lower troposphere in the daytime and decreases in the middle troposphere. Spectral analyses of the time series of the infrared （IR） brightness temperature （TBB） and amounts of rainfall suggest multiscale temporal variation with a prominent diurnal cycle over land and oceanic regions such as the Intensive Flux Array （IFA） and the South Pacific Convergence Zone （SPCZ）. Over land, the daily maximum of deep convection associated with cloud top temperature less than 208 K appears at midnight due to the daytime radiative heating and the sea-land breeze. Over the ocean, convection usually tends to occur at dawn for the convectively active period while in the afternoon during the inactive period. Comparing the diurnal variation of convection with large-scale variables, the authors inferred that moisture in the middle troposphere contributes mostly to the development of nocturnal convection over the ocean during the convectively active period.

Diurnal variations of pCO_2 in relation to environ-mental factors in the cascade reservoirs along the Wujiang River, China

We have investigated the diurnal variations of the pCO2 and related environmental factors in the cascade reservoirs with different trophic levels along Wujiang River. In surface water the pCO2 was 357±11 μatm in Hong-jiadu Reservoir, 338±48 μatm in Dongfeng Reservoir, 682±303 μatm in Wujiangdu Reservoir, and 1677±429 μatm in Liuguang, respectively. The results indicated that these cascade reservoirs had much lower pCO2 values in surface water than river did, and hypereutrophic reservoir showed larger diurnal variations of pCO2 than meso-eutrophic reservoir. In water column, pCO2 tended to increase with the depth. Phytoplankton and the environmental factors such as temperature and pH had different influences on pCO2 diurnal variations due to different trophic levels, and the effect of phytoplankton on pCO2 variation increased with the increase of trophic level in these reservoirs.

Diurnal variation models for fine fuel moisture content in boreal forests in China

Studying diurnal variation in the moisture content of fine forest fuel(FFMC)is key to understanding forest fire prevention.This study established models for predicting the diurnal mean,maximum,and minimum FFMC in a boreal forest in China using the relationship between FFMC and meteorological variables.A spline interpolation function is proposed for describing diurnal variations in FFMC.After 1 day with a 1 h field measurement data testing,the results indicate that the accuracy of the sunny slope model was 100%and 84%when the absolute error was<3%and<10%,respectively,whereas the accuracy of the shady slope model was 72%and 76%when the absolute error was<3%and<10%,respectively.The results show that sunny slope and shady slope models can predict and describe diurnal variations in fine fuel moisture content,and provide a basis for forest fire danger prediction in boreal forest ecosystems in China.

Effects of clouds, sea surface temperature, and its diurnal variation on precipitation efficiency

The effects of clouds, sea surface temperature, and its diurnal variation on precipitation efficiency are investigated us ing grid-scale data from nine equilibrium sensitivity cloud-resolving model experiments driven without large-scale vertical velocity. The precipitation efficiencies are respectively defined in surface rainfall, cloud, and rain microphysical budgets. We mathematically and physically demonstrate the relationship between these precipitation efficiencies. The 2 ℃ increases in spatiotemporal invariant sea surface temperature （SST） from 27 ℃ to 29 ℃ and from 29 ℃ to 31 ℃, and the inclusion of diurnal SST difference 1 ℃ and the 1℃ increase in diurnal SST difference generate opposite changes in the precipitation efficiency by changing ice cloud-radiation interactions. The radiative and microphysical processes of ice clouds have opposite effects on the precipitation efficiency because of the rainfall increase associated with the reduction in the saturation mixing ratio caused by the exclusion of radiative effects and the decrease in rainfall related to the reduction in net condensation caused by the exclusion of deposition processes. The radiative effects of water clouds on the precipitation efficiency are statistically insensitive to the radiative effects of ice clouds.

EFFECTS OF SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND ITS DIURNAL VARIATION ON DIURNAL VARIATION OF RAINFALL:A PARTITIONING ANALYSIS BASED ON SURFACE RAINFALL BUDGET

The effects of sea surface temperature(SST) and its diurnal variation on diurnal variation of rainfall are examined in this study by analyzing a series of equilibrium cloud-resolving model experiments which are imposed with zero large-scale vertical velocity.The grid rainfall simulation data are categorized into eight rainfall types based on rainfall processes including water vapor convergence/divergence,local atmospheric drying/moistening,and hydrometeor loss/convergence or gain/divergence.The rainfall contributions of the rainfall types with water vapor convergence are insensitive to the increase in SST from 27°C to 29°C during the nighttime,whereas they are decreased during the daytime.The rainfall contributions of the rainfall types with water vapor convergence are decreased as the SST increases from 29°C to 31°C but the decreases are larger during the nighttime than during the daytime.The rainfall contributions of the rainfall types with water vapor convergence are decreased by the inclusion of diurnal variation of SST with diurnal difference of 1°C during the nighttime,but the decreases are significantly slowed down as the diurnal difference of SST increases from 1°C to 2°C.The rainfall contributions of the rainfall types with water vapor convergence are insensitive to the inclusion of diurnal variation of SST during the daytime.

