A Numerical Study on Effects of Land-Surface Heterogeneity from' Combined Approach' on Atmospheric ProcessPart II: Coupling-Model Simulations

Two land surface schemes, one the standard Biosphere / Atmosphere Transfer Scheme Version ie (BOZ) and the other B1Z based on B0Z and heterogeneously-treated by' combined approach' , were co 'pled to the meso-scale model MM4, respectively. Through the calculations of equations from the companion paper, parameters representing land surface heterogeneity and suitable for the coupling models were found out. Three cases were simulated for heavy rainfalls during 36 hours, and the sensitivity of short-term weather modeling to the land surface heterogeneity was tested. Through the analysis of the simulations of the three heavy rainfalls, it was demonstrated that BIZ, compared with BOZ, could more realistically reflect the features of the land surface heterogeneity, therefore could more realistically reproduce the circulation and precipitation amount in the heavy rainfall processes of the three cases. This shows that even short-term weather is sensitive to the land surface heterogeneity, which is more obvious with time passing, and whose influence is more pronounced in the lower layer and gradually extends to the middle and upper layer. Through the analysis of these simulations with BlZ, it is suggested that the bulk effect of smaller-scale fluxes (i.e., the momentum, water vapor and sensible heat fluxes) near the s ig nificantly-heterogeneous land surface is to change the larger-scale (i.e., meso-scale) circulation, and then to influence the development of the low-level jets and precipitation. And also, the complexity of the land-atmosphere interaction was shown in these simulations.

A Numerical Study on Effects of Land-Surface Heterogeneity from "Combined Approach" on Atmospheric Process Part I: Principle and Method

A method based on Giorgi (1997a, 1997b) and referred to as ’ combined approach’, which is a combi-nation of mosaic approach and analytical-statistical-dynamical approach, is proposed. Compared with those of other approaches, the main advantage of the combined approach is that it not only can represent both interpatch and intrapatch variability, but also cost less computational time when the land surface heterogeneity is considered. Because the independent variable of probability density function (PDF) is ex-tended to the single valued function of basic meteorological characteristic quantities, which is much more universal, the analytical expressions of the characteristic quantities (e.g., drag coefficient, snow coverage, leaf surface aerodynamical resistance) affected by roughness length are derived , when the roughness length(and / or the zero plane displacement) heterogeneity has been mainly taken into account with the approach. On the basis of the rule which the PDF parameters should follow, we choose a function y of the roughness length z 0 as the PDF independent variable, and set different values of the two parameters width ratio αn and height ratio γ of PDF (here a linear, symmetric PDF is applied) for sensitivity experiments, from which some conclusions can be drawn, e.g., relevant characteristic terms show different sensitivities to the heterogeneous characteristic (i.e., roughness length), which suggests that we should consider the heterogeneities of the more sensitive terms in our model instead of the heterogeneities of the rest, and which also implies that when the land surface scheme is coupled into the global or regional atmospheric model, sensitivity tests against the distribution of the heterogeneous characteristic are very necessary; when the parameter αn is close to zero, little heterogeneity is represented, and αn differs with cases, which have an upper limit of about 0.6; in the reasonable range of αn, a peak-like distribution of roughness length can be depicted by a small value of γ, etc.. Key words Representation of land surface heterogeneity - “ Combined approach” - Numerical experiment This work was supported by the National Sciences Foundation of China, Grant No.49875005 and the State Key Project (973) G19990434 (03).

Cloning of Ln Gene Through Combined Approach of Map-based Cloning and Association Study in Soybean

Increasing yield is one of the most important goals in crop breeding. Soybean （Glycine max L. Merr.）, one of the most economically important leguminous seed crops, provides the majority of plant proteins, and more than a quarter of the world＇s food and animal feed （Graham and Vance, 2003）. The yield of soybean is finally determined by the number of seeds per unit area, which affected by many characters, such as height, branching number, photosynthesis, seed size, seed number. The number of seeds per pod is taken for one of the critical components that related to yield （You et al., 1995）.

