This paper shows how the Turkish‐Iranian Plateau grows laterally by incrementally incorporating adjacent parts of the Zagros fold‐and‐thrust belt. The limit of significant, seismogenic, thrusting in ...the Zagros (Mw > 5) occurs close to the regional 1250 m elevation contour. The seismicity cutoff is not a significant bedrock geology boundary. Elevations increase northward, toward regional plateau elevations of ~2 km, implying that another process produced the extra elevation. Between the seismogenic limit of thrusting and the suture, this process is a plausibly ductile thickening of the basement, suggesting depth‐dependent strain during compression. Similar depth‐dependant crustal strain may explain why the Tibetan plateau has regional elevations ~1500 m greater than the elevation limit of seismogenic thrusting at its margins. We estimate ~68 km shortening across the Zagros Simply Folded Belt in the Fars region, and ~120 km total shortening of the Arabian plate. The Dezful Embayment is a low strain zone in the western Zagros. Deformation is more intense to its northeast, in the Bakhtyari Culmination. The orogenic taper (across strike topographic gradient) across the Dezful Embayment is 0.0004, and across the Bakhtyari Culmination, 0.022. Lateral plateau growth is more pronounced farther east (Fars), where a more uniform structure has a taper of ~0.010 up to elevations of ~1750 m. A >100 km wide region of the Zagros further northeast has a taper of 0.002 and is effectively part of the Turkish‐Iranian Plateau. Internal drainage enhances plateau development but is not a pre‐requisite. Aspects of the seismicity, structure, and geomorphology of the Zagros do not support critical taper models for fold‐and‐thrust belts.
Key PointsThe Turkish‐Iranian Plateau expands across the Zagros fold‐and‐thrust beltElevations increase above the limit of seismogenic thrustingAseismic basement shortening is implicated in this elevation gain
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Understanding calcium silicate hydrates (CSHs) is of paramount importance for understanding the behavior of cement materials because they control most of the properties of these man-made materials. ...The atomic scale water content and structure have a major influence on their properties, as is analogous with clay minerals, and we should assess these. Here, we used a multiple analytical approach to quantify water distribution in CSH samples and to determine the relative proportions of water sorbed on external and internal (interlayer) surfaces. Water vapor isotherms were used to explain the water distribution in the CSH microstructure. As with many layered compounds, CSHs have external and internal (interlayer) surfaces displaying multilayer adsorption of water molecules on external surfaces owing to the hydrophilic surfaces. Interlayer water was also quantified from water vapor isotherm, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermal gravimetric analyses (TGA) data, displaying nonreversible swelling/shrinkage behavior in response to drying/rewetting cycles. From this quantification and balance of water distribution, we were able to explain most of the widely dispersed data already published according to the various relative humidity (RH) conditions and measurement techniques. Stoichiometric formulas were proposed for the different CSH samples analyzed (0.6 < Ca/Si < 1.6), considering the interlayer water contribution.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
•Model-derived solar irradiance data usually has systematic errors and bias.•Site adaptation refers to techniques for improving long-term solar data using measurements.•Uncertainty of improved ...dataset is needed for bankable solar resource assessments.
At any site, the bankability of a projected solar power plant largely depends on the accuracy and general quality of the solar radiation data generated during the solar resource assessment phase. The term “site adaptation” has recently started to be used in the framework of solar energy projects to refer to the improvement that can be achieved in satellite-derived solar irradiance and model data when short-term local ground measurements are used to correct systematic errors and bias in the original dataset. This contribution presents a preliminary survey of different possible techniques that can improve long-term satellite-derived and model-derived solar radiation data through the use of short-term on-site ground measurements. The possible approaches that are reported here may be applied in different ways, depending on the origin and characteristics of the uncertainties in the modeled data. This work, which is the first step of a forthcoming in-depth assessment of methodologies for site adaptation, has been done within the framework of the International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Programme Task 46 “Solar Resource Assessment and Forecasting”.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
•Review of existing definitions related to direct normal irradiance (DNI).•Review of applications and measurement techniques of DNI.•Expert consensus on clear definitions and terminology related to ...DNI.•Important role of circumsolar radiation in DNI.
