Associations between Resting, Activity, and Daily Metabolic Rate in Free-Living Endotherms: No Universal Rule in Birds and Mammals.

PubMed

Portugal, Steven J; Green, Jonathan A; Halsey, Lewis G; Arnold, Walter; Careau, Vincent; Dann, Peter; Frappell, Peter B; Grémillet, David; Handrich, Yves; Martin, Graham R; Ruf, Thomas; Guillemette, Magella M; Butler, Patrick J

2016-01-01

Energy management models provide theories and predictions for how animals manage their energy budgets within their energetic constraints, in terms of their resting metabolic rate (RMR) and daily energy expenditure (DEE). Thus, uncovering what associations exist between DEE and RMR is key to testing these models. Accordingly, there is considerable interest in the relationship between DEE and RMR at both inter- and intraspecific levels. Interpretation of the evidence for particular energy management models is enhanced by also considering the energy spent specifically on costly activities (activity energy expenditure [AEE] = DEE - RMR). However, to date there have been few intraspecific studies investigating such patterns. Our aim was to determine whether there is a generality of intraspecific relationships among RMR, DEE, and AEE using long-term data sets for bird and mammal species. For mammals, we use minimum heart rate (fH), mean fH, and activity fH as qualitative proxies for RMR, DEE, and AEE, respectively. For the birds, we take advantage of calibration equations to convert fH into rate of oxygen consumption in order to provide quantitative proxies for RMR, DEE, and AEE. For all 11 species, the DEE proxy was significantly positively correlated with the RMR proxy. There was also evidence of a significant positive correlation between AEE and RMR in all four mammal species but only in some of the bird species. Our results indicate there is no universal rule for birds and mammals governing the relationships among RMR, AEE, and DEE. Furthermore, they suggest that birds tend to have a different strategy for managing their energy budgets from those of mammals and that there are also differences in strategy between bird species. Future work in laboratory settings or highly controlled field settings can tease out the environmental and physiological processes contributing to variation in energy management strategies exhibited by different species.

Diesel engine exhaust accelerates plaque formation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Hullmann, Maja; Albrecht, Catrin; van Berlo, Damiën; Gerlofs-Nijland, Miriam E; Wahle, Tina; Boots, Agnes W; Krutmann, Jean; Cassee, Flemming R; Bayer, Thomas A; Schins, Roel P F

2017-08-30

Increasing evidence from toxicological and epidemiological studies indicates that the central nervous system is an important target for ambient air pollutants. We have investigated whether long-term inhalation exposure to diesel engine exhaust (DEE), a dominant contributor to particulate air pollution in urban environments, can aggravate Alzheimer's Disease (AD)-like effects in female 5X Familial AD (5XFAD) mice and their wild-type female littermates. Following 3 and 13 weeks exposures to diluted DEE (0.95 mg/m 3 , 6 h/day, 5 days/week) or clean air (controls) behaviour tests were performed and amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque formation, pulmonary histopathology and systemic inflammation were evaluated. In a string suspension task, assessing for grip strength and motor coordination, 13 weeks exposed 5XFAD mice performed significantly less than the 5XFAD controls. Spatial working memory deficits, assessed by Y-maze and X-maze tasks, were not observed in association with the DEE exposures. Brains of the 3 weeks DEE-exposed 5XFAD mice showed significantly higher cortical Aβ plaque load and higher whole brain homogenate Aβ42 levels than the clean air-exposed 5XFAD littermate controls. After the 13 weeks exposures, with increasing age and progression of the AD-phenotype of the 5XFAD mice, DEE-related differences in amyloid pathology were no longer present. Immunohistochemical evaluation of lungs of the mice revealed no obvious genetic background-related differences in tissue structure, and the DEE exposure did not cause histopathological changes in the mice of both backgrounds. Luminex analysis of plasma cytokines demonstrated absence of sustained systemic inflammation upon DEE exposure. Inhalation exposure to DEE causes accelerated plaque formation and motor function impairment in 5XFAD transgenic mice. Our study provides further support that the brain is a relevant target for the effects of inhaled DEE and suggests that long-term exposure to this ubiquitous air pollution mixture may promote the development of Alzheimer's disease.

Long-term exposure to diesel engine exhaust induced lung function decline in a cross sectional study

PubMed Central

ZHANG, Li Ping; ZHANG, Xiao; DUAN, Hua Wei; MENG, Tao; NIU, Yong; HUANG, Chuan Feng; GAO, Wei Min; YU, Shan Fa; ZHENG, Yu Xin

2016-01-01

To clarify the effects of lung function following exposure to diesel engine exhaust (DEE), we recruited 137 diesel engine testing workers exposed to DEE and 127 non-DEE-exposed workers as study subjects. We performed lung function tests and measured cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) cytome index and levels of urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) metabolites. There was a significant decrease of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity (FEV1/ FVC), maximal mid expiratory flow curve (MMF), forced expiratory flow at 50% of FVC (FEF50%), and forced expiratory flow at 75% of FVC (FEF75%) in the DEE-exposed workers than non-DEE-exposed workers (all p<0.05). Among all study subjects, the decreases of FEF75% were associated with the increasing levels of PAHs metabolites (p<0.05), and there were negative correlations between FEV1, FEV1/FVC, MMF, FEF50%, and FEF75% with CBMN cytome index (all p<0.05). Our results show that long-term exposure to DEE can induce lung function decline which shows mainly obstructive changes and influence of small airways function. The decreased lung function is associated with internal dosage of DEE exposure, and accompany with the increasing CBMN cytome index. PMID:27334424

Metals in agricultural produce associated with acid-mine drainage in Mount Morgan (Queensland, Australia).

PubMed

Vicente-Beckett, Victoria A; McCauley, Gaylene J Taylor; Duivenvoorden, Leo J

2016-01-01

Acid-mine drainage (AMD) into the Dee River from the historic gold and copper mine in Mount Morgan, Queensland (Australia) has been of concern to farmers in the area since 1925. This study sought to determine the levels of AMD-related metals and sulfur in agricultural produce grown near the mine-impacted Dee River, compare these with similar produce grown in reference fields (which had no known AMD influence), and assess any potential health risk using relevant Australian or US guidelines. Analyses of lucerne (Medicago sativa; also known as alfalfa) from five Dee fields showed the following average concentrations (mg/kg dry basis): Cd < 1, Cu 11, Fe 106, Mn 52, Pb < 5, Zn 25 and S 3934; similar levels were found in lucerne hay (used as cattle feed) from two Dee fields. All lucerne and lucerne hay data were generally comparable with levels found in the lucerne reference fields, suggesting no AMD influence; the levels were within the US National Research Council (US NRC) guidelines for maximum tolerable cattle dietary intake. Pasture grass (also cattle feed) from two fields in the Dee River floodplains gave mean concentrations (mg/kg dry) of Cd 0.14, Cu 12, Fe 313, Mn 111, Pb 1.4, Zn 86 and S 2450. All metal levels from the Dee and from reference sites were below the US NRC guidelines for maximum tolerable cattle dietary intake; however, the average Cd, Cu and Fe levels in Dee samples were significantly greater than the corresponding levels in the pasture grass reference sites, suggesting AMD influence in the Dee samples. The average levels in the edible portions of mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata) from Dee sites (mg/kg wet weight) were Cd 0.011, Cu 0.59, Fe 2.2, Mn 0.56, Pb 0.18, S 91 and Zn 0.96. Cd and Zn were less than or close to, average Fe and Mn levels were at most twice, Cd 1.8 or 6.5 times, and Pb 8.5 or 72 times the maximum levels in raw oranges reported in the US total diet study (TDS) or the Australian TDS, respectively. Average Cd, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn levels in the citrus reference samples were found to exceed the maximum reported in one or both TDS surveys. Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn plant-soil transfer factor (TF) values were < 1 for all agricultural samples from both Dee and reference sites, suggesting relatively poor transfer of these metals from soil to plant. In the case of Cd, TF values for Dee pasture grass and citrus fruit samples were 0.14 and 0.73, respectively; lucerne and lucerne hay from both Dee and reference sites gave TF = 10, suggesting some potential risk to cattle, although this conclusion is tentative because Cd levels were close to or less than the detection limit. TF values for S in lucerne, lucerne hay, pasture grass and mandarin oranges from Dee sites were 18, 14, 3 and 3.6, respectively, indicating that S in soil was readily available to plant or fruit. Sulfur in pasture grass and citrus fruit (TF = 11 for both) was apparently more bioavailable at the reference sites than at the Dee sites (TF = 3.0 for pasture grass; TF = 3.6 for citrus fruit).

Increased levels of urinary biomarkers of lipid peroxidation products among workers occupationally exposed to diesel engine exhaust.

PubMed

Bin, Ping; Shen, Meili; Li, Haibin; Sun, Xin; Niu, Yong; Meng, Tao; Yu, Tao; Zhang, Xiao; Dai, Yufei; Gao, Weimin; Gu, Guizhen; Yu, Shanfa; Zheng, Yuxin

2016-08-01

Diesel engine exhaust (DEE) was found to induce lipid peroxidation (LPO) in animal exposure studies. LPO is a class of oxidative stress and can be reflected by detecting the levels of its production, such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and etheno-DNA adducts including 1,N(6)-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine (ɛdA) and 3,N(4)-etheno-2'-deoxycytidine (ɛdC). However, the impact of DEE exposure on LPO has not been explored in humans. In this study, we evaluated urinary MDA, 4-HNE, ɛdA, and ɛdC levels as biomarkers of LPO among 108 workers with exclusive exposure to DEE and 109 non-DEE-exposed workers. Results showed that increased levels of urinary MDA and ɛdA were observed in subjects occupationally exposed to DEE before and after age, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, and alcohol use were adjusted (all p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant relationship between the internal exposure dose (urinary ΣOH-PAHs) and MDA, 4-HNE, and ɛdA (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, significant increased relations between urinary etheno-DNA adduct and MDA, 4-HNE were observed (all p < 0.05). The findings of this study suggested that the level of LPO products (MDA and ɛdA) was increased in DEE-exposed workers, and urinary MDA and ɛdA might be feasible biomarkers for DEE exposure. LPO induced DNA damage might be involved and further motivated the genomic instability could be one of the pathogeneses of cancer induced by DEE-exposure. However, additional investigations should be performed to understand these observations.

Ethanolic extract of dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum) induces estrogenic activity in MCF-7 cells and immature rats.

PubMed

Oh, Seung Min; Kim, Ha Ryong; Park, Yong Joo; Lee, Yong Hwa; Chung, Kyu Hyuck

2015-11-01

Plants of the genus Taraxacum, commonly known as dandelions, are used to treat breast cancer in traditional folk medicine. However, their use has mainly been based on empirical findings without sufficient scientific evidence. Therefore, we hypothesized that dandelions would behave as a Selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) and be effective as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the postmenopausal women. In the present study, in vitro assay systems, including cell proliferation assay, reporter gene assay, and RT-PCR to evaluate the mRNA expression of estrogen-related genes (pS2 and progesterone receptor, PR), were performed in human breast cancer cells. Dandelion ethanol extract (DEE) significantly increased cell proliferation and estrogen response element (ERE)-driven luciferase activity. DEE significantly induced the expression of estrogen related genes such as pS2 and PR, which was inhibited by tamoxifen at 1 μmol·L(-1). These results indicated that DEE could induce estrogenic activities mediated by a classical estrogen receptor pathway. In addition, immature rat uterotrophic assay was carried out to identify estrogenic activity of DEE in vivo. The lowest concentration of DEE slightly increased the uterine wet weight, but there was no significant effect with the highest concentration of DEE. The results demonstrate the potential estrogenic activities of DEE, providing scientific evidence supporting their use in traditional medicine. Copyright © 2015 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DeePMD-kit: A deep learning package for many-body potential energy representation and molecular dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Han; Zhang, Linfeng; Han, Jiequn; E, Weinan

2018-07-01

Recent developments in many-body potential energy representation via deep learning have brought new hopes to addressing the accuracy-versus-efficiency dilemma in molecular simulations. Here we describe DeePMD-kit, a package written in Python/C++ that has been designed to minimize the effort required to build deep learning based representation of potential energy and force field and to perform molecular dynamics. Potential applications of DeePMD-kit span from finite molecules to extended systems and from metallic systems to chemically bonded systems. DeePMD-kit is interfaced with TensorFlow, one of the most popular deep learning frameworks, making the training process highly automatic and efficient. On the other end, DeePMD-kit is interfaced with high-performance classical molecular dynamics and quantum (path-integral) molecular dynamics packages, i.e., LAMMPS and the i-PI, respectively. Thus, upon training, the potential energy and force field models can be used to perform efficient molecular simulations for different purposes. As an example of the many potential applications of the package, we use DeePMD-kit to learn the interatomic potential energy and forces of a water model using data obtained from density functional theory. We demonstrate that the resulted molecular dynamics model reproduces accurately the structural information contained in the original model.

Emission Studies in CI Engine using LPG and Palm Kernel Methyl Ester as Fuels and Di-ethyl Ether as an Additive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dora, Nagaraju; Jothi, T. J. Sarvoththama

2018-05-01

The present study investigates the effectiveness of using di-ethyl ether (DEE) as the fuel additive in engine performance and emissions. Experiments are carried out in a single cylinder four stroke diesel engine at constant speed. Two different fuels namely liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and palm kernel methyl ester (PKME) are used as primary fuels with DEE as the fuel additive. LPG flow rates of 0.6 and 0.8 kg/h are considered, and flow rate of DEE is varied to maintain the constant engine speed. In case of PKME fuel, it is blended with diesel in the latter to the former ratio of 80:20, and DEE is varied in the volumetric proportion of 1 and 2%. Results indicate that for the engine operating in LPG-DEE mode at 0.6 kg/h of LPG, the brake thermal efficiency is lowered by 26%; however, NOx is subsequently reduced by around 30% compared to the engine running with only diesel fuel at 70% load. Similarly, results of PKME blended fuel showed a drastic reduction in the NOx and CO emissions. In these two modes of operation, DEE is observed to be significant fuel additive regarding emissions reduction.

Anionic carbonato and oxalato cobalt(III) nitrogen mustard complexes.

PubMed

Craig, Peter R; Brothers, Penelope J; Clark, George R; Wilson, William R; Denny, William A; Ware, David C

2004-02-21

Synthetic approaches to cobalt(III) complexes [Co(L)(L')2] containing the bidentate dialkylating nitrogen mustard N,N-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine (L = dce) together with anionic ancilliary ligands (L') which are either carbonato (CO3(2-)), oxalato (ox2-), bis(2-hydroxyethyl)dithiocarbamato (bhedtc-), 2-pyridine carboxylato (pico-) or 2-pyrazine carboxylato (pyzc-) were investigated. Synthetic routes were developed using the related amines N,N-diethyl-1,2-ethanediamine (dee) and 1,2-ethanediamine (en). The complexes [Co(CO3)2(L)]- (L = dee 1, dce 2), [Co(ox)2(L)]- (L = dee 3, dce 4), [Co(bhedtc)2(dee)]+ 5, [Co(bhedtc)2(en)]+ 6, mer-[Co(pico)3], mer-[Co(pyzc)]3 7 and [Co(pico)2(dee)]+ 8 were prepared and were characterised by IR, UV-Vis, 1H and 13C[1H] NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry. [Co(bhedtc)2(en)]BPh4 6b and trans(O)-[Co(pico)2(dee)]ClO4 8 were characterised by X-ray crystallography. In vitro biological tests were carried out on complexes 1-4 in order to assess the degree to which coordination of the mustard to cobalt attenuated its cytotoxicity, and the differential toxicity in air vs. nitrogen.

Diethyl Ether Production during Catalytic Dehydration of Ethanol over Ru- and Pt- modified H-beta Zeolite Catalysts.

PubMed

Kamsuwan, Tanutporn; Praserthdam, Piyasan; Jongsomjit, Bunjerd

2017-01-01

In the present study, the catalytic dehydration of ethanol over H-beta zeolite (HBZ) catalyst with ruthenium (Ru-HBZ) and platinum (Pt-HBZ) modification was investigated. Upon the reaction temperature between 200 and 400°C, it revealed that ethanol conversion and ethylene selectivity increased with increasing temperature for both Ru and Pt modification. At lower temperature (200 to 250°C), diethyl ether (DEE) was the major product. It was found that Ru and Pt modification on HBZ catalyst can result in increased DEE yield at low reaction temperature due to increased ethanol conversion without a significant change in DEE selectivity. By comparing the DEE yield of all catalysts in this study, the Ru-HBZ catalyst apparently exhibited the highest DEE yield (ca. 47%) at 250°C. However, at temperature from 350 to 400°C, the effect of Ru and Pt was less pronounced on ethylene yield. With various characterization techniques, the effects of Ru and Pt modification on HBZ catalyst were elucidated. It revealed that Ru and Pt were present in the highly dispersed forms and well distributed in the catalyst granules. It appeared that the weak acid sites measured by NH 3 temperature-programmed desorption technique also decreased with Ru and Pt promotion. Thus, the increased DEE yields with the Ru and Pt modification can be attributed to the presence of optimal weak acid sites leading to increased intrinsic activity of the catalysts. It can be concluded that the modification of Ru and Pt on HBZ catalyst can improve the DEE yields by ca. 10%.

Water quality of North Carolina streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harned, Douglas; Meyer, Dann

1983-01-01

Interpretation of water quality data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, for the Yadkin-Pee Dee River system, has identified water quality variations, characterized the current condition of the river in reference to water quality standards, estimated the degree of pollution caused by man, and evaluated long-term trends in concentrations of major dissolved constituents. Three stations, Yadkin River at Yadkin College (02116500), Rocky River near Norwood (02126000), and Pee Dee River near Rockingham (02129000) have been sampled over different periods of time beginning in 1906. Overall, the ambient water quality of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River system is satisfactory for most water uses. Iron and manganese concentrations are often above desirable levels, but they are not unusually high in comparison to other North Carolina streams. Lead concentrations also periodically rise above the recommended criterion for domestic water use. Mercury concentrations frequently exceed, and pH levels fall below, the recommended criteria for protection of aquatic life. Dissolved oxygen levels, while generally good, are lowest at the Pee Dee near Rockingham, due to the station 's location not far downstream from a lake. Suspended sediment is the most significant water quality problem of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River. The major cation in the river is sodium and the major anions are bicarbonate and carbonate. Eutrophication is currently a problem in the Yadkin-Pee Dee, particularly in High Rock Lake. An estimated nutrient and sediment balance of the system indicates that lakes along the Yadkin-Pee Dee River serve as a sink for sediment, ammonia, and phosphorus. Pollution makes up approximately 59% of the total dissolved solids load of the Yadkin River at Yadkin College, 43% for the Rocky River near Norwood, and 29% for the Pee Dee River near Rockingham. Statistically significant trends show a pattern of increasing concentration of most dissolved constituents over time, with a leveling off and decline in the middle to late 1970's.

Associations between DNA methylation in DNA damage response-related genes and cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome index in diesel engine exhaust-exposed workers.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao; Li, Jie; He, Zhini; Duan, Huawei; Gao, Weimin; Wang, Haisheng; Yu, Shanfa; Chen, Wen; Zheng, Yuxin

2016-08-01

Recently, diesel engine exhaust (DEE) was reclassified as a known carcinogen to humans. DNA methylation alterations in DNA damage response (DDR)-related genes have the potential to affect DEE exposure-related cancer risk. However, the evidence regarding the association between DEE exposure and methylation alterations in DDR-related genes is limited. In 117 DEE-exposed workers and 112 non-DEE-exposed workers, we measured urinary concentrations of six mono-hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs). We also determined the methylation levels of three DDR-related genes (p16, RASSF1A, and MGMT) and LINE-1 by bisulfite-pyrosequencing assay. We found that DEE-exposed workers exhibited significantly lower mean promoter methylation levels of p16, RASSF1A, and MGMT than non-DEE-exposed workers (all p < 0.001). In all study subjects and non-smoking workers, increasing quartiles of urinary summed OH-PAHs was associated with hypomethylation of p16, RASSF1A, and MGMT (all p < 0.05). In non-smoking workers, methylation in p16, RASSF1A, and MGMT decreased by 0.36 % [95 % confidential interval (CI): -0.60, -0.11 %], 0.46 % (95 % CI: -0.79, -0.14 %), and 0.55 % (95 % CI: -0.95, -0.15 %), respectively, in association with highest versus lowest quartile of urinary summed OH-PAHs. In addition, p16, RASSF1A, MGMT, and LINE-1 methylation levels showed negative correlations with cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome index which was previously measured in the same workers (all p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results clearly indicated that DEE exposure and increased genetic damage were associated with hypomethylation of p16, RASSF1A, and MGMT. Future studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm these associations.

Extract of Bauhinia vahlii Shows Antihyperglycemic Activity, Reverses Oxidative Stress, and Protects against Liver Damage in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

PubMed Central

Elbanna, Ahmed H.; Nooh, Mohammed M.; Mahrous, Engy A.; Khaleel, Amal E.; Elalfy, Taha S.

2017-01-01

Background: Several studies have affirmed the effectiveness of some Bauhinia plants as antihyperglycemic agents. Objective: We investigated the possible effect of Bauhinia vahlii leaves extract in reducing hyperglycemia and reversing signs of organ damage associated with diabetes in streptozotocin (STZ) rat model. Materials and Methods: Both polar fraction of the B. vahlii leaves (defatted ethanolic extract [DEE]) and nonpolar fraction (n-hexane extract) were evaluated in vitro for α-glucosidase inhibition and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging potential. DEE was selected for further in vivo studies and was administered at two doses, i.e., 150 or 300 mg/kg to STZ-diabetic rats for 4 weeks. Results: Only DEE exhibited in vitro antioxidant and antihyperglycemic activities and its oral administration at both dose levels resulted in significant reduction in fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin. Furthermore, signs of oxidative stress as indicated by hepatic reduced glutathione, nitric oxide, and malondialdehyde levels were completely reversed. In addition, histopathological examination and measurement of serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels showed that DEE protected the liver from signs of liver pathogenesis when compared to diabetic untreated animals and those treated with metformin. Phytochemical analysis of DEE showed high flavonoids content with quercitrin as the major constituent along with other quercetin glycosides. Conclusion: This study strongly highlights the possible beneficial effect of B. vahlii leaves extract in relieving hyperglycemia and liver damage in STZ-diabetic rats and recommends further investigation of the value of quercetin derivatives in controlling diabetes and ameliorating liver damage associated with it. SUMMARY The polar fraction of the Bauhinia vahlii leaves (defatted ethanolic extract [DEE]) exhibited both in vitro antioxidant activity in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging assay and strong α-glucosidase inhibition while the nonpolar fraction (n-hexane extract) failed to show any activity in both assays. DEE was further investigated in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model where oral administration of DEE at 2 doses (150 and 300 mg/kg) for 4 weeks resulted in significant reduction in fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin and reversal of oxidative stress signs as indicated by measurement of hepatic reduced glutathione, nitric oxide, and malondialdehyde levels. In addition, histopathological examination and measurement of serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels showed that DEE protected the liver from signs of pathogenesis observed in diabetic untreated rats. Phytochemical analysis of DEE showed high flavonoid content with quercitrin as the major constituent (62.9 ± 0.18 mg/mg). Abbreviations used: ALT: Alanine transaminase, AST: Aspartate transaminase, DEE: Defatted ethanol extract, DPPH: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, FBG: Fasting blood glucose, GAE: Gallic acid equivalent, GSH: Reduced glutathione, Hb1Ac: Glycated hemoglobin, HE: Hexane extract MDA: Malondialdehyde, QE: Quercetin equivalent, STZ: Streptozotocin, TAC: Total antioxidant capacity. PMID:29142421

Occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust and alterations in immune/inflammatory markers: a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study in China.

PubMed

Bassig, Bryan A; Dai, Yufei; Vermeulen, Roel; Ren, Dianzhi; Hu, Wei; Duan, Huawei; Niu, Yong; Xu, Jun; Shiels, Meredith S; Kemp, Troy J; Pinto, Ligia A; Fu, Wei; Meliefste, Kees; Zhou, Baosen; Yang, Jufang; Ye, Meng; Jia, Xiaowei; Meng, Tao; Wong, Jason Y Y; Bin, Ping; Hosgood, H Dean; Hildesheim, Allan; Silverman, Debra T; Rothman, Nathaniel; Zheng, Yuxin; Lan, Qing

2017-10-26

The relationship between diesel engine exhaust (DEE), a known lung carcinogen, and immune/inflammatory markers that have been prospectively associated with lung cancer risk is not well understood. To provide insight into these associations, we conducted a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study of 54 males highly occupationally exposed to DEE and 55 unexposed male controls from representative workplaces in China. We measured plasma levels of 64 immune/inflammatory markers in all subjects using Luminex bead-based assays, and compared our findings to those from a nested case-control study of these markers and lung cancer risk, which had been conducted among never-smoking women in Shanghai using the same multiplex panels. Levels of nine markers that were associated with lung cancer risk in the Shanghai study were altered in DEE-exposed workers in the same direction as the lung cancer associations. Among these, associations with the levels of CRP (β= -0.53; P = 0.01) and CCL15/MIP-1D (β = 0.20; P = 0.02) were observed in workers exposed to DEE and with increasing elemental carbon exposure levels (Ptrends <0.05) in multivariable linear regression models. Levels of a third marker positively associated with an increased lung cancer risk, CCL2/MCP-1, were higher among DEE-exposed workers compared with controls in never and former smokers, but not in current smokers (Pinteraction = 0.01). The immunological differences in these markers in DEE-exposed workers are consistent with associations observed for lung cancer risk in a prospective study of Chinese women and may provide some insight into the mechanistic processes by which DEE causes lung cancer. Published by Oxford University Press 2017.

Daily energy expenditure in free-ranging Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jodice, P.G.R.; Epperson, D.M.; Visser, G. Henk

2006-01-01

Studies of ecological energetics in chelonians are rare. Here, we report the first measurements of daily energy expenditure (DEE) and water influx rates (WIRs) in free-ranging adult Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). We used the doubly labeled water (DLW) method to measure DEE in six adult tortoises during the non-breeding season in south-central Mississippi, USA. Tortoise DEE ranged from 76.7-187.5 kj/day and WIR ranged from 30.6-93.1 ml H2O/day. Daily energy expenditure did not differ between the sexes, but DEE was positively related to body mass. Water influx rates varied with the interaction of sex and body mass. We used a log/log regression model to assess the allometric relationship between DEE and body mass for Gopher Tortoises, Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), and Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina), the only chelonians for which DEE has been measured. The slope of this allometric model (0.626) was less than that previously calculated for herbivorous reptiles (0.813), suggesting that chelonians may expend energy at a slower rate per unit of body mass compared to other herbivorous reptiles. We used retrospective power analyses and data from the DLW isotope analyses to develop guidelines for sample sizes and duration of measurement intervals, respectively, for larger-scale energetic studies in this species. ?? 2006 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

Optimal body size and energy expenditure during winter: why are voles smaller in declining populations?

PubMed

Ergon, Torbjørn; Speakman, John R; Scantlebury, Michael; Cavanagh, Rachel; Lambin, Xavier

2004-03-01

Winter is energetically challenging for small herbivores because of greater energy requirements for thermogenesis at a time when little energy is available. We formulated a model predicting optimal wintering body size, accounting for the scaling of both energy expenditure and assimilation to body size, and the trade-off between survival benefits of a large size and avoiding survival costs of foraging. The model predicts that if the energy cost of maintaining a given body mass differs between environments, animals should be smaller in the more demanding environments, and there should be a negative correlation between body mass and daily energy expenditure (DEE) across environments. In contrast, if animals adjust their energy intake according to variation in survival costs of foraging, there should be a positive correlation between body mass and DEE. Decreasing temperature always increases equilibrium DEE, but optimal body mass may either increase or decrease in colder climates depending on the exact effects of temperature on mass-specific survival and energy demands. Measuring DEE with doubly labeled water on wintering Microtus agrestis at four field sites, we found that DEE was highest at the sites where voles were smallest despite a positive correlation between DEE and body mass within sites. This suggests that variation in wintering body mass between sites was due to variation in food quality/availability and not adjustments in foraging activity to varying risks of predation.

Increased levels of etheno-DNA adducts and genotoxicity biomarkers of long-term exposure to pure diesel engine exhaust.

PubMed

Shen, Meili; Bin, Ping; Li, Haibin; Zhang, Xiao; Sun, Xin; Duan, Huawei; Niu, Yong; Meng, Tao; Dai, Yufei; Gao, Weimin; Yu, Shanfa; Gu, Guizhen; Zheng, Yuxin

2016-02-01

Etheno-DNA adducts are biomarkers for assessing oxidative stress. In this study, the aim was to detect the level of etheno-DNA adducts and explore the relationship between the etheno-DNA adducts and genotoxicity biomarkers of the diesel engine exhaust (DEE)-exposed workers. We recruited 86 diesel engine testing workers with long-term exposure to DEE and 99 non-DEE-exposed workers. The urinary mono-hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) and etheno-DNA adducts (εdA and εdC) were detected by HPLC-MS/MS and UPLC-MS/MS, respectively. Genotoxicity biomarkers were also evaluated by comet assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. The results showed that urinary εdA was significantly higher in the DEE-exposed workers (p<0.001), exhibited 2.1-fold increase compared with the non-DEE-exposed workers. The levels of urinary OH-PAHs were positively correlated with the level of εdA among all the study subjects (p<0.001). Moreover, we found that the increasing level of εdA was significantly associated with the increased olive tail moment, percentage of tail DNA, or frequency of micronucleus in the study subjects (p<0.01). No significant association was observed between the εdC level and any measured genotoxicity biomarkers. In summary, εdA could serve as an indicator for DEE exposure in the human population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comment on the Nanoparticle Conclusions in Crüts et al. (2008), "Exposure to diesel exhaust induces changes in EEG in human volunteers"

PubMed Central

Valberg, Peter A; Long, Christopher M; Hesterberg, Thomas W

2008-01-01

A recent publication in this journal reported interesting changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) waves that occurred in 10 young, male volunteers following inhalation for one hour of elevated levels of diesel-engine exhaust fumes [1]. The authors then proposed a chain of causal events that they hypothesized underlay their observed EEG changes. Their reasoning linked the observed results to nanoparticles in diesel-engine exhaust (DEE), and went on to suggest that associations between changes in ambient particulate matter (PM) levels and changes in health statistics might be due to the effects of diesel-engine exhaust (DEE) nanoparticles on EEG. We suggest that the extrapolations of the Crüts et al. EEG findings to casual mechanisms about how ambient levels of DEE particulate might affect electrical signals in the brain, and subsequently to how DEE particulate might alter disease risk, are premature. PMID:18652692

Burden of lung cancer attributable to occupational diesel engine exhaust exposure in Canada.

PubMed

Kim, Joanne; Peters, Cheryl E; Arrandale, Victoria H; Labrèche, France; Ge, Calvin B; McLeod, Christopher B; Song, Chaojie; Lavoué, Jérôme; Davies, Hugh W; Nicol, Anne-Marie; Pahwa, Manisha; Demers, Paul A

2018-04-28

To estimate the population attributable fraction (PAF) and number of incident and fatal lung cancers in Canada from occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust (DEE). DEE exposure prevalence and level estimates were used with Canadian Census and Labour Force Survey data to model the exposed population across the risk exposure period (REP, 1961-2001). Relative risks of lung cancer were calculated based on a meta-regression selected from the literature. PAFs were calculated using Levin's equation and applied to the 2011 lung cancer statistics obtained from the Canadian Cancer Registry. We estimated that 2.4% (95% CI 1.6% to 6.6%) of lung cancers in Canada are attributable to occupational DEE exposure, corresponding to approximately 560 (95% CI 380 to 1570) incident and 460 (95% CI 310 to 1270) fatal lung cancers in 2011. Overall, 1.6 million individuals alive in 2011 were occupationally exposed to DEE during the REP, 97% of whom were male. Occupations with the highest burden were underground miners, truck drivers and mechanics. Half of the attributable lung cancers occurred among workers with low exposure. This is the first study to quantify the burden of lung cancer attributable to occupational DEE exposure in Canada. Our results underscore a large potential for prevention, and a large public health impact from occupational exposure to low levels of DEE. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

An investigation of sex differences in acoustic features in black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) chick-a-dee calls.

PubMed

Campbell, Kimberley A; Hahn, Allison H; Congdon, Jenna V; Sturdy, Christopher B

2016-09-01

Sex differences have been identified in a number of black-capped chickadee vocalizations and in the chick-a-dee calls of other chickadee species [i.e., Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis)]. In the current study, 12 acoustic features in black-capped chickadee chick-a-dee calls were investigated, including both frequency and duration measurements. Using permuted discriminant function analyses, these features were examined to determine if any features could be used to identify the sex of the caller. Only one note type (A notes) classified male and female calls at levels approaching significance. In particular, a permuted discriminant function analysis revealed that the start frequency of A notes best allowed for categorization between the sexes compared to any other acoustic parameter. This finding is consistent with previous research on Carolina chickadee chick-a-dee calls that found that the starting frequency differed between male- and female-produced A notes [Freeberg, Lucas, and Clucas (2003). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 113, 2127-2136]. Taken together, these results and the results of studies with other chickadee species suggest that sex differences likely exist in the chick-a-dee call, specifically acoustic features in A notes, but that more complex features than those addressed here may be associated with the sex of the caller.

Occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust and alterations in lymphocyte subsets.

PubMed

Lan, Qing; Vermeulen, Roel; Dai, Yufei; Ren, Dianzhi; Hu, Wei; Duan, Huawei; Niu, Yong; Xu, Jun; Fu, Wei; Meliefste, Kees; Zhou, Baosen; Yang, Jufang; Ye, Meng; Jia, Xiaowei; Meng, Tao; Bin, Ping; Kim, Christopher; Bassig, Bryan A; Hosgood, H Dean; Silverman, Debra; Zheng, Yuxin; Rothman, Nathaniel

2015-05-01

The International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classified diesel engine exhaust (DEE) as a Group I carcinogen based largely on its association with lung cancer. However, the exposure-response relationship is still a subject of debate and the underlying mechanism by which DEE causes lung cancer in humans is not well understood. We conducted a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study in a diesel engine truck testing facility of 54 workers exposed to a wide range of DEE (ie, elemental carbon air levels, median range: 49.7, 6.1-107.7 µg/m(3)) and 55 unexposed comparable controls. The total lymphocyte count (p=0.00044) and three of the four major lymphocyte subsets (ie, CD4+ T cells (p=0.00019), CD8+ T cells (p=0.0058) and B cells (p=0.017)) were higher in exposed versus control workers and findings were highly consistent when stratified by smoking status. In addition, there was evidence of an exposure-response relationship between elemental carbon and these end points (ptrends<0.05), and CD4+ T cell levels were significantly higher in the lowest tertile of DEE exposed workers compared to controls (p=0.012). Our results suggest that DEE exposure is associated with higher levels of cells that play a key role in the inflammatory process, which is increasingly being recognised as contributing to the aetiology of lung cancer. This study provides new insights into the underlying mechanism of DEE carcinogenicity. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Buckling analysis of Big Dee Vacuum Vessel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lightner, S.; Gallix, R.

1983-12-01

A simplified three-dimensional shell buckling analysis of the GA Technologies Inc., Big Dee Vacuum Vessel (V/V) was performed using the finite element program TRICO. A coarse-mesh linear elastic model, which accommodated the support boundary conditions, was used to determine the buckling mode shape under a uniform external pressure. Using this buckling mode shape, refined models were used to calculate the linear buckling load (P/sub crit/) more accurately. Several different designs of the Big Dee V/V were considered in this analysis. The supports for the V/V were equally-spaced radial pins at the outer diameter of the mid-plane. For all the casesmore » considered, the buckling mode was axisymmetric in the toroidal direction. Therefore, it was possible to use only a small angular sector of a toric shell for the refined analysis. P/sub crit/ for the Big Dee is about 60 atm for a uniform external pressure. Also investigated in this analysis were the effects of geometrical imperfections and non-uniform pressure distributions.« less

Pressure broadening of the ((dt. mu. )dee)* formation resonances

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cohen, J.S.; Leon, M.; Padial, N.T.

1988-12-27

The treatment of ((dt..mu..)dee)* formation at high densities as a pressure broadening process is discussed. Cross sections for collisions of the complex (dt..mu..)dee, and of the D/sub 2/ molecule from which it is formed, with the bath molecules have been accurately calculated. These cross sections are used to calculate the collisional width in three variations of the impact approximation that have been proposed for this problem. In general, the quasistatic approximation is shown to satisfy the usual conditions of muon-catalyzed fusion better than does the impact approximation. A preliminary rough treatment is presented to illustrate the quasistatic approximation.

Hydraulic model and flood-inundation maps developed for the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Douglas G.; Wagner, Chad R.

2016-04-08

A series of digital flood-inundation maps were developed on the basis of the water-surface profiles produced by the model. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Program Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding corresponding to selected water levels at the USGS streamgage Pee Dee River at Pee Dee Refuge near Ansonville, N.C. These maps, when combined with real-time water-level information from USGS streamgages, provide managers with critical information to help plan flood-response activities and resource protection efforts.

Asymmetric dee-voltage compensation of beam off-centering in the milan superconducting cyclotron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Milinkovic, Lj.; Fabrici, E.; Ostojic, R.

1985-10-01

An analysis of the effects of orbit off-centering on the beam extraction in the Milan superconducting cyclotron is made, and the sensitivity of axial beam loss and radial phase space distortions to beam off-centering determined for various acceleration conditions. We conclude that the first field harmonic compensation of beam off-centering is ineffective in the region of the operating diagram where the Walkinshaw resonance precedes the ..nu.. /SUB r/ =1 resonance. Asymmetric dee-voltage compensation is considered in these cases, and the domain of validity of the method determined. A semi-empirical relation for dee-voltage distribution is deduced, and the extraction efficiency discussed.

Design of a dee vacuum vessel for Doublet III

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, L.G.

1983-04-01

The Doublet III tokamak is to be modified wherein the original 'doublet' plasma containment vacuum vessel will be exchanged with one of a large dee-shaped cross section. The basic dimensions of the dee vessel will allow plasmas of 1.7-m major radius, 0.7-m minor radius, and a vertical elongation of 1.8. Installation of a large dee vessel in Doublet III is made possible by the demountable toroidal field coils and the large, low-ripple volume they include. Ripple at the plasma edge will be less than one percent. The plasma parameters affecting the design of the vessel will be reviewed including plasmamore » current, power, disruption time, allowable error field, impurity control techniques, pulse length, and limiter schemes. A driving requirement for the design of the vessel is to maximize the access to the plasma for auxiliary heating (both neutral beam injection and radio frequency heating), diagnostics, developmental component and material testing, and pumping. The dee vessel is structurally designed along the same lines as the present vessel: an Inconel 625, all-welded, continuous chamber in a corrugated sandwich construction. An overview of the vessel design and its solutions to the design criteria will be presented. An overview will also be presented of the entire modification project which includes replacement of some coils, and addition of support structure, limiters and vessel armor, and power system components.« less

"Fiddle-Dee-Dee, I'll Think About It Tomorrow": Overcoming Academic Procrastination in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweitzer, Nancy Guadalupe

This dissertation reviews procrastination, and academic procrastination in particular, focusing on research which analyzes methods that both college students and professors can employ to effectively combat academic procrastination. The first section of the paper examines various forms and sources of procrastination, childhood conditions…

78 FR 38028 - Duke Energy Progress, Inc.; Notice of Video Conference To Discuss Yadkin-Pee Dee Hydroelectric...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-25

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 2206-030] Duke Energy Progress, Inc.; Notice of Video Conference To Discuss Yadkin-Pee Dee Hydroelectric Project Biological...), NMFS will host a video conference to describe and discuss the terms and conditions in the Biological...

Investigation of HCCI Combustion of Diethyl Ether and Ethanol Mixtures Using Carbon 14 Tracing and Numerical Simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mack, J H; Dibble, R W; Buchholz, B A

2004-01-16

Despite the rapid combustion typically experienced in Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI), components in fuel mixtures do not ignite in unison or burn equally. In our experiments and modeling of blends of diethyl ether (DEE) and ethanol (EtOH), the DEE led combustion and proceeded further toward completion, as indicated by {sup 14}C isotope tracing. A numerical model of HCCI combustion of DEE and EtOH mixtures supports the isotopic findings. Although both approaches lacked information on incompletely combusted intermediates plentiful in HCCI emissions, the numerical model and {sup 14}C tracing data agreed within the limitations of the single zone model. Despitemore » the fact that DEE is more reactive than EtOH in HCCI engines, they are sufficiently similar that we did not observe a large elongation of energy release or significant reduction in inlet temperature required for light-off, both desired effects for the combustion event. This finding suggests that, in general, HCCI combustion of fuel blends may have preferential combustion of some of the blend components.« less

Occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust and serum cytokine levels.

PubMed

Dai, Yufei; Ren, Dianzhi; Bassig, Bryan A; Vermeulen, Roel; Hu, Wei; Niu, Yong; Duan, Huawei; Ye, Meng; Meng, Tao; Xu, Jun; Bin, Ping; Shen, Meili; Yang, Jufang; Fu, Wei; Meliefste, Kees; Silverman, Debra; Rothman, Nathaniel; Lan, Qing; Zheng, Yuxin

2018-03-01

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified diesel engine exhaust (DEE) as a human lung carcinogen. Given that inflammation is suspected to be an important underlying mechanism of lung carcinogenesis, we evaluated the relationship between DEE exposure and the inflammatory response using data from a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study of 41 diesel engine testing workers and 46 unexposed controls. Repeated personal exposure measurements of PM 2.5 and other DEE constituents were taken for the diesel engine testing workers before blood collection. Serum levels of six inflammatory biomarkers including interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1β, and monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 were analyzed in all subjects. Compared to unexposed controls, concentrations of MIP-1β were significantly reduced by ∼37% in DEE exposed workers (P < 0.001) and showed a strong decreasing trend with increasing PM 2.5 concentrations in all subjects (P trend  < 0.001) as well as in exposed subjects only (P trend  = 0.001). Levels of IL-8 and MIP-1β were significantly lower in workers in the highest exposure tertile of PM 2.5 (>397 µg/m 3 ) compared to unexposed controls. Further, significant inverse exposure-response relationships for IL-8 and MCP-1 were also found in relation to increasing PM 2.5 levels among the DEE exposed workers. Given that IL-8, MIP-1β, and MCP-1 are chemokines that play important roles in recruitment of immunocompetent cells for immune defense and tumor cell clearance, the observed lower levels of these markers with increasing PM 2.5 exposure may provide insight into the mechanism by which DEE promotes lung cancer. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 59:144-150, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The roles of the solute and solvent cavities in charge-transfer-to-solvent dynamics: Ultrafast studies of potasside and sodide in diethyl ether

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cavanagh, Molly C.; Young, Ryan M.; Schwartz, Benjamin J.

2008-10-07

Although electron transfer reactions are among the most fundamental in chemistry, it is still not clear how to isolate the roles of the solute and solvent in moving charge between reactants in solution. In this paper, we address this question by comparing the ultrafast charge-transfer-to-solvent (CTTS) dynamics of potasside (K{sup -}) in diethyl ether (DEE) to those of sodide (Na{sup -}) in both DEE and tetrahydrofuran (THF). We find that for sodide in both DEE and THF, CTTS excitation leads to delayed ejection of a solvated electron that appears with its equilibrium absorption spectrum. This indicates that the ejected electronsmore » are localized in pre-existing solvent traps, suggesting that the structure of liquid DEE is characterized by cavities that are favorably polarized to localize an excess electron, as has been previously shown is the case for liquid THF. We also find that the geminate recombination dynamics following CTTS excitation of sodide in THF and DEE are similar, suggesting that the nature of the CTTS excited states and their coupling to the electronic states supported by the naturally occurring solvent cavities are similar in the two solvents. In contrast, the geminate recombination dynamics of potasside and sodide in DEE are different, with red-edge excitation of the K{sup -} CTTS band producing a greater number of long-lived electrons than is seen following the corresponding red-edge excitation of the Na{sup -} CTTS band. This indicates that the CTTS excited states of K{sup -} are better able to couple to the electronic states supported by the naturally occurring solvent cavities, allowing us to compare the energetic positions of the potasside and sodide ground and CTTS excited states on a common absolute scale. Finally, we also observe a strong transient absorption following the CTTS excitation of potasside in DEE that correlates well with the 766 nm position of the gas-phase potassium D-line. The data indicate that CTTS excitation of alkali metal anions essentially instantaneously produces a gas-phase-like neutral alkali metal atom, which then spontaneously undergoes partial ejection of the remaining valence electron to form a neutral alkali metal cation:solvated electron tight-contact pair.« less

A Low-Maintenance Approach to Improving Retention: Short On-Line Tutorials in Elementary Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sargent, Carol Springer; Borthick, A. Faye; Lederberg, Amy R.; Haardorfer, Regine

2013-01-01

The struggle to get weak students to use learning support services plagues virtually all retention programs (Friedlander, 1980; Hodges, 2001; Karabenick & Knapp, 1988; Moore & LeDee, 2006; Simpson, Hynd, Nist, & Burrell, 1997; Webster & Dee, 1998). This study presents a cost-effective form of supplemental instruction (SI), in the form of on-line…

Comparison of Exhaust Emissions and Their Mutagenicity from the Combustion of Biodiesel, Vegetable Oil, Gas-to-Liquid and Petrodiesel Fuels

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Diesel engine emissions (DEE) are classified as probably carcinogenic to humans. In recent years every effort has been made to reduce DEE and their content of carcinogenic and mutanegnic polycycluc aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). In several studies conducted since 1995, we observed an appreciable red...

Is DNA code periodicity only due to CUF-codons usage frequency?

PubMed

Zoltowski, Mariusz

2007-01-01

The triplet code for proteins and functional RNA has been either from the universal pattern of ancient RNA (-H1) [1], with a key role of an uneven codon usage frequency (CUF) in the periodic patterns origination, or a reading frame monitoring device (RFMD -H2) [2- 4]. H1 has lately been upheld [1] but in a single sequence sensitive way [1]. Since H1 and H2 are not mutually exclusive [2, 3, 4], a single sequence-wise sensitive approach by a resonant recognition model (RRM) has become the attempt described in this paper to challenge H1 and H2 in eukaryotes case as a novelty. In the RRM model [5, 6, 7] two bio-molecules interact favorably provided they both obey a common frequency and opposite phases consensus in their delocalized electron energy (DEE-) distributions [5]. Hence it has been possible to learn how well the DEE-s of the mRNA and of the ribosome match each other at 1/3 Hz - that applied to both the original and the CUF preserving randomly shuffled genomic data across the well known Bursét and Guigo collection of 570 coding vertebrates' genes. The matching of RRM patterns reduces to harmonics phase comparison of the relevant DEE-s, a task by a digital phase locked loop (DPLL) [8, 9, and 10]. The DPLL phase control to meet the RRM phase matching case is quantified into a small number of classes to describe the mRNA-ribosome interaction in a categorical way.

Increased energy expenditure by a seabird in response to higher food abundance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jodice, P.G.R.; Roby, D.D.; Suryan, R.M.; Irons, D.B.; Turco, K.R.; Brown, E.D.; Thedinga, J.F.; Visser, G. Henk

2006-01-01

Variability in forage fish abundance strongly affects seabird behavior and reproductive success, although details of this relationship are unclear. During 1997 and 1998, we measured (1) daily energy expenditure (DEE) of 80 parent black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla at 2 colonies in Prince William Sound, Alaska (North Icy Bay and Shoup Bay), (2) abundance of surface-schooling forage fishes within the foraging range of each colony, and (3) diet composition, energy delivery rates to nestlings, and reproductive success of kittiwakes at these same colonies. Female DEE was highest at North Icy Bay in 1998, while male DEE did not differ by colony year. Abundances of Pacific herring Clupea pallasi and sand lance Ammodytes hexapterus were highest near North Icy Bay in 1998 and nearly egual in density, although Age 1+ herring comprised the majority of the diet there. Energy delivery rates to nestlings, nestling growth rates, and productivity were also highest at North Icy Bay in 1998. We suggest that female kittiwakes responded to the increased abundance of Age 1+ herring near North Icy Bay in 1998 by increasing their DEE, which in turn positively affected reproductive success. Given that adult kittiwakes have been shown to suffer decreased survival as a response to increased energy expenditure during brood rearing, the positive correlation we observed between increased abundance of a high quality food source, parental effort, and productivity is consistent with maximizing lifetime reproductive success. The lack of a response in male DEE suggests that brood-rearing roles in kittiwakes differ between genders. ?? Inter-Research 2006.

On the effect of Di-Ethyl-Ether (DEE) injection upon the cold starting of a biodiesel fuelled compression ignition engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clenci, Adrian; Niculescu, Rodica; Iorga-Simǎn, Victor; Tricǎ, Alina; Danlos, Amélie

2017-02-01

The use of biodiesel fuel in compression ignition engines has the potential to reduce CO2, which can lead to a reduction in global warming and environmental hazards. Biodiesel is an attractive fuel, as it is made from renewable resources. A major drawback associated with the use of biodiesel, however, is its poor cold flow properties, which have a direct influence on the cold starting performance of the engine. This paper is a consequence of a study on assessing the cold-starting performance of a compression ignition engine fueled with different blends of fossil diesel fuel and biodiesel. Through experimental investigations, it was found that the engine starting at -20°C was no longer possible in the case of using B50 (50% diesel + 50% biofuel made from sunflower oil). In order to "force" the engine starting in this particular situation, Di-Ethyl-Ether (DEE) was injected into the intake manifold. DEE being a highly flammable substance, the result was a sudden and explosive engine starting, the peak pressure in the monitored cylinder in the first successful engine cycle being almost twice the one which is usually considered as normal. Thus, to explain the observed phenomena, we launched this work relying on the analysis of the in-cylinder instantaneous pressure evolution, which was acquired during cranking, stabilizing and idling phases. Moreover, since the cause of the sudden and explosive engine starting was the DEE, by using a CFD approach, we also obtained results regarding the inter-cylinder distribution of the injected DEE.

How Can We Explain Poverty? Case Study of Dee Reveals the Complexities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seccombe, Karen

2011-01-01

Many theories have been offered to explain why people are impoverished. This article by Karen Seccombe uses the case study of "Dee," a newly single mother, to explore four of the most common: individualism, social structuralism, the culture of poverty, and fatalism. She concludes that poverty is a highly complex phenomenon, and it is likely that…

Ann Hutchinson (as subject), Dr. Joan Vernikos (R), Dee O'Hara (L), J. Evans and E. Lowe pose for

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Ann Hutchinson (as subject), Dr. Joan Vernikos (R), Dee O'Hara (L), J. Evans and E. Lowe pose for pictures in the NASA Magazine aritcle 'How it Feels to be a Human Test Subject' as they prepare for a bed rest study to simulate the efects of microgravity on the human body.

Acquisition and Retention of Team Coordination in Command-and-Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

Pedersen Jennifer Winner Jasmine Duran Amanda Taylor Polemnia G. Amazeen Dee H. Andrews Leah Rowe Cognitive Engineering Research Institute 5810 S...Winner, Jasmine Duran, Amanda Taylor, Polemnia G. Amazeen, Dee H. Andrews, and Leah Rowe 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 1123AM02 7. PERFORMING...Psychology, ASU Polytechnic Consultant Nia Amazeen, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Psychology, ASU Graduate Students Jasmine Duran, CERI & ASU Jamie C

Pressure broadening of the ((dt. mu. )dee)/sup */ formation resonances

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cohen, J.S.; Leon, M.; Padial, N.T.

1988-01-01

The treatment of ((dt..mu..)dee)/sup */ formation at high densities as a pressure broadening process is discussed. The quasistatic approximation is shown to satisfy the usual conditions of muon-catalyzed fusion better than does the impact approximation. Complete accurate results are shown for the impact approximation, and a preliminary rough treatment is presented to illustrate the quasistatic approximation. 13 refs., 8 figs.

46 CFR 160.052-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.052-3a Section 160.052-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Plastic Foam, Adult and Child § 160.052-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests. (a...

46 CFR 160.060-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.060-3a Section 160.060-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Polyethylene Foam, Adult and Child § 160.060-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests...

46 CFR 160.060-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.060-3a Section 160.060-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Polyethylene Foam, Adult and Child § 160.060-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests...

46 CFR 160.052-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.052-3a Section 160.052-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Plastic Foam, Adult and Child § 160.052-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests. (a...

46 CFR 160.060-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.060-3a Section 160.060-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Polyethylene Foam, Adult and Child § 160.060-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests...

46 CFR 160.060-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.060-3a Section 160.060-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Polyethylene Foam, Adult and Child § 160.060-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests...

46 CFR 160.052-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.052-3a Section 160.052-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Plastic Foam, Adult and Child § 160.052-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests. (a...

46 CFR 160.052-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.052-3a Section 160.052-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Plastic Foam, Adult and Child § 160.052-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests. (a...

Effects of the finite size of the ion (dd{mu}){sup +} on the energy levels of the molecules (dd{mu})e and (dd{mu})dee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harston, M.R.; Hara, S.; Kino, Y.

1997-10-01

The energy shift due to the finite size of the pseudonucleus (dd{mu}){sub 11}{sup +} in the molecules (dd{mu}){sub 11}e and (dd{mu}){sub 11}dee, the subscripts indicating the first excited state with total angular momentum of one unit, is of importance in the theoretical estimation of the rate of d-d fusion catalyzed by negative muons. The energy shift in the molecule (dd{mu}){sub 11}e is calculated using perturbation theory up to second order. The finite-size shift is found to be 1.46 meV. This is significantly larger than the value of 0.7 meV for this energy shift calculated by Bakalov [Muon Catalyzed Fusion {boldmore » 3}, 321 (1988)] by a method similar to the present method; recently found excellent agreement of theory with experimental results for the formation rate of the molecule (dd{mu}){sub 11}dee was based on Bakalov{close_quote}s value with some modifications. The results of a direct calculation of the finite-size energy shifts in (dd{mu}){sub 11}dee using first-order perturbation theory are presented. The contribution from the quadrupole component of the (dd{mu}){sub 11} charge distribution, which is not taken into account in the conventional scaling procedure based on the finite-size energy shifts of (dd{mu}){sub 11}e, is found to be of the order of 1 meV and to depend on the angular-momentum states of (dd{mu}){sub 11}dee. Sources of uncertainty in the current theoretical estimates are also discussed. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

46 CFR 160.047-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.047-3a Section 160.047-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Kapok or Fibrous Glass, Adult and Child § 160.047-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests. (a...

46 CFR 160.047-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.047-3a Section 160.047-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Kapok or Fibrous Glass, Adult and Child § 160.047-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests. (a...

46 CFR 160.047-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.047-3a Section 160.047-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Kapok or Fibrous Glass, Adult and Child § 160.047-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests. (a...

46 CFR 160.047-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... instruments of closure for buoyant vests. 160.047-3a Section 160.047-3a Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Kapok or Fibrous Glass, Adult and Child § 160.047-3a Materials—Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests. (a...

Acquisition and Retention of Team Coordination in Command-and-Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-15

Pedersen, Jennifer Winner, Jasmine Duran, Amanda Taylor, Polemnia G. Amazeen, So. TASK NUMBER Dee Andrews, Leah Rowe 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING...and- Control Nancy J. Cooke, Jamie C. Gorman, Harry K. Pedersen, Jennifer Winner, Jasmine Duran, Amanda Taylor, Nia Amazeen, Dee Andrews, and Leah Rowe...Psychology, ASU Graduate Students Jasmine Duran, CERI & ASU Jamie C. Gorman, Ph.D., CERI & NMSU * (Ph.D. obtained Dec. 2006) Harry K. Pedersen, CERI

Cathodic Protection of Hot Water Tanks at Fort Sill

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

should be flat against the material. Bent rivets will fail under stress . Especially note condition of Dee Ring rivets and Dee Ring metal wear pads...free fall distance. Also, to be stressed are the importance of inspections prior to use, the limitations of the equipment, and unique conditions at...devices during the force test; d. Caution statements on critical use limitations; e. Application limits; f. Proper hook -up, anchoring and tie-off

Radio frequency cavity analysis, measurement, and calibration of absolute Dee voltage for K-500 superconducting cyclotron at VECC, Kolkata

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Som, Sumit; Seth, Sudeshna; Mandal, Aditya

2013-02-15

Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre has commissioned a K-500 superconducting cyclotron for various types of nuclear physics experiments. The 3-phase radio-frequency system of superconducting cyclotron has been developed in the frequency range 9-27 MHz with amplitude and phase stability of 100 ppm and {+-}0.2{sup 0}, respectively. The analysis of the RF cavity has been carried out using 3D Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio code and various RF parameters and accelerating voltages ('Dee' voltage) are calculated from simulation. During the RF system commissioning, measurement of different RF parameters has been done and absolute Dee voltage has been calibrated using a CdTemore » X-ray detector along with its accessories and known X-ray source. The present paper discusses about the measured data and the simulation result.« less

Mammalian energetics. Flexible energetics of cheetah hunting strategies provide resistance against kleptoparasitism.

PubMed

Scantlebury, David M; Mills, Michael G L; Wilson, Rory P; Wilson, John W; Mills, Margaret E J; Durant, Sarah M; Bennett, Nigel C; Bradford, Peter; Marks, Nikki J; Speakman, John R

2014-10-03

Population viability is driven by individual survival, which in turn depends on individuals balancing energy budgets. As carnivores may function close to maximum sustained power outputs, decreased food availability or increased activity may render some populations energetically vulnerable. Prey theft may compromise energetic budgets of mesopredators, such as cheetahs and wild dogs, which are susceptible to competition from larger carnivores. We show that daily energy expenditure (DEE) of cheetahs was similar to size-based predictions and positively related to distance traveled. Theft at 25% only requires cheetahs to hunt for an extra 1.1 hour per day, increasing DEE by just 12%. Therefore, not all mesopredators are energetically constrained by direct competition. Other factors that increase DEE, such as those that increase travel, may be more important for population viability. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Exposure-Response Estimates for Diesel Engine Exhaust and Lung Cancer Mortality Based on Data from Three Occupational Cohorts

PubMed Central

Silverman, Debra T.; Garshick, Eric; Vlaanderen, Jelle; Portengen, Lützen; Steenland, Kyle

2013-01-01

Background: Diesel engine exhaust (DEE) has recently been classified as a known human carcinogen. Objective: We derived a meta-exposure–response curve (ERC) for DEE and lung cancer mortality and estimated lifetime excess risks (ELRs) of lung cancer mortality based on assumed occupational and environmental exposure scenarios. Methods: We conducted a meta-regression of lung cancer mortality and cumulative exposure to elemental carbon (EC), a proxy measure of DEE, based on relative risk (RR) estimates reported by three large occupational cohort studies (including two studies of workers in the trucking industry and one study of miners). Based on the derived risk function, we calculated ELRs for several lifetime occupational and environmental exposure scenarios and also calculated the fractions of annual lung cancer deaths attributable to DEE. Results: We estimated a lnRR of 0.00098 (95% CI: 0.00055, 0.0014) for lung cancer mortality with each 1-μg/m3-year increase in cumulative EC based on a linear meta-regression model. Corresponding lnRRs for the individual studies ranged from 0.00061 to 0.0012. Estimated numbers of excess lung cancer deaths through 80 years of age for lifetime occupational exposures of 1, 10, and 25 μg/m3 EC were 17, 200, and 689 per 10,000, respectively. For lifetime environmental exposure to 0.8 μg/m3 EC, we estimated 21 excess lung cancer deaths per 10,000. Based on broad assumptions regarding past occupational and environmental exposures, we estimated that approximately 6% of annual lung cancer deaths may be due to DEE exposure. Conclusions: Combined data from three U.S. occupational cohort studies suggest that DEE at levels common in the workplace and in outdoor air appear to pose substantial excess lifetime risks of lung cancer, above the usually acceptable limits in the United States and Europe, which are generally set at 1/1,000 and 1/100,000 based on lifetime exposure for the occupational and general population, respectively. Citation: Vermeulen R, Silverman DT, Garshick E, Vlaanderen J, Portengen L, Steenland K. 2014. Exposure-response estimates for diesel engine exhaust and lung cancer mortality based on data from three occupational cohorts. Environ Health Perspect 122:172–177; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1306880 PMID:24273233

Remote Monitoring of Cathodic Protection and Cathodic Protection System Upgrades for Tanks and Pipelines at Fort Carson

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

HOISTS, CRANES AND DERRICKS ο ο Cables and sheaves regularly inspected ο ο Slings and chains, hooks and eyes inspected before each use ο ο Equipment...osion from soil corrosion, bacterial corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking. • Cathodic protection is applicable over a wide range of e...should be flat against the material. Bent rivets will fail under stress . Especially note condition of Dee Ring rivets and Dee Ring metal wear pads

Concurrent production of biodiesel and chemicals through wet in situ transesterification of microalgae.

PubMed

Im, Hanjin; Kim, Bora; Lee, Jae W

2015-10-01

This work addresses an unprecedented way of co-producing biodiesel (FAEE) and valuable chemicals of ethyl levulinate (EL), ethyl formate (EF) and diethyl ether (DEE) from wet in situ transesterification of microalgae. EL, EF, and DEE were significantly produced up to 23.1%, 10.3%, and 52.1% of the maximum FAEE mass with the FAEE yield higher than 90% at 125 °C. Experiments to elucidate a detailed route of EL and EF synthesis were fulfilled and it was found that its main route to the production of EL and EF was the acid hydrolysis of algal cells and esterification with ethanol. To investigate the effect of reaction variables on the products yields, comprehensive experiments were carried out with varying temperatures, solvent and alcohol volumes, moisture contents and catalyst amounts. Coproduction of DEE, EL, EF and FAEE can contribute to elevating the economic feasibility of microalgae-based biodiesel supply chain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diesel engine exhaust and lung cancer mortality: time-related factors in exposure and risk.

PubMed

Moolgavkar, Suresh H; Chang, Ellen T; Luebeck, Georg; Lau, Edmund C; Watson, Heather N; Crump, Kenny S; Boffetta, Paolo; McClellan, Roger

2015-04-01

To develop a quantitative exposure-response relationship between concentrations and durations of inhaled diesel engine exhaust (DEE) and increases in lung cancer risks, we examined the role of temporal factors in modifying the estimated effects of exposure to DEE on lung cancer mortality and characterized risk by mine type in the Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study (DEMS) cohort, which followed 12,315 workers through December 1997. We analyzed the data using parametric functions based on concepts of multistage carcinogenesis to directly estimate the hazard functions associated with estimated exposure to a surrogate marker of DEE, respirable elemental carbon (REC). The REC-associated risk of lung cancer mortality in DEMS is driven by increased risk in only one of four mine types (limestone), with statistically significant heterogeneity by mine type and no significant exposure-response relationship after removal of the limestone mine workers. Temporal factors, such as duration of exposure, play an important role in determining the risk of lung cancer mortality following exposure to REC, and the relative risk declines after exposure to REC stops. There is evidence of effect modification of risk by attained age. The modifying impact of temporal factors and effect modification by age should be addressed in any quantitative risk assessment (QRA) of DEE. Until there is a better understanding of why the risk appears to be confined to a single mine type, data from DEMS cannot reliably be used for QRA. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Migration of the Pee Dee River system inferred from ancestral paleochannels underlying the South Carolina Grand Strand and Long Bay inner shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldwin, W.E.; Morton, R.A.; Putney, T.R.; Katuna, M.P.; Harris, M.S.; Gayes, P.T.; Driscoll, N.W.; Denny, J.F.; Schwab, W.C.

2006-01-01

Several generations of the ancestral Pee Dee River system have been mapped beneath the South Carolina Grand Strand coastline and adjacent Long Bay inner shelf. Deep boreholes onshore and high-resolution seismic-reflection data offshore allow for reconstruction of these paleochannels, which formed during glacial lowstands, when the Pee Dee River system incised subaerially exposed coastal-plain and continental-shelf strata. Paleochannel groups, representing different generations of the system, decrease in age to the southwest, where the modern Pee Dee River merges with several coastal-plain tributaries at Winyah Bay, the southern terminus of Long Bay. Positions of the successive generational groups record a regional, southwestward migration of the river system that may have initiated during the late Pliocene. The migration was primarily driven by barrier-island deposition, resulting from the interaction of fluvial and shoreline processes during eustatic highstands. Structurally driven, subsurface paleotopography associated with the Mid-Carolina Platform High has also indirectly assisted in forcing this migration. These results provide a better understanding of the evolution of the region and help explain the lack of mobile sediment on the Long Bay inner shelf. Migration of the river system caused a profound change in sediment supply during the late Pleistocene. The abundant fluvial source that once fed sand-rich barrier islands was cut off and replaced with a limited source, supplied by erosion and reworking of former coastal deposits exposed at the shore and on the inner shelf.

Calcite saturation in the River Dee, NE Scotland.

PubMed

Wade, A J; Neal, C; Smart, R P; Edwards, A C

2002-01-23

The spatial and temporal variations in calcite (calcium carbonate) solubility within the Dee basin of NE Scotland were assessed using water chemistry data gathered from a network of 59 sites monitored for water quality from June 1996 to May 1997. Calcite solubility, expressed in terms of a saturation index (SIcalcite), was determined from measured streamwater pH, Gran alkalinity and calcium concentrations and water temperature. In general, the waters of the Dee system are undersaturated with respect to calcite, though the saturation index is higher during the summer months indicating a dependency on flow conditions and biological activity. Under low-flow conditions, the streamwaters are dominated by water derived from the lower soil horizons and deeper groundwater stores and therefore, ions such as Gran alkalinity and calcium are at their highest concentrations as they are derived mainly from bedrock weathering. The influence of biological activity on the carbonate system is also evident as the observed pH and estimated EpCO2 values indicate strong seasonal patterns, with the highest pH and lowest EpCO2 values occurring during the summer low-flow periods. Only at three sites in the lowland region of the catchment, during the summer low-flow period, are the waters oversaturated. As such, the Dee system represents an extreme 'end-member' case when compared to many UK rivers that span both under- and oversaturated conditions during the year. Regression analysis highlights a systematic change in the SIcalcite-pH relationship in a broad east-west direction across the Dee system. At sites draining the relatively impermeable upland areas, the regression of SIcalcite against pH gives a straight line with a gradient in the range 1.6-2.4. Correspondingly, under the most extreme alkaline conditions found at sites draining lowland agricultural areas, a straight-line relationship exists but with a gradient of unity. It is concluded that these changes in the SIcalcite-pH relationship are due to variations in the bicarbonate system induced by the flow conditions and biological activity. Given the waters are undersaturated, then calcite precipitation and hence phosphorus co-precipitation cannot occur within the water column.

Floating capsules containing alginate-based beads of salbutamol sulfate: In vitro-in vivo evaluations.

PubMed

Malakar, Jadupati; Datta, Prabir Kumar; Purakayastha, Saikat Das; Dey, Sanjay; Nayak, Amit Kumar

2014-03-01

The present study deals with the development and evaluations of stomach-specific floating capsules containing salbutamol sulfate-loaded oil-entrapped alginate-based beads. Salbutamol sulfate-loaded oil-entrapped beads were prepared and capsulated within hard gelatin capsules (size 1). The effects of HPMC K4M and potato starch weight masses on drug encapsulation efficiency (DEE) of beads and cumulative drug release at 10h (R10 h) from capsules was analyzed by 3(2) factorial design. The optimization results indicate increasing of DEE in the oil-entrapped beads and decreasing R10 h from capsules with increment of HPMC K4M and potato starch weight masses. The optimized formulation showed DEE of 70.02 ± 3.16% and R10 h of 56.96 ± 2.92%. These capsules showed floatation over 6h and sustained drug release over 10h in gastric pH (1.2). In vivo X-ray imaging study of optimized floating capsules in rabbits showed stomach-specific gastroretention over a prolonged period. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure and Reactivity of Alkyl Ethers Adsorbed on CeO2(111) Model Catalysts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

F Calaza; T Chen; D Mullins

2011-12-31

The effect of surface hydroxyls on the adsorption of ether on ceria was explored. Adsorption of dimethyl ether (DME) and diethyl ether (DEE) on oxidized and reduced CeO{sub 2}(111) films was studied and compared with Ru(0001) using RAIRS and sXPS within a UHV environment. On Ru(0001) the ethers adsorb weakly with the molecular plane close to parallel to the surface plane. On the ceria films, the adsorption of the ethers was stronger than on the metal surface, presumably due to stronger interaction of the ether oxygen lone pair electrons with a cerium cation. This interaction causes the ethers to tiltmore » away from the surface plane compared to the Ru(0001) surface. No pronounced differences were found between oxidized (CeO{sub 2}) and reduced (CeOx) films. The adsorption of the ethers was found to be perturbed by the presence of OH groups on hydroxylated CeOx. In the case of DEE, the geometry of adsorption resembles that found on Ru, and in the case of dimethyl ether DME is in between that one found on clean CeOx and the metal surface. Decomposition of the DEE was observed on the OH/CeOx surface following high DEE exposure at 300 K and higher temperatures. Ethoxides and acetates were identified as adsorbed species on the surface by means of RAIRS and ethoxides and formates by s-XPS. No decomposition of dimethyl ether was observed on the OH/CeOx at these higher temperatures, implying that the dissociation of the C-O bond from ethers requires the presence of {beta}-hydrogen.« less

Structure and Reactivity of Alkyl Ethers Adsorbed on CeO(2)(111) Model Catalysts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calaza, Florencia C; Chen, Tsung-Liang; Mullins, David R

2011-01-01

The effect of surface hydroxyls on the adsorption of ether on ceria was explored. Adsorption of dimethyl ether (DME) and diethyl ether (DEE) on oxidized and reduced CeO{sub 2}(111) films was studied and compared with Ru(0001) using RAIRS and sXPS within a UHV environment. On Ru(0001) the ethers adsorb weakly with the molecular plane close to parallel to the surface plane. On the ceria films, the adsorption of the ethers was stronger than on the metal surface, presumably due to stronger interaction of the ether oxygen lone pair electrons with a cerium cation. This interaction causes the ethers to tiltmore » away from the surface plane compared to the Ru(0001) surface. No pronounced differences were found between oxidized (CeO{sub 2}) and reduced (CeOx) films. The adsorption of the ethers was found to be perturbed by the presence of OH groups on hydroxylated CeOx. In the case of DEE, the geometry of adsorption resembles that found on Ru, and in the case of dimethyl ether DME is in between that one found on clean CeOx and the metal surface. Decomposition of the DEE was observed on the OH/CeOx surface following high DEE exposure at 300 K and higher temperatures. Ethoxides and acetates were identified as adsorbed species on the surface by means of RAIRS and ethoxides and formates by s-XPS. No decomposition of dimethyl ether was observed on the OH/CeOx at these higher temperatures, implying that the dissociation of the C-O bond from ethers requires the presence of {beta}-hydrogen.« less

No adverse lung effects of 7- and 28-day inhalation exposure of rats to emissions from petrodiesel fuel containing 20% rapeseed methyl esters (B20) with and without particulate filter - the FuelHealth project.

PubMed

Magnusson, Pål; Oczkowski, Michał; Øvrevik, Johan; Gajewska, Malgorzata; Wilczak, Jacek; Biedrzycki, Jacek; Dziendzikowska, Katarzyna; Kamola, Dariusz; Królikowski, Tomasz; Kruszewski, Marcin; Lankoff, Anna; Mruk, Remigiusz; Brunborg, Gunnar; Instanes, Christine; Gromadzka-Ostrowska, Joanna; Myhre, Oddvar

2017-04-01

Increased use of biofuels raises concerns about health effects of new emissions. We analyzed relative lung health effects, on Fisher 344 rats, of diesel engine exhausts emissions (DEE) from a Euro 5-classified diesel engine running on petrodiesel fuel containing 20% rapeseed methyl esters (B20) with and without diesel particulate filter (DPF). One group of animals was exposed to DEE for 7 days (6 h/day), and another group for 28 days (6 h/day, 5 days/week), both with and without DPF. The animals (n = 7/treatment) were exposed in whole body exposure chambers. Animals breathing clean air were used as controls. Genotoxic effects of the lungs by the Comet assay, histological examination of lung tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) markers of pulmonary injury, and mRNA markers of inflammation and oxidative stress were analyzed. Our results showed that a minor number of genes related to inflammation were slightly differently expressed in the exposed animals compared to control. Histological analysis also revealed only minor effects on inflammatory tissue markers in the lungs, and this was supported by flow cytometry and ELISA analysis of cytokines in BALF. No exposure-related indications of genotoxicity were observed. Overall, exposure to DEE with or without DPF technology produced no adverse effects in the endpoints analyzed in the rat lung tissue or the BALF. Overall, exposure to DEE from a modern Euro 5 light vehicle engine run on B20 fuel with or without DPF technology produced no adverse effects in the endpoints analyzed in the rat lung tissue or the BALF.

The Hermetic Frontispiece: Contextualising John Dee's Hieroglyphic Monad.

PubMed

Forshaw, Peter J

2017-05-01

This essay examines the elaborate title pages of some of alchemist, astrologer, and bibliophile John Dee's publications with a focus on the two best known works that feature his famous Hieroglyphic Monad, the Propaedeumata Aphoristica (1558) and Monas Hieroglyphica (1564). The aim is to cast light on its context, identify sources for some textual influences in the works, unpack the visual symbolism in the two "monadic" title pages in relation to the two complementary sciences of "superior" and "inferior" astronomy, speculate on some of the more enigmatic details, and conclude with a brief discussion of a possible astrological significance to the dates of composition of the Monas Hieroglyphica.