Surgical treatment of metachronous rectal liver and lungmetastases： A combined videolaparoscopic andvideothoracoscopic approach

To the Editor：We read with tremendous interest the paper by Del Fabbroet al. [1]. In this thorough article, the authors meticulously underlinethe advantages of a modified j-shaped incision for the simultaneoustreatment of difficult liver colorectal metastases （CRM） and right-lung CRM, reporting their experience in a cohort of 11 patients.

Reply to： Surgical treatment of metachronous rectal liver andlung metastases： A combined videolaparoscopic and videothoracoscopic approach

The Author Reply：We thank Dr. Sucameli et al. for the interest toward our article[1] and for the opportunity for further discussing on this issue,providing a case report of single metastastic fore sites in the liverand lung both treated in a minimal access fashion. However, giventhe interest of the authors insight, it appears misleading when related to that discussed in our report which was clearly referred toother patients＇ profiles. Indeed, they described a case with a singleperipheral nodule in the right lung and a single liver metastasesin segment 5. This uncommon situation （less than 2% of patientsaccording to the LiverMetSurvey registry [2]）, is obviouslya more than reasonable indication for a mini-invasive approach.However, our patients received surgery for complex oncological involvementof the liver： as described, this means large and/or multiplelesions, in contact or invading the hepatic veins at caval confluence.For such conditions we have introduced original surgicalapproaches [3,4]： in such conditions we would select a J-shapedthoracophrenolaparotomy for the liver per se [5]. This incision forsuch complex conditions other than allowing the liver clearance in a single operation rather than in staged approach [6], allows justin case the removal of lung nodules. Therefore, we thank again theauthors for their interest to our report, and furthermore we congratulatefor the original management of the shared clinical case.However, the condition recalled by the authors is related to a scenariooncologically and surgically at the opposite side of that discussedin our paper and for that somehow suggesting a comparisonis misleading.

The role of ureteroscopy for treatment of staghorn calculi: A systematic review

Objective:To define the role of ureteroscopy for treatment of staghorn calculi.Methods:A systematic review was conducted using the Scopus and Medline databases.Original articles and systematic reviews were selected according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)guidelines.Only studies relating to the role of ureteroscopy for treatment of staghorn calculi were included.Results:In five studies on ureteroscopic monotherapy,stone-free rate(SFR)ranged from 33%to 93%,with a maximum four ureteroscopy sessions per patient and no major complications.Endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery(ECIRS)was compared with percutaneous nephrolithotomy(PNL)in two studies and reached significantly higher SFR(88%e91%vs.59%e65%)and lower operative times(84e110 min vs.105e129 min).The role of salvage ureteroscopy for residual stones after primary PNL has been highlighted by two studies with a final SFR of 83%e89%.One study reported on the feasibility of ureteroscopy for ureteral stones and same-session PNL for contralateral staghorn calculi,with a SFR of 92%.Conclusion:Ureteroscopy plays a pivotal role in the setting of a combined approach to staghorn calculi.Ureteroscopy is also particularly suitable for clearance of residual stones.In specific cases,ureteroscopy may become the sole applicable therapeutic option to staghorn calculi.Technological advances and refinement of techniques suggest a major role of ureteroscopy for staghorn calculi treatment in close future.

Numerical Investigation on Optimizing the Performance of Heat Transfer in Vertical Packed Bed at the Particle Scale

Enhancing the heat transfer efficiency in the vertical packed bed is deemed as significant focus issue and strategy. Heat transfer process in the vertical packed bed, granular flow profiles have obviously positive effect on the dynamics of heat transport between gas and solid matter. It is quite important to know the mechanism of various granular flow pattern related to these performances of heat transfer phenomena. In this study, discrete element numerical models coupled with continuous fluid are developed and proposed to optimize the effect of uniformity of granular flow on performance of heat transfer process. The coefficient of variation is introduced as quantitative measure of the uniformity of granular flow layer. The relation between granular flow profiles and the performance of heat transfer is verified by a combined numerical approach. The increase of uniformity of granular layer has a positive effect on improving of the efficient inter-phase heat transfer. The study also quantitative unfolds the efficient inter-phase heat transfer greatly enhanced by structural modification. The quantitative analysis for contribution of structural and operational modification to improve the efficient heat transfer is also performed.