Diurnal Variation of Southwest Monsoon Rainfall at Indian Stations

The paper presents the patterns of rainfall behavior brought out by the diagrams depicting the diurnal variation of SW monsoon rainfall at selected indian stations. The stations in different geographical locations are found to exhibit different patterns of diurnal variation of rainfall. In general, coastal and island stations show enhanced rainfall from midnight to morning hours and below average rainfall during day time. Many inland stations show rainfall maximum towards afternoon/evening hours. Some hill stations show the same behavior as inland stations. However, at the heavy rainfall station of Cherrapunjee, the rainfall behavior is similar to that at the coastal stations. Possible physical mechanisms responsible for the diurnal variation of rainfall at stations under different categories, are briefly discussed. Harmonic analysis of hourly SW monsoon rainfall data of 33 stations show that for 19 stations, the first harmonic accounts for more than 50% of the variance of the rainfall series. These consist of (i) inland stations for which the maximum of the first harmonic is reached between 16 hours IST and midnight, and (n) coastal/island stations for which the maximum is seen between 03 and 07 hours IST. At most of the coastal and island stations, the first harmonic alone accounts for 75% orb more of the variance. For the heavy rainfall station of Cherrapunjee, the first harmonic which attains its maximum at 3.8 hours IST (-4.4 hours LT), is able to account for 96% of the variance of the rainfall series. It is hoped that the information contained in this paper about the pattern of diurnal modulation of monsoon rainfall may serve as background material to monsoon precipitation climatology.

Diurnal variations of water-soluble ions in PM_(2.5)in Shanghai

Thirty-six daily time interval PM2.5 samples were collected in different seasonal dates in urban Shanghai, and the concentrations of four anions （Cl- , NO3-, SO4^2-, C2O4^2-） and five cations （NH＋, Na＋, K＋, Ca2＋, Mg2＋） were analyzed with ion chromatography. Sulfate, nitrate and ammonium were found to be the dominant species, accounting for about 80% of the total ions. The daily nitrate to sulfate mass ratio ranged from 0.31 to 0.82, indicating that coal combustion was still the main pollution source in Shanghai. The equivalent ratio of ammonium to stun of nitrate and sulfate showed fixed diurnal variation pattern in all the sampling days with higher values in the nighttime, suggesting that fine particles in the night were more neutralized. The oxalate to sulfate ratio was lower in the winter sampling days than that in hotter summer and autumn sampling days. Oxalate was significantly correlated with sulfate in winter sampling days, but not in the summer and autumn, suggesting that the formation mechanism of oxalate and sulfate was similar in winter, however different in hot days.

The diurnal variation pattern of choroidal thickness in macular region of young healthy female individuals using spectral domain optical coherence tomography

AIM： To investigate the pattern of diurnal variations of choroidal thickness of macular region of healthy individuals. ~ METHODS： A prospective study of 32 healthy female subjects was conducted. Each subject underwent 1） a questionnaire on daily schedule, 2） the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire （PSQI）, and 3） ocular examinations including an eye dominance test, fundus photography, and sequential optical coherence tomography （OCT） imaging, on two separate days at five fixed 3h time intervals. Choroidal thickness was measured by two masked graders. RESULTS： A significant diurnal variation of choriodal thickness at fovea （P〈0.001）, at 500 μm nasal （P〈0.001）, temporal to fovea （P=0.01） or 1500 μm nasal to fovea （P= 0.001） was observed. The median choroidal thickness peaked at 11：00 at fovea （P=0.01）, at 500μm nasal （P = 0.009） and temporal （P=0.03） to fovea. The median amplitude of foveal choroidal thickness was 20.5 pm （13, 31） and 20.0 μm （12.5, 28.2） for the first and second series of measurements, respectively. The greater amplitude of foveal choroidal thickness was associated with thickner initial foveal choroidal thickness [ 0.05 （0.03, 0.08）, P= 0.01], dominant eye 10.51 （4.02, 14.60）, P=0.04] in the multivariate linear regression. CONCLUSION： Our data show a significant diurnal variation of the choroidal thickness at fovea, at 500 μm nasal and temporal to fovea and 1500 μm nasal to fovea. Thicker initial foveal choroidal thickness and being dominant eye may influence the amplitude of foveal choroidal thickness.

Thermal aspect of the diurnal variation of tropical convective and stratiform rainfall

The diurnal variation of radiation plays a key role in determining the diurnal variations of tropical oceanic con- vective and stratiform rainfall, and the examination of such a relationship requires a direct link between the radiation term in a heat budget and the surface rain rate in a cloud budget. Thus, the thermally related surface rainfall budgets derived from the combination of cloud and heat budgets are analysed with two-dimensional equilibrium cloud-resolving model simulation data to study the effects of sea surface temperature （SST） and cloud radiative, and microphysical processes on the diurnal variations of convective and stratiform rainfall. The results show that the increase in SST, the inclusion of diurnal variation of SST and the exclusion of cloud radiative processes increase negative diurnal anomalies of heat divergence over rainfall-free regions during the nighttime through changing the vertical structures of diurnal anomaly of radiation in the troposphere. The strengthened negative diurnal anomalies of heat divergence over rainfall- free regions enhance positive diurnal anomalies of heat divergence over convective regions, which intensifies the positive diurnal anomaly of convective rainfall. The exclusion of microphysical effects of ice clouds increases the negative diurnal anomaly of heat divergence over rainfall-free regions during the nighttime through reducing latent heat; this appears to enhance the positive diurnal anomaly of heat divergence over raining stratiform regions, and thus stratiform rMnfall.