A case of paternity testing influenced by the silent allele of Rh erythrocyte groups.

PubMed

Ota, M; Yonemura, I; Fukushima, H; Hasekura, H; Ishimoto, G; Mizutani, Y; Yamada, T

1987-11-01

A paternity test is presented in which a father and his two children possessed an extremely rare amorphic gene R-29 (r,---). One of the children was determined to be illegitimate at the first trial as her Rh phenotype was R2R2(ccDEE) and the father's phenotype was R1R1(CCDee). At the Court of Appeal, however, the rare Rh gene r(---) was shown to be inherited from the father to the appellant child through extended tests including her brother whose phenotype was also R2R2(ccDEE). She was acknowledged to be legitimate.

Tamarind seed gum-hydrolyzed polymethacrylamide-g-gellan beads for extended release of diclofenac sodium using 32 full factorial design.

PubMed

Nandi, Gouranga; Nandi, Amit Kumar; Khan, Najim Sarif; Pal, Souvik; Dey, Sibasish

2018-07-15

Development of tamarind seed gum (TSG)-hydrolyzed polymethacrylamide-g-gellan (h-Pmaa-g-GG) composite beads for extended release of diclofenac sodium using 3 2 full factorial design is the main purpose of this study. The ratio of h-Pmaa-g-GG and TSG and concentration of cross-linker CaCl 2 were taken as independent factors with three different levels of each. Effects of polymer ratio and CaCl 2 on drug entrapment efficiency (DEE), drug release, bead size and swelling were investigated. Responses such as DEE and different drug release parameters were statistically analyzed by 3 2 full factorial design using Design-Expert software and finally the formulation factors were optimized to obtain USP-reference release profile. Drug release rate was found to decrease with decrease in the ratio of h-Pmaa-g-GG:TSG and increase in the concentration of Ca 2+ ions in cross-linking medium. The optimized formulation showed DEE of 93.25% and an extended drug release profile over a period of 10h with f 2 =80.13. Kinetic modeling unveiled case-I-Fickian diffusion based drug release mechanism. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Daily energy expenditures of free-ranging Common Loon (Gavia immer) chicks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fournier, F.; Karasov, W.H.; Meyer, M.W.; Kenow, K.P.

2002-01-01

We measured the daily energy expenditure of free-living Common Loon (Gavia immer) chicks using doubly labeled water (DLW). Average body mass of chicks during the DLW measures were 425, 1,052, and 1,963 g for 10 day-old (n = 5), 21 day-old (n = 6), and 35 day-old (n = 6) chicks, respectively, and their mean daily energy expenditures (DEE) were 686 kJ day−1, 768 kJ day−1, and 1,935 kJ day−1, respectively. Variation in DEE was not due solely to variation in body mass, but age was also a significant factor independent of body mass. Energy deposited in new tissue was calculated from age-dependent tissue energy contents and measured gains in body mass, which were 51, 54, and 33 g day−1 from the youngest to oldest chicks. Metabolizable energy (the sum of DEE and tissue energy) was used to estimate feeding rates of loon chicks and their exposure to mercury in the fish they consume. We calculated that loon chicks in Wisconsin consumed between 162 and 383 g wet mass of fish per day (depending on age), corresponding to intakes of mercury of 16–192 μg day−1.

Combined NMR and molecular dynamics modeling study of transport properties in sulfonamide based deep eutectic lithium electrolytes: LiTFSI based binary systems.

PubMed

Pauric, Allen D; Halalay, Ion C; Goward, Gillian R

2016-03-07

The trend toward Li-ion batteries operating at increased (>4.3 V vs. Li/Li(+)) voltages requires the development of novel classes of lithium electrolytes with electrochemical stability windows exceeding those of LiPF6/carbonate electrolyte solutions. Several new classes of electrolytes have been synthesized and investigated over the past decade, in the search for LIB electrolytes with improved properties (increased hydrolytic stability, improved thermal abuse tolerance, higher oxidation voltages, etc.) compared with the present state-of-the-art LiPF6 and organic carbonates-based formulations. Among these are deep eutectic electrolytes (DEEs), which share many beneficial characteristics with ionic liquids, such as low vapor pressure and large electrochemical stability windows, with the added advantage of a significantly higher lithium transference number. The present work presents the pulsed field gradient NMR characterization of the transport properties (diffusion coefficients and cation transport numbers) of binary DEEs consisting of a sulfonamide solvent and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt. Insights into the structural and dynamical properties, which enable one to rationalize the observed ionic conductivity behavior were obtained from a combination of NMR data and MD simulations. The insights thus gained should assist the formulation of novel DEEs with improved properties for LIB applications.

ZENK expression in the auditory pathway of black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) as a function of D note number and duty cycle of chick-a-dee calls.

PubMed

Scully, Erin N; Schuldhaus, Brenna C; Congdon, Jenna V; Hahn, Allison H; Campbell, Kimberley A; Wilson, David R; Sturdy, Christopher B

2018-06-08

Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) use their namesake chick-a-dee call for multiple functions, altering the features of the call depending on context. For example, duty cycle (the proportion of time filled by vocalizations) and fine structure traits (e.g., number of D notes) can encode contextual factors, such as predator size and food quality. Wilson and Mennill [1] found that chickadees show stronger behavioral responses to playback of chick-a-dee calls with higher duty cycles, but not to the number of D notes. That is, independent of the number of D notes in a call, but dependent on the overall proportion of time filled with vocalization, birds responded more to higher duty cycle playback compared to lower duty cycle playback. Here we presented chickadees with chick-a-dee calls that contained either two D (referred to hereafter as 2 D) notes with a low duty cycle, 2 D notes with a high duty cycle, 10 D notes with a high duty cycle, or 2 D notes with a high duty cycle but played in reverse (a non-signaling control). We then measured ZENK expression in the auditory nuclei where perceptual discrimination is thought to occur. Based on the behavioral results of Wilson and Mennill [1], we predicted we would observe the highest ZENK expression in response to forward-playing calls with high duty cycles; we predicted we would observe no significant difference in ZENK expression between forward-playing high duty cycle playbacks (2 D or 10 D). We found no significant difference between forward-playing 2 D and 10 D high duty cycle playbacks. However, contrary to our predictions, we did not find any effects of altering the duty cycle or note number presented. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Activation of C-O and C-C bonds and formation of novel HAlOH-ether complexes: an EPR study of the reaction of ground-state Al atoms with methylethyl ether and diethyl ether.

PubMed

Brunet, François D; Feola, Julie C; Joly, Helen A

2012-03-15

Reaction mixtures, containing Al atoms and methylethyl ether (MEE) or diethyl ether (DEE) in an adamantane matrix, were prepared with the aid of a metal-atom reactor known as a rotating cryostat. The EPR spectra of the resulting products were recorded from 77-260 K, at 10 K intervals. Al atoms were found to insert into methyl-O, ethyl-O, and C-C bonds to form CH(3)AlOCH(2)CH(3), CH(3)OAlCH(2)CH(3), and CH(3)OCH(2)AlCH(3), respectively, in the case of MEE while DEE produced CH(3)CH(2)AlOCH(2)CH(3) and CH(3)AlCH(2)OCH(2)CH(3), respectively. From the intensity of the transition lines attributed to the Al atom C-O insertion products of MEE, insertion into the methyl-O bond is preferred. The Al hyperfine interaction (hfi) extracted from the EPR spectra of the C-O insertion products was greater than that of the C-C insertion products, that is, 5.4% greater for the DEE system and 7% greater for the MEE system. The increase in Al hfi is thought to arise from the increased electron-withdrawing ability of the substituents bonded to Al. Besides HAlOH, resulting from the reaction of Al atoms with adventitious water, novel mixed HAlOH:MEE and HAlOH:DEE complexes were identified with the aid of isotopic studies involving H(2)(17)O and D(2)O. The Al and H hfi of HAlOH were found to decrease upon complex formation. These findings are consistent with the nuclear hfi calculated using a density functional theory (DFT) method with close agreement between theory and experiment occurring at the B3LYP level using a 6-311+G(2df,p) basis set.

Effect of prolonged exposure to diesel engine exhaust on proinflammatory markers in different regions of the rat brain.

PubMed

Gerlofs-Nijland, Miriam E; van Berlo, Damien; Cassee, Flemming R; Schins, Roel P F; Wang, Kate; Campbell, Arezoo

2010-05-17

The etiology and progression of neurodegenerative disorders depends on the interactions between a variety of factors including: aging, environmental exposures, and genetic susceptibility factors. Enhancement of proinflammatory events appears to be a common link in different neurological impairments, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple sclerosis. Studies have shown a link between exposure to particulate matter (PM), present in air pollution, and enhancement of central nervous system proinflammatory markers. In the present study, the association between exposure to air pollution (AP), derived from a specific source (diesel engine), and neuroinflammation was investigated. To elucidate whether specific regions of the brain are more susceptible to exposure to diesel-derived AP, various loci of the brain were separately analyzed. Rats were exposed for 6 hrs a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks to diesel engine exhaust (DEE) using a nose-only exposure chamber. The day after the final exposure, the brain was dissected into the following regions: cerebellum, frontal cortex, hippocampus, olfactory bulb and tubercles, and the striatum. Baseline levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1alpha) were dependent on the region analyzed and increased in the striatum after exposure to DEE. In addition, baseline level of activation of the transcription factors (NF-kappaB) and (AP-1) was also region dependent but the levels were not significantly altered after exposure to DEE. A similar, though not significant, trend was seen with the mRNA expression levels of TNF-alpha and TNF Receptor-subtype I (TNF-RI). Our results indicate that different brain regions may be uniquely responsive to changes induced by exposure to DEE. This study once more underscores the role of neuroinflammation in response to ambient air pollution, however, it is valuable to assess if and to what extent the observed changes may impact the normal function and cellular integrity of unique brain regions.

The energy costs of sexual dimorphism in mole-rats are morphological not behavioural

PubMed Central

Scantlebury, M; Speakman, J.R; Bennett, N.C

2005-01-01

Different reproductive strategies of males and females may lead to the evolution of differences in their energetic costs of reproduction, overall energetic requirements and physiological performances. Sexual dimorphism is often associated with costly behaviours (e.g. large males might have a competitive advantage in fighting, which is energetically expensive). However, few studies of mammals have directly compared the energy costs of reproductive activities between sexes. We compared the daily energy expenditure (DEE) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) of males and females of two species of mole-rat, Bathyergus janetta and Georychus capensis (the former is sexually dimorphic in body size and the latter is not) during a period of intense digging when males seek females. We hypothesized that large body size might be indicative of greater digging or fighting capabilities, and hence greater mass-independent DEE values in males of the sexually dimorphic species. In contrast to this prediction, although absolute values of DEE were greater in B. janetta males, mass-independent values were not. No differences were apparent between sexes in G. capensis. By comparison, although RMR values were greater in B. janetta than G. capensis, no differences were apparent between the sexes for either species. The energy cost of dimorphism is most likely to be the cost of maintenance of a large body size, and not the cost of behaviours performed when an individual is large. PMID:16519235

Audre's daughter: Black lesbian steganography in Dee Rees' Pariah and Audre Lorde's Zami: A New Spelling of My Name.

PubMed

Kang, Nancy

2016-01-01

This article argues that African-American director Dee Rees' critically acclaimed debut Pariah (2011) is a rewriting of lesbian poet-activist Audre Lorde's iconic "bio-mythography" Zami: A New Spelling of My Name (1982). The article examines how Rees' work creatively and subtly re-envisions Lorde's Zami by way of deeply rooted and often cleverly camouflaged patterns, resonances, and contrasts. Shared topics include naming, mother-daughter bonds, the role of clothing in identity formation, domestic abuse, queer time, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender legacy discourse construction. What emerges between the visual and written texts is a hidden language of connection--what may be termed Black lesbian steganography--which proves thought-provoking to viewers and readers alike.

De novo gain-of-function variants in KCNT2 as a novel cause of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.

PubMed

Ambrosino, Paolo; Soldovieri, Maria Virginia; Bast, Thomas; Turnpenny, Peter D; Uhrig, Sabine; Biskup, Saskia; Döcker, Miriam; Fleck, Thilo; Mosca, Ilaria; Manocchio, Laura; Iraci, Nunzio; Taglialatela, Maurizio; Lemke, Johannes R

2018-05-08

Variants in several potassium channel genes have been found in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEE). We report two females with de novo variants in KCNT2 with West syndrome followed by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or with DEE with migrating focal seizures. After in vitro analysis suggested quinidine-responsive gain-of-function effects, we treated one of the girls with quinidine add-on therapy and achieved marked clinical improvements. This suggests that the new spectrum of KCNT2-related disorders do not only share similar phenotypic and in vitro functional and pharmacological features with previously known KCNT1-related disorders but also represents a further example for possible precision medicine approaches. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 American Neurological Association.

Green fuel utilization for diesel engine, combustion and emission analysis fuelled with CNSO diesel blends with Diethyl ether as additive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Ashok; Rajan, K.; Senthil Kumar, K. R.; Maiyappan, K.; Rasheed, Usama Tariq

2017-05-01

The experimental investigation is conducted to evaluate the effects by using Diethyl ether (DEE) as an additive. The Cashew Nut Shell Oil diesel blends (CDB) are tested in a 4-stroke single cylinder DI unmodified diesel engine, rated power is 4.4 kW at a speed of 1500 rpm. The effect of combustion analysis of test fuels on net heat release rate, cylinder pressure, engine power, BSFC, BTE, EGT were observed by the performance tests. The combustion and emission characteristics of a diesel engine with an additive of high cetane number is utilized with CDB and thus investigated. The influence of blends on CO, CO2, HC, NOx and smoke opacity is investigated by emission tests. Initially, the experiment was conducted with different blends of CDB diesel blends like 10%, 20%, & 30% by volume basis in a diesel engine. Among this blends B20 shows reasonable result and heat dissipation rate at full load conditions. The BTE of B20 is 27.52% whereas base diesel fuel is 29.73%. Addition of the DEE by 5%, 10% and 15% by volume basis with B20 which is a base fuel has resulted with improved estimates. The result shows that at full load conditions BTE of B20D10 is 28.96% which is close to the base fuel i.e. B20. The emissions like CO2 shows reducing trends while HC emission rises with increase in CNSO blends. The HC in diesel corresponds to 30ppm and in B20 it is 34ppm, but addition of DEE shows a decreasing trend as in B20D5 has 29ppm and B20D15 has 23ppm respectively. NOx also shows increasing trends with CNSO blend, after addition of DEE it shows declining trend. The NOx for diesel, B20, B30, B20D5, B20D10 and B20D15 emits 1195, 1450, 1511, 1327, 1373 and 1200ppm respectively. The smoke emission is 3.96, 3.38, 3.15 FSN of B20, B20D15 and diesel respectively.

Approximations used in calculating many-body effects in resonant ((dt. mu. )dee) formation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cohen, J.S.; Leon, M.

1989-02-01

The approximations needed to treat the resonant formation of the compound molecule ((dt..mu..)dee)/sup */ as a line-broadening process are examined. The necessary criteria for applying the impact (Lorentzian) approximation are shown to be seriously violated under the usual conditions of muon-catalyzed fusion. Neither the condition for binary collisions nor the requirement that the detuning not be too large holds. A much more appropriate description is the many-body quasistatic approximation, which is valid for large detunings at any density and for practically the whole profile at high densities. The convenient factorization of the three-body rate into a convolution of a two-bodymore » rate with a broadening factor is shown to hold within some approximations, but the broadening factor itself depends on the transition being considered.« less

Quantitative Genetic Modeling of the Parental Care Hypothesis for the Evolution of Endothermy

PubMed Central

Bacigalupe, Leonardo D.; Moore, Allen J.; Nespolo, Roberto F.; Rezende, Enrico L.; Bozinovic, Francisco

2017-01-01

There are two heuristic explanations proposed for the evolution of endothermy in vertebrates: a correlated response to selection for stable body temperatures, or as a correlated response to increased activity. Parental care has been suggested as a major driving force in this context given its impact on the parents' activity levels and energy budgets, and in the offspring's growth rates due to food provisioning and controlled incubation temperature. This results in a complex scenario involving multiple traits and transgenerational fitness benefits that can be hard to disentangle, quantify and ultimately test. Here we demonstrate how standard quantitative genetic models of maternal effects can be applied to study the evolution of endothermy, focusing on the interplay between daily energy expenditure (DEE) of the mother and growth rates of the offspring. Our model shows that maternal effects can dramatically exacerbate evolutionary responses to selection in comparison to regular univariate models (breeder's equation). This effect would emerge from indirect selection mediated by maternal effects concomitantly with a positive genetic covariance between DEE and growth rates. The multivariate nature of selection, which could favor a higher DEE, higher growth rates or both, might partly explain how high turnover rates were continuously favored in a self-reinforcing process. Overall, our quantitative genetic analysis provides support for the parental care hypothesis for the evolution of endothermy. We contend that much has to be gained from quantifying maternal and developmental effects on metabolic and thermoregulatory variation during adulthood. PMID:29311952

Oxidation mechanism of diethyl ether: a complex process for a simple molecule.

PubMed

Di Tommaso, Stefania; Rotureau, Patricia; Crescenzi, Orlando; Adamo, Carlo

2011-08-28

A large number of organic compounds, such as ethers, spontaneously form unstable peroxides through a self-propagating process of autoxidation (peroxidation). Although the hazards of organic peroxides are well known, the oxidation mechanisms of peroxidizable compounds like ethers reported in the literature are vague and often based on old experiments, carried out in very different conditions (e.g. atmospheric, combustion). With the aim to (partially) fill the lack of information, in this paper we present an extensive Density Functional Theory (DFT) study of autoxidation reaction of diethyl ether (DEE), a chemical that is largely used as solvent in laboratories, and which is considered to be responsible for various accidents. The aim of the work is to investigate the most probable reaction paths involved in the autoxidation process and to identify all potential hazardous intermediates, such as peroxides. Beyond the determination of a complex oxidation mechanism for such a simple molecule, our results suggest that the two main reaction channels open in solution are the direct decomposition (β-scission) of DEE radical issued of the initiation step and the isomerization of the peroxy radical formed upon oxygen attack (DEEOO˙). A simple kinetic evaluation of these two competing reaction channels hints that radical isomerization may play an unexpectedly important role in the global DEE oxidation process. Finally industrial hazards could be related to the hydroperoxide formation and accumulation during the chain propagation step. The resulting information may contribute to the understanding of the accidental risks associated with the use of diethyl ether.

Effect of comfort pads and incubator design on neonatal radiography.

PubMed

Jiang, Xia; Baad, Michael; Reiser, Ingrid; Feinstein, Kate A; Lu, Zhengfeng

2016-01-01

There has been increasing interest in patient dose reduction in neonatal intensive care units. Removing comfort pads for radiography has been identified as a potential means to decrease patient dose. To assess the effect of comfort pads and support trays on detector entrance exposure (DEE) and image quality for neonatal radiography, and its implication for patient dose. Comfort pads and support trays from three incubator and warmer systems were examined. The attenuation of the primary beam by these structures was measured using a narrow beam geometry. Their effect on DEE and image quality was then assessed using typical neonatal chest radiography techniques with three configurations: 1) both the comfort pad and support included in the beam, 2) only the support tray included and 3) both the comfort pad and support tray removed. Comfort pads and support trays were found to attenuate the primary beam by 6-15%. Eliminating these structures from the X-ray beam's path was found to increase the detector entrance exposure by 28-36% and increase contrast-to-noise ratio by more than 21%, suggesting room for patient dose reduction when the same image quality is maintained. Comfort pads and tray support devices can have a considerable effect on DEE and image quality, with large variations among different incubator designs. Positioning the image detector directly underneath neonatal patients for radiography is a potential means for patient dose reduction. However, such benefit should be weighed against the risks of moving the patient.

Dielectric Studies on Binary Mixtures of Diethyl Ether (DEE) in Polar Solvents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradhan, S. K.; Dash, S. K.; Swain, M. D.; Swain, B. B.

2011-11-01

Dielectric constant (ɛ) of diethylether (DEE) in binary mixtures with four polar solvents such as n-butanl, i-butanol, t-butanol and tolune has been measured at 455 kHz and at a temperature 303.15 K. The refractive indices were measured at a regulated temperature by Pulfrich refractometer at sodium D-line. The data is used to evaluate mutual correlation factor gab, excess molar polarization and excess free energy of mixing ΔGab by using Winkelmann-Quitzsch equation for binary mixtures to asses the suitability of the polar solvents as modifiers. The trend of variation for these parameters exhibit marked dependence on the nature of alcohols. Diethylether is one of the solvent extractant used for the extraction and separation of zirconium and hafnium in reactor technology. The extractant is blended with appropriate polar modifiers for greater dispersal and more rapid phase disengagement. This facilitates in the elimination of the third organo-aqueous phase containing some of the metal ions. As such the study of molecular interaction among the component molecules has been undertaken in these binary mixtures using the dielectric route. The interaction parameters such as mutual correlation factor gab is found to be less than one in all alcohols, while it is negative in toluene upto 0.7 DEE molefraction and thereafter becoming positive. The nature of variation of the excess miolar polarization ΔP and excess free energy of mixing Gab tends to support the assessment of gab to choose a suitable polar modifier.

Effects of Low Sulfur Fuel and a Catalyzed Particle Trap on the Composition and Toxicity of Diesel Emissions

PubMed Central

McDonald, Jacob D.; Harrod, Kevin S.; Seagrave, JeanClare; Seilkop, Steven K.; Mauderly, Joe L.

2004-01-01

In this study we compared a “baseline” condition of uncontrolled diesel engine exhaust (DEE) emissions generated with current (circa 2003) certification fuel to an emissions-reduction (ER) case with low sulfur fuel and a catalyzed particle trap. Lung toxicity assessments (resistance to respiratory viral infection, lung inflammation, and oxidative stress) were performed on mice (C57Bl/6) exposed by inhalation (6 hr/day for 7 days). The engine was operated identically (same engine load) in both cases, and the inhalation exposures were conducted at the same exhaust dilution rate. For baseline DEE, this dilution resulted in a particle mass (PM) concentration of approximately 200 μg/m3 PM, whereas the ER reduced the PM and almost every other measured constituent [except nitrogen oxides (NOx)] to near background levels in the exposure atmospheres. These measurements included PM, PM size distribution, PM composition (carbon, ions, elements), NOx, carbon monoxide, speciated/total volatile hydrocarbons, and several classes of semi-volatile organic compounds. After exposure concluded, one group of mice was immediately sacrificed and assessed for inflammation and oxidative stress in lung homogenate. Another group of mice were intratracheally instilled with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and RSV lung clearance and inflammation was assessed 4 days later. Baseline DEE produced statistically significant biological effects for all measured parameters. The use of low sulfur fuel and a catalyzed trap either completely or nearly eliminated the effects. PMID:15345344

What's Sweat?

MedlinePlus

... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español What's Sweat? KidsHealth / For Kids / What's Sweat? Print en español ¿ ... dehydrated (say: dee-HI-drayt-ed). Why Does Sweat Smell? Sweat isn't just wet — it can ...

46 CFR 160.002-3 - Materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... warp and 70 pounds in the filling. If it is proposed to treat the fabric with a fire-retardant...-resistant material. Dee ring ends shall be welded to form a continuous ring. The webbing opening of the snap...

46 CFR 160.005-3 - Materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... and 70 pounds in the filling. If it is proposed to treat the fabric with a fire-retardant substance...-resistant material. Dee ring ends shall be welded to form a continuous ring. The webbing opening of the snap...

Testing filamentary composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dow, N. F.; Rosen, B. W.

1970-01-01

NOL ring split-dee tensile test has the advantages that the specimen is readily fabricated by winding and the test is performed in a conventional testing machine without special fixtures. Strain gages cannot be mounted, however, and substantial bending moments are introduced.

SEDIMENT-HOSTED PRECIOUS METAL DEPOSITS.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bagby, W.C.; Pickthorn, W.J.; Goldfarb, R.; Hill, R.A.

1984-01-01

The Dee mine is a sediment-hosted, disseminated gold deposit in the Roberts Mountains allochthon of north central Nevada. Soil samples were collected from the C-horizon in undisturbed areas over the deposit in order to investigate the usefulness of soil geochemistry in identifying this type of deposit. Each sample was sieved to minus 80 mesh and analyzed quantitatively for Au, Ag, As, Sb, Hg, Tl and semi-quantitative data for an additional 31 elements. Rank sum analysis is successful for the Au, Ag, As, Sb, Hg, Tl suite, even though bedrock geology is disregarded. This method involves data transformation into a total element signature by ranking the data in ascending order and summing the element ranks for each sample. The rank sums are then divided into percentile groups and plotted. The rank sum plot for the Dee soils unequivocally identifies three of four known ore zones.

Sex- and concentration-dependent effects of predator feces on seasonal regulation of body mass in the bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus.

PubMed

Tidhar, Wendy L; Bonier, Frances; Speakman, John R

2007-11-01

Increased perception of predation risk can cause changes in activity, feeding and reproductive behavior in a wide range of taxa. Many small mammals in the temperate zone exhibit fluctuations in body mass in response to changing photoperiod. Bank voles lose body mass in winter which they regain when photoperiod increases in the spring. To determine if predation risk affects seasonal changes in body mass (BM), bank voles were exposed to two concentrations (low: LC and high: HC) of weasel feces. Food intake (FI) and daily energy expenditure (DEE) were measured to establish if differences in body mass were due to adjustment in energy intake or expenditure. Fecal corticosterone (CORT) was measured to assess whether the voles had detected and responded to predator feces as a physiological stressor. Voles of both sexes had higher levels of fecal CORT in the groups exposed to weasel feces compared to controls. Voles responded to the predator feces in a sex- and concentration-dependent manner. Males responded to LC feces by gaining less mass following the change in photoperiod. This was mediated by reduced FI and higher DEE. Female voles also gained less BM in response to HC feces, but increased both FI and DEE. We hypothesize that males may gain a short-term advantage by lowering BM in response to predation risk, which may be regained without affecting reproductive success. The consequences of mass loss in females may be more significant as this may delay the onset of breeding or reduce the size or number of young, thereby negatively affecting breeding success.

Solar System Chaos and Orbital Solutions for Paleoclimate Studies: Limits and New Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeebe, R. E.

2017-12-01

I report results from accurate numerical integrations of Solar System orbits over the past 100 Myr. The simulations used different integrator algorithms, step sizes, and initial conditions (NASA, INPOP), and included effects from general relativity, different models of the Moon, the Sun's quadrupole moment, and up to ten asteroids. In one simulation, I probed the potential effect of a hypothetical Planet 9 on the dynamics of the system. The most expensive integration required 4 months wall-clock time (Bulirsch-Stoer algorithm) and showed a maximum relative energy error < 2.5e{-13} over the past 100 Myr. The difference in Earth's eccentricity (DeE) was used to track the difference between two solutions, which were considered to diverge at time tau when DeE irreversibly crossed 10% of Earth's mean eccentricity ( 0.028 x 0.1). My results indicate that finding a unique orbital solution is limited by initial conditions from current ephemerides to 54 Myr. Bizarrely, the 4-month Bulirsch-Stoer integration and a different integration scheme that required only 5 hours wall-clock time (symplectic, 12-day time step, Moon as a simple quadrupole perturbation), agree to 63 Myr. Solutions including 3 and 10 asteroids diverge at tau 48 Myr. The effect of a hypothetical Planet 9 on DeE becomes discernible at 66 Myr. Using tau as a criterion, the current state-of-the-art solutions all differ from previously published results beyond 50 Myr. The current study provides new orbital solutions for application in geological studies. I will also comment on the prospect of constraining astronomical solutions by geologic data.

Novel binary deep eutectic electrolytes for rechargeable Li-ion batteries based on mixtures of alkyl sulfonamides and lithium perfluoroalkylsulfonimide salts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geiculescu, O. E.; DesMarteau, D. D.; Creager, S. E.; Haik, O.; Hirshberg, D.; Shilina, Y.; Zinigrad, E.; Levi, M. D.; Aurbach, D.; Halalay, I. C.

2016-03-01

Ionic liquids (IL's) were proposed for use in Li-ion batteries (LIBs), in order to mitigate some of the well-known drawbacks of LiPF6/mixed organic carbonates solutions. However, their large cations seriously decrease lithium transference numbers and block lithium insertion sites at electrode-electrolyte interfaces, leading to poor LIB rate performance. Deep eutectic electrolytes (DEEs) (which share some of the advantages of ILs but possess only one cation, Li+), were then proposed, in order to overcome the difficulties associated with ILs. We report herein on the preparation, thermal properties (melting, crystallization, and glass transition temperatures), transport properties (specific conductivity and viscosity) and thermal stability of binary DEEs based on mixtures of lithium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide or lithium bis(fluoro)sulfonimide salts with an alkyl sulfonamide solvent. Promise for LIB applications is demonstrated by chronoamperometry on Al current collectors, and cycling behavior of negative and positive electrodes. Residual current densities of 12 and 45 nA cm-2 were observed at 5 V vs. Li/Li+ on aluminum, 1.5 and 16 nA cm-2 at 4.5 V vs. Li/Li+, respectively for LiFSI and LiTFSI based DEEs. Capacities of 220, 130, and 175 mAh· g-1 were observed at low (C/13 or C/10) rates, respectively for petroleum coke, LiMn1/3Ni1/3Co1/3O2 (a.k.a. NMC 111) and LiAl0.05Co0.15Ni0.8O2 (a.k.a. NCA).

An efficient climate model with water isotope physics: NEEMY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, J.; Emile-Geay, J.

2015-12-01

This work describes the development of an isotope-enabled atmosphere-ocean global climate model, NEEMY. This is a model of intermediate complexity, which can run 100 model years in 30 hours using 33 CPUs. The atmospheric component is the SPEEDY-IER (Molteni et al. 2003; Dee et al. 2015a), which is a water isotope-enabled (with equilibrium and kinetic fractionation schemes in precipitation, evaporation and soil moisture) simplified atmospheric general circulation model, with T30 horizontal resolution and 8 vertical layers. The oceanic component is NEMO 3.4 (Madec 2008), a state-of-the-art oceanic model (~2° horizontal resolution and 31 vertical layers) with an oceanic isotope module (a passive tracer scheme). A 1000-year control run shows that NEEMY is stable and its energy is conserved. The mean state is comparable to that of CMIP3-era CGCMs, though much cheaper to run. Atmospheric teleconnections such as the NAO and PNA are simulated very well. NEEMY also simulates the oceanic meridional overturning circulation well. The tropical climate variability is weaker than observations, and the climatology exhibits a double ITCZ problem despite bias corrections. The standard deviation of the monthly mean Nino3.4 index is 0.61K, compared to 0.91K in observations (Reynolds et al. 2002). We document similarities and differences with a close cousin, SPEEDY-NEMO (Kucharski et al. 2015). With its fast speed and relatively complete physical processes, NEEMY is suitable for paleoclimate studies ; we will present some forced simulations of the past millennium and their use in forward-modeling climate proxies, via proxy system models (PSMs, Dee et al 2015b). References Dee, S., D. Noone, N. Buenning, J. Emile-Geay, and Y. Zhou, 2015a: SPEEDY-IER: A fast atmospheric GCM with water isotope physics. J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 120: 73-91. doi:10.1002/2014JD022194. Dee, S. G., J. Emile-Geay, M. N. Evans, Allam, A., D. M. Thompson, and E. J. Steig, 2015b: PRYSM: an open-source framework for proxy system modeling, with applications to oxygen-isotope systems, J. Adv. Mod. Earth Sys., 07, doi:10.1002/2015MS000447. Kucharski et al., 2015: Atlantic forcing of Pacific decadal variability. Clim. Dyn., doi:10.1007/s00382-015-2705-z.

Transient controls on estuarine SPM fluxes: case study in the Dee Estuary, UK.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoudry, Laurent; Williams, Megan; Todd, David

2017-04-01

Estuaries are a critical interface between land and coastal ocean across which freshwater, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and consequently terrestrial carbon, nutrients and anthropogenic contaminants are exchanged. Suspended particulate matter is closely linked to estuarine turbidity; it affects water quality and estuarine ecology; and it contributes to overall estuarine sediment budgets. However, predicting the response of estuarine ecosystems to climate change and human interventions remains difficult partly due to a lack of comprehensive understanding of SPM concentrations and fluxes across time scales from intratidal to seasonal and interannual variability. We investigate the dynamics of suspended sediment and suspended particulate matter in a hypertidal estuary with a maximum tidal range in excess of 10 m and tidal currents reaching over 1 m/s: the Dee Estuary. This estuary is located in northwest England and outflows in Liverpool Bay, itself in the eastern Irish Sea. The Dee Estuary is a funnel-shaped, coastal plain estuary, which is about 30 km long with a maximum width of 8.5 km at the mouth, and consists of mixed sediments. We focus on field observations, collected during several campaigns in the channels of the Dee Estuary from 2004 to 2009 using acoustic and optical instrumentation, which provide intratidal measurements of flow velocity and suspended sediment, and thus sediment fluxes, over approximately a month. Measurements in February-March 2008 highlight three distinct hydrodynamic regimes: a current dominant regime at neap tides (14-21 February); a combined wave-current regime at spring tides (21-29 February); and a wave dominant regime at neap tide (1-4 March). While analysis of tidal distortion and dominance predicts weak ebb dominant channels, the observations yield flood dominant sediment transport. The net sediment flux exhibits a two-layer structure - import near the bed, export near the surface - that is consistent with the residual circulations in the estuary. Wavelet analysis provides clear evidence that such influx of sediment in the estuary is alternatively the result of periodic stratification at neap tides and of tidal asymmetry in suspended sediment concentration at spring tides. Such transient processes will be important to determine and predict estuarine responses to short-lived perturbations. Further analysis of other field campaigns will enable to determine the persistence of these processes over seasonal and annual timescales.

An Overview Of The Ecosystem Services Research Program Decision Support Framework

EPA Science Inventory

There is an increasing understanding that top-down regulatory and technology driven responses are not sufficient to address current and emerging environmental challenges such as climate change, sustainable communities, and environmental justice. Such problems require ways to dee...

Travel in adverse winter weather conditions by blind pedestrians.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-08-31

Winter weather creates many orientation and mobility (O&M) challenges for people who are visually impaired. Getting the cane tip stuck is one of the noticeable challenges when traveling in snow, particularly when the walking surface is covered in dee...

EFFECTS OF CONCENTRATED AMBIENT PARTICLES AND DIESEL EMISSIONS ON RAT AIRWAYS

EPA Science Inventory

The investigators anticipate that they will successfully design and conduct  a descriptive study to evaluate the effects of two pollutants — CAPs (concentrated PM2.5) and DEE — in a rodent model of asthma.

[Association of etheno-DNA adduct and DNA methylation level among workers exposed to diesel engine exhaust].

PubMed

Shen, M L; He, Z N; Zhang, X; Duan, H W; Niu, Y; Bin, P; Ye, M; Meng, T; Dai, Y F; Yu, S F; Chen, W; Zheng, Y X

2017-06-06

Objective: To investigate the association between etheno-DNA adduct and the promoter of DNA methylation levels of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (P16), Ras association domain family 1 (RASSF1A) and O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) in workers with occupational exposure to diesel engine exhaust (DEE). Methods: We recruited 124 diesel engine testing workers as DEE exposure group and 112 water pump operator in the same area as control group in Henan province in 2012 using cluster sampling. The demographic data were obtained by questionnaire survey; urine after work and venous blood samples were collected from each subject. The urinary etheno-DNA adducts were detected using UPLC-MS/MS, including 1,N6-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine (εdA) and 3,N4-etheno-2'-deoxycytidine(εdC). The DNA methylation levels of P16, RASSF1A, and MGMT were evaluated using bisulfite-pyrosequencing assay. The percentage of methylation was expressed as the 5-methylcytosine (5mC) over the sum of cytosines (%5mC). Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression were applied to analyze the association between etheno-DNA adducts and DNA methylation of P16, RASSF1A, and MGMT. Results: The median ( P (25)- P (75)) of urinary εdA level was 230.00 (98.04-470.91) pmol/g creatinine in DEE exposure group, and 102.10 (49.95-194.48) creatinine in control group. The level of εdA was higher in DEE exposure group than control group ( P< 0.001). DNA methylation levels of P16, RASSF1A and MGMT were 2.04±0.41, 2.19 (1.94-2.51), 2.22 (1.94-2.46)%5mC in exposure group, and 2.19±0.40, 2.41 (2.11-2.67), 2.44 (2.15-2.91)%5mC in control group. DNA methylation levels were lower in exposure group ( P values were 0.005, 0.002 and 0.001, respectively). Spearman correlation analysis showed that DNA methylation levels of P16, RASSF1A, and MGMT were negative associated with urinary εdA level ( r values were -0.155, -0.137, and -0.198, respectively, P< 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between the εdC level and any measured DNA methylation levels ( P> 0.05) . Multiple linear regression confirmed the negative correlation between εdA and DNA methylation levels of P16, RASSF1A, and MGMT in non-smoking group (β (95 %CI ) was -0.068 (-0.132--0.003), -0.082 (-0.159--0.004) and -0.048 (-0.090--0.007), P values were 0.039, 0.039 and 0.024, respectively). Moreover, εdC was negative associated with DNA methylation level of MGMT in non-smoking group (β (95 %CI ) was -0.094 (-0.179--0.008), P= 0.032). Conclusion: DEE exposure could induce the increased of εdA and decreased of DNA methylation levels of P16, RASSF1A and MGMT.

Role of Neprilysin in Airway Inflammation Induced by Diesel Exhaust Emissions

PubMed Central

Wong, Simon S.; Sun, Nina N.; Fastje, Cynthia D.; Witten, Mark L.; Lantz, R. Clark; Lu, Bao; Sherrill, Duane L.; Gerard, Craig J.; Burgess, Jefferey L.

2016-01-01

In this study, we examined the role of neprilysin (NEP*), a key membrane-bound endopeptidase, in the inflammatory response induced by diesel exhaust emissions (DEE) in the airways through a number of approaches: in vitro, animal, and controlled human exposure. Our specific aims were (1) to examine the role of NEP in inflammatory injury induced by diesel exhaust particles (DEP) using Nep-intact (wild-type) and Nep-null mice; (2) to examine which components of DEP are associated with NEP downregulation in vitro; (3) to determine the molecular impact of DEP exposure and decreased NEP expression on airway epithelial cells’ gene expression in vitro, using a combination of RNA interference (RNAi) and microarray approaches; and (4) to evaluate the effects on NEP activity of human exposure to DEE. We report four main results: First, we found that exposure of normal mice to DEP consisting of standard reference material (SRM) 2975 via intratracheal installation can downregulate NEP expression in a concentration-dependent manner. The changes were accompanied by increases in the number of macrophages and epithelial cells, as well as proinflammatory cytokines, examined in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and cells. Nep-null mice displayed increased and/or additional inflammatory responses when compared with wild-type mice, especially in response to exposure to the higher dose of DEP that we used. These in vivo findings suggest that loss of NEP in mice could cause increased susceptibility to injury or exacerbate inflammatory responses after DEP exposure via release of specific cytokines from the lungs. Second, we found evidence, using in vitro studies, that downregulation of NEP by DEP in cultured human epithelial BEAS-2B cells was mostly attributable to DEP-adsorbed organic compounds, whereas the carbonaceous core and transition metal components of DEP had little or no effect on NEP messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. This NEP downregulation was not a specific response to DEP or its contents because the change also occurred after exposure to urban dust (SRM 1649a), which differs in physical and chemical composition from DEP. Third, we also collected the transcriptome profiles of the cells through a 2 × 3 factorial design. DEP exposure upregulated 151 genes and downregulated 59 genes. Cells with decreased NEP expression (accomplished by transfecting an NEP-specific small interfering RNA [siRNA]) substantially altered the expression of genes (upregulating 17 and downregulating 14) associated with DNA/protein binding, calcium channel activities, and the cascade of intracellular signaling by cytokines. Data generated from the combined RNAi and microarray approaches revealed that there is a complex molecular cascade mediated by NEP in different subcellular compartments, possibly influencing the inflammatory response. Fourth, in a controlled human exposure study, we observed significant increases in soluble NEP in sputum after acute exposure to DEE, with an average net increase of 31%. We speculate that the change in NEP activity in sputum, if confirmed in larger epidemiologic investigations at ambient exposure levels to DEE, may provide a useful endpoint and promote insight into the mechanism of DEE-induced airway alterations. PMID:21877416

MERCURY-ATLAS (MA)-6 - ASTRONAUT GLENN - LT. O'HARA, DELORES (DEE)

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-03-09

S62-00469 (1962) --- Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr., pilot of the Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) Earth-orbital space mission, confers with astronaut nurse Dolores B. O'Hara, R.N., during MA-6 prelaunch preparations. Photo credit: NASA

An investigation of the sites occupied by atomic barium in solid xenon—A 2D-EE luminescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Barry M.; Gervais, Benoit; McCaffrey, John G.

2018-03-01

A detailed characterisation of the luminescence recorded for the 6p 1P1-6s 1S0 transition of atomic barium isolated in annealed solid xenon has been undertaken using two-dimensional excitation-emission (2D-EE) spectroscopy. In the excitation spectra extracted from the 2D-EE scans, two dominant thermally stable sites were identified, consisting of a classic, three-fold split Jahn-Teller band, labeled the blue site, and an unusual asymmetric 2 + 1 split band, the violet site. A much weaker band has also been identified, whose emission is strongly overlapped by the violet site. The temperature dependence of the luminescence for these sites was monitored revealing that the blue site has a non-radiative channel competing effectively with the fluorescence even at 9.8 K. By contrast, the fluorescence decay time of the violet site was recorded to be 4.3 ns and independent of temperature up to 24 K. The nature of the dominant thermally stable trapping sites was investigated theoretically with Diatomics-in-Molecule (DIM) molecular dynamics simulations. The DIM model was parameterized with ab initio multi-reference configuration interaction calculations for the lowest energy excited states of the BaṡXe pair. The simulated absorption spectra are compared with the experimental results obtained from site-resolved excitation spectroscopy. The simulations allow us to assign the experimental blue feature spectrum to a tetra-vacancy trapping site in the bulk xenon fcc crystal—a site often observed when trapping other metal atoms in rare gas matrices. By contrast, the violet site is assigned to a specific 5-atom vacancy trapping site located at a grain boundary.

Resting energy expenditure per lean body mass determined by indirect calorimetry and bioelectrical impedance analysis in cats.

PubMed

Center, S A; Warner, K L; Randolph, J F; Wakshlag, J J; Sunvold, G D

2011-01-01

Resting energy expenditure (REE) approximates ≥60% of daily energy expenditure (DEE). Accurate REE determination could facilitate sequential comparisons among patients and diseases if normalized against lean body mass (LBM). (1) Validate open-flow indirect calorimetry (IC) system and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MF-BIA) to determine REE and LBM, respectively, in healthy nonsedated cats of varied body conditions; (2) normalize REE against LBM. Fifty-seven adult neutered domestic short-haired cats with stable BW. Continuous (45-min) IC-measurements determined least observed metabolism REE. Cage gas flow regulated with mass flow controllers was verified using nitrogen dilution; span gases calibrated gas measurements. Respiratory quotient accuracy was verified using alcohol combustion. IC-REE was compared to DEE, determined using doubly labeled water. MF-BIA LBM was validated against criterion references (deuterium, sodium bromide). Intra- and interassay variation was determined for IC and MF-BIA. Mean IC-REE (175 ± 38.7 kcal; 1.5-14% intra- and interassay CV%) represented 61 ± 14.3% of DEE. Best MF-BIA measurements were collected in sternal recumbency and with electrodes in neck-tail configuration. MF-BIA LBM was not significantly different from criterion references and generated LBM interassay CV% of 6.6-10.1%. Over- and underconditioned cats had significantly (P ≤ .05) lower and higher IC-REE (kcal/kg) respectively, compared with normal-conditioned cats. However, differences resolved with REE/LBM (approximating 53 ± 10.3 kcal/LBM [kg]). IC and MF-BIA validated herein reasonably estimate REE and LBM in cats. REE/LBM(kg) may permit comparison of energy utilization in sequential studies or among different cats. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

[Maternal effects of prolonged expulsive efforts].

PubMed

Korb, D; Merazka, R; Théau, A; Goffinet, F; Le Ray, C

2016-02-01

Some studies found an association between duration of expulsive efforts (DEE) and risk of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). But none demonstrated an association between DEE and severe perineal lacerations. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of prolonged expulsive efforts (EE) beyond 45min on the risk of maternal complication, especially risk of severe perineal laceration. We performed a retrospective study comparing 2 groups, 1: women with an instrumental vaginal delivery performed before 45min for non-fetal progression without FHR abnormalities (VBI for NP<45min) and 2: women with a DEE longer than 45min (DEE≥45min). We compared maternal issues (3rd and 4th degrees perineal lacerations and PPH), using uni- and multivariate analysis. We compared 85 women in group VBI for NP<45min with 124 women in group EE≥45min. In the group EE≥45min, 39% of women had an instrumental vaginal delivery versus 100% in the group VBI for NP<45min (P<0.001). The rate of severe perineal lacerations was significantly higher in the group VBI for NP<45min (8.2% versus 1.7%, P=0.027) and its risk remained significant after adjustment (adjusted OR=6.5 [1.1-40.1]). The rate of PPH was higher in the group EE≥45min (12.9% versus 3.5%, P=0.016), however this association was not significant after adjustment (adjusted OR=3.4 [0.9-12.4]). There was no difference about neonatal issues between the two studied groups. In comparison with a limitation of EE, to prolong EE beyond 45min allows a spontaneous vaginal delivery for more than half of women, if FHR is normal. Such strategy should also decrease the risk of severe perineal laceration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Multiple stressors including contaminant exposure and parasite infection predict spleen mass and energy expenditure in breeding ring-billed gulls.

PubMed

Marteinson, Sarah C; Marcogliese, David J; Verreault, Jonathan

2017-10-01

Daily energy expenditure (DEE) in animals is influenced by many factors although the impact of stressors remains largely unknown. The objective of this study was to determine how multiple physiological stressors (parasite infection and contaminant exposure) and natural challenges (energy-demanding activities and weather conditions) may affect DEE in nesting ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) exposed to high concentrations of persistent organic contaminants (POPs). Physical activity, temperature, gastrointestinal parasitic worm abundance, relative spleen mass, plasma thyroid hormone levels and liver concentrations of POPs were determined; field metabolic rate (FMR) was used as a measure of DEE. For females, FMR was best explained by the percent of time spent in nest-site attendance and exposure to temperatures below their lower critical limit (65% of variation); 32% was also explained by relative spleen mass. In males, FMR was best explained by the number of hours spent in nest site attendance and either relative spleen mass or liver concentrations of tetra-brominated diphenyl ethers (tetra-BDEs) (55% of variation). Relative spleen mass, as an important factor relating to FMR, was best explained by models with a combination of parasite abundance (Diplostomum for females and Eucoleus for males) in a negative relationship, and liver POP concentrations (p,p'-DDE for females and tetra-BDEs for males) in a positive relationship (34%, 55% of variation for females and males, respectively). This study demonstrates that immune activity may be an important factor affecting energy expenditure in ring-billed gulls, and that contaminants and parasite abundance may have both a direct and/or indirect influence on FMR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DNA adducts in coal miners: association with exposures to diesel engine emissions.

PubMed

Shu-Xin Qu James Leigh Hamilton Koelmeyer And Neill H Stacey

1997-01-01

The potential carcinogenic effects of exposure to diesel engine emissions (DEE) are of growing concern. Due to the use of diesel equipment in underground mines, DNA adducts in peripheral blood mononuclear cells have been measured using the (32)P-postlabelling technique in workers from two coal mines (A, B)in NSW, Australia, before and after a period of more intense exposure (long wall change out, LWCO). DNA adducts were readily detected in all workers. At Mine A, in the 89 participants before LWCO, no significant difference was found among the groups categorized by exposure levels. However, significantly higher concentrations of total DNA adducts were observed in the specific job categories, 'miners and loadmen', and 'machinemen, drivers and shiftmen' and in the smoking group. On comparing total DNA adducts before and after LWCO in a small number of workers, a significant increase was also found. At Mine B, before or after LWCO, the total DNA adduct levels showed no significant difference among groups categorized by exposure conditions, smoking status, job categories and job time length. However, the total DNA adducts for the 61 subjects were significantly increased (geometric means) from 297 to 389 amol lg(-1) DNA after LWCO (p < 0.0001, paired t test). Some individual adducts were also elevated to a greater extent (p < 0.05, paired non-parametric test, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Furthermore, using generalized estimating equations for adjusting all factors across the observation period, no particular factor showed any significant interactive effects. Given the association of exposure to DEE with lung cancer and the apparent increase in adducts during a period of intense DEE exposures it would be prudent to pay particular attention to keeping exposures as low as possible, especially during LWCO operations.

Does Subjective Sleep Affect Bone Mineral Density in Older People with Minimal Health Disorders? The PROOF Cohort.

PubMed

Saint Martin, Magali; Labeix, Pierre; Garet, Martin; Thomas, Thierry; Barthélémy, Jean-Claude; Collet, Philippe; Roche, Frédéric; Sforza, Emilia

2016-11-15

Clinical and epidemiological studies suggest a relation between bone mineral density (BMD) and self-assessment of sleep with an effect on bone formation and osteoporosis (OS) risk in short and long sleepers. This study explores this association in a large sample of older subjects. We examined 500 participants without insomnia complaints aged 65.7 ± 0.8 y. Each participant had a full evaluation including anthropometric measurement, clinical examination and measurements of BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral sites by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The daily energy expenditure (DEE) was measured by the Population Physical Activity Questionnaire. Sleep duration and quality were evaluated by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The subjects were stratified into three groups according to sleep duration, i.e., short (< 6 h), normal (6-8 h), and long (≥ 8 h) sleepers. Osteopenia was found in 40% of the subjects at the femoral level and 43% at the vertebral level. The prevalence of OS was lower both at femoral (8%) and vertebral (12%) levels. Short, normal, and long sleepers accounted for 29%, 40%, and 31% of subjects, respectively. After adjustments for metabolic, anthropometric, and DEE, multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that long sleepers were more likely to have femoral neck OS with a slight effect of DEE at vertebral spine. In a sample of older subjects, self-reported long sleep was the best predictor of OS risk at the femoral level. This finding suggests an association between OS and self-reported sleep duration in older subjects. NCT 00759304 and NCT 00766584. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

A Recurrent De Novo PACS2 Heterozygous Missense Variant Causes Neonatal-Onset Developmental Epileptic Encephalopathy, Facial Dysmorphism, and Cerebellar Dysgenesis.

PubMed

Olson, Heather E; Jean-Marçais, Nolwenn; Yang, Edward; Heron, Delphine; Tatton-Brown, Katrina; van der Zwaag, Paul A; Bijlsma, Emilia K; Krock, Bryan L; Backer, E; Kamsteeg, Erik-Jan; Sinnema, Margje; Reijnders, Margot R F; Bearden, David; Begtrup, Amber; Telegrafi, Aida; Lunsing, Roelineke J; Burglen, Lydie; Lesca, Gaetan; Cho, Megan T; Smith, Lacey A; Sheidley, Beth R; Moufawad El Achkar, Christelle; Pearl, Phillip L; Poduri, Annapurna; Skraban, Cara M; Tarpinian, Jennifer; Nesbitt, Addie I; Fransen van de Putte, Dietje E; Ruivenkamp, Claudia A L; Rump, Patrick; Chatron, Nicolas; Sabatier, Isabelle; De Bellescize, Julitta; Guibaud, Laurent; Sweetser, David A; Waxler, Jessica L; Wierenga, Klaas J; Donadieu, Jean; Narayanan, Vinodh; Ramsey, Keri M; Nava, Caroline; Rivière, Jean-Baptiste; Vitobello, Antonio; Tran Mau-Them, Frédéric; Philippe, Christophe; Bruel, Ange-Line; Duffourd, Yannis; Thomas, Laurel; Lelieveld, Stefan H; Schuurs-Hoeijmakers, Janneke; Brunner, Han G; Keren, Boris; Thevenon, Julien; Faivre, Laurence; Thomas, Gary; Thauvin-Robinet, Christel

2018-05-03

Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) represent a large clinical and genetic heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental diseases. The identification of pathogenic genetic variants in DEEs remains crucial for deciphering this complex group and for accurately caring for affected individuals (clinical diagnosis, genetic counseling, impacting medical, precision therapy, clinical trials, etc.). Whole-exome sequencing and intensive data sharing identified a recurrent de novo PACS2 heterozygous missense variant in 14 unrelated individuals. Their phenotype was characterized by epilepsy, global developmental delay with or without autism, common cerebellar dysgenesis, and facial dysmorphism. Mixed focal and generalized epilepsy occurred in the neonatal period, controlled with difficulty in the first year, but many improved in early childhood. PACS2 is an important PACS1 paralog and encodes a multifunctional sorting protein involved in nuclear gene expression and pathway traffic regulation. Both proteins harbor cargo(furin)-binding regions (FBRs) that bind cargo proteins, sorting adaptors, and cellular kinase. Compared to the defined PACS1 recurrent variant series, individuals with PACS2 variant have more consistently neonatal/early-infantile-onset epilepsy that can be challenging to control. Cerebellar abnormalities may be similar but PACS2 individuals exhibit a pattern of clear dysgenesis ranging from mild to severe. Functional studies demonstrated that the PACS2 recurrent variant reduces the ability of the predicted autoregulatory domain to modulate the interaction between the PACS2 FBR and client proteins, which may disturb cellular function. These findings support the causality of this recurrent de novo PACS2 heterozygous missense in DEEs with facial dysmorphim and cerebellar dysgenesis. Copyright © 2018 American Society of Human Genetics. All rights reserved.

Acclimatization of seasonal energetics in northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) through plasticity of metabolic rates and ceilings.

PubMed

Sgueo, Carrie; Wells, Marion E; Russell, David E; Schaeffer, Paul J

2012-07-15

Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are faced with energetically expensive seasonal challenges that must be met to ensure survival, including thermoregulation in winter and reproductive activities in summer. Contrary to predictions of life history theory that suggest breeding metabolic rate should be the apex of energetic effort, winter metabolism exceeds that during breeding in several temperate resident bird species. By examining whole-animal, tissue and cellular function, we ask whether seasonal acclimatization is accomplished by coordinated phenotypic plasticity of metabolic systems. We measured summit metabolism (V(O(2),sum)), daily energy expenditure (DEE) and muscle oxidative capacity under both winter (December to January) and breeding (May to June) conditions. We hypothesize that: (1) rates of energy utilization will be highest in the winter, contrary to predictions based on life history theory, and (2) acclimatization of metabolism will occur at multiple levels of organization such that birds operate with a similar metabolic ceiling during different seasons. We measured field metabolic rates using heart rate telemetry and report the first daily patterns in avian field metabolic rate. Patterns of daily energy use differed seasonally, primarily as birds maintain high metabolic rates throughout the winter daylight hours. We found that DEE and V(O(2),sum) were significantly greater and DEE occurred at a higher fraction of maximum metabolic capacity during winter, indicating an elevation of the metabolic ceiling. Surprisingly, there were no significant differences in mass or oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle. These data, highlighting the importance of examining energetic responses to seasonal challenges at multiple levels, clearly reject life history predictions that breeding is the primary energetic challenge for temperate zone residents. Further, they indicate that metabolic ceilings are seasonally flexible as metabolic effort during winter thermoregulation exceeds that of breeding.

Daily energy expenditure, physical activity, and weight loss in Parkinson's disease patients

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly exhibit weight loss (WL) which investigators attribute to various factors, including elevated energy expenditure. We tested the hypothesis that daily energy expenditure (DEE) and its components, resting energy expenditure (REE) and physical activity (P...

Breeding potential of elite Pee Dee germplasm in Upland cotton breeding programs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Successful plant breeding programs begin with parental line selection. Effective parental line selection is facilitated when the breeding potential of candidate parental lines is known. Using topcross families involving germplasm representing eight US public cotton breeding programs, we evaluated th...

Bathymetric, Velocity, Streamflow, and Dissolved Oxygen Data on the Pee Dee River near Bostick Boat Landing, Florence County, South Carolina, May-August 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shelton, John M.

2009-01-01

Santee Cooper is planning to construct an electricity generating station in southeastern Florence County near the Kingsburg community. As part of this project, a water-intake structure will be constructed on the Pee Dee River near the Bostick Boat Landing, which is located east of the intersection of State secondary roads S-21-57 and S-21-66. Velocity, bathymetric, and dissolved oxygen data are needed to help determine the location for the water-intake structure. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Santee Cooper, collected these data at three different flow regimes during the period of May through August 2007. Data were collected along 15 transects located at 50-foot intervals starting 400 feet upstream from the boat landing and continuing to 300 feet downstream from the boat landing. All data were geographically referenced using a differentially corrected global positioning system (GPS).

Nonlinear dielectric effect in supercritical diethyl ether.

PubMed

Drozd-Rzoska, Aleksandra; Rzoska, Sylwester J; Martinez-Garcia, Julio Cesar

2014-09-07

Nonlinear dielectric effect (NDE) describes changes of dielectric permittivity induced by a strong electric field in a liquid dielectric. The most classical finding related to this magnitude is the negative sign of NDE in liquid diethyl ether (DEE), recalled by Peter Debye in his Nobel Prize lecture. This article shows that the positive sign of NDE in DEE is also possible, in the supercritical domain. Moreover, NDE on approaching the gas-liquid critical point exhibits a unique critical effect described by the critical exponent ψ ≈ 0.4 close to critical temperature (T(C)) and ψ ≈ 0.6 remote from T(C). This can be linked to the emergence of the mean-field behavior in the immediate vicinity of T(C), contrary to the typical pattern observed for critical phenomena. The multi-frequency mode of NDE measurements made it possible to estimate the evolution of lifetime of critical fluctuations. The new way of data analysis made it possible to describe the critical effect without a knowledge of the non-critical background contribution in prior.

Nonlinear dielectric effect in supercritical diethyl ether

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drozd-Rzoska, Aleksandra; Rzoska, Sylwester J.; Martinez-Garcia, Julio Cesar

2014-09-01

Nonlinear dielectric effect (NDE) describes changes of dielectric permittivity induced by a strong electric field in a liquid dielectric. The most classical finding related to this magnitude is the negative sign of NDE in liquid diethyl ether (DEE), recalled by Peter Debye in his Nobel Prize lecture. This article shows that the positive sign of NDE in DEE is also possible, in the supercritical domain. Moreover, NDE on approaching the gas-liquid critical point exhibits a unique critical effect described by the critical exponent ψ ≈ 0.4 close to critical temperature (TC) and ψ ≈ 0.6 remote from TC. This can be linked to the emergence of the mean-field behavior in the immediate vicinity of TC, contrary to the typical pattern observed for critical phenomena. The multi-frequency mode of NDE measurements made it possible to estimate the evolution of lifetime of critical fluctuations. The new way of data analysis made it possible to describe the critical effect without a knowledge of the non-critical background contribution in prior.

Blends of jackfruit seed starch-pectin in the development of mucoadhesive beads containing metformin HCl.

PubMed

Nayak, Amit Kumar; Pal, Dilipkumar

2013-11-01

In this work, calcium pectinate-jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) seed starch (JFSS) mucoadhesive beads containing metformin HCl were developed through ionotropic-gelation. Effects of pectin and JFSS amounts on drug encapsulation efficiency (DEE), and cumulative drug release after 10 h (R10 h) were optimized using 3(2) factorial design. The optimized calcium pectinate-JFSS beads containing metformin HCl showed DEE of 94.11 ± 3.92%, R10 h of 48.88 ± 2.02%, and mean diameter of 2.06 ± 0.20 mm. The in vitro drug release from these beads was followed controlled-release (zero-order) pattern with super case-II transport mechanism. The beads were also characterized by SEM and FTIR. The pH of test mediums was found critical for swelling and mucoadhesion of these beads. The optimized calcium pectinate-JFSS beads also exhibited good mucoadhesivity and significant hypoglycemic effect in alloxan-induced diabetic rats over prolonged period after oral administration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modelling riverine habitat for robust redhorse: assessment for reintroduction of an imperilled species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisk, J. M.; Kwak, Thomas J.; Heise, R. J.

2014-01-01

A critical component of a species reintroduction is assessment of contemporary habitat suitability. The robust redhorse, Moxostoma robustum (Cope), is an imperilled catostomid that occupies a restricted range in the south-eastern USA. A remnant population persists downstream of Blewett Falls Dam, the terminal dam in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina. Reintroduction upstream of Blewett Falls Dam may promote long-term survival of this population. Tillery Dam is the next hydroelectric facility upstream, which includes a 30 rkm lotic reach. Habitat suitability indices developed in the Pee Dee River were applied to model suitable habitat for proposed minimum flows downstream of Tillery Dam. Modelling results indicate that the Tillery reach provides suitable robust redhorse habitat, with spawning habitat more abundant than non-spawning habitat. Sensitivity analyses suggested that suitable water depth and substrate were limiting physical habitat variables. These results can inform decisions on flow regulation and guide planning for reintroduction of the robust redhorse and other species.

A NEW MODEL TO ESTIMATE DAILY ENERGY EXPENDITURE FOR WINTERING WATERFOWL

EPA Science Inventory

Activity budgets of wintering waterfowl have been widely used to assess habitat quality. However, when factors such as prey abundance or protection from exposure to cold or wind determine quality, measures of daily energy expenditure (DEE) may be more appropriate for this purpos...

Daily energy expenditure and physical activity measured in Parkinson's disease patients with and without weight loss

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) commonly exhibit weight loss, which investigators attribute to various factors, including elevated resting energy expenditure. We tested the hypothesis that daily energy expenditure (DEE) and its components, resting energy expenditure (REF) and physical activit...

The Air Force and the Cold War

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-01

March 2001. 49An Air Force Association Special Report 49An Air Force As ociation Special Report CANAN , James. War in Space. Harper & Row, 1982...Press, 1989. GARDNER, Lloyd C. Spheres of Influence: The Great Powers Partition Europe, From Munich to Yalta. Ivan R. Dee Publisher, 1993. GARTHOFF

JOHNSON, L. - DEDICATION (CEREMONIES) - JSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-09-05

S73-33655 (1973) --- Left to right, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, Charles Robb, Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson, Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe, Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., James Webb, actor David Niven, and nurse Lt. Dolores B. "Dee" O'Hara with NASA officials during formal dedication ceremonies at JSC. Photo credit: NASA

PRE-TREATMENT WITH DIESEL EXHAUST EXTRACT ALTERS INFLUENZA VIRUS REPLICATION IN LUNG EPITHELIAL CELLS

EPA Science Inventory

Diesel Exhaust (DE) has been demonstrated to generate inflammatory responses in the lung and modify immune responses to allergens. However, little is known about the effects of DE on common respiratory viral infections. We examined whether exposure to DE extracts (DEE) modifies i...

2010 Precision Strike Annual Review Held in Springfield, Virginia on April 20-21, 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-21

Reaction Technology Office Fogg (Acting) Director, Rapid Fielding Wyatt PD - Riley Program Oversight Dipetto Program Guidance And Assessment TBD Director...warfighters Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell Mr Thomas P Dee Complex Systems Dr Charles W Perkins Rapid Reaction Technology Office Mr Glenn A Fogg (Acting

ARC-1993-AC93-0230-25

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-05-05

Ann Hutchinson (as subject), Dr. Joan Vernikos (R), Dee O'Hara (L), J. Evans and E. Lowe pose for pictures in the NASA Magazine aritcle 'How it Feels to be a Human Test Subject' as they prepare for a bed rest study to simulate the efects of microgravity on the human body.

3. DRAINING & DRYING BUILDING, REINFORCED CONCRETE MUSHROOM COLUMNS WITH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. DRAINING & DRYING BUILDING, REINFORCED CONCRETE MUSHROOM COLUMNS WITH DROP PANELS SUPPORTING DRAINING BINS (IRON VALVES OF DRAINING BINS ARE EMBEDDED IN THE CEILING), VIEW LOOKING WEST - Mill "C" Complex, Sand Draining & Drying Building, South of Dee Bennet Road, near Illinois River, Ottawa, La Salle County, IL

Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines: a counter argument.

PubMed

Mintzes, Barbara; Mangin, Dee

2009-12-01

Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription-only medicines is currently only permitted in the USA and New Zealand. Barbara Mintzes and Dee Mangin provide their case against direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines, arguing that its wider introduction would lead to a 'Pharma-knows-best' culture.

Reframing Knowing, Being, and Doing in the Seminary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cahalan, Kathleen A.

2011-01-01

Seminary education requires that students learn a complex body of theological knowledge, engage in the practices of ministry, and develop as persons of faith and vocation. Utilizing the six aspects of significant learning experiences defined by L. Dee Fink--foundational knowledge, application, integration, the human dimension, caring, and learning…

Culture, Leadership, and Activism: Translating Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning into Pedagogical Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Toby S.

2016-01-01

Through the article, I share the theoretical foundations, structure, knowledge acquisition, and outcomes of a cultural leadership course. The process for course development integrates several theories and research methods into practice: L. Dee Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning, Feminist Theory, Critical Race Theory, and…

Health Needs of Transition-Aged Youth: Feature Issue of IMPACT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tommet, Pat, Ed.; And Others

1994-01-01

This feature issue explores health needs of youth with disabilities as they make the transition from child to adult roles. "School Health Services: Supporting Students with Special Health Needs" (Dee K. Bauer) describes the role of the special needs nurse on multidisciplinary teams in Multnomah County (Oregon) schools. Two articles deal with…

The Learning Revolution: Education Innovations for Global Citizens.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilman, Robert, Ed.

1991-01-01

This theme journal issue is devoted to the learning revolution in educational innovations aimed at global citizens. The article titles and authors are as follows: (1) "A Personal Introduction" by Alan AtKisson; (2) "Onward and Upward!" by Dee Dickinson; (3) "Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom" by Bruce Campbell; (4) "Learning As…

46 CFR 160.060-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Polyethylene Foam, Adult and Child § 160... and 115 pounds for a child size for 10 minutes at ambient temperatures without breaking or distorting...

Dissecting genotype × environment interactions and trait correlations present in the Pee Dee cotton germplasm collection following seventy years of plant breeding

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Genotype × environment interactions and trait correlations significantly impact efforts to develop high yield, high quality, and environmentally stable Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars. Knowledge of both can and should be used to design optimal breeding programs and effective selectio...

Dee, John (1527-1608)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

Navigator, mathematician, traveler, polymath, mystic, charlatan, astrologer, model for Shakespeare's Prospero and King Lear, and court intriguer. Born in London, he became a navigation instructor, applying Euclidean geometry to navigation and building the instruments to do so. He advised expeditions seeking the Northwest passage to the Pacific via Canada. He cast horoscopes for Elizabeth I, recei...

What on Earth is D”?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garnero, Ed; Wysession, Michael

Studied in earnest for 50 years time Is Earth's deep layer called Dee Double Prime. Exotic hypotheses new papers chime, But evasive big pictures halt reason or rhyme.Even before the first nuclear bomb, People like Gutenberg, Bullen, and Dahm And probably others: Dick, Harry, and Tom Proposed this new layer to address a qualm.

On the unification of dwarf and giant elliptical galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, Alister W.; Guzman, Rafael

2004-01-01

The near orthogonal distributions of dwarf elliptical (dE) and giant elliptical (E) galaxies in the mue-M and mue-log(Re) diagrams have been interpreted as evidence for two distinct galaxy formation processes. However, continuous, linear relationships across the alleged dE/E boundary at MB = -18 mag - such as the relationships between central surface brightness (mu0) and: a) galaxy magnitude (M); and b) light-profile shape (n) --- suggest a similar initial formation mechanism. Here we explain how these latter two trends in fact necessitate a different behavior for dE and E galaxies, exactly as observed, in diagrams involving mue (and also e). Together with other linear trends across the alleged dE/E boundary, such as those between luminosity and color, metallicity, and velocity dispersion, it appears that the dEs form a continuous extension to the E galaxies. The presence of partially depleted cores in luminous (MB < -20.5 mag) Es does however signify the action of a different physical process at the centers (< ~300 pc) of these galaxies.

Selection of an anti-solvent for efficient and stable cesium-containing triple cation planar perovskite solar cells.

PubMed

Xiao, Meng; Zhao, Li; Geng, Min; Li, Yanyan; Dong, Binghai; Xu, Zuxun; Wan, Li; Li, Wenlu; Wang, Shimin

2018-06-19

The perovskite layer is a crucial component influencing high-performance perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In the one-step solution method, anti-solvents are important for obtaining smooth and uniform perovskite active layers. This work explored the effect of various anti-solvents on the preparation of triple cation perovskite active layers. In general, anti-solvents with low dielectric constants, low polarity, and low boiling point are suitable for the preparation of perovskite films. Microstructural and elemental analyses of the perovskite films were systematically conducted by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photoelectric properties, carrier transfer, and recombination process in the PSCs were investigated using photocurrent-voltage characteristic curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Optimum performance was obtained when the anti-solvent was diethyl ether (DEE) and the ratio of the optimum amount of DEE to the volume of the precursor was 1 : 10. Meanwhile, we found that the partial replacement of formamidinium/methylammonium by cesium could increase the stability of the PSCs and enhance the power conversion efficiency from 15.49% to over 17.38%.

Formulation optimization and evaluation of jackfruit seed starch-alginate mucoadhesive beads of metformin HCl.

PubMed

Nayak, Amit Kumar; Pal, Dilipkumar

2013-08-01

The present study deals with the formulation optimization of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., family: Moraceae) seed starch (JFSS)-alginate mucoadhesive beads containing metformin HCl through ionotropic gelation using 3(2) factorial design. The effect of sodium alginate to JFSS ratio and CaCl2 concentration on the drug encapsulation efficiency (DEE, %), and cumulative drug release at 10h (R10h, %) was optimized. The optimized beads containing metformin HCl showed DEE of 97.48±3.92%, R10h of 65.70±2.22%, and mean diameter of 1.16±0.11mm. The in vitro drug release from these beads was followed controlled-release (zero-order) pattern with super case-II transport mechanism. The beads were also characterized by SEM and FTIR. The swelling and degradation of these beads were influenced by pH of the test medium. The optimized beads also exhibited good mucoadhesivity and significant hypoglycemic effect in alloxan-induced diabetic rats over prolonged period after oral administration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vocal parameters that indicate threat level correlate with FOS immunolabeling in social and vocal control brain regions.

PubMed

Ellis, Jesse M S; Riters, Lauren V

2012-01-01

Transmitting information via communicative signals is integral to interacting with conspecifics, and some species achieve this task by varying vocalizations to reflect context. Although signal variation is critical to social interactions, the underlying neural control has not been studied. In response to a predator, black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapilla) produce mobbing calls (chick-a-dee calls) with various parameters, some of which convey information about the threat stimulus. We predicted that vocal parameters indicative of threat would be associated with distinct patterns of neuronal activity within brain areas involved in social behavior and those involved in the sensorimotor control of vocal production. To test this prediction, we measured the syntax and structural aspects of chick-a-dee call production in response to a hawk model and assessed the protein product of the immediate early gene FOS in brain regions implicated in context-specific vocal and social behavior. These regions include the medial preoptic area (POM) and lateral septum (LS), as well as regions involved in vocal motor control, including the dorsomedial nucleus of the intercollicular complex and the HVC. We found correlations linking call rate (previously demonstrated to reflect threat) to labeling in the POM and LS. Labeling in the HVC correlated with the number of D notes per call, which may also signal threat level. Labeling in the call control region dorsomedial nucleus was associated with the structure of D notes and the overall number of notes, but not call rate or type of notes produced. These results suggest that the POM and LS may influence attributes of vocalizations produced in response to predators and that the brain region implicated in song control, the HVC, also influences call production. Because variation in chick-a-dee call rate indicates predator threat, we speculate that these areas could integrate with motor control regions to imbue mobbing signals with additional information about threat level. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Quantitative comparisons of the acute neurotoxicity of toluene in rats and humans.

PubMed

Benignus, Vernon A; Boyes, William K; Kenyon, Elaina M; Bushnell, Philip J

2007-11-01

The behavioral and neurophysiological effects of acute exposure to toluene are the most thoroughly explored of all the hydrocarbon solvents. Behavioral effects have been experimentally studied in humans and other species, for example, rats. The existence of both rat and human dosimetric data offers the opportunity to quantitatively compare the relative sensitivity to acute toluene exposure. The purpose of this study was to fit dose-effect curves to existing data and to estimate the dose-equivalence equation (DEE) between rats and humans. The DEE gives the doses that produce the same magnitude of effect in the two species. Doses were brain concentrations of toluene estimated from physiologically based pharmacokinetic models. Human experiments measuring toluene effects on choice reaction time (CRT) were meta-analyzed. Rat studies employed various dependent variables: amplitude of visual-evoked potentials (VEPs), signal detection (SIGDET) accuracy (ACCU) and reaction time (RT), and escape-avoidance (ES-AV) behaviors. Comparison of dose-effect functions showed that human and rat sensitivity was practically the same for those two task regimens that exerted the least control over the behaviors being measured (VEP in rats and CRT in humans) and the sensitivity was progressively lower for SIGDET RT, SIGDET ACCU, and ES-AV behaviors in rats. These results suggested that the sensitivity to impairment by toluene depends on the strength of control over the measured behavior rather than on the species being tested. This interpretation suggests that (1) sensitivity to toluene would be equivalent in humans and rats if both species performed behaviors that were controlled to the same extent, (2) the most sensitive tests of neurobehavioral effects would be those in which least control is exerted on the behavior being measured, and (3) effects of toluene in humans may be estimated using the DEEs from rat studies despite differences in the amount of control exerted by the experimental regimen or differences in the behaviors under investigation.