Surgical treatment of cervicothoracic junction spinal tuberculosis via combined anterior and posterior approaches in children

Background Cervicothoracic junction spinal tuberculosis （CJST） in children is uncommon, especially when accompanied by a huge abscess. However, its consequences can be severe. Because of the special anatomic location of the cervicothoracic junction, surgical treatment is difficult and rarely reported. The aim of this clinical study was to assess the effectiveness of combined anterior and posterior approaches for focal debridement, decompression, allografting and anterior instrumentation in the treatment of CJST in children. Methods Ten pediatric CJST patients underwent focal debridement and cord decompression through combined anterior and posterior approaches. Then an appropriate allograft and titanium plate were applied to reconstruct the spine. The patients were asked to wear head-neck-chest braces for six months and received regular anti-tubercular drugs therapy for 12 months. Results The patients were followed-up for an average of 26 months （range, 15-32 months）. There was no recurrent tuberculous infection. The bone grafts incorporated well and the instrumentation was stable. Cervical and thoracic kyphosis was successfully corrected from 40° （range, 30-52°） before the operation to 18° （range, 12-26°） post-operation. Neurological function was improved in all patients. Conclusions Combined anterior and posterior approaches for focal debridement, decompression, bone allografting and anterior instrumentation provided an effective means of treatment in children of CJST with a huge abscess in the posterior part of the vertebral body.

EXTENSION OF COMBINED SELF-CONSISTENT AND MORI-TANAKA APPROACH TO EVALUATION OF ELASTOPLASTIC PROPERTY OF PARTICULATE COMPOSITES

The combined self-consistent and Mori-Tanaka approach proposed for the evaluation of the effective elastic property of particulate composites is extended to evMuate the effective elastoplastic property of particulate composites. Suppose there are sufficient identical particle inclusions with total volume fraction c in a representative volume element （RVE） of a particulate composite, these inclusions are separated into two groups, with volume fractions （1 -A-1）c and c/A over the RVE, respectively. We assume that the first group of inclusions has already been embedded in the original matrix to form a fictitious matrix, and the RVE of the composite consists of the fictitious matrix and the second group of particle inclusions. The property of the fictitious matrix is determined by the conventional self-consistent scheme, while the effective elastoplastic property of the composite is determined by the conventional Mori-Tanaka scheme. Analysis shows that, the conventional Mori-Tanaka scheme and self-consistent scheme can be obtained as the two limit cases of the extended approach as A = 1 and A = c~, respectively. The constitutive behavior of the inclusions in either Group I or Group II is identical, indicating the consistency in the description of the constitutive behavior in the two steps. ~klrthermore, the effective elastoplastic behavior of some typical particulate composites is analyzed, and the satisfactory agreement between the computational and experimental results demonstrates the validity of the extended approach. The introduced A can serve reasonably as a parameter, which is related to the actual property of composites and can be identified by experiments, for a more accurate evaluation of the effective elastoplastic property of particulate composites.

DIRECT DIGITAL DESIGN AND SIMULATION OF MESHING IN WORM-GEAR DRIVE

A direct digital design method （DDDM） of worm-gear drive is proposed. It is directly based on the simulation of manufacturing process and completely different from the conventional modeling method. The loaded tooth contact analysis （LTCA） method is analyzed, in which the advanced surface to surface searching technique is included. The influence of misalignment errors and contact deformations on contact zone and transmission error （TE） is discussed. Combined modification approach on worm tooth surface is presented. By means of DDDM and LTCA, it is very conven- ient to verify the effect of worm-gear drive＇s modification approach. The analysis results show that, the modification in profile direction reduces the sensitivity of worm-gear drive to misalignment errors and the modification in longitudinal direction decreases the TE. Thus the optimization design of worm-gear drive can be achieved prior to the actual manufacturing process.

