Sharpest Ever VLT Images at NAOS-CONICA "First Light"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2001-12-01

Very Promising Start-Up of New Adaptive Optics Instrument at Paranal Summary A team of astronomers and engineers from French and German research institutes and ESO at the Paranal Observatory is celebrating the successful accomplishment of "First Light" for the NAOS-CONICA Adaptive Optics facility . With this event, another important milestone for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) project has been passed. Normally, the achievable image sharpness of a ground-based telescope is limited by the effect of atmospheric turbulence. However, with the Adaptive Optics (AO) technique, this drawback can be overcome and the telescope produces images that are at the theoretical limit, i.e., as sharp as if it were in space . Adaptive Optics works by means of a computer-controlled, flexible mirror that counteracts the image distortion induced by atmospheric turbulence in real time. The larger the main mirror of the telescope is, and the shorter the wavelength of the observed light, the sharper will be the images recorded. During a preceding four-week period of hard and concentrated work, the expert team assembled and installed this major astronomical instrument at the 8.2-m VLT YEPUN Unit Telescope (UT4). On November 25, 2001, following careful adjustments of this complex apparatus, a steady stream of photons from a southern star bounced off the computer-controlled deformable mirror inside NAOS and proceeded to form in CONICA the sharpest image produced so far by one of the VLT telescopes. With a core angular diameter of only 0.07 arcsec, this image is near the theoretical limit possible for a telescope of this size and at the infrared wavelength used for this demonstration (the K-band at 2.2 µm). Subsequent tests reached the spectacular performance of 0.04 arcsec in the J-band (wavelength 1.2 µm). "I am proud of this impressive achievement", says ESO Director General Catherine Cesarsky. "It shows the true potential of European science and technology and it provides a fine

Internal Climatic Influences From Secular To Multi-decadal Scales: Comparison Of NAO Reconstructions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolle, M.; Debret, M.; Massei, N.; de Vernal, A.

2017-12-01

In the Northern Hemisphere, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the major dominant mode of variability in winter atmospheric circulation, with large impacts on temperature, precipitation and storm tracks in the North Atlantic sector. To understand the role of this internal climatic oscillations on the past climate variability, several proxy-based reconstructions of the NAO were published during the last decades. Two of them are available during the past 1,200 years: a first NAO reconstruction published by Trouet et al. (2009) and a second proposed by Ortega et al. (2015). The major discrepancy between the two reconstructions concerns the transition period between the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and the Little Ice Age. The first NAO reconstruction shows persistent positive phases during the MCA (AD 1000-1300) but this dominant trend is not highlighted in the reconstruction proposed by Ortega et al. (2015), asking the question of the influence of predictors used to reconstruct the NAO signal during the last millennia. In these study, we compare the two NAO reconstructions in order to determine the effect of bi-proxy or multi-proxy approach on the signal reconstructed. Using statistical and wavelet analysis methods, we conclude that the number of predictors used do not have impact on the signal reconstruct. The two reconstructions signals are characterized by similar variabilities expressed from multi-decadal to multi-secular scales. The major trend difference seems to be link to the type of the predictor and particularly the use of Greenland ice cores in the reconstruction proposed in 2015.

The effect of the East Atlantic pattern on the precipitation δ18O-NAO relationship in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comas-Bru, L.; McDermott, F.; Werner, M.

2016-10-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is known to influence precipitation δ18O (δ18Op) through its control on air temperature and on the trajectory of the westerly winds that carry moisture onto Europe during boreal winters. Hence, paleoclimate studies seeking to reconstruct the NAO can exploit the δ18O signal that is commonly preserved in natural archives such as stalagmites, ice cores, tree rings and lake sediments. However, such reconstructions should consider the uncertainties that arise from non-stationarities in the δ18Op-NAO relationship. Here, new insights into the causes of these temporal non-stationarities are presented for the European region using both observations (GNIP database) and the output of an isotope-enabled general circulation model (ECHAM5-wiso). The results show that, although the East Atlantic (EA) pattern is generally uncorrelated to δ18Op during the instrumental period, its polarity affects the δ18Op-NAO relationship. Non-stationarities in this relationship result from spatial shifts of the δ18Op-NAO correlated areas as a consequence of different NAO/EA combinations. These shifts are consistent with those reported previously for NAO-winter climate variables and the resulting non-stationarities mean that δ18O-based NAO reconstructions could be compromised if the balance of positive and negative NAO/EA states differs substantially in a calibration period compared with the period of interest in the past. The same approach has been followed to assess the relationships between δ18Op and both winter total precipitation and winter mean surface air temperature, with similar results. Crucially, this study also identifies regions within Europe where temporal changes in the NAO, air temperature and precipitation can be more robustly reconstructed using δ18O time series from natural archives, irrespective of concomitant changes in the EA.

Novel synthesis approach for stable sodium superoxide (NaO2) nanoparticles for LPG sensing application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemade, Kailash; Waghuley, Sandeep

2017-05-01

The synthesis of stable superoxide is still great challenge for the researchers working in the field of materials science. Through this letter, we report the novel and simple synthesis approach for the preparation of stable sodium superoxide (NaO2) nanoparticles. NaO2 nanoparticles were prepared by a spray pyrolysis technique, under oxygen rich environment for gas sensing application. The texture characterizations show that as-obtained NaO2 nanoparticles have high structural purity. Most importantly, NaO2 nanoparticles exhibits higher sensing response, shorter response time and recovery time, low operating temperature and good stability during sensing of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The main accomplishment of present work is that as-fabricated sensor has low operating temperature (423 K), which is below auto-ignition temperature of LPG. The gas sensing mechanism of NaO2 nanoparticles was discussed without the conventional oxygen bridging mechanism. Through this short communication, LPG sensing application of stable sodium superoxide nanoparticle is explored.

European land CO2 sink influenced by NAO and East-Atlantic Pattern coupling.

PubMed

Bastos, Ana; Janssens, Ivan A; Gouveia, Célia M; Trigo, Ricardo M; Ciais, Philippe; Chevallier, Frédéric; Peñuelas, Josep; Rödenbeck, Christian; Piao, Shilong; Friedlingstein, Pierre; Running, Steven W

2016-01-18

Large-scale climate patterns control variability in the global carbon sink. In Europe, the North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influences vegetation activity, however the East-Atlantic (EA) pattern is known to modulate NAO strength and location. Using observation-driven and modelled data sets, we show that multi-annual variability patterns of European Net Biome Productivity (NBP) are linked to anomalies in heat and water transport controlled by the NAO-EA interplay. Enhanced NBP occurs when NAO and EA are both in negative phase, associated with cool summers with wet soils which enhance photosynthesis. During anti-phase periods, NBP is reduced through distinct impacts of climate anomalies in photosynthesis and respiration. The predominance of anti-phase years in the early 2000s may explain the European-wide reduction of carbon uptake during this period, reported in previous studies. Results show that improving the capability of simulating atmospheric circulation patterns may better constrain regional carbon sink variability in coupled carbon-climate models.

Norwegian fjord sediments reveal NAO related winter temperature and precipitation changes of the past 2800 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faust, Johan C.; Fabian, Karl; Milzer, Gesa; Giraudeau, Jacques; Knies, Jochen

2016-02-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the leading mode of atmospheric circulation variability in the North Atlantic region. Associated shifts of storm tracks, precipitation and temperature patterns affect energy supply and demand, fisheries and agricultural, as well as marine and terrestrial ecological dynamics. Long-term NAO records are crucial to better understand its response to climate forcing factors, and assess predictability and shifts associated with ongoing climate change. A recent study of instrumental time series revealed NAO as main factor for a strong relation between winter temperature, precipitation and river discharge in central Norway over the past 50 years. Here we compare geochemical measurements with instrumental data and show that primary productivity recorded in central Norwegian fjord sediments is sensitive to NAO variability. This observation is used to calibrate paleoproductivity changes to a 500-year reconstruction of winter NAO (Luterbacher et al., 2001). Conditioned on a stationary relation between our climate proxy and the NAO we establish a first high resolution NAO proxy record (NAOTFJ) from marine sediments covering the past 2800 years. The NAOTFJ shows distinct co-variability with climate changes over Greenland, solar activity and Northern Hemisphere glacier dynamics as well as climatically associated paleo-demographic trends. The here presented climate record shows that fjord sediments provide crucial information for an improved understanding of the linkages between atmospheric circulation, solar and oceanic forcing factors.

Beyond the NAO: Dynamics and Precipitation Implications of the Azores High Since AD 800

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thatcher, D.; Wanamaker, A. D.; Denniston, R. F.; Asmerom, Y.; Ummenhofer, C.; Polyak, V. J.; Haws, J.; Gillikin, D. P.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic region during the last millennium, particularly the state of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a system closely tied to regional precipitation dynamics, remains the subject of considerable debate in both proxy- and model-based studies. It has been suggested that the winter NAO was in a persistently positive state during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; AD 850-1250), resulting in increased precipitation across much of northern Europe and decreased rainfall across Iberia. However, besides changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation dynamics that could be associated with an altered mean state of the NAO, relatively little attention has been given to atmospheric dynamics, namely the intensity and location, of the subtropical high system (Azores High, the southern node of the NAO) in driving hydroclimate in Iberia. Presented here is a continuous, precisely dated, and sub-decadally-resolved stalagmite isotopic and elemental time series from Buraca Gloriosa (BG) cave, western Portugal, situated within the center of the Azores High at the southern node of the NAO, which preserves evidence of regional hydroclimate from approximately AD 800 to the present. Stalagmite oxygen and carbon isotopic values and magnesium/calcium ratios primarily reflect effective moisture and reveal generally dry conditions during the MCA with a rapid shift to wetter conditions during the Little Ice Age (LIA; AD 1250-1850) at this location. Our proxy data reveal that substantial short-term hydroclimate variability characterized the last 1200 years. They support the hypothesis that while an intensified, semi-persistent subtropical high (and likely positive NAO state) characterized much of the MCA, the NAO remained variable over this time period. Climate model results also suggest that the Azores High pressure system both migrated southward and weakened from the MCA into the LIA.

Dependence of winter precipitation over Portugal on NAO and baroclinic wave activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulbrich, U.; Christoph, M.; Pinto, J. G.; Corte-Real, J.

1999-03-01

The relationship between winter (DJF) rainfall over Portugal and the variable large scale circulation is addressed. It is shown that the poles of the sea level pressure (SLP) field variability associated with rainfall variability are shifted about 15° northward with respect to those used in standard definitions of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). It is suggested that the influence of NAO on rainfall dominantly arises from the associated advection of humidity from the Atlantic Ocean. Rainfall is also related to different aspects of baroclinic wave activity, the variability of the latter quantity in turn being largely dependent on the NAO.A negative NAO index (leading to increased westerly surface geostrophic winds into Portugal) is associated with an increased number of deep (ps<980 hPa) surface lows over the central North Atlantic and of intermediate (980NAO is the mid-tropospheric storm track (defined by the 500 hPa bandpass-filtered geopotential height variance). A possible local influence of the storm track due to vertical motions ahead of the upper air troughs cannot be unambiguously separated from the effect of advection. A separate influence of local surface cyclones over the Iberian peninsula which may, for instance, arise from the large scale ascent of air, is revealed by the statistics: for a given advection, rainfall amounts for months with local cyclone cores over the considered region tend to exceed those without.

Strain identification and quorum sensing inhibition characterization of marine-derived Rhizobium sp. NAO1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Hong; Zhou, Jin; Zhu, Xiaoshan; Yu, Shenchen; Chen, Lu; Jin, Hui; Cai, Zhonghua

2017-03-01

A novel strategy for combating pathogens is through the ongoing development and use of anti-quorum sensing (QS) treatments such as therapeutic bacteria or their anti-QS substances. Relatively little is known about the bacteria that inhabit the open ocean and of their potential anti-pathogenic attributes; thus, in an initiative to identify these types of therapeutic bacteria, planktonic microbes from the North Atlantic Ocean were collected, isolated, cultured and screened for anti-QS activity. Screening analysis identified one such strain, Rhizobium sp. NAO1. Extracts of Rhizobium sp. NAO1 were identified via ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) analysis. They were shown to contain N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-based QS analogues (in particular, the N-butyryl homoserine lactone (C4-AHL) analogue) and could disrupt biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. QS inhibition was confirmed using confocal scanning laser microscopy and growth curves, and it was shown to occur in a dose-dependent manner without affecting bacterial growth. Secondary metabolites of Rhizobium sp. NAO1 inhibited PAO1 pathogenicity by downregulating AHL-mediated virulence factors such as elastase activity and siderophore production. Furthermore, as a result of biofilm structure damage, the secondary metabolite products of Rhizobium sp. NAO1 significantly increased the sensitivity of PAO1 to aminoglycoside antibiotics. Our results demonstrated that Rhizobium sp. strain NAO1 has the ability to disrupt P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm architecture, in addition to attenuating P. aeruginosa PAO1 virulence factor production and pathogenicity. Therefore, the newly identified ocean-derived Rhizobium sp. NAO1 has the potential to serve as a QS inhibitor and may be a new microbial resource for drug development.