Public engagement in 3D flood modelling through integrating crowd sourced imagery with UAV photogrammetry to create a 3D flood hydrograph.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, C. E.; Howell, J.; Butler, R.

2016-12-01

With an increase in flood and storm events affecting infrastructure the role of weather systems, in a changing climate, and their impact is of increasing interest. Here we present a new workflow integrating crowd sourced imagery from the public with UAV photogrammetry to create, the first 3D hydrograph of a major flooding event. On December 30th 2015, Storm Frank resulted in high magnitude rainfall, within the Dee catchment in Aberdeenshire, resulting in the highest ever-recorded river level for the Dee, with significant impact on infrastructure and river morphology. The worst of the flooding occurred during daylight hours and was digitally captured by the public on smart phones and cameras. After the flood event a UAV was used to shoot photogrammetry to create a textured elevation model of the area around Aboyne Bridge on the River Dee. A media campaign aided crowd sourced digital imagery from the public, resulting in over 1,000 images submitted by the public. EXIF data captured by the imagery of the time, date were used to sort the images into a time series. Markers such as signs, walls, fences and roads within the images were used to determine river level height through the flood, and matched onto the elevation model to contour the change in river level. The resulting 3D hydrograph shows the build up of water on the up-stream side of the Bridge that resulted in significant scouring and under-mining in the flood. We have created the first known data based 3D hydrograph for a river section, from a UAV photogrammetric model and crowd sourced imagery. For future flood warning and infrastructure management a solution that allows a realtime hydrograph to be created utilising augmented reality to integrate the river level information in crowd sourced imagery directly onto a 3D model, would significantly improve management planning and infrastructure resilience assessment.

Reduced serum club cell protein as a pulmonary damage marker for chronic fine particulate matter exposure in Chinese population.

PubMed

Wang, Yanhua; Duan, Huawei; Meng, Tao; Shen, Meili; Ji, Qianpeng; Xing, Jie; Wang, Qingrong; Wang, Ting; Niu, Yong; Yu, Tao; Liu, Zhong; Jia, Hongbing; Zhan, Yuliang; Chen, Wen; Zhang, Zhihu; Su, Wenge; Dai, Yufei; Zhang, Xuchun; Zheng, Yuxin

2018-03-01

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) pollution is associated with increased morbidity and mortality from respiratory diseases. However, few population-based studies have been conducted to assess the alterations in circulating pulmonary proteins due to long-term PM 2.5 exposure. We designed a two-stage study. In the first stage (training set), we assessed the associations between PM 2.5 exposure and levels of pulmonary damage markers (CC16, SP-A and SP-D) and lung function in a coke oven emission (COE) cohort with 558 coke plant workers and 210 controls. In the second stage (validation set), significant initial findings were validated by an independent diesel engine exhaust (DEE) cohort with 50 DEE exposed workers and 50 controls. Serum CC16 levels decreased in a dose response manner in association with both external and internal PM 2.5 exposures in the two cohorts. In the training set, serum CC16 levels decreased with increasing duration of occupational PM 2.5 exposure history. An interquartile range (IQR) (122.0μg/m 3 ) increase in PM 2.5 was associated with a 5.76% decrease in serum CC16 levels, whereas an IQR (1.06μmol/mol creatinine) increase in urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) concentration was associated with a 5.36% decrease in serum CC16 levels in the COE cohort. In the validation set, the concentration of serum CC16 in the PM 2.5 exposed group was 22.42% lower than that of the controls and an IQR (1.24μmol/mol creatinine) increase in urinary 1-OHP concentration was associated with a 12.24% decrease in serum CC16 levels in the DEE cohort. Serum CC16 levels may be a sensitive marker for pulmonary damage in populations with high PM 2.5 exposure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast and efficient: postnatal growth and energy expenditure in an Arctic-breeding waterbird, the Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rizzolo, Daniel; Schmutz, Joel A.; Speakman, John R.

2015-01-01

Environmental conditions can exert a strong influence on the growth and energy demands of chicks. We hypothesized that postnatal growth in a cold, aquatic environment would require a high level of energy metabolism in semiprecocial Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) chicks. We measured body-mass growth and daily energy expenditure (DEE) of free-ranging chicks in the Arctic. We used daily gains in body mass and DEE to estimate daily metabolizable energy (DME, kJ day-1) and total metabolizable energy (TME, kJ chick-1). Chicks gained body mass quickly, with a logistic growth rate constant 57% greater than the allometric prediction, yet were at only 60% of adult body mass at fledging. Males grew at a rate similar to that of females but for a slightly longer duration and so reached an asymptotic body mass 23% greater, and tarsus length 8% longer, than that of females. Chick growth performance was similar between first- and second-hatched chicks within broods of 2, which suggests that food availability was not limited. DEE increased in proportion to body mass, and DME peaked at 1,214 kJ day-1 on day 25 posthatching. Over the average 49-day postnatal period, TME was 49.0 MJ, which is within the range of error of the allometric prediction. Parents provided 58.6 MJ as food to meet this energy requirement. Given this chick energy requirement and the range of energy content of prey observed in the chick diet, selecting prey with higher energy content would greatly reduce adult provisioning effort. Red-throated Loon chicks did not have a high postnatal energy requirement, but rather grew quickly and fledged at a small size-with the effect of reducing the length of the postnatal period and, consequently, parental energy investment in chicks.

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Limitation in Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-21

SMLEF 1 ALEXANDRIA, VA 22332-2300 GUNTER AFB, AL 36114-3643 CMDR, ATLANTIC DIVISION/CODE 04A4 1 AFRCE-SAC/DEE INAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND... SCIENCES USAF RGN CIVIL ENGR - WESTERN 1201 L STREET NW, SUITE 400 REGION/RO 1 WASHINGTON, DC 20005 630 SANSOME ST, ROOM 1316 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111-7

An Investigation of Racial and/or Ethnic Minority Teacher Candidates' Strengths Awareness and Utilization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hui

2012-01-01

There is a consensus among researchers that teachers from diverse linguistic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds contribute to American education (Dee, 2004; Easton-Brooks, Lewis, & Yang, 2010; Irvine, 2003; Irvine & Fenwick, 2011; Ladson-Billings, 2005; Lu, 2005; Talbert-Johnson, 2001). There is also a call for teacher educators to recognize what…

Service-Learning and Integrated Course Redesign: Principles of Management and the Campus Kitchen Metaproject

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flannery, Brenda L.; Pragman, Claudia H.

2010-01-01

This article describes the process of redesigning a Principles of Management course to integrate a service-learning metaproject. The metaproject was Campus Kitchen, a food recovery and delivery program operated on a handful of university campuses across the United States. We used L. Dee Fink's integrated course design approach as well as systems…

Using Fink's Integrated Course Design: How a Book Changed Our Students' Learning, Our University, and Ourselves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fallahi, Carolyn R.; Levine, Laura E.; Nicoll-Senft, Joan M.; Tessier, Jack T.; Watson, Cheryl L.; Wood, Rebecca M.

2009-01-01

This article presents an interdisciplinary approach to course redesign that enhanced student learning across all six categories in Dee Fink's taxonomy. A meta-analysis of the results provides evidence that integrated course design produces significant learning. In this article, the authors tell four connected stories: (1) how Fink's book,…

Integrating Big Questions with Real-World Applications: Gradual Redesign in Philosophy and Art History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Marice; Torosyan, Roben

2009-01-01

As a philosopher and an art historian, the authors decided to record their experience after discovering they shared similar journeys changing their courses. They had both been dissatisfied with their students' learning outcomes and their own tired patterns of teaching. After learning about Dee Fink's (2003) integrated course design (ICD) and his…

Inspiration and Intellect: Significant Learning in Musical Forms and Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, Bruce C.

2009-01-01

In his book "Creating Significant Learning Experiences" (2003), Dee Fink challenges professors to create a deep vision for the courses they teach. Educators often have a vision for what their courses could be, but often lack a model for instituting change. Fink's book provides that model. In this article, the author describes how this model helped…

Organizational Adaptation to the Rapidly Changing External Environment: A Case Study of Strategic Marketing at Notre Dame College in Ohio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Shawn M.

2012-01-01

This thesis examined the role of strategic marketing in organizational adaptation to a rapidly changing and competitive external environment among institutions of higher education. Colleges and universities adapt to external pressures as open systems operating within a broader external environment (Bess & Dee, 2008; Keller, 1983). How does…

Gemini 4 prime crew with Official medical nurse for Astronaut crew members

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1965-01-01

Gemini 4 prime crew, Astronauts Edward H. White II, (left), and James A. McDivitt (right) are shown with Lt. Dolores (Dee) O'Hare, US Air Force, Center Medical Office, Flight Medicine Branch, Manned Spaceflight Center (MSC). Lieutenant O'Hare has served during several space flights as Official medical nurse for the astronaut crew members on the missions.

46 CFR 160.052-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Unicellular Plastic Foam, Adult and Child § 160.052-3a... must be attached to a support and bear 150 pounds for an adult size and 115 pounds for a child size for...

High School Graduation Rates of Potential First Generation College Students: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dansby, Jacqueline O.; Dansby-Giles, Gloria

2011-01-01

Educational reform in the United States has focused on several factors such as academic achievement, performance on standardized test scores, dropout rates, the mandate of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 (Dee and Jacob, 2010) and other changes. A new call for a broader and bolder strategy for educational reform that focused on…

Significant Learning Experiences for English Foreign Language Students (Experiencias significativas para estudiantes de inglés como lengua extranjera)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becerra, Luz María; McNulty, Maria

2010-01-01

This action research examines experiences that students in a grade 10 EFL class had with redesigning a grammar-unit into a topic-based unit. Strategies were formulating significant learning goals and objectives, and implementing and reflecting on activities with three dimensions of Dee Fink's (2003) taxonomy of significant learning: the human…

Range Precision of LADAR Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

photodetector, which is small compared to the receiver aperture. The photodetector converts the focused optical field into an electrical signal...Range Precision of LADAR Systems DISSERTATION Steven Johnson, AFIT/DEE/ENG/08-15 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE AIR UNIVERSITY AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF...TECHNOLOGY Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED. The views expressed in this dissertation are those

Pornography and Sexual Aggression

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

Dial-a- Porn .......................................8a Videocassettes.................................... 9 Pornographic Magazines...well known pornographic film, DeeR Throat, cost only M25,000 to produce, and has earned more than $50 million in profits.10 DIAL-A- PORN Dial-a- Porn has...Estimated costs for establishing a twenty-five dial-a- porn utility, including advertising, is $25,000.1 1 A typical dial-a- porn recording delivers an

SHOWN WITH NURSE - ASTRONAUT EDWARD H. WHITE II - MISC. - CAPE

NASA Image and Video Library

1965-06-01

S65-29657 (June 1965) --- Gemini-4 prime crew, astronauts Edward H. White II (left), and James A. McDivitt are shown with Lt. Dolores (Dee) O'Hare, US Air Force, Center Medical Office, Flight Medicine Branch, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). Lieutenant O'Hare has served during several spaceflights as official medical nurse for the astronaut crew members on the missions.

--No Title--

Science.gov Websites

{background-color:#d7dee6}.table-hover>tbody>tr.selected>td,.table-hover>tbody>tr.selected> ;th,.table-hover>tbody>tr:hover>td,.table-hover>tbody>tr:hover>th{background-color :#243c54;color:#fff;cursor:pointer}.affix{position:fixed;top:0;z-index:999}.lead,body,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6

Search efforts for ivory-billed woodpecker in South Carolina

Treesearch

Matthew Moskwik; Theresa Thom; Laurel M. Barnhill; Craig Watson; Jennifer Koches; John Kilgo; Bill Hulslander; Colette Degarady; Gary. Peters

2013-01-01

Following the reported rediscovery of Campephilus principalis (Ivory-billed Woodpecker) in Arkansas, we initiated searches in South Carolina in February 2006, with additional searches in the winter and spring of 2006–2007 and 2007–2008, concentrating in the Congaree, Santee, and Pee Dee river basins. We accrued a cumulative total of 8893 survey hours...

Individual differences and repeatability in vocal production: stress-induced calling exposes a songbird's personality.

PubMed

Guillette, Lauren M; Sturdy, Christopher B

2011-11-01

Recent research in songbirds has demonstrated that male singing behavior varies systematically with personality traits such as exploration and risk taking. Here we examine whether the production of bird calls, in addition to bird songs, is repeatable and related to exploratory behavior, using the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) as a model. We assessed the exploratory behavior of individual birds in a novel environment task. We then recorded the vocalizations and accompanying motor behavior of both male and female chickadees, over the course of several days, in two different contexts: a control condition with no playback and a stressful condition where chick-a-dee mobbing calls were played to individual birds. We found that several vocalizations and behaviors were repeatable within both a control and a stressful context, and across contexts. While there was no relationship between vocal output and exploratory behavior in the control context, production of alarm and chick-a-dee calls in the stressful condition was positively associated with exploratory behavior. These findings are important because they show that bird calls, in addition to bird song, are an aspect of personality, in that calls are consistent both within and across contexts, and covary with other personality measures (exploration).

Modulation of endothelial GSH concentrations: effect of exogenous GSH and GSH monoethyl ester

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsan, M.F.; White, J.E.; Rosano, C.L.

We studied the effects of exogenous glutathione (GSH) and GSH monoethyl ester (GSH-MEE) on the enhancement of endothelial GSH concentrations. The preparation of GSH-MEE used contained 91% GSH-MEE, approximately 9% GSH diethyl ester (GSH-DEE) and a trace amount of GSH. Both GSH and GSH-MEE markedly stimulated the intracellular concentrations of GSH in endothelial cells. GSH-MEE was more potent than GSH. The enhancement of endothelial GSH concentration by exogenous GSH was completely inhibited by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a potent inhibitor of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthase, or acivicin (AT-125), an inhibitor of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, suggesting that it was due to the extracellular breakdown andmore » subsequent intracellular resynthesis of GSH. In contrast, the effect of GSH-MEE was largely resistant to BSO and acivicin, suggesting that it was primarily due to transport of GSH-MEE followed by intracellular hydrolysis. The GSH-MEE preparation, which contained 9% GSH-DEE, at concentrations of 2 mM or higher caused vacuolization of endothelial cells. The enhancement of GSH concentrations by exogenous GSH, but not by GSH-MEE, protected endothelial cells against H/sub 2/O/sub 2/-induced injury.« less

Individual differences and repeatability in vocal production: stress-induced calling exposes a songbird's personality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillette, Lauren M.; Sturdy, Christopher B.

2011-11-01

Recent research in songbirds has demonstrated that male singing behavior varies systematically with personality traits such as exploration and risk taking. Here we examine whether the production of bird calls, in addition to bird songs, is repeatable and related to exploratory behavior, using the black-capped chickadee ( Poecile atricapillus) as a model. We assessed the exploratory behavior of individual birds in a novel environment task. We then recorded the vocalizations and accompanying motor behavior of both male and female chickadees, over the course of several days, in two different contexts: a control condition with no playback and a stressful condition where chick-a-dee mobbing calls were played to individual birds. We found that several vocalizations and behaviors were repeatable within both a control and a stressful context, and across contexts. While there was no relationship between vocal output and exploratory behavior in the control context, production of alarm and chick-a-dee calls in the stressful condition was positively associated with exploratory behavior. These findings are important because they show that bird calls, in addition to bird song, are an aspect of personality, in that calls are consistent both within and across contexts, and covary with other personality measures (exploration).

DFT study on the adsorption of diethyl, ethyl methyl, and dimethyl ethers on the surface of gallium doped graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shokuhi Rad, Ali; Sani, Emad; Binaeian, Ehsan; Peyravi, Majid; Jahanshahi, Mohsen

2017-04-01

In this study, we used density functional theory (DFT) to search on the adsorption properties of three important compounds of ether family; diethyl ether (DEE), ethyl methyl ether (EME), and dimethyl ether (DME) on the surface of Gallium doped graphene (GaG). We used three functionals (B3LYP, wb97xd, and MPW1PW91) for optimization and calculation of adsorption energy. After fully optimization, we scrutinized on the charge allocations on the adsorbed ethers as well as GaG (at the area of interaction) based on natural bond orbitals (NBO). Besides, we have calculated the amount of charge transfer upon adsorption of each analyte. We revel that GaG is an ideal adsorbent for chemisorption of all above-mentioned ethers. There is a little difference between the values of adsorption; -123.5, -120, and -118.3 kJ/mol (based on wb97xd) for DEE, EME, and DME, respectively. We found significant changes in the electronic structure of both adsorbent and adsorbate upon adsorption. Moreover, results of charge analyses confirm GaG is a p-type semiconductor.

John Dee and the alchemists: Practising and promoting English alchemy in the Holy Roman Empire

PubMed Central

Rampling, Jennifer M.

2012-01-01

This paper investigates John Dee’s relationship with two kinds of alchemist: the authorities whose works he read, and the contemporary practitioners with whom he exchanged texts and ideas. Both strands coincide in the reception of works attributed to the famous English alchemist, George Ripley (d. c. 1490). Dee’s keen interest in Ripley appears from the number of transcriptions he made of ‘Ripleian’ writings, including the Bosome book, a manuscript discovered in 1574 and believed to have been written in Ripley’s own hand. In 1583, Dee and his associate Edward Kelley left England for East Central Europe, taking with them a proportion of Dee’s vast library, including alchemical books—the contents of which would soon pique the interest of continental practitioners. Kelley used Ripley’s works, including the Bosome book, not only as sources of practical information, but as a means of furthering his own relationships with colleagues and patrons: transactions that in turn influenced Ripley’s posthumous continental reception. The resulting circulation of texts allows us to trace, with unusual precision, the spread of English alchemical ideas in the Holy Roman Empire from the late sixteenth century.

Artocarpus heterophyllus L. seed starch-blended gellan gum mucoadhesive beads of metformin HCl.

PubMed

Nayak, Amit Kumar; Pal, Dilipkumar; Santra, Kousik

2014-04-01

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., family: Moraceae) seed starch (JFSS)-gellan gum (GG) mucoadhesive beads containing metformin HCl were developed through ionotropic gelation technique. The effect of GG to JFSS ratio and CaCl2 concentration on the drug encapsulation efficiency (DEE, %) and cumulative drug release at 10h (R10h, %) was optimized and analyzed using response surface methodology based on 3(2) factorial design. The optimized JFSS-GG beads containing metformin HCl showed DEE of 92.67±4.46%, R10h of 61.30±2.37%, and mean diameter of 1.67±0.27 mm. The optimized beads showed pH-dependent swelling and mucoadhesivity with the goat intestinal mucosa. The in vitro drug release from all these JFSS-GG beads containing metformin HCl was followed zero-order pattern (R(2)=0.9907-0.9975) with super case-II transport mechanism over a period of 10 h. The beads were also characterized by SEM and FTIR. The optimized JFSS-GG beads containing metformin HCl exhibited significant hypoglycemic effect in alloxan-induced diabetic rats over prolonged period after oral administration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program: Environmental contaminants, health indicators, and reproductive biomarkers in fish from the Mobile, Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint, Savannah, and Pee Dee River Basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinck, Jo Ellen; Blazer, Vicki; Denslow, Nancy D.; Echols, Kathy R.; Gale, Robert W.; May, Tom W.; Claunch, Rachael; Wieser, Carla; Anderson, Patrick J.; Coyle, James J.; Gross, Timothy S.; Tillitt, Donald E.

2007-01-01

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were collected from 13 sites in 4 river basins in the southeastern United States to document spatial trends in accumulative contaminants, health indicators, and reproductive biomarkers. Organochlorine residues, 2,3,7,8- tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-like activity (TCDD-EQ), and elemental contaminants were measured in composite samples of whole fish, grouped by species and gender, from each site. Fish were field-examined for external and internal anomalies, selected organs were weighed to compute somatic indices, and tissue and fluid samples were preserved for fish health and reproductive biomarker analyses. Mercury concentrations in bass samples from all sites exceeded toxicity thresholds for mammals [>0.1 micrograms per gram wet weight (ug/g ww)], fish (>0.2 ug/g ww), and birds (>0.3 ug/g ww) and were greatest (>0.5 ug/g ww) in samples from the Alabama River at Eureka Landing, Alabama; the Mobile River at Bucks, Alabama; the Apalachicola River at Blountstown, Florida; the Savannah River at Sylvania, Georgia; and the Pee Dee River at Bucksport, South Carolina. Selenium concentrations were relatively high (>0.75 ug/g ww) in fish from the Tombigbee River at Lavaca, Alabama; the Mobile River at Bucks; and the Chattahoochee River at Omaha, Georgia compared to those from other sites. Concentrations of 2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)- 1,1-dichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) were high in fish from the Chattahoochee River at Omaha and the Mobile River near Bucks, which was near a 2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl)-1,1- dichloroethylene (DDT) formulating facility that historically discharged into the lower Mobile River. Toxaphene concentrations in fish from the Flint River near Albany, Georgia (60-100 nanograms per gram (ng/g) ww) may pose a risk to fish. Concentrations of other formerly used (total chlordanes, dieldrin, endrin, aldrin, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene) and currently used (pentachlorobenzene, pentachloroanisole, dacthal, endosulfan, y-HCH, and methoxychlor) organochlorine residues generally were low or did not exceed toxicity thresholds. Total polychlorinated biphenyls concentrations in samples from the Coosa River at Childersburg, Alabama; the Apalachicola River at Omaha; the Apalachicola River at Blountstown; and the Pee Dee River at Bucksport were >480 ng/g ww and may be a risk to piscivorous wildlife. Dioxin-like activity as measured by TCDD-EQ was greatest [>10 picograms per gram (pg/g)] in male fish from the Coosa River at Childersburg and the Mobile River at Bucks. Hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase activity generally was greatest in carp from the Mobile River Basin [means >10 picomols per minute per milligram of protein (pmol/min/mg)] and in bass from the Tombigbee River at Lavaca and Pee Dee River at Pee Dee, South Carolina (means >65 pmol/min/mg). Altered biomarkers were noted in fish from all basins. The field necropsy and histopathological examination determined that fish from the Mobile River Basin generally were in poorer health than those from the other basins. In bass, health assessment index scores were correlated with mercury and p,p'-DDE concentrations. High health assessment index scores in Mobile River Basin fish were widespread and caused primarily by parasitic infestations, which were most severe in fish from the Tombigbee River at Lavaca and the Alabama River at Eureka Landing. Tumors were present in few fish (n = 5; 0.01%). Ovarian tumors of the same origin (smooth muscle) were present in two older carp from the Chattahoochee River near Omaha, Georgia and may be contaminant related. Reproductive biomarkers including gonadosomatic index, vitellogenin concentrations, and steroid hormone concentrations were anomalous in fish from various sites but were not consistently related to any particular chemical contaminant. Intersex gonads were identified in 47 male bass (42%) representing 12 sites and may indicate exposure to endocrine disrupting comp

Living fast, dying when? The link between aging and energetics.

PubMed

Speakman, John R; Selman, Colin; McLaren, Jane S; Harper, E Jean

2002-06-01

The idea that aging should be linked to energy expenditure has a long history that can be traced to the late 1800s and the industrial revolution. Machines that are run fast wear out more quickly, so the notion was born that humans and animals might experience similar fates: the faster they live (expressed as greater energy expenditure), the sooner they die. Evidence supporting the "rate-of-living" theory was gleaned from the scaling of resting metabolism and life span as functions of body mass. The product of these factors yields a mass-invariant term, equivalent to the "amount of living." There are at least four problems with this evidence, which are summarized and reviewed in this communication: 1) life span is a poor measure of aging, 2) resting metabolism is a poor measure of energy expenditure, 3) the effects are confounded by body mass and 4) the comparisons made are not phylogenetically independent. We demonstrate that there is a poor association between resting metabolic rate (RMR) and daily energy expenditure (DEE) measured using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method at the level of species. Nevertheless, the scaling relation between DEE and body mass still has the same scaling exponent as the RMR and body mass relationship. Thus, if we use DEE rather than RMR in the analysis, the rate-of-living ideas are still supported. Data for 13 species of small mammal were obtained, where energy demands by DLW and longevity were reliably known. In these species, there was a strong negative relationship between residual longevity and residual DEE, both with the effects of body mass removed (r(2) = 0.763, F = 32.1, P < 0.001). Hence, the association of energy demands and life span is not attributed to the confounding effects of body size. We subjected these latter data to an analysis that extracts phylogenetically independent contrasts, and the relationship remained significant (r(2) = 0.815, F = 39.74, P < 0.001). Small mammals that live fast really do die young. However, there are very large differences between species in the amounts of living that each enjoy and these disparities are even greater when other taxa are included in the comparisons. Such differences are incompatible with the "rate-of-living" theory. However, the link between energetics and aging across species is reconcilable within the framework of the "free-radical damage hypothesis" and the "disposable soma hypothesis." Within species one might anticipate the rate-of-living model would be more appropriate. We reviewed data generated from three different sources to evaluate whether this were so, studies in which metabolic rate is experimentally increased and impacts on life span followed, studies of caloric restriction and studies where links between natural variation in metabolism and life span are sought. This review reveals that there might be contrasting effects of resting and nonresting energy expenditure on aging, with increases in the former being protective and increases in the latter being harmful.

Social Enterprise and Re-Civilization of Human Endeavors: Re-Socializing the Market Metaphor or Encroaching Colonization of the Lifeworld?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphries, Maria; Grant, Suzanne

2005-01-01

An implicit normalization of the capitalist market model--in both the facilitation of human endeavors and our relationship to the earth--is clearly evident in the work of J. Gregory Dees, as it is in much organizational theory and education. To better understand the effects of this market mentality, a more critical approach to Social…

46 CFR 160.047-3a - Materials-Dee ring and snap hook assemblies and other instruments of closure for buoyant vests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS: SPECIFICATIONS AND APPROVAL LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT Specification for a Buoyant Vest, Kapok or Fibrous Glass, Adult and Child § 160.047-3a... must be attached to a support and bear 150 pounds for an adult size and 115 pounds for a child size for...

Characterization of resistance genes to rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae in a “Green Revolution” rice variety

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The indica rice variety Dee Geo Woo Gen (DGWG) was the source of the semi-dwarf gene (SD1) which played an important role in the Green Revolution. In the present study, resistance (R) genes to the U.S. race (isolate) IB54 of Magnaporthe oryzae, causal agent of rice blast disease, was investigated. T...

Significant Learning Experiences and Ignatian Pedagogy: A Case Study of Curricula, Academic Practices, and Graduate Outcomes in Jesuit Universities' Honors Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pampel, Robert

2017-01-01

This qualitative, multisite case study used Dee Fink's taxonomy of significant learning as a lens through which to examine the curricular structure, academic practices, and graduate outcomes for honors programs at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. Special attention was given to the distinctive quality of Ignatian pedagogy and…

Air Force Institute of Technology Research Report 2008

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

Chapter) Instructor of the Year, March 2008. PETERSON , GILBERT L. Air Force Junior Scientist of the Year, September 2008. RAINES, RICHARD A...DIRECTORATE RODRIGUEZ, BENJAMIN M., II, JPEG Steganography Embedding Methods. AFIT/DEE/ENG/08-20. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gilbert L. Peterson . Sponsor...Faculty Advisor: Dr. Gilbert L. Peterson . Sponsor: AFRL/RY. GIRARD, JASON A., Material Perturbations to Enhance Performance of the Theile Half-Width

Prom Night in Mississippi: A Teacher's Guide with Standards-Based Lessons for Grades 7 and up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holladay, Jennifer

2009-01-01

When Morris Dees was a young man in Alabama, the law said that black people couldn't drink from the same water fountain as white people, or sit at the same lunch counter. Back then, the government created and sanctioned divisions between human beings. The Civil Rights Movement changed all of that, of course, and ended state-mandated apartheid in…

Putting the Horse Back in Front of the Cart: Using Visions and Decisions about High-Quality Learning Experiences to Drive Course Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Deborah; Tanner, Kimberly

2007-01-01

This article discusses a systematic approach to designing significant learning experiences, often referred to as the "backward design process," which has been popularized by Wiggins and McTighe (1998) and is included as a central feature of L. Dee Fink's model for integrated course design (Fink, 2003). The process is referred to as backward…

Digges, Leonard (c 1520-c 1559) and Digges, Thomas (1545/6-95)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murdin, P.

2000-11-01

Both were English astronomers, opticians and military engineers. Thomas was born in Wotton, Kent, England, and incorporated his father's work on optics and ballistics into his own publications. He was tutored by JOHN DEE. In 1573 Thomas Digges published Alae seu Scalae Mathematicae, a work on the position of the supernova of 1572, showing it had no parallax, i.e. was at a great distance, beyond t...

Customized Learning: Potential Air Force Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Technology in Education, Vol. 41, No. 2, Winter 2008–2009, pp. 143–159. Dee, Lesley, Cristina Devecchi, Lani Florian, and Steve Cochrane, Being, Having and...225–231. Krasner, Steve , ed., Learning Styles, Connecticut State Department of Education, SERC Library, 2002. As of September 30, 2009: http...Training Command, February 18, 2009. Torrance, Harry, Helen Colley, Dean Garratt, Janis Jarvis , Heather Piper, Kathryn Ecclestone, and David James, The

A Phoswich Detector System to Measure Sub-Second Half-Lives using ICF Reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coats, Micah; Cook, Katelyn; Yuly, Mark; Padalino, Stephen; Sangster, Craig; Regan, Sean

2017-10-01

The 3H(t,γ)6He cross section has not been measured at any bombarding energy due to the difficulties of simultaneously producing both a tritium beam and target at accelerator labs. An alternative technique may be to use an ICF tt implosion at the OMEGA Laser Facility. The 3H(t,γ)6He cross section could be determined in situ by measuring the beta decay of 6He beginning a few milliseconds after the shot along with other ICF diagnostics. A dE-E phoswich system capable of surviving in the OMEGA target chamber was tested using the SUNY Geneseo pelletron to create neutrons via 2H(d,n)3He and subsequently 6He via 9Be(n,α)6He in a beryllium target. The phoswich dE-E detector system was used to select beta decay events and measure the 807 ms half-life of 6He. It is composed of a thin, 2 ns decay time dE scintillator optically coupled to a thick, 285 ns E scintillator, with a linear gate to separate the short dE pulse from the longer E tail. Funded in part by a Grant from the DOE through the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.

Discovery and physical characterization of a large scattered disk object at 92 au

DOE PAGES

Gerdes, D. W.; Sako, M.; Hamilton, S.; ...

2017-04-10

We report the observation and physical characterization of the possible dwarf planet 2014 UZmore » $$_{224}$$ ("DeeDee"), a dynamically detached trans-Neptunian object discovered at 92 AU. This object is currently the second-most distant known trans-Neptunian object with reported orbital elements, surpassed in distance only by the dwarf planet Eris. The object was discovered with an $r$-band magnitude of 23.0 in data collected by the Dark Energy Survey between 2014 and 2016. Its 1140-year orbit has $$(a,e,i) = (109~\\mathrm{AU},2 0.54, 26.8^{\\circ})$$. It will reach its perihelion distance of 38 AU in the year 2142. Integrations of its orbit show it to be dynamically stable on Gyr timescales, with only weak interactions with Neptune. We have performed followup observations with ALMA, using 3 hours of on-source integration time to measure the object's thermal emission in the Rayleigh-Jeans tail. As a result, the signal is detected at 7$$\\sigma$$ significance, from which we determine a $V$-band albedo of $$18.0^{+4.0}_{-2.9}\\mathrm{(stat)}^{+1.5}_{-1.2}\\mathrm{(sys)}$$ percent and a diameter of $$541^{+47}_{-51}\\mathrm{(stat)}^{+19}_{-20}\\mathrm{(sys)}$$~km, assuming a spherical body with uniform surface properties.« less

Discovery and physical characterization of a large scattered disk object at 92 au

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerdes, D. W.; Sako, M.; Hamilton, S.

We report the observation and physical characterization of the possible dwarf planet 2014 UZmore » $$_{224}$$ ("DeeDee"), a dynamically detached trans-Neptunian object discovered at 92 AU. This object is currently the second-most distant known trans-Neptunian object with reported orbital elements, surpassed in distance only by the dwarf planet Eris. The object was discovered with an $r$-band magnitude of 23.0 in data collected by the Dark Energy Survey between 2014 and 2016. Its 1140-year orbit has $$(a,e,i) = (109~\\mathrm{AU},2 0.54, 26.8^{\\circ})$$. It will reach its perihelion distance of 38 AU in the year 2142. Integrations of its orbit show it to be dynamically stable on Gyr timescales, with only weak interactions with Neptune. We have performed followup observations with ALMA, using 3 hours of on-source integration time to measure the object's thermal emission in the Rayleigh-Jeans tail. As a result, the signal is detected at 7$$\\sigma$$ significance, from which we determine a $V$-band albedo of $$18.0^{+4.0}_{-2.9}\\mathrm{(stat)}^{+1.5}_{-1.2}\\mathrm{(sys)}$$ percent and a diameter of $$541^{+47}_{-51}\\mathrm{(stat)}^{+19}_{-20}\\mathrm{(sys)}$$~km, assuming a spherical body with uniform surface properties.« less

RF control hardware design for CYCIAE-100 cyclotron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Zhiguo; Fu, Xiaoliang; Ji, Bin; Zhao, Zhenlu; Zhang, Tianjue; Li, Pengzhan; Wei, Junyi; Xing, Jiansheng; Wang, Chuan

2015-11-01

The Beijing Radioactive Ion-beam Facility project is being constructed by BRIF division of China Institute of Atomic Energy. In this project, a 100 MeV high intensity compact proton cyclotron is built for multiple applications. The first successful beam extraction of CYCIAE-100 cyclotron was done in the middle of 2014. The extracted proton beam energy is 100 MeV and the beam current is more than 20 μA. The RF system of the CYCIAE-100 cyclotron includes two half-wavelength cavities, two 100 kW tetrode amplifiers and power transmission line systems (all above are independent from each other) and two sets of Low Level RF control crates. Each set of LLRF control includes an amplitude control unit, a tuning control unit, a phase control unit, a local Digital Signal Process control unit and an Advanced RISC Machines based EPICS IOC unit. These two identical LLRF control crates share one common reference clock and take advantages of modern digital technologies (e.g. DSP and Direct Digital Synthesizer) to achieve closed loop voltage and phase regulations of the dee-voltage. In the beam commission, the measured dee-voltage stability of RF system is better than 0.1% and phase stability is better than 0.03°. The hardware design of the LLRF system will be reviewed in this paper.

Bioenergetics assessment of fish and crayfish consumption by river otter (Lontra canadensis): integrating prey availability, diet, and field metabolic rate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dekar, Matthew P.; Magoulick, Daniel D.; Beringer, J.

2010-01-01

River otters (Lontra canadensis) are important predators in aquatic ecosystems, but few studies quantify their prey consumption. We trapped crayfish monthly as an index of availability and collected otter scat for diet analysis in the Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas, USA. We measured otter daily energy expenditure (DEE) with the doubly labeled water method to develop a bioenergetics model for estimating monthly prey consumption. Meek's crayfish (Orconectes meeki) catch-per-unit-effort was positively related to stream temperature, indicating that crayfish were more available during warmer months. The percentage frequency of occurrence for crayfish in scat samples peaked at 85.0% in summer and was lowest (42.3%) in winter. In contrast, the percentage occurrence of fish was 13.3% in summer and 57.7% in winter. Estimates of DEE averaged 4738 kJ·day-1 for an otter with a body mass of 7842 g. Total biomass consumption ranged from 35 079 to 52 653 g·month-1 (wet mass), corresponding to a high proportion of fish and crayfish in the diet, respectively. Otter consumption represents a large fraction of prey production, indicating potentially strong effects of otters on trophic dynamics in stream ecosystems.

Reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the QAPACE in adolescents.

PubMed

Amiri, Parisa; Jalali-Farahani, Sara; Zarkesh, Maryam; Barzin, Maryam; Kaviani, Robabeh; Ahmadizad, Sajad

2014-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the Iranian version of the Quantification de l'Activite Physique en Altitude Chez les Enfants (QAPACE) in adolescents. After linguistic validation, the Iranian version of the QAPACE was completed by 359 (52.4 % girls) schoolchildren, aged 15-18 years. Test-retest reliability of the questionnaire was determined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). For validation purposes, two methods were used for (1) the correlation between VO2peak and the DEE and (2) known-group validity, which was examined by comparing the normal weight adolescents and those who were overweight/obese. ICCs for test-retest ranged from 0.79 to 0.98. The mean scores in test-retest surveys for total score and all of the subscores were significant (p < 0.05). Sex-specific analysis showed a significant correlation between VO2peak and DEE over 12-month, school, and vacation periods in girls (p < 0.05). The mean values for all activities except for transportation, other activities in school, personal artistic activities, sport competition, and home activities were significantly lower in overweight/obese group than normal group. Our results support the initial reliability and validity of the Iranian version of QAPACE as a daily physical activity measure in adolescents.

Work Now and in the Future--3. Proceedings from the Annual Conference for Business and Industry Representatives, Educators and Others Concerned with the Changing World of Work (3rd, Portland, Oregon, November 5-6, 1986).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClure, Larry; Cotton, Kathleen, Ed.

These proceedings of a conference, which focused on technology and communications in tomorrow's workplace, include the following: synopses of "Learning for Life: Increasing Awareness of Human Capabilities" and the follow-up session "Multiplying Intelligence: What Do We Know about Learning Styles?" (Dee Dickinson); "From Programmed Instruction to…

Use of Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Analysis to Distinguish between Vapor Intrusion and Indoor Sources of VOC

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

trichloroethylene USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency UST underground storage tank V-PDB Vienna - Pee Dee Belemnite ACRONYMS AND...compound (e.g., trichloroethylene [TCE]) can vary as a result of differences in their source material or compound synthesis or due to transformation... trichloroethylene [TCE], and benzene) that commonly drive VI investigations; 2) development of a protocol for application of CSIA in VI investigations; and 3

Literature Survey of Underground Construction Methods for Application to Hardened Facilities

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-04-01

Tunnel Supports: oxeutiver Sum pry (Dee. 1979) S SS ppo. NTIS9, P984- 134547. 41 . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 58. Selmer - Olsen , Rolf...mountains. Many of the installations are tunneled into rock in the mountainsides which is relatively fault-free and is not prone to flooding during...construction., Often, the rock is so strong that the tunnel walls do not have to be lined. The Scandinavian countries have built many underground or

Use of Compound-Specific Stable Isotope Analysis to Distinguish Between Vapor Intrusion and Indoor Sources of VOCs - CSIA Protocol for Vapor Intrusion Investigations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

Analyzer TCE Trichloroethene USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency V- PDB Vienna - Pee Dee Belemnite V-SMOW Vienna – Standard Mean Ocean Water ... PDB ) for carbon, Standard Mean Ocean Chloride (SMOC) for chlorine, and Vienna-Standard Mean Ocean Water (V-SMOW) for hydrogen. CSIA Protocol for...7 3.3 INDOOR AIR SAMPLING LOCATIONS ............................................................ 8 3.4 COLLECTION OF WATER SAMPLES

Comprehensive Final Report for the Marine Seismic System Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-01

Executive summary g ■ -■• < ".• v>:.* From 1981 through 1983, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funded the National Science...S. Government. Per Mr. J. A. Ballard, NORDA/Code 360 Accesion For NTIS CRA&I DUG TAB Unannou.iCed Justification G D By Distib...n>r" Analysis of Ambient Seismic Noise Recorded by Downhole and Ocean-Bottom Seismometers on Dee: Sea Drilling Project Leg 78B Richard G

Analysis of Salinity Intrusion in the Waccamaw River and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 1995-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conrads, Paul; Roehl, Edwin A.

2007-01-01

Six reservoirs in North Carolina discharge into the Pee Dee River, which flows 160 miles through South Carolina to the coastal communities near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. During the Southeast's record-breaking drought from 1998 to 2003, salinity intrusions inundated a coastal municipal freshwater intake, limiting water supplies. To evaluate the effects of regulated flows of the Pee Dee River on salinity intrusion in the Waccamaw River and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and a consortium of stakeholders entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to apply data-mining techniques to the long-term time series to analyze and simulate salinity dynamics near the freshwater intakes along the Grand Strand of South Carolina. Salinity intrusion in tidal rivers results from the interaction of three principal forces?streamflow, mean tidal water levels, and tidal range. To analyze, model, and simulate hydrodynamic behaviors at critical coastal gages, data-mining techniques were applied to over 20 years of hourly streamflow, coastal water-quality, and water-level data. Artificial neural network models were trained to learn the variable interactions that cause salinity intrusions. Streamflow data from the 18,300-square-mile basin were input to the model as time-delayed variables and accumulated tributary inflows. Tidal inputs to the models were obtained by decomposing tidal water-level data into a 'periodic' signal of tidal range and a 'chaotic' signal of mean water levels. The artificial neural network models were able to convincingly reproduce historical behaviors and generate alternative scenarios of interest. To make the models directly available to all stakeholders along the Pee Dee and Waccamaw Rivers and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, an easy-to-use decision support system (DSS) was developed as a spreadsheet application that integrates the historical database, artificial neural network models, model controls, streaming graphics, and model output. An additional feature is a built-in optimizer that dynamically calculates the amount of flow needed to suppress salinity intrusions as tidal ranges and water levels vary over days and months. This DSS greatly reduced the number of long-term simulations needed for stakeholders to determine the minimum flow required to adequately protect the freshwater intakes.

Are physical activity, sedentary behaviors and sleep duration associated with body mass index-for-age and health-related quality of life among high school boys and girls?

PubMed

Jalali-Farahani, Sara; Amiri, Parisa; Chin, Yit Siew

2016-02-27

Previous studies reported lower health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores in overweight and obese adolescents compared to their normal weight counterparts; however, few studies investigated the association between obesity-related behaviors including physical activity and sedentary behaviors and HRQOL in adolescents. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviors, sleep duration and body mass index-for-age (BMI-for-age) and HRQOL among high school Tehranian students. A total of 465 high school students (48.8 % girls) were recruited from three different socio-economic zones in Tehran. The BMI-for-age was determined and physical activity and HRQOL were assessed using validated questionnaires including Quantification de l'Activite Physique en Altitude Chez les Enfants (QAPACE) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) respectively. Over one third of students (38.5 %) were either overweight or obese. The means of all self- and parent-reported HRQOL scores were significantly lower in girls, compared to boys, except for the parent-reported social functioning subscale. Mean hours of daily sleeping were significantly higher in girls, compared to boys (8.16 ± 1.27 vs. 7.73 ± 1.22 respectively; p < 0.05). Both girls and boys spent more time on sedentary activities than engaging in sport activities. During school and vacation periods, boys had significantly higher daily energy expenditure (DEE) compared to girls (p < 0.05). Only DEE during school period had a significant inverse correlation with BMI-for-age in boys but not girls (r = -0.14, p < 0.05). In addition, self-reported HRQOL scores were significantly associated with weekly hours adolescents spent on videogames/internet, listening to music and reading, watching TV, sports as well as DEE through sex-specific patterns. However according to parents' perspective only weekly hours spent on listening to music and readings and sport activities were significantly associated with their children HRQOL scores. In summary, time spent on physical and sedentary activities were not associated with BMI-for-age, although both of these were associated with the HRQOL of high school students. The potential role of sedentary activities and physical activity should be considered in future interventions aimed at improving HRQOL in adolescents.

Diesel engine exhaust and lung cancer risks - evaluation of the meta-analysis by Vermeulen et al. 2014.

PubMed

Morfeld, Peter; Spallek, Michael

2015-01-01

Vermeulen et al. 2014 published a meta-regression analysis of three relevant epidemiological US studies (Steenland et al. 1998, Garshick et al. 2012, Silverman et al. 2012) that estimated the association between occupational diesel engine exhaust (DEE) exposure and lung cancer mortality. The DEE exposure was measured as cumulative exposure to estimated respirable elemental carbon in μg/m(3)-years. Vermeulen et al. 2014 found a statistically significant dose-response association and described elevated lung cancer risks even at very low exposures. We performed an extended re-analysis using different modelling approaches (fixed and random effects regression analyses, Greenland/Longnecker method) and explored the impact of varying input data (modified coefficients of Garshick et al. 2012, results from Crump et al. 2015 replacing Silverman et al. 2012, modified analysis of Moehner et al. 2013). We reproduced the individual and main meta-analytical results of Vermeulen et al. 2014. However, our analysis demonstrated a heterogeneity of the baseline relative risk levels between the three studies. This heterogeneity was reduced after the coefficients of Garshick et al. 2012 were modified while the dose coefficient dropped by an order of magnitude for this study and was far from being significant (P = 0.6). A (non-significant) threshold estimate for the cumulative DEE exposure was found at 150 μg/m(3)-years when extending the meta-analyses of the three studies by hockey-stick regression modelling (including the modified coefficients for Garshick et al. 2012). The data used by Vermeulen and colleagues led to the highest relative risk estimate across all sensitivity analyses performed. The lowest relative risk estimate was found after exclusion of the explorative study by Steenland et al. 1998 in a meta-regression analysis of Garshick et al. 2012 (modified), Silverman et al. 2012 (modified according to Crump et al. 2015) and Möhner et al. 2013. The meta-coefficient was estimated to be about 10-20 % of the main effect estimate in Vermeulen et al. 2014 in this analysis. The findings of Vermeulen et al. 2014 should not be used without reservations in any risk assessments. This is particularly true for the low end of the exposure scale.

Strategic Stability Through the Strategic Defense Initiative

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-09

Alliance, pp. 35-36. 23. Ibid. 24. Ibid., p. 37. 25. Steven P. Adragna , On Guard for Victory: Military Doctrine and Ballistic Missile Defense in the USSR...their fundamental policy of survival of the motherland. ENDNOTES 1. Steven P. Adragna , On Guard for Victory: Military Doctrine and Ballistic Missile...Approach to Nuclear Arms Control," Survival, Nov/Dee 1987, p. 494. 5. Adragna , p. 59. 6. Rivkin, p. 495. 7. Johnson, p. 184. 8. Senator Malcomb Wallop

Calculations of the Auger deexcitation rate of dtμ within the muonic quasimolecule (dtμ)dee

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armour, E. A. G.; Lewis, D. M.; Hara, S.

1992-12-01

A key process in muon-catalyzed fusion is the deexcitation of dtμ within the resonant muonic quasimolecule (dtμ)dee, by emission of an Auger electron. The dtμ in the quasimolecule is initially in a weakly bound excited state with J=1 and v=1. Calculations are carried out of the rate of the dominant transition to the state with J=0 and v=1. Use is made of the dipole matrix element obtained for this transition by Scrinzi and Szalewicz [Phys. Rev. A 39, 2855 (1989)]. Full account is taken of the molecular nature of the quasimolecule. The continuum electronic wave functions for the Auger electron for all four contributing symmetries, i.e., Σ+g, Σ+u, Πu, and Πg, are first obtained by a two-center Coulomb calculation and a static-exchange calculation, extended to include dipole polarization. Comparison is then made with the results of a calculation in which the Σ+μ and Πu wave functions are obtained as in a previous paper by Armour and Lewis [J. Phys. B 23, L25 (1990)] and the Σ+g and Πg wave functions are obtained by the Kohn method. There are significant differences between the contributions from the individual symmetries, but the overall values for the deexcitation rate are all of the same order of magnitude as the results of earlier calculations.

Experimental investigation on the availability, performance, combustion and emission distinctiveness of bael oil/ diesel/ diethyl ether blends powered in a variable compression ratio diesel engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnamoorthi, M.; Malayalamurthi, R.

2018-02-01

The present work aims at experimental investigation on the combined effect of injection timing (IT) and injection pressure (IP) on the performance and emissions characteristics, and exergy analysis of a compression-ignition (CI) engine powered with bael oil blends. The tests were conducted using ternary blends of bael oil, diethyl ether (DEE) and neat diesel (D) at various engine loads at a constant engine speed (1500 rpm). With B2 (60%D + 30%bael oil+10%DEE) fuel, the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) of the engine is augmented by 3.5%, reduction of 4.7% of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emission has been observed at 100% engine load with 250 bar IP. B2 fuel exhibits 7% lower scale of HC emissions compared to that of diesel fuel at 100% engine load in 23 °bTDC IT. The increment in both cooling water and exhaust gas availabilities lead to increasing exergy efficiency with increasing load. The exergy efficiency of about 62.17% has been recorded by B2 fuel at an injection pressure of 230 IP bar with 100% load. On the whole, B2 fuel displays the best performance and combustion characteristics. It also exhibits better characteristics of emissions level in terms of lower HC, smoke opacity and NOx.

Core-shell alginate-ghatti gum modified montmorillonite composite matrices for stomach-specific flurbiprofen delivery.

PubMed

Bera, Hriday; Ippagunta, Sohitha Reddy; Kumar, Sanoj; Vangala, Pavani

2017-07-01

Novel alginate-arabic gum (AG) gel membrane coated alginate-ghatti gum (GG) modified montmorillonite (MMT) composite matrices were developed for intragastric flurbiprofen (FLU) delivery by combining floating and mucoadhesion mechanisms. The clay-biopolymer composite matrices containing FLU as core were accomplished by ionic-gelation technique. Effects of polymer-blend (alginate:GG) ratios and crosslinker (CaCl 2 ) concentrations on drug entrapment efficiency (DEE, %) and cumulative drug release after 8h (Q 8h , %) were studied to optimize the core matrices by a 3 2 factorial design. The optimized matrices (F-O) demonstrated DEE of 91.69±1.43% and Q 8h of 74.96±1.56% with minimum errors in prediction. The alginate-AG gel membrane enveloped optimized matrices (F-O, coated) exhibited superior buoyancy, better ex vivo mucoadhesion and slower drug release rate. The drug release profile of FLU-loaded uncoated and coated optimized matrices was best fitted in Korsmeyer-Peppas model with anomalous diffusion and case-II transport driven mechanism, respectively. The uncoated and coated matrices containing FLU were also characterized for drug-excipients compatibility, drug crystallinity, thermal behaviour and surface morphology. Thus, the newly developed alginate-AG gel membrane coated alginate-GG modified MMT composite matrices are appropriate for intragastric delivery of FLU over an extended period of time with improved therapeutic benefits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Right-Rapid-Rough

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, Craig

2003-01-01

IDEO (pronounced 'eye-dee-oh') is an international design, engineering, and innovation firm that has developed thousands of products and services for clients across a wide range of industries. Its process and culture attracted the attention of academics, businesses, and journalists around the world, and are the subject of a bestselling book, The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley. One of the keys to IDEO's success is its use of prototyping as a tool for rapid innovation. This story covers some of IDEO's projects, and gives reasons for why they were successful.

Comparison Test of the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), M978 Tanker

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-01

transmission shall include the following (MIL-T-PD-977, para 3.4.5.1): (1) A downshift inhibitor system that prevents driver shift control action from...DIRECTION HI 8 Peg. WIND SPEED: 9 KNOTS TAPE RECORDER: B&K 7006 IOCTAVE ANALYZER I BtK ?ni SOUND LEVEL METER: MICROPHONE: BUK ItISS...ISKY COVER: I CLEAR TAPE RECORDER: B&K 7006 IOCTAVE ANALYZER: I BtK 2131 WIND DIRECTION I ?18 Dee . SOUND LEVEL METER STATIONARY

Electromagnetic Field Control and Optimization Using Metamaterials

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

Popović, and K. Hingerl. “Imperfect cloak- ing devices based on metamaterials,” Acta Physica Polonica A , 112(5):1083– 1088, 2007. 148 44. Jiang, Wei X...f. Jcpq Date Accepted: ... M ( A T~ 󈧢 S’t’P 2 GCt:f M. U. Thomas Date Dean, Graduate School of Engineering and Management APIT/DEE/ENG/09-13...dictated by the theory are inhomogeneous, anisotropic, and, in some instances, singular at various locations. In order for a cloak to be practically

Measurement of axial injection displacement with trim coil current unbalance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Covo, Michel Kireeff, E-mail: mkireeffcovo@lbl.gov

The Dee probe used for measuring internal radial beam intensity shows large losses inside the radius of 20 cm of the 88 in. cyclotron. The current of the top and bottom innermost trim coil 1 is unbalanced to study effects of the axial injection displacement. A beam profile monitor images the ion beam bunches, turn by turn. The experimental bunch center of mass position is compared with calculations of the magnetic mirror effect displacement and shows good agreement.

The Maritime Environment, International Conference and Exhibition "Waste Water Treatment Technologies for Ships"

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-01-01

PEN 00 IJJ0 * PO PCg 0 M1 PM10 0M PON 0 PON *-4-) *% z * FIN* 0 -m PENA wo roe PORN OPW Ina 0 POO 0 Poo u U 0 ; 4-o sow 0P.4 P.4 OPM40 Poo Pssm-+NaPMO...than trying to guarantee, that even our children’s children can still enjoy beaches like this DEE -SYSE - MCL ’ESTPASSEGSA D-26120LZOEN I-RC ST eeon

A novel pH-dependant and double crosslinked polymethacrylate-based polysphere matrix for enteric delivery of isoniazid.

PubMed

Cooppan, Shivaan; Choonara, Yahya E; du Toit, Lisa C; Ndesendo, Valence M K; Kumar, Pradeep; Pillay, Viness

2013-01-01

This study aimed at developing double crosslinked isoniazid (INH)-loaded polymethyl-methacrylate-ethylcellulose (PMMA-EC) polyspheres for rate-controlled enteric drug delivery. A PMMA solution was manipulated with the addition of EC to produce polyspheres by drop-wise extrusion into a primary crosslinking solution of AlCl3 (25% w/v), before adding a second crosslinking solution of either 30% w/v BaCl2 (polysphere Batch A) or 30% w/v MgCl2 (polysphere Batch B). The polyspheres were then subjected to FTIR spectroscopic analysis, in vitro drug release studies, drug entrapment efficiency (DEE) determination as well as surface area and porositometric investigations. Molecular Mechanics (MM) simulations elucidated the interaction between the cations and the PMMA-EC combination. FTIR spectra revealed an affinity of PMMA for Ba(2+), Mg(2+) and Al(3+). SEM showed smooth robust polyspheres ranging between 4-6 mm. Porositometric analysis established that polysphere Batch A had larger pores (315.314 Åabs) than Batch B (234.603 Åabs). Drug release profiles from polysphere Batch A displayed burst release with 50% INH released within 2 h (N = 3) that was attributable to the larger ionic radius of the second crosslinker Ba(2+) compared Mg(2+) which was employed for polysphere Batch B. The latter produced polyspheres with superior control in INH release (<25% within 2 h) (N = 3) and a higher DEE with minimal pore formation. The experimental findings were well corroborated by the MM simulations.

The biological control of voluntary exercise, spontaneous physical activity and daily energy expenditure in relation to obesity: human and rodent perspectives

PubMed Central

Garland, Theodore; Schutz, Heidi; Chappell, Mark A.; Keeney, Brooke K.; Meek, Thomas H.; Copes, Lynn E.; Acosta, Wendy; Drenowatz, Clemens; Maciel, Robert C.; van Dijk, Gertjan; Kotz, Catherine M.; Eisenmann, Joey C.

2011-01-01

Mammals expend energy in many ways, including basic cellular maintenance and repair, digestion, thermoregulation, locomotion, growth and reproduction. These processes can vary tremendously among species and individuals, potentially leading to large variation in daily energy expenditure (DEE). Locomotor energy costs can be substantial for large-bodied species and those with high-activity lifestyles. For humans in industrialized societies, locomotion necessary for daily activities is often relatively low, so it has been presumed that activity energy expenditure and DEE are lower than in our ancestors. Whether this is true and has contributed to a rise in obesity is controversial. In humans, much attention has centered on spontaneous physical activity (SPA) or non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), the latter sometimes defined so broadly as to include all energy expended due to activity, exclusive of volitional exercise. Given that most people in Western societies engage in little voluntary exercise, increasing NEAT may be an effective way to maintain DEE and combat overweight and obesity. One way to promote NEAT is to decrease the amount of time spent on sedentary behaviours (e.g. watching television). The effects of voluntary exercise on other components of physical activity are highly variable in humans, partly as a function of age, and have rarely been studied in rodents. However, most rodent studies indicate that food consumption increases in the presence of wheels; therefore, other aspects of physical activity are not reduced enough to compensate for the energetic cost of wheel running. Most rodent studies also show negative effects of wheel access on body fat, especially in males. Sedentary behaviours per se have not been studied in rodents in relation to obesity. Several lines of evidence demonstrate the important role of dopamine, in addition to other neural signaling networks (e.g. the endocannabinoid system), in the control of voluntary exercise. A largely separate literature points to a key role for orexins in SPA and NEAT. Brain reward centers are involved in both types of physical activities and eating behaviours, likely leading to complex interactions. Moreover, voluntary exercise and, possibly, eating can be addictive. A growing body of research considers the relationships between personality traits and physical activity, appetite, obesity and other aspects of physical and mental health. Future studies should explore the neurobiology, endocrinology and genetics of physical activity and sedentary behaviour by examining key brain areas, neurotransmitters and hormones involved in motivation, reward and/or the regulation of energy balance. PMID:21177942

On the Form of the Collective Bremsstrahlung Recoil Force in a Nonequilibrium Relativistic Beam-Plasma System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-01-01

RD-RI39 895 ON THE FORM OF THE COLLECTIVE BREMSSTRRHLUNG RECOIL i / i FORCE IN A NONEQUILIBRIUM RELATIVISTIC BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEM(U) HARRY DIAMOND LABS...A A O- I I .. . .:. .~ . ." . .- . . . AD Al 39895 H DL-TR-2026 .- 2 ,January 1984 ’ On the Form of the Collective Bremsstrahlung Recoil:O Kodf...Nonequillbrium Relativistic Beam-Plasma System; by Howard It. Brandt A and -t 4 C.. 4 :;x.. 4 4~ . Approw for *4444 𔃿 . U.S.~ Arm Lad Dee ,7 , .1 I . A L

Ethnoarchaeological Investigations of the Mountain Creek Area, North Central Texas. Volume 2. Historic Farming on the Hogwallow Prairies

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

Engineers, Publishing Co., Dallas. Fort Worth District. Durkheim , Emile 1982 Part II: Historical Archaeology. In 1933 On the Division of Labor in...Holveck Dee Ella Ho/Yard 3-4-1905 John Emil 6.11-1895/6-29-1972 232 Architectural Trends Table 18-2 MORTUARY ARCHITECTURE: STONE SHAPES Tablet Pulpit...CEMETERY LISTINGS Map Name Birth/Death Commemoration Stone Type Pleasant Valley 2 John Emil Holveck 6-11-1895/6-29-1972 Texas Pvt. US Army WWI Flat Granite

Demonstration of Ice-Free Cathodic Protection Systems for Water Storage Tanks at Fort Drum: Final Report on Project AR-F-318 for FY05

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

and immovable with fingers. Body side rivet base and outside rivet burr should be flat against the material. Bent rivets will fail under stress ...such as using knots, tying around sharp edges, etc.) and maximum permitted free fall distance. Also, to be stressed are the importance of inspections...limitations; e. Application limits; f. Proper hook -up, anchoring and tie-off techniques, including the proper dee-ring or other attachment point to use on

Data Assimilation in the Presence of Forecast Bias: The GEOS Moisture Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dee, Dick P.; Todling, Ricardo

1999-01-01

We describe the application of the unbiased sequential analysis algorithm developed by Dee and da Silva (1998) to the GEOS DAS moisture analysis. The algorithm estimates the persistent component of model error using rawinsonde observations and adjusts the first-guess moisture field accordingly. Results of two seasonal data assimilation cycles show that moisture analysis bias is almost completely eliminated in all observed regions. The improved analyses cause a sizable reduction in the 6h-forecast bias and a marginal improvement in the error standard deviations.

Propagation Limitations of Navigation and Positioning Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-02-01

a aophiatiqutf, tel que . le proJet NAUSTAR andrlcain aatie- faltait aane doute la plupart dee beaoina. Si on prend en compta le facteur coöt, on ...rement "lu modal« gausaien, at c’ast da cette fasjon que le precision eat courammant ddflnie, (Ob- sarvona dka h prtfa«nt qu« 1’ on ne seralt paa...pour memoire un cartain nombre da raraeterletiquas aacondeitsa ’cnt •■■:■.-■■:* qual- ques unea t - le •ystteo eat-il paaaif ( l *installation da bord

Occupational exposures to leaded and unleaded gasoline engine emissions and lung cancer risk.

PubMed

Xu, Mengting; Siemiatycki, Jack; Lavoué, Jérôme; Pasquet, Romain; Pintos, Javier; Rousseau, Marie-Claude; Richardson, Lesley; Ho, Vikki

2018-04-01

To determine whether occupational exposure to gasoline engine emissions (GEE) increased the risk of lung cancer and more specifically whether leaded or unleaded GEE increased the risk. Two population-based case-control studies were conducted in Montreal, Canada. The first was conducted in the early 1980s and included many types of cancer including lung cancer. The second was conducted in the late 1990s and focused on lung cancer. Population controls were used in both studies. Altogether, there were 1595 cases and 1432 population controls. A comprehensive expert-based exposure assessment procedure was implemented and exposure was assessed for 294 agents, including unleaded GEE, leaded GEE and diesel engine emissions (DEE). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate ORs between various metrics of GEE exposure and lung cancer, adjusting for smoking, DEE and other potential confounders. About half of all controls were occupationally exposed to GEE. Irrespective of the metrics of exposure (any exposure, duration of exposure and cumulative exposure) and the type of lung cancer, and the covariates included in models, none of the point estimates of the ORs between occupational exposure to leaded or unleaded GEE and lung cancer were above 1.0. Pooling two studies, the OR for any exposure to leaded GEE was 0.82 (0.68-1.00). Our results do not support the hypothesis that occupational exposure to GEE increases the risk of lung cancer. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the Nuclear and Space Security Tactics Training Center Project AFSPC053012 for Air Force Security Forces at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

8217Ŕ IPACE: lfCUNTY TACTlet lRAINIIIG CI! NT1 !IIt (NIITTC) /lllfll!tA DI!W!l.OPI&I!NT JI\\AH c co -c._ -.; Q) ~::: Ill~ +-’ ~~ ·- ~~ (f) ti li LA N...Manager WMD- CFMO 3919 Central Ave. Cheyenne, WY 82001 (307) 772-5066 (o) (307) 274-0844 ( cell ) --- - -Original Message----- From: Lloyd, Dee W Mr...772-5066 (o) (307) 274-0844 ( cell ) -----Original Message----- From: Pesenti, Cathryn M Civ USAF AFGSC 90 CES/CEV [mailto:Cathryn.Pesenti@warren

Comments on D/H ratios in chondritic organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, J. W.; Rigby, D.

1981-06-01

D/H ratios in chondritic organic matter are investigated. Demineralized organic residues obtained from previous experiments were dried in a quartz reaction vessel under vacuum for 60 minutes at 250-300 C and then combusted in oxygen for 20 minutes at 850 C. The apparatus is described and the results of the experiments such as D/H ratios in water and measurements on total carbon dioxide are given. Atomic H/C ratios calculated directly from the quantities of carbon dioxide and water recovered, are reported according to Standard Mean Ocean Water and Pee Dee Belemnite, using the customary notation.

Dependence of ripple dimensions on cohesive and non-cohesive bed properties in the intertidal Dee Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichtman, Ian; Thorne, Peter; Baas, Jacobus; O'Boyle, Louise; Cooke, Richard; Amoudry, Laurent; Bell, Paul; Aspden, Rebecca; Bass, Sarah; Davies, Alan; Hope, Julie; Malarkey, Jonathan; Manning, Andrew; Parsons, Daniel; Paterson, David; Peakall, Jeffrey; Schindler, Robert; Ye, Leiping

2014-05-01

There is a need to better understand the effects of cohesive and mixed sediments on coastal processes, to improve sediment transport models for the management of coastal erosion, siltation of navigation channels and habitat change. Although reasonable sediment transport predictors are available for pure sands, it still is not the case for mixed cohesive and non-cohesive sediments. Existing predictors mostly relate ripple dimensions to hydrodynamic conditions and median sediment grain diameter, assuming a narrow unimodal particle size distribution. Properties typical of mixed conditions, such as composition and cohesion for example, are not usually taken into account. This presents severe shortcomings to predictors' abilities. Indeed, laboratory experiments using mixed cohesive sediments have shown that bedform dimensions decrease with increasing bed mud content. In the field, one may expect current predictors to match data for well-sorted sands closely, but poorly for mixed sediments. Our work is part of the COHBED project and aims to: (1) examine, in field conditions, if ripple dimensions are significantly different for mixed cohesive sediment beds compared to beds with pure sand; (2) compare the field data with laboratory results that showed reduced ripple length due to cohesive mud content; and (3) assess the performance of a selection of ripple predictors for mixed sediment data. The COHBED project was set up to undertake laboratory experiments and fieldwork to study how physical and biological processes influence bedform development in a mixed cohesive-cohesionless sediment environment. As part of COHBED, a suite of instruments was deployed on tidal flats in the Dee Estuary (on the NW coast of England), collecting co-located measurements of the hydrodynamics, suspended sediment properties and bed morphology. The instruments occupied three sites collecting data over different bed compositions during a two week period (21 May to 4 June 2013). One site was located above a sandy bed, and the two others were above mixed beds of different mud content. The tide covered a full cycle from neaps to neaps and the weather provided onshore and offshore winds of varying strength. Bedform measurements were taken every half an hour using an Acoustic Ripple Profiler (ARP) that covered an area of about two square metres. Dynamic measurements of tides and waves were made using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) at 8 Hz. Bed samples were taken when the tidal flats dried out at low tide and a sediment trap collected suspended load near the bed. In the presentation, comparisons of the sites will be made from measurements of the proportion of mud and biological sediment binders at each site and the ripple dimensions for different hydrodynamic conditions. Key words: bed morphology, current ripple, mixed sediment, cohesion, hydrodynamics, observations, tidal flat, estuary, Dee

Sympathetic Innervation of Cold-Activated Brown and White Fat in Lean Young Adults

PubMed Central

Mangner, Tom J.; Leonard, William R.; Kumar, Ajay; Granneman, James G.

2017-01-01

Recent work in rodents has demonstrated that basal activity of the local sympathetic nervous system is critical for maintaining brown adipocyte phenotypes in classic brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT). Accordingly, we sought to assess the relationship between sympathetic innervation and cold-induced activation of BAT and WAT in lean young adults. Methods: Twenty adult lean normal subjects (10 women and 10 men; mean age ± SD, 23.3 ± 3.8 y; body mass index, 23.7 ± 2.5 kg/m2) underwent 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrin (11C-HED) and 15O-water PET imaging at rest and after exposure to mild cold (16°C) temperature. In addition, 18F-FDG images were obtained during the cold stress condition to assess cold-activated BAT mass. Subjects were divided into 2 groups (high BAT and low BAT) based on the presence of 18F-FDG tracer uptake. Blood flow and 11C-HED retention index (RI, an indirect measure of sympathetic innervation) were calculated from dynamic PET scans at the location of BAT and WAT. Whole-body daily energy expenditure (DEE) during rest and cold stress was measured by indirect calorimetry. Tissue level oxygen consumption (MRO2) was determined and used to calculate the contribution of cold-activated BAT and WAT to daily DEE. Results: 18F-FDG uptake identified subjects with high and low levels of cold-activated BAT mass (high BAT, 96 ± 37 g; low-BAT, 16 ± 4 g). 11C-HED RI under thermoneutral conditions significantly predicted 18F-FDG uptake during cold stress (R2 = 0.68, P < 0.01). In contrast to the significant increase of 11C-HED RI during cold in BAT (2.42 ± 0.85 vs. 3.43 ± 0.93, P = 0.02), cold exposure decreased the 11C-HED RI in WAT (0.44 ± 0.22 vs. 0.41 ± 0.18) as a consequence of decreased perfusion (1.22 ± 0.20 vs. 1.12 ± 0.16 mL/100 g/min). The contribution of WAT to whole-body DEE was approximately 150 kcal/d at rest (149 ± 52 kcal/d), which decreased to approximately 100 kcal/d during cold (102 ± 47 kcal/d). Conclusion: The level of sympathetic innervation, as determined by 11C-HED RI, can predict levels of functional BAT. Overall, blood flow is the best independent predictor of 11C-HED RI and 18F-FDG uptake across thermoneutral and cold conditions. In contrast to BAT, cold stress reduces blood flow and 18F-FDG uptake in subcutaneous WAT, indicating that the physiologic response is to reduce heat loss rather than to generate heat. PMID:27789721

Epitope mapping of monoclonal antibody HPT-101: a study combining dynamic force spectroscopy, ELISA and molecular dynamics simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stangner, Tim; Angioletti-Uberti, Stefano; Knappe, Daniel; Singer, David; Wagner, Carolin; Hoffmann, Ralf; Kremer, Friedrich

2015-12-01

By combining enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and optical tweezers-assisted dynamic force spectroscopy (DFS), we identify for the first time the binding epitope of the phosphorylation-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) HPT-101 to the Alzheimer's disease relevant peptide tau[pThr231/pSer235] on the level of single amino acids. In particular, seven tau isoforms are synthesized by replacing binding relevant amino acids by a neutral alanine (alanine scanning). From the binding between mAb HPT-101 and the alanine-scan derivatives, we extract specific binding parameters such as bond lifetime {τ }0, binding length {x}{ts}, free energy of activation {{Δ }}G (DFS) and affinity constant {K}{{a}} (ELISA, DFS). Based on these quantities, we propose criteria to identify essential, secondary and non-essential amino acids, being representative of the antibody binding epitope. The obtained results are found to be in full accord for both experimental techniques. In order to elucidate the microscopic origin of the change in binding parameters, we perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the free epitope in solution for both its parent and modified form. By taking the end-to-end distance {d}{{E}-{{E}}} and the distance between the α-carbons {d}{{C}-{{C}}} of the phosphorylated residues as gauging parameters, we measure how the structure of the epitope depends on the type of substitution. In particular, whereas {d}{{C}-{{C}}} is sometimes conserved between the parent and modified form, {d}{{E}-{{E}}} strongly changes depending on the type of substitution, correlating well with the experimental data. These results are highly significant, offering a detailed microscopic picture of molecular recognition.

Basic auditory processing and sensitivity to prosodic structure in children with specific language impairments: a new look at a perceptual hypothesis

PubMed Central

Cumming, Ruth; Wilson, Angela; Goswami, Usha

2015-01-01

Children with specific language impairments (SLIs) show impaired perception and production of spoken language, and can also present with motor, auditory, and phonological difficulties. Recent auditory studies have shown impaired sensitivity to amplitude rise time (ART) in children with SLIs, along with non-speech rhythmic timing difficulties. Linguistically, these perceptual impairments should affect sensitivity to speech prosody and syllable stress. Here we used two tasks requiring sensitivity to prosodic structure, the DeeDee task and a stress misperception task, to investigate this hypothesis. We also measured auditory processing of ART, rising pitch and sound duration, in both speech (“ba”) and non-speech (tone) stimuli. Participants were 45 children with SLI aged on average 9 years and 50 age-matched controls. We report data for all the SLI children (N = 45, IQ varying), as well as for two independent SLI subgroupings with intact IQ. One subgroup, “Pure SLI,” had intact phonology and reading (N = 16), the other, “SLI PPR” (N = 15), had impaired phonology and reading. Problems with syllable stress and prosodic structure were found for all the group comparisons. Both sub-groups with intact IQ showed reduced sensitivity to ART in speech stimuli, but the PPR subgroup also showed reduced sensitivity to sound duration in speech stimuli. Individual differences in processing syllable stress were associated with auditory processing. These data support a new hypothesis, the “prosodic phrasing” hypothesis, which proposes that grammatical difficulties in SLI may reflect perceptual difficulties with global prosodic structure related to auditory impairments in processing amplitude rise time and duration. PMID:26217286

Local Arterial Therapies in the Management of Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

PubMed

Mouli, Samdeep K; Goff, Laura W

2017-10-27

Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma present with intermediate to advanced disease, where curative therapies are no longer an option. These patients with intermediate to advanced disease represent a heterogeneous population with regard to tumor burden, liver function, and performance status. While the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system offers guidelines for the management of these patients, strict adherence to these guidelines may limit treatment options for these patients. Several locoregional therapies exist for these patients, including conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE), transarterial embolization (TAE), drug-eluting embolization (DEE), and radioembolization. Evidence is also emerging for the role of radiation therapy including most notably stereotactic body radiation therapy and proton therapy, although at the current time, clinical trial participation is encouraged. While cTACE is traditionally recommended for BCLC B disease, both cTACE and radioembolization are increasingly used for patients with intermediate disease, as well as in select patients with BCLC A and C disease. TAE and DEE are limited in their use currently, due to lack of clear survival benefits or clinical advantages over cTACE. While several studies have demonstrated similar OS between cTACE and radioembolization, radioembolization provides a longer time to progression and fewer toxicities compared to cTACE. This is particularly relevant in the setting of advanced BCLC B and early BCLC C disease, where patients may have limited reserve. Radioembolization also has additional roles as an alternative to ablation, inducing liver hypertrophy, treating patients with PVT, and downstaging lesions to transplant. Ongoing studies will further define the role of locoregional treatment potentially in combination with and in light of developments in systemic therapy.