The direct irradiance received on a plane normal to the sun, called direct normal irradiance (DNI), is of particular relevance to concentrated solar technologies, including concentrating solar thermal plants and concentrated photovoltaic systems. Following various standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the DNI definition is related to the irradiance from a small solid angle of the sky, centered on the position of the sun. Half-angle apertures of pyrheliometers measuring DNI have varied over time, up to ≈10°. The current recommendation of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for this half-angle is 2.5°. Solar concentrating collectors have an angular acceptance function that can be significantly narrower, especially for technologies with high concentration ratios. The disagreement between the various interpretations of DNI, from the theoretical definition used in atmospheric physics and radiative transfer modeling to practical definitions corresponding to specific measurements or conversion technologies is significant, especially in the presence of cirrus clouds or large concentration of aerosols. Under such sky conditions, the circumsolar radiation—i.e. the diffuse radiation coming from the vicinity of the sun—contributes significantly to the DNI ground measurement, although some concentrating collectors cannot utilize the bulk of it. These issues have been identified in the EU-funded projects MACC-II (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate-Interim Implementation) and SFERA (Solar Facilities for the European Research Area), and have been discussed within a panel of international experts in the framework of the Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) program of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) Task 46 “Solar Resource Assessment and Forecasting”. In accordance with these discussions, the terms of reference related to DNI are specified here. The important role of circumsolar radiation is evidenced, and its potential contribution is evaluated for typical atmospheric conditions. For thorough analysis of performance of concentrating solar systems, it is recommended that, in addition to the conventional DNI related to 2.5° half-angle of today’s pyrheliometers, solar resource data sets also report the sunshape, the circumsolar contribution or the circumsolar ratio (CSR).
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Under the U.S. Lung Allocation Score (LAS) system, older and sicker patients are prioritized for lung transplantation (LT). The impact of these changes on health‐related quality of life (HRQL) after ...transplant has not been determined. In a single‐center prospective cohort study from 2010 to 2016, we assessed HRQL before and repeatedly after LT for up to 3 years using the SF12‐Physical and Mental Health, the respiratory‐specific Airway Questionnaire 20‐Revised, and the Euroqol 5D/Visual Analog Scale utility measures by multivariate linear mixed models jointly modeled with death. We also tested changes in LT‐Valued Life Activities disability, BMI, allograft function, and 6‐min walk test exercise capacity as predictors of HRQL change. Among 211 initial participants (92% of those eligible), LT improved HRQL by all 5 measures (p < 0.05) and all but SF12‐Mental Health improved by threefold or greater than the minimally clinically important difference. Compared to younger participants, those aged ≥65 improved less in SF12‐Physical and Mental Health (p < 0.01). Improvements in disability accounted for much of the HRQL improvement. In the LAS era, LT affords meaningful and durable HRQL improvements, mediated by amelioration of disability. Identifying factors limiting HRQL improvement in selected subgroups, especially those aged ≥65, are needed to maximize the net benefits of LT.
In a prospective longitudinal adult cohort, the authors find that lung transplantation substantially improves health‐related quality of life and that this improvement is largely mediated by amelioration of physical disability, though older adults and those undergoing transplantation for diagnoses other than cystic fibrosis derive a smaller benefit in health‐related quality of life.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Summary The current global outbreak of artificial stone silicosis is a recrudescence of a major occupational disease in the context of a novel exposure source. Respirable crystalline silica exposure, ...even without frank pneumoconiosis, is associated with an increased risk of respiratory infection. Empyema is a well-recognized complication of bacterial pneumonia; pneumonia among working-age adults, in turn, has been epidemiologically linked to occupational exposure to fumes and dust, including silica. A connection between empyema and silica dust inhalation has not been reported, however, whether through antecedent pneumonia or another mechanism. We describe a case of silicosis initially presenting with empyema in a 31-year-old Computerized Numerical Control stone-cutting machine operator who had heavy exposure to artificial stone and other rock dust.