Lagged correlations between the NAO and the 11-year solar cycle: forced response or internal variability?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oehrlein, J.; Chiodo, G.; Polvani, L. M.; Smith, A. K.

2017-12-01

Recently, the North Atlantic Oscillation has been suggested to respond to the 11-year solar cycle with a lag of a few years. The solar/NAO relationship provides a potential pathway for solar activity to modulate surface climate. However, a short observational record paired with the strong internal variability of the NAO raises questions about the robustness of the claimed solar/NAO relationship. For the first time, we investigate the robustness of the solar/NAO signal in four different reanalysis data sets and long integrations from an ocean-coupled chemistry-climate model forced with the 11-year solar cycle. The signal appears to be robust in the different reanalysis datasets. We also show, for the first time, that many features of the observed signal, such as amplitude, spatial pattern, and lag of 2/3 years, can be accurately reproduced in our model simulations. However, in both the reanalysis and model simulations, we find that this signal is non-stationary. A lagged NAO/solar signal can also be reproduced in two sets of model integrations without the 11-year solar cycle. This suggests that the correlation found in observational data could be the result of internal decadal variability in the NAO and not a response to the solar cycle. This has wide implications towards the interpretation of solar signals in observational data.

Evidence of long-term NAO influence on East-Central Europe winter precipitation from a guano-derived δ15N record.

PubMed

Cleary, Daniel M; Wynn, Jonathan G; Ionita, Monica; Forray, Ferenc L; Onac, Bogdan P

2017-10-26

Currently there is a scarcity of paleo-records related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), particularly in East-Central Europe (ECE). Here we report δ 15 N analysis of guano from a cave in NW Romania with the intent of reconstructing past variation in ECE hydroclimate and examine NAO impacts on winter precipitation. We argue that the δ 15 N values of guano indicate that the nitrogen cycle is hydrologically controlled and the δ 15 N values likely reflect winter precipitation related to nitrogen mineralization prior to the growing season. Drier conditions indicated by δ 15 N values at AD 1848-1852 and AD 1880-1930 correspond to the positive phase of the NAO. The increased frequency of negative phases of the NAO between AD 1940-1975 is contemporaneous with higher δ 15 N values (wetter conditions). A 4‰ decrease in δ 15 N values at the end of the 1970's corresponds to a strong reduction in precipitation associated with a shift from negative to positive phase of the NAO. Using the relationship between NAO index and δ 15 N values in guano for the instrumental period, we reconstructed NAO-like phases back to AD 1650. Our results advocate that δ 15 N values of guano offer a proxy of the NAO conditions in the more distant past, helping assess its predictability.

Characterization of Bacillus subtilis strains in Thua nao, a traditional fermented soybean food in northern Thailand.

PubMed

Inatsu, Y; Nakamura, N; Yuriko, Y; Fushimi, T; Watanasiritum, L; Kawamoto, S

2006-09-01

To clarify the diversity of Bacillus subtilis strains in Thua nao that produce high concentrations of products useful in food manufacturing and in health-promoting compounds. Production of amylase, protease, subtilisin NAT (nattokinase), and gamma-polyglutamic acid (PGA) by the Bacillus subtilis strains in Thua nao was measured. Productivity of protease NAT by these strains tended to be higher than by Japanese commercial natto-producing strains. Molecular diversity of isolated strains was analysed via randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR fingerprinting. The strains were divided into 19 types, including a type with the same pattern as a Japanese natto-producing strain. B. subtilis strains that could be a resource for effective production of protease, amylase, subtilisin NAT, or PGA were evident in Thua nao produced in various regions in northern Thailand. This study clearly demonstrated the value of Thua nao as a potential resource of food-processing enzymes and health-promoting compounds.

The lagged connection of the positive NAO with the MJO phase 3 in a simplified atmospheric model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Xiaolu; Song, Jie; Li, Shuanglin

2018-03-01

Based on a simplified nonlinear model and reanalysis data, the lagged connection of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) with the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in boreal winters is investigated. The positive NAO is observed to occur more frequently about 8-20 days after the onset of the MJO phase 3. A series of heating forcing experiments and initial-value experiments are conducted by utilizing the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) dynamical core atmospheric model. The extratropical responses to the tropical heating associated with the MJO phase 3 are characterized by a wave train over the Pacific-North American region with an anticyclone anomaly over the northeastern Pacific and then followed by a positive-NAO-like pattern over the North Atlantic sector. These circulation anomalies generally match the observed lagged-connection well. At the earlier stage, the Rossby wave train excited by the MJO convection propagates into the North Atlantic, leading to a planetary wave anomaly with a low-over-high dipole prior to the positive NAO. At the later stage, the anomalous synoptic eddy vorticity forcing (EVF) streamfunction tendency has a negative-over-positive dipole, which plays a key role in the development of the positive NAO. Further analysis of the initial-value experiments indicates that, for the subsequent formation of the positive NAO, the anomalous circulation over the Indian Ocean aroused by the MJO phase 3 is more crucial than that over the northeastern Pacific.

European land CO2 sink influenced by NAO and East-Atlantic Pattern coupling

PubMed Central

Bastos, Ana; Janssens, Ivan A.; Gouveia, Célia M.; Trigo, Ricardo M.; Ciais, Philippe; Chevallier, Frédéric; Peñuelas, Josep; Rödenbeck, Christian; Piao, Shilong; Friedlingstein, Pierre; Running, Steven W.

2016-01-01

Large-scale climate patterns control variability in the global carbon sink. In Europe, the North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influences vegetation activity, however the East-Atlantic (EA) pattern is known to modulate NAO strength and location. Using observation-driven and modelled data sets, we show that multi-annual variability patterns of European Net Biome Productivity (NBP) are linked to anomalies in heat and water transport controlled by the NAO–EA interplay. Enhanced NBP occurs when NAO and EA are both in negative phase, associated with cool summers with wet soils which enhance photosynthesis. During anti-phase periods, NBP is reduced through distinct impacts of climate anomalies in photosynthesis and respiration. The predominance of anti-phase years in the early 2000s may explain the European-wide reduction of carbon uptake during this period, reported in previous studies. Results show that improving the capability of simulating atmospheric circulation patterns may better constrain regional carbon sink variability in coupled carbon-climate models. PMID:26777730

Tropical Pacific forcing on decadal-to-centennial NAO-dominated precipitation variability in northern Mediterranean over the past 6500 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, H. M.; Shen, C. C.; Michel, V.; Jiang, X.; Mii, H. S.; Wang, Y.; Valensi, P.

2017-12-01

We present a multi-annual-resolved absolute-dated stalagmite-inferred precipitation record, with age precision as good as ±2 years, from northern Italy, to reflect North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) dynamics since 6.5 ka (thousand years ago, before 1950 C.E.). Our record features millennial precipitation fluctuations punctuated by several centennial-scale drought periods centered at 5.6, 6.2, 4.2, 3.0 and 2.3 ka. The phase relationship with previous NAO-sensitive records suggests a multi-millennial southward migration of the northern Westerlies and enhanced NAO variability from the middle- to late-Holocene. We also found the multi-decadal to centennial rainfall amount could dramatically vary within few decades, possibly affecting ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Concurrence between northern Mediterranean precipitation and western tropical Pacific sea surface temperature records suggests the remote forcing on this NAO-dominated rainfall. We argue that the irregular NAO change nowadays could be related to high frequency of El Niño-Southern Oscillation events and might cause an inevitable abrupt hydroclimate change and irreparable impacts on the regional human society in the near future.

Understanding the NAO from Iberian and UK paleoclimate records. The NAOSIPUK project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Alix, Antonio; Toney, Jaime L.; Jiménez-Moreno, Gonzalo; Slaymark, Charlotte; José Ramos-Román, Maria; Camuera, Jon; Jiménez-Espejo, Francisco J.; Anderson, R. Scott

2017-04-01

The main goal of the NAOSIPUK project was to understand the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the Holocene, because the NAO is one major climate mode influencing climate patterns across Europe, and therefore, economy and society (Hurrell, 1995). We analysed several sedimentary records in two regions with opposing NAO responses. Our sedimentary surface survey from numerous lakes and bogs, led to further investigation of four records in the southern Iberian Peninsula and three in the central/northern UK. Past environments of the different sites were analysed using pollen and charcoal analysis, organic and inorganic geochemistry analyses, and sedimentary and geophysical surveys were performed. This work compares general environmental trends in both regions as deduced from the organic matter from bulk sediment to get an idea of the organic matter source, as well as specific organic compounds extracted from the sediment, such as leaf waxes (n-alkanes), algae-related compounds (diols and alkenones), and bacteria-related compounds (hopanes), to specify the sources of the organic matter, environmental temperature ranges, as well as hydrological changes. Our preliminary results show that the palaeoenvironmental indices developed from n-alkanes agree with the variations deduced from the carbon and nitrogen atomic ratios, as well as the carbon isotopic composition from bulk sediments in southern Iberia records. Interestingly, these indices show that some locations display opposite trends from one another, and are used to distinguish regional versus local effects of climate change, human impacts, and aeolian dust inputs. During the late Holocene solar forcing and NAO fluctuations are the main drivers of the environmental evolution in most of the Iberian and UK sites. However, we do detect the influence of the NAO in the temperatures oscillations of the studied sites in southern Iberia. This influence is much more important in the north/central UK sites. The regional

Trends in characteristics of daily rainfall in Northern Iberia: Is the NAO signal behind the observed variability?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saez de Cámara, E.; Gangoiti, G.; Alonso, L.; Iza, J.

2012-04-01

A trend analysis of intensity and frequency of daily precipitation over Northern Iberia (NIB), with a primary focus on extreme events, is presented. It is based on 14 NOAA-NCDC daily records covering the last 35 years (1973-2007) plus two centenarian databases sited in eastern NIB: San Sebastián (1929-2007) (daily resolution) and Bilbao (1857-2007) (monthly resolution). It is the first time that this interfacial region between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean has been studied with such a density of monitoring stations. Spatial and temporal characteristics and changes in rainfall's distribution have been analyzed using the suite of indices developed and recommended by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection, Monitoring and Indices (ETCCDMI). They include annual and seasonal accumulated precipitation, number of dry and rainy days, and mean precipitation per rainy day, among others. The observed trends have been tested for statistical significance using the Mann-Kendall's non-parametric test. Additionally, links between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the precipitation in the aforementioned region have been explored. The analysis shows a significant tendency towards less intensive rainy days for the whole region together with a decreasing trend in the number of wet days for the Central NIB. The consequence is a decline of total rainfall, statistically significant in Central and Eastern NIB. The evolution to drier conditions may be seen in both annual and seasonal indices. Conversely, strong regional differences have been found in the response to the NAO signal: whereas the rainfall decrease in the Western NIB might be associated to the dominance of a positive mode of the NAO during the last decades, the lack of correlation between the NAO signal and the observed precipitation in the stations with significant decreases rises an important argument against a direct association. Using the global gridded 6-hourly NCEP-DOE Reanalysis 2 data (1979-2010) we

AO/NAO Response to Climate Change. 1; Respective Influences of Stratospheric and Tropospheric Climate Changes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rind, D.; Perlwitz, J.; Lonergan, P.

2005-01-01

We utilize the GISS Global Climate Middle Atmosphere Model and 8 different climate change experiments, many of them focused on stratospheric climate forcings, to assess the relative influence of tropospheric and stratospheric climate change on the extratropical circulation indices (Arctic Oscillation, AO; North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO). The experiments are run in two different ways: with variable sea surface temperatures (SSTs) to allow for a full tropospheric climate response, and with specified SSTs to minimize the tropospheric change. The results show that tropospheric warming (cooling) experiments and stratospheric cooling (warming) experiments produce more positive (negative) AO/NAO indices. For the typical magnitudes of tropospheric and stratospheric climate changes, the tropospheric response dominates; results are strongest when the tropospheric and stratospheric influences are producing similar phase changes. Both regions produce their effect primarily by altering wave propagation and angular momentum transports, but planetary wave energy changes accompanying tropospheric climate change are also important. Stratospheric forcing has a larger impact on the NAO than on the AO, and the angular momentum transport changes associated with it peak in the upper troposphere, affecting all wavenumbers. Tropospheric climate changes influence both the A0 and NAO with effects that extend throughout the troposphere. For both forcings there is often vertical consistency in the sign of the momentum transport changes, obscuring the difference between direct and indirect mechanisms for influencing the surface circulation.

ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN NAO VARIBILITY AND U.S. MID-ATLANTIC REGION HYDROCLIMATOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

Variability in the climate of the US Mid-Atlantic Region is associated with larger scale variability in the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific North American (PNA) teleconnection pattern, and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Collectively, these three large-scal...