High-temperature MIRAGE XL (LFRA) IRSP system development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McHugh, Steve; Franks, Greg; LaVeigne, Joe

2017-05-01

The development of very-large format infrared detector arrays has challenged the IR scene projector community to develop larger-format infrared emitter arrays. Many scene projector applications also require much higher simulated temperatures than can be generated with current technology. This paper will present an overview of resistive emitterbased (broadband) IR scene projector system development, as well as describe recent progress in emitter materials and pixel designs applicable for legacy MIRAGE XL Systems to achieve apparent temperatures >1000K in the MWIR. These new high temperature MIRAGE XL (LFRA) Digital Emitter Engines (DEE) will be "plug and play" equivalent with legacy MIRAGE XL DEEs, the rest of the system is reusable. Under the High Temperature Dynamic Resistive Array (HDRA) development program, Santa Barbara Infrared Inc. (SBIR) is developing a new infrared scene projector architecture capable of producing both very large format (>2k x 2k) resistive emitter arrays and improved emitter pixel technology capable of simulating very high apparent temperatures. During earlier phases of the program, SBIR demonstrated materials with MWIR apparent temperatures in excess of 1500 K. These new emitter materials can be utilized with legacy RIICs to produce pixels that can achieve 7X the radiance of the legacy systems with low cost and low risk. A 'scalable' Read-In Integrated Circuit (RIIC) is also being developed under the same HDRA program to drive the high temperature pixels. This RIIC will utilize through-silicon via (TSV) and Quilt Packaging (QP) technologies to allow seamless tiling of multiple chips to fabricate very large arrays, and thus overcome the yield limitations inherent in large-scale integrated circuits. These quilted arrays can be fabricated in any N x M size in 512 steps.

Spatiotemporal Association of Real-Time Concentrations of Black Carbon (BC) with Fine Particulate Matters (PM2.5) in Urban Hotspots of South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Sungroul; Yu, Sol; Yun, Dongmin

2017-11-06

We evaluated the spatiotemporal distributions of black carbon (BC) and particulate matters with aerodynamic diameters of less than 2.5 m (PM 2.5 ) concentrations at urban diesel engine emission (DEE) hotspots of South Korea. Concentrations of BC and PM 2.5 were measured at the entrance gate of two diesel bus terminals and a train station, in 2014. Measurements were conducted simultaneously at the hotspot (Site 1) and at its adjacent, randomly selected, residential areas, apartment complex near major roadways, located with the same direction of 300 m (Site 2) and 500 m (Site 3) away from Site 1 on 4 different days over the season, thrice per day; morning ( n = 120 measurements for each day and site), evening ( n = 120), and noon ( n = 120). The median (interquartile range) PM 2.5 ranged from 12.6 (11.3-14.3) to 60.1 (47.0-76.0) μg/m³ while those of BC concentrations ranged from 2.6 (1.9-3.7) to 6.3 (4.2-10.3) μg/m³. We observed a strong relationship of PM 2.5 concentrations between sites (slopes 0.89-0.9, the coefficient of determination 0.89-0.96) while the relationship for BC concentrations between sites was relatively weak (slopes 0.76-0.85, the coefficient of determination 0.54-0.72). PM 2.5 concentrations were changed from 4% to 140% by unit increase of BC concentration, depending on site and time while likely supporting the necessity of monitoring of BC as well as PM 2.5 , especially at urban DEE related hotspot areas.

Fission of actinide nuclei using multi-nucleon transfer reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Léguillon, Romain; Nishio, Katsuhisa; Hirose, Kentaro; Orlandi, Riccardo; Makii, Hiroyuki; Nishinaka, Ichiro; Ishii, Tetsuro; Tsukada, Kazuaki; Asai, Masato; Chiba, Satoshi; Ohtsuki, Tsutomu; Araki, Shohei; Watanabe, Yukinobu; Tatsuzawa, Ryotaro; Takaki, Naoyuki

2014-09-01

We are promoting a campaign to measure fission-fragment mass distributions for neutron-rich actinide nuclei populated by transfer reactions from their ground state up to an excitation energy of several tens MeV. We thus obtain the excitation energy dependence of the mass distribution. The experiment was carried out at the 20 MV JAEA tandem facility at Tokai. We report on the data obtained in the direct reaction 18 O + 232 Th . Transfer-channels and excitation energies of the fissioning nuclei were identified using silicon dE-E detectors located at forward angle. Two fission fragments were detected in coincidence using multi-wire proportional counters. Fission fragment masses were determined by kinematic consideration. We obtained the fission fragment mass distributions for 13 nuclei from actinium to uranium and some fission barrier heights. We are promoting a campaign to measure fission-fragment mass distributions for neutron-rich actinide nuclei populated by transfer reactions from their ground state up to an excitation energy of several tens MeV. We thus obtain the excitation energy dependence of the mass distribution. The experiment was carried out at the 20 MV JAEA tandem facility at Tokai. We report on the data obtained in the direct reaction 18 O + 232 Th . Transfer-channels and excitation energies of the fissioning nuclei were identified using silicon dE-E detectors located at forward angle. Two fission fragments were detected in coincidence using multi-wire proportional counters. Fission fragment masses were determined by kinematic consideration. We obtained the fission fragment mass distributions for 13 nuclei from actinium to uranium and some fission barrier heights. Present study is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

Identification of American shad spawning sites and habitat use in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harris, Julianne E.; Hightower, Joseph E.

2011-01-01

We examined spawning site selection and habitat use by American shad Alosa sapidissima in the Pee Dee River, North Carolina and South Carolina, to inform future management in this flow-regulated river. American shad eggs were collected in plankton tows, and the origin (spawning site) of each egg was estimated; relocations of radio-tagged adults on spawning grounds illustrated habitat use and movement in relation to changes in water discharge rates. Most spawning was estimated to occur in the Piedmont physiographic region within a 25-river-kilometer (rkm) section just below the lowermost dam in the system; however, some spawning also occurred downstream in the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont region has a higher gradient and is predicted to have slightly higher current velocities and shallower depths, on average, than the Coastal Plain. The Piedmont region is dominated by large substrates (e.g., boulders and gravel), whereas the Coastal Plain is dominated by sand. Sampling at night (the primary spawning period) resulted in the collection of young eggs (≤1.5 h old) that more precisely identified the spawning sites. In the Piedmont region, most radio-tagged American shad remained in discrete areas (average linear range = 3.6 rkm) during the spawning season and generally occupied water velocities between 0.20 and 0.69 m/s, depths between 1.0 and 2.9 m, and substrates dominated by boulder or bedrock and gravel. Tagged adults made only small-scale movements with changes in water discharge rates. Our results demonstrate that the upstream extent of migration and an area of concentrated spawning occur just below the lowermost dam. If upstream areas have similar habitat, facilitating upstream access for American shad could increase the spawning habitat available and increase the population's size.

Parallel Computational Protein Design.

PubMed

Zhou, Yichao; Donald, Bruce R; Zeng, Jianyang

2017-01-01

Computational structure-based protein design (CSPD) is an important problem in computational biology, which aims to design or improve a prescribed protein function based on a protein structure template. It provides a practical tool for real-world protein engineering applications. A popular CSPD method that guarantees to find the global minimum energy solution (GMEC) is to combine both dead-end elimination (DEE) and A* tree search algorithms. However, in this framework, the A* search algorithm can run in exponential time in the worst case, which may become the computation bottleneck of large-scale computational protein design process. To address this issue, we extend and add a new module to the OSPREY program that was previously developed in the Donald lab (Gainza et al., Methods Enzymol 523:87, 2013) to implement a GPU-based massively parallel A* algorithm for improving protein design pipeline. By exploiting the modern GPU computational framework and optimizing the computation of the heuristic function for A* search, our new program, called gOSPREY, can provide up to four orders of magnitude speedups in large protein design cases with a small memory overhead comparing to the traditional A* search algorithm implementation, while still guaranteeing the optimality. In addition, gOSPREY can be configured to run in a bounded-memory mode to tackle the problems in which the conformation space is too large and the global optimal solution cannot be computed previously. Furthermore, the GPU-based A* algorithm implemented in the gOSPREY program can be combined with the state-of-the-art rotamer pruning algorithms such as iMinDEE (Gainza et al., PLoS Comput Biol 8:e1002335, 2012) and DEEPer (Hallen et al., Proteins 81:18-39, 2013) to also consider continuous backbone and side-chain flexibility.

Characterization of Inductive loop coupling in a Cyclotron Dee Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, Lewis

Many of today's low to medium-energy cyclotrons apply RF power to the resonator structure (the dees) by inductive loop coupling through a feed-line driven by an RF transmitter employing a triode or tetrode power tube. The transmitter's output network transforms the tube's optimum load line (typically a few thousand ohms) down to Z0, typically 50 ohms. But the load-line is not a physical resistance, so one would not expect to see 50 ohms when looking back toward the transmitter. Moreover, if both the resonator's input and the transmitter's output are matched to Z0, then the coupled or working Q of the resonator is reduced to half that of the uncoupled Q, implying that half the power is being dissipated in the transmitter's output resistance- an inefficient and expensive solution for a high power RF application. More power is available if the transmitter's reverse-impedance is not matched to Z0, but this may result in misalignment between the frequency for correct forward match at the loop, versus the frequency for maximum power in the resonator. The misalignment can be eliminated, and the working Q maximized, by choosing the appropriate length of feed-line between the non-matched transmitter output and the matched resonator's input. In addition, the transmitter's output impedance may be complex, comprising resistance plus reactance, requiring a further process and means of measuring the output impedance so that an additional compensating length of feed-line can be incorporated. But a wrong choice of overall feed-line length- even though correctly load-matched at the resonator's operating frequency- can result in a curious degenerate condition, where the resonator's working Q appears to collapse, and the potential for transmitter overload increases substantially: a condition to be avoided!

Theory of Semiconducting Superlattices and Microstructures

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

A)dee on ZnSc layer thic~ness V (number of ZnSe molecules thick) It is Ga ashallowit h do o nu io and s e x de trap (mak.i for N X 10 ZnSe/ZnO,$MnO...ZnSe (which can be easily doped n-type r but not p-type) and ZnTe (which can be doped 15 p-type): de ~ep levels that lie in the gap of ZnSe and btrap...1101 SX. Ren. 3.D. Dow and S. Klemmn. J. Appl. Vh’.-s. in press,search. the Army Research Office, and the De . 111) 3.D. Dow. Run-Di Hong. S, Klemm

Locomotion, Energetics, Performance, and Behavior: A Mammalian Perspective on Lizards, and Vice Versa.

PubMed

Garland, Theodore; Albuquerque, Ralph L

2017-08-01

Animals are constrained by their abilities and by interactions with environmental factors, such as low ambient temperatures. These constraints range from physical impossibilities to energetic inefficiencies, and may entail trade-offs. Some of the constraints related to locomotion and activity metabolism can be illustrated through allometric comparisons of mammals and lizards, as representative terrestrial vertebrate endotherms and ectotherms, respectively, because these lineages differ greatly in aerobic metabolic capacities, resting energetic costs, and thermoregulatory patterns. Allometric comparisons are both useful and unavoidable, but "outlier" species (unusual for their clade) can also inform evolutionary scenarios, as they help indicate extremes of possible adaptation within mammalian and saurian levels of organization. We compared mammals and lizards for standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximal oxygen consumption during forced exercise (VO2max), net (incremental) cost of transport (NCT), maximal aerobic speed (MAS), daily movement distance (DMD), daily energy expenditure (DEE) during the active season, and the ecological cost of transport (ECT = percentage of DEE attributable to locomotion). (Snakes were excluded because their limbless locomotion has no counterpart in terrestrial mammals.) We only considered lizard SMR, VO2max, NCT, MAS, and sprint speed data if measured at 35-40 °C. On average, MAS is ∼7.4-fold higher in mammals, whereas SMR and VO2max are ∼6-fold greater, but values for all three of these traits overlap (or almost overlap) between mammals and lizards, a fact that has not previously been appreciated. Previous studies show that sprint speeds are similar for smaller mammals and lizards, but at larger sizes lizards are not as fast as some mammals. Mammals move ∼6-fold further each day than lizards, and DMD is by far the most variable trait considered here, but their NCT is similar. Mammals exceed lizards by ∼11.4-fold for DEE. On average for both lineages, the ECT is surprisingly low, somewhat higher for lizards, and positively allometric. If a lizard and mammal of 100 g body mass were both to move their entire DMD at their MAS, they could do so in ∼21 and 17 min, respectively, thus de-emphasizing the possible importance of time constraints. We conclude that ecological-energetic constraints related to locomotion are relatively more likely to occur in large, carnivorous lizards. Overall, our comparisons support the idea that the (gradual) evolution of mammalian endothermy did not necessarily require major changes in locomotor energetics, performance, or associated behaviors. Instead, we speculate that the evolution of thermoregulatory responses to low temperatures (e.g., shivering) may have been a key and "difficult" step in this transition. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sympathetic Innervation of Cold-Activated Brown and White Fat in Lean Young Adults.

PubMed

Muzik, Otto; Mangner, Tom J; Leonard, William R; Kumar, Ajay; Granneman, James G

2017-05-01

Recent work in rodents has demonstrated that basal activity of the local sympathetic nervous system is critical for maintaining brown adipocyte phenotypes in classic brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT). Accordingly, we sought to assess the relationship between sympathetic innervation and cold-induced activation of BAT and WAT in lean young adults. Methods: Twenty adult lean normal subjects (10 women and 10 men; mean age ± SD, 23.3 ± 3.8 y; body mass index, 23.7 ± 2.5 kg/m 2 ) underwent 11 C-meta-hydroxyephedrin ( 11 C-HED) and 15 O-water PET imaging at rest and after exposure to mild cold (16°C) temperature. In addition, 18 F-FDG images were obtained during the cold stress condition to assess cold-activated BAT mass. Subjects were divided into 2 groups (high BAT and low BAT) based on the presence of 18 F-FDG tracer uptake. Blood flow and 11 C-HED retention index (RI, an indirect measure of sympathetic innervation) were calculated from dynamic PET scans at the location of BAT and WAT. Whole-body daily energy expenditure (DEE) during rest and cold stress was measured by indirect calorimetry. Tissue level oxygen consumption (MRO 2 ) was determined and used to calculate the contribution of cold-activated BAT and WAT to daily DEE. Results: 18 F-FDG uptake identified subjects with high and low levels of cold-activated BAT mass (high BAT, 96 ± 37 g; low-BAT, 16 ± 4 g). 11 C-HED RI under thermoneutral conditions significantly predicted 18 F-FDG uptake during cold stress ( R 2 = 0.68, P < 0.01). In contrast to the significant increase of 11 C-HED RI during cold in BAT (2.42 ± 0.85 vs. 3.43 ± 0.93, P = 0.02), cold exposure decreased the 11 C-HED RI in WAT (0.44 ± 0.22 vs. 0.41 ± 0.18) as a consequence of decreased perfusion (1.22 ± 0.20 vs. 1.12 ± 0.16 mL/100 g/min). The contribution of WAT to whole-body DEE was approximately 150 kcal/d at rest (149 ± 52 kcal/d), which decreased to approximately 100 kcal/d during cold (102 ± 47 kcal/d). Conclusion: The level of sympathetic innervation, as determined by 11 C-HED RI, can predict levels of functional BAT. Overall, blood flow is the best independent predictor of 11 C-HED RI and 18 F-FDG uptake across thermoneutral and cold conditions. In contrast to BAT, cold stress reduces blood flow and 18 F-FDG uptake in subcutaneous WAT, indicating that the physiologic response is to reduce heat loss rather than to generate heat. © 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Validating Experimental Bedform Dynamics on Cohesive Sand-Mud Beds in the Dee Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baas, Jaco H.; Baker, Megan; Hope, Julie; Malarkey, Jonathan; Rocha, Renata

2014-05-01

Recent laboratory experiments and field measurements have shown that small quantities of cohesive clay, and in particular 'sticky' biological polymers, within a sandy substrate dramatically reduce the development rate of sedimentary bedforms, with major implications for sediment transport rate calculations and process interpretations from the sedimentary record. FURTHER INFORMATION Flow and sediment transport predictions from sedimentary structures found in modern estuaries and within estuarine geological systems are impeded by an almost complete lack of process-based knowledge of the behaviour of natural sediments that consist of mixtures of cohesionless sand and biologically-active cohesive mud. Indeed, existing predictive models are largely based on non-organic cohesionless sands, despite the fact that mud, in pure form or mixed with sand, is the most common sediment on Earth and also the most biologically active interface across a range of Earth-surface environments, including rivers and shallow seas. The multidisciplinary COHBED project uses state-of-the-art laboratory and field technologies to measure the erosional properties of mixed cohesive sediment beds and the formation and stability of sedimentary bedforms on these beds, integrating the key physical and biological processes that govern bed evolution. The development of current ripples on cohesive mixed sediment beds was investigated as a function of physical control on bed cohesion versus biological control on bed cohesion. These investigations included laboratory flume experiments in the Hydrodynamics Laboratory (Bangor University) and field experiments in the Dee estuary (at West Kirby near Liverpool). The flume experiments showed that winnowing of fine-grained cohesive sediment, including biological stabilisers, is an important process affecting the development rate, size and shape of the cohesive bedforms. The ripples developed progressively slower as the kaolin clay fraction in the sandy substrate bed was increased. The same result was obtained for xanthan gum, which is a proxy for biological polymers produced by microphytobenthos. Yet, the xanthan gum was several orders more effective in slowing down ripple development than kaolin clay, suggesting that the cohesive forces for biological polymers are much higher than for clay minerals, and that sedimentological process models should refocus on biostabilisation processes. The first results of the field experiments show that the winnowing of fines from developing ripples and the slowing down of current ripple development in mixed cohesive sediment is mimicked on intertidal flats in the Dee estuary. In particular, these field data revealed that current ripples in cohesive sediment are smaller with more two-dimensional crestlines than in non-cohesive sand. The wider implications of these findings will be discussed. COHBED Project Team (NERC): Alan Davies (Bangor University); Daniel Parsons, Leiping Ye (University of Hull); Jeffrey Peakall (University of Leeds); Dougal Lichtman, Louise O'Boyle, Peter Thorne (NOC Liverpool); Sarah Bass, Andrew Manning, Robert Schindler (University of Plymouth); Rebecca Aspden, Emma Defew, Julie Hope, David Paterson (University of St Andrews)

15O PET Measurement of Blood Flow and Oxygen Consumption in Cold-Activated Human Brown Fat

PubMed Central

Muzik, Otto; Mangner, Thomas J.; Leonard, William R.; Kumar, Ajay; Janisse, James; Granneman, James G.

2013-01-01

Although it has been believed that brown adipose tissue (BAT) depots disappear shortly after the perinatal period in humans, PET imaging using the glucose analog 18F-FDG has shown unequivocally the existence of functional BAT in adult humans, suggesting that many humans retain some functional BAT past infancy. The objective of this study was to determine to what extent BAT thermogenesis is activated in adults during cold stress and to establish the relationship between BAT oxidative metabolism and 18F-FDG tracer uptake. Methods Twenty-five healthy adults (15 women and 10 men; mean age ± SD, 30 ± 7 y) underwent triple-oxygen scans (H215O, C15O, and 15O2) as well as measurements of daily energy expenditure (DEE; kcal/d) both at rest and after exposure to mild cold (15.5°C [60°F]) using indirect calorimetry. The subjects were divided into 2 groups (high BAT and low BAT) based on the presence or absence of 18F-FDG tracer uptake (standardized uptake value [SUV] > 2) in cervical–supraclavicular BAT. Blood flow and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) were calculated from dynamic PET scans at the location of BAT, muscle, and white adipose tissue. Regional blood oxygen saturation was determined by near-infrared spectroscopy. The total energy expenditure during rest and mild cold stress was measured by indirect calorimetry. Tissue-level metabolic rate of oxygen (MRO2) in BAT was determined and used to calculate the contribution of activated BAT to DEE. Results The mass of activated BAT was 59.1 ± 17.5 g (range, 32–85 g) in the high-BAT group (8 women and 1 man; mean age, 29.6 ± 5.5 y) and 2.2 ± 3.6 g (range, 0–9.3 g) in the low-BAT group (9 men and 7 women; mean age, 31.4 ± 10 y). Corresponding maximal SUVs were significantly higher in the high-BAT group than in the low-BAT group (10.7 ± 3.9 vs. 2.1 ± 0.7, P = 0.01). Blood flow values were significantly higher in the high-BAT group than in the low-BAT group for BAT (12.9 ± 4.1 vs. 5.9 ± 2.2 mL/100 g/min, P = 0.03) and white adipose tissue (7.2 ± 3.4 vs. 5.7 ± 2.3 mL/100 g/min, P = 0.03) but were similar for muscle (4.4 ± 1.9 vs. 3.9 ± 1.7 mL/100 g/min). Moreover, OEF in BAT was similar in the 2 groups (0.51 ± 0.17 in high-BAT group vs. 0.47 ± 0.18 in low-BAT group, P = 0.39). During mild cold stress, calculated MRO2 values in BAT increased from 0.97 ± 0.53 to 1.42 ± 0.68 mL/100 g/min (P = 0.04) in the high-BAT group and were significantly higher than those determined in the low-BAT group (0.40 ± 0.28 vs. 0.51 ± 0.23, P = 0.67). The increase in DEE associated with BAT oxidative metabolism was highly variable in the high-BAT group, with an average of 3.2 ± 2.4 kcal/d (range, 1.9–4.6 kcal/d) at rest, and increased to 6.3 ± 3.5 kcal/d (range, 4.0–9.9 kcal/d) during exposure to mild cold. Although BAT accounted for only a small fraction of the cold-induced increase in DEE, such increases were not observed in subjects lacking BAT. Conclusion Mild cold-induced thermogenesis in BAT accounts for 15–25 kcal/d in subjects with relatively large BAT depots. Thus, although the presence of active BAT is correlated with cold-induced energy expenditure, direct measurement of MRO2 indicates that BAT is a minor source of thermogenesis in humans. PMID:23362317

Nuthatches eavesdrop on variations in heterospecific chickadee mobbing alarm calls.

PubMed

Templeton, Christopher N; Greene, Erick

2007-03-27

Many animals recognize the alarm calls produced by other species, but the amount of information they glean from these eavesdropped signals is unknown. We previously showed that black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) have a sophisticated alarm call system in which they encode complex information about the size and risk of potential predators in variations of a single type of mobbing alarm call. Here we show experimentally that red-breasted nuthatches (Sitta canadensis) respond appropriately to subtle variations of these heterospecific "chick-a-dee" alarm calls, thereby evidencing that they have gained important information about potential predators in their environment. This study demonstrates a previously unsuspected level of discrimination in intertaxon eavesdropping.

National Dam Safety Program. Larchwood Lake Dam (Inventory Number NY 727), Susquehanna River Basin, Otsego County, New York. Phase I Inspection Report,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-04

8217 IELT OR BASE FLOw. USE VALUE i9?OF’ N. Y STATE NAMP - MINI/tM W’ RUNOFF (1ANm~s/DAy) FOR DEE,4-,/w,6 7W P-S/ r’ Pslic 2/6 t US5E 0. (/1IAy D-9...RESOURCES COMMISSION CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT ALBANY, N.Y. 12226 Do Not Write in This Box AppI. No. _____411_____V/ Darn No. __ __ __ __ Permit No. Watershed...extent and in such time and manner also notify him promptly in writing of the completion of the as the Water Resources Commission may require, remove

Evaluation of Soil Suction from Filter Paper.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

JOHNSON UNCLASSIFIED wES/MP/GL-80- ENOMOEEEI !MlEEEEEEEmlEE~llEEEllEI ElllEllEEEEII IIEu....II 11111 1,11162 2 M ( A- P, I(J -P I 01M 1(N I I ’, IHART...COTIUIMSAEET (of diie Repet) Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. 7. D IS T R IU U T IO N S T A T E M E N T ( 1 1 h a b et r s et ntw...d in 8Bl o c k 2 0 f d if e e n t ilro, R p o ff ) DTE I T ~ Is. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 19. KEgY WORS (Centb... m rDee side if nesoewv mid Identify by

A Revision of the Argyritarsis Section of the Subgenus Nyssorhynchus of Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae)

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

specimens: lM, 1M gen). Cayo: Cayo, BHL 40, lM, 1M gen. BOLIVIA (37 specimens: 21M, 1M gen, 15F). La Paz: Apolo, 15 Jan 1946, S. Blatman, 3M, 3F. Chulumani... La 152 Dorada, 25 Jun 1943, KO 112-6, lM, 1F. Meta: Cumaral, COB 45, IlpF, llpM, 1M gen. Pt. Lopez, COM 547, 1F. Restrepo, 21 Aug 1935, W. H. Kemp...and collector, 16 Feb 1927, La Ese, CR 32, 41pF, lpF, 21p, 2F. Orotina, 20 Dee 1920, A. Alfaro, 3F. Rio Tiribi, 1921, A. Alfaro, 2M, 1F. San Isidro

Radon-induced lung cancer deaths may be overestimated due to failure to account for confounding by exposure to diesel engine exhaust in BEIR VI miner studies.

PubMed

Cao, Xiaodong; MacNaughton, Piers; Laurent, Jose Cedeno; Allen, Joseph G

2017-01-01

EPA reported that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, killing 21,100 people per year. EPA relies on the BEIR VI models, based on an evaluation of radon exposure and lung cancer risk in studies of miners. But these models did not account for co-exposure to diesel exhaust, a known human carcinogen recently classified by IARC. It is probable then that a portion of the lung cancer deaths in the miner cohorts are originally attributable to the exposure to diesel rather than radon. To re-evaluate EPA's radon attributable lung cancer estimates accounting for diesel exposure information in the miner cohorts. We used estimates of historical diesel concentrations, combined with diesel exposure-response functions, to estimate the risks of lung cancer attributable to diesel engine exhaust (DEE) exposure in the miner studies. We re-calculated the fatal lung cancer risk attributable to radon after accounting for risk from diesel and re-estimated the number of U.S. deaths associated with radon in the U.S. using EPA's methodology. Considering the probable confounding with DEE exposure and using the same estimate of baseline mortality from 1989-91 that the EPA currently uses in their calculations, we estimate that radon-induced lung cancer deaths per year are 15,600 (95% CI: 14,300, 17,000)- 19,300 (95% CI: 18,800, 20,000) in the U.S. population, a reduction of 9%-26%. The death estimates would be 12,900-15,900 using 2014 baseline vital statistics. We recommend further research on re-evaluating the health effects of exposure to radon that accounts for new information on diesel exhaust carcinogenicity in BEIR VI models, up-to-date vital statistics and new epidemiological evidence from residential studies.

Radon-induced lung cancer deaths may be overestimated due to failure to account for confounding by exposure to diesel engine exhaust in BEIR VI miner studies

PubMed Central

MacNaughton, Piers; Laurent, Jose Cedeno; Allen, Joseph G.

2017-01-01

Background EPA reported that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, killing 21,100 people per year. EPA relies on the BEIR VI models, based on an evaluation of radon exposure and lung cancer risk in studies of miners. But these models did not account for co-exposure to diesel exhaust, a known human carcinogen recently classified by IARC. It is probable then that a portion of the lung cancer deaths in the miner cohorts are originally attributable to the exposure to diesel rather than radon. Objective To re-evaluate EPA’s radon attributable lung cancer estimates accounting for diesel exposure information in the miner cohorts. Methods We used estimates of historical diesel concentrations, combined with diesel exposure-response functions, to estimate the risks of lung cancer attributable to diesel engine exhaust (DEE) exposure in the miner studies. We re-calculated the fatal lung cancer risk attributable to radon after accounting for risk from diesel and re-estimated the number of U.S. deaths associated with radon in the U.S. using EPA’s methodology. Results Considering the probable confounding with DEE exposure and using the same estimate of baseline mortality from 1989–91 that the EPA currently uses in their calculations, we estimate that radon-induced lung cancer deaths per year are 15,600 (95% CI: 14,300, 17,000)– 19,300 (95% CI: 18,800, 20,000) in the U.S. population, a reduction of 9%–26%. The death estimates would be 12,900–15,900 using 2014 baseline vital statistics. Conclusions We recommend further research on re-evaluating the health effects of exposure to radon that accounts for new information on diesel exhaust carcinogenicity in BEIR VI models, up-to-date vital statistics and new epidemiological evidence from residential studies. PMID:28886109

Potential hazards associated with combustion of bio-derived versus petroleum-derived diesel fuel.

PubMed

Bünger, Jürgen; Krahl, Jürgen; Schröder, Olaf; Schmidt, Lasse; Westphal, Götz A

2012-10-01

Fuels from renewable resources have gained worldwide interest due to limited fossil oil sources and the possible reduction of atmospheric greenhouse gas. One of these fuels is so called biodiesel produced from vegetable oil by transesterification into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). To get a first insight into changes of health hazards from diesel engine emissions (DEE) by use of biodiesel scientific studies were reviewed which compared the combustion of FAME with common diesel fuel (DF) for legally regulated and non-regulated emissions as well as for toxic effects. A total number of 62 publications on chemical analyses of DEE and 18 toxicological in vitro studies were identified meeting the criteria. In addition, a very small number of human studies and animal experiments were available. In most studies, combustion of biodiesel reduces legally regulated emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. Nitrogen oxides are regularly increased. Among the non-regulated emissions aldehydes are increased, while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are lowered. Most biological in vitro assays show a stronger cytotoxicity of biodiesel exhaust and the animal experiments reveal stronger irritant effects. Both findings are possibly caused by the higher content of nitrogen oxides and aldehydes in biodiesel exhaust. The lower content of PAH is reflected by a weaker mutagenicity compared to DF exhaust. However, recent studies show a very low mutagenicity of DF exhaust as well, probably caused by elimination of sulfur in present DF qualities and the use of new technology diesel engines. Combustion of vegetable oil (VO) in common diesel engines causes a strongly enhanced mutagenicity of the exhaust despite nearly unchanged regulated emissions. The newly developed fuel "hydrotreated vegetable oil" (HVO) seems to be promising. HVO has physical and chemical advantages compared to FAME. Preliminary results show lower regulated and non-regulated emissions and a decreased mutagenicity.

Potential hazards associated with combustion of bio-derived versus petroleum-derived diesel fuel

PubMed Central

Bünger, Jürgen; Krahl, Jürgen; Schröder, Olaf; Schmidt, Lasse; Westphal, Götz A.

2012-01-01

Fuels from renewable resources have gained worldwide interest due to limited fossil oil sources and the possible reduction of atmospheric greenhouse gas. One of these fuels is so called biodiesel produced from vegetable oil by transesterification into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). To get a first insight into changes of health hazards from diesel engine emissions (DEE) by use of biodiesel scientific studies were reviewed which compared the combustion of FAME with common diesel fuel (DF) for legally regulated and non-regulated emissions as well as for toxic effects. A total number of 62 publications on chemical analyses of DEE and 18 toxicological in vitro studies were identified meeting the criteria. In addition, a very small number of human studies and animal experiments were available. In most studies, combustion of biodiesel reduces legally regulated emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter. Nitrogen oxides are regularly increased. Among the non-regulated emissions aldehydes are increased, while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are lowered. Most biological in vitro assays show a stronger cytotoxicity of biodiesel exhaust and the animal experiments reveal stronger irritant effects. Both findings are possibly caused by the higher content of nitrogen oxides and aldehydes in biodiesel exhaust. The lower content of PAH is reflected by a weaker mutagenicity compared to DF exhaust. However, recent studies show a very low mutagenicity of DF exhaust as well, probably caused by elimination of sulfur in present DF qualities and the use of new technology diesel engines. Combustion of vegetable oil (VO) in common diesel engines causes a strongly enhanced mutagenicity of the exhaust despite nearly unchanged regulated emissions. The newly developed fuel “hydrotreated vegetable oil” (HVO) seems to be promising. HVO has physical and chemical advantages compared to FAME. Preliminary results show lower regulated and non-regulated emissions and a decreased mutagenicity. PMID:22871157

Living with a large reduction in permited loading by using a hydrograph-controlled release scheme

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conrads, P.A.; Martello, W.P.; Sullins, N.R.

2003-01-01

The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for ammonia and biochemical oxygen demand for the Pee Dee, Waccamaw, and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway system near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, mandated a 60-percent reduction in point-source loading. For waters with a naturally low background dissolved-oxygen concentrations, South Carolina anti-degradation rules in the water-quality regulations allows a permitted discharger a reduction of dissolved oxygen of 0.1 milligrams per liter (mg/L). This is known as the "0.1 rule." Permitted dischargers within this region of the State operate under the "0.1 rule" and cannot cause a cumulative impact greater than 0.1 mg/L on dissolved-oxygen concentrations. For municipal water-reclamation facilities to serve the rapidly growing resort and retirement community near Myrtle Beach, a variable loading scheme was developed to allow dischargers to utilize increased assimilative capacity during higher streamflow conditions while still meeting the requirements of a recently established TMDL. As part of the TMDL development, an extensive real-time data-collection network was established in the lower Waccamaw and Pee Dee River watershed where continuous measurements of streamflow, water level, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and specific conductance are collected. In addition, the dynamic BRANCH/BLTM models were calibrated and validated to simulate the water quality and tidal dynamics of the system. The assimilative capacities for various streamflows were also analyzed. The variable-loading scheme established total loadings for three streamflow levels. Model simulations show the results from the additional loading to be less than a 0.1 mg/L reduction in dissolved oxygen. As part of the loading scheme, the real-time network was redesigned to monitor streamflow entering the study area and water-quality conditions in the location of dissolved-oxygen "sags." The study reveals how one group of permit holders used a variable-loading scheme to implement restrictive permit limits without experiencing prohibitive capital expenditures or initiating a lengthy appeals process.

Metrology for stable isotope reference materials: 13C/12C and 18O/16O isotope ratio value assignment of pure carbon dioxide gas samples on the Vienna PeeDee Belemnite-CO2 scale using dual-inlet mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Srivastava, Abneesh; Michael Verkouteren, R

2018-07-01

Isotope ratio measurements have been conducted on a series of isotopically distinct pure CO 2 gas samples using the technique of dual-inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry (DI-IRMS). The influence of instrumental parameters, data normalization schemes on the metrological traceability and uncertainty of the sample isotope composition have been characterized. Traceability to the Vienna PeeDee Belemnite(VPDB)-CO 2 scale was realized using the pure CO 2 isotope reference materials(IRMs) 8562, 8563, and 8564. The uncertainty analyses include contributions associated with the values of iRMs and the repeatability and reproducibility of our measurements. Our DI-IRMS measurement system is demonstrated to have high long-term stability, approaching a precision of 0.001 parts-per-thousand for the 45/44 and 46/44 ion signal ratios. The single- and two-point normalization bias for the iRMs were found to be within their published standard uncertainty values. The values of 13 C/ 12 C and 18 O/ 16 O isotope ratios are expressed relative to VPDB-CO 2 using the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] notation, respectively, in parts-per-thousand (‰ or per mil). For the samples, value assignments between (-25 to +2) ‰ and (-33 to -1) ‰ with nominal combined standard uncertainties of (0.05, 0.3) ‰ for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively were obtained. These samples are used as laboratory reference to provide anchor points for value assignment of isotope ratios (with VPDB traceability) to pure CO 2 samples. Additionally, they serve as potential parent isotopic source material required for the development of gravimetric based iRMs of CO 2 in CO 2 -free dry air in high pressure gas cylinder packages at desired abundance levels and isotopic composition values. Graphical abstract CO 2 gas isotope ratio metrology.

Partial differential equation transform — Variational formulation and Fourier analysis

PubMed Central

Wang, Yang; Wei, Guo-Wei; Yang, Siyang

2011-01-01

Nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) models are established approaches for image/signal processing, data analysis and surface construction. Most previous geometric PDEs are utilized as low-pass filters which give rise to image trend information. In an earlier work, we introduced mode decomposition evolution equations (MoDEEs), which behave like high-pass filters and are able to systematically provide intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) of signals and images. Due to their tunable time-frequency localization and perfect reconstruction, the operation of MoDEEs is called a PDE transform. By appropriate selection of PDE transform parameters, we can tune IMFs into trends, edges, textures, noise etc., which can be further utilized in the secondary processing for various purposes. This work introduces the variational formulation, performs the Fourier analysis, and conducts biomedical and biological applications of the proposed PDE transform. The variational formulation offers an algorithm to incorporate two image functions and two sets of low-pass PDE operators in the total energy functional. Two low-pass PDE operators have different signs, leading to energy disparity, while a coupling term, acting as a relative fidelity of two image functions, is introduced to reduce the disparity of two energy components. We construct variational PDE transforms by using Euler-Lagrange equation and artificial time propagation. Fourier analysis of a simplified PDE transform is presented to shed light on the filter properties of high order PDE transforms. Such an analysis also offers insight on the parameter selection of the PDE transform. The proposed PDE transform algorithm is validated by numerous benchmark tests. In one selected challenging example, we illustrate the ability of PDE transform to separate two adjacent frequencies of sin(x) and sin(1.1x). Such an ability is due to PDE transform’s controllable frequency localization obtained by adjusting the order of PDEs. The frequency selection is achieved either by diffusion coefficients or by propagation time. Finally, we explore a large number of practical applications to further demonstrate the utility of proposed PDE transform. PMID:22207904

BEST medical radioisotope production cyclotrons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sabaiduc, Vasile; Milton, Bruce; Suthanthiran, Krishnan

2013-04-19

Best Cyclotron Systems Inc (BCSI) is currently developing 14 MeV, 25 MeV, 35MeV and 70MeV cyclotrons for radioisotope production and research applications as well as the entire spectrum of targets and nuclear synthesis modules for the production of Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and radiation therapy isotopes. The company is a subsidiary of Best Medical International, renowned in the field of medical instrumentation and radiation therapy. All cyclotrons have external negative hydrogen ion sources, four radial sectors with two dees in opposite valleys, cryogenic vacuum system and simultaneous beam extraction on opposite lines. The beammore » intensity ranges from 400 {mu}A to 1000 {mu}A, depending on the cyclotron energy and application.« less

Immune-Mediated Eradication of Cancer Stem Cells via Polyspherex Microsphere-based Vaccination

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

EEE !%-4&,1!GHG!34-/!󈨇!8*5,6!,:.,4*/,6&?! 1,%.*&,!&+,!3𔃺&!&+’&!A,!A,4,!2%*68!)󈧴,?!1𔄁!"[!=>"!&2/-4%!.--),1!34-/!"TC#E! *61*5*12’)!/*0...4!,:.,4*/,6&9!!L3&,4!D!/-6&+%!-3!%-4&C.24*3*0’&*-6?!A,!+𔃻! 0-)),0&,1!)7%’&,%!34-/!\\!DEE? EEE !%-4&,1!GHG?!A+*0+!7*,)1,1!𔄀!*6%233*0*,6&!’/-26&!-3! .4...2/-4!0,))%!’%!’!%-240,!-3!𔄀&*8,6B%F!*6!1,614*&*0!0,))C(’%,1! *//26*R’&*-69!9*+$𔃺):’(!T&?!["ETC["Ef!B# EE "F9! =9!

Compendium of Shock Wave Data. Volume 3. Section C. Organic Compounds Excluding Hydrocarbons. Section D. Mixtures. Section E. Mixtures and Solutions Without Chemical Characterization. Compendium Index

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-06-01

THAN THE ABOVE. 23-2-1(5-8-2) --- I2 AND 15 LESS COMPRESSIBLE THAN THE ABOVY FITS 23-2-1(5-9-2)---9 QUITE SOFT COMPARED TO THE AMERICAN PRODUCTS •3o8... PRODUCTS REMA I NDER TO - 17-36 DEe. C CO 0.93 KIQSEC VO a 0.356- 0.348 CC/O "IN THE TABLE, TEMPERATURE (T) IS OIVEN IN DEGREES CENTirRA1. DE14NSITY IN G...34 I " U IS THE BULLET VELOCITY. NO WAVE ATTENUATION HAS OBSERVED, UNLIKE IN PLEXIGLAS 4) THIS POLYMER IS A CONDENSATION PRODUCT OF GISPHENOL-A AND

BEST medical radioisotope production cyclotrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabaiduc, Vasile; Milton, Bruce; Suthanthiran, Krishnan; Gelbart, W. Z.; Johnson, Richard R.

2013-04-01

Best Cyclotron Systems Inc (BCSI) is currently developing 14 MeV, 25 MeV, 35MeV and 70MeV cyclotrons for radioisotope production and research applications as well as the entire spectrum of targets and nuclear synthesis modules for the production of Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and radiation therapy isotopes. The company is a subsidiary of Best Medical International, renowned in the field of medical instrumentation and radiation therapy. All cyclotrons have external negative hydrogen ion sources, four radial sectors with two dees in opposite valleys, cryogenic vacuum system and simultaneous beam extraction on opposite lines. The beam intensity ranges from 400 μA to 1000 μA, depending on the cyclotron energy and application [1].

Turbine Engine Variable Cycle Selection Program Summary.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-04-01

en Dee. Entered) 1 , ~~~~~~~~ DOCUMENTATION PAGE BEFORE COMPLETING F 4~ 4 I. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 . GOVT ACCESSION NO. 3- ~$ 1 .~~IENT ’S CATALOG...CONT ENTS SECTION PAGE 1 . INTRODUCTION 1 2 . PROGRAM APPROACH 2 3. FIGHTER ENGINE/AIRFRAME EVALUATION PROCEDURE 8 3.1 Input 9 3.2 Computation 9 3.3...Range of !‘:!~ nme t ric Mission ~)ash V a 1 ~1es 7 28 T5 ar a ~n ct r ic Eng ine C’ 1 — L r a c t o r i s t i c s 28 2 9 Thrust Lapse Comparisons 2

The negative hydrogen Penning ion gauge ion source for KIRAMS-13 cyclotron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

An, D. H.; Jung, I. S.; Kang, J.

2008-02-15

The cold-cathode-type Penning ion gauge (PIG) ion source for the internal ion source of KIRAMS-13 cyclotron has been used for generation of negative hydrogen ions. The dc H-beam current of 650 {mu}A from the PIG ion source with the Dee voltage of 40 kV and arc current of 1.0 A is extrapolated from the measured dc extraction beam currents at the low extraction dc voltages. The output optimization of PIG ion source in the cyclotron has been carried out by using various chimneys with different sizes of the expansion gap between the plasma boundary and the chimney wall. This papermore » presents the results of the dc H-extraction measurement and the expansion gap experiment.« less

Note: control of liquid helium supply to cryopanels of Kolkata superconducting cyclotron.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, T K; Pal, G

2015-02-01

The Kolkata superconducting cyclotron utilises liquid helium to cool the main magnet niobium-titanium (NbTi) coil and the cryopanels. Three liquid helium cooled cryopanels, placed inside the dees of the radio-frequency system, maintain the high vacuum in the acceleration region of the superconducting cyclotron. The small cryostat placed inside the cryogenic distribution manifold located at the basement of the superconducting cyclotron building supplies liquid helium in parallel branches to three cold heads, used for cooling their associated cryopanels. The level in the cryostat has to be maintained at an optimum value to ensure uninterrupted flow of liquid helium to these three cold heads. This paper describes the transfer function of the overall system, its tuning parameters, and discusses the actual control of cryostat level by using these parameters.

An Experimental Investigation of the Design Variables for NACA Submerged Duct Entrances

DTIC Science & Technology

1948-01-08

M08111aD and Lauroe N. BaDdall . ~mrmil7\\5, . Intonation concern1ng the ~tere and design Tar1ablee attect1ne an IACA eubmerged duct dee1gn ia preeented...bOUD4a1𔄁-l&7er thickneea ot tD.e .urtace..1nto vbich the Wet ia placed~ tOUDd to ha.... a larse ettect 011 the p"••ure r8C0Te17. Fbo8ible applications ot...8217~ ".~., ." ’. ., . .." . . j I • , • " ’" • ~~. • 11 " , ,\\".. • " ’: ;> f ~,. .. \\. .~••i ’ j. 1nle~elocit:r ratio Subsoripts o tree streaa 1 duot-«ltranoe statIon .2

Limits to sustained energy intake. XIX. A test of the heat dissipation limitation hypothesis in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).

PubMed

Yang, Deng-Bao; Li, Li; Wang, Lu-Ping; Chi, Qing-Sheng; Hambly, Catherine; Wang, De-Hua; Speakman, John R

2013-09-01

We evaluated factors limiting lactating Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) at three temperatures (10, 21 and 30°C). Energy intake and daily energy expenditure (DEE) increased with decreased ambient temperature. At peak lactation (day 14 of lactation), energy intake increased from 148.7±5.7 kJ day(-1) at 30°C to 213.1±8.2 kJ day(-1) at 21°C and 248.7±12.3 kJ day(-1) at 10°C. DEE increased from 105.1±4.0 kJ day(-1) at 30°C to 134.7±5.6 kJ day(-1) at 21°C and 179.5±8.4 kJ day(-1) at 10°C on days 14-16 of lactation. With nearly identical mean litter sizes, lactating gerbils at 30°C exported 32.0 kJ day(-1) less energy as milk at peak lactation than those allocated to 10 or 21°C, with no difference between the latter groups. On day 14 of lactation, the litter masses at 10 and 30°C were 12.2 and 9.3 g lower than those at 21°C, respectively. Lactating gerbils had higher thermal conductance of the fur and lower UCP-1 levels in brown adipose tissue than non-reproductive gerbils, independent of ambient temperature, suggesting that they were attempting to avoid heat stress. Thermal conductance of the fur was positively related to circulating prolactin levels. We implanted non-reproductive gerbils with mini-osmotic pumps that delivered either prolactin or saline. Prolactin did not influence thermal conductance of the fur, but did reduce physical activity and UCP-1 levels in brown adipose tissue. Transferring lactating gerbils from warm to hot conditions resulted in reduced milk production, consistent with the heat dissipation limit theory, but transferring them from warm to cold conditions did not elevate milk production, consistent with the peripheral limitation hypothesis, and placed constraints on pup growth.

SU-G-IeP3-09: Investigating the Interplay of Antiscatter Grids with Modern Detectors and Image Processing in Digital Radiography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanchez, A; Little, K; Baad, M

Purpose: To use phantom and simulation experiments to relate technique factors, patient size and antiscatter grid use to image quality in portable digital radiography (DR), in light of advancements in detector design and image processing. Methods: Image contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) on a portable DR system (MobileDaRt Evolution, Shimadzu) was measured by imaging four aluminum inserts of varying thickness, superimposed on a Lucite slab phantom using a pediatric abdominal protocol. Three thicknesses of Lucite were used: 6.1cm, 12cm, and 18.2cm, with both 55 and 65 kVp beams. The mAs was set so that detector entrance exposure (DEE) was matched between kVpmore » values. Each technique and phantom was used with and without an antiscatter grid (focused linear grid embedded in aluminum with an 8:1 ratio). The CNR-improvement-factor was then used to determine the thickness- and technique-dependent appropriateness of grid use. Finally, the same experiment was performed via Monte Carlo simulation, integrating incident energy fluence at each detector pixel, so that effects of detector design and image processing could be isolated from physical factors upstream of the detector. Results: The physical phantom experiment demonstrated a clear improvement for the lower tube voltage (55kVp), along with substantial CNR benefits with grid use for 12–18cm phantoms. Neither trend was evident with Monte Carlo, suggesting that suboptimal quantum-detection-efficiency and automated grid-removal could explain trends in kVp and grid use, respectively. Conclusion: Physical experiments demonstrate marked improvement in CNR when using a grid for phantoms of 12 and 18cm Lucite thickness (above ∼10cm soft-tissue equivalent). This benefit is likely due to image processing, as this result was not seen with Monte Carlo. The impact of image processing on image resolution should also be investigated, and the CNR benefit of low kVp and grid use should be weighed against the increased exposure time necessary to achieve adequate DEE.« less

The TFTR E Parallel B Spectrometer for Mass and Energy Resolved Multi-Ion Charge Exchange Diagnostics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

A.L. Roquemore; S.S. Medley

1998-01-01

The Charge Exchange Neutral Analyzer diagnostic for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor was designed to measure the energy distributions of both the thermal ions and the supra thermal populations arising from neutral-beam injection and ion cyclotron radio-frequency heating. These measurements yield the plasma ion temperature, as well as several other plasma parameters necessary to provide an understanding of the plasma condition and the performance of the auxiliary heating methods. For this application, a novel charge-exchange spectrometer using a dee-shaped region of parallel electric and magnetic fields was developed at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The design and performance of thismore » spectrometer is described in detail, including the effects of exposure of the microchannel plate detector to magnetic fields, neutrons, and tritium.« less

In-flight thrust determination on a real-time basis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, R. J.; Carpenter, T.; Sandlin, T.

1984-01-01

A real time computer program was implemented on a F-15 jet fighter to monitor in-flight engine performance of a Digital Electronic Engine Controlled (DEES) F-100 engine. The application of two gas generator methods to calculate in-flight thrust real time is described. A comparison was made between the actual results and those predicted by an engine model simulation. The percent difference between the two methods was compared to the predicted uncertainty based on instrumentation and model uncertainty and agreed closely with the results found during altitude facility testing. Data was obtained from acceleration runs of various altitudes at maximum power settings with and without afterburner. Real time in-flight thrust measurement was a major advancement to flight test productivity and was accomplished with no loss in accuracy over previous post flight methods.

Bedform development and morphodynamics in mixed cohesive sediment substrates: the importance of winnowing and flocculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Leiping; Parsons, Daniel; Manning, Andrew

2016-04-01

There remains a lack of process-based knowledge of sediment dynamics within flows over bedforms generated in complex mixtures of cohesionless sand and biologically-active cohesive muds in natural estuarine flow systems. The work to be presented forms a part of the UK NERC "COHesive BEDforms (COHBED)" project which aims to fill this gap in knowledge. Herein results from a field survey in sub-tidal zone of Dee estuary (NW, England) and a set of large-scale laboratory experiments, conducted using mixtures of non-cohesive sands, cohesive muds and Xanthan gum (as a proxy for the biological stickiness of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS)) will be presented. The results indicate the significance of biological-active cohesive sediments in controlling winnowing rates and flocculation dynamics, which contributes significantly to rates of bedform evolution.

Note: Control of liquid helium supply to cryopanels of Kolkata superconducting cyclotron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhattacharyya, T. K., E-mail: tamal@vecc.gov.in; Pal, G.

2015-02-15

The Kolkata superconducting cyclotron utilises liquid helium to cool the main magnet niobium-titanium (NbTi) coil and the cryopanels. Three liquid helium cooled cryopanels, placed inside the dees of the radio-frequency system, maintain the high vacuum in the acceleration region of the superconducting cyclotron. The small cryostat placed inside the cryogenic distribution manifold located at the basement of the superconducting cyclotron building supplies liquid helium in parallel branches to three cold heads, used for cooling their associated cryopanels. The level in the cryostat has to be maintained at an optimum value to ensure uninterrupted flow of liquid helium to these threemore » cold heads. This paper describes the transfer function of the overall system, its tuning parameters, and discusses the actual control of cryostat level by using these parameters.« less

The effect of parental involvement laws on teen birth control use.

PubMed

Sabia, Joseph J; Anderson, D Mark

2016-01-01

In Volume 32, Issue 5 of this journal, Colman, Dee, and Joyce (CDJ) used data from the National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (NYRBS) and found that parental involvement (PI) laws had no effect on the probability that minors abstain from sex or use contraception. We re-examine this question, augmenting the NYRBS with data from the State Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (SYRBS), and use a variety of identification strategies to control for state-level time-varying unmeasured heterogeneity. Consistent with CDJ, we find that PI laws have no effect on minor teen females' abstinence decisions. However, when we exploit additional state policy variation unavailable to CDJ and use non-minor teens as a within-state control group, we find evidence to suggest that PI laws are associated with an increase in the probability that sexually active minor teen females use birth control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The HEROES Balloon-Borne Hard X-Ray Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson-Hodge, C.; Gaskin, J.; Christe, S.; Shih, A. Y.; Swartz, D. A.; Tennant, A. F.; Ramsey, B.; Kilaru, K.

2014-01-01

The High Energy Replicated Optics to Explore the Sun (HEROES) payload flew on a balloon from Ft. Sumner, NM, September 21-22, 2013. HEROES is sensitive from about 20-75 keV and comprises 8 optics modules (HPD approximately 33" as flown), each consisting of 13-14 nickel replicated optics shells and 8 matching Xenon-filled position-sensitive proportional counter detectors (dE/E=0.05 @ 60 keV). Our targets included the Sun, the Crab Nebula and pulsar and the black hole binary GRS 1915+105. HEROES was pointed using a day/night star camera system for astrophysical observations and a newly developed Solar Aspect System for solar observations (with a shutter protecting the star camera.) We have successfully detected the Crab Nebula. Analyses for GRS 1915+105 and the Sun are ongoing. In this presentation, I will describe the HEROES mission, the data analysis pipeline and calibrations, preliminary results, and plans for follow-on missions.

The HEROES Balloon-borne Hard X-ray Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen; Gaskin, Jessica; Christe, Steven; Shih, Albert Y.; Swartz, Douglas A.; Tennant, Allyn F.; Ramsey, Brian; Kilaru, Kiranmayee

2014-08-01

The High Energy Replicated Optics to Explore the Sun (HEROES) payload flew on a balloon from Ft. Sumner, NM, September 21-22, 2013. HEROES is sensitive from about 20-75 keV and comprises 8 optics modules (HP 33"), each consisting of 13-14 nickel replicated optics shells and 8 matching Xenon-filled position-sensitive proportional counter detectors (dE/E=0.05 @ 60 keV). Our targets included the Sun, the Crab Nebula and pulsar and the black hole binary GRS 1915+105. HEROES was pointed using a day/night star camera system for astrophysical observations and a newly developed Solar Aspect System for solar observations (with a shutter protecting the star camera.) We have successfully imaged the Crab Nebula. Analyses for GRS 1915+105 and the Sun are ongoing. In this presentation, I will describe the HEROES mission, the data analysis pipeline and calibrations, preliminary results, and plans for follow-on missions.

Nonlinear self-sustained structures and fronts in spatially developing wake flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pier, Benoît; Huerre, Patrick

2001-05-01

A family of slowly spatially developing wakes with variable pressure gradient is numerically demonstrated to sustain a synchronized finite-amplitude vortex street tuned at a well-defined frequency. This oscillating state is shown to be described by a steep global mode exhibiting a sharp Dee Langer-type front at the streamwise station of marginal absolute instability. The front acts as a wavemaker which sends out nonlinear travelling waves in the downstream direction, the global frequency being imposed by the real absolute frequency prevailing at the front station. The nonlinear travelling waves are determined to be governed by the local nonlinear dispersion relation resulting from a temporal evolution problem on a local wake profile considered as parallel. Although the vortex street is fully nonlinear, its frequency is dictated by a purely linear marginal absolute instability criterion applied to the local linear dispersion relation.

The climate continuum revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emile-Geay, J.; Wang, J.; Partin, J. W.

2015-12-01

A grand challenge of climate science is to quantify the extent of natural variability on adaptation-relevant timescales (10-100y). Since the instrumental record is too short to adequately estimate the spectra of climate measures, this information must be derived from paleoclimate proxies, which may harbor a many-to-one, non-linear (e.g. thresholded) and non-stationary relationship to climate. In this talk, I will touch upon the estimation of climate scaling behavior from climate proxies. Two case studies will be presented: an investigation of scaling behavior in a reconstruction of global surface temperature using state-of- the-art data [PAGES2K Consortium, in prep] and methods [Guillot et al., 2015]. Estimating the scaling exponent β in spectra derived from this reconstruction, we find that 0 < β < 1 in most regions, suggesting long-term memory. Overall, the reconstruction-based spectra are steeper than the ones based on an instrumental dataset [HadCRUT4.2, Morice et al., 2012], and those estimated from PMIP3/CMIP5 models, suggesting the climate system is more energetic at multidecadal to centennial timescales than can be inferred from the short instrumental record or from the models developed to reproduce it [Laepple and Huybers, 2014]. an investigation of scaling behavior in speleothems records of tropical hydroclimate. We will make use of recent advances in proxy system modeling [Dee et al., 2015] and investigate how various aspects of the speleothem system (karst dynamics, age uncertainties) may conspire to bias the estimate of scaling behavior from speleothem timeseries. The results suggest that ignoring such complications leads to erroneous inferences about hydroclimate scaling. References Dee, S. G., J. Emile-Geay, M. N. Evans, Allam, A., D. M. Thompson, and E. J. Steig (2015), J. Adv. Mod. Earth Sys., 07, doi:10.1002/2015MS000447. Guillot, D., B. Rajaratnam, and J. Emile-Geay (2015), Ann. Applied. Statist., pp. 324-352, doi:10.1214/14-AOAS794. Laepple, T., and P. Huybers (2014), PNAS, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1412077111. Morice, C. P., J. J. Kennedy, N. A. Rayner, and P. D. Jones (2012), JGR: Atmospheres, 117(D8), doi:10.1029/2011JD017187. PAGES2K Consortium (in prep), A global multiproxy database for temperature reconstructions of the Common Era, Scientific Data.

Quantitative assessment of current and future risks related rainfall in processing tomato in the Guadiana river basin (SW Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castañeda-Vera, Alba; Garrido, Alberto; Ruiz-Ramos, Margarita; Sánchez-Sánchez, Enrique; Inés Mínguez, M.

2013-04-01

An extension of risk coverages in the insurance policies for processing tomato, mainly related to rainfall events, has resulted in an important increase in claims. This suggests that damages related to extreme or ill-timed showers have been underestimated in previous years. An estimation of damages related to rainfall in the last thirty years and the impact of climate change in the risk related to rainfall in processing tomato crops in the Guadiana river basin (SW Spain) were studied through a risk index. First, the risk index was defined with temperature and relative humidity thresholds related to different damage magnitudes. Then, this index was applied to current climate and to future climate scenarios in nine weather stations representative of the studied area to determine the trends in losses related to extreme or inopportune rainfall events. Thresholds of temperature and relative humidity were obtained from cross-checking agricultural insurance records and meteorological data from local weather stations (REDAREX, http://sw-aperos.juntaex.es/redarex). To consider longer time series, the reanalysis database ERA-INTERIM (Dee et al., 2011) was used. Simulated climate was obtained from the European Project ENSEMBLES (http://www.ensembles-eu.org/). Trends in climatic risk were analysed by applying the risk index to three sets of data defining current climate (1980-2010), mid-future climate (2010-2040) and long-term future climate (2040-2070). An algorithm to choose the surrounding cell that minimizes the temperature and precipitation climatic biases and maximizes seasonal correlation when comparing ENSEMBLES regional climate model simulations and observed climate was applied before index calculation. The results show the trends in frequency and magnitude of the risk of suffering damages related to rainfall events. The methodology decreased the uncertainty on risk levels. Results contribute to detect the periods during the growing season with larger risk of damage in order to provide information to assist research on risk management practices and to support insurance policy makers to extend guaranties and to adapt the insurance conditions and costs to real crop risks. This research is being financed by MULCLIVAR project (CGL2012-38923-C02-02), MINECO, Spain Keywords: climate change, risk, rainfall, processing tomato. References Dee, D. P., with 35 co-authors, 2011: The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system. Quart. J. R. Meteorol. Soc., 137, 553-597.

Impact of convective activity on precipitation δ18O in isotope-enabled models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, J.; Emile-Geay, J.; Dee, S.

2017-12-01

The ^18O signal preserved in paleo-archives (e.g. speleothem, tree ring cellulose, ice cores) is widely used to reconstruct precipitation or temperature. In the tropics, the inverse relationship between precipitation ^18O and rainfall amount, namely "amount effect" [Dansgaard, Tellus, 1964], is often used to interpret precipitation ^18O. However, recent studies have shown that precipitation ^18O is also influenced by precipitation type [Kurita et al, JGR, 2009; Moerman et al, EPSL, 2013], and recent observations indicate that it is negatively correlated with the fraction of precipitation associated with stratiform clouds [Aggarwal et al, Nature Geosci, 2016]. It is thus important to determine to what extent isotope-enabled climate models can reproduce these relationships. Here we do so using output from LMDZ, CAM2, and isoGSM from the Stable Water Isotope Intercomparison Group, Phase 2 (SWING2) project and results of SPEEDY-IER [Dee et al, JGR, 2015] from an AMIP-style experiment. The results show that these models simulate the "amount effect" well in the tropics, and the relationship between precipitation ^18O and precipitation is reversed in many places in mid-latitudes, in accordance with observations [Bowen, JGR, 2008]. Also, these models can all reproduce the negative correlation between monthly precipitation ^18O and stratiform precipitation proportion in mid-latitude (30°N-50°N; 50°S-30°S), but in the tropics (30°S-30°N), models show a positive correlation instead. The reason for this bias will be investigated within idealized experiments with SPEEDY-IER. The correct simulations of the impact of convective activity on precipitation ^18O in isotope-enabled models will improve our interpretation of paleoclimate proxies with respect to hydroclimate variability. P. K. Aggarwal et al. (2016), Nature Geosci., 9, 624-629, doi:10.1038/ngeo2739. G. J. Bowen. (2008), J. Geophys. Res., 113, D05113, doi:10.1029/2007JD009295. W. Dansgaard (1964), Tellus, 16(4), 436-468. S. Dee et al. (2015), J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., 120, 73-91, doi:10.1002/2014JD022194. N. Kurita. (2013), J. Geophys. Res. Atmos. 118, 10,376-10,390, doi:10.1002/jgrd.50754. J. W. Moerman et al. (2013), Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 369, 108-119.

Modeling extreme sea levels due to tropical and extra-tropical cyclones at the global-scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muis, S.; Lin, N.; Verlaan, M.; Winsemius, H.; Ward, P.; Aerts, J.

2017-12-01

Extreme sea levels, a combination of storm surges and astronomical tides, can cause catastrophic floods. Due to their intense wind speeds and low pressure, tropical cyclones (TCs) typically cause higher storm surges than extra-tropical cyclones (ETCs), but ETCs may still contribute significantly to the overall flood risk. In this contribution, we show a novel approach to model extreme sea levels due to both tropical and extra-tropical cyclones at the global-scale. Using a global hydrodynamic model we have developed the Global Tide and Surge Reanalysis (GTSR) dataset (Muis et al., 2016), which provides daily maximum timeseries of storm tide from 1979 to 2014. GTSR is based on wind and pressure fields from the ERA-Interim climate reanalysis (Dee at al., 2011). A severe limitation of the GTSR dataset is the underrepresentation of TCs. This is due to the relatively coarse grid resolution of ERA-Interim, which means that the strong intensities of TCs are not fully included. Furthermore, the length of ERA-Interim is too short to estimate the probabilities of extreme TCs in a reliable way. We will discuss potential ways to address this limitation, and demonstrate how to improve the global GTSR framework. We will apply the improved framework to the east coast of the United States. First, we improve our meteorological forcing by applying a parametric hurricane model (Holland 1980), and we improve the tide and surge reanalysis dataset (Muis et al., 2016) by explicitly modeling the historical TCs in the Extended Best Track dataset (Demuth et al., 2006). Second, we improve our sampling by statistically extending the observed TC record to many thousands of years (Emanuel et al., 2006). The improved framework allows for the mapping of probabilities of extreme sea levels, including extremes TC events, for the east coast of the United States. ReferencesDee et al (2011). The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 137, 553-97. Emanuel et al (2006). A Statistical Deterministic Approach to Hurricane Risk Assessment/ Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 87, 299-314. Holland (1980). An analytic model of the wind and pressure profiles in hurricanes. Mon. Weather Rev. 108, 1212-1218. Muis et al (2016). A global reanalysis of storm surge and extreme sea levels. Nat. Commun. 7, 1-11

Beam dynamics study of a 30 MeV electron linear accelerator to drive a neutron source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Sandeep; Yang, Haeryong; Kang, Heung-Sik

2014-02-01

An experimental neutron facility based on 32 MeV/18.47 kW electron linac has been studied by means of PARMELA simulation code. Beam dynamics study for a traveling wave constant gradient electron accelerator is carried out to reach the preferential operation parameters (E = 30 MeV, P = 18 kW, dE/E < 12.47% for 99% particles). The whole linac comprises mainly E-gun, pre-buncher, buncher, and 2 accelerating columns. A disk-loaded, on-axis-coupled, 2π/3-mode type accelerating rf cavity is considered for this linac. After numerous optimizations of linac parameters, 32 MeV beam energy is obtained at the end of the linac. As high electron energy is required to produce acceptable neutron flux. The final neutron flux is estimated to be 5 × 1011 n/cm2/s/mA. Future development will be the real design of a 30 MeV electron linac based on S band traveling wave.

Ethylene formation by dehydration of ethanol over medium pore zeolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gołąbek, Kinga; Tarach, Karolina A.; Filek, Urszula; Góra-Marek, Kinga

2018-03-01

In this work, the role of pore arrangement of 10-ring zeolites ZSM-5, TNU-9 and IM-5 on their catalytic properties in ethanol transformation were investigated. Among all the studied catalysts, the zeolite IM-5, characterized by limited 3-dimensionality, presented the highest conversion of ethanol and the highest yields of diethyl ether (DEE) and ethylene. The least active and selective to ethylene and C3 + products was zeolite TNU-9 with the largest cavities formed on the intersection of 10-ring channels. The catalysts varied, however, in lifetime, and their deactivation followed the order: IM-5 > TNU-9 > ZSM-5. The processes taking place in the microporous zeolite environment were tracked by IR spectroscopy and analysed by the 2D correlation analysis (2D COS) allowing for an insight into the nature of chemisorbed adducts and transition products of the reaction. The cage dimension was found as a decisive factor influencing the tendency for coke deposition, herein identified as polymethylated benzenes, mainly 1,2,4-trimethyl-benzene.

Stable Isotope Measurements of Martian Atmospheric CO2 at the Phoenix Landing Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niles, Paul B.; Boynton, William V.; Hoffman, John H.; Ming, Douglas W.; Hamara, Dave

2010-09-01

Carbon dioxide is a primary component of the martian atmosphere and reacts readily with water and silicate rocks. Thus, the stable isotopic composition of CO2 can reveal much about the history of volatiles on the planet. The Mars Phoenix spacecraft measurements of carbon isotopes [referenced to the Vienna Pee Dee belemnite (VPDB)] [δ13CVPDB = -2.5 ± 4.3 per mil (‰)] and oxygen isotopes [referenced to the Vienna standard mean ocean water (VSMOW)] (δ18OVSMOW = 31.0 ± 5.7‰), reported here, indicate that CO2 is heavily influenced by modern volcanic degassing and equilibration with liquid water. When combined with data from the martian meteorites, a general model can be constructed that constrains the history of water, volcanism, atmospheric evolution, and weathering on Mars. This suggests that low-temperature water-rock interaction has been dominant throughout martian history, carbonate formation is active and ongoing, and recent volcanic degassing has played a substantial role in the composition of the modern atmosphere.

Characterizing Phase Transitions in a Model of Neutral Evolutionary Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Adam; King, Dawn; Bahar, Sonya

2013-03-01

An evolutionary model was recently introduced for sympatric, phenotypic evolution over a variable fitness landscape with assortative mating (Dees & Bahar 2010). Organisms in the model are described by coordinates in a two-dimensional phenotype space, born at random coordinates with limited variation from their parents as determined by a mutation parameter, mutability. The model has been extended to include both neutral evolution and asexual reproduction in Scott et al (submitted). It has been demonstrated that a second order, non-equilibrium phase transition occurs for the temporal dynamics as the mutability is varied, for both the original model and for neutral conditions. This transition likely belongs to the directed percolation universality class. In contrast, the spatial dynamics of the model shows characteristics of an ordinary percolation phase transition. Here, we characterize the phase transitions exhibited by this model by determining critical exponents for the relaxation times, characteristic lengths, and cluster (species) mass distributions. Missouri Research Board; J.S. McDonnell Foundation

Water resources of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fish, Robert Eugene; LeGrand, H.E.; Billingsley, G.A.

1957-01-01

Sufficient water is available in the basin of the Yadkin and Pee Dee Rivers to meet present requirements and those for many years to come if water use increases at about the present rate. Data presented in this report show that the average annual streamflow from approximately 82 percent of the basin area during the 25-year period, 1929-53, was about 6,200 mgd, representing essentially the total available water supply. Comparison of the available water supply to the estimated withdrawal use (excluding water power) of both surface and ground water of 600 mgd indicates the relative utilization of the water resources of the basin at present. If proper pollution controls are observed and practiced so that water in the various streams may be reused several times, the potential water available is even greater than indicated by the above comparison. Preliminary studies indicate that the quantity of water now being withdrawn from ground-water reservoirs in the basin is only a fraction of the total that may be obtained from this source. Twenty-eight of the 64 municipalities having public water-supply systems use surface water; however, as the largest cities in the area use surface supplies, about 85 percent of the water used for public supplies is from surface sources. Of the 20 complete-record stream-gaging stations now in operation in this area 7 have been in operation for 24 years or longer. Periodic measurements of the rate of flow have been made at 31 additional sites on streams scattered widely over the basin. All available streamflow data including those for 1953 are summarized in either graphic or tabular form, or both. Because of the critically low flows occurring during the drought of 1954, several illustrations include data for 1954 and the early months of 1955 for comparison with the minima of previous years. Adequate water for domestic use is available from wells throughout the basin. The consolidated rocks of the Piedmont furnish water for small industries and for municipalities whose population is less than about 1,500. The yields of wells in rock range from less than 1 gpm to as much as 200 gpm with local, rather than regional, geologic factors controlling the yield. The average municipal well in consolidated rocks yields about 30 gpm. In contrast, the sands of the Coastal Plain, in the eastern part of the basin, furnish as much as 500 gpm to individual wells, and ground-water conditions are generally similar throughout that region. A cumulative deficiency in rainfall from 1953 to 1955, has caused ground-water levels to fall below the seasonal averages, but the decline is thought not to indicate a long-term trend. The most serious problem involving future use of ground water is the lack of knowledge of the characteristics of the ground-water provinces in the basin. Generally the chemical quality of the surface waters in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River basin is good. They are low in mineral matter and soft, although some of the surface water contains excessive quantities of iron. In some local areas the streams have been polluted by municipal and industrial wastes. During periods of high runoff many of the streams transport large quantities of suspended sediment. Tributary streams in the lower eastern part of the basin are highly colored because of drainage from swampy areas. Ground water from the consolidated rocks in the Piedmont region is more variable in quality than water from other areas in the basin. The dissolved solids in water from the consolidated rocks ranged from 26 to 1,480 ppm with a median of 109 ppm. Wells in the Cretaceous clay province normally yield slightly acid waters. The pH ranges from 4.7 to 7.7 with a median of 5.3. Generally ground water in this province is extremely soft and low in dissolved solids. Wells in the Cretaceous sand province yield a sodium bicarbonate type of water ranging in hardness from 2 to 130 ppm.

Eco-hydro-acoustic modeling and its use as an EIA tool.

PubMed

Rossington, Kate; Benson, Tom; Lepper, Paul; Jones, Diane

2013-10-15

The effects of anthropogenic underwater noise on marine life is of growing concern and assessment of impacts on marine life is often carried out using predictive underwater noise models to map zones of influence for marine species. However, these models do not predict how a species may react to that noise. In this paper, the results from a modified predictive underwater noise model and a hydrodynamic model are used in an individual based model (IBM) to predict the impacts on cod (Gadhus moruha) from noise generated during a pile driving event at an offshore wind farm in Liverpool Bay, UK. The model included cod which were sensitive to noise and those which were insensitive ('deaf'). Fish movement was from the outer bay into the Dee Estuary, a known feeding ground. The IBM indicated that the cod which could hear took up to 7 days longer to reach their destination than the cod which were deaf. This technique could be used during the consenting process for offshore projects to better understand the potential impact on marine species. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MIRAGE: developments in IRSP systems, RIIC design, emitter fabrication, and performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryant, Paul; Oleson, Jim; James, Jay; McHugh, Steve; Lannon, John; Vellenga, David; Goodwin, Scott; Huffman, Alan; Solomon, Steve; Goldsmith, George C., II

2005-05-01

SBIR's family of MIRAGE infrared scene projection systems is undergoing significant growth and expansion. The first two lots of production IR emitters have completed fabrication at Microelectronics Center of North Carolina/Research and Development Institute (MCNC-RDI), and the next round(s) of emitter production has begun. These latest emitter arrays support programs such as Large Format Resistive Array (LFRA), Optimized Array for Space-based Infrared Simulation (OASIS), MIRAGE 1.5, and MIRAGE II. We present the latest performance data on emitters fabricated at MCNC-RDI, plus integrated system performance on recently completed IRSP systems. Teamed with FLIR Systems/Indigo Operations, SBIR and the Tri-Services IRSP Working Group have completed development of the CMOS Read-In Integrated Circuit (RIIC) portion of the Wide Format Resistive Array (WFRA) program-to extend LFRA performance to a 768 x 1536 "wide screen" projection configuration. WFRA RIIC architecture and performance is presented. Finally, we summarize development of the LFRA Digital Emitter Engine (DEE) and OASIS cryogenic package assemblies, the next-generation Command & Control Electronics (C&CE).

Beam tracking simulation in the central region of a 13 MeV PET cyclotron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anggraita, Pramudita; Santosa, Budi; Taufik, Mulyani, Emy; Diah, Frida Iswinning

2012-06-01

This paper reports the trajectories simulation of proton beam in the central region of a 13 MeV PET cyclotron, operating with negative proton beam (for easier beam extraction using a stripper foil), 40 kV peak accelerating dee voltage at fourth harmonic frequency of 77.88 MHz, and average magnetic field of 1.275 T. The central region covers fields of 240mm × 240mm × 30mm size at 1mm resolution. The calculation was also done at finer 0.25mm resolution covering fields of 30mm × 30mm × 4mm size to see the effects of 0.55mm horizontal width of the ion source window and the halted trajectories of positive proton beam. The simulations show up to 7 turns of orbital trajectories, reaching about 1 MeV of beam energy. The distribution of accelerating electric fields and magnetic fields inside the cyclotron were calculated in 3 dimension using Opera3D code and Tosca modules for static magnetic and electric fields. The trajectory simulation was carried out using Scilab 5.3.3 code.

