| 1. |
- Herth, Felix J. F., et al.
(author)
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Radiological and clinical outcomes of using Chartis (TM) to plan endobronchial valve treatment
- 2013
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 1399-3003 .- 0903-1936. ; 41:2, s. 302-308
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One-way endobronchial valves (EBVs) have been shown to relieve symptoms of emphysema, particularly in patients without collateral ventilation (CV) between the target and adjacent lobes. In this study, we investigated the ability of the bronchoscopic Chartis (TM) Pulmonary Assessment System to predict treatment response by determining the presence of CV. 80 EBV patients underwent a pre-treatment Chartis assessment. Before and 30 days after implantation, high-resolution computed tomography scans were taken to determine target lobe volume reduction (TLVR). A pre- to post-treatment reduction of >= 350 mL was defined as significant. In addition, clinical outcomes (forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), 6-min walk test and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire) were compared over the same time period. Of the 51 patients classified as having an absence of CV according to their Chartis reading, 36 showed a TLVR 350 mL. 29 patients were classified as having CV, and of these 24 did not meet this TLVR cut-off. Chartis showed an accuracy level of 75% in predicting whether or not the TLVR cut-off would be reached. Those predicted to respond showed significantly greater TLVR (p<0.0001) and FEV1 improvement (p=0.0013) than those predicted not to respond. Chartis is a safe and effective method of predicting response to EBV treatment.
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| 2. |
- Vieira, Goncalo, et al.
(author)
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Thermal State of Permafrost and Active-layer Monitoring in the Antarctic : Advances During the International Polar Year 2007–2009
- 2010
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In: Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. - : Wiley. - 1045-6740 .- 1099-1530. ; 21:2, s. 182-197
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Results obtained during the International Polar Year (IPY) on the thermal state of permafrost and the active layer in the Antarctic are presented, forming part of ANTPAS (‘Antarctic Permafrost and Soils’), which was one of the key projects developed by the International Permafrost Association and the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research for the IPY. The number of boreholes for permafrost and active-layer monitoring was increased from 21 to 73 during the IPY, while CALM-S sites to monitor the active layer were increased from 18 to 28. Permafrost temperatures during the IPY were slightly below 0°C in the South Shetlands near sea-level, showing that this area is near the climatic boundary of permafrost and has the highest sensitivity to climate change in the region. Permafrost temperatures were much lower in continental Antarctica: from the coast to the interior and with increasing elevation they ranged between −13.3°C and −18.6°C in Northern Victoria Land, from −17.4°C to −22.5°C in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and down to −23.6°C at high elevation on Mount Fleming (Ross Island). Other monitored regions in continental Antarctica also showed cold permafrost: Queen Maud Land exhibited values down to −17.8°C on nunataks, while in Novolazarevskaya (Schirmacher Oasis) at 80 m a.s.l. the permafrost temperature was −8.3°C. The coastal stations of Molodeznaya at Enderby Land showed permafrost temperatures of −9.8°C, Larsemann Hills – Progress Station in the Vestfold Hills region – recorded −8.5°C, and Russkaya in Marie Byrd Land, −10.4°C. This snapshot obtained during the IPY shows that the range of ground temperatures in the Antarctic is greater than in the Arctic. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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| 3. |
- Wetter, Oliver, et al.
(author)
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The year-long unprecedented European heat and drought of 1540-a worst case
- 2014
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In: Climatic Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0165-0009 .- 1573-1480. ; 125:3-4, s. 349-363
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The heat waves of 2003 in Western Europe and 2010 in Russia, commonly labelled as rare climatic anomalies outside of previous experience, are often taken as harbingers of more frequent extremes in the global warming-influenced future. However, a recent reconstruction of spring-summer temperatures for WE resulted in the likelihood of significantly higher temperatures in 1540. In order to check the plausibility of this result we investigated the severity of the 1540 drought by putting forward the argument of the known soil desiccation-temperature feedback. Based on more than 300 first-hand documentary weather report sources originating from an area of 2 to 3 million km(2), we show that Europe was affected by an unprecedented 11-month-long Megadrought. The estimated number of precipitation days and precipitation amount for Central and Western Europe in 1540 is significantly lower than the 100-year minima of the instrumental measurement period for spring, summer and autumn. This result is supported by independent documentary evidence about extremely low river flows and Europe-wide wild-, forest- and settlement fires. We found that an event of this severity cannot be simulated by state-of-the-art climate models.
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| 4. |
- Wild, Marcel, et al.
(author)
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Coupon collecting and transversals of hypergraphs
- 2013
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In: Discrete Mathematics & Theoretical Computer Science. - 1462-7264 .- 1365-8050. ; 15:2, s. 259-270
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The classic Coupon-Collector Problem (CCP) is generalized to a setting where coupons can serve more than one purpose. We show how the expected number of coupons that needs to be drawn can be determined by means of enumerating transversals of hypergraphs, where coupons can be drawn either with or without replacement. Only basic probability theory is needed for this purpose. The transversal counting can be done efficiently by a recently introduced algorithm that encodes all possible transversals in an efficient way. Our results are illustrated by applications to, amongst others, chess and roulette.
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