New Insights into the Instability of Discharge Products in Na-O2 Batteries.

PubMed

Landa-Medrano, Imanol; Pinedo, Ricardo; Bi, Xuanxuan; Ruiz de Larramendi, Idoia; Lezama, Luis; Janek, Jürgen; Amine, Khalil; Lu, Jun; Rojo, Teófilo

2016-08-10

Sodium-oxygen batteries currently stimulate extensive research due to their high theoretical energy density and improved operational stability when compared to lithium-oxygen batteries. Cell stability, however, needs to be demonstrated also under resting conditions before future implementation of these batteries. In this work we analyze the effect of resting periods on the stability of the sodium superoxide (NaO2) discharge product. The instability of NaO2 in the cell environment is demonstrated leading to the evolution of oxygen during the resting period and the decrease of the cell efficiency. In addition, migration of the superoxide anion (O2(-)) in the electrolyte is observed and demonstrated to be an important factor affecting Coulombic efficiency.

Radio Meteors Observations Techniques at RI NAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vovk, Vasyl; Kaliuzhnyi, Mykola

2016-07-01

The Solar system is inhabited with large number of celestial bodies. Some of them are well studied, such as planets and vast majority of big asteroids and comets. There is one group of objects which has received little attention. That is meteoroids with related to them meteors. Nowadays enough low-technology high-efficiency radio-technical solutions are appeared which allow to observe meteors daily. At RI NAO three methodologies for meteor observation are developed: single-station method using FM-receiver, correlation method using FM-receiver and Internet resources, and single-station method using low-cost SDR-receiver.

High-Capacity Sodium Peroxide Based NaO 2 Batteries with Low Charge Overpotential via a Nanostructured Catalytic Cathode

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

Ma, Lu; Zhang, Dongzhou; Lei, Yu

The superoxide based Na-O-2 battery has circumvented the issue of large charge overpotential in Li-O-2 batteries; however, the one-electron process leads to limited capacity. Herein, a sodium peroxide based low-overpotential (similar to 0.5 V) Na-O-2 battery with a capacity as high as 7.5 mAh/cm(2) is developed with Pd nanoparticles as catalysts on the cathode.

Pharmacokinetics and efficiency of brain targeting of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 given as Nao-Qing microemulsion.

PubMed

Li, Tao; Shu, Ya-Jun; Cheng, Jia-Yin; Liang, Run-Cheng; Dian, Shao-Na; Lv, Xiao-Xun; Yang, Meng-Qi; Huang, Shu-Ling; Chen, Gang; Yang, Fan

2015-02-01

Nao-Qing solution has been shown to be clinically effective in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The purpose of this study was to improve the pharmacokinetics and brain uptake of Nao-Qing, administered as an oil-in-water microemulsion. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given Nao-Qing microemulsion by intranasal or intragastric routes. Samples of blood, brain, heart, liver, lung and kidney were collected at pre-determined time intervals, and the contents of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 (active ingredients of the Nao-Qing microemulsion) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that contents of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 in Nao-Qing microemulsion was 8475.13 ± 54.61 μg/ml and 6633.42 ± 527.27 μg/ml, respectively, and that the particle size, pH and viscosity of the microemulsion were 19.9 ± 5.07 nm, 6.1 and 3.056 × 10(-3 )Pas, respectively. Absorption of ginsenoside Rg1 was higher than that of ginsenoside Rb1, which was barely detectable after intragastric administration; furthermore, the concentration of ginsenoside Rg1 in blood and other tissues at each time point was lower for intragastric than for intranasal administration. Compared with intragastric administration, intranasal administration resulted in a shorter tmax (0.08 versus 1 h), a higher Cmax (16.65 versus 11.29 μg/ml), and a higher area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) (592.91 versus 101.70 μgċh/ml) in the brain. The relative rates of uptake (Re) and the ratio of peak concentration (Ce) in the brain were 126.31% and 147.48% for ginsenoside Rg1, respectively. These data illustrate that intranasal administration can promote the absorption of drugs in Nao-Qing microemulsion and achieve fast effect.

The influences of the AMO and NAO on an Iberian alpine lake during the Late Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández, Armand; Leira, Manel; Trigo, Ricardo; Vázquez-Loureiro, David; Carballeira, Rafael; Sáez, Alberto

2017-04-01

High mountain lakes, usually oligotrophic, in the Iberian Peninsula are particularly sensitive to the influence of North Atlantic large-scale modes of climate variability due to their geographical position and the reduced direct anthropic disturbances. In this context, Serra da Estrela (Portugal), in the westernmost of the Sistema Central Range, constitutes a physical barrier to air masses coming from the Atlantic Ocean. However, long-term climate reconstructions have not yet been conducted. We present a climate reconstruction in terms of precipitation and temperature changes of this setting based on facies analysis, X-ray fluorescence core scanning, elemental and isotope geochemistry on bulk organic matter and a preliminary study of diatom assemblages from the sedimentary record of Lake Peixão (1677 m a.s.l.; Serra da Estrela) for the last ca. 3500 years. A multivariate statistical analysis has been performed to recognize the main environmental factors controlling the lake sedimentation. Our results reveal that two main processes explain 70% of the total variance, with PC1 (accumulation of siliciclastic material vs organic matter), and PC2 (variations in lacustrine productivity, related to nutrient inputs from the catchment), explaining 53% and 17% respectively. In mountain lakes, siliciclastic and/or external organic matter accumulation tend to be governed by the snowmelt which, in turn, are frequently controlled by winter and spring temperatures. On the other hand, lake productivity, usually limited by phosphorus and nitrogen, is dependent of internal recycling and/or external inputs, mainly by catchment leaching (climatically driven by summer precipitation) and atmospheric deposition (anthropic influence). The results from Lake Peixão have been compared to other Western Iberia and Northeastern Atlantic records, as well as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) indices. Thus, a tentative Late Holocene climate

Breakdown of NAO reproducibility into internal versus externally-forced components: a two-tier pilot study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douville, Hervé; Ribes, A.; Tyteca, S.

2018-03-01

Assessing the ability of atmospheric models to capture observed climate variations when driven by observed sea surface temperature (SST), sea ice concentration (SIC) and radiative forcings is a prerequisite for the feasibility of near term climate predictions. Here we achieve ensembles of global atmospheric simulations to assess and attribute the reproducibility of the boreal winter atmospheric circulation against the European Centre for Medium Range Forecasts (ECMWF) twentieth century reanalysis (ERA20C). Our control experiment is driven by the observed SST/SIC from the Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project. It is compared to a similar ensemble performed with the ECMWF model as a first step toward ERA20C. Moreover, a two-tier methodology is used to disentangle externally-forced versus internal variations in the observed SST/SIC boundary conditions and run additional ensembles allowing us to attribute the observed atmospheric variability. The focus is mainly on the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability which is more reproducible in our model than in the ECMWF model. This result is partly due to the simulation of a positive NAO trend across the full 1920-2014 integration period. In line with former studies, this trend might be mediated by a circumglobal teleconnection mechanism triggered by increasing precipitation over the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO). Surprisingly, this response is mainly related to the internal SST variability and is not found in the ECMWF model driven by an alternative SST dataset showing a weaker TIO warming in the first half of the twentieth century. Our results may reconcile the twentieth century observations with the twenty-first century projections of the NAO. They should be however considered with caution given the limited size of our ensembles, the possible influence of other sources of NAO variability, and the uncertainties in the tropical SST trend and breakdown between internal versus externally-forced variability.

[The Spanish strategy for nutrition, physical activity and the prevention of obesity (NAOS Strategy)].

PubMed

Ballesteros Arribas, Juan Manuel; Dal-Re Saavedra, Marián; Pérez-Farinós, Napoleón; Villar Villalba, Carmen

2007-01-01

Obesity, the prevalence of which is still on the rise, is related to the main chronic diseases affecting the health of the population. Therefore, in 2004, the World Health Assembly approved the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health with the aim of reducing the risk factors of nontransmittable diseases related to unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. Along this same line, the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs began implementing the NAOS Strategy in 2005 as a platform from which to include and promote all those initiatives contributing to achieving the necessary social change in the promotion of healthy eating and the prevention of a sedentary lifestyle by meeting certain specific challenges within different scopes of action. The NAOS Strategy extends far beyond the healthcare and educational areas, by combining actions in all those sectors of society playing a role in preventing obesity. Informative campaigns, agreements with public and private institutions, voluntary working agreements, educational programs and supporting health promotion initiatives are some of the activities being carried out as part of the NAOS Strategy. Carrying out these activities and incorporating yet others, in conjunction with the work of evaluating and monitoring all of these activities, will be what is going to make it possible to maintain a high degree of effectiveness in preventing obesity.

Augmentation effect of acupuncture on Bi'nao for hypophasis in patients with Bell's palsy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Li, Xiaoyan; Chen, Chunlan; Zhao, Chuang; Li, Zunyuan; Liang, Wei; Liu, Zhidan

2018-06-11

Hypophasis is one of the most frequently observed sequelae of patients with Bell's palsy, who have not recovered completely, creating a clinical difficulty for physicians. Acupuncture therapy has been widely used to treat Bell's palsy as a reasonable resolution for management of symptoms such as hypophasis. The number of acupuncture points (acu-points) is frequently selected in the approach of acupuncture therapy; however, whether these had high efficiency has not been proved. According to the literature review, Bi'nao was useful for treating eye and eye lipid diseases, which could be proved only by some successful cases. Thus, a randomized controlled trial was designed to evaluate the efficiency of the acu-point Bi'nao. Participants with hypophasis as the major symptom are selected among patients with Bell's palsy and randomly allocated into one of the three groups at a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. All participants receive conventional acupuncture therapy; however, those assigned to the real acupuncture group will be given added acupuncture therapy on the acu-point Bi'nao, while those assigned to the sham acupuncture group were given extra acupuncture therapy on the sham Bi'nao as a placebo. The efficacy of the acupuncture therapy on the acu-point Bi'nao for hypophasis will be evaluated by Eye Crack Width Measurement (ECWM) and Eyelid Strength Assessment (ESA) before and after therapy. This is the first study assessing the safety and efficiency of Bi'nao in treating the hypophasis of patients with Bell's palsy that might support the application of this acupuncture therapy. However, evaluating hypophasis is challenging, and, thus, ECWM and ESA were applied to measure the eyelid movement. Chinese Clinical Trials Registry, ChiCTR-INR-17012955 . Registered on 12 October 2017.

AO/NAO Response to Climate Change. 2; Relative Importance of Low- and High-Latitude Temperature Changes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rind, D.; Perlwitz, J.; Lonergan, P.; Lerner, J.

2005-01-01

Using a variety of GCM experiments with various versions of the GISS model, we investigate how different aspects of tropospheric climate changes affect the extratropical Arctic Oscillation (AO)/North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) circulation indices. The results show that low altitude changes in the extratropical latitudinal temperature gradient can have a strong impact on eddy forcing of the extratropical zonal wind, in the sense that when this latitudinal temperature gradient increases, it helps force a more negative AO/NAO phase. In addition, local conditions at high latitudes can stabilize/destabilize the atmosphere, inducing negative/positive phase changes. To the extent that there is not a large temperature change in the tropical upper troposphere (either through reduced tropical sensitivity at the surface, or limited transport of this change to high levels), the changes in the low level temperature gradient can provide the dominate influence on the extratropical circulation, so that planetary wave meridional refraction and eddy angular momentum transport changes become uncorrelated with potential vorticity transports. In particular, the climate change that produces the most positive NAO phase change would have substantial warming in the tropical upper troposphere over the Pacific Ocean, with high latitude warming in the North Atlantic. An increase in positive phase of these circulation indices is still more likely than not, but it will depend on the degree of tropical and high latitude temperature response and the transport of low level warming into the upper troposphere. These are aspects that currently differ among the models used for predicting the effects of global warning, contributing to the lack of consensus of future changes in the AO/NAO.

GIS-based Stress Field Modeling of the North Arm of Sulawesi (NAoS) and its application in mineral prospectivity assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albert, Gáspár; Szentpéteri, Krisztián

2017-04-01

Remotely sensed and digital map data are useful sources for regional structural analysis, including stress calculations. If the type of a given fault is determined and is considered as Andersonian, and rather juvenile instead of a reactivated one, the tectonic stress can be calculated for each of the fault segments (Albert et al. 2016). The North Arm of Sulawesi, a west-east-trending land strip of the irregular shaped Sulawesi Island, is actively deforming and the upper plate tectonic setting is quite complex in this region since it is situated above a triple junction of the Eurasian, Pacific and Australian plates. The stress currently acting in this region not only creates neotectonics but triggers subduction-related volcanism shifting from west to east on the peninsula. The volcanic centers - adjacent to transfer faults and the colliding plates at depth - appear to be the most productive areas for epithermal-porphyry mineralization systems of economic potential (Szentpéteri et al. 2015). In this work we demonstrate how the derived stress field model helps to understand the location and clustering of various mineralization types in the NAoS. We examine if this method is applicable for mineral prospectively assessments. References Albert, G., Barancsuk, Á., and Szentpéteri, K., 2016, Stress field modelling from digital geological map data: Geophysical Research Abstracts, v. 18, EGU2016-14565. Szentpéteri, K., Albert, G., and Ungvári, Z., Plate tectonic - and stress field - modeling of the North Arm of Sulawesi, Indonesia, to better understand distribution of mineral deposits styles., in Proceedings SEG 2015 I World Class Ore Deposits: Discovery to Recovery, Wrest Point Convention Centre, Hobart, Australia, September 27 - 30. 2015.