Ethylene formation by dehydration of ethanol over medium pore zeolites.

PubMed

Gołąbek, Kinga; Tarach, Karolina A; Filek, Urszula; Góra-Marek, Kinga

2018-03-05

In this work, the role of pore arrangement of 10-ring zeolites ZSM-5, TNU-9 and IM-5 on their catalytic properties in ethanol transformation were investigated. Among all the studied catalysts, the zeolite IM-5, characterized by limited 3-dimensionality, presented the highest conversion of ethanol and the highest yields of diethyl ether (DEE) and ethylene. The least active and selective to ethylene and C 3+ products was zeolite TNU-9 with the largest cavities formed on the intersection of 10-ring channels. The catalysts varied, however, in lifetime, and their deactivation followed the order: IM-5>TNU-9>ZSM-5. The processes taking place in the microporous zeolite environment were tracked by IR spectroscopy and analysed by the 2D correlation analysis (2D COS) allowing for an insight into the nature of chemisorbed adducts and transition products of the reaction. The cage dimension was found as a decisive factor influencing the tendency for coke deposition, herein identified as polymethylated benzenes, mainly 1,2,4-trimethyl-benzene. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design and fabrication of a radiative actively cooled honeycomb sandwich structural panel for a hypersonic aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, D. A.; Pagel, L. L.; Schaeffer, D. M.

1978-01-01

The panel assembly consisted of an external thermal protection system (metallic heat shields and insulation blankets) and an aluminum honeycomb structure. The structure was cooled to temperature 442K (300 F) by circulating a 60/40 mass solution of ethylene glycol and water through dee shaped coolant tubes nested in the honeycomb and adhesively bonded to the outer skin. Rene'41 heat shields were designed to sustain 5000 cycles of a uniform pressure of + or - 6.89kPa (+ or - 1.0 psi) and aerodynamic heating conditions equivalent to 136 kW sq m (12 Btu sq ft sec) to a 422K (300 F) surface temperature. High temperature flexible insulation blankets were encased in stainless steel foil to protect them from moisture and other potential contaminates. The aluminum actively cooled honeycomb sandwich structural panel was designed to sustain 5000 cycles of cyclic in-plane loading of + or - 210 kN/m (+ or - 1200 lbf/in.) combined with a uniform panel pressure of + or - 6.89 kPa (?1.0 psi).

Geant4 hadronic physics for space radiation environment.

PubMed

Ivantchenko, Anton V; Ivanchenko, Vladimir N; Molina, Jose-Manuel Quesada; Incerti, Sebastien L

2012-01-01

To test and to develop Geant4 (Geometry And Tracking version 4) Monte Carlo hadronic models with focus on applications in a space radiation environment. The Monte Carlo simulations have been performed using the Geant4 toolkit. Binary (BIC), its extension for incident light ions (BIC-ion) and Bertini (BERT) cascades were used as main Monte Carlo generators. For comparisons purposes, some other models were tested too. The hadronic testing suite has been used as a primary tool for model development and validation against experimental data. The Geant4 pre-compound (PRECO) and de-excitation (DEE) models were revised and improved. Proton, neutron, pion, and ion nuclear interactions were simulated with the recent version of Geant4 9.4 and were compared with experimental data from thin and thick target experiments. The Geant4 toolkit offers a large set of models allowing effective simulation of interactions of particles with matter. We have tested different Monte Carlo generators with our hadronic testing suite and accordingly we can propose an optimal configuration of Geant4 models for the simulation of the space radiation environment.

Craters 'Twixt Day and Night

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-12-20

Three sizeable impact craters, including one with a marked central peak, lie along the line that divides day and night on the Saturnian moon, Dione (dee-OH-nee), which is 1,118 kilometers, or 695 miles across. The low angle of the Sun along the terminator, as this dividing line is called, brings details like these craters into sharp relief. This view shows principally the leading hemisphere of Dione. Some of this moon's bright, wispy streaks can be seen curling around its eastern limb. Cassini imaged the wispy terrain at high resolution during its first Dione flyby on Dec. 14, 2004. This image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow angle camera on Nov. 1, 2004, at a distance of 2.4 million kilometers (1.5 million miles) from Dione and at a Sun-Dione-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 106 degrees. North is up. The image scale is 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) per pixel. The image has been magnified by a factor of two and contrast-enhanced to aid visibility of surface features. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA06542

Status of the Milan superconducting cyclotron project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Acerbi, E.

1983-08-01

This paper presents an updated status report on the Superconducting Cyclotron, under construction at the University of Milan during the past two years, with funding chiefly provided by the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics. The cyclotron is designed for a K of 800 and a K /SUB FOC/ of 200 and thus yields maximum energies of 100 MeV/n for fully stripped light ions and 20 MeV/n for uranium and other heavy ions. The pole radius is 90 cm with three sectors having an average spiral constant of 1/45.7 rad/cm. The average magnetic field will span between 22 and 48more » K Gauss with a corresponding R.F. frequency range between 15 and 48 MHz. The anticipated peak dee voltage is 100 KV with harmonic operation from h = 1 to h = 4. The operating modes include the use of an internal PIG source, injection from a 16 MV tandem, and axial injection from an external ion source. This paper presents the design parameters and outlines the progress made so far.« less

The Narodny ion accelerator as an injector for a small cyclotron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Derenchuk, V.

1985-01-01

A 120 keV electrostatic accelerator is currently in use at the University of Manitoba as an ion implanter. It is proposed to use this accelerator (called the Narodny ion accelerator or NIA), upgraded to 200 keV, as an injector for a small light ion cyclotron. This "minicyclotron" will consist of 6 sectors with four dees operating at 60 kV and variable frequency. The ions will be extracted at about 50 cm radius. The types of ions to be accelerated are H -, H +, D -1, 3He 2+, 4He 2+, 6Li 3+, and 7Li 3+ with a maximum energy of about 4 MeV for the Li ions and between 2 and 3 MeV for the He ions. A beam current of close to 0.5 mA is anticipated for H + and D + ions and high energy resolution ( ΔE/ E ~ 10 -3) is expected for all ions. The marriage of these two accelerators will give a very wide range of ion implantation energies (for certain ion species) as well as a source of particles for Rutherford backscatter analysis.

Synthetic isotope mixtures for the calibration of isotope amount ratio measurements of carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russe, K.; Valkiers, S.; Taylor, P. D. P.

2004-07-01

Synthetic isotope mixtures for the calibration of carbon isotope amount ratio measurements have been prepared by mixing carbon tetrafluoride highly enriched in 13C with carbon tetrafluoride depleted in 13C. Mixing procedures based on volumetry and gravimetry are described. The mixtures served as primary measurement standards for the calibration of isotope amount ratio measurements of the Isotopic Reference Materials PEF1, NBS22 and USGS24. Thus SI-traceable measurements of absolute carbon isotope amount ratios have been performed for the first time without any hypothesis needed for a correction of oxygen isotope abundances, such as is the case for measurements on carbon dioxide. As a result, "absolute" carbon isotope amount ratios determined via carbon tetrafluoride have smaller uncertainties than those published for carbon dioxide. From the measurements of the Reference Materials concerned, the absolute carbon isotope amount ratio of Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB)--the hypothetical material upon which the scale for relative carbon isotope ratio measurements is based--was calculated to be R13(VPDB) = (11 101 +/- 16) × 10-6.

ER-2 #809 on the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) with pilot Dee Porter prepari

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Lockheed Martin pilot Dee Porter climbs up the ladder wearing a heavy tan pressure suit, preparing to board NASA ER-2 #809 at Kiruna, Sweden, for the third flight in the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment. Assisting him is Jim Sokolik, a Lockheed Martin life support technician. Number 809, one of Dryden's two high-flying ER-2 Airborne Science aircraft, a civilian variant of Lockheed's U-2, and another NASA flying laboratory, Dryden's DC-8, were based north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, Sweden during the winter of 2000 to study ozone depletion as part of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). A large hangar built especially for research, 'Arena Arctica' housed the instrumented aircraft and the scientists. Scientists have observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic during recent winters, raising concerns that ozone depletion there could become more widespread as in the Antarctic ozone hole. The NASA-sponsored international mission took place between November 1999 and March 2000 and was divided into three phases. The DC-8 was involved in all three phases returning to Dryden between each phase. The ER-2 flew sample collection flights between January and March, remaining in Sweden from Jan. 9 through March 16. 'The collaborative campaign will provide an immense new body of information about the Arctic stratosphere,' said program scientist Dr. Michael Kurylo, NASA Headquarters. 'Our understanding of the Earth's ozone will be greatly enhanced by this research.' ER-2s bearing tail numbers 806 and 809 are used as airborne science platforms by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s are capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically fly at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, an ER-2 set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet. The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F-118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2.

Vacuum system of the cyclotrons in VECC, Kolkata

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roy, Anindya; Bhole, R.B.; Akhtar, J.

2011-07-01

The vacuum system of the K=130 Room Temperature Cyclotron (RTC) (operational since 1978) has been recently modernized and the same of the K{sub bend}=520 Superconducting Cyclotron (SCC), currently under commissioning, is being deployed for remote monitoring and control. The vacuum system of RTC is designed to achieve and maintain vacuum level of 2 X 10{sup -6} mbar inside 23 m{sup 3} volume of Resonator tank and DEE tank. This has been upgraded by replacing several valves, Freon units, gauges and pumps. The relay based manual control system has been replaced by PLC based automated system. The SCC vacuum system alsomore » has an elaborate arrangement comprising of turbo molecular pumping modules with associated isolation valves and characteristic gauges. This paper describes essential elements, typically used to obtain high (1X10{sup -7} mbar) vacuum using rotary pumps, diffusion pumps and cold traps/turbo-molecular pumps and other system components such as valves, gauges and baffles. The supervisory control methodology/scheme of both the vacuum systems, developed in-house using EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System), a standard open-source software tool for designing distributed control system, is also elaborated here. (author)« less

Ion temperature gradient driven transport in tokamaks with square shaping

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joiner, N.; Dorland, W.

2010-06-15

Advanced tokamak schemes which may offer significant improvement to plasma confinement on the usual large aspect ratio Dee-shaped flux surface configuration are of great interest to the fusion community. One possibility is to introduce square shaping to the flux surfaces. The gyrokinetic code GS2[Kotschenreuther et al., Comput. Phys. Commun. 88, 128 (1996)] is used to study linear stability and the resulting nonlinear thermal transport of the ion temperature gradient driven (ITG) mode in tokamak equilibria with square shaping. The maximum linear growth rate of ITG modes is increased by negative squareness (diamond shaping) and reduced by positive values (square shaping).more » The dependence of thermal transport produced by saturated ITG instabilities on squareness is not as clear. The overall trend follows that of the linear instability, heat and particle fluxes increase with negative squareness and decrease with positive squareness. This is contradictory to recent experimental results [Holcomb et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 056116 (2009)] which show a reduction in transport with negative squareness. This may be reconciled as a reduction in transport (consistent with the experiment) is observed at small negative values of the squareness parameter.« less

Phytoplankton and nutrient dynamics in Winyah Bay, SC.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boneillo, G. E.; Brooks, S. S.; Brown, S. L.; Woodford, K. M.; Wright, C. R.

2016-02-01

Winyah Bay is a coastal plain estuary located in South Carolina that has been classified for a moderate risk of Eutrophication by NOAA. Winyah Bay receives freshwater input from four rivers, the Waccamaw, Sampit, Black, and Pee Dee Rivers. The Waccamaw, Sampit and Black River are blackwater systems that discharge elevated amounts of colored dissolved organic matter. During the summer and fall of 2015, bioassay experiments were performed to simultaneously examine both light and nutrient (nitrogen & phosphate) limitation throughout Winyah Bay. Sampling stations near the mouth of the Waccamaw and Sampit Rivers showed that phytoplankton were light limited in the late summer instead of nutrient limited. These stations were located in the industrialized area of the bay and typically had the highest nutrient concentrations and highest turbidity, with Secchi depths typically less than 0.5 meters. Results indicated that phytoplankton may be nitrogen limited near the mouth of Winyah Bay, where nutrient concentrations and turbidity were observed to be lower than locations further upstream. There was also an observed dissolved oxygen and pH gradient during the summer of 2015. Dissolved oxygen levels less than 4.0 mg/L were routinely observed near the industrialized head of the estuary and corresponded with lower pH values.

Catalytic Ethanol Dehydration over Different Acid-activated Montmorillonite Clays.

PubMed

Krutpijit, Chadaporn; Jongsomjit, Bunjerd

2016-01-01

In the present study, the catalytic dehydration of ethanol to obtain ethylene over montmorillonite clays (MMT) with mineral acid activation including H2SO4 (SA-MMT), HCl (HA-MMT) and HNO3 (NA-MMT) was investigated at temperature range of 200 to 400°C. It revealed that HA-MMT exhibited the highest catalytic activity. Ethanol conversion and ethylene selectivity were found to increase with increased reaction temperature. At 400°C, the HA-MMT yielded 82% of ethanol conversion having 78% of ethylene yield. At lower temperature (i.e. 200 to 300°C), diethyl ether (DEE) was a major product. The highest activity obtained from HA-MMT can be attributed to an increase of weak acid sites and acid density by the activation of MMT with HCl. It can be also proven by various characterization techniques that in most case, the main structure of MMT did not alter by acid activation (excepted for NA-MMT). Upon the stability test for 72 h during the reaction, the MMT and HA-MMT showed only slight deactivation due to carbon deposition. Hence, the acid activation of MMT by HCl is promising to enhance the catalytic dehydration of ethanol.

Estimating sturgeon abundance in the Carolinas using side-scan sonar

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flowers, H. Jared; Hightower, Joseph E.

2015-01-01

Sturgeons (Acipenseridae) are one of the most threatened taxa worldwide, including species in North Carolina and South Carolina. Populations of Atlantic Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus in the Carolinas have been significantly reduced from historical levels by a combination of intense fishing and habitat loss. There is a need for estimates of current abundance, to describe status, and for estimates of historical abundance in order to provide realistic recovery goals. In this study we used N-mixture and distance models with data acquired from side-scan sonar surveys to estimate abundance of sturgeon in six major sturgeon rivers in North Carolina and South Carolina. Estimated abundances of sturgeon greater than 1 m TL in the Carolina distinct population segment (DPS) were 2,031 using the count model and 1,912 via the distance model. The Pee Dee River had the highest overall abundance of any river at 1,944 (count model) or 1,823 (distance model). These estimates do not account for sturgeon less than 1 m TL or occurring in riverine reaches not surveyed or in marine waters. Comparing the two models, the N-mixture model produced similar estimates using less data than the distance model with only a slight reduction of estimated precision.

Authoritative Images. The Kiwi and the Transactions of the Zoological Society of London.

PubMed

Canadelli, Elena

2015-01-01

The first exemplar of a kiwi, the wingless bird of New Zealand, arrived in the form of a lifeless specimen in Europe in 1812. A debate was sparked over the appearance and nature of this strange creature and indeed whether it actually existed. In 1833 the Transactions of the Zoological Society of London entered the debate and the illustrations published in this journal contributed greatly to the acceptance and further study of the kiwi. Some of the most eminent British zoologists and anatomists of the time were involved, from William Yarrell to Richard Owen, and from John Gould to Abraham Dee Bartlett. This crucial period in the discussion, which would extend over two decades and would only be brought to a close with the arrival of the first living specimen in the London Zoological Garden in 1851, will be analyzed based on a detailed examination of the reports published in the Transactions and other journals. This essay will show how images of the bird were produced and used by zoologists during different stages in the early research on the bird and how these figures circulated inside and outside the zoologists' community.

Proceedings of the First All-USGS Modeling Conference, November 14-17, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frondorf, Anne

2007-01-01

Preface: The First All-USGS Modeling Conference was held November 14-17, 2005, in Port Angeles, Washington. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) participants at the conference came from USGS headquarters and all USGS regions and represented all four science disciplines-Biology, Geography, Geology, and Water. The conference centered on selected oral case study presentations and posters on current USGS scientific modeling capabilities and activities. Abstracts for these case study presentations and posters are presented here. On behalf of all the participants of the First All-USGS Modeling Conference, we appreciate the support of Dee Ann Nelson and the staff of the Olympic Park Institute in providing the conference facilities; Dr. Jerry Freilich and Dr. Brian Winter of the National Park Service, Olympic National Park, for organizing and leading the conference field trip; and Debra Becker and Amy Newman, USGS Western Fisheries Research Center, Seattle, Washington, and Tammy Hansel, USGS Geospatial Information Office, Reston, Virginia, for providing technical support for the conference. The organizing committee for the conference included Jenifer Bracewell, Jacoby Carter, Jeff Duda, Anne Frondorf, Linda Gundersen, Tom Gunther, Pat Jellison, Rama Kotra, George Leavesley, and Doug Muchoney.

Phase Transition Behavior in a Neutral Evolution Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Dawn; Scott, Adam; Maric, Nevena; Bahar, Sonya

2014-03-01

The complexity of interactions among individuals and between individuals and the environment make agent based modeling ideal for studying emergent speciation. This is a dynamically complex problem that can be characterized via the critical behavior of a continuous phase transition. Concomitant with the main tenets of natural selection, we allow organisms to reproduce, mutate, and die within a neutral phenotype space. Previous work has shown phase transition behavior in an assortative mating model with variable fitness landscapes as the maximum mutation size (μ) was varied (Dees and Bahar, 2010). Similarly, this behavior was recently presented in the work of Scott et al. (2013), even on a completely neutral landscape, for bacterial-like fission as well as for assortative mating. Here we present another neutral model to investigate the `critical' phase transition behavior of three mating types - assortative, bacterial, and random - in a phenotype space as a function of the percentage of random death. Results show two types of phase transitions occurring for the parameters of the population size and the number of clusters (an analogue of species), indicating different evolutionary dynamics for system survival and clustering. This research was supported by funding from: University of Missouri Research Board and James S. McDonnell Foundation.

HIV Surveillance Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics: Evolution and Current Direction.

PubMed

Dee, Jacob; Garcia Calleja, Jesus M; Marsh, Kimberly; Zaidi, Irum; Murrill, Christopher; Swaminathan, Mahesh

2017-12-05

Since the late 1980s, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) sentinel serosurveillance among pregnant women attending select antenatal clinics (ANCs) based on unlinked anonymous testing (UAT) has provided invaluable information for tracking HIV prevalence and trends and informing global and national HIV models in most countries with generalized HIV epidemics. However, increased coverage of HIV testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), and antiretroviral therapy has heightened ethical concerns about UAT. PMTCT programs now routinely collect demographic and HIV testing information from the same pregnant women as serosurveillance and therefore present an alternative to UAT-based ANC serosurveillance. This paper reports on the evolution and current direction of the global approach to HIV surveillance among pregnant women attending ANCs, including the transition away from traditional UAT-based serosurveillance and toward new guidance from the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS on the implementation of surveillance among pregnant women attending ANCs based on routine PMTCT program data. ©Jacob Dee, Jesus M Garcia Calleja, Kimberly Marsh, Irum Zaidi, Christopher Murrill, Mahesh Swaminathan. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 05.12.2017.

Low-flow frequency and flow duration of selected South Carolina streams in the Pee Dee River basin through March 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feaster, Toby D.; Guimaraes, Wladmir B.

2009-01-01

Part of the mission of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources is to protect and preserve South Carolina's water resources. Doing so requires an ongoing understanding of streamflow characteristics of the rivers and streams in South Carolina. A particular need is information concerning the low-flow characteristics of streams; this information is especially important for effectively managing the State's water resources during critical flow periods such as the severe drought that occurred between 1998 and 2002 and the most recent drought that occurred between 2006 and 2009. In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, initiated a study to update low-flow statistics at continuous-record streamgaging stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in South Carolina. Under this agreement, the low-flow characteristics at continuous-record streamgaging stations will be updated in a systematic manner during the monitoring and assessment of the eight major basins in South Carolina as defined and grouped according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's Watershed Water Quality Management Strategy. Depending on the length of record available at the continuous-record streamgaging stations, low-flow frequency characteristics are estimated for annual minimum 1-, 3-, 7-, 14-, 30-, 60-, and 90-day average flows with recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 years. Low-flow statistics are presented for 18 streamgaging stations in the Pee Dee River basin. In addition, daily flow durations for the 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 75-, 90-, and 95-percent probability of exceedance also are presented for the stations. The low-flow characteristics were computed from records available through March 31, 2007. The last systematic update of low-flow characteristics in South Carolina occurred more than 20 years ago and included data through March 1987. Of the 17 streamgaging stations included in this study, 15 had low-flow characteristics that were published in previous U.S. Geological Survey reports. A comparison of the low-flow characteristic for the minimum average flow for a 7-consecutive-day period with a 10-year recurrence interval from this study with the most recently published values indicated that 10 of the 15 streamgaging stations had values that were within ±25 percent of each other. Nine of the 15 streamgaging stations had negative percentage differences indicating the low-flow statistic had decreased since the previous study, 4 streamgaging stations had positive percent differences indicating that the low-flow statistic had increased since the previous study, and 2 streamgaging stations had a zero percent difference indicating no change since the previous study. The low-flow characteristics are influenced by length of record, hydrologic regime under which the record was collected, techniques used to do the analysis, and other changes that may have occurred in the watershed.

Pion Elastic Scattering and the (pion Pion' Proton) Reaction on HELIUM-4 in the DELTA(3,3) Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Mark Kevin

This dissertation presents measurements and analyses of pi^+ and pi ^{-} elastic scattering, and ( pi^{+}, pi^ {+^'}p) and ( pi^{-},pi^{-^ '}p) reactions on ^4 He. Both experiments were done at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility using the Energetic Pion Channel and Spectrometer. The ^4He( pi,pi) elastic scattering cross sections were measured for pi^{+} scattering at scattering angles theta _{lab} = 110^circ -170^circ and five incident energies between T_{pi } = 90 and 180 MeV. Elastic pi ^{-} cross sections were measured only at T_{pi} = 180 MeV. The ^4He(pi, pi' p) angular correlation functions were measured for pi^{+} and pi^{-} at T_{pi} = 180 and theta_{pi^' } = 30^circ, 40 ^circ, 60^circ , 80^circ and at T _pi = 140 MeV and theta_{pi^'} = 40^circ. Using scintillators at eight angles the protons were detected in coincidence with the inelastically scattered pions. In the ^4He(pi, pi^' p) experiment unexpectedly large ratios R_{pi p} = {sigma(pi^{+}, pi^{+} p)}over{sigma( pi^{-},pi^{-} p)} of up to 50 were observed near the quasi -free angle in the angular correlation functions summed over 30.5 to 39.5 MeV in ^4He excitation energy. The (pi,pi' p) data were analyzed by a distorted wave impulse approximation code 3DEE (Ch 82), (Re 82). 3DEE models the ( pi,pi' p) reaction as a pion -induced proton knock-out and includes distortions in the incident pion, the outgoing pion, and the emitted proton waves. The calculations give R_{pi p} between 6 and 9 at all proton and pion angles. The pi^{+} calculations reproduce the absolute pi^ {+} cross sections fairly well. The pi^{-} calculations have a peak in the angular correlation function near the quasi-free angle, in contrast to the pi^ {-} data which displays a flat distribution. At proton angles near 180^circ in the center of mass of the struck mass 4 system, the measured pi^{-} cross sections are larger than the pi^ {+} cross section which is the reverse of the ratio at 0^circ. These features of the measured pi^- cross sections indicate that interference between a quasi -free process and another process is important in the ( pi,pi^' p) reaction. The measurement of ^4He( pi,pi) elastic scattering data at theta_pi = 110 ^circ-170^circ extends the angular range of previous ^4He(pi,pi) data measured at EPICS. The experiment provides high quality elastic scattering data at backward angles. The pi^{-} elastic cross section at T_pi = 180 MeV measured for this dissertation when extrapolated to theta _{cm} = 180^circ is about a factor of two smaller than the cross section measured previously at CERN (Ref. (Bi 78)). The data were analyzed using a microscopic optical model and by a phase shift fit.

Early mortality in SCN8A-related epilepsies.

PubMed

Johannesen, Katrine M; Gardella, Elena; Scheffer, Ingrid; Howell, Katherine; Smith, Douglas M; Helbig, Ingo; Møller, Rikke S; Rubboli, Guido

2018-07-01

SCN8A-related epilepsies are often severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. Seizures can be treatment resistant, and patients suffer from severe intellectual disability. Reports have suggested that SCN8A-related epilepsies have a high mortality with SUDEP as the major underlying cause. SUDEP is a catastrophic event, and the risk of occurrence should be correctly and carefully discussed with patients and families. We tested the hypothesis of SUDEP as the main cause of death in SCN8A-related epilepsies by reviewing all the currently reported patients with SCN8A. In addition, we collected unpublished patients through an international network. In total, we reviewed the data of 190 patients. In our cohort, 10 patients were deceased, and the overall mortality was 5.3%. Within the ten deceased patients, age at death ranged from 16 months to 17 years; the majority (7/10) of them died in early childhood. Three patients died of probable or definite SUDEP. Thus, our data do not indicate an increased risk when compared to other DEEs. Indeed, death in SCN8A-related epilepsies seems to occur most often in children experiencing a relentless worsening of their epilepsy and neurological condition, rendering them susceptible to pulmonary infections and respiratory distress that ultimately can be fatal. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regional ground-water discharge to large streams in the upper coastal plain of South Carolina and parts of North Carolina and Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aucott, W.R.; Meadows, R.S.; Patterson, G.G.

1987-01-01

Base flow was computed to estimate discharge from regional aquifers for six large streams in the upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina and parts of North Carolina and Georgia. Aquifers that sustain the base flow of both large and small streams are stratified into shallow and deep flow systems. Base-flow during dry conditions on main stems of large streams was assumed to be the discharge from the deep groundwater flow system. Six streams were analyzed: the Savannah, South and North Fork Edisto, Lynches, Pee Dee, and the Luber Rivers. Stream reaches in the Upper Coastal Plain were studied because of the relatively large aquifer discharge in these areas in comparison to the lower Coastal Plain. Estimates of discharge from the deep groundwater flow system to the six large streams averaged 1.8 cu ft/sec/mi of stream and 0.11 cu ft/sec/sq mi of surface drainage area. The estimates were made by subtracting all tributary inflows from the discharge gain between two gaging stations on a large stream during an extreme low-flow period. These estimates pertain only to flow in the deep groundwater flow system. Shallow flow systems and total base flow are > flow in the deep system. (USGS)

TOPSIS-based parametric optimization of compression ignition engine performance and emission behavior with bael oil blends for different EGR and charge inlet temperature.

PubMed

Muniappan, Krishnamoorthi; Rajalingam, Malayalamurthi

2018-05-02

The demand for higher fuel energy and lesser exhaust emissions of diesel engines can be achieved by fuel being used and engine operating parameters. In the present work, effects of engine speed (RPM), injection timing (IT), injection pressure (IP), and compression ratio (CR) on performance and emission characteristics of a compression ignition (CI) engine were investigated. The ternary test fuel of 65% diesel + 25% bael oil + 10% diethyl ether (DEE) was used in this work and test was conducted at different charge inlet temperature (CIT) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). All the experiments are conducted at the tradeoff engine load that is 75% engine load. When operating the diesel engine with 320 K CIT, brake thermal efficiency (BTE) is improved to 28.6%, and carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions have been reduced to 0.025% and 12.5 ppm at 18 CR. The oxide of nitrogen (NOx) has been reduced to 240 ppm at 1500 rpm for 30% EGR mode. Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is frequently used in multi-factor selection and gray correlation analysis method is used to study uncertain of the systems.

Pixel-based flood mapping from SAR imagery: a comparison of approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landuyt, Lisa; Van Wesemael, Alexandra; Van Coillie, Frieke M. B.; Verhoest, Niko E. C.

2017-04-01

Due to their all-weather, day and night capabilities, SAR sensors have been shown to be particularly suitable for flood mapping applications. Thus, they can provide spatially-distributed flood extent data which are valuable for calibrating, validating and updating flood inundation models. These models are an invaluable tool for water managers, to take appropriate measures in times of high water levels. Image analysis approaches to delineate flood extent on SAR imagery are numerous. They can be classified into two categories, i.e. pixel-based and object-based approaches. Pixel-based approaches, e.g. thresholding, are abundant and in general computationally inexpensive. However, large discrepancies between these techniques exist and often subjective user intervention is needed. Object-based approaches require more processing but allow for the integration of additional object characteristics, like contextual information and object geometry, and thus have significant potential to provide an improved classification result. As means of benchmark, a selection of pixel-based techniques is applied on a ERS-2 SAR image of the 2006 flood event of River Dee, United Kingdom. This selection comprises Otsu thresholding, Kittler & Illingworth thresholding, the Fine To Coarse segmentation algorithm and active contour modelling. The different classification results are evaluated and compared by means of several accuracy measures, including binary performance measures.

Chemical pollutants in relation to diseases in fish

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, E.R.; Sinclair, T.; Keith, L.

1977-01-01

Studies were conducted on the frequency of oncogenic disease in fishes in polluted waters and interrelationships of human pathogens to aquatic problems. Chemical surveys were made of the polluted Fox River and the pollution-free Canadian Lake of the Woods. A table is presented to show fish diseases in polluted and nonpolluted waters. An experiment on the effects of certain minerals on bluegills showed a deleterious effect on longevity of the fish. The following diseases are discussed with regard to causative organism, symptoms, and incidence: columnaris disease, hemorrhagic disease, Dee (kidney) disease, saprolegnia, black spot, catfish virus disease, lymphocystis, lymphoreticular neoplasms,more » and hepatoma. To determine the efficiency and toxicity of disinfectants used in the treatment of sewage, minnows were raised in effluent from sewage treatment plants and additionally treated with disinfectants. Polio types 1-3 were present in intestinal tracts of fish raised in effluent that was not disinfected and in fish exposed to effluent treated with bromochloride and ozone. Levels of chlorine used were capable of eliminating a potential health hazard; other treatments such as bromochlorination and ozonation were not able to eliminate this possibility. Studies on the toxicity of vinyl chloride to northern pike showed that the fish were killed rapidly by this chemical. (HLW)« less

[Review of estimation on oceanic primary productivity by using remote sensing methods.

PubMed

Xu, Hong Yun; Zhou, Wei Feng; Ji, Shi Jian

2016-09-01

Accuracy estimation of oceanic primary productivity is of great significance in the assessment and management of fisheries resources, marine ecology systems, global change and other fields. The traditional measurement and estimation of oceanic primary productivity has to rely on in situ sample data by vessels. Satellite remote sensing has advantages of providing dynamic and eco-environmental parameters of ocean surface at large scale in real time. Thus, satellite remote sensing has increasingly become an important means for oceanic primary productivity estimation on large spatio-temporal scale. Combining with the development of ocean color sensors, the models to estimate the oceanic primary productivity by satellite remote sensing have been developed that could be mainly summarized as chlorophyll-based, carbon-based and phytoplankton absorption-based approach. The flexibility and complexity of the three kinds of models were presented in the paper. On this basis, the current research status for global estimation of oceanic primary productivity was analyzed and evaluated. In view of these, four research fields needed to be strengthened in further stu-dy: 1) Global oceanic primary productivity estimation should be segmented and studied, 2) to dee-pen the research on absorption coefficient of phytoplankton, 3) to enhance the technology of ocea-nic remote sensing, 4) to improve the in situ measurement of primary productivity.

ER-2 #809 in Kiruna, Sweden for the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) with pilot Dee Porter entry for first flight

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-01-24

ER-2s bearing tail numbers 806 and 809 are used as airborne science platforms by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s are capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically fly at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, an ER-2 set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet. The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F-118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2.

Universality in a Neutral Evolution Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Dawn; Scott, Adam; Maric, Nevena; Bahar, Sonya

2013-03-01

Agent-based models are ideal for investigating the complex problems of biodiversity and speciation because they allow for complex interactions between individuals and between individuals and the environment. Presented here is a ``null'' model that investigates three mating types - assortative, bacterial, and random - in phenotype space, as a function of the percentage of random death δ. Previous work has shown phase transition behavior in an assortative mating model with variable fitness landscapes as the maximum mutation size (μ) was varied (Dees and Bahar, 2010). Similarly, this behavior was recently presented in the work of Scott et al. (submitted), on a completely neutral landscape, for bacterial-like fission as well as for assortative mating. Here, in order to achieve an appropriate ``null'' hypothesis, the random death process was changed so each individual, in each generation, has the same probability of death. Results show a continuous nonequilibrium phase transition for the order parameters of the population size and the number of clusters (analogue of species) as δ is varied for three different mutation sizes of the system. The system shows increasing robustness as μ increases. Universality classes and percolation properties of this system are also explored. This research was supported by funding from: University of Missouri Research Board and James S. McDonnell Foundation

The role of bio-physical cohesive substrates on sediment winnowing and bedform development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Leiping; Parsons, Daniel; Manning, Andrew

2017-04-01

Existing sediment transport and bedform size predictions for natural open-channel flows in many environments are seriously impeded by a lack of process-based knowledge concerning the dynamics of complex bed sediment mixtures comprising cohesionless sand and biologically-active cohesive muds. A series of flume experiments (14 experimental runs) with different substrate mixtures of sand-clay-EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substance) are combined with a detailed estuarine field survey (Dee estuary, NW England) to investigate the development of bedform morphologies and characteristics of suspended sediment over bio-physical cohesive substrates. The experimental results indicate that winnowing and sediment sorting can occur pervasively in bio-physical cohesive sediment - flow systems. Importantly however, the evolution of the bed and bedform dynamics, and hence turbulence production, is significantly reduced as bed substrate cohesivity increases. The estuarine subtidal zone survey also revealed that the bio-physical cohesion provided by both the clay and microorganism fractions in the bed plays a significant role in controlling the interactions between bed substrate and sediment suspension, deposition and bedform generation. The work will be presented here concludes by outlining the need to extend and revisit the effects of cohesivity in morphodynamic systems and the sets of parameters presently used in numerical modelling, particularly in the context of the impact of climate change on estuarine and coastal systems.

Sizable electron/neutron electric dipole moment in D 3 /D 7 μ -split supersymmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhuria, Mansi; Misra, Aalok

2014-10-01

Within the framework of N =1 gauged supergravity, using a phenomenological model that can be obtained locally as a Swiss-cheese Calabi-Yau string-theoretic compactification with a mobile D 3 -brane localized on a nearly special Lagrangian three cycle in the Calabi-Yau and fluxed stacks of wrapped D 7 -branes, and which provides a natural realization of μ -split supersymmetry (SUSY), we show that in addition to getting a significant value of an [electron/neutron (e/n)] electron dipole moment (EDM) at two-loop level, one can obtain a sizable contribution of (e/n) EDM even at one-loop level due to the presence of heavy supersymmetric fermions nearly isospectral with heavy sfermions. Unlike traditional split SUSY models in which the one-loop diagrams do not give significant contribution to the EDM of the electron/neutron because of very heavy sfermions existing as propagators in the loop, we show that one obtains a "healthy" value of the EDM in our model because of the presence of a heavy Higgsino, neutralino/chargino, and gaugino as fermionic propagators in the loops. The independent C P -violating phases are generated from nontrivial distinct phase factors associated with four Wilson line moduli [identified with first-generation leptons and quarks and their S U (2 )L -singlet cousins] as well as the D 3 -brane position moduli (identified with two Higgses), and the same are sufficient to produce overall distinct phase factors corresponding to all possible effective Yukawas as well as effective gauge couplings that we discuss in the context of N =1 gauged supergravity action. However, the complex phases responsible to generate a nonzero EDM at one-loop level mainly appear from an off-diagonal contribution of sfermion as well as Higgs mass matrices at the electroweak scale (EW). In our analysis, we obtain a dominant contribution of the electron/neutron EDM around de/e ≡O (1 0-29) cm from two-loop diagrams involving heavy sfermions and a light Higgs, and de/e ≡O (1 0-32) cm from a one-loop diagram involving a heavy chargino and a light Higgs as propagators in the loop. The neutron EDM gets a dominant contribution of the order dn/e ≡O (1 0-33) cm from the one-loop diagram involving SM-like quarks and Higgs. To justify the possibility of obtaining a large EDM value in the case of a Barr-Zee diagram which involves W± and the Higgs (responsible to generate the nontrivial C P -violating phase) in the two-loop diagrams as discussed by Leigh et al. [Nucl. Phys. B267, 509 (1986)], we provide an analysis of the same in the context of our D 3 /D 7 μ -split SUSY model at the EW scale. By conjecturing that the C P -violating phase can appear from the diagonalization of the Higgs mass matrix obtained in the context of μ -split SUSY, we also get an EDM of the electron/neutron around O (1 0-27) e cm in the case of the two-loop diagram involving W± bosons.

Ernest Orlando Lawrence (1901-1958), Cyclotron and Medicine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chu, William T.

On August 8, 2001, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory celebrated the centennial of the birth of its founder (and namesake), Ernest Orlando Lawrence. For the occasion, many speeches were given and old speeches were remembered. We recall the words of the late Luis Alvarez, a Nobel Laureate and one of the Lawrence's closest colleagues: ''Lawrence will always be remembered as the inventor of the cyclotron, but more importantly, he should be remembered as the inventor of the modern way of doing science''. J. L. Heilbron and R. W. Seidel, in the introduction of their book, ''Lawrence and His Laboratory'' stated, ''Themore » motives and mechanisms that shaped the growth of the Laboratory helped to force deep changes in the scientific estate and in the wider society. In the entrepreneurship of its founder, Ernest Orlando Lawrence, these motives, mechanisms, and changes came together in a tight focus. He mobilized great and small philanthropists, state and local governments, corporations, and plutocrats, volunteers and virtuosos. The work they supported, from astrophysics and atomic bombs, from radiochemistry to nuclear medicine, shaped the way we observe, control, and manipulate our environment.'' Indeed, all over the civilized world, the ways we do science changed forever after Lawrence built his famed Radiation Laboratory. In this editorial, we epitomize his legacy of changing the way we do medicine, thereby affecting the health and well being of all humanity. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the invention of the cyclotron by Ernest Orlando Lawrence at the University of California at Berkeley. Lawrence conceived the idea of the cyclotron early in 1929 after reading an article by Rolf Wideroe on high-energy accelerators. In the spring of 1930 one of his students, Nels Edlefsen, constructed two crude models of a cyclotron. Later in the fall of the same year, another student, M. Stanley Livingston, constructed a 13-cm diameter model that had all the features of early cyclotrons, accelerating protons to 80,000 volts using less than 1,000 volts on a semi-circular accelerating electrode, now called the ''dee''. Following the discovery by J. D. Cockcroft and E. T. S. Walton of how to produce larger currents at higher voltages, Lawrence constructed the first two-dee 27-Inch (69-cm) Cyclotron, which produced protons and deuterons of 4.8 MeV. The 27-Inch Cyclotron was used extensively in early investigations of nuclear reactions involving neutrons and artificial radioactivity. In 1939, working with William Brobeck, Lawrence constructed the 60-Inch (150-cm) Cyclotron, which accelerated deuterons to 19 MeV. It was housed in the Crocker Laboratory, where scientists first made transmutations of some elements, discovered several transuranic elements, and created hundreds of radioisotopes of known elements. At the Crocker Laboratory the new medical modality called nuclear medicine was born, which used radioisotopes for diagnosis and treatment of human diseases. In 1939 Lawrence was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, and later element 103 was named ''Lawrencium'' in his honor.« less

Design and research of RF system for 10 MeV compact cyclotron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dong; Hu, TongNing; Liu, KaiFeng; Yang, Jun

2011-12-01

A 10 MeV compact cyclotron (CYCHU-10) has been developing in Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). The RF system includes a 10 kW RF power generator and a resonance cavity. There is no automatic frequency tuning equipment in the cavity due to space limitations, so the generator must search and track the cavity resonant frequency. AD9850 synthesizer is used to generate RF signal in the experimental prototype, and a fine sinusoidal waveform around 99 MHz is obtained with the method of picking up a special aliased signal from the synthesizer's output, and the output power level can be set by regulating the resistor connected to the Pin ` R set'. The final stage amplifier based on tetrode operates in the grounded cathode configuration, and the schematic of the tetrode circuit is illustrated. The method of searching the resonant frequency is discussed in detail. For the sake of a compact and robust structure, the resonance cavity will adopt non-uniform characteristic impedance coaxial structure, and the magnet surface electroplated with copper will be used as dummy Dees. The precise shapes and dimensions of the cavity are designed and simulation results are carried out in this paper. The distributions of electromagnetic field are illustrated by means of numerical calculation analysis, and the wooden model test is preformed as well.

The Ripley Scroll of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

PubMed

McCallum, R I

1996-01-01

Alchemical scrolls associated with George Ripley are unusual documents which illustrate the pursuit of the Philosophers Stone. Scrolls vary from about 5 feet in length by 5 inches wide to over 20 feet long and about 3 feet wide. There are 16 scrolls in libraries in the UK and 4 in the USA. Ripley whose name is attached to the scrolls was a Canon of Bridlington in Yorkshire and lived from about 1415 to 1495. He is renowned as an alchemist and author of alchemical works in rhyme, and his verses are used on the scrolls. Some of the scrolls were produced in the 16th century, in Lübeck, probably at the request of John Dee the Elizabethan polymath. A Ripley scroll is in the library of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh to which it was presented in 1707. The only published description of this scroll appeared in 1876, and it has not apparently been studied since. Interest in Ripley scrolls has grown in recent years and there have been a number of publications describing them since 1990. The Edinburgh scroll is described and is compared with the other scrolls which have been seen personally or for which detailed descriptions have been published. The origin, significance and use of Ripley Scrolls are discussed in an attempt to define their contemporary role.

The 7Q10 in South Carolina water-quality regulation: Nearly fifty years later

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feaster, Toby D.; Cantrell, Wade M.

2010-01-01

The annual minimum 7-day average streamflow with a 10-year recurrence interval, often referred to as the 7Q10, has a long history of being an important low-flow statistic used in water-quality management in South Carolina as evidenced by its adoption into South Carolina law in 1967. State agencies, such as the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, use such lowflow statistics to determine Wasteload Allocations for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System discharges, develop Total Maximum Daily Loads for streams, prepare the State Water Plan, and restrict the quantity of water that can be transferred out of basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, working cooperatively with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, is updating low-flow statistics at continuous-record streamflow gages in South Carolina on a basin-by-basin approach. Such statistics are influenced by length of record and hydrologic conditions under which the record was collected. Statewide low-flow statistics in South Carolina were last updated in 1987. Since that time several droughts have occurred with the most severe occurring from 1998-2002 and the most recent occurring from 2006-2009. The low-flow statistics for the Pee Dee River basin were the first to be completed in this ongoing investigation.

Observation of finite-. beta. MHD phenomena in tokamaks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGuire, K.M.

1984-09-01

Stable high-beta plasmas are required for the tokamak to attain an economical fusion reactor. Recently, intense neutral beam heating experiments in tokamaks have shown new effects on plasma stability and confinement associated with high beta plasmas. The observed spectrum of MHD fluctuations at high beta is clearly dominated by the n = 1 mode when the q = 1 surface is in the plasma. The m/n = 1/1 mode drives other n = 1 modes through toroidal coupling and n > 1 modes through nonlinear coupling. On PDX, with near perpendicular injection, a resonant interaction between the n = 1more » internal kink and the trapped fast ions results in loss of beam particles and heating power. Key parameters in the theory are the value of q/sub 0/ and the injection angle. High frequency broadband magnetic fluctuations have been observed on ISX-B and D-III and a correlation with the deterioration of plasma confinement was reported. During enhanced confinement (H-mode) discharges in divertor plasmas, two new edge instabilities were observed, both localized radially near the separatrix. By assembling results from the different tokamak experiments, it is found that the simple theoretical ideal MHD beta limit has not been exceeded. Whether this represents an ultimate tokamak limit or if beta optimized configurations (Dee- or bean-shaped plasmas) can exceed this limit and perhaps enter a second regime of stability remains to be clarified.« less

Winnowing and Flocculation in Bio-physical Cohesive Substrate: A Flume Experimental and Estuarine Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, L.; Parsons, D. R.; Manning, A. J.

2016-12-01

Cohesive sediment, or mud, is ubiquitously found in most aqueous environments, such as coasts and estuaries. The study of cohesive sediment behaviors requires the synchronous description of mutual interactions of grains (e.g., winnowing and flocculation), their physical properties (e.g., grain size) and also the ambient water. Herein, a series of flume experiments (14 runs) with different substrate mixtures of sand-clay-EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substrates: secreted by aquatic microorganisms) are combined with an estuarine field survey (Dee estuary, NW England) to investigate the behavior of suspensions over bio-physical cohesive substrates. The experimental results indicate that winnowing and flocculation occur pervasively in bio-physical cohesive flow systems. Importantly however, the evolution of the bed and bedform dynamics and hence turbulence production can be lower when cohesivity is high. The estuarine survey also revealed that the bio-physical cohesion provided by both the clay and microorganism fractions in the bed, that pervasively exists in many natural estuarine systems, plays a significant role in controlling the interactions between bed substrate and sediment suspension and deposition, including controlling processes such as sediment winnowing, flocculation and re-deposition. Full understanding of these processes are essential in advancing sediment transport modelling and prediction studies across natural estuarine systems and the work will report on an improved conceptual model for sediment sorting deposition in bio-physical cohesive substrates.

Genetic admixture of eight Mexican indigenous populations: based on five polymarker, HLA-DQA1, ABO, and RH loci.

PubMed

Buentello-Malo, Leonora; Peñaloza-Espinosa, Rosenda I; Salamanca-Gómez, Fabio; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M

2008-01-01

This study explores the genetic admixture of eight Mexican indigenous populations (Otomi-Ixmiquilpan, Otomi-Actopan, Tzeltales, Nahua-Milpa-Alta, Nahua-Xochimilco, Nahua-Zitlala, Nahua-Ixhuatlancillo, and Nahua-Coyolillo) on the basis of five PCR-based polymorphic DNA loci (LDLR, GYPA, HBGG, D7S8, GC), HLA_DQA1, and the blood groups ABO and Rh (CcDEe). Among the indigenous populations, the highest gene frequencies for O and D were 0.9703 and 1.000 for Zitlala (State of Guerrero) and 0.9955 and 0.9414 for Tzeltales (State of Chiapas), respectively. Maximum likelihood estimates of admixture components yield a trihybrid model with Amerindian (assuming that Nahua-Zitlala is the most representative indigenous population), Spanish, and African ancestry with the admixture proportions: 93.03, 6.03, and 0.94 for Tzeltales, and 28.99, 44.03, and 26.98 for Coyolillo. A contribution of the ancestral populations of Ixhuatlancillo, Actopan, Ixmiquilpan, Milpa-Alta, and Xochimilco were found with the following average of admixture proportions: 75.84, 22.50, and 1.66. The findings herein demonstrate that the genetic admixture of the Mexican indigenous populations who at present speak the same Amer-Indian language can be differentiated and that the majority of them have less ancestral indigenous contribution than those considered as Mestizo populations.

Functional traits and ecological affinities of riparian plants along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Palmquist, Emily C.; Ralston, Barbara E.; Sarr. Daniel,; Merritt, David; Shafroth, Patrick B; Scott, Julian

2017-01-01

Trait-based approaches to vegetation analyses are becoming more prevalent in studies of riparian vegetation dynamics, including responses to flow regulation, groundwater pumping, and climate change. These analyses require species trait data compiled from the literature and floras or original field measurements. Gathering such data makes trait-based research time intensive at best and impracticable in some cases. To support trait-based analysis of vegetation along the Colorado River through Grand Canyon, a data set of 20 biological traits and ecological affinities for 179 species occurring in that study area was compiled. This diverse flora shares species with many riparian areas in the western USA and includes species that occur across a wide moisture gradient. Data were compiled from published scientific papers, unpublished reports, plant fact sheets, existing trait databases, regional floras, and plant guides. Data for ordinal environmental tolerances were more readily available than were quantitative traits. More publicly available data are needed for traits of both common and rare southwestern U.S. plant species to facilitate comprehensive, trait-based research. The trait data set is free to use and can be downloaded from ScienceBase: https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/58af41dee4b01ccd54f9f2ff and https://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7QV3JN1

Automated Identification of River Hydromorphological Features Using UAV High Resolution Aerial Imagery.

PubMed

Casado, Monica Rivas; Gonzalez, Rocio Ballesteros; Kriechbaumer, Thomas; Veal, Amanda

2015-11-04

European legislation is driving the development of methods for river ecosystem protection in light of concerns over water quality and ecology. Key to their success is the accurate and rapid characterisation of physical features (i.e., hydromorphology) along the river. Image pattern recognition techniques have been successfully used for this purpose. The reliability of the methodology depends on both the quality of the aerial imagery and the pattern recognition technique used. Recent studies have proved the potential of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to increase the quality of the imagery by capturing high resolution photography. Similarly, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) have been shown to be a high precision tool for automated recognition of environmental patterns. This paper presents a UAV based framework for the identification of hydromorphological features from high resolution RGB aerial imagery using a novel classification technique based on ANNs. The framework is developed for a 1.4 km river reach along the river Dee in Wales, United Kingdom. For this purpose, a Falcon 8 octocopter was used to gather 2.5 cm resolution imagery. The results show that the accuracy of the framework is above 81%, performing particularly well at recognising vegetation. These results leverage the use of UAVs for environmental policy implementation and demonstrate the potential of ANNs and RGB imagery for high precision river monitoring and river management.

Marsh soils as potential sinks for Bacteroides fecal indicator bacteria, Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, Georgetown, SC, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drexler, Judith Z.; Johnson, Heather E.; Duris, Joseph W.; Krauss, Ken W.

2014-01-01

A soil core collected in a tidal freshwater marsh in the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge (Georgetown, SC) exuded a particularly strong odor of cow manure upon extrusion. In order to test for manure and determine its provenance, we carried out microbial source tracking using DNA markers for Bacteroides, a noncoliform, anaerobic bacterial group that represents a broad group of the fecal population. Three core sections from 0-3 cm, 9-12 cm and 30-33 were analyzed for the presence of Bacteroides. The ages of core sediments were estimated using 210Pb and 137Cs dating. All three core sections tested positive for Bacteroides DNA markers related to cow or deer feces. Because cow manure is stockpiled, used as fertilizer, and a source of direct contamination in the Great Pee Dee River/Winyah Bay watershed, it is very likely the source of the Bacteroides that was deposited on the marsh. The mid-points of the core sections were dated as follows: 0-3 cm: 2009; 9-12 cm: 1999, and 30-33 cm: 1961. The presence of Bacteroides at different depths/ages in the soil profile indicates that soils in tidal freshwater marshes are, at the least, capable of being short-term sinks for Bacteroides and, may have the potential to be long-term sinks of stable, naturalized populations.

Kondogogu gum-Zn+2-pectinate emulgel matrices reinforced with mesoporous silica for intragastric furbiprofen delivery.

PubMed

Bera, Hriday; Nadimpalli, Jhansirani; Kumar, Sanoj; Vengala, Pavani

2017-11-01

Flurbiprofen (FLU), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, exhibits limited clinical response due to its poor physicochemical properties. This study aimed at developing reliable drug carriers for intrgastric FLU delivery with a view to improve biopharmaceutical characteristics of drug and modulate its release in a controlled manner. In this context, FLU-loaded kondogogu gum (KG)-Zn +2 -low methoxyl (LM) pectinate emulgel matrices reinforced with calcium silicate (CS) were accomplished by ionotropic gelation technique employing zinc acetate as cross-linker and characterized for their in vitro performances. All the formulations demonstrated excellent drug encapsulation efficiency (DEE, 46-87%) and sustained drug release behavior (Q 7h , 70-91%). These quality attributes were remarkably influenced by polymer-blend (LM pectin:KG) ratios, low-density oil types and CS inclusion. The drug release profile of the FLU-loaded optimized matrices (F-7) was best fitted in Korsmeyer-Peppas model with Fickian diffusion driven mechanism. It also conferred excellent in vitro gastroretention capabilities. Moreover, the drug-excipient compatibility, alteration of crystallinity and thermal behavior of drug and surface morphology of matrices were evidenced with the results of FTIR, XRD, DSC and SEM analyses, respectively. Thus, the newly developed matrices are appropriate for sustained intragastric FLU delivery and simultaneous zinc supplementation for effective inflammation and arthritis management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CLIVAR-GSOP/GODAE Ocean Synthesis Inter-Comparison of Global Air-Sea Fluxes From Ocean and Coupled Reanalyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdivieso, Maria

2014-05-01

The GODAE OceanView and CLIVAR-GSOP ocean synthesis program has been assessing the degree of consistency between global air-sea flux data sets obtained from ocean or coupled reanalyses (Valdivieso et al., 2014). So far, fifteen global air-sea heat flux products obtained from ocean or coupled reanalyses have been examined: seven are from low-resolution ocean reanalyses (BOM PEODAS, ECMWF ORAS4, JMA/MRI MOVEG2, JMA/MRI MOVECORE, Hamburg Univ. GECCO2, JPL ECCOv4, and NCEP GODAS), five are from eddy-permitting ocean reanalyses developed as part of the EU GMES MyOcean program (Mercator GLORYS2v1, Reading Univ. UR025.3, UR025.4, UKMO GloSea5, and CMCC C-GLORS), and the remaining three are couple reanalyses based on coupled climate models (JMA/MRI MOVE-C, GFDL ECDA and NCEP CFSR). The global heat closure in the products over the period 1993-2009 spanned by all data sets is presented in comparison with observational and atmospheric reanalysis estimates. Then, global maps of ensemble spread in the seasonal cycle, and of the Signal to Noise Ratio of interannual flux variability over the 17-yr common period are shown to illustrate the consistency between the products. We have also studied regional variability in the products, particularly at the OceanSITES project locations (such as, for instance, the TAO/TRITON and PIRATA arrays in the Tropical Pacific and Atlantic, respectively). Comparisons are being made with other products such as OAFlux latent and sensible heat fluxes (Yu et al., 2008) combined with ISCCP satellite-based radiation (Zhang et al., 2004), the ship-based NOC2.0 product (Berry and Kent, 2009), the Large and Yeager (2009) hybrid flux dataset CORE.2, and two atmospheric reanalysis products, the ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis (referred to as ERAi, Dee et al., 2011) and the NCEP/DOE reanalysis R2 (referred to as NCEP-R2, Kanamitsu et al., 2002). Preliminary comparisons with the observational flux products from OceanSITES are also underway. References Berry, D.I. and E.C. Kent (2009), A New Air-Sea Interaction Gridded Dataset from ICOADS with Uncertainty Estimates. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc 90(5), 645-656. doi: 10.1175/2008BAMS2639.1. Dee, D. P. et al. (2011), The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system. Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc., 137: 553-597. doi: 10.1002/qj.828. Kanamitsu M., Ebitsuzaki W., Woolen J., Yang S.K., Hnilo J.J., Fiorino M., Potter G. (2002), NCEP-DOE AMIP-II reanalysis (R-2). Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 83:1631-1643. Large, W. and Yeager, S. (2009), The global climatology of an interannually varying air-sea flux data set. Clim. Dynamics, Volume 33, pp 341-364 Valdivieso, M. and co-authors (2014): Heat fluxes from ocean and coupled reanalyses, Clivar Exchanges. Issue 64. Yu, L., X. Jin, and R. A. Weller (2008), Multidecade Global Flux Datasets from the Objectively Analyzed Air-sea Fluxes (OAFlux) Project: Latent and Sensible Heat Fluxes, Ocean Evaporation, and Related Surface Meteorological Variables. Technical Report OAFlux Project (OA2008-01), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Zhang, Y., WB Rossow, AA Lacis, V Oinas, MI Mishchenk (2004), Calculation of radiative fluxes from the surface to top of atmsophere based on ISCCP and other global data sets. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (1984-2012) 109 (D19).

Integrated cost-effectiveness analysis of agri-environmental measures for water quality.

PubMed

Balana, Bedru B; Jackson-Blake, Leah; Martin-Ortega, Julia; Dunn, Sarah

2015-09-15

This paper presents an application of integrated methodological approach for identifying cost-effective combinations of agri-environmental measures to achieve water quality targets. The methodological approach involves linking hydro-chemical modelling with economic costs of mitigation measures. The utility of the approach was explored for the River Dee catchment in North East Scotland, examining the cost-effectiveness of mitigation measures for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollutants. In-stream nitrate concentration was modelled using the STREAM-N and phosphorus using INCA-P model. Both models were first run for baseline conditions and then their effectiveness for changes in land management was simulated. Costs were based on farm income foregone, capital and operational expenditures. The costs and effects data were integrated using 'Risk Solver Platform' optimization in excel to produce the most cost-effective combination of measures by which target nutrient reductions could be attained at a minimum economic cost. The analysis identified different combination of measures as most cost-effective for the two pollutants. An important aspect of this paper is integration of model-based effectiveness estimates with economic cost of measures for cost-effectiveness analysis of land and water management options. The methodological approach developed is not limited to the two pollutants and the selected agri-environmental measures considered in the paper; the approach can be adapted to the cost-effectiveness analysis of any catchment-scale environmental management options. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of riparian vegetation density, channel orientation and water velocity in determining river temperature dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garner, Grace; Malcolm, Iain A.; Sadler, Jonathan P.; Hannah, David M.

2017-10-01

A simulation experiment was used to understand the importance of riparian vegetation density, channel orientation and flow velocity for stream energy budgets and river temperature dynamics. Water temperature and meteorological observations were obtained in addition to hemispherical photographs along a ∼1 km reach of the Girnock Burn, a tributary of the Aberdeenshire Dee, Scotland. Data from nine hemispherical images (representing different uniform canopy density scenarios) were used to parameterise a deterministic net radiation model and simulate radiative fluxes. For each vegetation scenario, the effects of eight channel orientations were investigated by changing the position of north at 45° intervals in each hemispheric image. Simulated radiative fluxes and observed turbulent fluxes drove a high-resolution water temperature model of the reach. Simulations were performed under low and high water velocity scenarios. Both velocity scenarios yielded decreases in mean (≥1.6 °C) and maximum (≥3.0 °C) temperature as canopy density increased. Slow-flowing water resided longer within the reach, which enhanced heat accumulation and dissipation, and drove higher maximum and lower minimum temperatures. Intermediate levels of shade produced highly variable energy flux and water temperature dynamics depending on the channel orientation and thus the time of day when the channel was shaded. We demonstrate that in many reaches relatively sparse but strategically located vegetation could produce substantial reductions in maximum temperature and suggest that these criteria are used to inform future river management.

Behavior of 226Ra in the Mississippi River mixing zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Daniel G.; Scott, Martha R.

1986-12-01

The behavior of 226Ra in the Mississippi River mixing zone is strongly nonconservative and includes desorption similar to that reported for the Hudson, Pee Dee, and Amazon rivers. However, dissolved and desorbed 226Ra concentrations in the Mississippi are 2 to 5 times greater than in the other rivers at the same salinity. Radium concentrations vary inversely with the water discharge rate. The 226Ra desorption maximum occurs at a salinity of 5.0, much lower than the 18 to 28 salinity values for the maxima of the other three rivers. High concentrations of dissolved 226Ra (up to 82 dpm per 100 L) and the low salinity values for the desorption maximum in the Mississippi River result from three major factors. Suspended sediments include a large fraction of montmorillonite, which gives the sediment a high cation exchange capacity, 0.54 meq/g. The average suspended sediment load is large, about 510 mg/L, and contains 1.9 dpm/g desorbable 226Ra. The dissolved 226Ra river water end-member (9.6 dpm per 100 L) is higher than in surface seawater. The annual contribution of 226Ra to the ocean from the Mississippi River is 3.7 × 1014 dpm/yr, based on data from three cruises. Evidence of flux of 226Ra from estuarine and shelf sediments is common in vertical profile sampling of the deltaic waters but is not reflected in calculations made with an "apparent" river water Ra value extrapolated to zero salinity.

Heterospecific discrimination of Poecile vocalizations by zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata).

PubMed

Guillette, Lauren M; Hoeschele, Marisa; Hahn, Allison H; Sturdy, Christopher B

2013-08-01

Previous perceptual research with black-capped and mountain chickadees has demonstrated that the D note of the namesake chick-a-dee call controlled species-based discrimination compared to other note types in this call. In the current experiment, we sought to determine whether discrimination performance of the chickadees was controlled by stimulus-specific properties or due to learning through experience. To accomplish this, we tested zebra finches, a songbird species that is distantly related to chickadees, and also unfamiliar with black-capped and mountain chickadee vocalizations, on the same species-based discrimination on which black-capped and mountain chickadees were previously trained. We found that zebra finches learned the discrimination in the fewest number of trials with the D note, compared to other note types (i.e., the A, B, and C notes). In addition, we compared the current results to earlier work and found that zebra finches learned the discrimination in fewer trials compared to black-capped chickadees, and, across all species, males learned the discrimination in fewer trials than females. We discuss the roles that acoustic complexity and learning play in classification of the three species of songbirds tested. More generally, these results point to the benefits derived from testing members of each sex in species that vary in their natural history, vocal output, and phylogenetic relatedness as a means to uncover the mechanisms underlying acoustic communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

Demonstration of optimum fuel-to-moderator ratio in a PWR unit fuel cell

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feltus, M.A.; Pozsgai, C.

1992-01-01

Nuclear engineering students at The Pennsylvania State University develop scaled-down [[approx]350 MW(thermal)] pressurized water reactors (PWRs) using actual plants as references. The design criteria include maintaining the clad temperature below 2200[degree]F, fuel temperature below melting point, sufficient departure from nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR) margin, a beginning-of-life boron concentration that yields a negative moderator temperature coefficient, an adequate cycle power production (330 effective full-power days), and a batch loading scheme that is economical. The design project allows for many degrees of freedom (e.g., assembly number, pitch and height and batch enrichments) so that each student's result is unique. The iterative naturemore » of the design process is stressed in the course. The LEOPARD code is used for the unit cell depletion, critical boron, and equilibrium xenon calculations. Radial two-group diffusion equations are solved with the TWIDDLE-DEE code. The steady-state ZEBRA thermal-hydraulics program is used for calculating DNBR. The unit fuel cell pin radius and pitch (fuel-to-moerator ratio) for the scaled-down design, however, was set equal to the already optimized ratio for the reference PWR. This paper describes an honors project that shows how the optimum fuel-to-moderator ratio is found for a unit fuel cell shown in terms of neutron economics. This exercise illustrates the impact of fuel-to-moderator variations on fuel utilization factor and the effect of assuming space and energy separability.« less

Understanding high magnitude flood risk: evidence from the past

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacDonald, N.

2009-04-01

The average length of gauged river flow records in the UK is ~25 years, which presents a problem in determining flood risk for high-magnitude flood events. Severe floods have been recorded in many UK catchments during the past 10 years, increasing the uncertainty in conventional flood risk estimates based on river flow records. Current uncertainty in flood risk has implications for society (insurance costs), individuals (personal vulnerability) and water resource managers (flood/drought risk). An alternative approach is required which can improve current understanding of the flood frequency/magnitude relationship. Historical documentary accounts are now recognised as a valuable resource when considering the flood frequency/magnitude relationship, but little consideration has been given to the temporal and spatial distribution of these records. Building on previous research based on British rivers (urban centre): Ouse (York), Trent (Nottingham), Tay (Perth), Severn (Shrewsbury), Dee (Chester), Great Ouse (Cambridge), Sussex Ouse (Lewes), Thames (Oxford), Tweed (Kelso) and Tyne (Hexham), this work considers the spatial and temporal distribution of historical flooding. The selected sites provide a network covering many of the largest river catchments in Britain, based on urban centres with long detailed documentary flood histories. The chronologies offer an opportunity to assess long-term patterns of flooding, indirectly determining periods of climatic variability and potentially increased geomorphic activity. This research represents the first coherent large scale analysis undertaken of historical multi-catchment flood chronologies, providing an unparalleled network of sites, permitting analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of historical flood patterns on a national scale.

Interagency coordination meeting on energy storage. [15 papers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-01-01

This report contains summaries of 15 presentations and 4 extemporaneous remarks of the Interagency Meeting on energy storage technology. The 15 presentations are: Energy Storage--Strategy for the Future, George F. Pezdirtz; Physical Energy Storage Program in ERDA's Division of Energy Storage Systems, Robert R. Reeves; Thermal Energy Storage R and D Program for Solar Heating and Cooling, Allan I. Michaels and Stephen L. Sargent; Summary of Energy Storage Activities Within ERDA's Division of Solar Energy Central Receiver Program, T.D. Brumleve; Transport of Water and Heat in an Aquifer Used for Hot Water Storage--Digital Simulation of Field Results, S.P. Larson; Energymore » Storage Boiler Tank Progress Report, T.A. Chubb, J.J. Nemecek, and D.E. Simmons; Summary of Energy Storage Projects at the NASA Lewis Research Center, William J. Masica; Review of a Study Concerning Institutional Factors Affecting Vehicle Choice, William J. Devereaux; Flywheel Projects in the Department of Transportation, Part 2--Research at the University of Wisconsin (discussion only), Robert Husted; UMTA Flywheel Energy Storage Program, James F. Campbell; Flywheel Projects in the Department of Transportation, Part 4--Flywheels for Railroad Propulsion (discussion only), John Koper; NASA's Support of ERDA's Hydrogen Energy Storage Program, E.A. Laumann; EPRI's Energy Storage Program; Thomas R. Schneider, Electric Power Research Institute; Battery Storage Program, Kurt W. Klunder; Utility Applications Energy Storage Programs, J. Charles Smith. Extemporaneous remarks by James D. Busi, Donald K. Stevens, F. Dee Stevenson, and Harold A. Spuhler are included. (MCW)« less

Water and carbon in rusty lunar rock 66095

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedman, I.; Hardcastle, Kenneth G.; Gleason, J.D.

1974-01-01

Lunar rock 66095 contains a hydrated iron oxide and has an unusual amount of water for a lunar rock (140 to 750 parts per million), 90 percent of which is released below 690??C. The ??D of water released at these low temperatures varies from -75 to -140 per mil relative to standard mean ocean water (SMOW). The small amount of water released between 690?? and 1300??C has a ??D of about -175 ?? 25 per mil SMOW. These ??D values are not unusual for terrestrial water. The ??18O of water extracted from 110?? to 400??C has a value of + 5 ?? 1 per mil SMOW, similar to the value for lunar silicates from rock 66095 and different from the value of -4 to -22 per mil found for samples of terrestrial rust including samples of rusted meteoritic iron. The amount of carbon varies from 11 to 59 parts per million with a ??13C from -20 to -30 per mil relative to Pee Dee belemnite. Only very small amounts of reduced species (such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane) were found, in contrast to the analyses of other lunar rocks. Although it is possible that most of the water in the iron oxide (goethite) may be terrestrial in origin or may have exchanged with terrestrial water during sample return and handling, evidence presented herein suggests that this did not happen and that some lunar water may have a ??D that is indistinguishable from that of terrestrial water.

Honeybee product therapeutic as stem cells homing for ovary failure.

PubMed

Safitri, Erma; Widiyatno, Thomas V; Prasetyo, R Heru

2016-11-01

Complexity of the method of isolation, cultivation in vitro and the expensive cost of transplantation process of stem cells, it would require an innovation to homing and differentiation of stem cells and increase folliculogenesis. The stem cells homing was achieved through the provision of food or beverages derived from natural materials like honeybee product. Through honeybee product, there will be homing of stem cells and accompany with the sources from the body itself will take place in regeneration of the ovary. Female rats model of degenerative ovary was obtained through food fasting but still have drinking water for 5 days. It caused malnutrition and damage of the ovarian tissue. The administration of 50% honeybee product (T1) was performed for 10 consecutive days, while the positive control group (T0+) was fasted and not given honeybee product and the negative control (T0-) not fasted and without honeybee product. Observations were taken for homing of stem cells, raised of folliculogenesis, differentiation of stem cells, and regeneration of the ovarian tissue using routine H&E staining. Homing of stem cells shown the vascular endothelial growth factor and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor expression; enhancement of folliculogenesis was indicated by an increase of follicle dee Graaf count; enhancement of differentiation of stem cells was indicated by growth differentiation factor-9 expression; and regeneration of ovarian tissue indicated by intact ovarian tissue with growing follicles. Honeybee product can be induced endogenous stem cells in regeneration of ovary failure due to malnutrition.

Assimilative capacity of the Waccamaw River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 1989-92

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drewes, P.A.; Conrads, P.A.

1995-01-01

The assimilative capacities of selected reaches of the Waccamaw River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, were determined using results from water-quality simulations by the Branched Lagrangian Transport Model. The study area included tidally influenced sections of the Waccamaw River, the Pee Dee River, Bull Creek, and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Hydrodynamic data for the Branched Lagrangian Transport Model were simulated using the U.S. Geological Survey BRANCH one-dimensional unsteady- flow model. Assimilative capacities were determined for four locations using low-, medium-, and high- flow conditions and the average dissolved-oxygen concentration for a 7-day period. Results indicated that for the Waccamaw River near Conway, the ultimate oxygen demand is 370 to 6,740 pounds per day for 7-day average streamflows of 17 to 1,500 cubic feet per second. For the Waccamaw River at Bucksport, the ultimate oxygen demand is 580 to 7,300 pounds per day for 7-day average streamflows of 62 to 1,180 cubic feet per second. For the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway near North Myrtle Beach, simulations indicate ultimate oxygen demand is 5,100 to 10,000 pounds per day for 7-day average streamflows of 110 to 465 cubic feet per second. The ultimate oxygen demand for the Waccamaw River near Murrells Inlet is 11,000 to 230,000 pounds per day for 7-day average streamflows of 2,240 to 13,700 cubic feet per second.

A Bayesian spawning habitat suitability model for American shad in southeastern United States rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hightower, Joseph E.; Harris, Julianne E.; Raabe, Joshua K.; Brownell, Prescott; Drew, C. Ashton

2012-01-01

Habitat suitability index models for American shad Alosa sapidissima were developed by Stier and Crance in 1985. These models, which were based on a combination of published information and expert opinion, are often used to make decisions about hydropower dam operations and fish passage. The purpose of this study was to develop updated habitat suitability index models for spawning American shad in the southeastern United States, building on the many field and laboratory studies completed since 1985. We surveyed biologists who had knowledge about American shad spawning grounds, assembled a panel of experts to discuss important habitat variables, and used raw data from published and unpublished studies to develop new habitat suitability curves. The updated curves are based on resource selection functions, which can model habitat selectivity based on use and availability of particular habitats. Using field data collected in eight rivers from Virginia to Florida (Mattaponi, Pamunkey, Roanoke, Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, Pee Dee, St. Johns), we obtained new curves for temperature, current velocity, and depth that were generally similar to the original models. Our new suitability function for substrate was also similar to the original pattern, except that sand (optimal in the original model) has a very low estimated suitability. The Bayesian approach that we used to develop habitat suitability curves provides an objective framework for updating the model as new studies are completed and for testing the model's applicability in other parts of the species' range.

Dependence of precipitation of trace elements on pH in standard water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Shivcharan; Mohanty, Biraja P.; Singh, K. P.; Behera, B. R.; Kumar, Ashok

2018-04-01

The present work aimed to study the dependence of precipitation of trace elements on the pH of solution. A standard solution was prepared by using ultrapure deionized water (18.2 MΩ/cm) as the solvent and 11 water-soluble salts having different elements as solutes. Five samples of different pH values (2 acidic, 2 basic, and 1 neutral) were prepared from this standard solution. Sodium-diethyldithiocarbamate was used as the chelating agent to precipitate the metal ions present in these samples of different pH values. The targets were prepared by collecting these precipitates on mixed cellulose esters filter of 0.4 μm pore size by vacuum filtration. Elemental analysis of these targets was performed by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) using 2.7 MeV protons from the single Dee variable energy cyclotron at Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. PIXE data were analyzed using GUPIXWIN software. For most of the elements, except Hg with oxidation state +2, such as Co, Ni, Zn, Ba, and Cd, a general trend of enhancement in precipitation was observed with the increase in pH. However, for other elements such as V, As, Mo, Ag, and Bi, which have oxidation state other than +2, no definite pattern was observed. Precipitation of Ba and As using this method was negligible at all five pH values. From these results, it can be concluded that the precipitation and recovery of elements depend strongly on the pH of the water sample.

A Capillary Absorption Spectrometer for Stable Carbon Isotope Ratio (13C/12C) Analysis in Very Small Samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kelly, James F.; Sams, Robert L.; Blake, Thomas A.

2012-02-06

A capillary absorption spectrometer (CAS) suitable for IR laser isotope analysis of small CO{sub 2} samples is presented. The system employs a continuous-wave (cw) quantum cascade laser to study nearly adjacent rovibrational transitions of different isotopologues of CO{sub 2} near 2307 cm{sup -1} (4.34 {mu}m). This initial CAS system can achieve relative isotopic precision of about 10 ppm {sup 13}C, or {approx}1{per_thousand} (per mil in delta notation relative to Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite) with 20-100 picomoles of entrained sample within the hollow waveguide for CO{sub 2} concentrations {approx}400 to 750 ppm. Isotopic analyses of such gas fills in a 1-mmmore » ID hollow waveguide of 0.8 m overall physical path length can be carried out down to {approx}2 Torr. Overall {sup 13}C/{sup 12}C ratios can be calibrated to {approx}2{per_thousand} accuracy with diluted CO{sub 2} standards. A novel, low-cost method to reduce cw-fringing noise resulting from multipath distortions in the hollow waveguide is presented, which allows weak absorbance features to be studied at the few ppm level (peak-to-rms) after 1,000 scans are co-added in {approx}10 sec. The CAS is meant to work directly with converted CO{sub 2} samples from a Laser Ablation-Catalytic-Combustion (LA CC) micro-sampler to provide {sup 13}C/{sup 12}C ratios of small biological isolates with spatial resolutions {approx}50 {mu}m.« less

Discrimination of acoustically similar conspecific and heterospecific vocalizations by black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus).

