Symbolic Tensor Calculus -- Functional and Dynamic Approach

In this paper, we briefly discuss the dynamic and functional approach to computer symbolic tensor analysis. The ccgrg package for Wolfram Language/Mathematica is used to illustrate this approach. Some examples of applications are attached

Estimates of air–sea feedbacks on sea surface temperature anomalies in the southern ocean

Sea surface temperature (SST) air–sea feedback strengths and associated decay time scales in the Southern Ocean (SO) are estimated from observations and reanalysis datasets of SST, air–sea heat fluxes, and ocean mixed layer depths. The spatial, seasonal, and scale dependence of the air–sea heat flux feedbacks is mapped in circumpolar bands and implications for SST persistence times are explored. It is found that the damping effect of turbulent heat fluxes dominates over that due to radiative heat fluxes. The turbulent heat flux feedback acts to damp SSTs in all bands and spatial scales and in all seasons, at rates varying between 5 and 25 W m⁻² K⁻¹, while the radiative heat flux feedback has a more uniform spatial distribution with a magnitude rarely exceeding 5 W m⁻² K⁻¹. In particular, the implied net air–sea feedback (turbulent + radiative) on SST south of the polar front, and in the region of seasonal sea ice, is as weak as 5–10 W m⁻² K⁻¹ in the summertime on large spatial scales. Air–sea interaction alone thus allows SST signals induced around Antarctica in the summertime to persist for several seasons. The damping effect of mixed layer entrainment on SST anomalies averages to approximately 20 W m⁻² K⁻¹ across the ACC bands in the summer-to-winter entraining season and thereby reduces summertime SST persistence to less than half of that predicted by air–sea interaction alone (i.e., 3–6 months).National Science Foundation (U.S.). Frontiers in Earth System Dynamic

On the spatial and temporal variability of atmospheric heat transport in a hierarchy of models

This is the final version of the article. Available from American Meteorological Society via the DOI in this record.The aquaplanet and heton model data are available upon request to the authors. The wavelet analysis was performed using code from C. Torrence and G. Compo, available at http://atoc.colorado.edu/research/wavelets/.The present study analyzes the spatial and temporal variability of zonally integrated meridional atmospheric heat transport due to transient eddies in a hierarchy of datasets. These include a highly idealized two-layer model seeded with point geostrophic vortices, an intermediate complexity GCM, and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis (ERA-Interim) data. The domain of interest is the extratropics. Both the two-layer model and the GCM display a pronounced temporal variability in the zonally integrated meridional transport, with the largest values (or pulses) of zonally integrated transport being associated with extended regions of anomalously strong local heat transport. In the two-layer model these large-scale coherent transport regions, termed "heat transport bands," are linked to densely packed baroclinic vortex pairs and can be diagnosed as low-wavenumber streamfunction anomalies. In the GCM they are associated with both the warm and cold sectors of midlatitude weather systems. Both these features are also found in ERA-Interim: the heat transport bands match weather systems and occur primarily in the storm-track regions, which in turn correspond to planetary-scale climatological streamfunction anomalies. The authors hypothesize that the temporal variability of the zonally integrated heat transport is partly linked to oscillatory variations in the storm-track activity but also contains a background red noise component. The existence of a pronounced variability in the zonally integrated meridional heat transport can have important consequences for the interplay between midlatitude dynamics and the energy balance of the high latitudes.During this research, G. Messori has been funded by the U.K.’s Natural Environment Research Council (RAPID–RAPIT project), Sweden’s Vetenskapsrådet (MILEX project; Grant 2012-40395-98427-17), and the Department of Meteorology of Stockholm Universit

Long-term Treatment Outcomes for Autoimmune Hepatitis in Korea

Immunosuppressive therapy can improve clinical, biochemical and histological features and considerably prolong survival in patients with autoimmune hepatitis. Although ethnicity may affect disease severity and presentation, the long-term outcome of immunosuppression in Korean populations is unknown. This study was aimed to assess the efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy and determine the prognosis of autoimmune hepatitis in Korean populations. We reviewed the medical records of 86 patients diagnosed as having autoimmune hepatitis at the Samsung Medical Center between 1994 and 2008. Seventy-two (83.7%) patients reached remission after a median treatment duration of 3.5 months (range 1 to 44 months). Attempts to withdraw medications were made in 24 cases after the median treatment duration of 36 months (median 6 to 125 months). Thirteen of 24 (54.1%) patients relapsed after treatment withdrawal. Of the 86 patients, 6 (7.2%) experienced disease progression and the overall 5-and 10-yr progression-free survival rates were 91.2% and 85.5%, respectively. In conclusion, immunosuppressive therapy for autoimmune hepatitis results in a favorable rate of remission and excellent progression-free survival, but the relapse rate after treatment withdrawal is high. This suggests that long-term immunosuppressive therapy may be particularly important for treatment of Korean patients