Serial clustering of extratropical cyclones and relationship with NAO and jet intensity based on the IMILAST cyclone database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulbrich, Sven; Pinto, Joaquim G.; Economou, Theodoros; Stephenson, David B.; Karremann, Melanie K.; Shaffrey, Len C.

2017-04-01

Cyclone families are a frequent synoptic weather feature in the Euro-Atlantic area, particularly during wintertime. Given appropriate large-scale conditions, such series (clusters) of storms may cause large socio-economic impacts and cumulative losses. Recent studies analyzing reanalysis data using single cyclone tracking methods have shown that serial clustering of cyclones occurs on both flanks and downstream regions of the North Atlantic storm track. Based on winter (DJF) cyclone counts from the IMILAST cyclone database, we explore the representation of serial clustering in the ERA-Interim period and its relationship with the NAO-phase and jet intensity. With this aim, clustering is estimated by the dispersion of winter (DJF) cyclone passages for each grid point over the Euro-Atlantic area. Results indicate that clustering over the Eastern North Atlantic and Western Europe can be identified for all methods, although the exact location and the dispersion magnitude may vary. The relationship between clustering and (i) the NAO-phase and (ii) jet intensity over the North Atlantic is statistically evaluated. Results show that the NAO-index and the jet intensity show a strong contribution to clustering, even though some spread is found between methods. We conclude that the general features of clustering of extratropical cyclones over the North Atlantic and Western Europe are robust to the choice of tracking method. The same is true for the influence of the NAO and jet intensity on cyclone dispersion.

Late Holocene forest dynamics in the Gulf of Gaeta (central Mediterranean) in relation to NAO variability and human impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Rita, Federico; Lirer, Fabrizio; Bonomo, Sergio; Cascella, Antonio; Ferraro, Luciana; Florindo, Fabio; Insinga, Donatella Domenica; Lurcock, Pontus Conrad; Margaritelli, Giulia; Petrosino, Paola; Rettori, Roberto; Vallefuoco, Mattia; Magri, Donatella

2018-01-01

A new high-resolution pollen record, spanning the last five millennia, is presented from the Gulf of Gaeta (Tyrrhenian Sea, central Italy), with the aim of verifying if any vegetation change occurred in the central Mediterranean region in relation to specific well-known global and/or regional climate events, including the 4.2 ka event, the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and the Little Ice Age (LIA), and to detect possible vegetation changes related to still under-investigated climate signals, for example the so-called "Bond 2" cold event around 2.8 ka BP. The vegetation dynamics of the Gaeta record shows a recurrent pattern of forest increase and decline punctuating the mid- and late Holocene. When the timing of these patterns is compared with the climate proxy data available from the same core (planktonic foraminifera assemblages and oxygen stable isotope record) and with the NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) index, it clearly appears that the main driver for the forest fluctuations is climate, which may even overshadow the effects of human activity. We have found a clear correspondence between phases with negative NAO index and forest declines. In particular, around 4200 cal BP, a drop in AP (Arboreal Pollen) confirms the clearance recorded in many sites in Italy south of 43°N. Around 2800 cal BP, a vegetation change towards open conditions is found at a time when the NAO index clearly shows negative values. Between 800 and 1000 AD, a remarkable forest decline, coeval with a decrease in the frequencies of both Castanea and Olea, matches a shift in the oxygen isotope record towards positive values, indicating cooler temperatures, and a negative NAO. Between 1400-1850 AD, in the time period chronologically corresponding to the LIA (Little Ice Age), the Gaeta record shows a clear decline of the forest cover, particularly evident after 1550 AD, once again in correspondence with negative NAO index.

The Role of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on Recent Greenland Surface Mass Loss and Mass Partitioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tedesco, M.; Alexander, P.; Porter, D. F.; Fettweis, X.; Luthcke, S. B.; Mote, T. L.; Rennermalm, A.; Hanna, E.

2017-12-01

Despite recent changes in Greenland surface mass losses and atmospheric circulation over the Arctic, little attention has been given to the potential role of large-scale atmospheric processes on the spatial and temporal variability of mass loss and partitioning of the GrIS mass loss. Using a combination of satellite gravimetry measurements, outputs of the MAR regional climate model and reanalysis data, we show that changes in atmospheric patterns since 2013 over the North Atlantic region of the Arctic (NAA) modulate total mass loss trends over Greenland together with the spatial and temporal distribution of mass loss partitioning. For example, during the 2002 - 2012 period, melting persistently increased, especially along the west coast, as a consequence of increased insulation and negative NAO conditions characterizing that period. Starting in 2013, runoff along the west coast decreased while snowfall increased substantially, when NAO turned to a more neutral/positive state. Modeled surface mass balance terms since 1950 indicate that part of the GRACE-period, specifically the period between 2002 and 2012, was exceptional in terms of snowfall over the east and northeast regions. During that period snowfall trend decreased to almost 0 Gt/yr from a long-term increasing trend, which presumed again in 2013. To identify the potential impact of atmospheric patterns on mass balance and its partitioning, we studied the spatial and temporal correlations between NAO and snowfall/runoff. Our results indicate that the correlation between summer snowfall and NAO is not stable during the 1950 - 2015 period. We further looked at changes in patterns of circulation using self organizing maps (SOMs) to identify the atmospheric patterns characterizing snowfall during different periods. We discuss potential implications for past changes and future GCM and RCM simulations.

East Atlantic (EA) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) interplay over the Iberian Peninsula for the last two millennia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, A.; Sánchez-López, G.; Pla-Rabes, S.; Trigo, R.; Toro, M.; Granados, I.; Sáez, A.; Masque, P.; Pueyo, J. J.; Rubio-Inglés, M. J.; Giralt, S.

2016-12-01

The multi-proxy approach from sediments of an Iberian alpine lake allowed us to establish the climatic conditions in the Iberian Central Range (ICR) over the last two millennia. The comparison with other Iberian reconstructions permitted to identify possible forcing climate mechanisms. Climatic conditions would be transmitted to the sediments via the frequency of intense run-off events, derived from rain-on-snow events, and the lake productivity, ruled by ice-cover duration. The early Roman Period (RP; 200 BC - 350 AD) in the ICR was characterized by oscillations of intense run-off events, as a consequence of an alternation between cold and warm periods. From the second half of the RP to the onset of the Early Middle Ages (EMA; 350 - 500 AD) an increase in the intense run-off events suggests warm conditions, although a noticeable decrease during the rest of the EMA (500 - 900 AD) evidences a shift to very cold temperatures in this region. In terms of humidity, both RP and EMA climatic periods displayed a transition from a dry to a wet scenario that led to a decrease in lake productivity. These climatic conditions have been registered by other reconstructions in the Iberian Peninsula (IP), and a North-South humidity gradient could be envisaged, although spatial climatic discrepancies were significant. Precipitation and temperature in the IP present a more homogeneous spatial pattern when the NAO and EA modes have the same sign than when they have the opposite sign. Hence, a predominance of periods with NAO - EA in opposite phases could explain the climatic spatial heterogeneity in the IP during these two periods. The Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; 900 - 1300 AD) in the ICR was characterized by warm and dry conditions represented by an increase in exceptional run-off episodes and lake productivity whereas the Little Ice Age (LIA; 1300 - 1850 AD) showed the opposite scenario. Similar climatic conditions were registered in all the IP, reflecting a spatial climatic

Re-emerging ocean temperature anomalies in late-2010 associated with a repeat negative NAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taws, Sarah L.; Marsh, Robert; Wells, Neil C.; Hirschi, Joël

2011-10-01

Northern Europe was influenced by consecutive episodes of extreme winter weather at the start and end of the 2010 calendar year. A tripole pattern in North Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs), associated with an exceptionally negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), characterized both winter periods. This pattern was largely absent at the surface during the 2010 summer season; however equivalent sub-surface temperature anomalies were preserved within the seasonal thermocline throughout the year. Here, we present evidence for the re-emergence of late-winter 2009/10 SSTAs during the following early winter season of 2010/11. The observed re-emergence contributes toward the winter-to-winter persistence of the anomalous tripole pattern. Considering the active influence of the oceans upon leading modes of atmospheric circulation over seasonal timescales, associated with the memory of large-scale sea surface temperature anomaly patterns, the re-emergence of remnant temperature anomalies may have also contributed toward the persistence of a negative winter NAO, and the recurrence of extreme wintry conditions over the initial 2010/11 winter season.

Subregional precipitation climate of the Caribbean and relationships with ENSO and NAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jury, Mark; Malmgren, BjöRn A.; Winter, Amos

2007-08-01

Thirty-five meteorological stations encompassing the Caribbean region (Cuba, Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, and Barbados) were analyzed over the time interval 1951-1981 to assess regional precipitation patterns and their relationships with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Application of factor analysis to these series revealed the existence of four geographically distinct precipitation regions, (C1) western Cuba and northwestern Bahamas, (C2) Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and southeastern Bahamas, (C3) Dominican Republic and northwestern Puerto Rico, and (C4) eastern Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, and Barbados. This regionalization is related to different annual cycles and interannual fluctuations of rainfall. The annual cycle is more unimodal and largest in the northwest Caribbean (C1) and becomes increasingly bimodal toward lower latitudes (C4) as expected. Year-to-year variations of precipitation are compared with two well-known climatic indices. The ENSO relationship, represented by Niño 3.4 sea surface temperatures (SST), is positive and stable at all lags, but tends to reverse over the SE Caribbean (C4) in late summer. The NAO influence is weak and seasonally dependent. Early summer rainfall in the northwest Caribbean (C1) increases under El Niño conditions. Clusters 2 and 3 are less influenced by the global predictors and more regional in character.

Influence of winter NAO pattern on variable renewable energies potential in Europe over the 20th century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

François, Baptiste; Raynaud, Damien; Hingray, Benoit; Creutin, Jean-Dominique

2017-04-01

Integration of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) sources in the electricity system is a challenge because of temporal and spatial fluctuations of their power generation resulting from their driving weather variables (i.e. solar radiation wind speed, precipitation, and temperature). Very few attention was paid to low frequency variability (i.e. from annual to decades) even though it may have significant impact on energy system and energy market Following the current increase in electricity supplied by VRE generation, one could ask the question about the risk of ending up in a situation in which the level of production of one or more VRE is exceptionally low or exceptionally high for a long period of time and/or over a large area. What would be the risk for an investor if the return on investment has been calculated on a high energy production period? What would be the cost in term of carbon emission whether the system manager needs to turn on coal power plant to satisfy the demand? Such dramatic events would definitely impact future stakeholder decision to invest in a particular energy source or another. Weather low frequency variability is mainly governed by large-scale teleconnection patterns impacting the climate at global scale such as El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the tropics and in North America or the North Atlantic Oscillation (hereafter, NAO) in North America and Europe. Teleconnection pattern's influence on weather variability cascades to VRE variability and ends up by impacting electricity system. The aim of this study is to analysis the impact of the NAO on VRE generation in Europe during the winter season. The analysis is carried out over the twentieth century (i.e. from 1900 to 2010), in order to take into account climate low frequency variability, and for a set of 12 regions covering a large range of climates in Europe. Weather variable time series are obtained by using the ERA20C reanalysis and the SCAMP model (Sequential Constructive

Revisiting Caveiro Lake sediment record: the Holocene NAO and AMO impact on Pico Island (Azores archipelago)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, A.; Giralt, S.; Raposeiro, P. M.; Gonçalves, V. M.; Pueyo, J. J.; Trigo, R. M.; Bao, R.; Sáez, A.