PubMed

Hahn, Allison H; Campbell, Kimberley A; Congdon, Jenna V; Hoang, John; McMillan, Neil; Scully, Erin N; Yong, Joshua J H; Elie, Julie E; Sturdy, Christopher B

2017-07-01

Chickadees produce a multi-note chick-a-dee call in multiple socially relevant contexts. One component of this call is the D note, which is a low-frequency and acoustically complex note with a harmonic-like structure. In the current study, we tested black-capped chickadees on a between-category operant discrimination task using vocalizations with acoustic structures similar to black-capped chickadee D notes, but produced by various songbird species, in order to examine the role that phylogenetic distance plays in acoustic perception of vocal signals. We assessed the extent to which discrimination performance was influenced by the phylogenetic relatedness among the species producing the vocalizations and by the phylogenetic relatedness between the subjects' species (black-capped chickadees) and the vocalizers' species. We also conducted a bioacoustic analysis and discriminant function analysis in order to examine the acoustic similarities among the discrimination stimuli. A previous study has shown that neural activation in black-capped chickadee auditory and perceptual brain regions is similar following the presentation of these vocalization categories. However, we found that chickadees had difficulty discriminating between forward and reversed black-capped chickadee D notes, a result that directly corresponded to the bioacoustic analysis indicating that these stimulus categories were acoustically similar. In addition, our results suggest that the discrimination between vocalizations produced by two parid species (chestnut-backed chickadees and tufted titmice) is perceptually difficult for black-capped chickadees, a finding that is likely in part because these vocalizations contain acoustic similarities. Overall, our results provide evidence that black-capped chickadees' perceptual abilities are influenced by both phylogenetic relatedness and acoustic structure.

Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction presenting as a painful crisis in a patient with sickle cell anemia.

PubMed

Fabron, A; Moreira, G; Bordin, J O

1999-01-07

Patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) are frequently transfused with red blood cells (RBC). Recently we reported that the calculated risk of RBC alloimmunization per transfussed unit in Brazilian patients with SCA is 1.15%. We describe a delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction (DHTR) presenting as a painful crisis in a patient with SCA. A 35-year-old Brazilian female with homozygous SCA was admitted for a program of partial exchange transfusion prior to cholecystectomy. Her blood group was O RhD positive and no atypical RBC alloantibody was detected using the indirect antiglobulin technique. Pre-transfusional hemoglobin (Hb) was 8.7 g/dL and isovolumic partial exchange transfusion was performed using 4 units of ABO compatible packed RBC. Five days after the last transfusion she developed generalized joint pain and fever of 39 degrees C. Her Hb level dropped from 12.0 g/dL to 9.3 g/dL and the unconjugated bilirrubin level rose to 27 mmol/L. She was jaundiced and had hemoglobinuria. Hemoglobin electrophoresis showed 48.7% HbS, 46.6% HbA1, 2.7% HbA2, and 2.0% HbF. The patient's extended RBC phenotype was CDe, K-k+, Kp(a-b+), Fy(a-b-), M+N+s+, Le(a+b-), Di(a-). An RBC alloantibody with specificity to the Rh system (anti-c, titer 1:16.384) was identified by the indirect antiglobulin test. The Rh phenotype of the RBC used in the last packed RBC transfusion was CcDEe. The patient was discharged, asymptomatic, 7 days after admission.

Imaging paleoslabs in the D″ layer beneath Central America and the Caribbean using seismic waveform inversion.

PubMed

Borgeaud, Anselme F E; Kawai, Kenji; Konishi, Kensuke; Geller, Robert J

2017-11-01

D″ (Dee double prime), the lowermost layer of the Earth's mantle, is the thermal boundary layer (TBL) of mantle convection immediately above the Earth's liquid outer core. As the origin of upwelling of hot material and the destination of paleoslabs (downwelling cold slab remnants), D″ plays a major role in the Earth's evolution. D″ beneath Central America and the Caribbean is of particular geodynamical interest, because the paleo- and present Pacific plates have been subducting beneath the western margin of Pangaea since ~250 million years ago, which implies that paleoslabs could have reached the lowermost mantle. We conduct waveform inversion using a data set of ~7700 transverse component records to infer the detailed three-dimensional S-velocity structure in the lowermost 400 km of the mantle in the study region so that we can investigate how cold paleoslabs interact with the hot TBL above the core-mantle boundary (CMB). We can obtain high-resolution images because the lowermost mantle here is densely sampled by seismic waves due to the full deployment of the USArray broadband seismic stations during 2004-2015. We find two distinct strong high-velocity anomalies, which we interpret as paleoslabs, just above the CMB beneath Central America and Venezuela, respectively, surrounded by low-velocity regions. Strong low-velocity anomalies concentrated in the lowermost 100 km of the mantle suggest the existence of chemically distinct denser material connected to low-velocity anomalies in the lower mantle inferred by previous studies, suggesting that plate tectonics on the Earth's surface might control the modality of convection in the lower mantle.

Reconstitution of UCP1 using CRISPR/Cas9 in the white adipose tissue of pigs decreases fat deposition and improves thermogenic capacity

PubMed Central

Zheng, Qiantao; Lin, Jun; Huang, Jiaojiao; Zhang, Hongyong; Zhang, Rui; Zhang, Xueying; Cao, Chunwei; Hambly, Catherine; Qin, Guosong; Yao, Jing; Song, Ruigao; Jia, Qitao; Wang, Xiao; Li, Yongshun; Zhang, Nan; Piao, Zhengyu; Ye, Rongcai; Speakman, John R.; Wang, Hongmei; Zhou, Qi; Wang, Yanfang; Jin, Wanzhu

2017-01-01

Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is localized on the inner mitochondrial membrane and generates heat by uncoupling ATP synthesis from proton transit across the inner membrane. UCP1 is a key element of nonshivering thermogenesis and is most likely important in the regulation of body adiposity. Pigs (Artiodactyl family Suidae) lack a functional UCP1 gene, resulting in poor thermoregulation and susceptibility to cold, which is an economic and pig welfare issue owing to neonatal mortality. Pigs also have a tendency toward fat accumulation, which may be linked to their lack of UCP1, and thus influences the efficiency of pig production. Here, we report application of a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated, homologous recombination (HR)-independent approach to efficiently insert mouse adiponectin-UCP1 into the porcine endogenous UCP1 locus. The resultant UCP1 knock-in (KI) pigs showed an improved ability to maintain body temperature during acute cold exposure, but they did not have alterations in physical activity levels or total daily energy expenditure (DEE). Furthermore, ectopic UCP1 expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) dramatically decreased fat deposition by 4.89% (P < 0.01), consequently increasing carcass lean percentage (CLP; P < 0.05). Mechanism studies indicated that the loss of fat upon UCP1 activation in WAT was linked to elevated lipolysis. UCP1 KI pigs are a potentially valuable resource for agricultural production through their combination of cold adaptation, which improves pig welfare and reduces economic losses, with reduced fat deposition and increased lean meat production. PMID:29078316

Calibration of a Fusion Experiment to Investigate the Nuclear Caloric Curve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keeler, Ashleigh

2017-09-01

In order to investigate the nuclear equation of state (EoS), the relation between two thermodynamic quantities can be examined. The correlation between the temperature and excitation energy of a nucleus, also known as the caloric curve, has been previously observed in peripheral heavy-ion collisions to exhibit a dependence on the neutron-proton asymmetry. To further investigate this result, fusion reactions (78Kr + 12C and 86Kr + 12C) were measured; the beam energy was varied in the range 15-35 MeV/u in order to vary the excitation energy. The light charged particles (LCPs) evaporated from the compound nucleus were measured in the Si-CsI(TI)/PD detector array FAUST (Forward Array Using Silicon Technology). The LCPs carry information about the temperature. The calibration of FAUST will be described in this presentation. The silicon detectors have resistive surfaces in perpendicular directions to allow position measurement of the LCP's to better than 200 um. The resistive nature requires a position-dependent correction to the energy calibration to take full advantage of the energy resolution. The momentum is calculated from the energy of these particles, and their position on the detectors. A parameterized formula based on the Bethe-Bloch equation was used to straighten the particle identification (PID) lines measured with the dE-E technique. The energy calibration of the CsI detectors is based on the silicon detector energy calibration and the PID. A precision slotted mask enables the relative positions of the detectors to be determined. DOE Grant: DE-FG02-93ER40773 and REU Grant: PHY - 1659847.

Calibration strategies for the determination of stable carbon absolute isotope ratios in a glycine candidate reference material by elemental analyser-isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Dunn, Philip J H; Malinovsky, Dmitry; Goenaga-Infante, Heidi

2015-04-01

We report a methodology for the determination of the stable carbon absolute isotope ratio of a glycine candidate reference material with natural carbon isotopic composition using EA-IRMS. For the first time, stable carbon absolute isotope ratios have been reported using continuous flow rather than dual inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Also for the first time, a calibration strategy based on the use of synthetic mixtures gravimetrically prepared from well characterised, highly (13)C-enriched and (13)C-depleted glycines was developed for EA-IRMS calibration and generation of absolute carbon isotope ratio values traceable to the SI through calibration standards of known purity. A second calibration strategy based on converting the more typically determined delta values on the Vienna PeeDee Belemnite (VPDB) scale using literature values for the absolute carbon isotope ratio of VPDB itself was used for comparison. Both calibration approaches provided results consistent with those previously reported for the same natural glycine using MC-ICP-MS; absolute carbon ratios of 10,649 × 10(-6) with an expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of 24 × 10(-6) and 10,646 × 10(-6) with an expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of 88 × 10(-6) were obtained, respectively. The absolute carbon isotope ratio of the VPDB standard was found to be 11,115 × 10(-6) with an expanded uncertainty (k = 2) of 27 × 10(-6), which is in excellent agreement with previously published values.

The effects of drospirenone-ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone-ethinyl estradiol + metformin on ovarian ultrasonographic markers, body fat mass index, leptin, and ghrelin.

PubMed

Cakiroglu, Y; Vural, B; Isgoren, S

2013-07-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is considered as the most common endocrinopathy among women of reproductive age. Oral contraceptives (OCs) and metformin are one of the main drug groups in the long-term treatment of PCOS. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of drospirenone-ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone-ethinyl estradiol + metformin on ultrasonographic markers, body fat mass (BFM) index, leptin-ghrelin. This was a prospective clinical study conducted at Kocaeli University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology on 42 PCOS patients. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups [Group I (n = 22): drospirenone-ethinyl estradiol (DEE); Group II (n = 20): drospirenone-ethinyl estradiol + metformin (M)] according to Body Mass Index (BMI) findings. Patients were evaluated in terms of leptin-ghrelin, ultrasound, and body fat distribution before and 6 months after therapy. Main outcome measures were to investigate the effects of drospirenone-ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone-ethinyl estradiol + metformin on ovarian ultrasonographic markers, BFM index, leptin, and ghrelin. In patients with higher BMI, ovarian volume, numbers of follicles, stromal area, and echogenicity have been reported to be larger. In group II, a negative correlation between ghrelin and abdominal fat mass after treatment has been noted, whereas in group I a positive correlation between leptin and abdominal fat mass after treatment has been observed. Addition of metformin could have beneficial effects on abdominal fat mass. Stromal area measurement and assessment of fat mass with Dual X-ray Absorptiometry could be helpful as a quantitative way of measurement.

Student interpretations of phylogenetic trees in an introductory biology course.

PubMed

Dees, Jonathan; Momsen, Jennifer L; Niemi, Jarad; Montplaisir, Lisa

2014-01-01

Phylogenetic trees are widely used visual representations in the biological sciences and the most important visual representations in evolutionary biology. Therefore, phylogenetic trees have also become an important component of biology education. We sought to characterize reasoning used by introductory biology students in interpreting taxa relatedness on phylogenetic trees, to measure the prevalence of correct taxa-relatedness interpretations, and to determine how student reasoning and correctness change in response to instruction and over time. Counting synapomorphies and nodes between taxa were the most common forms of incorrect reasoning, which presents a pedagogical dilemma concerning labeled synapomorphies on phylogenetic trees. Students also independently generated an alternative form of correct reasoning using monophyletic groups, the use of which decreased in popularity over time. Approximately half of all students were able to correctly interpret taxa relatedness on phylogenetic trees, and many memorized correct reasoning without understanding its application. Broad initial instruction that allowed students to generate inferences on their own contributed very little to phylogenetic tree understanding, while targeted instruction on evolutionary relationships improved understanding to some extent. Phylogenetic trees, which can directly affect student understanding of evolution, appear to offer introductory biology instructors a formidable pedagogical challenge. © 2014 J. Dees et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2014 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Assessment of Oxidative Metabolism in Brown Fat Using PET Imaging

PubMed Central

Muzik, Otto; Mangner, Thomas J.; Granneman, James G.

2011-01-01

Objective: Although it has been believed that brown adipose tissue (BAT) depots disappear shortly after the perinatal period in humans, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using the glucose analog 18F-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) has shown unequivocally the existence of functional BAT in humans, suggesting that most humans have some functional BAT. The objective of this study was to determine, using dynamic oxygen-15 (15O) PET imaging, to what extent BAT thermogenesis is activated in adults during cold stress and to establish the relationship between BAT oxidative metabolism and FDG tracer uptake. Methods: Fourteen adult normal subjects (9F/5M, 30 ± 7 years) underwent triple oxygen scans (H215O, C15O, 15O2) as well as indirect calorimetric measurements at both rest and following exposure to mild cold (16°C). Subjects were divided into two groups (BAT+ and BAT−) based on the presence or absence of FDG tracer uptake (SUV > 2) in cervical–supraclavicular BAT. Blood flow and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) was calculated from dynamic PET scans at the location of BAT, muscle, and white adipose tissue (WAT). The metabolic rate of oxygen (MRO2) in BAT was determined and used to calculate the contribution of activated BAT to daily energy expenditure (DEE). Results: The median mass of activated BAT in the BAT+ group (5F, age 31 ± 8) was 52.4 g (range 14–68 g) and was 1.7 g (range 0–6.3 g) in the BAT − group (5M/4F, age 29 ± 6). Corresponding SUV values were significantly higher in the BAT+ as compared to the BAT− group (7.4 ± 3.7 vs. 1.9 ± 0.9; p = 0.03). Blood flow values in BAT were significantly higher in the BAT+ group as compared to the BAT− group (13.1 ± 4.4 vs. 5.7 ± 1.1 ml/100 g/min, p = 0.03), but were similar in WAT (4.1 ± 1.6 vs. 4.2 ± 1.8 ml/100 g/min) and muscle (3.7 ± 0.8 vs. 3.3 ± 1.2 ml/100 g/min). Moreover, OEF in BAT was similar in the two groups (0.56 ± 0.18 in BAT+ vs. 0.46 ± 0.19 in BAT−, p = 0.39). Calculated MRO2 values in BAT increased from 0.95 ± 0.74 to 1.62 ± 0.82 ml/100 g/min in the BAT+ group and were significantly higher than those determined in the BAT− group (0.43 ± 0.27 vs. 0.56 ± 0.24, p = 0.67). The DEE associated with BAT oxidative metabolism was highly variable in the BAT+ group, with an average of 5.5 ± 6.4 kcal/day (range 0.57–15.3 kcal/day). Conclusion: BAT thermogenesis in humans accounts for less than 20 kcal/day during moderate cold stress, even in subjects with relatively large BAT depots. Furthermore, due to the large differences in blood flow and glucose metabolic rates in BAT between humans and rodents, the application of rodent data to humans is problematic and needs careful evaluation. PMID:22649408

The Liverpool Bay Coastal Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howarth, Michael John; O'Neill, Clare K.; Palmer, Matthew R.

2010-05-01

A pre-operational Coastal Observatory has been functioning since August 2002 in Liverpool Bay, Irish Sea. Its rationale is to develop the science underpinning the ecosystem based approach to marine management, including distinguishing between natural and man-made variability, with particular emphasis on eutrophication and predicting responses of a coastal sea to climate change. Liverpool Bay has strong tidal mixing, receives fresh water principally from the Dee, Mersey and Ribble estuaries, each with different catchment influences, and has enhanced levels of nutrients. Horizontal and vertical density gradients are variable both in space and time. The challenge is to understand and model accurately this variable region which is turbulent, turbid, receives enhanced nutrients and is productive. The Observatory has three components, for each of which the goal is some (near) real-time operation - measurements; coupled 3-D hydrodynamic, wave and ecological models; a data management and web-based data delivery system which provides free access to the data, http://cobs.pol.ac.uk. The integrated measurements are designed to test numerical models and have as a major objective obtaining multi-year records, covering tidal, event (storm / calm / bloom), seasonal and interannual time scales. The four main strands on different complementary space or time scales are:- a) fixed point time series (in situ and shore-based); very good temporal and very poor spatial resolution. These include tide gauges; a meteorological station on Hilbre Island at the mouth of the Dee; two in situ sites, one by the Mersey Bar, measuring waves and the vertical structure of current, temperature and salinity. A CEFAS SmartBuoy whose measurements include surface nutrients is deployed at the Mersey Bar site. b) regular (nine times per year) spatial water column surveys on a 9 km grid; good vertical resolution for some variables, limited spatial coverage and resolution, and limited temporal resolution. The measurements include nutrients and on board pCO2. c) HF radar for surface currents and waves; very good temporal resolution, limited spatial resolution (4 km grid) and range (~75 km). d) an instrumented ferry between Birkenhead and Dublin; along track 100 m resolution, crossing there and back most days. These are supplemented by weekly composite (because of cloud cover) satellite images of sea surface temperature, suspended sediment and chlorophyll; excellent horizontal resolution for surface properties, poor temporal coverage. A suite of coupled 3-D hydrodynamic, wave and ecological models forced by forecast meteorology is being developed. The model domains are nested from a 12 km grid ocean / shelf domain, 1.8 km Irish Sea and finally to 180 m for Liverpool Bay. Making real time forecasts for comparison with measurements is difficult since the forecast is only as good as the forcing data, for instance the meteorology should be on spatial and temporal scales comparable with the oceanographic models' and real-time river flow data is needed (climatological mean data are not good enough, especially for local models). The Observatory's design naturally involved compromises where model predictions can help, for instance should the detailed coverage be wider, including more of the Irish Sea, and / or should it extend closer to the shore, where biologically activity is greater? How many cruises should there be per year - nine visits will over-sample for a well defined seasonal cycle, such as temperature, but not for a variable with a more unpredictable or shorter time scale, such as salinity or phytoplankton? After seven years the main scientific challenges remain both to understand the processes and to translate this into predictive models whose accuracy has been quantified. The challenges relate to physics (salinity, circulation in Liverpool Bay, the flow through the Irish Sea, flushing events); the role of sediments in the optical characteristics of the water column; the ecosystem and eutrophication.

Relevance of nonfunctional linear polyacrylic acid for the biodegradation of superabsorbent polymer in soils.

PubMed

Bai, Mo; Wilske, Burkhard; Buegger, Franz; Esperschütz, Jürgen; Bach, Martin; Frede, Hans-Georg; Breuer, Lutz

2015-04-01

Biodegradability is a desired characteristic for synthetic soil amendments. Cross-linked polyacrylic acid (PAA) is a synthetic superabsorbent used to increase the water availability for plant growth in soils. About 4% within products of cross-linked PAA remains as linear polyacrylic acid (PAAlinear). PAAlinear has no superabsorbent function but may contribute to the apparent biodegradation of the overall product. This is the first study that shows specifically the biodegradation of PAAlinear in agricultural soil. Two (13)C-labeled PAAlinear of the average molecular weights of 530, 400, and 219,500 g mol(-1) were incubated in soil. Mineralization of PAAlinear was measured directly as the (13)CO2 efflux from incubation vessels using an automatic system, which is based on (13)C-sensitive wavelength-scanned cavity ring-down spectroscopy. After 149 days, the PAAlinear with the larger average molecular weight and chain length showed about half of the degradation (0.91% of the initial weight) of the smaller PAAlinear (1.85%). The difference in biodegradation was confirmed by the δ(13)C signature of the microbial biomass (δ(13)Cmic), which was significantly enriched in the samples with short PAAlinear (-13‰ against reference Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite,VPDB) as compared to those with long PAAlinear (-16‰ VPDB). In agreement with other polymer studies, the results suggest that the biodegradation of PAAlinear in soil is determined by the average molecular weight and occurs mainly at terminal sites. Most importantly, the study outlines that the size of PAA that escapes cross-linking can have a significant impact on the overall biodegradability of a PAA-based superabsorbent.

Estimating Sources and Fluxes of Dissolved and Particulate Organic Matter in UK Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Jessica; Tipping, Edward; Quinton, John; Old, Gareth

2014-05-01

Over the past two centuries, pools and fluxes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in UK ecosystems have been altered by intensification of agriculture, land use change and atmospheric pollution leading to acidification and eutrophication of surface waters. In addition to this, climate change is now also predicted to substantially impact these systems. The CEH Long Term Large Scale (LTLS) project therefore aims to simulate the pools and fluxes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus and their stoichiometry during the cycling process. Through the N14C model, simulations of the release of C, N and P through drainage water and erosion processes will be predicted using historical climate data, which will be tested using contemporary data. For present data, water from four UK catchments (Ribble, Wiltshire Avon, Conwy, Dee) were collected at the tidal limit of each river, which included a combination of high and low flow samples predicted using 5 day forecasts and local weather station data. These samples were filtered, centrifuged and sent to the NERC radiocarbon facility for analysis by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) to obtain both PO14C and DO14C data. Radiocarbon enables a unique and dynamic way of estimating long term turnover rates of organic matter, and has proven to be an invaluable tool for measuring upland terrestrial and aquatic systems. It has however, been scarcely used in larger, lowland river systems. Since the riverine organic matter captured is likely to have originated from terrestrial and riparian sources, the radiocarbon data will be a rigorous test of the model's ability to simulate the coupling of erosion and leaching processes, and stoichiometric relationships between C:N:P.

Single-turn extraction from a K110 AVF cyclotron by flat-top acceleration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurashima, Satoshi; Miyawaki, Nobumasa; Okumura, Susumu

2009-03-15

Single-turn extraction from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency AVF cyclotron with a K number of 110 using a flat-top (FT) acceleration system has been achieved to reduce the energy spread of an ion beam for microbeam formation with energy up to hundreds of MeV and to increase extraction efficiency from the cyclotron. In order to generate a FT waveform voltage using the fifth-harmonic frequency on a dee electrode, a FT resonator was designed using MAFIA code to achieve downsizing and low power consumption. The FT resonator, coupled to the main resonator through a coupling capacitor, covered the full range ofmore » the fifth harmonic frequency from 55 to 110 MHz. Various ion beams, accelerated using different acceleration harmonic modes of h=1 and 2, such as 220 MeV {sup 12}C{sup 5+} (h=2), 260 MeV {sup 20}Ne{sup 7+} (h=2), and 45 MeV H{sup +} (h=1), were developed by FT acceleration. A clear turn separation of the beam bunches was successfully observed at the extraction region of the large-scale AVF cyclotron with number of revolutions greater than 200. As a result, high extraction efficiency (over 95%) from the cyclotron was achieved. Single-turn extraction was confirmed by counting the number of beam bunches out of the cyclotron for an injected beam pulsed by a beam chopping system in the injection line. The energy spread of the 260 MeV {sup 20}Ne{sup 7+} beam was measured using an analyzing magnet, and we verified a reduction in the energy spread from {delta}E/E=0.1% to 0.05% by single-turn extraction after FT acceleration.« less

Pharmacist-driven antimicrobial stewardship program in an institution without infectious diseases physician support.

PubMed

Waters, C Dustin

2015-03-15

Improved drug-utilization and cost outcomes achieved by a pharmacist-led antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) are described. Pharmacists may be tasked to lead ASP development and implementation with little or no support from an infectious diseases (ID) physician and other hospital personnel whose involvement on ASP teams is recommended (e.g., clinical microbiologists, infection control specialists, hospital epidemiologists). Several years ago, Intermountain Healthcare's 325-bed McKay-Dee Hospital in Utah implemented an ASP led by an antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist. In addition to reviewing patient profiles and meeting with physicians to discuss cases daily (Monday-Friday), the pharmacist was available to provide afterhours phone consultations; support was provided by an infection prevention nurse, two physician ASP champions, the pharmacy leadership, pharmacy informatics and hospital laboratory personnel, and the chief medical officer. In the program's first 33 months, the pharmacist made a total of 2,457 interventions or recommendations, with an acceptance rate of 91.8%. Comparison of selected outcomes during one-year periods before and after ASP implementation indicated substantial decreases in the utilization of four commonly used antimicrobial agents and classes (carbapenems, daptomycin, echinocandins, and levofloxacin) in the postimplementation period, with a significant decline in the average length of stay for community-acquired pneumonia (mean ± S.D., 2.69 ± 0.10 days versus 3.40 ± 0.23 days; p = 0.03). Two years after ASP implementation, annual cost savings attributed to the program were estimated at $355,000. In the absence of ID physician support and oversight, the pharmacist-led ASP achieved substantial reductions in antimicrobial utilization and associated expenditures. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Steroid isotopic standards for gas chromatography-combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCC-IRMS).

PubMed

Zhang, Ying; Tobias, Herbert J; Brenna, J Thomas

2009-03-01

Carbon isotope ratio (CIR) analysis of urinary steroids using gas chromatography-combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCC-IRMS) is a recognized test to detect illicit doping with synthetic testosterone. There are currently no universally used steroid isotopic standards (SIS). We adapted a protocol to prepare isotopically uniform steroids for use as a calibrant in GCC-IRMS that can be analyzed under the same conditions as used for steroids extracted from urine. Two separate SIS containing a mixture of steroids were created and coded CU/USADA 33-1 and CU/USADA 34-1, containing acetates and native steroids, respectively. CU/USADA 33-1 contains 5alpha-androstan-3beta-ol acetate (5alpha-A-AC), 5alpha-androstan-3alpha-ol-17-one acetate (androsterone acetate, A-AC), 5beta-androstan-3alpha-ol-11, 17-dione acetate (11-ketoetiocholanolone acetate, 11k-AC) and 5alpha-cholestane (Cne). CU/USADA 34-1 contains 5beta-androstan-3alpha-ol-17-one (etiocholanolone, E), 5alpha-androstan-3alpha-ol-17-one (androsterone, A), and 5beta-pregnane-3alpha, 20alpha-diol (5betaP). Each mixture was prepared and dispensed into a set of about 100 ampoules using a protocol carefully designed to minimize isotopic fractionation and contamination. A natural gas reference material, NIST RM 8559, traceable to the international standard Vienna PeeDee Belemnite (VPDB) was used to calibrate the SIS. Absolute delta(13)C(VPDB) and Deltadelta(13)C(VPDB) values from randomly selected ampoules from both SIS indicate uniformity of steroid isotopic composition within measurement reproducibility, SD(delta(13)C)<0.2 per thousand. This procedure for creation of isotopic steroid mixtures results in consistent standards with isotope ratios traceable to the relevant international reference material.

Neural correlates of threat perception: neural equivalence of conspecific and heterospecific mobbing calls is learned.

PubMed

Avey, Marc T; Hoeschele, Marisa; Moscicki, Michele K; Bloomfield, Laurie L; Sturdy, Christopher B

2011-01-01

Songbird auditory areas (i.e., CMM and NCM) are preferentially activated to playback of conspecific vocalizations relative to heterospecific and arbitrary noise. Here, we asked if the neural response to auditory stimulation is not simply preferential for conspecific vocalizations but also for the information conveyed by the vocalization. Black-capped chickadees use their chick-a-dee mobbing call to recruit conspecifics and other avian species to mob perched predators. Mobbing calls produced in response to smaller, higher-threat predators contain more "D" notes compared to those produced in response to larger, lower-threat predators and thus convey the degree of threat of predators. We specifically asked whether the neural response varies with the degree of threat conveyed by the mobbing calls of chickadees and whether the neural response is the same for actual predator calls that correspond to the degree of threat of the chickadee mobbing calls. Our results demonstrate that, as degree of threat increases in conspecific chickadee mobbing calls, there is a corresponding increase in immediate early gene (IEG) expression in telencephalic auditory areas. We also demonstrate that as the degree of threat increases for the heterospecific predator, there is a corresponding increase in IEG expression in the auditory areas. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the amount IEG expression between conspecific mobbing calls or heterospecific predator calls that were the same degree of threat. In a second experiment, using hand-reared chickadees without predator experience, we found more IEG expression in response to mobbing calls than corresponding predator calls, indicating that degree of threat is learned. Our results demonstrate that degree of threat corresponds to neural activity in the auditory areas and that threat can be conveyed by different species signals and that these signals must be learned.

Mid-latitude storm track variability and its influence on atmospheric composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knowland, K. E.; Doherty, R. M.; Hodges, K.

2013-12-01

Using the storm tracking algorithm, TRACK (Hodges, 1994, 1995, 1999), we have studied the behaviour of storm tracks in the North Atlantic basin, using 850-hPa relative vorticity from the ERA-Interim Re-analysis (Dee et al., 2011). We have correlated surface ozone measurements at rural coastal sites in Europe to the storm track data to explore the role mid-latitude cyclones and their transport of pollutants play in determining surface air quality in Western Europe. To further investigate this relationship, we have used the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition Climate (MACC) Re-analysis dataset (Inness et al., 2013) in TRACK. The MACC Re-analysis is a 10-year dataset which couples a chemistry transport model (Mozart-3; Stein 2009, 2012) to an extended version of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts' (ECMWF) Integrated Forecast System (IFS). Storm tracks in the MACC Re-analysis compare well to the storm tracks using the ERA-Interim Re-analysis for the same 10-year period, as both are based on ECMWF IFSs. We also compare surface ozone values from MACC to surface ozone measurements previously studied. Using TRACK, we follow ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) through the life cycle of storms from North America to Western Europe. Along the storm tracks, we examine the distribution of CO and O3 within 6 degrees of the center of each storm and vertically at different pressure levels in the troposphere. We hope to better understand the mechanisms with which pollution is vented from the boundary layer to the free troposphere, as well as transport of pollutants to rural areas. Our hope is to give policy makers more detailed information on how climate variability associated with storm tracks between 1979-2013 may affect air quality in Northeast USA and Western Europe.

Elementary diagrams in nuclear and neutron matter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiringa, R.B.

1995-08-01

Variational calculations of nuclear and neutron matter are currently performed using a diagrammatic cluster expansion with the aid of nonlinear integral equations for evaluating expectation values. These are the Fermi hypernetted chain (FHNC) and single-operator chain (SOC) equations, which are a way of doing partial diagram summations to infinite order. A more complete summation can be made by adding elementary diagrams to the procedure. The simplest elementary diagrams appear at the four-body cluster level; there is one such E{sub 4} diagram in Bose systems, but 35 diagrams in Fermi systems, which gives a level of approximation called FHNC/4. We developedmore » a novel technique for evaluating these diagrams, by computing and storing 6 three-point functions, S{sub xyz}(r{sub 12}, r{sub 13}, r{sub 23}), where xyz (= ccd, cce, ddd, dde, dee, or eee) denotes the exchange character at the vertices 1, 2, and 3. All 35 Fermi E{sub 4} diagrams can be constructed from these 6 functions and other two-point functions that are already calculated. The elementary diagrams are known to be important in some systems like liquid {sup 3}He. We expect them to be small in nuclear matter at normal density, but they might become significant at higher densities appropriate for neutron star calculations. This year we programmed the FHNC/4 contributions to the energy and tested them in a number of simple model cases, including liquid {sup 3}He and Bethe`s homework problem. We get reasonable, but not exact agreement with earlier published work. In nuclear and neutron matter with the Argonne v{sub 14} interaction these contributions are indeed small corrections at normal density and grow to only 5-10 MeV/nucleon at 5 times normal density.« less

Effects of sex and seasonality on the song control system and FoxP2 protein expression in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus).

PubMed

Phillmore, Leslie S; MacGillivray, Heather L; Wilson, K Ryan; Martin, Stephanie

2015-02-01

Plasticity in behavior is mirrored by corresponding plasticity in the brain in many songbird species. In some species, song system nuclei (Phillmore et al. [2006]: J Neurobiol 66:1002-1010) are larger in birds in breeding condition than birds in nonbreeding condition, possibly due to increased vocal output in spring. FOXP2, a transcription factor associated with language expression and comprehension in humans and song learning in songbirds, also shows plasticity. FoxP2 expression in songbird Area X, a region important for sensorimotor integration, is related to developmental and adult vocal plasticity (Teramitsu et al. [2010]: J Neurosci 24:3152-3163, Chen et al. [2013], J Exp Biol 216:3682-3692). In this study, we examined whether sex and breeding condition affects both song control system volume (HVC, X) and FoxP2 protein expression in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). HVC volume was larger in males in breeding condition than males in nonbreeding condition, but there were no sex differences. In contrast, Area X volume was larger in males than females, regardless of breeding condition, likely reflecting that male and female chickadees produce learned chick-a-dee calls year round, but output of the learned song increases in breeding males. FoxP2 protein levels did not differ between sexes or breeding condition when calculated as a ratio of labeled cells in Area X to labeled cells in the surrounding striato-pallium, however, absolute density of FoxP2 in both regions was higher in males than in females. This may indicate that chickadees maintain a level of FoxP2 necessary for plasticity year-round, but males have greater potential for plasticity compared to females. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Association between organophosphate pesticides exposure and thyroid hormones in floriculture workers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lacasana, Marina, E-mail: marina.lacasana.easp@juntadeandalucia.e; CIBER de Epidemiologia y Salud Publica; Lopez-Flores, Inmaculada

The ability of organophosphate pesticides to disturb thyroid gland function has been demonstrated by experimental studies on animal, but evidence of such effects on human remains scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the association between exposure to organophosphate compounds and serum levels of thyroid hormones in floriculture workers. A longitudinal study was conducted on 136 male subjects from the State of Mexico and Morelos, Mexico, occupationally exposed to organophosphate pesticides, during agricultural periods of high (rainy season) and low (dry season) levels of pesticide application. Using a structured questionnaire, a survey was carried out on sociodemographic characteristics,more » anthropometry, clinical history, alcohol and tobacco consumption, residential chemical exposure, and occupational history. Urine and blood samples were taken the day after pesticide application to determine urine dialkylphosphate (DAP) levels, serum levels of TSH, total T{sub 3}, total T{sub 4}, serum PON1 activity, and serum p,p'-DEE levels. The analysis of the association between DAP levels and thyroid hormonal profile was carried out using multivariate generalized estimating equation (GEE) models. Our results showed an increase in both TSH and T{sub 4} hormones in serum associated with a increase in total dimethylphosphate levels (SIGMADMP) in urine (p-trend < 0.001) and a decrease in total T{sub 3} serum levels with an increase of SIGMADMP levels in the urine (p-trend = 0.053). These results suggest that exposure to organophosphate pesticides may be responsible of increasing TSH and T{sub 4} serum hormone levels and decreasing T{sub 3} serum hormone levels, therefore supporting the hypothesis that organophosphate pesticides act as endocrine disruptors in humans.« less

Impacts of Potential Changes in Land Use, Climate, and Water Use on Water Availability, Coastal Carolinas Region, Southeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurley, L. N.; Garcia, A. M.

2017-12-01

Sustainable growth in coastal areas with rapidly increasing populations, such as the coastal regions of North and South Carolina, relies on an understanding of the current state of coastal natural resources coupled with the ability to assess future impacts of changing coastal communities and resources. Changes in climate, water use, population, and land use (e.g. urbanization) will place additional stress on societal and ecological systems that are already competing for water resources. The potential effects of these stressors on water availability are not fully known. To meet societal and ecological needs, water resources management and planning efforts require estimates of likely impacts of population growth, land-use, and climate. Two Soil and Water Assessment (SWAT) hydrologic models were developed to help address the challenges that water managers face in the Carolinas: the (1) Cape Fear and (2) Pee Dee drainage basins. SWAT is a basin-scale, process-based watershed model with the capability of simulating water-management scenarios. Model areas were divided into two square mile sub-basins to evaluate ecological response at headwater streams. The sub-basins were subsequently divided into smaller, discrete hydrologic response units based on land use, slope, and soil type. Monthly and annual water-use data were used for 2000 to 2014 and included estimates of municipal, industrial, agricultural, and commercial water use. Models were calibrated for 2000 to 2014 and potential future streamflows were estimated through 2060 based on a suite of scenarios that integrated land use change projections, climate projections and water-use forecasts. The approaches and new techniques developed as part of this research could be applied to other coastal areas that face similar current and future water availability demands.

A 12,000-Yr Pollen Record off Cape Hatteras: Pollen Sources and Mechanisms of Pollen Dispersion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naughton, F.; Keigwin, L.; Peteet, D.; Costas, S.; Desprat, S.; Oliveira, D.; de Vernal, A.; Voelker, A.; Abrantes, F.

2015-01-01

Integrating both marine and terrestrial signals from the same sediment core is one of the primary challenges for understanding the role of ocean-atmosphere coupling throughout past climate changes. It is therefore vital to understand how the pollen signal of a given marine record reflects the vegetation changes of the neighboring continent. The comparison between the pollen record of marine core JPC32 (KNR178JPC32) and available terrestrial pollen sequences from eastern North America over the last 12,170 years indicates that the pollen signature off Cape Hatteras gives an integrated image of the regional vegetation encompassing the Pee Dee river, Chesapeake and Delaware hydrographic basins and is reliable in reconstructing the past climate of the adjacent continent. Extremely high quantities of pollen grains included in the marine sediments off Cape Hatteras were transferred from the continent to the sea, at intervals 10,100-8800 cal yr BP, 8300-7500 cal yr BP, 5800- 4300 cal yr BP and 2100-730 cal yr BP, during storm events favored by episodes of rapid sea-level rise in the eastern coast of US. In contrast, pollen grains export was reduced during 12,170-10,150 cal yr BP and 4200- 2200 cal yr BP, during episodes of intense continental dryness and slow sea level rise episodes or lowstands in the eastern coast of US. The near absence of reworked pollen grains in core JPC32 contrasts with the high quantity of reworked material in nearby but deeper located marine sites, suggesting that the JPC32 recordwas not affected by the DeepWestern Boundary Current (DWBC) since the end of the Younger Dryas and should be considered a key site for studying past climate changes in the western North Atlantic.

Effects of prosodic boundary on /aC/ sequences: articulatory results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabain, Marija

2003-05-01

This study presents EMA (electromagnetic articulography) data on articulation of the vowel /a/ at different prosodic boundaries in French. Three speakers of metropolitan French produced utterances containing the vowel /a/, preceded by /tee/ and followed by one of six consonants /bee dee gee eff ess sh/ (three stops and three fricatives), with different prosodic boundaries intervening between the /a/ and the six different consonants. The prosodic boundaries investigated are the Utterance, the Intonational phrase, the Accentual phrase, and the Word. Data for the Tongue Tip, Tongue Body, and Jaw are presented. The articulatory data presented here were recorded at the same time as the acoustic data presented in Tabain [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 113, 516-531 (2003)]. Analyses show that there is a strong effect on peak displacement of the vowel according to the prosodic hierarchy, with the stronger prosodic boundaries inducing a much lower Tongue Body and Jaw position than the weaker prosodic boundaries. Durations of both the opening movement into and the closing movement out of the vowel are also affected. Peak velocity of the articulatory movements is also examined, and, contrary to results for phrase-final lengthening, it is found that peak velocity of the opening movement into the vowel tends to increase with the higher prosodic boundaries, together with the increased magnitude of the movement between the consonant and the vowel. Results for the closing movement out of the vowel and into the consonant are not so clear. Since one speaker shows evidence of utterance-level articulatory declension, it is suggested that the competing constraints of articulatory declension and prosodic effects might explain some previous results on phrase-final lengthening.

Morphological and molecular confirmation of Myxobolus cerebralis myxospores infecting wild‑caught and cultured trout in North Carolina (SE USA).

PubMed

Ruiz, Carlos F; Rash, Jacob M; Arias, Cova R; Besler, Doug A; Orélis-Ribeiro, Raphael; Womble, Matthew R; Roberts, Jackson R; Warren, Micah B; Ray, Candis L; Lafrentz, Stacey; Bullard, Stephen A

2017-11-21

We used microscopy and molecular biology to provide the first documentation of infections of Myxobolus cerebralis (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae), the etiological agent of whirling disease, in trout (Salmonidae) from North Carolina (USA) river basins. A total of 1085 rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, 696 brown trout Salmo trutta, and 319 brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis from 43 localities across 9 river basins were screened. Myxospores were observed microscopically in pepsin-trypsin digested heads of rainbow and brown trout from the Watauga River Basin. Those infections were confirmed using the prescribed nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR; 18S rDNA), which also detected infections in rainbow, brown, and brook trout from the French Broad River Basin and the Yadkin Pee-Dee River Basin. Myxospores were 9.0-10.0 µm (mean ± SD = 9.6 ± 0.4; N = 119) long, 8.0-10.0 µm (8.8 ± 0.6; 104) wide, and 6.0-7.5 µm (6.9 ± 0.5; 15) thick and had polar capsules 4.0-6.0 µm (5.0 ± 0.5; 104) long, 2.5-3.5 µm (3.1 ± 0.3; 104) wide, and with 5 or 6 polar filament coils. Myxospores from these hosts and rivers were morphologically indistinguishable and molecularly identical, indicating conspecificity, and the resulting 18S rDNA and ITS-1 sequences derived from these myxospores were 99.5-100% and 99.3-99.8% similar, respectively, to published GenBank sequences ascribed to M. cerebralis. This report comprises the first taxonomic circumscription and molecular confirmation of M. cerebralis in the southeastern USA south of Virginia.

Assessing the impact of stocking northern-origin hatchery brook trout on the genetics of wild populations in North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kazyak, David C.; Rash, Jacob; Lubinski, Barbara A.; King, Tim L.

2018-01-01

The release of hatchery-origin fish into streams with endemics can degrade the genetics of wild populations if interbreeding occurs. Starting in the 1800s, brook trout descendent from wild populations in the northeastern United States were stocked from hatcheries into streams across broad areas of North America to create and enhance fishery resources. Across the southeastern United States, many millions of hatchery-origin brook trout have been released into hundreds of streams, but the extent of introgression with native populations is not well resolved despite large phylogeographic distances between these groups. We used three assessment approaches based on 12 microsatellite loci to examine the extent of hatchery introgression in 406 wild brook trout populations in North Carolina. We found high levels of differentiation among most collections (mean F′ST = 0.718), and among most wild collections and hatchery strains (mean F′ST = 0.732). Our assessment of hatchery introgression was consistent across the three metrics, and indicated that most wild populations have not been strongly influenced by supplemental stocking. However, a small proportion of wild populations in North Carolina appear to have been strongly influenced by stocked conspecifics, or in some cases, may have been founded entirely by hatchery lineages. In addition, we found significant differences in the apparent extent of hatchery introgression among major watersheds, with the Savannah River being the most strongly impacted. Conversely, populations in the Pee Dee River watershed showed little to no evidence of hatchery introgression. Our study represents the first large-scale effort to quantify the extent of hatchery introgression across brook trout populations in the southern Appalachians using highly polymorphic microsatellite markers.

Imaging paleoslabs in the D″ layer beneath Central America and the Caribbean using seismic waveform inversion

PubMed Central

Borgeaud, Anselme F. E.; Kawai, Kenji; Konishi, Kensuke; Geller, Robert J.

2017-01-01

D″ (Dee double prime), the lowermost layer of the Earth’s mantle, is the thermal boundary layer (TBL) of mantle convection immediately above the Earth’s liquid outer core. As the origin of upwelling of hot material and the destination of paleoslabs (downwelling cold slab remnants), D″ plays a major role in the Earth’s evolution. D″ beneath Central America and the Caribbean is of particular geodynamical interest, because the paleo- and present Pacific plates have been subducting beneath the western margin of Pangaea since ~250 million years ago, which implies that paleoslabs could have reached the lowermost mantle. We conduct waveform inversion using a data set of ~7700 transverse component records to infer the detailed three-dimensional S-velocity structure in the lowermost 400 km of the mantle in the study region so that we can investigate how cold paleoslabs interact with the hot TBL above the core-mantle boundary (CMB). We can obtain high-resolution images because the lowermost mantle here is densely sampled by seismic waves due to the full deployment of the USArray broadband seismic stations during 2004–2015. We find two distinct strong high-velocity anomalies, which we interpret as paleoslabs, just above the CMB beneath Central America and Venezuela, respectively, surrounded by low-velocity regions. Strong low-velocity anomalies concentrated in the lowermost 100 km of the mantle suggest the existence of chemically distinct denser material connected to low-velocity anomalies in the lower mantle inferred by previous studies, suggesting that plate tectonics on the Earth’s surface might control the modality of convection in the lower mantle. PMID:29209659

STS-62 Space Shuttle mission report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fricke, Robert W., Jr.

1994-01-01

The STS-62 Space Shuttle Program Mission Report summarizes the Payload activities as well as the Orbiter, External Tank (ET), Solid Rocket Booster (SRB), Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM), and the Space Shuttle main engine (SSHE) systems performance during the sixty-first flight of the Space Shuttle Program and sixteenth flight of the Orbiter vehicle Columbia (OV-102). In addition to the Orbiter, the flight vehicle consisted of an ET designated as ET-62; three SSME's which were designated as serial numbers 2031, 2109, and 2029 in positions 1, 2, and 3, respectively; and two SRB's which were designated BI-064. The RSRM's that were installed in each SRB were designated as 360L036A (lightweight) for the left SRB, and 36OWO36B (welterweight) for the right SRB. This STS-62 Space Shuttle Program Mission Report fulfills the Space Shuttle Program requirement as documented in NSTS 07700, Volume 8, Appendix E. That document requires that each major organizational element supporting the Program report the results of its hardware evaluation and mission performance plus identify all related in-flight anomalies. The primary objectives of the STS-62 mission were to perform the operations of the United States Microgravity Payload-2 (USMP-2) and the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology-2 (OAST-2) payload. The secondary objectives of this flight were to perform the operations of the Dexterous End Effector (DEE), the Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet/A (SSBUV/A), the Limited Duration Space Environment Candidate Material Exposure (LDCE), the Advanced Protein Crystal Growth (APCG), the Physiological Systems Experiments (PSE), the Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), the Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA), the Middeck Zero-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE), the Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS), the Air Force Maui Optical Site Calibration Test (AMOS), and the Auroral Photography Experiment (APE-B).

Experience affects immediate early gene expression in response to conspecific call notes in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus).

PubMed

Hahn, Allison H; Guillette, Lauren M; Lee, Daniel; McMillan, Neil; Hoang, John; Sturdy, Christopher B

2015-01-01

Black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) produce numerous vocalizations, including the acoustically complex chick-a-dee call that is composed of A, B, C, and D notes. D notes are longer in duration and lower in frequency than the other note types and contain information regarding flock and species identification. Adult wild-caught black-capped chickadees have been shown to have similar amounts of immediate early gene (IEG) expression following playback of vocalizations with harmonic-like acoustic structure, similar to D notes. Here we examined how different environmental experiences affect IEG response to conspecific D notes. We hand-reared black-capped chickadees under three conditions: (1) with adult conspecifics, (2) with adult heterospecific mountain chickadees, and (3) without adults. We presented all hand-reared birds and a control group of field-reared black-capped chickadees, with conspecific D notes and quantified IEG expression in the caudomedial mesopallium (CMM) and caudomedial nidopallium (NCM). We found that field-reared birds that heard normal D notes had a similar neural response as a group of field-reared birds that heard playback of reversed D notes. Field-reared birds that heard normal D notes also had a similar neural response as birds reared with adult conspecifics. Birds reared without adults had a significantly reduced IEG response, whereas the IEG expression in birds reared with heterospecifics was at intermediate levels between birds reared with conspecifics and birds reared without adults. Although acoustic characteristics have been shown to drive IEG expression, our results demonstrate that experience with adults or normal adult vocalizations is also an important factor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fitmunk: improving protein structures by accurate, automatic modeling of side-chain conformations.

PubMed

Porebski, Przemyslaw Jerzy; Cymborowski, Marcin; Pasenkiewicz-Gierula, Marta; Minor, Wladek

2016-02-01

Improvements in crystallographic hardware and software have allowed automated structure-solution pipelines to approach a near-`one-click' experience for the initial determination of macromolecular structures. However, in many cases the resulting initial model requires a laborious, iterative process of refinement and validation. A new method has been developed for the automatic modeling of side-chain conformations that takes advantage of rotamer-prediction methods in a crystallographic context. The algorithm, which is based on deterministic dead-end elimination (DEE) theory, uses new dense conformer libraries and a hybrid energy function derived from experimental data and prior information about rotamer frequencies to find the optimal conformation of each side chain. In contrast to existing methods, which incorporate the electron-density term into protein-modeling frameworks, the proposed algorithm is designed to take advantage of the highly discriminatory nature of electron-density maps. This method has been implemented in the program Fitmunk, which uses extensive conformational sampling. This improves the accuracy of the modeling and makes it a versatile tool for crystallographic model building, refinement and validation. Fitmunk was extensively tested on over 115 new structures, as well as a subset of 1100 structures from the PDB. It is demonstrated that the ability of Fitmunk to model more than 95% of side chains accurately is beneficial for improving the quality of crystallographic protein models, especially at medium and low resolutions. Fitmunk can be used for model validation of existing structures and as a tool to assess whether side chains are modeled optimally or could be better fitted into electron density. Fitmunk is available as a web service at http://kniahini.med.virginia.edu/fitmunk/server/ or at http://fitmunk.bitbucket.org/.

Inter-Annual Variability in Stream Water Temperature, Microclimate and Heat Exchanges: a Comparison of Forest and Moorland Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garner, G.; Hannah, D. M.; Malcolm, I.; Sadler, J. P.

2012-12-01

Riparian forest is recognised as important for moderating stream temperature variability and has the potential to mitigate thermal extremes in a changing climate. Previous research on the heat exchanges controlling water column temperature has often been short-term or seasonally-constrained, with the few multi-year studies limited to a maximum of two years. This study advances previous work by providing a longer-term perspective which allows assessment of inter-annual variability in stream temperature, microclimate and heat exchange dynamics between a semi-natural woodland and a moorland (no trees) reach of the Girnock Burn, a tributary of the Scottish Dee. Automatic weather stations collected 15-minute data over seven consecutive years, which to our knowledge is a unique data set in providing the longest term perspective to date on stream temperature, microclimate and heat exchange processes. Results for spring-summer indicate that the presence of a riparian canopy has a consistent effect between years in reducing the magnitude and variability of mean daily water column temperature and daily net energy totals. Differences in the magnitude and variability in net energy fluxes between the study reaches were driven primarily by fluctuations in net radiation and latent heat fluxes in response to between- and within-year variability in growth of the riparian forest canopy at the forest and prevailing weather conditions at both the forest and moorland. This research provides new insights on the inter-annual variability of stream energy exchanges for moorland and forested reaches under a wide range of climatological and hydrological conditions. The findings therefore provide a more robust process basis for modelling the impact of changes in forest practice and climate change on river thermal dynamics.

Design, biometric simulation and optimization of a nano-enabled scaffold device for enhanced delivery of dopamine to the brain.

PubMed

Pillay, Samantha; Pillay, Viness; Choonara, Yahya E; Naidoo, Dinesh; Khan, Riaz A; du Toit, Lisa C; Ndesendo, Valence M K; Modi, Girish; Danckwerts, Michael P; Iyuke, Sunny E

2009-12-01

This study focused on the design, biometric simulation and optimization of an intracranial nano-enabled scaffold device (NESD) for the site-specific delivery of dopamine (DA) as a strategy to minimize the peripheral side-effects of conventional forms of Parkinson's disease therapy. The NESD was modulated through biometric simulation and computational prototyping to produce a binary crosslinked alginate scaffold embedding stable DA-loaded cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) nanoparticles optimized in accordance with Box-Behnken statistical designs. The physicomechanical properties of the NESD were characterized and in vitro and in vivo release studies performed. Prototyping predicted a 3D NESD model with enhanced internal micro-architecture. SEM and TEM revealed spherical, uniform and non-aggregated DA-loaded nanoparticles with the presence of CAP (FTIR bands at 1070, 1242 and 2926 cm(-1)). An optimum nanoparticle size of 197 nm (PdI=0.03), a zeta potential of -34.00 mV and a DEE of 63% was obtained. The secondary crosslinker BaCl(2) imparted crystallinity resulting in significant thermal shifts between native CAP (T(g)=160-170 degrees C; T(m)=192 degrees C) and CAP nanoparticles (T(g)=260 degrees C; T(m)=268 degrees C). DA release displayed an initial lag phase of 24 h and peaked after 3 days, maintaining favorable CSF (10 microg/mL) versus systemic concentrations (1-2 microg/mL) over 30 days and above the inherent baseline concentration of DA (1 microg/mL) following implantation in the parenchyma of the frontal lobe of the Sprague-Dawley rat model. The strategy of coupling polymeric scaffold science and nanotechnology enhanced the site-specific delivery of DA from the NESD.

Overview of Light-Ion Beam Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chu, William T.

2006-03-16

In 1930, Ernest Orlando Lawrence at the University of California at Berkeley invented the cyclotron. One of his students, M. Stanley Livingston, constructed a 13-cm diameter model that had all the features of early cyclotrons, accelerating protons to 80 keV using less than 1 kV on a semi-circular accelerating electrode, now called the ''dee''. Soon after, Lawrence constructed the first two-dee 27-Inch (69-cm) Cyclotron, which produced protons and deuterons of 4.8 MeV. In 1939, Lawrence constructed the 60-Inch (150-cm) Cyclotron, which accelerated deuterons to 19 MeV. Just before WWII, Lawrence designed a 184-inch cyclotron, but the war prevented the buildingmore » of this machine. Immediately after the war ended, the Veksler-McMillan principle of phase stability was put forward, which enabled the transformation of conventional cyclotrons to successful synchrocyclotrons. When completed, the 184-Inch Synchrocyclotron produced 340-MeV protons. Following it, more modern synchrocyclotrons were built around the globe, and the synchrocyclotrons in Berkeley and Uppsala, together with the Harvard cyclotron, would perform pioneering work in treatment of human cancer using accelerated hadrons (protons and light ions). When the 184-Inch Synchrocyclotron was built, Lawrence asked Robert Wilson, one of his former graduate students, to look into the shielding requirements for of the new accelerator. Wilson soon realized that the 184-Inch would produce a copious number of protons and other light ions that had enough energy to penetrate human body, and could be used for treatment of deep-seated diseases. Realizing the advantages of delivering a larger dose in the Bragg peak when placed inside deep-seated tumors, he published in a medical journal a seminal paper on the rationale to use accelerated protons and light ions for treatment of human cancer. The precise dose localization provided by protons and light ions means lower doses to normal tissues adjacent to the treatment volume compared to those in conventional (photon) treatments. Wilson wrote his personal account of this pioneering work in 1997. In 1954 Cornelius Tobias and John Lawrence at the Radiation Laboratory (former E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) of the University of California, Berkeley performed the first therapeutic exposure of human patients to hadron (deuteron and helium ion) beams at the 184-Inch Synchrocyclotron. By 1984, or 30 years after the first proton treatment at Berkeley, programs of proton radiation treatments had opened at: University of Uppsala, Sweden, 1957; the Massachusetts General Hospital-Harvard Cyclotron Laboratory (MGH/HCL), USA, 1961; Dubna (1967), Moscow (1969) and St Petersburg (1975) in Russia; Chiba (1979) and Tsukuba (1983) in Japan; and Villigen, Switzerland, 1984. These centers used the accelerators originally constructed for nuclear physics research. The experience at these centers has confirmed the efficacy of protons and light ions in increasing the tumor dose relative to normal tissue dose, with significant improvements in local control and patient survival for several tumor sites. M.R. Raju reviewed the early clinical studies. In 1990, the Loma Linda University Medical Center in California heralded in the age of dedicated medical accelerators when it commissioned its proton therapy facility with a 250-MeV synchrotron. Since then there has been a relatively rapid increase in the number of hospital-based proton treatment centers around the world, and by 2006 there are more than a dozen commercially-built facilities in use, five new facilities under construction, and more in planning stages. In the 1950s larger synchrotrons were built in the GeV region at Brookhaven (3-GeV Cosmotron) and at Berkeley (6-GeV Bevatron), and today most of the world's largest accelerators are synchrotrons. With advances in accelerator design in the early 1970s, synchrotrons at Berkeley and Princeton accelerated ions with atomic numbers between 6 and 18, at energies that permitted the initiation of several biological studies. It is worth noting that when the Bevatron was converted to accelerate light ions, the main push came from biomedical users who wanted to use high-LET radiation for treating human cancer.« less

Low-flow characteristics and profiles for the Rocky River in the Yadkin-Pee Dee River basin, North Carolina, through 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weaver, J. Curtis; Fine, Jason M.

2003-01-01

An understanding of the magnitude and frequency of low-flow discharges is an important part of protecting surface-water resources and planning for municipal and industrial economic expansion. Low-flow characteristics are summarized for 12 continuous-record gaging stations and 44 partial-record measuring sites in the Rocky River basin in North Carolina. Records of discharge collected through the 2002 water year at continuous-record gaging stations and through the 2001 water year at partial-record measuring sites were used. Flow characteristics included in the summary are (1) average annual unit flow; (2) 7Q10 low-flow discharge, the minimum average discharge for a 7-consecutive-day period occurring, on average, once in 10 years; (3) 30Q2 low-flow discharge; (4) W7Q10 low-flow discharge, which is similar to 7Q10 discharge but is based only on flow during the winter months of November through March; and (5) 7Q2 low-flow discharge. The Rocky River basin drains 1,413 square miles (mi2) of the southern Piedmont Province in North Carolina. The Rocky River is about 91 miles long and merges with the Yadkin River in eastern Stanly County to form the Pee Dee River, which discharges into the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina. Low-flow characteristics compiled for selected sites in the Rocky River basin indicated that the potential for sustained base flows in the upper half of the basin is relatively higher than for streams in the lower half of the basin. The upper half of the basin is underlain by the Charlotte Belt, where streams have been identified as having moderate potentials for sustained base flows. In the lower half of the basin, many streams were noted as having little to no potential for sustained base flows. Much of the decrease in base-flow potential is attributed to the underlying rock types of the Carolina Slate Belt. Of the 19 sites in the basin having minimal (defined as less than 0.05 cubic foot per second) or zero 7Q10 discharges, 18 sites are located in the lower half of the basin underlain by the Carolina Slate Belt. Assessment of these 18 sites indicates that streams that have drainage areas less than about 25 square miles are likely to have minimal or zero 7Q10 discharges. No drainage-area threshold for minimal or zero 7Q10 discharges was identified for the upper half of the basin, which is underlain by the Charlotte Belt. Tributaries to the Rocky River include the West Branch Rocky River (22.8 mi2), Clarke Creek (28.2 mi2), Mallard Creek (41.2 mi2), Coddle Creek (78.8 mi2), Reedy Creek (43.0 mi2), Irish Buffalo/Coldwater Creeks (110 mi2), Dutch Buffalo Creek (99 mi2), Long Creek (200 mi2), Richardson Creek (234 mi2), and Lanes Creek (135 mi2). In the 20-mile reach upstream from the mouth (about 22 percent of the river length), the drainage area increases by 648 mi2, or about 46 percent of the total drainage area as a result of the confluences with Long Creek, Richardson Creek, and Lanes Creek. Low-flow discharge profiles for the Rocky River include 7Q10, 30Q2, W7Q10, and 7Q2 discharges in a continuous profile with contributions from major tributaries included. At the gaging stations above Irish Buffalo Creek and near Stanfield, the 7Q10 discharges are 25.2 and 42.3 cubic feet per second, corresponding to 0.09 and 0.07 cubic feet per second per square mile, respectively. At the gaging station near Norwood, the 7Q10 discharge is 45.8 cubic feet per second, equivalent to 0.03 cubic foot per second per square mile. Low-flow discharge profiles reflect the presence of several major flow diversions in the reaches upstream from Stanfield and an apparent losing reach between the continuous-record gaging stations near Stanfield and Norwood, North Carolina.

Effects of regulated river flows on habitat suitability for the robust redhorse

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisk, J. M.; Kwak, Thomas J.; Heise, R. J.

2015-01-01

The Robust Redhorse Moxostoma robustum is a rare and imperiled fish, with wild populations occurring in three drainages from North Carolina to Georgia. Hydroelectric dams have altered the species’ habitat and restricted its range. An augmented minimum-flow regime that will affect Robust Redhorse habitat was recently prescribed for Blewett Falls Dam, a hydroelectric facility on the Pee Dee River, North Carolina. Our objective was to quantify suitable spawning and nonspawning habitat under current and proposed minimum-flow regimes. We implanted radio transmitters into 27 adult Robust Redhorses and relocated the fish from spring 2008 to summer 2009, and we described habitat at 15 spawning capture locations. Nonspawning habitat consisted of deep, slow-moving pools (mean depth D 2.3 m; mean velocity D 0.23 m/s), bedrock and sand substrates, and boulders or coarse woody debris as cover. Spawning habitat was characterized as shallower, faster-moving water (mean depth D 0.84 m; mean velocity D 0.61 m/s) with gravel and cobble as substrates and boulders as cover associated with shoals. Telemetry relocations revealed two behavioral subgroups: a resident subgroup (linear range [mean § SE] D 7.9 § 3.7 river kilometers [rkm]) that remained near spawning areas in the Piedmont region throughout the year; and a migratory subgroup (linear range D 64.3 § 8.4 rkm) that migrated extensively downstream into the Coastal Plain region. Spawning and nonspawning habitat suitability indices were developed based on field microhabitat measurements and were applied to model suitable available habitat (weighted usable area) for current and proposed augmented minimum flows. Suitable habitat (both spawning and nonspawning) increased for each proposed seasonal minimum flow relative to former minimum flows, with substantial increases for spawning sites. Our results contribute to an understanding of how regulated flows affect available habitats for imperiled species. Flow managers can use these findings to regulate discharge more effectively and to create and maintain important habitats during critical periods for priority species.

Anhydrite pseudomorphs and the origin of stratiform Cu-Co ores in the Katangan Copperbelt (Democratic Republic of Congo)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muchez, Ph.; Vanderhaeghen, P.; El Desouky, H.; Schneider, J.; Boyce, A.; Dewaele, S.; Cailteux, J.

2008-07-01

The stratiform Cu-Co ore mineralisation in the Katangan Copperbelt consists of dispersed sulphides and sulphides in nodules and lenses, which are often pseudomorphs after evaporites. Two types of pseudomorphs can be distinguished in the nodules and lenses. In type 1 examples, dolomite precipitated first and was subsequently replaced by Cu-Co sulphides and authigenic quartz, whereas in type 2 examples, authigenic quartz and Cu-Co sulphides precipitated prior to dolomite and are coarse-grained. The sulphur isotopic composition of the copper-cobalt sulphides in the type 1 pseudomorphs is between -10.3 and 3.1‰ relative to the Vienna Canyon Diablo Troilite, indicating that the sulphide component was derived from bacterial sulphate reduction (BSR). The generation of {text{HCO}}_3^ - during this process caused the precipitation and replacement of anhydrite by dolomite. A second product of BSR is the generation of H2S, resulting in the precipitation of Cu-Co sulphides from the mineralising fluids. Initial sulphide precipitation occurred along the rim of the pseudomorphs and continued towards the core. Precipitation of authigenic quartz was most likely induced by a pH decrease during sulphide precipitation. Fluid inclusion data from quartz indicate the presence of a high-salinity (8-18 eq. wt.% NaCl) fluid, possibly derived from evaporated seawater which migrated through the deep subsurface. 87Sr/86Sr ratios of dolomite in type 1 nodules range between 0.71012 and 0.73576, significantly more radiogenic than the strontium isotopic composition of Neoproterozoic marine carbonates (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7056-0.7087). This suggests intense interaction with siliciclastic sedimentary rocks and/or the granitic basement. The low carbon isotopic composition of the dolomite in the pseudomorphs (-7.02 and -9.93‰ relative to the Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite, V-PDB) compared to the host rock dolomite (-4.90 and +1.31‰ V-PDB) resulted from the oxidation of organic matter during BSR.

The genetic and phenotypic variability of interspecific hybrid bermudagrasses (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy) used on golf course putting greens.

PubMed

Reasor, Eric H; Brosnan, James T; Trigiano, Robert N; Elsner, J Earl; Henry, Gerald M; Schwartz, Brian M

2016-10-01

Some interspecific hybrid bermudagrass cultivars used on golf course putting greens are genetically unstable, which has caused phenotypically different off-type grasses to occur in production nurseries and putting surfaces. Management practices to reduce the occurrence of off-type grasses in putting green surfaces and the effect they can have on putting quality and performance need to be researched until genetically stable cultivars are developed. Golf course putting green surfaces in subtropical and tropical climates are typically planted with an interspecific hybrid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. × C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy), because of the superior putting quality and performance of these cultivars. 'Tifgreen' was one of the first interspecific hybrids developed for putting green use in lieu of common bermudagrass. However, off-type grasses began appearing in established Tifgreen stands soon after commercial release. Off-type grasses are those with different morphology and performance when compared to the surrounding, desirable cultivar. Off-types have the potential to decrease surface uniformity, which negatively affects putting surface quality. However, several unique off-types from Tifgreen have been selected as commercial cultivars, the first being 'Tifdwarf'; then 'Floradwarf', 'MS-Supreme', 'Pee Dee-102', and 'TL-2', identified later. The cultivars 'Champion Dwarf', 'P-18', 'RJT', and 'Emerald Dwarf' were subsequently selected as off-types in Tifdwarf. The naturally occurring off-types and cultivars that have been identified within the Tifgreen family have widely differing phenotypes; however, they are reported to be genetically similar, supporting the hypothesis that their occurrence is a result of somatic mutations. Genetic instability in currently available commercial cultivars is likely to lead to the continued presence of off-types in production nurseries and putting greens. Additional research is needed to understand the nature of genetic instability in Tifgreen-derived cultivars and how to manage its consequences to develop new cultivars, but also strategies for eradication of off-types in pedigree nursery production and end-site putting greens.

Neural Correlates of Threat Perception: Neural Equivalence of Conspecific and Heterospecific Mobbing Calls Is Learned

PubMed Central

Avey, Marc T.; Hoeschele, Marisa; Moscicki, Michele K.; Bloomfield, Laurie L.; Sturdy, Christopher B.

2011-01-01

Songbird auditory areas (i.e., CMM and NCM) are preferentially activated to playback of conspecific vocalizations relative to heterospecific and arbitrary noise [1]–[2]. Here, we asked if the neural response to auditory stimulation is not simply preferential for conspecific vocalizations but also for the information conveyed by the vocalization. Black-capped chickadees use their chick-a-dee mobbing call to recruit conspecifics and other avian species to mob perched predators [3]. Mobbing calls produced in response to smaller, higher-threat predators contain more “D” notes compared to those produced in response to larger, lower-threat predators and thus convey the degree of threat of predators [4]. We specifically asked whether the neural response varies with the degree of threat conveyed by the mobbing calls of chickadees and whether the neural response is the same for actual predator calls that correspond to the degree of threat of the chickadee mobbing calls. Our results demonstrate that, as degree of threat increases in conspecific chickadee mobbing calls, there is a corresponding increase in immediate early gene (IEG) expression in telencephalic auditory areas. We also demonstrate that as the degree of threat increases for the heterospecific predator, there is a corresponding increase in IEG expression in the auditory areas. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the amount IEG expression between conspecific mobbing calls or heterospecific predator calls that were the same degree of threat. In a second experiment, using hand-reared chickadees without predator experience, we found more IEG expression in response to mobbing calls than corresponding predator calls, indicating that degree of threat is learned. Our results demonstrate that degree of threat corresponds to neural activity in the auditory areas and that threat can be conveyed by different species signals and that these signals must be learned. PMID:21909363

Protein Side-Chain Resonance Assignment and NOE Assignment Using RDC-Defined Backbones without TOCSY Data3

PubMed Central

Zeng, Jianyang; Zhou, Pei; Donald, Bruce Randall

2011-01-01

One bottleneck in NMR structure determination lies in the laborious and time-consuming process of side-chain resonance and NOE assignments. Compared to the well-studied backbone resonance assignment problem, automated side-chain resonance and NOE assignments are relatively less explored. Most NOE assignment algorithms require nearly complete side-chain resonance assignments from a series of through-bond experiments such as HCCH-TOCSY or HCCCONH. Unfortunately, these TOCSY experiments perform poorly on large proteins. To overcome this deficiency, we present a novel algorithm, called NASCA (NOE Assignment and Side-Chain Assignment), to automate both side-chain resonance and NOE assignments and to perform high-resolution protein structure determination in the absence of any explicit through-bond experiment to facilitate side-chain resonance assignment, such as HCCH-TOCSY. After casting the assignment problem into a Markov Random Field (MRF), NASCA extends and applies combinatorial protein design algorithms to compute optimal assignments that best interpret the NMR data. The MRF captures the contact map information of the protein derived from NOESY spectra, exploits the backbone structural information determined by RDCs, and considers all possible side-chain rotamers. The complexity of the combinatorial search is reduced by using a dead-end elimination (DEE) algorithm, which prunes side-chain resonance assignments that are provably not part of the optimal solution. Then an A* search algorithm is employed to find a set of optimal side-chain resonance assignments that best fit the NMR data. These side-chain resonance assignments are then used to resolve the NOE assignment ambiguity and compute high-resolution protein structures. Tests on five proteins show that NASCA assigns resonances for more than 90% of side-chain protons, and achieves about 80% correct assignments. The final structures computed using the NOE distance restraints assigned by NASCA have backbone RMSD 0.8 – 1.5 Å from the reference structures determined by traditional NMR approaches. PMID:21706248

Indications for the past redox environments in deep groundwaters from the isotopic composition of carbon and oxygen in fracture calcite, Olkiluoto, SW Finland.

PubMed

Sahlstedt, Elina; Karhu, Juha A; Pitkanen, Petteri

2010-09-01

In paleohydrogeological studies, the geochemical and isotope geochemical composition of fracture calcites can be utilised to gain information about the evolution of the composition of deep groundwaters in crystalline bedrock. The aim of our study was to investigate the latest hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwaters in the crystalline bedrock at Olkiluoto, which is the planned site for deep geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Samples were collected from drill cores intercepting water-conducting fractures at the upper ~500 m of the bedrock. The latest fracture calcite generations were identified using optical microscopy and electron microprobe. They occur as thin ~10-200 μm crusts or small euhedral crystals on open fracture surfaces. These latest calcite fillings were carefully sampled and analysed for the isotopic composition on carbon and oxygen. In addition, fluid inclusion homogenisation temperatures were determined on selected calcite samples. Fluid inclusion data indicated a low temperature of formation for the latest fracture calcite fillings. The δ(18)O values of calcite in these fracture fillings vary only slightly, from-7.3 to-11.5 ‰ (Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite, VPDB), whereas the δ(13)C values fluctuate widely, from-30 to+31 ‰ (VPDB). The δ(13)C values of latest calcite fillings show a systematic pattern with depth, with high and variable δ(13)C values below 50 m. The high δ(13)C values indicate active methanogenesis during the formation of the latest calcite fillings. In contrast, the present-day methanic redox environment is restricted to depths below 200-300 m. It is possible that the shift in the redox environment at Olkiluoto has occurred during infiltration of SO2-(4)-rich marine waters, the latest of such events being the infiltration of brackish waters of the Littorina Sea stage of the Baltic Sea at ~8000-3000 BP.

The Paleoclimate Uncertainty Cascade: Tracking Proxy Errors Via Proxy System Models.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emile-Geay, J.; Dee, S. G.; Evans, M. N.; Adkins, J. F.

2014-12-01

Paleoclimatic observations are, by nature, imperfect recorders of climate variables. Empirical approaches to their calibration are challenged by the presence of multiple sources of uncertainty, which may confound the interpretation of signals and the identifiability of the noise. In this talk, I will demonstrate the utility of proxy system models (PSMs, Evans et al, 2013, 10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.05.024) to quantify the impact of all known sources of uncertainty. PSMs explicitly encode the mechanistic knowledge of the physical, chemical, biological and geological processes from which paleoclimatic observations arise. PSMs may be divided into sensor, archive and observation components, all of which may conspire to obscure climate signals in actual paleo-observations. As an example, we couple a PSM for the δ18O of speleothem calcite to an isotope-enabled climate model (Dee et al, submitted) to analyze the potential of this measurement as a proxy for precipitation amount. A simple soil/karst model (Partin et al, 2013, 10.1130/G34718.1) is used as sensor model, while a hiatus-permitting chronological model (Haslett & Parnell, 2008, 10.1111/j.1467-9876.2008.00623.x) is used as part of the observation model. This subdivision allows us to explicitly model the transformation from precipitation amount to speleothem calcite δ18O as a multi-stage process via a physical and chemical sensor model, and a stochastic archive model. By illustrating the PSM's behavior within the context of the climate simulations, we show how estimates of climate variability may be affected by each submodel's transformation of the signal. By specifying idealized climate signals(periodic vs. episodic, slow vs. fast) to the PSM, we investigate how frequency and amplitude patterns are modulated by sensor and archive submodels. To the extent that the PSM and the climate models are representative of real world processes, then the results may help us more accurately interpret existing paleodata, characterize their uncertainties, and design sampling strategies that exploit their strengths while mitigating their weaknesses.