Retrorectal tumors:A challenge for the surgeons

Retrorectal or presacral tumors are rare lesions located in the presacral area and considered as being derived from multiple embryological remnants.These tumors are classified as congenital,neurogenic,osseous,inflammatory,or miscellaneous.The most common among these are congenital benign lesions that present with non-specific symptoms,such as lower back pain and change in bowel habit.Although congenital and developmental tumors occur in younger patients,the median age of presentation is reported to be 45 years.Magnetic resonance imaging plays a crucial role in treatment management through accurate diagnosis of the lesion,the evaluation of invasion to adjacent structures,and the decision of appropriate surgical approach.The usefulness of preoperative biopsy is still debated;currently,it is only indicated for solid or heterogeneous tumors if it will alter the treatment management.Surgical resection with clear margins is considered the optimal treatment;described approaches are transabdominal,perineal,combined abdominoperineal,and minimally invasive.Benign retrorectal tumors have favorable long-term outcomes with a low incidence of recurrence,whereas malignant tumors have a potential for distant organ metastasis in addition to local recurrence.

A combined signal processing approach against coherent interference with pressure and particle velocity

Comparing with traditional underwater acoustic system which only utilizes pressure information, combine sensor system processes pressure together with particle velocity information of sound field. More information certainly brings nicer processing result. By using spatial directional information collected by combine sensor, the Coherent Interference Energy Suppress (CIES) technology, which can effectively suppress coherent interference and detect linear spectrum signal and wide-band continuous-spectrum signal as well, is presented. Current research has shown favorite result, and further research is going on.

Presacralhydatid Cyst: An Exceptional Presentation

Introduction: Hydatidosis is caused by the larvae of the cestode?Echinococcus granulosus. Liver and lung are the most frequent locations. We report a rare case of a primary hydatid disease location in pre-sacral space. Clinic case: A 64-year-old male patient who consulted due to right gluteal area pain radiating to outer side of the right leg. Physical examination showed a positive Lasègue with hypoesthesia in right L4 L5 S1 territories, with loss of strength in S1. The x-ray showed L3 vertebral wedging and a lumbar lordosis rectification. Laboratory tests and tumor markers were negative. Endorectal ultrasonography described a multilobulatedpresacral cystic tumor. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 16 × 10 × 11 cm retro rectal mass. Due to uncertain diagnosis, surgery was performed, with previous albendazol administration and surgical field protection with 20% hypertonic saline solution. Combined approach (laparotomy + Kraske incision) was realized. Postoperative course was uneventful. The patient remained asymptomatic 36 months after surgery. Summary: Presacralhydatid cysts are rare entities, but must be considered in differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesions in presacral region. Surgery is treatment of choice, and medical treatment may be useful to prevent recurrences.

An Updated Review of Event Attribution Approaches

There have been considerable high-impact extreme events occurring around the world in the context of climate change.Event attribution studies,which seek to quantitatively answer whether and to what extent anthropogenic climate change has altered the characteristics-predominantly the probability and magnitude-of particular events,have been gaining increasing interest within the research community.This paper reviews the latest approaches used in event attribution studies through a new classification into three major categories according to how the event attribution question is framed-namely,the risk-based approach,the storyline approach,and the combined approach.Four approaches in the risk-based framing category and three in the storyline framing category are also reviewed in detail.The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are discussed.Particular attention is paid to the ability,suitability,and applicability of these approaches in attributing extreme events in China,a typical monsoonal region where climate models may not perform well.Most of these approaches are applicable in China,and some are more suitable for analyzing temperature events.There is no right or wrong among these approaches,but different approaches have different framings.The uncertainties in attribution results come from several aspects,including different categories of framing,different conditions in climate model approaches,different models,different definitions of the event,and different observational data used.Clarification of these aspects can help to understand the differences in attribution results from different studies.