2017-12-01

Northern Hemisphere climate is partly conditioned by a number of atmospheric and oceanic patterns which occur in the North Atlantic sector. The favourable location of the Azores Archipelago (37°-40° N, 25°-31° W) results in a privileged place to generate high-resolution Holocene climatic proxy data that can contribute to deep our understanding on the evolution of these atmospheric and oceanic patterns. In the frame of three research projects, namely PALEONAO (CGL2010-15767), RAPIDNAO (CGL2013-40608-R) and PALEOMODES (CGL2016-75281-C2), high-resolution proxy-based reconstructions from Azores Archipelago have recently shown a combined impact of atmospheric and oceanic patterns at multiannual and decadal time-scales (Rubio-Inglés et al. 2016; Hernández et al. 2017). However, the long-term evolution coupling/uncoupling of these patterns is not well-determined yet. Here, we present a new high-resolution climate reconstruction based on the Caveiro Lake sedimentary sequence in order to fill this gap. Previously, Björck et al. (2006) studied a section of this sequence (the uppermost 4.6 m covering last 6 Ka cal BP) concluding that changes in the thermohaline circulation and the SST were the main drivers in the long-term precipitation variability, whereas the NAO impact was the main atmospheric driver of short-term precipitation changes. However, they only distinguished the NAO impact for the last 600 years owing to the low resolution of the study for the lower portion of the core. The new studied sequence (8.40 m long, 8.2 Ka cal BP) has been analysed at decadal-to centennial time-scale resolution for X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning and elemental and isotope geochemistry on bulk organic matter. The statistical multivariate analysis of the data highlights the main drivers triggering the sedimentary infill of the lake would be the NAO and AMO by controlling the lacustrine productivity via nutrients input. This new high

The role of the NAO on the North Atlantic hydrological conditions and its interplay with the EA and SCAND atmospheric patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, A.; Rubio-Ingles, M. J.; Shanahan, T. M.; Sáez, A.; Raposeiro, P. M.; Vázquez-Loureiro, D.; Sánchez-López, G.; Gonçalves, V. M.; Bao, R.; Trigo, R.; Giralt, S.

2016-12-01

The NAO is the main atmospheric circulation mode controlling the largest fraction of the North Atlantic climate variability. It is defined by the normalized air pressure difference between the Azores High and the Iceland Low as the southern and northern centers of action of the dipole respectively. The NAO pattern has large influence over the precipitation regime in the North Atlantic and the western facade of Europe. Thus, the Lake Azul (São Miguel island, Azores archipelago), with a strategic location in the middle of the north Atlantic Ocean, is influenced by variations on intensity and position of the southern NAO center of action. The reconstruction of the past hydrological conditions in lake location for the last 700 years was obtained by means of high resolution δD plant leaf wax analyses, a proxy for the Precipitation/Evaporation ratio. The 700 years of climatic history included the end of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the modern Global Warming (GW). The hydrological results showed multidecadal variations with no particular conditions at any climatic period. Overall, the MCA (1285 - 1350 AD) displayed mostly dry conditions, the LIA (1350 - 1820 AD) was mainly wet and, the last 200 years of record showed highly variable conditions. The lake Azul hydrological variations have been compared with a wide range of additional proxy datasets, including: documentary, ice, tree rings, speleothem, lacustrine and oceanic records from the North Atlantic. This comparison has allowed us to understand the decadal and centennial imprints of the NAO as well as to infer its interaction with other relevant large-scale circulation patterns over this sector, such as the Eastern Atlantic (EA) and the Scandinavian (SCAND) climate modes.

In Situ Imaging the Oxygen Reduction Reactions of Solid State Na-O2 Batteries with CuO Nanowires as the Air Cathode.

PubMed

Liu, Qiunan; Yang, Tingting; Du, Congcong; Tang, Yongfu; Sun, Yong; Jia, Peng; Chen, Jingzhao; Ye, Hongjun; Shen, Tongde; Peng, Qiuming; Zhang, Liqiang; Huang, Jianyu

2018-06-13

We report real time imaging of the oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) in all solid state sodium oxygen batteries (SOBs) with CuO nanowires (NWs) as the air cathode in an aberration-corrected environmental transmission electron microscope under an oxygen environment. The ORR occurred in a distinct two-step reaction, namely, a first conversion reaction followed by a second multiple ORR. In the former, CuO was first converted to Cu 2 O and then to Cu; in the latter, NaO 2 formed first, followed by its disproportionation to Na 2 O 2 and O 2 . Concurrent with the two distinct electrochemical reactions, the CuO NWs experienced multiple consecutive large volume expansions. It is evident that the freshly formed ultrafine-grained Cu in the conversion reaction catalyzed the latter one-electron-transfer ORR, leading to the formation of NaO 2 . Remarkably, no carbonate formation was detected in the oxygen cathode after cycling due to the absence of carbon source in the whole battery setup. These results provide fundamental understanding into the oxygen chemistry in the carbonless air cathode in all solid state Na-O 2 batteries.

How Does Mediterranean Basin's Atmosphere Become Weak Moisture Source During Negative Phase of NAO: Use of AIRS, AMSR, TOVS, & TRMM Satellite Datasets Over Last Two NAO Cycles to Examine Governing Controls on E-P

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Eric A.; Mehta, Amita V.

2008-01-01

The Mediterranean Sea is a noted 'concentration" basin in that it almost continuously exhibits positive evaporation minus precipitation (E - P ) properties -- throughout the four seasons and from one year to the next. Nonetheless, according to the ECMWF Era-40 48-year (1958-2005) climate reanalysis dataset, for various phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) when the pressure gradient between Portugal and Iceland becomes either very relaxed (large negative NAO-Index) or in transition (small positive or negative NAO-Index), the atmospheric moisture source properties of the basin become weak, at times even reversed for several months (i.e., negative E - P). This behavior poses numerous questions concerning how and why these events occur. Moreover, it begs the question of what it would take for the basin to reach its tipping point in which P would exceed E throughout the rainy season (some six months) on an annually persistent basis -- and the sea would possibly transform to a recurring "dilution" basin. This talk investigates these questions by: (1) establishing over a period from 1979 to present, based on detailed analyses of satellite retrieval products from a combination of NASA-AQUA, NOAA-LEO, NASA/JAXA Scatterometer, and NASA-TRMM platforms, plus additional specialized satellite data products and ancillary meteorological datasets, the actual observation-based behavior of E - P, (2) diagnosing the salient physical and meteorological mechanisms that lead to the weaker E - P events during the analysis period, partly based on analyzing surface and upper air data at discrete stations in the western and eastern Mediterranean -- while at the same time evaluating the quality of the ERA-40 data over this same time period, (3) conducting GCM and high-resolution regional modeling experiments to determine if perturbed but realistic meteorological background conditions could maintain Mediterranean as a "dilution" basin through the October to March rainy season on

Barents-Kara sea ice and the winter NAO in the DePreSys3 Met Office Seasonal forecast model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warner, J.; Screen, J.

2017-12-01

Accurate seasonal forecasting leads to a wide range of socio-economic benefits and increases resilience to prolonged bouts of extreme weather. This work looks at how November Barents-Kara sea ice may affect the winter northern hemisphere atmospheric circulation, using various compositing methods in the DePreSys3 ensemble model, with lag to argue better a relationship between the two. In particular, the NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) is focused on given its implications on European weather. Using this large hindcast dataset comprised of 35 years with 30 available ensemble members, it is found that low Barents-Kara sea ice leads to a negative NAO tendency in all composite methods, with increased mean sea level pressure in higher latitudes. The significance of this varies between composites. This is preliminary analysis of a larger PhD project to further understand how Arctic Sea ice may play a role in seasonal forecasting skill through its connection/influence on mid-latitude weather.

Sub-regional Precipitation Climate of the Caribbean and Relationships With ENSO and NAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winter, A.; Jury, M.; Malmgren, B.

2006-12-01

Thirty-five meteorological stations encompassing the Caribbean region (Cuba, Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, and Barbados) were analyzed over the time interval 1951-1981 to assess regional precipitation patterns and their relationships with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Application of factor analysis to these series revealed the existence of four geographically distinct precipitation regions: (1) western Cuba and northwestern Bahamas, (2) Jamaica, eastern Cuba, and southeastern Bahamas, (3) Dominican Republic and northwestern Puerto Rico, and (4) eastern Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Marteen, and Barbados. This regionalization is related to different annual cycles and interannual fluctuations of rainfall. The annual cycle is unimodal and largest in the northwest Caribbean (1), and becomes increasingly bimodal toward lower latitudes (4) as expected. Year-to-year variations of precipitation are compared with two well known climatic indices. The ENSO relationship, represented by Niño3.4 SST, is positive and stable at all lags, but tends to reverse over the SE Caribbean (4) in late summer. The NAO influence is weak and seasonally dependent. Early summer rainfall in the northwest Caribbean (1) increases under El Niño conditions. Clusters 2 and 3 are less influenced by the global predictors and more regional in character. Previous related work sub-divided the Caribbean into two to three regions. Our work also shows that the main Caribbean basin should be divided into two clusters and not one homogeneous region as has previously been reported.

Variability modes of precipitation along a Central Mediterranean area and their relations with ENSO, NAO, and other climatic patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalimeris, Anastasios; Ranieri, Ezio; Founda, Dimitra; Norrant, Caroline

2017-12-01

This study analyses a century-long set of precipitation time series in the Central Mediterranean (encompassing the Greek Ionian and the Italian Puglia regions) and investigates the statistically significant modes of the interannual precipitation variability using efficient methods of spectral decomposition. The statistical relations and the possible physical couplings between the detected modes and the global or hemispheric patterns of climatic variability (the El Niño Southern Oscillation or ENSO, the North Atlantic Oscillation or NAO, the East Atlantic or EA, the Scandinavian or SCAND, and others) were examined in the time-frequency domain and low-order synchronization events were sought. Significant modes of precipitation variability were detected in the Taranto Gulf and the southern part of the Greek Ionian region at the sub-decadal scales (mostly driven by the SCAND pattern) and particularly at the decadal and quasi-decadal scales, where strong relations found with the ENSO activity (under complex implications of EA and NAO) prior to the 1930s or after the early-1970s. The precipitation variations in the Adriatic stations of Puglia are dominated by significant bi-decadal modes which found to be coherent with the ENSO activity and also weakly related with the Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperature intrinsic variability. Additionally, important discontinuities characterize the evolution of precipitation in certain stations of the Taranto Gulf and the Greek Ionian region during the early-1960s and particularly during the early-1970s, followed by significant reductions in the mean annual precipitation. These discontinuities seem to be associated with regional effects of NAO and SCAND, probably combined with the impact of the 1970s climatic shift in the Pacific and the ENSO variability.

The near-term prediction of drought and flooding conditions in the northeastern United States based on extreme phases of AMO and NAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berton, Rouzbeh; Driscoll, Charles T.; Adamowski, Jan F.

2017-10-01

A series of hydroclimatic teleconnection patterns were identified between variations in either Atlantic or Pacific oceanic indices with precipitation and discharge anomalies in the northeastern United States. We hypothesized that temporal annual or seasonal changes in discharge could be explained by variations in extreme phases of the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO index, SST: Sea Surface Temperature anomalies) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO index, SLP: Sea-Level Pressure anomalies) up to three seasons in advance. The Merrimack River watershed, the fourth largest basin in New England, with a drainage area of 13,000 km2, is a compelling study site because it not only provides an opportunity to investigate the teleconnection between hydrologic variables and large-scale climate circulation patterns, but also how those patterns may become obscured by anthropogenic disturbances such as river regulation or urban development. We considered precipitation and discharge data of 21 gauging stations within the Merrimack River watershed, including the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF), NH, with a median record length of 55 years beginning as early as 1904. The discharge anomalies were statistically significant (p-value ≤ 0.2) between extreme positive and negative phases of AMO (1857-2011) and NAO (1900-2011) and revealed the potential teleconnectivity of climate circulation patterns with discharge. Annual and seasonal correlations of discharge were examined with the extreme phases of AMO and NAO at zero-, one-, or two- year/season lags (total of 30 scenarios). When AMO was greater than 0.2, the strongest correlations of AMO and NAO with discharge were observed at headwater catchments. This correlation weakened downstream towards larger regulated and/or developed sub-basins. We introduced a simple approach for near-term prediction of drought and flooding events. An exponential decay function was regressed through the historic occurrence of the relative

Sea level trends and NAO influences: The Bristol Channel/Severn Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, M. R.; Crisp, S.