The Origin Of Most Cosmic Rays: The Acceleration By E(parallel)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colgate, Stirling A.; Li, H.

2008-03-01

We suggest a universal view of the origin of almost all cosmic rays. We propose that nearly every accelerated CRs was initially part of the parallel current that maintains most all force-free, twisted magnetic fields. We point out the greatest fraction of the free energy of magnetic fields in the universe likely resides in force-free fields as opposed to force-bounded ones, because the velocity of twisting, the ponder motive force, is small compared to local Alven speed. We suggest that these helical fields and the particles that they accelerate are distributed nearly uniformly and consequently are near space-filling with some notable exceptions. Charged particles are accelerated by the E( parallel to the magnetic field B) produced by the dissipation of the free energy of these fields by the progressive diffusive loss of "run-away" accelerated current-carrying charged particles from the "core" of the helical fields. Such diffusive loss is first identified as reconnection, but instead potentiates a much larger irreversible loss of highly accelerated anisotropic run-away current carrier particles. We suggest, as in fusion confinement experiments, that there exists a universal, highly robust, diffusion coefficient, D, resulting in D 1% of Bohm diffusion, as has been found in all confinement experiments, possibly driven by drift waves and, or collision-less, tearing modes. The consequential current carrier loss along the resulting tangled field lines is sufficient to account for the energy, number and spectrum of nearly all CR acceleration, both galactic as well as extra galactic. The spectrum is determined by a loss fraction dn/n -dE/E where dn D E-3/2 resulting in dn/dE = E/E0-2.5 up to 1022 ev. Only mass accretion onto SMBHs can supply the energy necessary, 1060 ergs, to fill the IGM with a CR spectrum of Γ 2.6. (Supported by the DOE)

Ultrastructural and geochemical characterization of Archean-Paleoproterozoic graphite particles: implications for recognizing traces of life in highly metamorphosed rocks.

PubMed

Schiffbauer, James D; Yin, Leiming; Bodnar, Robert J; Kaufman, Alan J; Meng, Fanwei; Hu, Jie; Shen, Bing; Yuan, Xunlai; Bao, Huiming; Xiao, Shuhai

2007-08-01

Abundant graphite particles occur in amphibolite-grade quartzite of the Archean-Paleoproterozoic Wutai Metamorphic Complex in the Wutaishan area of North China. Petrographic thin section observations suggest that the graphite particles occur within and between quartzite clasts and are heterogeneous in origin. Using HF maceration techniques, the Wutai graphite particles were extracted for further investigation. Laser Raman spectroscopic analysis of a population of extracted graphite discs indicated that they experienced a maximum metamorphic temperature of 513 +/- 50 degrees C, which is consistent with the metamorphic grade of the host rock and supports their indigenicity. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the particles bear morphological features (such as hexagonal sheets of graphite crystals) related to metamorphism and crystal growth, but a small fraction of them (graphite discs) are characterized by a circular morphology, distinct marginal concentric folds, surficial wrinkles, and complex nanostructures. Ion microprobe analysis of individual graphite discs showed that their carbon isotope compositions range from -7.4 per thousand to -35.9 per thousand V-PDB (Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite), with an average of -20.3 per thousand, which is comparable to bulk analysis of extracted carbonaceous material. The range of their size, ultrastructures, and isotopic signatures suggests that the morphology and geochemistry of the Wutai graphite discs were overprinted by metamorphism and their ultimate carbon source probably had diverse origins that included abiotic processes. We considered both biotic and abiotic origins of the carbon source and graphite disc morphologies and cannot falsify the possibility that some circular graphite discs characterized by marginal folds and surficial wrinkles represent deflated, compressed, and subsequently graphitized organic-walled vesicles. Together with reports by other authors of acanthomorphic acritarchs from greenschist-amphibolite-grade metamorphic rocks, this study suggests that it is worthwhile to examine carbonaceous materials preserved in highly metamorphosed rocks for possible evidence of ancient life.

Towards absolute laser spectroscopic CO2 isotope ratio measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anyangwe Nwaboh, Javis; Werhahn, Olav; Ebert, Volker

2017-04-01

Knowledge of isotope composition of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is necessary to identify sources and sinks of this key greenhouse gas. In the last years, laser spectroscopic techniques such as cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) and tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) have been shown to perform accurate isotope ratio measurements for CO2 and other gases like water vapour (H2O) [1,2]. Typically, isotope ratios are reported in literature referring to reference materials provided by e.g. the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, there could be some benefit if field deployable absolute isotope ratio measurement methods were developed to address issues such as exhausted reference material like the Pee Dee Belemnite (PDB) standard. Absolute isotope ratio measurements would be particularly important for situations where reference materials do not even exist. Here, we present CRDS and TDLAS-based absolute isotope ratios (13C/12C ) in atmospheric CO2. We demonstrate the capabilities of the used methods by measuring CO2 isotope ratios in gas standards. We compare our results to values reported for the isotope certified gas standards. Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement (GUM) compliant uncertainty budgets on the CRDS and TDLAS absolute isotope ratio measurements are presented, and traceability is addressed. We outline the current impediments in realizing high accuracy absolute isotope ratio measurements using laser spectroscopic methods, propose solutions and the way forward. Acknowledgement Parts of this work have been carried out within the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP) ENV52 project-HIGHGAS. The EMRP is jointly funded by the EMRP participating countries within EURAMET and the European Union. References [1] B. Kühnreich, S. Wagner, J. C. Habig,·O. Möhler, H. Saathoff, V. Ebert, Appl. Phys. B 119:177-187 (2015). [2] E. Kerstel, L. Gianfrani, Appl. Phys. B 92, 439-449 (2008).

Bedform Dimensions and Suspended Sediment Observations in a Mixed Sand-Mud Intertidal Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichtman, I. D.; Amoudry, L.; Peter, T.; Jaco, B.

2016-02-01

Small-scale bedforms, such as ripples, can profoundly modify near-bed hydrodynamics, near-bed sediment transport and resuspension, and benthic-pelagic fluxes. Knowledge of their dimensions is important for a number of applications. Fundamentally different processes can occur depending on the dimensions of ripples: for low and long ripples, the bed remains dynamically flat and diffusive processes dominate sediment entrainment; for steep ripples, flow separation occurs above the ripples creating vortices, which are far more efficient at entraining sediment into the water column. Recent laboratory experiments for mixtures of sand and mud have shown that bedform dimensions decrease with increasing sediment mud content. However, these same experiments also showed that mud is selectively taken into suspension when bedforms are created and migrate on the bed, leaving sandy bedforms. This entrainment process, selectively suspending fine sediment, is referred to as winnowing. To improve our understanding of bedform and entrainment dynamics of mixed sediments, in situ observations were made on intertidal flats in the Dee Estuary, United Kingdom. A suite of instruments were deployed collecting co-located measurements of the near-bed hydrodynamics, waves, small-scale bed morphology and suspended sediment. Three sites were occupied consecutively, over a Spring-Neap cycle, collecting data for different bed compositions, tide levels and wind conditions. Bed samples were taken when the flats became exposed at low water and a sediment trap collected suspended load when inundated. This study will combine these measurements to investigate the interactions between small-scale bed morphology, near-bed hydrodynamics and sediment entrainment. We will examine bedform development in the complex hydrodynamic and wave climate of tidal flats, in relation to standard ripple predictors. We will also relate the variability in small-scale bedforms to variation in hydrodynamic and wave conditions, and to suspension and entrainment processes for mixed sediments.

Jena Reference Air Set (JRAS): a multi-point scale anchor for isotope measurements of CO2 in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wendeberg, M.; Richter, J. M.; Rothe, M.; Brand, W. A.

2013-03-01

The need for a unifying scale anchor for isotopes of CO2 in air was brought to light at the 11th WMO/IAEA Meeting of Experts on Carbon Dioxide in Tokyo 2001. During discussions about persistent discrepancies in isotope measurements between the worlds leading laboratories, it was concluded that a unifying scale anchor for Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB) of CO2 in air was desperately needed. Ten years later, at the 2011 Meeting of Experts on Carbon Dioxide in Wellington, it was recommended that the Jena Reference Air Set (JRAS) become the official scale anchor for isotope measurements of CO2 in air (Brailsford, 2012). The source of CO2 used for JRAS is two calcites. After releasing CO2 by reaction with phosphoric acid, the gases are mixed into CO2-free air. This procedure ensures both isotopic stability and longevity of the CO2. That the reference CO2 is generated from calcites and supplied as an air mixture is unique to JRAS. This is made to ensure that any measurement bias arising from the extraction procedure is eliminated. As every laboratory has its own procedure for extracting the CO2, this is of paramount importance if the local scales are to be unified with a common anchor. For a period of four years, JRAS has been evaluated through the IMECC1 program, which made it possible to distribute sets of JRAS gases to 13 laboratories worldwide. A summary of data from the six laboratories that have reported the full set of results is given here along with a description of the production and maintenance of the JRAS scale anchors. 1 IMECC refers to the EU project "Infrastructure for Measurements of the European Carbon Cycle" (http://imecc.ipsl.jussieu.fr/).

Aged Riverine Particulate Organic Carbon in Four UK Catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Jessica; Tipping, Edward; Bryant, Charlotte; Helliwell, Rachel; Toberman, Hannah; Quinton, John

2016-04-01

The riverine transport of particulate organic matter (POM) is a significant flux in the carbon cycle, and affects macronutrients and contaminants. We used radiocarbon to characterise POM at 9 riverine sites of four UK catchments (Avon, Conwy, Dee, Ribble) over a one-year period. High-discharge samples were collected on three or four occasions at each site. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) was obtained by centrifugation, and the samples were analysed for carbon isotopes. Concentrations of SPM and SPM organic carbon (OC) contents were also determined, and were found to have a significant negative correlation. For the 7 rivers draining predominantly rural catchments, PO14C values, expressed as percent modern carbon absolute (pMC), varied little among samplings at each site, and there was no significant difference in the average values among the sites. The overall average PO14C value for the 7 sites of 91.2 pMC corresponded to an average age of 680 14C years, but this value arises from the mixing of differently-aged components, and therefore significant amounts of organic matter older than the average value are present in the samples. Although topsoil erosion is probably the major source of the riverine POM, the average PO14C value is appreciably lower than topsoil values (which are typically 100 pMC). This is most likely explained by inputs of older subsoil OC from bank erosion, or the preferential loss of high-14C topsoil organic matter by mineralisation during riverine transport. The significantly lower average PO14C of samples from the River Calder (76.6 pMC), can be ascribed to components containing little or no radiocarbon, derived either from industrial sources or historical coal mining, and this effect is also seen in the River Ribble, downstream of its confluence with the Calder. At the global scale, the results significantly expand available information for PO14C in rivers draining catchments with low erosion rates.

THOR Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retinò, Alessandro

2017-04-01

Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) is the first mission ever flown in space dedicated to plasma turbulence. The Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) onboard THOR will provide the first high-time resolution measurements of mass-resolved ions in near-Earth space, focusing on hot ions in the foreshock, shock and magnetosheath turbulent regions. These measurements are required to study how kinetic-scale turbulent fluctuations heat and accelerate different ion species. IMS will measure the full three-dimensional distribution functions of main ion species (H+, He++, O+) in the energy range 10 eV/q to 30 keV/q with energy resolution DE/E down to 10% and angular resolution down to 11.25˚ . The time resolution will be 150 ms for O+, 300 ms for He++ and ˜ 1s for O+, which correspond to ion scales in the the foreshock, shock and magnetosheath regions. Such high time resolution is achieved by mounting four identical IMS units phased by 90˚ in the spacecraft spin plane. Each IMS unit combines a top-hat electrostatic analyzer with deflectors at the entrance together with a time-of-flight section to perform mass selection. Adequate mass-per-charge resolution (M/q)/(ΔM/q) (≥ 8 for He++ and ≥ 3 for O+) is obtained through a 6 cm long Time-of-Flight (TOF) section. IMS electronics includes a fast sweeping high voltage board that is required to make measurements at high cadence. Ion detection includes Micro Channel Plates (MCPs) combined with Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) for charge amplification and discrimination and a discrete Time-to-Amplitude Converter (TAC) to determine the ion time of flight. A processor board will be used to for ion events formatting and will interface with the Particle Processing Unit (PPU), which will perform data processing for THOR particle detectors. The IMS instrument is being designed and will be built and calibrated by an international consortium of scientific institutes from France, USA, Germany and Japan and Switzerland.

Experimental determination of a Viviparus contectus thermometry equation.

PubMed

Bugler, Melanie J; Grimes, Stephen T; Leng, Melanie J; Rundle, Simon D; Price, Gregory D; Hooker, Jerry J; Collinson, Margaret E

2009-09-01

Experimental measurements of the (18)O/(16)O isotope fractionation between the biogenic aragonite of Viviparus contectus (Gastropoda) and its host freshwater were undertaken to generate a species-specific thermometry equation. The temperature dependence of the fractionation factor and the relationship between Deltadelta(18)O (delta(18)O(carb.) - delta(18)O(water)) and temperature were calculated from specimens maintained under laboratory and field (collection and cage) conditions. The field specimens were grown (Somerset, UK) between August 2007 and August 2008, with water samples and temperature measurements taken monthly. Specimens grown in the laboratory experiment were maintained under constant temperatures (15 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 25 degrees C) with water samples collected weekly. Application of a linear regression to the datasets indicated that the gradients of all three experiments were within experimental error of each other (+/-2 times the standard error); therefore, a combined (laboratory and field data) correlation could be applied. The relationship between Deltadelta(18)O (delta(18)O(carb.) - delta(18)O(water)) and temperature (T) for this combined dataset is given by: T = - 7.43( + 0.87, - 1.13)*Deltadelta18O + 22.89(+/- 2.09) (T is in degrees C, delta(18)O(carb.) is with respect to Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB) and delta(18)O(water) is with respect to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW). Quoted errors are 2 times standard error).Comparisons made with existing aragonitic thermometry equations reveal that the linear regression for the combined Viviparus contectus equation is within 2 times the standard error of previously reported aragonitic thermometry equations. This suggests there are no species-specific vital effects for Viviparus contectus. Seasonal delta(18)O(carb.) profiles from specimens retrieved from the field cage experiment indicate that during shell secretion the delta(18)O(carb.) of the shell carbonate is not influenced by size, sex or whether females contained eggs or juveniles. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of disfluencies, predictability, and utterance position on word form variation in English conversation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Alan; Jurafsky, Daniel; Fosler-Lussier, Eric; Girand, Cynthia; Gregory, Michelle; Gildea, Daniel

2003-02-01

Function words, especially frequently occurring ones such as (the, that, and, and of ), vary widely in pronunciation. Understanding this variation is essential both for cognitive modeling of lexical production and for computer speech recognition and synthesis. This study investigates which factors affect the forms of function words, especially whether they have a fuller pronunciation (e.g., edh,eye, edh,æ,tee, æ,en,&dee, vee) or a more reduced or lenited pronunciation (e.g., edh,schwa, edh,bari;t, n, schwa). It is based on over 8000 occurrences of the ten most frequent English function words in a 4-h sample from conversations from the Switchboard corpus. Ordinary linear and logistic regression models were used to examine variation in the length of the words, in the form of their vowel (basic, full, or reduced), and whether final obstruents were present or not. For all these measures, after controlling for segmental context, rate of speech, and other important factors, there are strong independent effects that made high-frequency monosyllabic function words more likely to be longer or have a fuller form (1) when neighboring disfluencies (such as filled pauses uh and um) indicate that the speaker was encountering problems in planning the utterance; (2) when the word is unexpected, i.e., less predictable in context; (3) when the word is either utterance initial or utterance final. Looking at the phenomenon in a different way, frequent function words are more likely to be shorter and to have less-full forms in fluent speech, in predictable positions or multiword collocations, and utterance internally. Also considered are other factors such as sex (women are more likely to use fuller forms, even after controlling for rate of speech, for example), and some of the differences among the ten function words in their response to the factors.

Relation of contaminants to fish intersex in riverine sport fishes.

PubMed

Grieshaber, Casey A; Penland, Tiffany N; Kwak, Thomas J; Cope, W Gregory; Heise, Ryan J; Law, J Mac; Shea, Damian; Aday, D Derek; Rice, James A; Kullman, Seth W

2018-06-20

Endocrine active compounds (EACs) are pollutants that have been recognized as an emerging and widespread threat to aquatic ecosystems globally. Intersex, the presence of female germ cells within a predominantly male gonad, is considered a biomarker of endocrine disruption caused by EACs. We measured a suite of EACs and assessed their associated impacts on fish intersex occurrence and severity in a large, regulated river system in North Carolina and South Carolina, USA. Our specific objective was to determine the relationship of contaminants in water, sediment, and fish tissue with the occurrence and severity of the intersex condition in wild, adult black bass (Micropterus), sunfish (Lepomis), and catfish (Ictaluridae) species at 11 sites located on the Yadkin-Pee Dee River. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ethinylestradiol (EE2), and heavy metals were the most prevalent contaminants that exceeded effect levels for the protection of aquatic organisms. Fish intersex condition was most frequently observed and most severe in black basses and was less frequently detected and less severe in sunfishes and catfishes. The occurrence of the intersex condition in fish showed site-related effects, rather than increasing longitudinal trends from upstream to downstream. Mean black bass and catfish tissue contaminant concentrations were higher than that of sunfish, likely because of the latter's lower trophic position in the food web. Principal component analysis identified waterborne PAHs as the most correlated environmental contaminant with intersex occurrence and severity in black bass and sunfish. As indicated by the intersex condition, EACs have adverse but often variable effects on the health of wild sport fishes in this river, likely due to fluctuations in EAC inputs and the dynamic nature of the riverine system. These findings enhance the understanding of the relationship between contaminants and fish health and provide information to guide ecologically comprehensive conservation and management decisions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

System for δ13C-CO2 and xCO2 analysis of discrete gas samples by cavity ring-down spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickinson, Dane; Bodé, Samuel; Boeckx, Pascal

2017-11-01

A method was devised for analysing small discrete gas samples (50 mL syringe) by cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). Measurements were accomplished by inletting 50 mL syringed samples into an isotopic-CO2 CRDS analyser (Picarro G2131-i) between baseline readings of a reference air standard, which produced sharp peaks in the CRDS data feed. A custom software script was developed to manage the measurement process and aggregate sample data in real time. The method was successfully tested with CO2 mole fractions (xCO2) ranging from < 0.1 to > 20 000 ppm and δ13C-CO2 values from -100 up to +30 000 ‰ in comparison to VPDB (Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite). Throughput was typically 10 samples h-1, with 13 h-1 possible under ideal conditions. The measurement failure rate in routine use was ca. 1 %. Calibration to correct for memory effects was performed with gravimetric gas standards ranging from 0.05 to 2109 ppm xCO2 and δ13C-CO2 levels varying from -27.3 to +21 740 ‰. Repeatability tests demonstrated that method precision for 50 mL samples was ca. 0.05 % in xCO2 and 0.15 ‰ in δ13C-CO2 for CO2 compositions from 300 to 2000 ppm with natural abundance 13C. Long-term method consistency was tested over a 9-month period, with results showing no systematic measurement drift over time. Standardised analysis of discrete gas samples expands the scope of application for isotopic-CO2 CRDS and enhances its potential for replacing conventional isotope ratio measurement techniques. Our method involves minimal set-up costs and can be readily implemented in Picarro G2131-i and G2201-i analysers or tailored for use with other CRDS instruments and trace gases.

Oscillation of Surface PM2.5 Concentration Resulting from an Alternation of Easterly and Southerly Winds in Beijing: Mechanisms and Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Zhaobin; Zhang, Xiaoling; Zhao, Xiujuan; Xia, Xiangao; Miao, Shiguang; Li, Ziming; Cheng, Zhigang; Wen, Wei; Tang, Yixi

2018-04-01

We used simultaneous measurements of surface PM2.5 concentration and vertical profiles of aerosol concentration, temperature, and humidity, together with regional air quality model simulations, to study an episode of aerosol pollution in Beijing from 15 to 19 November 2016. The potential effects of easterly and southerly winds on the surface concentrations and vertical profiles of the PM2.5 pollution were investigated. Favorable easterly winds produced strong upward motion and were able to transport the PM2.5 pollution at the surface to the upper levels of the atmosphere. The amount of surface PM2.5 pollution transported by the easterly winds was determined by the strength and height of the upward motion produced by the easterly winds and the initial height of the upward wind. A greater amount of PM2.5 pollution was transported to upper levels of the atmosphere by upward winds with a lower initial height. The pollutants were diluted by easterly winds from clean ocean air masses. The inversion layer was destroyed by the easterly winds and the surface pollutants and warm air masses were then lifted to the upper levels of the atmosphere, where they re-established a multi-layer inversion. This region of inversion was strengthened by the southerly winds, increasing the severity of pollution. A vortex was produced by southerly winds that led to the convergence of air along the Taihang Mountains. Pollutants were transported from southern-central Hebei Province to Beijing in the boundary layer. Warm advection associated with the southerly winds intensified the inversion produced by the easterly winds and a more stable boundary layer was formed. The layer with high PM2.5 concentration became dee-per with persistent southerly winds of a certain depth. The polluted air masses then rose over the northern Taihang Mountains to the northern mountainous regions of Hebei Province.

A Bayesian Approach for Determining Protein Side-Chain Rotamer Conformations Using Unassigned NOE Data

PubMed Central

Zeng, Jianyang; Roberts, Kyle E.; Zhou, Pei

2011-01-01

Abstract A major bottleneck in protein structure determination via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is the lengthy and laborious process of assigning resonances and nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) cross peaks. Recent studies have shown that accurate backbone folds can be determined using sparse NMR data, such as residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) or backbone chemical shifts. This opens a question of whether we can also determine the accurate protein side-chain conformations using sparse or unassigned NMR data. We attack this question by using unassigned nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) data, which records the through-space dipolar interactions between protons nearby in three-dimensional (3D) space. We propose a Bayesian approach with a Markov random field (MRF) model to integrate the likelihood function derived from observed experimental data, with prior information (i.e., empirical molecular mechanics energies) about the protein structures. We unify the side-chain structure prediction problem with the side-chain structure determination problem using unassigned NMR data, and apply the deterministic dead-end elimination (DEE) and A* search algorithms to provably find the global optimum solution that maximizes the posterior probability. We employ a Hausdorff-based measure to derive the likelihood of a rotamer or a pairwise rotamer interaction from unassigned NOESY data. In addition, we apply a systematic and rigorous approach to estimate the experimental noise in NMR data, which also determines the weighting factor of the data term in the scoring function derived from the Bayesian framework. We tested our approach on real NMR data of three proteins: the FF Domain 2 of human transcription elongation factor CA150 (FF2), the B1 domain of Protein G (GB1), and human ubiquitin. The promising results indicate that our algorithm can be applied in high-resolution protein structure determination. Since our approach does not require any NOE assignment, it can accelerate the NMR structure determination process. PMID:21970619

Bridging the spectral divide: a case study with PAGES2k, the CESM Last Millennium Ensemble and proxy system models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, F.; Emile-Geay, J.; Ault, T.; McKay, N.; Dee, S.

2017-12-01

A grand challenge for paleoclimatology is to constrain climate model behavior on timescales longer than the instrumental record. Of particular interest is the spectrum of temperature as sensed by climate proxies. The "continuum" of climate variability [Huybers & Curry, Nature 2006] is often characterized by its scaling exponent β , where the spectral density S and the frequency f satisfy the power law S ∝ f-β . Recent studies have voiced concern that climate models underestimate scaling behavior compared to proxies [Laepple & Huybers, PNAS 2014]. Part of this discrepancy is known to lie in the complex processes whereby proxies transform climate signals [Dee et al, EPSL in press], yet many questions remain open. Here we leverage a recent multiproxy compilation [PAGES 2k Consortium, Sci Data 2017] to characterize scaling behavior over the Common Era using an interpolation-free method [Kirchner & Neal, PNAS 2013]. Proxy spectra are compared to spectra derived from the CESM Last Millennium Ensemble [Otto-Bliesner et al, BAMS 2016], using: (a) a naive model where proxies are assumed linearly related to annual temperature vs (b) proxy system models [Evans et al, QSR 2013] of varying complexity. Scaling behavior varies considerably by archive: on average the strongest centennial slopes are observed for lake sediments (β =1.2), while the smallest are observed for glacier ice (β =0.24). Results confirm that the CESM Last Millennium simulation (LM) exhibits decadal-centennial scaling closer to proxy spectra than the pre-industrial control run (PI): the latter shows a "blue" spectrum (β <0), while the former and the proxies display redder spectra (β >0), suggesting that forcings are essential to reduce the spectral divide. Yet, even with forcings, LM spectra are flatter than the proxy spectra. Subsequent work will investigate the roles of seasonal sensitivity (trees, foraminifera, alkenones), multivariate influences (corals, trees), detrending (trees) and post-depositional processes (ice cores, lake & marine sediments) on spectral discrepancies, and clarify whether CESM's temperature spectra truly exhibit a scaling deficiency, or whether the spectral divide is an artifact of imperfect data-model comparisons using naive assumptions.

The influence of different referencing methods on the accuracy of δ(13) C value measurement of ethanol fuel by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Neves, Laura A; Rodrigues, Janaína M; Daroda, Romeu J; Silva, Paulo R M; Ferreira, Alexandre A; Aranda, Donato A G; Eberlin, Marcos N; Fasciotti, Maíra

2015-11-15

Brazil is the largest producer of sugar cane bioethanol in the world. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) is the technique of choice to certify the origin/raw materials for ethanol production, but the lack of certified reference materials (CRMs) for accurate measurements of δ(13) C values traceable to Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB), the international zero point for (13) C/(12) C measurements, certified and compatible with gas chromatography (GC)/IRMS instruments may compromise the accuracy of δ(13) C determinations. We evaluated the influence of methods for the calibration and normalization of raw δ(13) C values of ethanol samples. Samples were analyzed by GC/C/IRMS using two different GC columns. Different substances were used as isotopic standards for the working gas calibration. The δ(13) C values obtained with the three methods of normalization were statistically compared with those obtained with elemental analyzer (EA)/IRMS, since the δ(13) C results obtained using EA are traceable to VPDB via the NBS 22 reference material. It was observed that both the isotopic reference material for CO2 calibration and the GC column have a major effect on the δ(13) C measurements, leading to a bias of almost 2-3 ‰ in the δ(13) C values. All three methods of normalization were equivalent in performance, enabling an improvement in the GC/C/IRMS accuracy, compared with the EA/IRMS reference values for the samples. All the methods of CO2 calibration, chromatography and normalization presented in this work demonstrated several sources of traceability and accuracy loss for the determination of δ(13) C values in ethanol fuel samples by GC/C/IRMS. This work has also shown the importance of using proper CRMs traceable to VPBD that should be compatible and certified using GC/C/IRMS, ideally in a wide range of δ(13) C values. This is important not only for bioethanol fuel samples, but also for many analytes commonly analyzed by IRMS. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PM10 Concentration Estimates over Costa Rica using Chemical Transport Modeling Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briceno-Castillo, J. S.; Vidaurre, G.; Herrera, J.; Mora, R.; Rivera-fernandez, E. R.; Duran-Quesada, A. M.

2016-12-01

Aerosol pollution has become a major issue in Costa Rica because of the urban development that induces an increase in vehicle and industrial emissions. The Metropolitan area in Costa Rica is a valley ( 1,967 km2 area) with a population of 2.6 million. This area concentrates 60% of the country's total industry and 57% of its vehicle emissions. In addition, this area is impacted by biogenic emissions coming from national forests surround it and windblown dust from the Sahara Desert transported by the Trade winds. PM10 and other criteria pollutants have been measured in the past 12 years. However, those monitor stations are single points of observation and do not represent the spatial and temporal resolution that the Costa Rican national government requires for long term policy decisions and health effects assessments. This investigation uses the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry version 3.7 (WRF-Chem) to forecast PM10 concentration over Costa Rica in 2013. The temporal scales take into consideration the dry, rainy, and transition seasons of the country. The spatial domain was constructed with a master domain (27 km resolution) and multiple nested-domains (9, 3, and 1 km respectively) that include the total area of Costa Rica. The meteorology data bases for this model are from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Interim Reanalysis (Era-Interim; Dee et al. 2011). In addition, the chemical transport model uses emissions inventories from the PREP-CHEM-SRC tool, because of the lack of an appropriate national emission inventory for this investigation. The total average of PM10 observed at the metropolitan area of Costa Rica was 26±9 μgm-3 in 2013. According to the World Health Organization, this result exceeds the PM10 standard established in the air quality guidelines (WHO 2005). The final goal of this investigation is to evaluate the chemical transport simulations with ground-level measurements from more than 10 monitoring sites distributed in the studied domain.

Mutagenicity of biodiesel or diesel exhaust particles and the effect of engine operating conditions.

PubMed

Kisin, Elena R; Shi, X C; Keane, Michael J; Bugarski, Aleksandar B; Shvedova, Anna A

2013-03-01

Changing the fuel supply from petroleum based ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) to biodiesel and its blends is considered by many to be a viable option for controlling exposures to particulate material (PM). This is critical in the mining industry where approximately 28,000 underground miners are potentially exposed to relatively high concentrations of diesel particulate matter (DPM). This study was conducted to investigate the mutagenic potential of diesel engine emissions (DEE) from neat (B100) and blended (B50) soy-based fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biodiesel in comparison with ULSD PM using different engine operating conditions and exhaust aftertreatment configurations. The DPM samples were collected for engine equipped with either a standard muffler or a combination of the muffler and diesel oxidation catalytic converter (DOC) that was operated at four different steady-state modes. Bacterial gene mutation activity of DPM was tested on the organic solvent extracts using the Ames Salmonella assay. The results indicate that mutagenic activity of DPM was strongly affected by fuels, engine operating conditions, and exhaust aftertreatment systems. The mutagenicity was increased with the fraction of biodiesel in the fuel. While the mutagenic activity was observed in B50 and B100 samples collected from both light-and heavy-load operating conditions, the ULSD samples were mutagenic only at light-load conditions. The presence of DOC in the exhaust system resulted in the decreased mutagenicity when engine was fueled with B100 and B50 and operated at light-load conditions. This was not the case when engine was fueled with ULSD. Heavy-load operating condition in the presence of DOC resulted in a decrease of mutagenicity only when engine was fueled with B50, but not B100 or ULSD. Therefore, the results indicate that DPM from neat or blended biodiesel has a higher mutagenic potency than that one of ULSD. Further research is needed to investigate the health effect of biodiesel as well as efficiency of DOC or other exhaust aftertreatment systems.

Mutagenicity of biodiesel or diesel exhaust particles and the effect of engine operating conditions

PubMed Central

Kisin, Elena R; Shi, X.C; Keane, Michael J; Bugarski, Aleksandar B; Shvedova, Anna A

2015-01-01

Background Changing the fuel supply from petroleum based ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) to biodiesel and its blends is considered by many to be a viable option for controlling exposures to particulate material (PM). This is critical in the mining industry where approximately 28,000 underground miners are potentially exposed to relatively high concentrations of diesel particulate matter (DPM). This study was conducted to investigate the mutagenic potential of diesel engine emissions (DEE) from neat (B100) and blended (B50) soy-based fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) biodiesel in comparison with ULSD PM using different engine operating conditions and exhaust aftertreatment configurations. Methods The DPM samples were collected for engine equipped with either a standard muffler or a combination of the muffler and diesel oxidation catalytic converter (DOC) that was operated at four different steady-state modes. Bacterial gene mutation activity of DPM was tested on the organic solvent extracts using the Ames Salmonella assay. Results The results indicate that mutagenic activity of DPM was strongly affected by fuels, engine operating conditions, and exhaust aftertreatment systems. The mutagenicity was increased with the fraction of biodiesel in the fuel. While the mutagenic activity was observed in B50 and B100 samples collected from both light-and heavy-load operating conditions, the ULSD samples were mutagenic only at light-load conditions. The presence of DOC in the exhaust system resulted in the decreased mutagenicity when engine was fueled with B100 and B50 and operated at light-load conditions. This was not the case when engine was fueled with ULSD. Heavy-load operating condition in the presence of DOC resulted in a decrease of mutagenicity only when engine was fueled with B50, but not B100 or ULSD. Conclusions Therefore, the results indicate that DPM from neat or blended biodiesel has a higher mutagenic potency than that one of ULSD. Further research is needed to investigate the health effect of biodiesel as well as efficiency of DOC or other exhaust aftertreatment systems. PMID:26457185

Stable carbon isotopes of dissolved inorganic carbon for a zonal transect across the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean in summer 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humphreys, Matthew P.; Greatrix, Florence M.; Tynan, Eithne; Achterberg, Eric P.; Griffiths, Alex M.; Fry, Claudia H.; Garley, Rebecca; McDonald, Alison; Boyce, Adrian J.

2016-06-01

The stable carbon isotope composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13CDIC) in seawater was measured in samples collected during June-July 2014 in the subpolar North Atlantic. Sample collection was carried out on the RRS James Clark Ross cruise JR302, part of the "Radiatively Active Gases from the North Atlantic Region and Climate Change" (RAGNARoCC) research programme. The observed δ13CDIC values for cruise JR302 fall in a range from -0.07 to +1.95 ‰, relative to the Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite standard. From duplicate samples collected during the cruise, the 1σ precision for the 341 results is 0.08 ‰, which is similar to our previous work and other studies of this kind. We also performed a cross-over analysis using nearby historical δ13CDIC data, which indicated that there were no significant systematic offsets between our measurements and previously published results. We also included seawater reference material (RM) produced by A. G. Dickson (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA) in every batch of analysis, enabling us to improve upon the calibration and quality-control procedures from a previous study. The δ13CDIC is consistent within each RM batch, although its value is not certified. We report δ13CDIC values of 1.15 ± 0.03 ‰ and 1.27 ± 0.05 ‰ for batches 141 and 144 respectively. Our JR302 δ13CDIC data can be used - along with measurements of other biogeochemical variables - to constrain the processes that control DIC in the interior ocean, in particular the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide and the biological carbon pump. Our δ13CDIC results are available from the British Oceanographic Data Centre - doi:10.5285/22235f1a-b7f3-687f-e053-6c86abc0c8a6.

Understanding the diurnal cycle in fluvial dissolved organic carbon - The interplay of in-stream residence time, day length and organic matter turnover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worrall, F.; Howden, N. J. K.; Burt, T. P.

2015-04-01

There is increasing interest in characterising the diurnal fluctuation of stream solute concentrations because observed data series derived from spot samples may be highly subjective if such diurnal fluctuations are large. This can therefore lead to large uncertainties, bias or systematic errors in calculation of fluvial solute fluxes, depending upon the particular sampling regime. A simplistic approach would be to assume diurnal fluctuations are constant throughout the water year, but this study proposes diurnal cycles in stream water quality can only be interpreted in the context of stream residence time and changing day length. Three years of hourly dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and flow data from the River Dee catchment (1674 km2) were analysed, and statistical analysis of the entire record shows there is no consistent diurnal cycle in the record. From the 3-year record (1095 days) there were only 96 diurnal cycles could be analysed. Cycles were quantified in terms of their: relative and absolute amplitude; duration; time to maximum concentration; asymmetry; percentile flow and in-stream residence time. The median diurnal cycle showed an amplitude that was 9.2% of the starting concentration; it was not significantly asymmetric; and occurred at the 19th percentile flow. The median DOC removal rate was 0.07 mg C/l/hr with an inter-quartile range of 0.052-0.100 mg C/l/hr. Results were interpreted as controlled by two, separate, zero-order kinetic rate laws, one for the day and one for the night. There was no single diurnal cycle present across the record, rather a number of different cycles controlled by the combination of in-stream residence time and exposure to contrasting light conditions. Over the 3-year period the average in-stream loss of DOC was 32%. The diurnal cycles evident in high resolution DOC data are interpretable, but require contextual information for their influence on in-stream processes to be understood or for them to be utilised.

Aerosol Observability and Predictability: From Research to Operations for Chemical Weather Forecasting. Lagrangian Displacement Ensembles for Aerosol Data Assimilation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

da Silva, Arlindo

2010-01-01

A challenge common to many constituent data assimilation applications is the fact that one observes a much smaller fraction of the phase space that one wishes to estimate. For example, remotely sensed estimates of the column average concentrations are available, while one is faced with the problem of estimating 3D concentrations for initializing a prognostic model. This problem is exacerbated in the case of aerosols because the observable Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is not only a column integrated quantity, but it also sums over a large number of species (dust, sea-salt, carbonaceous and sulfate aerosols. An aerosol transport model when driven by high-resolution, state-of-the-art analysis of meteorological fields and realistic emissions can produce skillful forecasts even when no aerosol data is assimilated. The main task of aerosol data assimilation is to address the bias arising from inaccurate emissions, and Lagrangian misplacement of plumes induced by errors in the driving meteorological fields. As long as one decouples the meteorological and aerosol assimilation as we do here, the classic baroclinic growth of error is no longer the main order of business. We will describe an aerosol data assimilation scheme in which the analysis update step is conducted in observation space, using an adaptive maximum-likelihood scheme for estimating background errors in AOD space. This scheme includes e explicit sequential bias estimation as in Dee and da Silva. Unlikely existing aerosol data assimilation schemes we do not obtain analysis increments of the 3D concentrations by scaling the background profiles. Instead we explore the Lagrangian characteristics of the problem for generating local displacement ensembles. These high-resolution state-dependent ensembles are then used to parameterize the background errors and generate 3D aerosol increments. The algorithm has computational complexity running at a resolution of 1/4 degree, globally. We will present the result of assimilating AOD retrievals from MODIS (on both Aqua and TERRA satellites) from AERONET for validation. The impact on the GEOS-5 Aerosol Forecasting will be fully documented.

Nutritional value of raw and micronised field beans (Vicia faba L. var. minor) with and without enzyme supplementation containing tannase for growing chickens.

PubMed

Abdulla, Jalil Mahmwd; Rose, Stephen Paul; Mackenzie, Alexander Mackay; Ivanova, Sonya Georgieva; Staykova, Genoveva Petrova; Pirgozliev, Vasil Radoslavov

2016-10-01

An experiment examined the effects of two field bean cultivar samples with different tannin contents, the effect of heat treatment (micronising) and the effect of dietary supplementation of a proprietary enzyme preparation containing tannase, pectinase, and xylanase activities on metabolisable energy (ME), total tract dry matter digestibility (DMD) and ether extract digestibility (EED), nitrogen retention (NR), tannin degradability, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, and endogenous mucin losses excretion in broiler chickens. The Control diet contained per kg 221 g crude protein and 12.83 MJ ME. Four additional diets contained 300 g/kg of each of the two untreated or micronised experimental field bean cultivar samples. Each diet was then split into two batches and one of them was supplemented with 3400 units tannase per kg diet resulting in 10 diets in total. Each diet was fed to seven pens with two randomly selected male broilers each. Birds fed the high tannin bean sample had a lower weight gain (p < 0.001), and a lower determined apparent ME (p < 0.05), and DMD (p < 0.001) but a higher tannin degradability (p < 0.001). Compared to the Control diet, feeding field beans increased (p < 0.001) the weights of the proventriculus and gizzard of the birds, and also increased endogenous mucin losses (p < 0.05). Supplementing diets with the tannase-containing enzyme preparation improved dietary ME (p < 0.001), DMD (p < 0.001), NR (p < 0.001) and DEE (p < 0.05), but did not change tannin degradability. Heat treatment of the beans reduced the degradability of condensed tannins and increased endogenous mucin losses (p < 0.05). The differences in the feeding value of the different field bean samples were not improved by heat treatment, but enzyme supplementation improved the feeding value of all diets regardless of the bean samples or heat treatment. Further research is warranted to study the effectiveness of tannase supplementation in poultry diet formulations by dose response trials with purified tannase preparations.

Development and evaluation of a suite of isotope reference gases for methane in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sperlich, Peter; Uitslag, Nelly A. M.; Richter, Jürgen M.; Rothe, Michael; Geilmann, Heike; van der Veen, Carina; Röckmann, Thomas; Blunier, Thomas; Brand, Willi A.

2016-08-01

Measurements from multiple laboratories have to be related to unifying and traceable reference material in order to be comparable. However, such fundamental reference materials are not available for isotope ratios in atmospheric methane, which led to misinterpretations of combined data sets in the past. We developed a method to produce a suite of synthetic CH4-in-air standard gases that can be used to unify methane isotope ratio measurements of laboratories in the atmospheric monitoring community. Therefore, we calibrated a suite of pure methane gases of different methanogenic origin against international referencing materials that define the VSMOW (Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water) and VPDB (Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite) isotope scales. The isotope ratios of our pure methane gases range between -320 and +40 ‰ for δ2H-CH4 and between -70 and -40 ‰ for δ13C-CH4, enveloping the isotope ratios of tropospheric methane (about -85 and -47 ‰ for δ2H-CH4 and δ13C-CH4 respectively). Estimated uncertainties, including the full traceability chain, are < 1.5 ‰ and < 0.2 ‰ for δ2H and δ13C calibrations respectively. Aliquots of the calibrated pure methane gases have been diluted with methane-free air to atmospheric methane levels and filled into 5 L glass flasks. The synthetic CH4-in-air standards comprise atmospheric oxygen/nitrogen ratios as well as argon, krypton and nitrous oxide mole fractions to prevent gas-specific measurement artefacts. The resulting synthetic CH4-in-air standards are referred to as JRAS-M16 (Jena Reference Air Set - Methane 2016) and will be available to the atmospheric monitoring community. JRAS-M16 may be used as unifying isotope scale anchor for isotope ratio measurements in atmospheric methane, so that data sets can be merged into a consistent global data frame.

Chemical contaminants, health indicators, and reproductive biomarker responses in fish from rivers in the Southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinck, J.E.; Blazer, V.S.; Denslow, N.D.; Echols, K.R.; Gale, R.W.; Wieser, C.; May, T.W.; Ellersieck, M.; Coyle, J.J.; Tillitt, D.E.

2008-01-01

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were collected from 13 sites located in the Mobile (MRB), Apalachicola-Flint-Chattahoochee (ARB), Savannah (SRB), and Pee Dee (PRB) River Basins to document spatial trends in accumulative chemical contaminants, health indicators, and reproductive biomarkers. Organochlorine residues, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-like activity (TCDD-EQ), and elemental contaminants were measured in composite samples of whole fish, grouped by species and gender, from each site. Mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were the primary contaminants of concern. Concentrations of Hg in bass samples from all basins exceeded toxicity thresholds for piscivorous mammals (> 0.1????g/g ww), juvenile and adult fish (> 0.2????g/g ww), and piscivorous birds (> 0.3????g/g ww). Total PCB concentrations in samples from the MRB, ARB, and PRB were > 480??ng/g ww and may be a risk to piscivorous wildlife. Selenium concentrations also exceeded toxicity thresholds (> 0.75????g/g ww) in MRB and ARB fish. Concentrations of other formerly used (total chlordanes, dieldrin, endrin, aldrin, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene) and currently used (pentachlorobenzene, pentachloroanisole, dacthal, endosulfan, ??-hexachlorocyclohexane, and methoxychlor) organochlorine residues were generally low or did not exceed toxicity thresholds for fish and piscivorous wildlife. TCDD-EQs exceeded wildlife dietary guidelines (> 5??pg/g ww) in MRB and PRB fish. Hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity was generally greatest in MRB bass and carp. Altered fish health indicators and reproductive biomarker were noted in individual fish, but mean responses were similar among basins. The field necropsy and histopathological examination determined that MRB fish were generally in poorer health than those from the other basins, primarily due to parasitic infestations. Tumors were found in few fish (n = 5; 0.01%); ovarian tumors of smooth muscle origin were found in two ARB carp from the same site. Intersex gonads were identified in 47 male bass (42%) representing 12 sites and may indicate exposure to potential endocrine disrupting compounds. Comparatively high vitellogenin concentrations (> 0.35??mg/mL) in male fish from the MRB, SRB, and PRB indicate exposure to estrogenic or anti-androgenic chemicals.

Self-Reported Interview-Assisted Diet Records Underreport Energy Intake in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients.

PubMed

Shapiro, Bryan B; Bross, Rachelle; Morrison, Gillian; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Kopple, Joel D

2015-07-01

Studies suggest that maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients report dietary energy intakes (EIs) that are lower than what is actually ingested. Data supporting this conclusion have several important limitations. The present study introduces a novel approach of assessing underreporting of EI in MHD patients. Comparisons of EI of free-living MHD patients determined from food records to their measured energy needs. Metabolic research ward. Thirteen clinically stable MHD patients with unchanging weights whose EI was assessed by dietitian interview-assisted 3-day food records. EI was compared with (1) patients' resting energy expenditure (REE), measured by indirect calorimetry, and estimated total energy expenditure (TEE) and (2) patients' dietary energy requirements (DER) measured while patients underwent nitrogen balance studies and consumed a constant energy diet in a research ward for a mean duration of 89.5 days. DER was calculated as the actual EI during the research study corrected for changes in body fat and lean body mass measured by Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry. Underreporting of EI was determined by an EI:REE ratio <1.27 and an EI:TEE ratio or EI:DEE ratio <1.0. Seven of the 13 MHD patients studied were male. Patient's ages were 47.7 ± standard deviation 9.7 years; body mass index averaged 25.4 ± 2.8 kg/m2, and dialysis vintage was 53.3 ± 37.1 months. The EI:REE ratio (1.03 ± 0.23) was significantly less than the cutoff value for underreporting of 1.27 (P = .001); 12 of 13 patients had EI:REE ratios <1.27. The mean EI:TEE ratio was significantly less than the cutoff value of 1.0 (0.73 ± 0.17, P < .0001), and 12 MHD patients had EI:TEE ratios <1.0. The EI:DER ratio was also <1.0 (0.83 ± 0.25, P = .012), and 10 MHD had EI:DER ratios <1.0. Dietitian interview-assisted diet records by MHD patients substantially underestimate the patient's dietary EI. Copyright © 2015 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tracing formation and durability of calcite in a Punic-Roman cistern mortar (Pantelleria Island, Italy).

PubMed

Dietzel, Martin; Schön, Frerich; Heinrichs, Jens; Deditius, Artur P; Leis, Albrecht

2016-01-01

Ancient hydraulic lime mortar preserves chemical and isotopic signatures that provide important information about historical processing and its durability. The distribution and isotopic composition of calcite in a mortar of a well-preserved Punic-Roman cistern at Pantelleria Island (Italy) was used to trace the formation conditions, durability, and individual processing periods of the cistern mortar. The analyses of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes of calcite revealed four individual horizons, D, E, B-1 and B-2, of mortar from the top to the bottom of the cistern floor. Volcanic and ceramic aggregates were used for the production of the mortar of horizons E/D and B-1/B-2, respectively. All horizons comprise hydraulic lime mortar characterized by a mean cementation index of 1.5 ± 1, and a constant binder to aggregate ratio of 0.31 ± 0.01. This suggests standardized and highly effective processing of the cistern. The high durability of calcite formed during carbonation of slaked lime within the matrix of the ancient mortar, and thus the excellent resistance of the hydraulic lime mortar against water, was documented by (i) a distinct positive correlation of δ(18)Ocalcite and δ(13)Ccalcite; typical for carbonation through a mortar horizon, (ii) a characteristic evolution of δ(18)Ocalcite and δ(13)Ccalcite through each of the four mortar horizons; lighter follow heavier isotopic values from upper to lower part of the cistern floor, and (iii) δ(18)Ocalcite varying from -10 to -5 ‰ Vienna Pee Dee belemnite (VPDB). The range of δ(18)Ocalcite values rule out recrystallization and/or neoformation of calcite through chemical attack of water stored in cistern. The combined studies of the chemical composition of the binder and the isotopic composition of the calcite in an ancient mortar provide powerful tools for elucidating the ancient techniques and processing periods. This approach helps to evaluate the durability of primary calcite and demonstrates the importance of calcite as a proxy for chemical attack and quality of the ancient inorganic binder.

Longitudinal Variation in Paleo-channel Complex Geometry and Associated Fill: Offshore South Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, A. M.; Hill, J. C.

2017-12-01

In northeastern South Carolina, several shallow (<25 m deep) paleo-channel complexes have previously been interpreted as the result of the southward migration of the ancestral Pee Dee River system along the southern limb of the Cape Fear Arch since the Pliocene. These paleo-channel complexes can be traced 80 km across the continental shelf via Boomer and Chirp subbottom data. The Murrells Inlet paleo-channel complex is the most well imaged offshore; and this data coverage provides an opportunity for a detailed seismic stratigraphic interpretation and analysis of downstream variability. Initial observations from this case study indicate that inner shelf incisions, where bedrock is folded and faulted, tend to be shallow with numerous channels, while the incisions across the middle shelf appear to be deeper and contains larger, more sinuous channels that are cut into broadly tilted strata with a gentle south-southeastward dip. This suggests the geometry and spatial distribution of the incisions were a function of the inherited fabric of the underlying basement, which created local deflection and areas of aggradation and degradation. The inner shelf paleo-channel complex fill is dominated by fluvial cut and fill seismic facies, while the middle shelf contains a wide variety of seismic facies (i.e. transparent, layered, chaotic, etc). This overall longitudinal fill pattern is most likely due to each location's general proximity to base level. The variation in the cut and fill seismic facies may be driven by substantial changes in discharge, driven locally by the joining of another major river or by climatic changes in the drainage basin. There also appears to be preferential reoccupation of previously filled paleo-channels, as the basement in this region is Tertiary and Cretaceous carbonates and siliciclastic rocks that are more resistant to erosion. The most recent occupation in any given paleo-channel tends to be on the southern margin, which may imply tectonic forcing from the uplift of the Cape Fear Arch. Preliminary results from this case study suggest that first order controls on the position and geometry of the paleo-channel complexes appears to be largely allogenic (i.e. tectonic and base level driven), while the depositional history of the fill may have been a mix of autogenic and allogenic processes.

Isotope evolution and contribution to geochemical investigations in aquifer storage and recovery: a case study using reclaimed water at Bolivar, South Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Gal La Salle, C.; Vanderzalm, J.; Hutson, J.; Dillon, P.; Pavelic, P.; Martin, R.

2005-11-01

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is an important resource management tool whereby water from an available source is stored in a suitable aquifer for later use in periods of higher demand. Important issues in ASR include maintaining the injection rate and recovering water of suitable quality. Both of these depend on subsurface biogeochemical processes. This paper investigates the use of deuterium, 18O, 13C, 14C and 34S in understanding the reactions induced by reclaimed water injection in a carbonate aquifer at Bolivar, South Australia. Additionally, the injection scheme provides a natural laboratory to observe the process of carbon isotope exchange. The injectant deuterium (-6.4 +/- 2.9 versus Vienna standard mean ocean water (V-SMOW)) and 18O (-0.9 +/- 0.5 V-SMOW) signature is more enriched and variable than the native groundwater signature of -26 +/- 1 and -4.4 +/- 0.1 respectively. The variability of the injectant signature is maintained with injectant migration and is useful in constraining the portion of the injected end-member reaching observation wells. Effluent treatment results in total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC) enriched in 13C (-3.3 +/- 2.5 versus Pee Dee belemnite) and modern carbon (100 +/- 7 per cent modern carbon (pmC)), which is distinct from the native groundwater comparatively depleted in 13C (-11 +/- 1) and 14C (5.6 +/- 2.1 pmC). The carbon isotopic signature in groundwater 4 m from the ASR well is dominated by the injectant signature modified by some organic matter oxidation and calcite dissolution. However, with further migration to the 50 m radius, both 13C and ¹⁴C signatures are dominated by isotopic exchange with the matrix surface (initially in equilibrium with the ambient groundwater) and little overall dissolution. During storage, biogeochemical processes, including sulphate reduction and methanogenesis, are dominant near the ASR well. These are indicated by a sulphate decline of up to 1.5 mmol l^-1 with around 12 enrichment in the residual sulphate (versus Canyon Diablo troilite) and the addition of TDIC enriched in ¹³C, while maintaining a modern ¹⁴C activity. Copyright

GOCI Yonsei aerosol retrieval version 2 aerosol products: improved algorithm description and error analysis with uncertainty estimation from 5-year validation over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, M.; Kim, J.; Lee, J.; KIM, M.; Park, Y. J.; Holben, B. N.; Eck, T. F.; Li, Z.; Song, C. H.

2017-12-01

The Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) Yonsei aerosol retrieval (YAER) version 1 algorithm was developed for retrieving hourly aerosol optical depth at 550 nm (AOD) and other subsidiary aerosol optical properties over East Asia. The GOCI YAER AOD showed comparable accuracy compared to ground-based and other satellite-based observations, but still had errors due to uncertainties in surface reflectance and simple cloud masking. Also, it was not capable of near-real-time (NRT) processing because it required a monthly database of each year encompassing the day of retrieval for the determination of surface reflectance. This study describes the improvement of GOCI YAER algorithm to the version 2 (V2) for NRT processing with improved accuracy from the modification of cloud masking, surface reflectance determination using multi-year Rayleigh corrected reflectance and wind speed database, and inversion channels per surface conditions. Therefore, the improved GOCI AOD ( ) is similar with those of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) AOD compared to V1 of the YAER algorithm. The shows reduced median bias and increased ratio within range (i.e. absolute expected error range of MODIS AOD) compared to V1 in the validation results using Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) AOD ( ) from 2011 to 2016. The validation using the Sun-Sky Radiometer Observation Network (SONET) over China also shows similar results. The bias of error ( is within -0.1 and 0.1 range as a function of AERONET AOD and AE, scattering angle, NDVI, cloud fraction and homogeneity of retrieved AOD, observation time, month, and year. Also, the diagnostic and prognostic expected error (DEE and PEE, respectively) of are estimated. The estimated multiple PEE of GOCI V2 AOD is well matched with actual error over East Asia, and the GOCI V2 AOD over Korea shows higher ratio within PEE compared to over China and Japan. Hourly AOD products based on the improved GOCI YAER AOD could contribute to better understandings of aerosols in terms of long-term climate changes and short-term air quality monitoring and forecasting perspectives over East Asia, especially rapid diurnal variation and transboundary transport.

Stream chemistry and groundwater-surface water interactions in Piedmont headwater streams (Charlotte, NC) prior to whole-watershed restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinson, D. S.; Allison, N.; Haydin, D.; Kiker, T.; Starnes, C.; Wickliff, E.; McMillan, S.; Clinton, S. M.

2017-12-01

While restoration is an established practice in urban streams, pre/post restoration hyporheic function and its potential role in nutrient processing is less well studied and understood. Here we report results from a pre-restoration sampling period in the 6.5 km2 headwaters of the Reedy Creek (RC) watershed, an urban forest stream in Charlotte, NC at the divide between the Catawba and Pee Dee river systems. Whole-watershed restoration of this deeply incised stream is scheduled to begin in fall 2017. To characterize the pre-restoration baseline condition, nutrients, DOC, temperature, and other biogeochemical parameters were analyzed quarterly from RC and 11 tributaries since 2014 and weekly since mid-2016. Riparian groundwater from 10 shallow wells has been analyzed quarterly since 2014. Nutrient concentrations vary among land uses. For example, median stream nitrate concentrations range from <0.1 mg/L as N in the undeveloped tributary to 2.5 mg/L as N in an agriculture-influenced tributary, and 0.2 mg/L as N at the RC outlet. As with nutrients, major ions, specific UV absorbance, and alkalinity vary among tributary watershed land uses. Riparian well and stream levels collected every 15 min since 2013 at 5 cross-sections indicate prevailing hydraulic gradients from the wells to the channel. At all 5 cross-sections, high stream flow events coincide with high groundwater levels, possibly indicating direct recharge to the aquifer by rain events, rather than large-scale recharge by the stream itself. Vertical hydraulic gradient measurements, slug tests, and radon-222 measurements were made at 25-75 cm deep sub-streambed piezometers. Radon-222 activities of piezometers (29-707 pCi/L; median=120 pCi/L, n=7) cover a larger range than either well water (170-647 pCi/L; median 268 pCi/L; n=7) or stream water (12-37 pCi/L, median 25 pCi/L; n=5), consistent with limited hyporheic mixing. Streambed hydraulic conductivity is requisite for significant exchange (e.g. low-K clay-rich saprolite to high-K sand and gravel are found in short stream reaches). Limited shallow downwelling may occur where the vertical hydraulic gradient and bed particle size are suitable. These results will be utilized to understand the pre- and post- restoration function of forested headwater systems in urban watersheds.

Velocity profiles, Reynolds stresses and bed roughness from an autonomous field deployed Acoustic Doppler Velocity Profiler in a mixed sediment tidal estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Boyle, Louise; Thorne, Peter; Cooke, Richard; Cohbed Team

2014-05-01

Estuaries are among some of the most important global landscapes in terms of population density, ecology and economy. Understanding the dynamics of these natural mixed sediment environments is of particular interest amid growing concerns over sea level rise, climate variations and estuarine response to these changes. Many predictors exist for bed form formation and sand transport in sandy coastal zones; however less work has been published on mixed sediments. This paper details a field study which forms part of the COHBED project aiming to increase understanding of bed forms in a biotic mixed sediment estuarine environment. The study was carried out in the Dee Estuary, in the eastern Irish Sea between England and Wales from the 21st May to 4th June 2013. A state of the art instrumentation frame, known as SEDbed, was deployed at three sites of differing sediment properties and biological makeup within the intertidal zone of the estuary. The SEDbed deployment consisted of a suite of optical and acoustic instrumentation, including an Acoustic Doppler Velocity Profiler (ADVP), Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) and a three dimensional acoustic ripple profiler, 3D-ARP. Supplementary field samples and measurements were recorded alongside the frame during each deployment. This paper focuses on the use of new technological developments for the investigation of sediment dynamics. The hydrodynamics at each of the deployment sites are presented including centimetre resolution velocity profiles in the near bed region of the water column, obtained from the ADVP, which is presently the only autonomous field deployed coherent Doppler profiler . Based on these high resolution profiles variations in frictional velocity, bed shear stress and roughness length are calculated. Comparisons are made with theoretical models and with Reynolds stress values obtained from ADV data at a single point within the ADVP profile and from ADVP data itself. Predictions of bed roughness at each deployment site are compared with ripple measurements obtained on site using a three dimensional acoustic ripple profiler, 3D-ARP. These results will later be used to validate laboratory studies in mixed sediments, carried out as part of the COHBED Project, and enable development of new bed from predictors for biotic mixed sediment environments.

Anthropogenic and geomorphic controls on peatland dynamics in contrasting floodplain environments during the Holocene and its impact on carbon storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verstraeten, Gert; Broothaerts, Nils; Notebaert, Bastiaan

2016-04-01

Peatlands are an important store of carbon in terrestrial environments, and scientific interest in peatlands has increased strongly in the light of the recent global climatic changes. Much attention has been paid to peatland dynamics in extensive arctic and boreal wetlands or to blanket peat in temperate regions. Nevertheless, long-term dynamics of peat in alluvial wetlands in temperate regions remains largely underresearched. In this study, data from three contrasting environments were used to provide more insights in the anthropogenic and geomorphic controls on peatland dynamics. The results show a high variability in alluvial peatland dynamics between the different study sites. In the central Belgian Loess Belt, alluvial peatlands developed during the early Holocene but gradually disappeared from the Mid-Holocene onwards due to the gradual intensification of agricultural activities in the catchment and consequent higher sedimentation rates in the floodplain system. The end of peat growth is shown to be diachronous at catchment scale, ranging between 6500 and 500 cal a BP. The disappearance of the alluvial peatlands has important implications since it potentially reduces the storage of locally produced C. Nevertheless, it was shown that this reduced production of local C but was outbalanced by the burial of hillslope derived C. Also within the sandy catchments of the Belgian Campine region alluvial peatlands initiated in the early Holocene but, here, they abruptly disappeared in the Mid-Holocene before the onset of intense agricultural activities in the catchment. This suggests that for the sandy regions, anthropogenic impact on peatland dynamics is less important compared to natural factors. For these regions, the disappearance of alluvial peatland formation resulted in a sharp decline in alluvial carbon storage as there is no compensation through hillslope derived C input. For the upper Dee catchment in NE Scotland, Holocene carbon floodplain storage varies strongly along the river gradient as a result of varying geomorphic conditions and changes in hillslope-valley connectivity that control alluvial peatland formation. Overall, alluvial peatland dynamics are shown to be highly variable, in space, timing, rate of changes and controlling factors. This has important implications on C-storage studies and questions the possibilities of extrapolation of single site studies towards larger areas.

Widespread occurrence of intersex in black basses (Micropterus spp.) from U.S. rivers, 1995-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinck, J.E.; Blazer, V.S.; Schmitt, C.J.; Papoulias, D.M.; Tillitt, D.E.

2009-01-01

Intersex occurrence in freshwater fishes was evaluated for nine river basins in the United States. Testicular oocytes (predominantly male testes containing female germ cells) were the most pervasive form of intersex observed, even though similar numbers of male (n = 1477) and female (n = 1633) fish were examined. Intersex was found in 3% of the fish collected. The intersex condition was observed in four of the 16 species examined (25%) and in fish from 34 of 111 sites (31%). Intersex was not found in multiple species from the same site but was most prevalent in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides; 18% of males) and smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu; 33% of males). The percentage of intersex fish per site was 8-91% for largemouth bass and 14-73% for smallmouth bass. The incidence of intersex was greatest in the southeastern United States, with intersex largemouth bass present at all sites in the Apalachicola, Savannah, and Pee Dee River Basins. Total mercury, trans-nonachlor, p,p???-DDE, p,p???-DDD, and total PCBs were the most commonly detected chemical contaminants at all sites, regardless of whether intersex was observed. Although the genotype of the intersex fish was not determined, the microscopic appearance of the gonads, the presence of mature sperm, and the concentrations of sex steroid hormones and vitellogenin indicate the intersex bass were males. Few reproductive endpoints differed significantly among male and intersex bass; plasma vitellogenin concentration in males was not a good indicator of intersex presence. Hierarchical linkages of the intersex condition to reproductive function will require a more quantitative measure of intersex (e.g. severity index) rather than presence or absence of the condition. The baseline incidence of intersex gonadal tissue in black basses and other freshwater fishes is unknown, but intersex prevalence may be related to collection season, age, and endocrine active compounds in the environment. Intersex was not found in largemouth bass older than five years and was most common in 1-3-year-old male largemouth bass. The cause(s) of intersex in these species is also unknown, and it remains to be determined whether the intersex we observed in largemouth and smallmouth bass developed during sex differentiation in early life stages, during exposure to environmental factors during adult life stages, or both.

Earth Institute at Columbia University ADVANCE Program: Addressing Needs for Women in Earth and Environmental Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, R. E.; Cane, M.; Mutter, J.; Miller, R.; Pfirman, S.; Laird, J.

2004-12-01

The Earth Institute has received a major NSF ADVANCE grant targeted at increasing the participation and advancement of women scientists and engineers in the Academy through institutional transformation. The Earth Institute at Columbia University includes 9 research institutes including Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Center for Environmental Research and Conservation (CERC), Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), International Research Institute (IRI) for Climate Prediction, Earth Engineering Center, NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Center for Risks and Hazards, Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development, and Center for Global Health and Economic Development and six academic departments including Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology (E3B, School of Arts and Sciences), Earth and Environmental Engineering (DEEE, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences), Department of Environmental Health (School of Public Health), Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DEES, School of Arts and Sciences), Department of International and Public Affairs (School of International and Policy Affairs), and Barnard College Department of Environmental Science. The Earth Institute at Columbia University's ADVANCE program is based both on a study of the status of women at Columbia and research on the progression of women in science elsewhere. The five major targets of the Columbia ADVANCE program are to (1) change the demographics of the faculty through intelligent hiring practices, (2) provide support to women scientists through difficult life transitions including elder care and adoption or birth of a child, (3) enhance mentoring and networking opportunities, (4) implement transparent promotion procedures and policies, and (5) conduct an institutional self study. The Earth Institute ADVANCE program is unique in that it addresses issues that tend to manifest themselves in the earth and environmental fields, such as extended field programs, which lay the foundation for leadership positions, but which may be difficult for young faculty. The strategy is to use the Earth Institute as a test bed for institutional change, and then expand the successful programs to other Columbia Science and Engineering Departments, as appropriate. Columbia's administration is committed to changing policies and supporting successful programs beyond the completion of the NSF grant. Earth Institute ADVANCE programs include (a) a self study including a climate survey modeled after the 1999 MIT study, (b) a senior faculty working group that will facilitate recruitment and retention by providing support for searches, faculty development, and retention, (c) internal funding competitions designed to recruit and retain women scientists and engineers, and (d) focused workshops and conferences. The ADVANCE program will establish offices both on the Morningside campus in Manhattan and Lamont campus in Palisades, NY.

Missed Steps on the Road to the Radium-SGD Connection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, W. S.

2014-12-01

Scientific discoveries are often preceded by missteps that lengthen the road to discovery. Here I recount missteps on my journey that found a strong link between high radium concentrations in coastal waters and the discharge of submarine groundwater (SGD). In 1968 Wally Broecker suggested to me that groundwater could be a source of Ra to the ocean. That summer Wally measured Ra in wells on Martha's Vineyard; I measured wells on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Neither of us found significant Ra concentrations; all of the water we measured was fresh. In 1977 Telu Li and others reported the desorption of Ra from riverine particles entering the ocean. I did not think to translate this observation to the release of Ra as salt water intruded into coastal aquifers; instead when Bob Elsinger and I could not balance the Ra budget for the Pee Dee River estuary, we called on upstream migration of the salt wedge during low river flow to release Ra from sediments. Similar budget problems in the Chesapeake Bay led me to propose cliff erosion as a source of Ra. JoLynn Carroll and I used the erosion mechanism to explain Ra budget problems at the mouth of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Rivers. Working with Tom Church, Marsha Bollinger measured significant activities of Ra in groundwater entering Canary Creek, DE. However, we did not consider groundwater a significant source of Ra to Delaware Bay. In 1993, after Marsha and I developed a robust data set for North Inlet, SC, I realized the upstream migration and erosion mechanisms were not adequate. Fortunately Rama, one of my post-doc advisors, was visiting my lab. I presented him with the dilemma of excess 226Ra fluxes. After digesting the data for a few days, he stated: "It must be groundwater". We confirmed this by measuring salty groundwater samples from North Inlet that were loaded with 226Ra. Extending this concept to the coastal ocean was simple. We had recently completed a cruise to use Ra isotopes to study mixing rates and water ages. Upon inspection I found these coastal waters contained high 226Ra activities that could not be explained by riverine or sedimentary inputs. Taking the line from Rama, I proposed that brackish groundwater must be the answer. Tom Church reviewed the paper for Nature and wrote a news article, "An underground route for the water cycle". It tool 25 years, but we finally completed the journey.

Ecology of tidal freshwater forests in coastal deltaic Louisiana and northeastern South Carolina: Chapter 9

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conner, William H.; Krauss, Ken W.; Doyle, Thomas W.

2007-01-01

Tidal freshwater swamps in the southeastern United States are subjected to tidal hydroperiods ranging in amplitude from microtidal (<0.1 m) to mesotidal (2-4 m), both having different susceptibilities to anthropogenic change. Small alterations in flood patterns, for example, can switch historically microtidal swamps to permanently flooded forests, scrub-shrub stands, marsh, or open water but are less likely to convert mesotidal swamps. Changes to hydrological patterns tend to be more noticeable in Louisiana than do those in South Carolina.The majority of Louisiana’s coastal wetland forests are found in the Mississippi River deltaic plain region. Coastal wetland forests in the deltaic plain have been shaped by the sediments, water, and energy of the Mississippi River and its major distributaries. Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum [L.] L.C. Rich.) and water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica L.) are the primary tree species in the coastal swamp forests of Louisiana. Sites where these species grow usually hold water for most of the year; however, some of the more seaward sites were historically microtidal, especially where baldcypress currently dominates. In many other locations, baldcypress and water tupelo typically grow in more or less pure stands or as mixtures of the two with common associates such as black willow (Salix nigra Marsh.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), water locust (Gleditsia aquatic Marsh.), overcup oak (Quercus lyrata Walt.), water hickory (Carya aquatica [Michx. f.] Nutt.), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.), pumpkin ash (F. profunda Bush.), and redbay (Persea borbonia [L.] Sprengel) (Brown and Montz 1986).The South Carolina coastal plain occupies about two-thirds of the state and rises gently to 150 m from the Atlantic Ocean up to the Piedmont plateau. Many rivers can be found in the Coastal Plain with swamps near the coast that extend inland along the rivers. Strongly tidal freshwater forests occur along the lower reaches of redwater rivers (Santee, Great Pee Dee, and Savannah) that arise in the mountains and along the numerous blackwater rivers (Ashepoo, Combahee, Cooper, and Waccamaw) that arise in the coastal regions. Most of the tidal freshwater forests were converted to tidal rice fields in the 1700s (Porcher 1995). Canopy members of the present day forests include baldcypress, water tupelo, swamp tupelo (N. biflora Walt.), red maple, and Carolina ash (Fraxinus caroliniana Miller). Subcanopy and shrub species include Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica L.), dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor (Jacquin) Pers.), coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana Michx.), redbay, and water-elm (Planera aquatica Gmel.).

How Were Southwest Pacific Pelagic Ecosystems Affected by Extreme Global Warming During the Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hollis, C. J.; Crouch, E. M.; Dickens, G. R.

2004-12-01

Four sections in eastern New Zealand provide the only South Pacific record of the initial Eocene thermal maximum (IETM): a siliciclastic outer shelf section (Tawanui, Hawkes Bay) and three pelagic-hemipelagic sections forming an outer shelf-upper slope transect across a carbonate ramp (Muzzle, Dee and Mead Streams, Clarence Valley). Although the rocks are too indurated to yield reliable oxygen isotope data, the IETM is identified by bulk carbonate carbon isotopes as a sharp negative excursion followed by gradual recovery over 0.6 to 4.0 m. In all sections, the excursion is mirrored by terrigenous sediment concentration, due to reduced biogenic (carbonate and silica) input and increased terrigenous input. Increased precipitation under warm humid conditions appears to have increased terrestrial discharge, recorded by deposition of smectitic marl in pelagic settings and illite/kaolinite-bearing smectitic mudstone in neritic settings. Eutrophic conditions are inferred for the IETM interval at Tawanui based on dysoxia, carbonate dissolution, an acme for the peridinioid dinocyst Apectodinium and abundant Toweius spp in nannofossil assemblages. Continued abundance of Toweius and replacement of Apectodinium by peridinioids of the Deflandrea complex suggests that eutrophic, albeit cooler, conditions persisted for at least 0.5 Ma after the IETM. In contrast, the IETM in Clarence Valley is marked by reduced biogenic silica content but little change in carbonate, and no evidence for carbonate dissolution. Sparse, poorly preserved palynomorphs assemblages suggest organic matter was oxidised under fully oxic conditions. Reduced numbers of upwelling indicators in the siliceous microfossil assemblage and common warm-water planktic foraminifera (Morozovella spp.), nannoplankton (Discoaster spp.) and radiolarians (e.g. Podocyrtis and Theocorys spp.) signal a switch from eutrophic to oligotrophic conditions and significant warming of near-surface waters. A progressive increase in neritic symbiotrophes within the radiolarian assemblage during the IETM recovery phase suggests warm, stratified, oligotrophic oceanic conditions. Radiolarians are scarce and upwelling indicators are very rare in sediments overlying the IETM. In the Southwest Pacific, global warming during the IETM increased terrestrial discharge, which enhanced productivity in shallow marine environments. Reduced productivity in deeper marine settings may have been caused by the poleward expansion of oligotrophic subtropical surface waters, impinging on a southern cyclonic system that had promoted upwelling along the eastern New Zealand margin through the Paleocene. Little evidence is found for local plankton productivity having a role in the gradual decrease in global temperatures that defines the upper IETM.

A drill-soil system modelization for future Mars exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finzi, A. E.; Lavagna, M.; Rocchitelli, G.

2004-01-01

This paper presents a first approach to the problem of modeling a drilling process to be carried on in the space environment by a dedicated payload. Systems devoted to work in space present very strict requirements in many different fields such as thermal response, electric power demand, reliability and so on. Thus, models devoted to the operational behaviour simulation represent a fundamental help in the design phase and give a great improvement in the final product quality. As the required power is the crucial constraint within drilling devices, the tool-soil interaction modelization and simulation are finalized to the computation of the power demand as a function of both the drill and the soil parameters. An accurate study of the tool and the soil separately has been firstly carried on and, secondly their interaction has been analyzed. The Dee-Dri system, designed by Tecnospazio and to be part of the lander components in the NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission, has been taken as the tool reference. The Deep-Drill system is a complex rotary tool devoted to the soil perforation and sample collection; it has to operate in a Martian zone made of rocks similar to the terrestrial basalt, then the modelization is restricted to the interaction analysis between the tool and materials belonging to the rock set. The tool geometric modelization has been faced by a finite element approach with a Langrangian formulation: for the static analysis a refined model is assumed considering both the actual geometry of the head and the rod screws; a simplified model has been used to deal with the dynamic analysis. The soil representation is based on the Mohr-Coulomb crack criterion and an Eulerian approach has been selected to model it. However, software limitations in dealing with the tool-soil interface definition required assuming a Langrangian formulation for the soil too. The interaction between the soil and the tool has been modeled by extending the two-dimensional Nishimatsu's theory for rock cutting for rotating perforation tools. A fine analysis on f.e.m. element choice for each part of the tool is presented together with static analysis results. The dynamic analysis results are limited to the first impact phenomenon between the rock and the tool head. The validity of both the theoretical and numerical models is confirmed by the good agreement between simulation results and data coming from the experiments done within the Tecnospazio facilities.