The contribution of occupational exposures to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and, in particular, their potential interaction with cigarette smoking remains underappreciated.
Data from ...the FLOW study of 1202 subjects with COPD (of which 742 had disease classified as stage II or above by Global Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria) and 302 referent subjects matched by age, sex and race recruited from a large managed care organisation were analysed. Occupational exposures were assessed using two methods: self-reported exposure to vapours, gas, dust or fumes on the longest held job (VGDF) and a job exposure matrix (JEM) for probability of exposure based on occupation. Multivariate analysis was used to control for age, sex, race and smoking history. The odds ratio (OR) and adjusted population attributable fraction (PAF) associated with occupational exposure were calculated.
VGDF exposure was associated with an increased risk of COPD (OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.59 to 2.82) and a PAF of 31% (95% CI 22% to 39%). The risk associated with high probability of workplace exposure by JEM was similar (OR 2.27; 95% CI 1.46 to 3.52), although the PAF was lower (13%; 95% CI 8% to 18%). These estimates were not substantively different when the analysis was limited to COPD GOLD stage II or above. Joint exposure to both smoking and occupational factors markedly increased the risk of COPD (OR 14.1; 95% CI 9.33 to 21.2).
Workplace exposures are strongly associated with an increased risk of COPD. On a population level, prevention of both smoking and occupational exposure, and especially both together, is needed to prevent the global burden of disease.
BackgroundAlthough chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common cause of death and disability, little is known about the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) and race–ethnicity on health ...outcomes.MethodsThe aim of this study is to determine the independent impacts of SES and race–ethnicity on COPD severity status, functional limitations and acute exacerbations of COPD among patients with access to healthcare. Data were used from the Function, Living, Outcomes and Work cohort study of 1202 Kaiser Permanente Northern California Medical Care Plan members with COPD.ResultsLower educational attainment and household income were consistently related to greater disease severity, poorer lung function and greater physical functional limitations in cross-sectional analysis. Black race was associated with greater COPD severity, but these differences were no longer apparent after controlling for SES variables and other covariates (comorbidities, smoking, body mass index and occupational exposures). Lower education and lower income were independently related to a greater prospective risk of acute COPD exacerbation (HR 1.5; 95% CI 1.01 to 2.1; and HR 2.1; 95% CI 1.4 to 3.4, respectively).ConclusionLow SES is a risk factor for a broad array of adverse COPD health outcomes. Clinicians and disease management programs should consider SES as a key patient-level marker of risk for poor outcomes.
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BFBNIB, CMK, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
A new fast clear-sky model called McClear was developed to estimate the downwelling shortwave direct and global irradiances received at ground level under clear skies. It is a fully physical model ...replacing empirical relations or simpler models used before. It exploits the recent results on aerosol properties, and total column content in water vapour and ozone produced by the MACC project (Monitoring Atmosphere Composition and Climate). It accurately reproduces the irradiance computed by the libRadtran reference radiative transfer model with a computational speed approximately 105 times greater by adopting the abaci, or look-up table, approach combined with interpolation functions. It is therefore suited for geostationary satellite retrievals or numerical weather prediction schemes with many pixels or grid points, respectively. McClear irradiances were compared to 1 min measurements made in clear-sky conditions at several stations within the Baseline Surface Radiation Network in various climates. The bias for global irradiance comprises between −6 and 25 W m−2. The RMSE ranges from 20 W m−2 (3% of the mean observed irradiance) to 36 W m−2 (5%) and the correlation coefficient ranges between 0.95 and 0.99. The bias for the direct irradiance comprises between −48 and +33 W m−2. The root mean square error (RMSE) ranges from 33 W m−2 (5%) to 64 W m−2 (10%). The correlation coefficient ranges between 0.84 and 0.98. This work demonstrates the quality of the McClear model combined with MACC products, and indirectly the quality of the aerosol properties modelled by the MACC reanalysis.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
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