2010-09-01

Fifteen years, 1993 (earliest available) to 2007 inclusive of monthly mean and extreme (maximum and minimum) sea level data were assessed for four tide gauges located in the Bristol Channel (Mumbles and Ilfracombe) and Severn Estuary (Newport and Hinkley Point). Results showed decreasing maximum sea level trends and increasing minimum sea level trends, resulting in convergence. However, maximum extreme sea levels on the Welsh shoreline (Mumbles and Newport) were higher than corresponding locations on the English coast (Ilfracombe and Hinkley Point). Analysis showed that from 1995 to 1998 inclusive, maximum extreme sea levels were significantly higher at Mumbles (t = 2.342; df = 10; p < 0.05), Newport (t = 5.034; df = 13; p < 0.01) and Hinkley Point (t = 3.570; df = 13; p < 0.01) and were correlated to increased storm frequencies during these years. However, Ilfracombe (t = 1.472; df = 12; p > 0.05) did not demonstrate similar significance, possibly due to tide gauge location and coastal aspect, while tidal influences became more dominant as the tidal prism moved up the estuary. Actual mean sea levels (MSL) at Newport (t = 2.880; df = 14; p < 0.05) and Hinkley Point (t = 5.282; df = 14; p < 0.01) were significantly higher than predicted; at Mumbles (t = 2.673; df = 11; p < 0.05) they were significantly lower than predicted; while Ilfracombe (t = 1.989; df = 13; p > 0.05) once again showed no significant difference. Mumbles is the only location with off-shore sand waves and analysis suggested these as the cause of opposite trends. Sea level variation was strongly correlated to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index, especially for maximum extreme sea levels during positive phases (R 2 = 86%), and higher positive or negative NAO Index values resulted in larger sea level ranges. Further analysis showed a rising Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary MSL trend of 2.4 mm yr - 1 and a 2050 MSL of 0.370 m is projected to inform future management. However, continuous

NOAA Administrative Order 216-115: Strengthening NOAA's Research and

Science.gov Websites

Development Enterprise NOAA HOME WEATHER OCEANS FISHERIES CHARTING SATELLITES CLIMATE <em>RESEARCH> of Authority NAO 216-115: Strengthening NOAA's <em>Research> and Development Enterprise Attachments View principles, policies, and responsibilities for planning, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting <em>research> and

The NAO Influence on the Early to Mid-Holocene North Atlantic Coastal Upwelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, A.; Cachão, M.; Sousa, P.; Trigo, R. M.; Freitas, M. C.

2017-12-01

Coastal upwelling regions yield some of the oceanic most productive ecosystems, being crucial for the worldwide social and economic development. Most upwelling systems, emerging cold nutrient-rich deep waters, are located in the eastern boundaries of the Atlantic and Pacific basins, and are driven by meridional wind fields parallel to the coastal shore. These winds are associated with the subsiding branch of the large-scale Anticyclonic high pressure systems that dominate the subtropical ocean basins, and therefore can be displaced or intensified within the context of past and future climate changes. However, the role of the current global warming influencing the coastal upwelling is, as yet, unclear. Therefore it is essential to derive a long-term perspective, beyond the era of instrumental measurements, to detect similar warm periods in the past that have triggered changes in the upwelling patterns. In this work, the upwelling dynamics in the Iberian North Atlantic margin during the early and mid-Holocene is reconstructed, using calcareous nannofossils from a decadally resolved estuarine sediment core located in southwestern Portugal. Results suggest that the coastal dynamics reflects changes in winds direction likely related to shifts in the NAO-like conditions. Furthermore, the reconstructed centennial-scale variations in the upwelling are synchronous with changes in solar irradiance, a major external forcing factor of the climate system that is known to exert influence in atmospheric circulation patterns. In addition, these proxy-based data interpretations are in agreement with wind field and solar irradiance simulation modelling for the mid-Holocene. Therefore, the conclusion that the solar activity via the NAO modulation controlled the North Atlantic upwelling of western Iberia during the early and mid-Holocene at decadal to centennial timescales can be derived. The financial support for attending this meeting was possible through FCT project UID/GEO/50019

Late Holocene Hydroclimate Variability of West-Central Guatemala Driven by NAO and ENSO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stansell, N.; Feller, J. R.; Steinman, B. A.; Lachniet, M. S.; Shea, C.; Avendaño, C.

2016-12-01

Finely-laminated sediments from Lake San Francisco in the Huehuetenango province of west-central Guatemala provide a sub-decadal resolution record of hydroclimate variability spanning the last 5200 years. Age control is based on 7 radiocarbon samples of charcoal and lead-210 dating of surface sediments. Modern water isotope samples indicate the lake is currently an open system, and variations of δ18O values of precipitation in the region are driven largely by the amount effect. In contrast, a strong covariance of δ18O and δ13C values combined with pollen evidence in the lower part of the record suggests the lake was a seasonally closed-basin from 5200 to 3200 BP, and was sensitive to evaporation under more arid conditions. There was an overall trend of increasingly wetter conditions during the late Holocene, and a lack of covariance between δ18O and δ13C indicates that the lake transitioned to an open-basin after 3200 BP. The Medieval Climate Anomaly was the wettest period of the late Holocene, and there was a shift to lower precipitation amounts during the Little Ice Age. Present conditions are more arid than most of the last millennium, but δ18O values in the modern sediments are intermediate compared to the full late Holocene. The Lake San Francisco record provides additional evidence that the hydroclimate of Central America is sensitive to both changes in North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Drier conditions at San Francisco over the length of the record were associated with more negative phases of NAO and vice versa. During the last 1500 years, drier conditions at San Francisco were also associated with warmer sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Niño3 region, and it was wetter when SSTs were colder.

The impact of AMO and NAO in Western Iberia during the Late Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez, A.; Leira, M.; Trigo, R.; Vázquez-Loureiro, D.; Carballeira, R.; Sáez, A.

2016-12-01

High mountain lakes in the Iberian Peninsula are particularly sensitive to the influence of North Atlantic large-scale modes of climate variability due to their geographical position and the reduced anthropic disturbances. In this context, Serra da Estrela (Portugal), the westernmost range of the Sistema Central, constitutes a physical barrier to air masses coming from the Atlantic Ocean. However, long-term climate reconstructions have not yet been conducted. We present a climate reconstruction of this region based on facies analysis, X-ray fluorescence core scanning, elemental and isotope geochemistry on bulk organic matter and a preliminary study of diatom assemblages from the sedimentary record of Lake Peixão (1677 m a.s.l.; Serra da Estrela) for the last ca. 3500 years. A multivariate statistical analysis has been performed to recognize the main environmental factors controlling the sedimentary infill. Our results reveal that two main processes explain the 70% of the total variance. Thus, changes in primary productivity, reflected in organic matter accumulation, and variations in runoff, related to external particles input, explain 53% and 17% respectively. Additionally, evidence of changes in productivity and water level regime recorded as variations in diatom assemblages correlate well with our interpretations. A comparison between the lake productivity changes and previous Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) reconstructions shows a good correlation, suggesting this climate mode as the main driver over lacustrine primary productivity at multi-decadal scales. In turn, changes in terrigenous inputs, linked to precipitation, seem to be more influenced by the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) variability. Hence, our results highlight that although the climate regime in this area is clearly influenced by the NAO, the AMO also plays a key role at long-term time-scales.

Urban NO 2 and NO pollution in relation to the North Atlantic Oscillation NAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grundström, M.; Linderholm, H. W.; Klingberg, J.; Pleijel, H.

2011-02-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a measure of the strength of the zonal wind across the North Atlantic Ocean, strongly influences weather conditions in NW Europe, e.g. temperature, precipitation and wind, especially during winter. It was hypothesised that elevated concentrations of nitrogen oxides in Gothenburg would be enhanced during negative NAO index (NAOI) conditions, representing more anticyclonic weather situations and thus leading to limited air mixing in the urban atmosphere, than situations with NAOI > 0. Hourly wintertime (December-February) concentrations (1997-2006) of NO 2, NO, air pressure, temperature and wind direction from an urban rooftop (30 m above street level) in the centre of the City of Gothenburg were analysed in relation to NAOI. Air pressure, the average concentration of nitrogen oxides (NO x = NO 2 + NO), as well as the fraction of hourly NO 2 and NO concentrations exceeding 90 μg m -3 and the fraction of daily NO concentrations exceeding 60 μg m -3, were significantly and negatively related to NAOI. Air temperature was positively correlated with NAOI. Southerly and westerly winds were more common in months with positive NAOI, while easterly and northerly winds were overrepresented in months with negative NAOI. High pollution concentrations dominantly occurred in situations with northerly and easterly wind directions. High NO 2 and NO concentrations were associated with negative NAOI, especially in the morning when the traffic rush coincided with restricted air mixing. Over the ten-year period there were trends for more negative NAOI and increased time fractions with hourly NO 2 concentrations exceeding 90 μg m -3. The conclusion of this study is that a climate shift towards higher or lower NAOI has the potential to significantly influence urban air pollution in North-West Europe, and thus the possibility to reach air quality standards, even if emissions remain constant.

Progress in Suppressing Scattered Light into the Optical Beam Path of the NAO Rozhen 2m Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovcharov, E. P.; Petrov, N.; Markov, H.; Bonev, T.; Donchev, Z.

2010-09-01

In this poster paper we present a summary of the published analysis of the spatial dependence of the magnitudes derived from images obtained in the RC focal plane of the 2m RCC NAO Rozhen telescope. An alert for the possible reason was the unusually curved flat-field images taken as a part of the standard CCD calibration procedure. The reasons for the problem are described and a solution is presented, which consists modification of the mirror baffles and mounting of special diaphragm at the entrance of the filter wheel.

The influences of the AMO and NAO on the sedimentary infill in an Azores Archipelago lake since ca. 1350 CE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández, Armand; Sáez, Alberto; Bao, Roberto; Raposeiro, Pedro M.; Trigo, Ricardo M.; Doolittle, Sara; Masqué, Pere; Rull, Valentí; Gonçalves, Vítor; Vázquez-Loureiro, David; Rubio-Inglés, María J.; Sánchez-López, Guiomar; Giralt, Santiago

2017-07-01

The location of the Azores Archipelago in the North Atlantic makes this group of islands an excellent setting to study the long-term behavior of large oceanic and atmospheric climate dynamic patterns, such as the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Here, we present the impacts of these patterns on Lake Empadadas (Azores Archipelago) from the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) - Little Ice Age (LIA) transition to the present based on sedimentological, geochemical and biological characterizations of the sedimentary record. Multivariate analyses of a number of proxies including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), total organic and inorganic carbon (TOC and TIC) and diatom life forms abundance reveal that the sedimentary infill evolution has been controlled by (i) fluctuations in the lake level and (ii) variations in organic matter accumulation. Both processes are governed by climate variability and modulated by anthropogenic activities associated with changes on the lake catchment. Changes in these two sedimentary processes have been used to infer five stages: (i) the MCA-LIA transition (ca. 1350-1450 CE) was characterized by a predominantly positive AMO phase, which led to intermediate lake levels and high organic matter concentration; (ii) the first half of the LIA (ca. 1450-1600 CE) was characterized by predominant lowstand conditions and intermediate organic matter deposition mainly related to negative AMO phases; (iii) the second half of the LIA (ca. 1600-1850 CE) was characterized by negative AMO and NAO phases, implying intermediate lake levels and high organic matter deposition; (iv) the Industrial era (ca. 1850-1980 CE) was characterized by the lowest lake level and organic matter accumulation associated with negative AMO phases; and (v) the period spanning between 1980 CE and the present reveals the highest lake levels and low organic matter deposition, being associated with very positive AMO

Detecting the Benefits of Shade Management in the Thermal Regime of an Upland River Under Positive and Negative Phases of the NAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilby, R.; Johnson, M. F.

2017-12-01

Water temperature is an important determinant of river ecosystem function and health. Hence, there is growing concern about rising surface water temperatures as a consequence of global warming and human modifications to river regimes. Some agencies are advocating riparian shade management as a means of `keeping rivers cool'. As appealing as this policy might seem, there are a host of practical considerations such as which species to plant, where to plant, and how much to plant? Moreover, there can be unintended consequences for groundwater recharge, flood risk and nutrient fluxes through the buffer zone. The thermal benefits of tree-planting may also be hard to detect amidst the integrated, downstream effects of landscape shade and flows from springs. Yet, to truly evaluate shade management as an adaptation to climate change, clear evidence is needed of the costs and benefits of this local intervention. What has this got to do with natural modes of climate variability? Continental scale, hydrological impacts of ENSO, the PDO and NAO have been widely reported - these periodic variations in ocean-atmosphere circulations are often blamed for floods, droughts, wildfire, crop failures, and the like. But there is emerging evidence that such phenomena also drive inter-annual variations in the heat flux of rivers. This matters because the underlying signal can confound field and model experiments intended to test adaptation options. Here, we present evidence of NAO signatures in the water temperature regime of the River Dove, UK. We compare the amplitude of these thermal variations with the expected benefit of tree planting. We demonstrate that the difference in maximum summer water temperature between strongly positive and strongly negative NAO phases can be about 2.5°C. This is equivalent to the thermal benefit of more than 2 km of riparian shade for the river studied. So, whilst modes of climate variability undoubtedly have a global footprint, let us not forget that

Type II Cepheids: evidence for Na-O anticorrelation for BL Her type stars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovtyukh, V.; Yegorova, I.; Andrievsky, S.; Korotin, S.; Saviane, I.; Lemasle, B.; Chekhonadskikh, F.; Belik, S.