Immune phenotype of chronic liver disease

Immune disorders in chronic liver disease may reflect common host propensities or disease-specific factors. Our aim was to determine the principal bases for these expressions. Four hundred fifty-one patients with various chronic liver diseases were assessed prospectively for concurrent immune disorders. Individuals with immune diseases were more frequently women (73% vs 60%, P = 0.02) and they had HLA DR4 more often than counterparts with other HLA (46% vs 23%, P = 0.000008). The association between HLA DR4 and immune disease was apparent within individual liver diseases and within different categories of liver disease. Women with HLA DR4 had a higher frequency of immune disease than women without HLA DR4 (52% vs 22%, P < or = 0.000001), and they also had immune diseases more commonly than DR4-positive men (52% vs 31%, P = 0.03). DR4-positive men, however, had higher frequencies of immune disease than DR4-negative men, especially in the nonimmune types of liver disease (26% vs 4%, P = 0.002). We conclude that HLA DR4 and female gender constitute an immune phenotype that is an important basis for autoimmune expression in chronic liver disease

Autoimmune hepatitis in India: profile of an uncommon disease

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) has been reported to show considerable geographical variation in frequency and clinical manifestations. It is considered a rare cause of liver disease in India. The present study was undertaken to determine the incidence, clinical, biochemical and histological profile of AIH in this part of the world. METHODS: Patients presenting with acute or chronic liver disease between January 1999 and June 2002 were evaluated prospectively. AIH was diagnosed using the international autoimmune hepatitis group criteria. Workup included clinical, biochemical, USG, viral markers, UGI endoscopy, AI markers (ANA, SMA, Anti-LKM, AMA, RF, p-ANCA) using indirect immunofluorescence and liver biopsy if possible. RESULTS: Forty-one of 2401 (1.70%) patients were diagnosed to have autoimmune liver disease. Out of these, 38 had autoimmune hepatitis and the rest 3 had primary biliary cirrhosis. The mean age of the patients of autoimmune hepatitis was 36.2 (15.9) years, 34 (89.4%) were females, and the duration of symptoms was 20.3 (20.5) months. Nineteen (50%) of them presented with chronic hepatitis, 13 (34.2%) as cirrhosis, 5 (13.1%) with acute hepatitis and 1 (2.6%) with cholestatic hepatitis. The presentations were jaundice in 21 (55.2%), pedal edema and hepatomegaly in 17 (44.7%), splenomegaly in 13 (34.2%), encephalopathy, abdominal pain in 9 (23.6%) and fever in 8 (21%). Twelve had esophageal varices and 3 had bled. Biochemical parameters were ALT 187 (360) U/L, AST 157 (193) U/L, ALP 246 (254) U/L, globulin 4.1 (1.6) g/dL, albumin 2.8 (0.9) g/dL, bilirubin 5.2 (7.4) mg/dL, prothrombin time 17 (7) sec and ESR 47 (17) sec. The autoimmune markers were SMA (24), ANA (15), both SMA and ANA (4), AMA (1), rheumatoid factor (2), pANCA (1), and Anti-LKM in none. Thirty (79%) patients had definite AIH and eight (21%) had probable AI hepatitis. Associated autoimmune diseases was seen in 15/38 (39.4%), diabetes 4, hypothyroidism 3, vitiligo 2, thrombocytopenia 2, rheumatoid arthritis 2, Sjogren's syndrome 1 and autoimmune polyglandular syndrome III in 1. Viral markers were positive in two patients, one presenting as acute hepatitis and HEV-IgM positive and another anti-HCV positive. CONCLUSION: In India, autoimmune hepatitis is uncommon and usually presents with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, acute hepatitis being less common. Age at presentation was earlier but clinical parameters and associated autoimmune diseases were similar to that reported from the west. Primary biliary cirrhosis is rare. Type II AIH was not observed

Phase I Trial of a Lactobacillus crispatus Vaginal Suppository for Prevention of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection in Women

Objectives: We performed a phase I trial to assess the safety and tolerance of a Lactobacillus vaginal suppository for prevention of recurrent UTI. Methods: Premenopausal women with a history of recurrent UTI were randomized to use L. crispatus CTV-05 or placebo vaginal suppositories daily for five days. Results: 30 women were randomized (15 to L. crispatus CTV-05). No severe adverse events occurred. Mild to moderate vaginal discharge and genital irritation were reported by women in both study arms. Seven women randomized to L. crispatus CTV-05 developed pyuria without associated symptoms. Most women had high concentrations of vaginal H202-producing lactobacilli before randomization. L. crispatus, L. jensenii, and L. gasseri were the most common Lactobacillus species identified, with stable prevalence over time. Conclusions: L. crispatus CTV-05 can be given as a vaginal suppository with minimal sideeffects to healthy women with a history of recurrent UTI. Mild inflammation of the urinary tract was noted in some women