A Novel Mobile App and Population Management System to Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis Flares: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Wang, Penny; Luo, Dee; Lu, Fengxin; Elias, Josephine S; Landman, Adam B; Michaud, Kaleb D; Lee, Yvonne C

2018-04-11

Rheumatoid arthritis flares have a profound effect on patients, causing pain and disability. However, flares often occur between regularly scheduled health care provider visits and are, therefore, difficult to monitor and manage. We sought to develop a mobile phone app combined with a population management system to help track RA flares between visits. The objective of this study is to implement the mobile app plus the population management system to monitor rheumatoid arthritis disease activity between scheduled health care provider visits over a period of 6 months. This is a randomized controlled trial that lasts for 6 months for each participant. We aim to recruit 190 patients, randomized 50:50 to the intervention group versus the control group. The intervention group will be assigned the mobile app and be prompted to answer daily questionnaires sent to their mobile devices. Both groups will be assigned a population manager, who will communicate with the participants via telephone at 6 weeks and 18 weeks. The population manager will also communicate with the participants in the intervention group if their responses indicate a sustained increase in rheumatoid arthritis disease activity. To assess patient satisfaction, the primary outcomes will be scores on the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication as well as the Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions questionnaire at 6 months. To determine the effect of the mobile app on rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, the primary outcome will be the Clinical Disease Activity Index at 6 months. The trial started in November 2016, and an estimated 2.5 years will be necessary to complete the study. Study results are expected to be published by the end of 2019. The completion of this study will provide important data regarding the following: (1) the assessment of validated outcome measures to assess rheumatoid arthritis disease activity with a mobile app between routinely scheduled health care provider visits, (2) patient engagement in monitoring their condition, and (3) communication between patients and health care providers through the population management system. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02822521, http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02822521 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xed3kGPd). ©Penny Wang, Dee Luo, Fengxin Lu, Josephine S Elias, Adam B Landman, Kaleb D Michaud, Yvonne C Lee. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 11.04.2018.

Ecological landscape elements: long-term monitoring in Great Britain, the Countryside Survey 1978-2007 and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Claire M.; Bunce, Robert G. H.; Norton, Lisa R.; Maskell, Lindsay C.; Smart, Simon M.; Scott, W. Andrew; Henrys, Peter A.; Howard, David C.; Wright, Simon M.; Brown, Michael J.; Scott, Rod J.; Stuart, Rick C.; Watkins, John W.

2018-04-01

The Countryside Survey (CS) of Great Britain (GB) provides a unique and statistically robust series of datasets, consisting of an extensive set of repeated ecological measurements at a national scale, covering a time span of 29 years. CS was first undertaken in 1978 to provide a baseline for ecological and land use change monitoring in the rural environment of GB, following a stratified random design, based on 1 km squares. Originally, eight random 1 km squares were drawn from each of 32 environmental classes, thus comprising 256 sample squares in the 1978 survey. The number of these sites increased to 382 in 1984, 506 in 1990, 569 in 1998 and 591 in 2007. Detailed information regarding vegetation types and land use was mapped in all five surveys, allowing reporting by defined standard habitat classifications. Additionally, point and linear landscape features (such as trees and hedgerows) are available from all surveys after 1978. From these stratified, randomly located sample squares, information can be converted into national estimates, with associated error terms. Other data, relating to soils, freshwater and vegetation, were also sampled on analogous dates. However, the present paper describes only the surveys of landscape features and habitats. The resulting datasets provide a unique, comprehensive, quantitative ecological coverage of extent and change in these features in GB. Basic results are presented and their implications discussed. However, much opportunity for further analyses remains. Data from each of the survey years are available via the following DOIs: Landscape area data 1978: https://doi.org/10.5285/86c017ba-dc62-46f0-ad13-c862bf31740e, 1984: https://doi.org/10.5285/b656bb43-448d-4b2c-aade-7993aa243ea3, 1990: https://doi.org/10.5285/94f664e5-10f2-4655-bfe6-44d745f5dca7, 1998: https://doi.org/10.5285/1e050028-5c55-42f4-a0ea-c895d827b824, and 2007: https://doi.org/10.5285/bf189c57-61eb-4339-a7b3-d2e81fdde28d; Landscape linear feature data 1984: https://doi.org/10.5285/a3f5665c-94b2-4c46-909e-a98be97857e5, 1990: https://doi.org/10.5285/311daad4-bc8c-485a-bc8a-e0d054889219, 1998: https://doi.org/10.5285/8aaf6f8c-c245-46bb-8a2a-f0db012b2643 and 2007: https://doi.org/10.5285/e1d31245-4c0a-4dee-b36c-b23f1a697f88, Landscape point feature data 1984: https://doi.org/10.5285/124b872e-036e-4dd3-8316-476b5f42c16e, 1990: https://doi.org/10.5285/1481bc63-80d7-4d18-bcba-8804aa0a9e1b, 1998: https://doi.org/10.5285/ed10944f-40c8-4913-b3f5-13c8e844e153 and 2007: https://doi.org/10.5285/55dc5fd7-d3f7-4440-b8a7-7187f8b0550b.

HPMSS(High Precision Magnetic Survey System) and InterRidge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isezaki, N.; Sayanagi, K.

2012-12-01

From the beginning of 1990s to the beginning of 2000s, the Japanese group of IntreRidge conducted many cruises for three component magnetic survey using Shipboard Three Component Magnetometer (STCM) and Deep Towed Three Component Magnetometer (DTCM) in the world wide oceans. We have been developing HPMSS during this time with support of Dr.Tamaki(the late representative of InterRidge Japan) who understood the advantages of three component geomagnetic anomalies (TCGA). TCGA measured by STCM determines the direction of geomagnetic anomaly lineations precisely at every point where TCGA were observed, which playes the important role in magnetic anomaly lineation analysis. Even in the beginning of 2000s, almost all marine magnetic scientists believed that the total intensity anomly (TIA) is the better data than TCGA for analysis because the scalar magnetometers (e.g. proton precession magnetometer) have the better accuracy than any other magnetometers (e.g.flux gate magnetometer (FGM)). We employed the high accrate gyroscope (e.g.ring lase gyroscope (RLG)/optical fiber gyroscope (OFG)) to improve the accuracy of STCM/DTCM equipped with FGM. Moreover we employed accurate and precise FGM which was selected among the market. Finally we developed the new magnetic survey system with high precision usable as airborn, shipboard and dee-ptowed magnetometers which we call HPMSS(High Precision Magnetic Survey System). As an optional equipment, we use LAN to communicate between a data aquisiitin part and a data logging part, and GPS for a position fix. For the deep-towed survey, we use the acoustic position fix (super short base line method) and the acoustic communication to monitor the DTCM status. First we used HPMSS to obtain the magnetization structure of the volcanic island, Aogashima located 300km south of Tokyo using a hellcopter in 2006 and 2009. Next we used HPMSS installed in DTCM in 2010,2011 and 2012 using R/V Bosei-maru belonging to Tokai University. Also we used HPMSS installed in AUV (automonous undersea vehicle), belonging to JAMSTEC in 2009,2010 and 2011. We have been emphasizing the importnace of TCGA compared to TIA because TIA does not obey the Laplace equation which means TIA is not harmonic, then we cannot apply the Fourier analysis on TIA. We will show the structure of three component magnetization of the mineral deposit in the volcanic thermal area in Izu-Ogasawara island Arc, called Hakurei Deposit. TCGA of DTCM and AUV survey data were used and the depth section and the vertical section of three components of magnetization of Hakurei Deposit area will be presented. We emphasize that reliable 3D structure of three component of magnetization was obtained from TCGA using HPMSS as the result of deep support of InterRidge Japan, especially deep support of Dr. Tamaki.

Lipid biomarkers in ooids from different locations and ages: evidence for a common bacterial flora.

PubMed

Summons, R E; Bird, L R; Gillespie, A L; Pruss, S B; Roberts, M; Sessions, A L

2013-09-01

Ooids are one of the common constituents of ancient carbonate rocks, yet the role that microbial communities may or may not play in their formation remains unresolved. To search for evidence of microbial activity in modern and Holocene ooids, samples collected from intertidal waters, beaches and outcrops in the Bahamas and in Shark Bay in Western Australia were examined for their contents of lipid biomarkers. Modern samples from Cat and Andros islands in the Bahamas and from Carbla Beach in Hamelin Pool, Western Australia, showed abundant and notably similar distributions of hydrocarbons, fatty acids (FAs) and alcohols. A large fraction of these lipids were bound into the carbonate matrix and only released on acid dissolution, which suggests that these lipids were being incorporated continuously during ooid growth. The distributions of hydrocarbons, and their disparate carbon isotopic signatures, were consistent with mixed input from cyanobacteria together with small and variable amounts of vascular plant leaf wax [C27 -C35 ; δ(13) C -25 to -32‰Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB)]. The FAs comprised a complex mixture of C12 -C18 normal and branched short-chain compounds with the predominant straight-chain components attributable to bacteria and/or cyanobacteria. Branched FA, especially 10-MeC16 and 10-MeC17 , together with the prevalence of elemental sulfur in the extracts, indicate an origin from sulfate-reducing bacteria. The iso- and anteiso-FA were quite variable in their (13) C contents suggesting that they come from organisms with diverse physiologies. Hydrogen isotopic compositions provide further insight into this issue. FAs in each sample show disparate δD values consistent with inputs from autotrophs and heterotrophs. The most enigmatic lipid assemblage is an homologous series of long-chain (C24 -C32 ) FA with pronounced even carbon number preference. Typically, such long-chain FA are thought to come from land plant leaf wax, but in this case, their (13) C-enriched isotopic signatures compared to co-occurring n-alkanes (e.g., Hamelin Pool TLE FA C24 -C32 ; δ(13) C -20 to -24.2‰ VPDB; TLE n-alkanes δ(13) C -24.1 to -26.2 -‰VPDB) indicate a microbial origin, possibly sulfate-reducing bacteria. Lastly, we identified homohopanoic acid and bishomohopanol as the primary degradation products of bacterial hopanoids. The distributions of lipids isolated from Holocene oolites from the Rice Bay Formation of Cat Island, Bahamas were very similar to the beach ooids described above and, in total, these modern and fossil biomarker data lead us to hypothesize that ooids are colonized by a defined microbial community and that these microbes possibly mediate calcification. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Novel Approach to Mapping Intertidal Areas Using Shore-Based X-band Marine Radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bird, Cai; Bell, Paul

2014-05-01

Monitoring the morphology of coastal zones in response to high energy weather events and changing patterns of erosion and deposition over time is vital in enabling effective decision-making at the coast. Common methods of mapping intertidal bathymetry currently include vessel-based sonar and airborne LiDAR surveys, which are expensive and thus not routinely collected on a continuous basis. Marine radar is a ubiquitous technology in the marine industry and many ports operate a system to guide ships into port, this work aims to utilise this already existing infrastructure to determine bathymetry over large intertidal areas, currently up to 4 km from the radar. Standard X-band navigational radar has been used in the marine industry to measure hydrodynamics and derive bathymetry using empirical techniques for several decades. Methods of depth mapping thus far have relied on the electromagnetic backscattering from wind-roughened water surface, which allows a radar to gather sea surface image data but requires the waves to be clearly defined. The work presented here does not rely on identifying and measuring these spatial wave features, which increases the robustness of the method. Image data collected by a 9.4Ghz Kelvin Hughes radar from a weather station on Hilbre Island at the mouth of the River Dee estuary, UK were used in the development of this method. Image intensity at each pixel is a function of returned electromagnetic energy, which in turn can be related to the roughness of the sea surface. Images collected over time periods of 30 minutes show general patterns of wave breaking and mark the advance and retreat of the waterline in accordance with the tidal cycle and intertidal morphology. Each pixel value can be extracted from these mean images and analysed over the course of several days, giving a fluctuating time series of pixel intensity, the gradient of which gives a series of pulses representing transitions between wet and dry at each location. A tidal elevation record collected from a gauge at the Island is used to generate a similar series of pulses for each elevation above chart datum. A matching algorithm compares these pulse sequences at each tide level and determines a bed elevation value for each pixel location. Values derived have a maximum error of 1 m when compared to a LiDAR survey of the area during the same time period. Refinements of this technique could form the basis of a long-term automated monitoring system for the morphology of intertidal coastal areas allowing varying scales of sedimentary features to be tracked. This may allow the optimisation of maintenance dredging and quantify the effects of beach nourishment and capital dredging along a shoreline.

A late Miocene-early Pliocene chain of lakes fed by the Colorado River: Evidence from Sr, C, and O isotopes of the Bouse Formation and related units between Grand Canyon and the Gulf of California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roskowski, J.A.; Patchett, P.J.; Spencer, J.E.; Pearthree, P.A.; Dettman, D.L.; Faulds, J.E.; Reynolds, A.C.

2010-01-01

We report strontium isotopic results for the late Miocene Hualapai Limestone of the Lake Mead area (Arizona-Nevada) and the latest Miocene to early Pliocene Bouse Formation and related units of the lower Colorado River trough (Arizona-California-Nevada), together with parallel oxygen and carbon isotopic analyses of Bouse samples, to constrain the lake-overflow model for integration of the Colorado River. Sr iso topic analyses on the basal 1-5 cm of marl, in particular along a transect over a range of altitude in the lowest-altitude basin that contains freshwater, brackish, and marine fossils, document the 87Sr/86Sr of first-arriving Bouse waters. Results reinforce the similarity between the 87Sr/86Sr of Bouse Formation carbonates and present-day Colorado River water, and the systematic distinction of these values from Neogene marine Sr. Basal Bouse samples show that 87Sr/86Sr decreased from 0.7111 to values in the range 0.7107-0.7109 during early basin filling. 87Sr/86Sr values from a recently identified marl in the Las Vegas area are within the range of Bouse Sr ratios. 87Sr/86Sr values from the Hualapai Limestone decrease upsection from 0.7195 to 0.7137, in the approach to a time soon after 6 Ma when Hualapai deposition ceased and the Colorado River became established through the Lake Mead area. Bouse Formation ??18O values range from -12.9??? to +1.0??? Vienna Pee Dee belemnite (VPDB), and ??13C between -6.5??? and +3.4??? VPDB. Negative ??18O values appear to require a continental origin for waters, and the trend to higher ??18O suggests evaporation in lake waters. Sr and stable isotopic results for sectioned barnacle shells and from bedding planes of the marine fish fossil Colpichthys regis demonstrate that these animals lived in saline freshwater, and that there is no evidence for incursions of marine water, either long-lived or brief in duration. Lack of correlation of Sr and O isotopic variations in the same samples also argue strongly against systematic replacement of Sr in Bouse carbonates after deposition. Our results reinforce the conclusion that the Bouse Formation was deposited in a descending series of basins connected by overflow of Colorado River water. The Hualapai Limestone records a separate and earlier lake that may have been progressively influenced by Colorado River water as the time of river integration approached. ?? 2010 Geological Society of America.

Flood forecasting using non-stationarity in a river with tidal influence - a feasibility study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Killick, Rebecca; Kretzschmar, Ann; Ilic, Suzi; Tych, Wlodek

2017-04-01

Flooding is the most common natural hazard causing damage, disruption and loss of life worldwide. Despite improvements in modelling and forecasting of water levels and flood inundation (Kretzschmar et al., 2014; Hoitink and Jay, 2016), there are still large discrepancies between predictions and observations particularly during storm events when accurate predictions are most important. Many models exist for forecasting river levels (Smith et al., 2013; Leedal et al., 2013) however they commonly assume that the errors in the data are independent, stationary and normally distributed. This is generally not the case especially during storm events suggesting that existing models are not describing the drivers of river level in an appropriate fashion. Further challenges exist in the lower sections of a river influenced by both river and tidal flows and their interaction and there is scope for improvement in prediction. This paper investigates the use of a powerful statistical technique to adaptively forecast river levels by modelling the process as locally stationary. The proposed methodology takes information on both upstream and downstream river levels and incorporates meteorological information (rainfall forecasts) and tidal levels when required to forecast river levels at a specified location. Using this approach, a single model will be capable of predicting water levels in both tidal and non-tidal river reaches. In this pilot project, the methodology of Smith et al. (2013) using harmonic tidal analysis and data based mechanistic modelling is compared with the methodology developed by Killick et al. (2016) utilising data-driven wavelet decomposition to account for the information contained in the upstream and downstream river data to forecast a non-stationary time-series. Preliminary modelling has been carried out using the tidal stretch of the River Lune in North-west England and initial results are presented here. Future work includes expanding the methodology to forecast river levels at a network of locations simultaneously. References Hoitink, A. J. F., and D. A. Jay (2016), Tidal river dynamics: Implications for deltas, Rev. Geophys., 54, 240-272 Killick, R., Knight, M., Nason, G.P., Eckley, I.A. (2016) The Local Partial Autocorrelation Function and its Application to the Forecasting of Locally Stationary Time Series. Submitted Kretzschmar, Ann and Tych, Wlodek and Chappell, Nick A (2014) Reversing hydrology: estimation of sub-hourly rainfall time-series from streamflow. Env. Modell Softw., 60. pp. 290-301 D. Leedal, A. H. Weerts, P. J. Smith, & K. J. Beven. (2013). Application of data-based mechanistic modelling for flood forecasting at multiple locations in the Eden catchment in the National Flood Forecasting System (England and Wales). HESS, 17(1), 177-185. Smith, P., Beven, K., Horsburgh, K., Hardaker, P., & Collier, C. (2013). Data-based mechanistic modelling of tidally affected river reaches for flood warning purposes: An example on the River Dee, UK. , Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc. 139(671), 340-349.

Factors Associated With Specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Sexual Dysfunctions in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Study of Patients and Their Partners.

PubMed

Hummel, Susanna B; Hahn, Daniela E E; van Lankveld, Jacques J D M; Oldenburg, Hester S A; Broomans, Eva; Aaronson, Neil K

2017-10-01

Many women develop sexual problems after breast cancer (BC) treatment. Little is known about BC survivors with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) sexual dysfunction and their partners, and the factors associated with their sexual functioning. To evaluate (i) patient-related and clinical factors associated with (a) specific DSM-IV sexual dysfunctions and (b) level of sexual functioning and sexual distress as reported by BC survivors and (ii) the association between the sexual functioning of BC survivors and that of their partners. We analyzed baseline data from a study of the efficacy of online cognitive-behavioral therapy for sexual dysfunction in BC survivors. Women completed self-report questionnaires assessing sexual functioning, sexual distress, relationship intimacy, marital functioning, menopausal symptoms, body image, and psychological distress. Their partners completed questionnaires assessing sexual functioning. The study included 169 BC survivors and 67 partners. The most prevalent female sexual dysfunctions were hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD; 83%), sexual arousal disorder (40%), and dyspareunia (33%). Endocrine therapy was associated with HSDD (P = .003), and immunotherapy was associated with dyspareunia (P = .009). Older age was associated with lower sexual distress (P < .001). Depressive symptoms were highest in women with sexual arousal disorder (P = .004). An indication for erectile disorder was present in two thirds of partners. Lower overall partner sexual satisfaction was associated with lower overall BC survivor sexual functioning (P = .001), lower female arousal (P = .002), and lower female sexual satisfaction (P = .001). Poorer male erectile function was related to higher female sexual pain (P = .006). Partners of women who underwent breast reconstruction reported marginally significantly better orgasmic functioning (P = .012) and overall sexual functioning (P = .015) than partners of women who had undergone breast-conserving treatment. BC survivors and their partners experience sexual problems after BC treatment. This suggests that not only the BC survivor but also her partner could benefit from sexual counseling. This is the first study focusing on BC survivors with a DSM-IV sexual dysfunction and their partners. The results cannot necessarily be generalized to women experiencing milder sexual problems or who have no interest in receiving sexual counseling. Endocrine therapy and immunotherapy are relevant risk factors for HSDD and dyspareunia in BC survivors. The sexual functioning of women and their partners is affected, underscoring the importance of involving both partners in sexual counseling after BC treatment. Hummel SB, Hahn DEE, van Lankveld JJDM, et al. Factors Associated With Specific Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Sexual Dysfunctions in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Study of Patients and Their Partners. J Sex Med 2017;14:1248-1259. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of coal and carbon dioxide derived from laboratory coal combustion: A preliminary study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Ruppert, Leslie F.

2016-01-01

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has dramatically increased from the start of the industrial revolution in the mid-1700s to present levels exceeding 400 ppm. Carbon dioxide derived from fossil fuel combustion is a greenhouse gas and a major contributor to on-going climate change. Carbon and oxygen stable isotope geochemistry is a useful tool to help model and predict the contributions of anthropogenic sources of CO2 in the global carbon cycle. Surprisingly few studies have addressed the carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of CO2 derived from coal combustion. The goal of this study is to document the relationships between the carbon and oxygen isotope signatures of coal and signatures of the CO2 produced from laboratory coal combustion in atmospheric conditions.Six coal samples were selected that represent various geologic ages (Carboniferous to Tertiary) and coal ranks (lignite to bituminous). Duplicate splits of the six coal samples were ignited and partially combusted in the laboratory at atmospheric conditions. The resulting coal-combustion gases were collected and the molecular composition of the collected gases and isotopic analyses of δ13C of CO2, δ13C of CH4, and δ18O of CO2 were analysed by a commercial laboratory. Splits (~ 1 g) of the un-combusted dried ground coal samples were analyzed for δ13C and δ18O by the U.S. Geological Survey Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory.The major findings of this preliminary work indicate that the isotopic signatures of δ13C (relative to the Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite scale, VPDB) of CO2 resulting from coal combustion are similar to the δ13CVPDB signature of the bulk coal (− 28.46 to − 23.86 ‰) and are not similar to atmospheric δ13CVPDB of CO2 (~ − 8 ‰, see http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/outreach/isotopes/c13tellsus.html). The δ18O values of bulk coal are strongly correlated to the coal dry ash yields and appear to have little or no influence on the δ18O values of CO2 resulting from coal combustion in open atmospheric conditions. There is a wide range of δ13C values of coal reported in the literature and the δ13C values from this study generally follow reported ranges for higher plants over geologic time. The values of δ18O (relative to Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water) of CO2 derived from atmospheric combustion of coal and other high-carbon fuels (peat and coal) range from + 19.03 to + 27.03‰ and are similar to atmospheric oxygen δ18OVSMOW values which average + 23.8‰. Further work is needed on a broader set of samples to better define the relationships between coal composition and combustion-derived gases.

Determining Tidal Phase Differences from X-Band Radar Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, Kieran; Bell, Paul; Brown, Jennifer; Plater, Andrew

2017-04-01

Introduction Previous work by Bell et. al. (2016) has developed a method using X-band marine radar to measure intertidal bathymetry, using the waterline as a level over a spring-neap tidal cycle. This has been used in the Dee Estuary to give a good representation of the bathymetry in the area. However, there are some sources of inaccuracy in the method, as a uniform spatial tidal signal is assumed over the entire domain. Motivation The method used by Bell et. al. (2016) applies a spatially uniform tidal signal to the entire domain. This fails to account for fine-scale variations in water level and tidal phase. While methods are being developed to account for small-scale water level variations using high resolution modelling, a method to determine tidal phase variations directly from the radar intensity images could be advantageous operationally. Methods The tidal phase has been computed using two different methods, with hourly averaged images from 2008. In the first method, the cross-correlation between each raw pixel time series and a tidal signal at a number of lags is calculated, and the lag with the highest correlation to the pixel series is recorded. For the second method, the same method of correlation is used on signals generated by tracking movement of buoys, which show up strongly in the radar image as they move on their moorings with the tidal currents. There is a broad agreement between the two methods, but validation is needed to determine the relative accuracy. The phase has also been calculated using a Fourier decomposition, and agrees broadly with the above methods. Work also needs to be done to separate areas where the recorded phase is due to tidal current (mostly subtidal areas) or due to elevation (mostly the wetting/drying signal in intertidal areas), by classifying radar intensities by the phases and amplitudes of the tides. Filtering out signal variations due to wind strength and attenuation of the radar signal will also be applied. Validation Validation will be attempted using data from a POLCOMS-WAM model run for Liverpool Bay at 180m resolution for February 2008 (Brown, 2011), and ongoing work to develop a model at 5m resolution using DELFT3D-FLOW. There are also a series of ADCP and other direct measurements of tidal current and elevation available, although periods of measurement do not all overlap. However, this could still be used for some validation. Conclusion While this work is in very early stages, it could present a method to determine fine-scale variations in tidal phase without a network of current recorders, and an improvement in the accuracy of bathymetric methods using X-band Radar. References Bell, P.S., Bird, C.O., Plater, A.J., 2016. A temporal waterline approach to mapping intertidal areas using X-band marine radar. Coastal Engineering, 07: 84-101. Brown, J.M., Bolaños, R., Wolf, J., 2011. Impact assessment of advanced coupling features in a tide-surge-wave model, POLCOMS-WAM, in a shallow water application. Journal of Marine Systems, 87: 13-24. Deltares, 2010. Delft3D FLOW. Delft: Deltares.

A Markov Random Field Framework for Protein Side-Chain Resonance Assignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Jianyang; Zhou, Pei; Donald, Bruce Randall

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy plays a critical role in structural genomics, and serves as a primary tool for determining protein structures, dynamics and interactions in physiologically-relevant solution conditions. The current speed of protein structure determination via NMR is limited by the lengthy time required in resonance assignment, which maps spectral peaks to specific atoms and residues in the primary sequence. Although numerous algorithms have been developed to address the backbone resonance assignment problem [68,2,10,37,14,64,1,31,60], little work has been done to automate side-chain resonance assignment [43, 48, 5]. Most previous attempts in assigning side-chain resonances depend on a set of NMR experiments that record through-bond interactions with side-chain protons for each residue. Unfortunately, these NMR experiments have low sensitivity and limited performance on large proteins, which makes it difficult to obtain enough side-chain resonance assignments. On the other hand, it is essential to obtain almost all of the side-chain resonance assignments as a prerequisite for high-resolution structure determination. To overcome this deficiency, we present a novel side-chain resonance assignment algorithm based on alternative NMR experiments measuring through-space interactions between protons in the protein, which also provide crucial distance restraints and are normally required in high-resolution structure determination. We cast the side-chain resonance assignment problem into a Markov Random Field (MRF) framework, and extend and apply combinatorial protein design algorithms to compute the optimal solution that best interprets the NMR data. Our MRF framework captures the contact map information of the protein derived from NMR spectra, and exploits the structural information available from the backbone conformations determined by orientational restraints and a set of discretized side-chain conformations (i.e., rotamers). A Hausdorff-based computation is employed in the scoring function to evaluate the probability of side-chain resonance assignments to generate the observed NMR spectra. The complexity of the assignment problem is first reduced by using a dead-end elimination (DEE) algorithm, which prunes side-chain resonance assignments that are provably not part of the optimal solution. Then an A* search algorithm is used to find a set of optimal side-chain resonance assignments that best fit the NMR data. We have tested our algorithm on NMR data for five proteins, including the FF Domain 2 of human transcription elongation factor CA150 (FF2), the B1 domain of Protein G (GB1), human ubiquitin, the ubiquitin-binding zinc finger domain of the human Y-family DNA polymerase Eta (pol η UBZ), and the human Set2-Rpb1 interacting domain (hSRI). Our algorithm assigns resonances for more than 90% of the protons in the proteins, and achieves about 80% correct side-chain resonance assignments. The final structures computed using distance restraints resulting from the set of assigned side-chain resonances have backbone RMSD 0.5 - 1.4 Å and all-heavy-atom RMSD 1.0 - 2.2 Å from the reference structures that were determined by X-ray crystallography or traditional NMR approaches. These results demonstrate that our algorithm can be successfully applied to automate side-chain resonance assignment and high-quality protein structure determination. Since our algorithm does not require any specific NMR experiments for measuring the through-bond interactions with side-chain protons, it can save a significant amount of both experimental cost and spectrometer time, and hence accelerate the NMR structure determination process.

Coupling study of the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model with WRF model to simulate the streamflow in the Guadalquivir Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Valdecasas Ojeda, Matilde; De Franciscis, Sebastiano; Raquel Gámiz-Fortis, Sonia; Castro-Díez, Yolanda; Esteban-Parra, María Jesus

2016-04-01

Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model is a large-scale, semi-distributed hydrologic model [1]. Its most important properties are related to the land surface, modeled as a grid of large and uniform cells with sub-grid heterogeneity (e.g. land cover), as well as to the local water influx (i.e. water can only enter a grid cell via the atmosphere and the channel flow between grid cells is ignored). The portions of surface and subsurface water runoff that reach the local channel network, are assumed to stay in the channel, and cannot flow back into the soil. In a second step, routing of streamflow is performed separately from the land surface simulation, using a separate model, the Routing Model, described in [2]. The final goal of our research consists into set an optimal hydrological and climate model to study the evolution of the streamflow of Guadalquivir Basin with different future land use, land cover and climate scenarios. In this work we study the coupling between VIC model, Routing model and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in order to perform the evolution of the streamflow for the Guadalquivir Basin (Spain). For this end, a calibration of the most relevant VIC model parameters using real streamflow daily time series, obtained from CEDEX (Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas, Spain) database [3] was performed. In the time period under study, i.e. the decades 1988-1997 (calibration step) and 1998-2007 (verification step), the VIC model has been coupled with observational climate data, obtained from SPAIN02 database [4]. Additionally, we carried out a sensitivity analysis of WRF model to different parameterizations using different cumulus, microphysics and surface/planetary boundary layer schemes for the period 1995-1996. WRF runs were carried over a domain encompassing the Iberian Peninsula and nested in the coarser EURO-CORDEX domain [5]. The optimal parameters set resulting from such analysis have been used to obtain a high-resolution 35 yr period (1980-2014) dataset, driven by Interim ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data [6]. Finally, the real streamflow daily time series were compared with the ones obtained by the previously calibrated VIC with SPAIN02 dataset and with WRF dataset, using different groups of meteorological variables. This last analysis allows us to check the robustness of VIC and WRF coupling, and to find the most relevant meteorological inputs for Guadalquivir streamflow system. Key words: Regional Climate Models, VIC, WRF, calibration, meteorological variables Acknowledgements: This work has been financed by the projects P11-RNM-7941 (Junta de Andalucía-Spain) and CGL2013-48539-R (MINECO-Spain, FEDER). [1] http://vic.readthedocs.org/en/master/ [2] Lohmann D, Raschke E, Nijssen B, Lettenmaier D P, 1998: Regional scale hydrology: I. Formulation of the VIC-2L model coupled to a routing model, Hydrolog. Sci. J., 43(1), 131-141. [3] www.cedex.es [4] http://www.meteo.unican.es/en/datasets/spain02 [5] EUROCORDEX: http://www.euro-cordex.net/ [6] Dee DP, Uppala SM, Simmons AJ, Berrisford P, Poli P, Kobayashi S, Andrae U, Balmaseda MA, Balsamo G, Bauer P, Bechtold P, Beljaars ACM, van de Berg L, Bidlot J, Bormann N, Delsol C, Dragani R, Fuentes M, Geer AJ, Haimberger L, Healy SB, Hersbach H, Hólm E V, Isaksen L, Kållberg P, Köhler M, Matricardi M, McNally A P, Monge-Sanz B M, Morcrette J-J, Park B-K, Peubey C, de Rosnay P, Tavolato C, Thépaut J-N, Vitart F, 2011: The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system. Q. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc. 137:553-597.

Ultrafast intramolecular charge transfer with N-(4-cyanophenyl)carbazole. Evidence for a LE precursor and dual LE + ICT fluorescence.

PubMed

Galievsky, Victor A; Druzhinin, Sergey I; Demeter, Attila; Mayer, Peter; Kovalenko, Sergey A; Senyushkina, Tamara A; Zachariasse, Klaas A

2010-12-09

The photophysics of N-(4-cyanophenyl)carbazole (NP4CN) was investigated by using absorption and fluorescence spectra, picosecond fluorescence decays, and femtosecond transient absorption. In the nonpolar n-hexane as well as in the polar solvent acetonitrile (MeCN), a locally excited (LE) state is detected, as a precursor for the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state. A LE → ICT reaction time τ(2) at 22 °C of 0.95 ps in ethyl cyanide (EtCN) and 0.32 ps in MeCN is determined from the decay of the LE excited state absorption (ESA) maximum around 620 nm. In the ESA spectrum of NP4CN in n-hexane at a pump-probe delay time of 100 ps, an important contribution of the LE band remains alongside the ICT band, in contrast to what is observed in EtCN and MeCN. This shows that a LE ⇄ ICT equilibrium is established in this solvent and the ICT reaction time of 0.5 ps is equal to the reciprocal of the sum of the forward and backward ICT rate constants 1/(k(a) + k(d)). In the photostationary S(0) → S(n) absorption spectrum of NP4CN in n-hexane and MeCN, an additional CT absorption band appears, absent in the sum of the spectra of its electron donor (D) and acceptor (A) subgroups carbazole and benzonitrile. This CT band is located at an energy of ∼4000 cm(-1) lower than for N-phenylcarbazole (NPC), due to the larger electron affinity of the benzonitrile moiety of NP4CN than the phenyl subunit of NPC. The fluorescence spectrum of NP4CN in n-hexane at 25 °C mainly consists of a structured LE emission, with a small ICT admixture, indicating that a LE → ICT reaction just starts to occur under these conditions. In di-n-pentyl ether (DPeE) and di-n-butyl ether (DBE), a LE emission is found upon cooling at the high-energy edge of the ICT fluorescence band, caused by the onset of dielectric solvent relaxation. This is not the case in more polar solvents, such as diethyl ether (DEE) and MeCN, in which a structureless ICT emission band fully overlaps the strongly quenched LE fluorescence. For the series of D/A molecules NPC, N-(4-fluorophenyl)carbazole (NP4F), N-[4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]carbazole (NP4CF), and NP4CN, with increasing electron affinity of their phenyl subgroup, an ICT emission in n-hexane 25 °C only is present for NP4CN, whereas in MeCN an ICT fluorescence is observed with NP4CF and NP4CN. The ICT fluorescence appears when for the energies E(ICT) of the ICT state and E(S(1)) of the lowest excited singlet state the condition E(ICT) ≤ E(S(1)) holds. E(ICT) is calculated from the difference E(D/D(+)) - E(A(-)/A) of the redox potentials of the D and A subgroups of the N-phenylcarbazoles. From solvatochromic measurements with NP4CN an ICT dipole moment μ(e)(ICT) = 19 D is obtained, somewhat larger than the literature values of 10-16 D, because of a different Onsager radius ρ. The carbazole/phenyl twist angle θ = 45° of NP4CN in the S(0) ground state, determined from X-ray crystal analysis, has become smaller for its ICT state, in analogy with similar conclusions for related N-phenylcarbazoles and other D/A molecules in the literature.

Inter-annual variability of air mass and acidified pollutants transboundary exchange in the north-eastern part of the EANET region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gromov, Sergey A.; Trifonova-Yakovleva, Alisa; Gromov, Sergey S.

2016-04-01

Anthropogenic emissions, be it exhaust gases or aerosols, stem from multitude of sources and may survive long-range transport within the air masses they were emitted into. So they follow regional and global transport pathways varying under different climatological regimes. Transboundary transfer of pollutants occurs this way and has a significant impact on the ecological situation of the territories neighbouring those of emission sources, as found in a few earlier studies examining the environmental monitoring data [1]. In this study, we employ a relatively facile though robust technique for estimating the transboundary air and concomitant pollutant fluxes using actual or climatological meteorological and air pollution monitoring data. Practically, we assume pollutant transfer being proportional to the horizontal transport of air enclosed in the lower troposphere and to the concentration of the pollutant of interest. The horizontal transport, in turn, is estimated using the mean layer wind direction and strength, or their descriptive statistics at the individual transects of the boundary of interest. The domain of our interest is the segment of Russian continental border in East Asia spanning from 88° E (southern Middle Siberia) to 135° E (Far East at Pacific shore). The data on atmospheric pollutants concentration are available from the Russian monitoring sites of the region-wide Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET, http://www.eanet.asia/) Mondy (Baikal area) and Primorskaya (near Vladivostok). The data comprises multi-year continuous measurement of gas-phase and particulate species abundances in air with at least biweekly sampling rate starting from 2000. In the first phase of our study, we used climatological dataset on winds derived from the aerological soundings at Russian stations along the continental border for the 10-year period (1961-1970) by the Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information - World Data Centre (RIHMI-WDC) [3]. This dataset provides comprehensive monthly statistics on the wind meteorological regime at the stations of interest in a given range of altitudes. Based on long-term source observational data, the dataset is assumed being representative up to date, which allowed us to estimate monthly pollutant fluxes for the years 2006-2008 over segments of the Russian border and its whole [4]. In the current phase of our study, we calculate the inter-annual variations in the transboundary pollutant fluxes for 2000-2012 using longer-term EANET data and transient changes in air mass fluxes derived from the meteorological wind fields from ERA INTERIM re-analysis [5]. We gauge similar average air transport terms and dynamics from the statistical and reanalysis data, which bolsters our earlier findings. The reanalysis data, being naturally more variable, convolutes the variations in net air fluxes and pollutant concentrations into several episodes we emphasise, in addition to the integral pollutant transfer terms we estimate. At last, we discuss on the possibility of climate change effect on the flux strength and dynamics together with regional air quality tendencies in North-East Asia countries. References: Izrael, Yu.A., et al.: Monitoring of the Transboundary Air Pollution Transport. Gidrometeoizdat, Leningrad, 303 p., 187 (in Russian). Akimoto H., et al.: Periodic Report of the State of Acid Deposition in East Asia. Part I: Regional Assessment. EANET-UNEP/RRC.AP-ADORC, 258 p., 2006. Brukhan, F.F.: Aeroclimatic Characteristics of the Mean Winds over USSR (ed. Ignatjushina E.N.). Gidrometeoizdat, Moscow, 54 p., 1984 (in Russian). Gromov S.A., et al.: First-order evaluation of transboundary pollution fluxes in areas of EANET stations in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. EANET Science Bulletin, vol. 3, pp. 195-203, 2013. Dee, D. P., et al.: The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system, Quart. J. Royal Met. Soc., 137, 553-597, doi: 10.1002/qj.828, 2011.

Rainfall estimation from soil moisture data: crash test for SM2RAIN algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brocca, Luca; Albergel, Clement; Massari, Christian; Ciabatta, Luca; Moramarco, Tommaso; de Rosnay, Patricia

2015-04-01

Soil moisture governs the partitioning of mass and energy fluxes between the land surface and the atmosphere and, hence, it represents a key variable for many applications in hydrology and earth science. In recent years, it was demonstrated that soil moisture observations from ground and satellite sensors contain important information useful for improving rainfall estimation. Indeed, soil moisture data have been used for correcting rainfall estimates from state-of-the-art satellite sensors (e.g. Crow et al., 2011), and also for improving flood prediction through a dual data assimilation approach (e.g. Massari et al., 2014; Chen et al., 2014). Brocca et al. (2013; 2014) developed a simple algorithm, called SM2RAIN, which allows estimating rainfall directly from soil moisture data. SM2RAIN has been applied successfully to in situ and satellite observations. Specifically, by using three satellite soil moisture products from ASCAT (Advanced SCATterometer), AMSR-E (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observation) and SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity); it was found that the SM2RAIN-derived rainfall products are as accurate as state-of-the-art products, e.g., the real-time version of the TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) product. Notwithstanding these promising results, a detailed study investigating the physical basis of the SM2RAIN algorithm, its range of applicability and its limitations on a global scale has still to be carried out. In this study, we carried out a crash test for SM2RAIN algorithm on a global scale by performing a synthetic experiment. Specifically, modelled soil moisture data are obtained from HTESSEL model (Hydrology Tiled ECMWF Scheme for Surface Exchanges over Land) forced by ERA-Interim near-surface meteorology. Afterwards, the modelled soil moisture data are used as input into SM2RAIN algorithm for testing weather or not the resulting rainfall estimates are able to reproduce ERA-Interim rainfall data. Correlation, root mean square differences and categorical scores were used to evaluate the goodness of the results. This analysis wants to draw global picture of the performance of SM2RAIN algorithm in absence of errors in soil moisture and rainfall data. First preliminary results over Europe have shown that SM2RAIN performs particularly well over southern Europe (e.g., Spain, Italy and Greece) while its performances diminish by moving towards Northern latitudes (Scandinavia) and over Alps. The results on a global scale will be shown and discussed at the conference session. REFERENCES Brocca, L., Melone, F., Moramarco, T., Wagner, W. (2013). A new method for rainfall estimation through soil moisture observations. Geophysical Research Letters, 40(5), 853-858. Brocca, L., Ciabatta, L., Massari, C., Moramarco, T., Hahn, S., Hasenauer, S., Kidd, R., Dorigo, W., Wagner, W., Levizzani, V. (2014). Soil as a natural rain gauge: estimating global rainfall from satellite soil moisture data. Journal of Geophysical Research, 119(9), 5128-5141. Chen F, Crow WT, Ryu D. (2014) Dual forcing and state correction via soil moisture assimilation for improved rainfall-runoff modeling. J Hydrometeor, 15, 1832-1848. Crow, W.T., van den Berg, M.J., Huffman, G.J., Pellarin, T. (2011). Correcting rainfall using satellite-based surface soil moisture retrievals: the soil moisture analysis rainfall tool (SMART). Water Resour Res, 47, W08521. Dee, D. P.,et al. (2011). The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system. Q. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc., 137, 553-597 Massari, C., Brocca, L., Moramarco, T., Tramblay, Y., Didon Lescot, J.-F. (2014). Potential of soil moisture observations in flood modelling: estimating initial conditions and correcting rainfall. Advances in Water Resources, 74, 44-53.

Validation and uncertainty analysis for monthly and extreme precipitation in the ERA-20C reanalysis based on the WZN in-situ measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rustemeier, Elke; Ziese, Markus; Raykova, Kristin; Meyer-Christoffer, Anja; Schneider, Udo; Finger, Peter; Becker, Andreas

2017-04-01

The proper representation of precipitation, in particular extreme precipitation, in global reanalyses is still challenging. This paper focuses on the potential of the ERA-20C centennial reanalysis to reproduce precipitation events. The global ERA-20C Reanalysis has been developed within the projects ERA-CLIM and its successor ERA-CLIM2 with the aim of a multi-decadal reanalysis of the global climate system. One of the objectives of ERA-CLIM2 is to provide useful information about the uncertainty of the various parameters. Since precipitation is a prognostic variable, it allows for independent validation by in-situ measurements. For this purpose, the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) operated by the DWD has compared the ERA-20C Reanalysis with the GPCC observational products "Full Data Monthly Version 7" (FDM-V7) and "Full Data Daily Version 1" (FDD-V1). ERA-20C is based on the ECMWF prediction model IFS version Cy38r1 with a spatial resolution of approximately 125 km and covers the 111 years from 1900 to 2010. The GPCC FDM-V7 raster data product, on the other hand, includes the global land surface in-situ measurements between 1901 and 2013 (Schneider et al., 2014) and the FDD-V1 raster data product covers daily precipitation from 1988 to 2013 with daily resolution. The most suitable resolution of 1° was used to validate ERA-20C. For the spatial and temporal validation of the ERA-20C Reanalysis, global temporal scores were calculated on monthly, seasonal and annual time scales. These include e.g. monthly contingency table scores, correlation or climate change indices (ETCCDI) for precipitation to determine extreme values and their temporal change (Peterson et al., 2001, Appendix A). Not surprisingly, the regions with the strongest differences are also those with data scarcity, mountain regions with their luv and lee effects or monsoon areas. They all show a strong systematic difference and breaks within the time series. Differences between ERA-20C and FDD-V1 based on ETCCDI diagnoses were detected particularly in regions with large precipitation totals especially in Africa in the ITCZ area and in Indonesia. The overall comparison reveals geo-spatially heterogeneous results with areas of similar precipitation characteristics, but also areas that still remain challenging for the reanalysis' fidelity to represent the FDM-V7 and FDD-F1 based diagnostics. The results serve good guidance where improvements of the future IFS model versions should be most effective. Peterson, T., Folland, C., Gruza, G., Hogg, W., Mokssit, A. and Plummer, N. (2001): Report on the activities of the working group on climate change detection and related rapporteurs. Geneva: World Meteorological Organization. Poli, P., H. Hersbach, D. Tan, D. Dee, J.-N. Thépaut, A. Simmons, C. Peubey, P. Laloy-aux, T. Komori, P. Berrisford, R. Dragani, Y. Trémolet, E. H ´lm, M. Bonavita, L. Isaksen und M. Fisher (2013): The data assimilation system and initial performance evaluation of the ECMWF pilot reanalysis of the 20th-century assimilating surface observations only (ERA-20C), ERA Report Series 14, http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/do/references/show?id=90833) Schneider, Udo, Andreas Becker, Peter Finger, Anja Meyer-Christoffer, Bruno Rudolf und Markus Ziese (2015): GPCC Full Data Reanalysis Version 7.0 at 1.0°: Monthly Land-Surface Precipitation from Rain-Gauges built on GTS-based and Historic Data. DOI: 10.5676/DWD_GPCC/FD_M_V7_100

Applied geochemistry, geology and mineralogy of the northernmost Carlin trend, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Theodore, T.G.; Kotlyar, B.B.; Singer, D.A.; Berger, V.I.; Abbott, E.W.; Foster, A.L.

2003-01-01

Investigations in the northernmost Carlin trend were undertaken to advance understanding of the geochemical signatures and genesis of precious metal deposits in the trend. Two fundamental geologic relationships near the trend significantly affect regional geochemical distributions: a remarkably intact lower Paleozoic stratigraphic sequence of siliceous rocks in the upper plate of the middle Paleozoic Roberts Mountains thrust, and the widespread repetition of rocks high in the upper plate during late Paleozoic thrusting that thickens the cover above mineralized rock in the lower plate. A compilation of previously published chemical analyses of 440 stream sediment samples and 115 rocks from two 7 1/2-minute quadrangles, as well as new chemical analyses of approximately 1,000 drill core samples in a 1,514 m (4,970 ft) hole through the Rodeo Creek deposit were used to construct three-dimensional element distribution models that highlight metal zonation in the mineralized systems. The Rodeo Creek deposit comprises deep Ag base-metal ?? Au-mineralized rock below the Roberts Mountains thrust and contains an unusually high Ag/Au ratio greater than 30. Stacked geochemical halos related to the deposit are confined to the lower plate of the Roberts Mountains thrust and include two horizons of Hg, Cu, and Zn anomalies-as much as 180 m above the deposit-that mostly result from mercurian sphalerite. Extremely subtle indications of mineralization in the upper plate of the Roberts Mountains thrust above the deposit include arsenopyrite overgrowths on small pyrite crystals in 50- to 75-??m-wide clay-carbonate veinlets that lack alteration halos, arsenical rims on small disseminated crystal of recrystallized diagenetic pyrite, and partial replacement of diagenetic pyrite by tennantite. Some of these minerals contain anomalously high Au. However, these As-(Au)-bearing rocks most likely represent another locus of largely untested mineralized rock rather than distal halos related to either the Rodeo Creek or the nearby Dee and Storm gold deposits. Application of micromineralogic techniques helped to identify mineral assemblages that are specific to mineralization and provided an empirical foundation for interpretations of geochemical halos in the Carlin trend. District-scale geochemical patterns of several elements in stream sediments and surface rocks coincide with the northernmost Carlin trend and can be used to explore for Carlin-type deposits. Concentrations of elevated As and Sb in stream sediments (as much as 54 ppm As) have northwest-elongate lobate patterns that clearly outline the trend across a width of approximately 4 km. Arsenic contents of exposed rocks (as much as 90 ppm As) strongly correlate with As contents of derivative stream sediments, and rock contents of Sb show a somewhat lesser but nonetheless strong and similar correspondence. Factor analysis of stream-sediment data shows that those factor scores that are correlated with As, Sb, Au, and Pb also are high along the trend and suggest that mineralized rocks may be present. Although As was not detected by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) studies in heavy mineral concentrates of high-As stream sediments in the Carlin trend, X-ray absorption near-edge spectra (XANES) of selected light fractions of stream sediment samples indicate that Al-bearing phases, such as gibbsite, amorphous Al oxyhydroxides, or aluminosilicate clay minerals host most of the As(V). The best fit, visually and in terms of the lowest residual, was obtained by a model compound of As(V) sorbed to gibbsite. Thus, most As in stream sediments derived from altered rock within the Carlin trend apparently is contained in light fractions. The geochemical character of young, unconsolidated, postmineral deposits that cover mineralized rocks on the Carlin trend partly results from mineralized sources along the trend. Concentration of As in the Miocene Carlin Formation shows an exceptio

Assessment of the uncertainties in air mass and pollutants transboundary exchange over the continental part of the EANET region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gromov, Sergey S.; Trifonova-Yakovleva, Alisa; Gromov, Sergey A.

2017-04-01

In this study, we attempt to quantify the uncertainties in air mass exchange in the lower troposphere across two regions of the Russian border in Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East in 2000-2015. We use meteorological data from long-term air sound data (ASD) on mean layer winds [1] and from the ERA INTERIM re-analysis (EIR) project [2]. Using a transboundary exchange model, we estimate the total and net amounts of air crossing the boundary segments around Irkutsk (IR) and Vladivostok (VL) aerological stations. We compare transport terms derived (i) from the long-term wind statistics based on both ASD and EIR data, and (ii) from integrating 6h meteorological winds from EIR directly over the border segments cells. We find similar wind direction statistics in both meteorological datasets, however EIR favours stronger westerly winds at VL in summer, which results in more often air export from China to Russia in the Far East. There is less agreement on the wind strengths than wind directions between the datasets, with EIR often providing slower wind speeds. The resulting climatic (ASD) and directly (from EIR 6h terms) calculated non-equilibrium (net) transport terms are comparable in orders (tens of million km3/month), however may differ substantially in temporal evolution or/and magnitude. Thus, EIR net transport over the IR segment has similar annual dynamics but is higher by a factor of ˜ 4 (maxima of 3.6 vs. 12 of 106 km3/month in December, respectively). An opposite ratio is derived for the VL segment (average ˜ 6 vs. 13 of 106 km3/month), with a distinct seasonality in the ASD but not in the EIR data. We attribute this discrepancy to the variations in wind direction with altitude, which cannot be resolved in the model fed with the ASD data. Calculated transport in the boundary layer (BL, provided by the EIR) supports this inference. Thus, the BL net transport temporal dynamics differ substantially from that within the 3 km layer, owing to the BL diurnal dynamics that favour non-equilibrium air transport mostly at daytime. The BL transport reaches at most 2\\cdot 106 km3/month in April-May during air export from Russia at the IR segment and re-import from China at the VL, respectively. A non-negligible BL air import from China into Russia occurs also over the IR segment throughout winter (at a 0.7-1.5 of 106 km3/month rate). Using the data from the stations of the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET, www.eanet.asia), we estimate the transboundary pollution fluxes of S- and N-bearing gaseous compounds (SO2, NOx, etc.) and particulate matter (SO4-, ammonia nitrate). The co-occurrence of the high pollutants load and significant non-equilibrium air exchange renders pollutant net transport a rather non-linear problem. We derive the uncertainties associated with different assumptions on plum vertical location (i.e., in the BL-only vs. free troposphere). Finally, we derive the transient record of pollution transport for 2000-2015 for the IR and VL transboundary segments. References: Brukhan, F.F.: Aeroclimatic Characteristics of the Mean Winds over USSR (ed. Ignatjushina E.N.). Gidrometeoizdat, Moscow, 54 p., 1984 (in Russian).Izrael, Yu.A., et al.: Monitoring of the Transboundary Air Pollution Transport. Gidrometeoizdat, Leningrad, 303 p., 187 (in Russian). em Dee, D. P., et al.: The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system, Quart. J. Royal Met. Soc., 137, 553-597, doi: 10.1002/qj.828, 2011.

Carbon-14 Measurements in Atmospheric CO2 from Northern and Southern Hemisphere Sites, 1962-1993 (NDP-057)

DOE Data Explorer

Nydal, Reidar [Radiological Dating Laboratory, The Norwegian Institute of Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Lovseth, Knut [Radiological Dating Laboratory, The Norwegian Institute of Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Boden, Thomas A. [CDIAC, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN (USA); World Data Center A - Atmospheric Trace Gases; Zumbrunn, Virgene [Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

1996-01-01

In the 1960s, thermonuclear bomb tests released significant pulses of radioactive 14C into the atmosphere. This major perturbation allowed scientists to study the dynamics of the global carbon cycle by measuring and observing rates of isotopic exchange. The Radiological Dating Laboratory at the Norwegian Institute of Technology performed 14C measurements in atmospheric CO2 from 1962 to 1993 at a network of ground stations in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. These measurements were supplemented during 1965 with high-altitude (9-12.6 km) air samples collected using aircraft from the Norwegian Air Force. The resulting database, coupled with other 14C data sets, provides a greater understanding of the dynamic carbon reservoir and a crude picture of anomalous sources and sinks at different geographical latitudes. This database is outstanding for its inclusion of early 14C measurements, broad spatial coverage of sampling, consistency of sampling method, and 14C calculation results corrected for isotopic fractionation and radioactive decay. This database replaces previous versions published by the authors and the Radiological Dating Laboratory. Fourteen stations spanning latitudes from Spitsbergen (78° N) to Madagascar (21° S) were used for sampling during the lifetime of the Norwegian program. Some of the stations have data for only a brief period, while others have measurements through 1993. Sampling stations subject to local industrial CO2 contamination were avoided. The sites have sufficient separation to describe the latitudinal distribution of 14C in atmospheric models. The sampling procedure for all the surface (10-2400 m asl) 14C measurements in this database consisted of quantitative absorption of atmospheric CO2 in carbonate-free 0.5 N NaOH solution. The 14C measurements were made in a CO2 proportional counter and calculated (14C) as per mil excess above the normal 14C level defined by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Atmospheric 14C content is finally expressed as 14C, which is the relative deviation of the measured 14C activity from the NIST oxalic acid standard activity, after correction for isotopic fractionation and radioactive decay related to age. The data are organized by sampling station, and each record of the database contains the sampling dates; values for 14C excess (14C) relative to the NIST standard, fractionation 13C (13C) relative to the Pee Dee Belemnite (PDB) standard, and corrected 14C ( 14C) excess; and the standard deviation for 14C. The 14C calculation results presented here are thus corrected for isotopic fractionation and radioactive decay, and constitute the final product of a research effort that has spanned three decades. The 14C station data show a sharp increase in tropospheric radiocarbon levels in the early 1960s and then a decline after the majority of nuclear tests came to an end on August 5, 1963 (Test Ban Treaty). The sharp peaks in tropospheric radiocarbon in the early 1960s are more pronounced in the Northern Hemisphere, reflecting the location of most atomic weapons tests. The measurements show large seasonal variations in the 14C level during the early 1960s mainly as a result of springtime transport of bomb 14C from the stratosphere. During the 1970s, the seasonal variations are smaller and due partly to seasonal variations in CO2 from fossil-fuel emissions. The rate of decrease of atmospheric radiocarbon provides a check on the exchange constants of the atmosphere and ocean. This report and all data it describes are available from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) without charge. The Nydal and Lövseth atmospheric 14C database comprises 21 data files totaling 0.2 megabytes in size. The following report describes the sampling methods and analysis. In addition, the report includes a complete discussion of CDIAC's data-processing efforts, the contents and format of the data files, and a reprint of a Nydal and Lövseth journal article.

Estimation of transboundary SO2 fluxes in Siberia and Russian Far East using EANET and OMI observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trifonova-Yakovleva, Alisa; Gromov, Sergey S.; Gromov, Sergey A.

2017-04-01

Air pollution caused by emissions from industrial and other anthropogenic sources is a long-standing issue for the East Asian region, and will likely remain so in the near future. Being moderately to long-lived, some pollutants survive long-range atmospheric transport and thus are capable of affecting air quality in regions remote to the emission sources. One of problems one may address to quantify this important potential is studying transboundary fluxes of species of interest. Recently the approaches to such problems became more deterministic due to increasingly available data products providing large spatiotemporal coverage, e.g. 3D models and satellite observations. In this study, we quantify the transboundary fluxes of sulphur dioxide (SO2) over the Asian segment of Russian border (shared with Mongolia and China) in 2015. Using the meteorological fields from the ERA INTERIM (EI) re-analysis [1], we calculate the amounts of air transported every 6h in different vertical domains across the border. We reckon that about 5.5•1018 moles of air was transported (net) outwards Russia in the EI-simulated dynamic planetary boundary layer (PBL). We further use the SO2 retrievals products available from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI, [2]) and the EI data to reconstruct the concomitant mixing ratios of SO2 in the PBL. The convolution of these terms allows to quantify the net transport of SO2 within the PBL, which amounts to not less than (180-190)•103 tons transported inwards Russia in 2015. We find that this result is robust (within ±5•103 tons) when less certain data (e.g. at radiative cloud fraction > 0.2) from OMI PBL SO2 product are included. Similar robustness is seen when the SO2 transport is calculated for the periods when only concomitant satellite data is available (around noon, corresponds to about 17% of total net air transport) and when nearest in time SO2 columns are used for the remaining periods (e.g., night time, about 91% of total net air transport, respectively). This implies that the available satellite data covers well the periods of non-equilibrium air transport with elevated SO2 burdens, which to a certain extent is intrinsic to the PBL diurnal dynamics. The largest SO2 PBL import flux into Russia of about 80•103 tons/month is diagnosed in April and is nearly equally shared between the border segments with Chinese North and Russian Far East. The general circulation pattern renders import of SO2 into Russia prevailing throughout April-June and September-October, whilst smaller export fluxes of up to 20•103 tons/month are reckoned for February and November, respectively. Owing to the more scarcely available OMI data (corresponding to <5% of total net air transport), SO2 transport in January and December is poorly quantifiable. At last, we verify the reconstructed PBL mixing ratios from OMI and EI data against the SO2 observations available at selected background monitoring stations of the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET, http://www.eanet.asia/). Taking into account the substantial uncertainties (noise levels) inherited from the OMI-derived data, we ascertain that realistic distributions (viz. medians and interquartile ranges) were used for the calculations in this study. Overall, we conclude that similar analysis may be employed for other species of interest (e.g. ozone or ammonia), and the first attempt was already done [3]. Conjoint use of the EI, OMI and EANET data allows analysing transboundary fluxes of SO2 for the period extending beyond past decade. 0.1 References 1. Dee, D. P., et al.: The ERA-Interim reanalysis: configuration and performance of the data assimilation system, Quart. J. Royal Met. Soc., 137, 553597, doi: 10.1002/qj.828, 2011. 2. Krotkov, N. A., et al.: Aura OMI observations of regional SO2 and NO2 pollution changes from 2005 to 2015, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 4605-4629, doi: 10.5194/acp-16-4605-2016, 2016. 3. Gromov, S. A., et al.: Evaluation of tropospheric ozone concentrations over EANET station areas based on remote sensing GOME2 high-resolution ozone profile datasets, EANET Science Bulletin, v.4 (October 2016), ISSN 1883-3608.

Comparing Apples to Apples: Paleoclimate Model-Data comparison via Proxy System Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dee, Sylvia; Emile-Geay, Julien; Evans, Michael; Noone, David

2014-05-01

The wealth of paleodata spanning the last millennium (hereinafter LM) provides an invaluable testbed for CMIP5-class GCMs. However, comparing GCM output to paleodata is non-trivial. High-resolution paleoclimate proxies generally contain a multivariate and non-linear response to regional climate forcing. Disentangling the multivariate environmental influences on proxies like corals, speleothems, and trees can be complex due to spatiotemporal climate variability, non-stationarity, and threshold dependence. Given these and other complications, many paleodata-GCM comparisons take a leap of faith, relating climate fields (e.g. precipitation, temperature) to geochemical signals in proxy data (e.g. δ18O in coral aragonite or ice cores) (e.g. Braconnot et al., 2012). Isotope-enabled GCMs are a step in the right direction, with water isotopes providing a connector point between GCMs and paleodata. However, such studies are still rare, and isotope fields are not archived as part of LM PMIP3 simulations. More importantly, much of the complexity in how proxy systems record and transduce environmental signals remains unaccounted for. In this study we use proxy system models (PSMs, Evans et al., 2013) to bridge this conceptual gap. A PSM mathematically encodes the mechanistic understanding of the physical, geochemical and, sometimes biological influences on each proxy. To translate GCM output to proxy space, we have synthesized a comprehensive, consistently formatted package of published PSMs, including δ18O in corals, tree ring cellulose, speleothems, and ice cores. Each PSM is comprised of three sub-models: sensor, archive, and observation. For the first time, these different components are coupled together for four major proxy types, allowing uncertainties due to both dating and signal interpretation to be treated within a self-consistent framework. The output of this process is an ensemble of many (say N = 1,000) realizations of the proxy network, all equally plausible under assumed dating uncertainties. We demonstrate the utility of the PSM framework with an integrative multi-PSM simulation. An intermediate-complexity AGCM with isotope physics (SPEEDY-IER, (Molteni, 2003, Dee et al., in prep)) is used to simulate the isotope hydrology and atmospheric response to SSTs derived from the LM PMIP3 integration of the CCSM4 model (Landrum et al., 2012). Relevant dynamical and isotope variables are then used to drive PSMs, emulating a realistic multiproxy network (Emile-Geay et al., 2013). We then ask the following question: given our best knowledge of proxy systems, what aspects of GCM behavior may be validated, and with what uncertainties? We approach this question via a three-tiered 'perfect model' study. A random realization of the simulated proxy data (hereafter 'PaleoObs') is used as a benchmark in the following comparisons: (1) AGCM output (without isotopes) vs. PaleoObs; (2) AGCM output (with isotopes) vs. PaleoObs; (3) coupled AGCM-PSM-simulated proxy ensemble vs. PaleoObs. Enhancing model-data comparison using PSMs highlights uncertainties that may arise from ignoring non-linearities in proxy-climate relationships, or the presence of age uncertainties (as is most typically done is paleoclimate model-data intercomparison). Companion experiments leveraging the 3 sub-model compartmentalization of PSMs allows us to quantify the contribution of each sub-system to the observed model-data discrepancies. We discuss potential repercussions for model-data comparison and implications for validating predictive climate models using paleodata. References Braconnot, P., Harrison, S. P., Kageyama, M., Bartlein, P. J., Masson-Delmotte, V., Abe-Ouchi, A., Otto-Bliesner, B., Zhao, Y., 06 2012. Evaluation of climate models using palaeoclimatic data. Nature Clim. Change 2 (6), 417-424. URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1456 Emile-Geay, J., Cobb, K. M., Mann, M. E., Wittenberg, A. T., Apr 01 2013. Estimating central equatorial pacific sst variability over the past millennium. part i: Methodology and validation. Journal of Climate 26 (7), 2302-2328. URL http://search.proquest.com/docview/1350277733?accountid=14749 Evans, M., Tolwinski-Ward, S. E., Thompson, D. M., Anchukaitis, K. J., 2013. Applications of proxy system modeling in high resolution paleoclimatology. Quaternary Science Reviews. URL http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012QuInt.279U.134E Landrum, L., Otto-Bliesner, B. L., Wahl, E. R., Capotondi, A., Lawrence, P. J., Teng, H., 2012. Last Millennium Climate and Its Variability in CCSM4. Journal of Climate (submitted) Molteni, F., 2003. Atmospheric simulations using a GCM with simplified physical parametrizations. I model climatology and variability in multi-decadal experiments. Climate Dynamics, 175-191

Simulation of salinity intrusion along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts using climate-change scenarios

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conrads, Paul; Roehl, Edwin A.; Daamen, Ruby C.; Cook, John B.

2013-01-01

Potential changes in climate could alter interactions between environmental and societal systems and adversely affect the availability of water resources in many coastal communities. Changes in streamflow patterns in conjunction with sea-level rise may change the salinity-intrusion dynamics of coastal rivers. Several municipal water-supply intakes are located along the Georgia and South Carolina coast that are proximal to the present day saltwater-freshwater interface of tidal rivers. Increases in the extent of salinity intrusion resulting from climate change could threaten the availability of freshwater supplies in the vicinity of these intakes. To effectively manage these supplies, water-resource managers need estimates of potential changes in the frequency, duration, and magnitude of salinity intrusion near their water-supply intakes that may occur as a result of climate change. This study examines potential effects of climate change, including altered streamflow and sea-level rise, on the dynamics of saltwater intrusion near municipal water-supply intakes in two coastal areas. One area consists of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIW) and the Waccamaw River near Myrtle Beach along the Grand Strand of the South Carolina Coast, and the second area is on or near the lower Savannah River near Savannah, Georgia. The study evaluated how future sea-level rise and a reduction in streamflows can potentially affect salinity intrusion and threaten municipal water supplies and the biodiversity of freshwater tidal marshes in these two areas. Salinity intrusion occurs as a result of the interaction between three principal forces—streamflow, mean coastal water levels, and tidal range. To analyze and simulate salinity dynamics at critical coastal gaging stations near four municipal water-supply intakes, various data-mining techniques, including artificial neural network (ANN) models, were used to evaluate hourly streamflow, salinity, and coastal water-level data collected over a period exceeding 10 years. The ANN models were trained (calibrated) to learn the specific interactions that cause salinity intrusions, and resulting models were able to accurately simulate historical salinity dynamics in both study areas. Changes in sea level and streamflow quantity and timing can be simulated by the salinity intrusion models to evaluate various climate-change scenarios. The salinity intrusion models for the study areas are deployed in a decision support system to facilitate the use of the models for management decisions by coastal water-resource managers. The report describes the use of the salinity-intrusion models decision support system to evaluate salinity-intrusion dynamics for various climate-change scenarios, including incremental increases in sea level in combination with incremental decreases in streamflow. Operation of municipal water-treatment plants is problematic when the specific-conductance values for source water are greater than 1,000 to 2,000 microsiemens per centimeter (µS/cm). High specific-conductance values contribute to taste problems that require treatment. Data from a gage downstream from a municipal water intake indicate specific conductance exceeded 1,000 µS/cm about 5.4 percent of the time over the 14-year period from August 1995 to August 2008. Simulations of specific conductance at this gaging station that incorporates sea-level rises resulted in a doubling of the exceedances to 11.0 percent for a 1-foot increase and 17.6 percent for a 2-foot increase. The frequency of intrusion of water with specific conductance values of 1,000 µS/cm was less sensitive to incremental reductions in streamflow than to incremental increases in sea level. Simulations of conditions associated with a 10-percent reduction in streamflow, in combination with a 1-foot rise in sea level, increased the percentage of time specific conductance exceeded 1,000 µS/cm at this site from 11.0 to 13.3 percent, and a 20-percent reduction in streamflow increased the percentage of time to 16.6 percent. Precipitation and temperature data from a global circulation model were used, after scale adjustments, as input to a watershed model of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River basin, which flows into the Waccamaw River and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway study area in South Carolina. The simulated streamflow for historical conditions and projected climate change in the future was used as input for the ANN model in decision support system. Results of simulations incorporating climate-change projections for alterations in streamflow indicate an increase in the frequency of salinity-intrusion events and a shift in the seasonal occurrence of the intrusion events from the summer to the fall.

Editorial: A dedication to Professor Jan Evetts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Harald; Dew-Hughes, David; Campbell, Archie; Barber, Zoe; Somekh, Rob; Glowacki, Bartek

2006-03-01

A few days before the beginning of the 7th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity we learned that Professor Jan Evetts, a pioneer of superconductor research, a brilliant scientist, a wonderful person and a great personal friend, had passed away. We therefore decided to dedicate the 7th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity to the memory of Jan Evetts. The following citation is based on material provided by his former supervisor (D Dew-Hughes) and his closest co-workers in Cambridge. Professor Jan Edgar Evetts (1939-2005) Professor Jan Edgar Evetts (1939-2005) Jan Evetts passed away after losing his second battle with cancer on 24th August 2005. He made an outstanding series of contributions to the science of superconductivity and to the understanding of superconducting materials and was an indefatigable champion of the development of applications of superconductivity. The loss to the superconductivity community is incalculable, as attested by the many communications received from colleagues throughout the world. Jan was born on 31 March 1939, and attended the Dragon School in Oxford, and later Haileybury. He was awarded an exhibition to read Natural Sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge. He entered the college in 1958 and took his BA degree in 1961. He then undertook a Certificate of Postgraduate Study in Physics under the supervision of Professor Neville Mott. He was the first student to undertake this newly-instituted course; the title of his thesis was `The Resistance of Transition Metals'. In 1962 he joined David Dew-Hughes' superconducting materials research group, along with Archie Campbell and Anant Narlikar. In fact it was Jan's enthusiasm for the proposed course of research that helped convince David that he should follow Professor Alan Cottrell's suggestion to apply metallurgical methodology to the study of the factors that controlled critical current density in the type II superconductors that were then under development for applications in magnets. Competing theories for the critical current density at that time were fine filaments or `Mendelssohn Sponge' versus the pinning of Abrikosov quantized vortices. The results of the group's work, to which Jan made a major contribution, came down heavily in favour of the latter theory. Jan's outstanding characteristic was his meticulous and painstaking approach to every piece of work that he tackled. His attention to detail, and his ability to design elegant experiments, was unique. He was awarded a PhD for his thesis `The Magnetisation of Superconducting Lead Alloys'. The work on flux pinning culminated in the publication of `Critical Currents in Superconductors', a research monograph (co-authored with Archie Campbell) that rapidly became the standard reference work in the field. It has recently been reprinted in the Advances in Physics `Classic Articles' series as the 9th most cited article in the journal's history (2001 Adv. Phys. 50 1249-449). Jan was appointed to a research fellowship at Pembroke College and to a Science Research Council Research Fellowship in the Department of Metallurgy in 1965. After David Dew-Hughes left Cambridge, Jan inherited the superconducting materials research group and was appointed University Demonstrator in Metallurgy and a full Fellow in Pembroke College in 1966. He progressed steadily through the various levels of academic rank, finally being appointed Professor of Device Materials in 1998. Under his direction his research group grew until it comprised some 40 people, and expanded its research interests to thin films and magnetic materials. Jan's work on superconductivity was always paralleled by research on magnetic materials; the cross fertilization between disciplines has been very fruitful and led to him editing Pergamon's `Concise Encyclopedia of Magnetic and Superconducting Materials' in 1992. This work has been a major success with a world-wide readership. To give a more personal picture of Jan and his achievements one can do no better than to quote in full the eulogy delivered by Professor Archie Campbell at Jan's funeral service. `In 1962 I was given a studentship in the Metallurgy Department to work for a PhD under David Dew-Hughes on the subject of superconductivity, and told another student would be someone called `Jan Evetts'. I little realised this would be the start of not only a scientific collaboration but also a personal friendship which would last until now, 43 years later. It quickly became clear that Evetts was not a singular noun but came with a whole family, Hilda and her six children who worked together as a very successful team. While Jan was a research student the family built a complete new block at the Mill House and rewired the whole place. As a result I was given the confidence and expertise to take on major DIY projects which I would never have done without Jan's help. In the lab his sister Sara helped us put up one inch copper piping with soldered Yorkshire fittings and his brother Dee is responsible for large amounts of woodwork in our house. However, there will be many who can testify to the success of the Evetts family, as a family. What I want to do is make clear what a wonderful scientist he was, and after his family, his priority was his scientific work. This was an astonishing combination of administrative skill, long term planning, manipulation of the University system and high quality research at the top international level. Five of his group obtained permanent positions in the Metallurgy Department, a unique achievement in my experience. He built up the largest superconductivity group in the UK, expanded to other areas, and there are many scientists all over the world, as well as many in Cambridge, who owe their careers to Jan. I have had messages from most of the top scientists in the field in many countries saying how much he achieved and how much he will be missed. However, what I am sure he would wish to be remembered for is the high quality of the research in which he was involved. In spite of the heavy administrative responsibilities of his group he was always most happy when discussing the details of new research. The papers which came from his group did not include his name because he was the leader. He was included because in most cases the original ideas and much of the detail came from Jan. So far as I am aware he made no enemies, which is unusual for someone at the top of his profession, and was respected by all. I would like to give a few details to show the range of his work. The paper I think is the most fundamental was his first in which he showed how Maxwell's equations should be adapted to describe magnetic fields in superconductors. This prompted a reply from Brian Josephson, the Nobel Prize winner, enclosing a paper of his on a similar topic, but I think Jan's treatment is more elegant. Maxwell's equations are the most fundamental equations in physics but until this work nobody had explained why they work in superconductors. Later his work became more materials-based and expanded into areas beyond superconductivity, such as magnetism. His group built up an enormous expertise in the production of thin films which allowed them to do very elegant experiments as well as develop important practical technologies. With the largest and most active superconductivity group in the UK it was largely due to Jan that when high Tc superconductors were discovered the UK's main centre for research into them was awarded to Cambridge. This created considerable problems for Jan as he was bringing in so much grant money that when he became part of the IRC his funding was actually reduced. He nevertheless has always been very supportive of the IRC and I have relied heavily on his advice and wisdom over the last eight years. One of his favourite topics from his thesis was force free configurations of flux lines and their breakdown as vortices cross each other. He was very pleased to be awarded an EPSRC grant a few months ago to return to this work with Mark Blamire and was obviously looking forward to doing some fundamental research. It would be a fitting memorial if this work produces the answer to a forty-year-old problem. He leaves a great gap and it is not only his family who will miss him terribly.'