2018-06-01

The chemical composition of 28 Population II Cepheids and one RR Lyrae variable has been studied using high-resolution spectra. The chemical composition of W Vir variable stars (with periods longer than 8 d) is typical for the halo and thick disc stars. However, the chemical composition of BL Her variables (with periods of 0.8-4 d) is drastically different, although it does not differ essentially from that of the stars belonging to globular clusters. In particular, the sodium overabundance ([Na/Fe] ≈ 0.4) is reported for most of these stars, and the Na-O anticorrelation is also possible. The evolutionary tracks for BL Her variables (with a progenitor mass value of 0.8 solar masses) indicate that mostly helium-overabundant stars (Y = 0.30-0.35) can fall into the instability strip region. We suppose that it is the helium overabundance that accounts not only for the existence of BL Her variable stars but also for the observed abnormalities in the chemical composition of this small group of pulsating variables.

The Na-O anticorrelation in horizontal branch stars. IV. M 22

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gratton, R. G.; Lucatello, S.; Sollima, A.; Carretta, E.; Bragaglia, A.; Momany, Y.; D'Orazi, V.; Cassisi, S.; Salaris, M.

2014-03-01

We obtained high-resolution spectra for 94 candidate stars belonging to the HB of M 22 with FLAMES. Previous works have indicated that this cluster has split subgiant (SGB) and red giant branches (RGB) and hosts two different stellar populations, differing in overall metal abundance and both exhibiting a Na-O anti-correlation. The HB stars we observed span a restricted temperature range (7800 < Teff < 11 000 K), where about 60% of the HB stars of M 22 are. Within our sample, we can distinguish three groups of stars segregated (though contiguous) in colours: Group 1 (49 stars) is metal-poor, N-normal, Na-poor, and O-rich: our abundances for this (cooler) group match those determined for the primordial group of RGB stars (a third of the total) from previous studies very well. Group 2 (23 stars) is still metal-poor, but it is N- and Na-rich, though only very mildly depleted in O. We can identify this intermediate group as the progeny of the metal-poor RGB stars that occupy an intermediate location along the Na-O anti-correlation and include about 10% of the RGB stars. The third group (20 stars) is metal-rich, Na-rich, and O-rich. This hotter group most likely corresponds to the most O-rich component of the previously found metal-rich RGB population (a quarter of the total). We did not observe any severely O-depleted stars and we think that the progeny of these stars falls on the hotter part of the HB. Furthermore, we found that the metal-rich population is also over-abundant in Sr, in agreement with results for corresponding RGB and SGB stars. However, we do not find any significant variation in the ratio between the sum of N and O abundances to Fe. We do not have C abundances for our stars. There is some evidence of an enhancement of He content for Groups 2 and 3 stars (Y = 0.338 ± 0.014 ± 0.05); the error bar due to systematics is large, but a consistent analysis of data for several GCs confirms that stars in these groups within M 22 are probably overabundant in

The Little Ice Age was 1.0-1.5 °C cooler than current warm period according to LOD and NAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzarella, Adriano; Scafetta, Nicola

2018-02-01

We study the yearly values of the length of day (LOD, 1623-2016) and its link to the zonal index (ZI, 1873-2003), the Northern Atlantic oscillation index (NAO, 1659-2000) and the global sea surface temperature (SST, 1850-2016). LOD is herein assumed to be mostly the result of the overall circulations occurring within the ocean-atmospheric system. We find that LOD is negatively correlated with the global SST and with both the integral function of ZI and NAO, which are labeled as IZI and INAO. A first result is that LOD must be driven by a climatic change induced by an external (e.g. solar/astronomical) forcing since internal variability alone would have likely induced a positive correlation among the same variables because of the conservation of the Earth's angular momentum. A second result is that the high correlation among the variables implies that the LOD and INAO records can be adopted as global proxies to reconstruct past climate change. Tentative global SST reconstructions since the seventeenth century suggest that around 1700, that is during the coolest period of the Little Ice Age (LIA), SST could have been about 1.0-1.5 °C cooler than the 1950-1980 period. This estimated LIA cooling is greater than what some multiproxy global climate reconstructions suggested, but it is in good agreement with other more recent climate reconstructions including those based on borehole temperature data.

Preparation and characterization of novel nanocomposites of inorganic/polysaccharide type =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveira, Fabiane Costa

O uso de polimeros naturais no ambito da preparacao de nanocompositos nao tem sido tao amplamente estudado quando comparado com os polimeros sinteticos. Assim, esta tese tem como objectivo estudar metodologias para a preparacao de novos materiais nanocompositos sob a forma de dispersoes e filmes utilizando polissacarideos como matriz. A tese esta dividida em cinco capitulos sendo o ultimo capitulo dedicado as conclusoes gerais e a sugestoes para trabalhos futuros. Inicialmente e apresentada uma breve revisao bibliografica sobre os principais temas colocando esta tese em contexto. Consideracoes sobre o uso de polimeros naturais e a sua combinacao com a utilizacao de nanoparticulas inorganicas para a fabricacao de novos bionanocomposites sao descritas e os objectivos e outline da tese sao tambem apresentados. No segundo capitulo, a preparacao de particulas de silica puras ou modificadas bem como a sua caracterizacao por FTIR, SEM, TEM, TGA, DLS (tamanho e potencial zeta) e medicoes de angulo de contacto sao discutidas. De modo a melhorar a compatibilidade da silica com os polissacarideos, as particulas SiO2 foram modificados com dois compostos do tipo organosilano: 3- metacril-oxipropil-trimetoxissilano (MPS) e 3-aminopropil-trimetoxissilano (APS). As particulas SiO2 MPS foram posteriormente encapsuladas com de poli(metacrilato de glicidilo) utilizando a tecnica de polimerizacao em emulsao. A utilizacao dos nanocompositos resultantes na preparacao de dispersoes de bionanocompositos nao foi bem sucedida e por esse motivo nao os estudos nao foram prosseguidos. O uso de SiO2 APS na preparacao de dispersoes bionanocomposite foi eficiente. No terceiro capitulo e apresentada uma revisao sobre dispersoes bionanocompositas e respectiva caracterizacao destacando aspectos fundamentais sobre reologia e microestrutura. Em seguida, e discutido o estudo sistematico realizado sobre o comportamento reologico de dispersoes de SiO2 utilizando tres polissacarideos distintos no que

A Decadal-scale Air-sea Interaction Theory for North Atlantic Multidecadal Variability: the NAT-NAO-AMOC-AMO Coupled Mode and Its Remote Influences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jianping; Sun, Cheng; Jin, Fei-Fei

2017-04-01

ABSTRACT North Atlantic region shows prominent multidecadal variability. Observational analysis shows that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) leads the oceanic Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) by 15-20 years and the latter also leads the former by around 15 years. The mechanisms are investigated using simulations from a fully coupled model, and a NATNAO-AMOC-AMO Coupled Mode is proposed to explain the multidecadal variability in North Atlantic region. The NAT-NAO-AMO-AMOC coupled mode has important remote influences on regional climates. Observational analysis identifies a significant in-phase relationship between the AMV and Siberian warm season (May to October) precipitation. The physical mechanism for this relationship is investigated using both observations and numerical simulations. North Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) warming associated with the positive AMV phase can excite an eastward propagating wave train response across the entire Eurasian continent, which includes an east-west dipole structure over Siberia. The dipole then leads to anomalous southerly winds bringing moisture northward to Siberia; the precipitation increases correspondingly. Furthermore, a prominent teleconnection pattern of multidecadal variability of cold season (November to April) upper-level atmospheric circulation over North Africa and Eurasia (NA-EA) is revealed by empirical orthogonal function analysis of the Twentieth Century Reanalysis data, and this teleconnection pattern is referred to as the Africa-Asia multidecadal teleconnection pattern (AAMT). A strong inphase relationship is observed between the AAMT and Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) and this connection is mainly due to Rossby wave dynamics. The AAMT acts as an atmospheric bridge conveying the influence of AMV onto the downstream multidecadal climate variability.

Biaxial seismic behaviour of reinforced concrete columns =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Hugo Filipe Pinheiro

A analise dos efeitos dos sismos mostra que a investigacao em engenharia sismica deve dar especial atencao a avaliacao da vulnerabilidade das construcoes existentes, frequentemente desprovidas de adequada resistencia sismica tal como acontece em edificios de betao armado (BA) de muitas cidades em paises do sul da Europa, entre os quais Portugal. Sendo os pilares elementos estruturais fundamentais na resistencia sismica dos edificios, deve ser dada especial atencao a sua resposta sob acoes ciclicas. Acresce que o sismo e um tipo de acao cujos efeitos nos edificios exige a consideracao de duas componentes horizontais, o que tem exigencias mais severas nos pilares comparativamente a acao unidirecional. Assim, esta tese centra-se na avaliacao da resposta estrutural de pilares de betao armado sujeitos a acoes ciclicas horizontais biaxiais, em tres linhas principais. Em primeiro lugar desenvolveu-se uma campanha de ensaios para o estudo do comportamento ciclico uniaxial e biaxial de pilares de betao armado com esforco axial constante. Para tal foram construidas quatro series de pilares retangulares de betao armado (24 no total) com diferentes caracteristicas geometricas e quantidades de armadura longitudinal, tendo os pilares sido ensaiados para diferentes historias de carga. Os resultados experimentais obtidos sao analisados e discutidos dando particular atencao a evolucao do dano, a degradacao de rigidez e resistencia com o aumento das exigencias de deformacao, a energia dissipada, ao amortecimento viscoso equivalente; por fim e proposto um indice de dano para pilares solicitados biaxialmente. De seguida foram aplicadas diferentes estrategias de modelacao nao-linear para a representacao do comportamento biaxial dos pilares ensaiados, considerando nao-linearidade distribuida ao longo dos elementos ou concentrada nas extremidades dos mesmos. Os resultados obtidos com as varias estrategias de modelacao demonstraram representar adequadamente a resposta em termos das curvas

Novel materials based on chitosan, its derivatives and cellulose fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandes, Susana Cristina de Matos

O presente trabalho tem como principal objectivo o desenvolvimento de novos materiais baseados em quitosano, seus derivados e celulose, na forma de nanofibras ou de papel. Em primeiro lugar procedeu-se a purificacao das amostras comerciais de quitosano e a sua caracterizacao exaustiva em termos morfologicos e fisicoquimicos. Devido a valores contraditorios encontrados na literatura relativamente a energia de superficie do quitosano, e tendo em conta a sua utilizacao como precursor de modificacoes quimicas e a sua aplicacao em misturas com outros materiais, realizou-se tambem um estudo sistematico da determinacao da energia de superficie do quitosano, da quitina e seus respectivos homologos monomericos, por medicao de ângulos de contacto Em todas as amostras comerciais destes polimeros identificaram-se impurezas nao polares que estao associadas a erros na determinacao da componente polar da energia de superficie. Apos a remocao destas impurezas, o valor da energia total de superficie (gs), e em particular da sua componente polar, aumentou consideravelmente. Depois de purificadas e caracterizadas, algumas das amostras de quitosano foram entao usadas na preparacao de filmes nanocompositos, nomeadamente dois quitosanos com diferentes graus de polimerizacao, correspondentes derivados soluveis em agua (cloreto de N-(3-(N,N,N-trimetilamonio)-2- hidroxipropilo) de quitosano) e nanofibras de celulose como reforco (celulose nanofibrilada (NFC) e celulose bacteriana (BC). Estes filmes transparentes foram preparados atraves de um processo simples e com conotacao 'verde' pela dispersao homogenea de diferentes teores de NFC (ate 60%) e BC (ate 40%) nas solucoes de quitosano (1.5% w/v) seguida da evaporacao do solvente. Os filmes obtidos foram depois caracterizados por diversas tecnicas, tais como SEM, AFM, difraccao de raio-X, TGA, DMA, ensaios de traccao e espectroscopia no visivel. Estes filmes sao altamente transparentes e apresentam melhores propriedades mecânicas e maior

Effect of Tong Luo Jiu Nao on Aβ-degrading enzymes in AD rat brains.