Identification and Cloning of Differentially Expressed Genes Involved in the Interaction Between Potato and Phytophthora infestans using a Subtractive Hybridization and cDNA-AFLP Combinational Approach

Using a subtractive hybridization （SH）/cDNA-AFLP combinational approach, differentially expressed genes involved in the potato-Phytophthora infestans interaction were identified. These included genes potentially controlling pathogenesis or avr genes in P. infestans as well as those potentially involved in potato resistance or susceptibility to this pathogen. Forty-one differentially expressed transcript, derived fragments （TDFs）, resulting from the interaction, were cloned and sequenced. Two TDFs, suggested as potential pathogenicity factors, have sequence similarity to N-succinyl diaminopimelate aminotransferase and a transcriptional regulator, TetR family gene, respectively. Two other TDFs, suggested as potential avr genes, have sequence similarity to an EST sequence from Avr41Cf.41Avr91Cf- 9 and a P. infestans avirulence-associated gene, respectively. Genes＇ expression and origin were confirmed using Southern blots, Northern blots and qRT-PCR, he., potential resistance gene DL81 was induced at 12 hpi in the moderately resistant cultivar, whereas it was down-regulated as early as 6 hpi in the susceptible cultivar. On the other hand, DL21 was induced at 6 hpi （3.38-fold） in response to the highly aggressive isolate （US8） and strongly up-regulated thereafter （25.13-fold at 120 hpi.）, whereas it was only slightly up-regulated in response to the weakly aggressive isolate US11 （3.82-fold at 96 hpi）, suggesting its potential involvement as a susceptibility gene.

Quality Control Approaches for Chinese Herbal Medicines

The current official quality control approaches meet the challenges from the complexity of herbal medicines.In fact,any herbal medicines containing numerous unknown components,its curative effect usually depends on the whole of herbal medicines,so it is impossible and unnecessary to qualitatively and quantitatively study every component.By investigating the limitations of current quality control approaches for herbal medicines and the difference and similarity in the chemical substantial style as well as quality control pattern of herbal medicines,a new quality control approach for Chinese herbal medicines should be explored and designed.The combination approach of chemical analysis with bioassay is promising to be developed and employed in order to ensure the safety and efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines.

A NEW EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL APPROACH OF COMBINING USAGE OF HIGHLY ACTIVE TUMOR-INFILTRATING LYMPHOCYTES AND HIGHLY SENSITIVE ANTITUMOR DRUGS FOR THE ADVANCED MALIGNANT TUMOR

In recent years, tumor-nfiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been reported to be effective for tumors in experimental and clinical research. In order to increase the therapeutical effect, we modified some steps of Rosenberg's approach a. cold digestion with collagenase at 4C for 24 hours; b. sedimentation instead of centrifugation; c. elimination of tumor cells before the cultivation procedure. Compared with the original approach, the proliferation, activity and cytotoxicity of TILs obtained by the modified procedure were much improved. TILs' expansion-old was greater than that with the original approach. Cytotoxicity against rumor cells was more potent. Increased TILs' subsets were CD3 and CD8 cells. Meanwhile, we took tumor cells from tumor tissues to test their in vitro chemosensitivities to different drugs in order to select highly sensitive antitumor drugs for treatment of cases with advanced tumors. According to the design of using highly active TILs and highly sensitive drugs (H & H therapy), preliminary clinical results of 50 cases showed higher response rates than those in treatment with TIL / IL2, LAK / 1L2 and TIL+IL2+CTX. Less toxic side effects were observed in 14 patients.

Chance-constrained Coordinated Optimization for Urban Electricity and Heat Networks

Urban electricity and heat networks(UEHN)consist of the coupling and interactions between electric power systems and district heating systems,in which the geographical and functional features of integrated energy systems are demonstrated.UEHN have been expected to provide an effective way to accommodate the intermittent and unpredictable renewable energy sources,in which the application of stochastic optimization approaches to UEHN analysis is highly desired.In this paper,we propose a chance-constrained coordinated optimization approach for UEHN considering the uncertainties in electricity loads,heat loads,and photovoltaic outputs,as well as the correlations between these uncertain sources.A solution strategy,which combines the Latin Hypercube Sampling Monte Carlo Simulation(LHSMCS)approach and a heuristic algorithm,is specifically designed to deal with the proposed chance-constrained coordinated optimization.Finally,test results on an UEHN comprised of a modified IEEE 33-bus system and a 32-node district heating system at Barry Island have verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed framework.