PubMed

Liu, Yuan; Hua, Qian; Lei, Hongtao; Li, Pengtao

2011-09-02

Tong Luo Jiu Nao (TLJN) is a modern Chinese formula based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory that has been used to treat ischemic cerebral stroke and vascular dementia. TLJN belongs to the ethnopharmacological family of medicines. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the TLJN effect on Alzheimer's disease (AD). To investigate the effect of TLJN on β-amyloid-degrading enzymes and learning and memory in the AD rat brain. AD rats whose disease was induced by Aβ(25-35) injection into the bilateral hippocampus CA1 region were subjected to intragastric administration of various preparations. The experimental animals were healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats which were randomly divided into normal, sham, model, TLJN min, TLJN max and donepezil hydrochloride groups. Spontaneous alternation and passive avoidance behavior, which are regarded as measures of spatial learning and memory, were investigated using Y-maze testing. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to observe the therapeutic effect of TLJN on the deposits of amyloid plaque and on the expression of synaptophysin, insulin-degrading enzyme and neprilysin. Y-maze results showed that the AD model group presented with spatial learning and memory impairments. Hematoxylin-eosin and Congo red staining indicated neuronal impairment and deposits of amyloid plaque in the model group and these results were consistent with their learning and memory deficits in the Y-maze. The TLJN-treated groups exhibited prolonged a cavity delitescence, decreased arm entries and improvement in learning and memory. Moreover, the structure of the neurons of the treated groups was restored and the expression of synaptophysin increased in both the hippocampus and cortex. In addition, their levels of insulin-degrading enzyme and neprilysin in the cortex and hippocampus were upregulated and the amyloid plaque was decreased. TLJN can improve learning and memory, up-regulate insulin-degrading enzyme and neprilysin levels

Physical Biologycal Interactions Controlling Larvae Dispersion: Application to Regions in the Neighbourhood of the Estuaries of North Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almeida, Martinho Marta

Um modelo numerico tridimensional oceânico foi usado para estudar a influencia das condicoes fisicas na dispersao e recrutamento de larvas com migracao vertical diaria (MVD) activa na plataforma continental noroeste de Portugal. As primeiras simulacoes foram forcadas por mares e verificou-se que a interaccao entre MVD e correntes de mare nao e importante para o transporte de larvas na plataforma continental oeste portuguesa. O trabalho realizado com forcamento de mares incrementou o presente conhecimento da dinâmica da mare na regiao. A analise da variacao vertical dos parâmetros das elipses de mare mostra uma separacao clara entre os harmonicos diurnos e semi-diurnos, e entre a circulacao oceânica quase barotropica e as correntes com dependencia vertical na plataforma. Desprezando a interaccao entre MVD e as mares o proximo passo foi a construcao e validacao dum modelo realistico forcado por fluxos atmosfera-oceano, capaz de reproduzir as correntes dominantes, geradas pelo vento, na plataforma continental. Na configuracao criada a MVD das larvas foi simulada com quatro cenarios de distribuicao e migracao vertical. Foram feitas duas simulacoes, uma para o final do Inverno e outra para a Primavera, abrangendo os meses de Fevereiro a Abril e Abril a Junho de 2002. Estes periodos foram escolhidos pois exibem diferentes regimes de vento, nao favoravel e favoravel ao afloramento costeiro. Os resultados mostram que as particulas com MVD sofreram maior retencao na plataforma continental interna durante condicoes de afloramento do que em qualquer outra combinacao de cenario de migracao e regime de vento. Na costa noroeste da Peninsula Iberica, que nao exibe irregularidades topograficas que poderiam criar areas de concentracao e retencao, a MVD pode constituir um mecanismo importante para evitar a dispersao de larvas em direccao ao mar aberto. None

Electrochemical Reduction of Oxygen in Aprotic Ionic Liquids Containing Metal Cations: A Case Study on the Na-O2 system.

PubMed

Azaceta, Eneko; Lutz, Lukas; Grimaud, Alexis; Vicent-Luna, Jose Manuel; Hamad, Said; Yate, Luis; Cabañero, German; Grande, Hans-Jurgen; Anta, Juan A; Tarascon, Jean-Marie; Tena-Zaera, Ramon

2017-04-10

Metal-air batteries are intensively studied because of their high theoretical energy-storage capability. However, the fundamental science of electrodes, electrolytes, and reaction products still needs to be better understood. In this work, the ionic liquid N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (PYR14TFSI) was chosen to study the influence of a wide range of metal cations (M n+ ) on the electrochemical behavior of oxygen. The relevance of the theory of Lewis hard and soft acids and bases to predict satisfactorily the reduction potential of oxygen in electrolytes containing metal cations is demonstrated. Systems with soft and intermediate M n+ acidity are shown to facilitate oxygen reduction and metal oxide formation, whereas oxygen reduction is hampered by hard acid cations such as sodium and lithium. Furthermore, DFT calculations on the energy of formation of the resulting metal oxides rationalize the effect of M n+ on oxygen reduction. A case study on the Na-O 2 system is described in detail. Among other things, the Na + concentration of the electrolyte is shown to control the electrochemical pathway (solution precipitation vs. surface deposition) by which the discharge product grows. All in all, fundamental insights for the design of advanced electrolytes for metal-air batteries, and Na-air batteries in particular, are provided. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

EM Diffusion for a Time-Domain Airborne EM System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, C.; Qiu, C.; Liu, Y.; Cai, J.

2014-12-01

Visualization of EM diffusion for an airborne EM (AEM) system is important for understanding the transient procedure of EM diffusion. The current distribution and diffusion features also provide effective means to evaluate EM footprint, depth of exploration and further help AEM system design and data interpretation. Most previous studies on EM diffusion (or "smoke ring" effect) are based on the static presentation of EM field, where the dynamic features of EM diffusion were not visible. For visualizing the dynamic feature of EM diffusion, we first calculate in this paper the frequency-domain EM field by downward continuation of the EM field at the EM receiver to the deep earth. After that, we transform the results to time-domain via a Fourier transform. We take a homogeneous half-space and a two-layered earth induced by a step pulse to calculate the EM fields and display the EM diffusion in the earth as 3D animated vectors or time-varying contours. The "smoke ring" effect of EM diffusion, dominated by the resistivity distribution of the earth, is clearly observed. The numerical results for an HCP (vertical magnetic dipole) and a VCX (horizontal magnetic dipole) transmitting coil above a homogeneous half-space of 100 ohm-m are shown in Fig.1. We display as example only the distribution of EM field inside the earth for the diffusion time of 0.05ms. The detailed EM diffusion will be shown in our future presentation. From the numerical experiments for different models, we find that 1) the current for either an HCP or a VCX transmitting dipole propagates downward and outward with time, becoming wider and more diffuse, forming a "smoke ring"; 2) for a VCX transmitter, the underground current forms two ellipses, corresponding to the two polarities of the magnetic flux of a horizontal magnetic dipole, injecting into or ejected from the earth; 3) for a HCP transmitter, however, the underground current forms only one circle, corresponding to the polarity of the magnetic flux

Influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on European tropospheric composition: an observational and modelling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, R.; Chipperfield, M.

2017-12-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has a strong influence on winter-time North Atlantic and European circulation patterns. Under the positive phase of the NAO (NAO+), intensification of the climatological Icelandic low and Azores high pressure systems results in strong westerly flow across the Atlantic into Europe. Under the NAO negative phase (NAO-), there is a weakening of this meridional pressure gradient resulting in a southerly shift in the westerlies flow towards the sub-tropical Atlantic. Therefore, NAO+ and NAO- introduce unstable stormy and drier stable conditions into Europe, respectively. Under NAO+ conditions, the strong westerlies tend to enhance transport of European pollution (e.g. nitrogen oxides) away from anthropogenic source regions. While during NAO-, the more stable conditions lead to a build up of pollutants. However, secondary pollutants (i.e. tropospheric ozone) show the opposite signal where NAO+, while transporting primary pollutants away, introduces Atlantic ozone enriched air into Europe. Here ozone can form downwind of pollution from continental North America and be transported into Europe via the westerly flow. Under NAO-, this westerly ozone transport is reduced yielding lower European ozone concentrations also depleted further by ozone loss through the reaction with NOx, which has accumulated over the continent. Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), observed in the upper troposphere - lower stratosphere (UTLS) by satellite, peaks over Iceland/Southern Greenland in NAO-, between 200-100 hPa, consistent with trapping by an anticyclone at this altitude. During NAO+, PAN is enhanced over the sub-tropical Atlantic and Arctic. Model simulations show that enhanced PAN over Iceland/Southern Greenland in NAO- is associated with vertical transport from the troposphere into the UTLS, while peak Arctic PAN in NAO+ is its accumulation given the strong northerly meridional transport in the UTLS. UTLS ozone spatial anomalies, relative to the winter

Sodium/calcium exchange in mammalian ventricular muscle: a study with sodium-sensitive micro-electrodes.

PubMed Central

Chapman, R A; Coray, A; McGuigan, J A

1983-01-01

A method for mounting and rapidly perfusing small ventricular trabeculae (diameter around 250 micron) from either ferret or guinea-pig is described. Tension, membrane potential (Em) and intracellular Na activity (aiNa) were measured. aiNa was measured using Na-sensitive micro-electrodes. At room temperature (22-26 degrees C), [Na]o 155 mmol/l and [Ca]o 5.4 mmol/l, aiNa was 10.9 mmol/l +/- S.D. 4.2 mmol/l (n = 148). When [Na]o was reduced from 155 to 1.5 mmol/l contractures developed. These were about twitch height in guinea-pig but less than the twitch height in ferret. Associated with the development of the contracture there was a decrease in aiNa. The aiNa halved within 30 s. The decrease in aiNa was not influenced by changing pHo from 7.4 to 9.5, K-free solution or strophanthidin 50 mumol/l and was not passive since, even when the [Na]o was 1.5 mmol/l, the driving force for Na ions remained inward. The aiNa decreased if [Ca]o was increased and [Na]o decreased or vice versa. On the basis of these findings it is concluded that the decrease in aiNa is mainly due to Na/Ca exchange. Despite the large decrease in aiNa the [Ca]i, as monitored by tension changes, hardly increased. Since Ca uptake does occur in Na-free conditions in heart muscle it is proposed that the mitochondria take up Ca ions and so prevent an excessive rise in cytoplasmic Ca. Strophanthidin increased both aiNa and the withdrawal contracture, but collected results from a number of experiments showed no clear correlation between the initial aiNa and contracture amplitude. Strophanthidin may, therefore, have actions additional to increasing aiNa. PMID:6644617

Projection of North Atlantic Oscillation and its effect on tracer transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bacer, Sara; Christoudias, Theodoros; Pozzer, Andrea

2016-12-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) plays an important role in the climate variability of the Northern Hemisphere, with significant consequences on long-range pollutant transport. We investigate the evolution of pollutant transport in the 21st century influenced by the NAO under a global climate change scenario. We use a free-running simulation performed by the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry (EMAC) model coupled with the ocean general circulation model MPIOM, covering the period from 1950 until 2100. Similarly to other works, the model shows a future northeastward shift of the NAO centres of action and a weak positive trend of the NAO index (over 150 years). Moreover, we find that NAO trends (computed over periods shorter than 30 years) will continue to oscillate between positive and negative values in the future. To investigate the NAO effects on transport we consider carbon monoxide tracers with exponential decay and constant interannual emissions. We find that at the end of the century, the south-western Mediterranean and northern Africa will, during positive NAO phases, see higher pollutant concentrations with respect to the past, while a wider part of northern Europe will, during positive NAO phases, see lower pollutant concentrations. Such results are confirmed by the changes observed in the future for tracer concentration and vertically integrated tracer transport, differentiating the cases of "high NAO" and "low NAO" events.

North Atlantic Oscillation influence and weather types associated with winter total and extreme precipitation events in Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Queralt, S.; Hernández, E.; Barriopedro, D.; Gallego, D.; Ribera, P.; Casanova, C.

2009-12-01

An analysis of winter intensity and frequency of precipitation is presented, based on 102 daily precipitation stations over Spain and the Balearic Islands for the 1997-2006 decade. Precipitation stations have been merged in the eight different regions which compose the analyzed area by the use of an EOF analysis. NAO influence on the intensity and frequency of precipitation of each region is described in terms of mean precipitation, mean rain frequency, the number of extreme events, changes in the precipitation distribution and the prevalent synoptic configuration. Results indicate a non-stationary response; NAO signal being more evident in mid-late winter. Strong regional differences in the response to NAO are also found, which vary according to the specific character of the precipitation under analysis. Thus, NAO exerts a clear effect on the intensity of total and extreme precipitation rates in northern and westernmost Spanish regions, whereas the frequency of precipitation is clearly affected by NAO in central and southwestern areas. While the correlation between NAO and precipitation is negative for most of the analyzed area, two regions reveal positive responses to NAO in total precipitation occurrence and intensity for specific months. Further analyses reveal asymmetric responses to opposite phases of NAO in the precipitation distributions of some regions. The complex regional relationship between NAO and precipitation is also revealed through the modulation of the former in the preferred Circulation Weather Types associated to precipitation in each region. This spatially non-homogeneous NAO signal stresses the need of caution when employing Iberian precipitation as a proxy for NAO.

The Energy Cascade Associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castanheira, J. M.; Marques, C. A. F.

2017-12-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation or Arctic Oscillation (NAO/AO), in a more hemispheric expression, is the dominant mode of variability of the extratropical atmospheric circulation. In the literature which analyses the association of low frequency variability of the NAO/AO with other climate variables, it is very common to find the idea of circulation and climate impacts of the NAO/AO. It is usually suggested that the NAO influences the position of North Atlantic storm tracks and the related transport of heat and moisture. However, in spite of the long time since the NAO variability mode was uncovered (Walker and Bliss, 1932), its underlying dynamical mechanisms are not well understood yet. In fact, it is not yet consensual that the NAO influences the position of the storm tracks, being possible that the relationship is in the opposite way with the storm track activity influencing de NAO. In this communication we will present an analysis of anomalies of the energy cascade associated with the NAO. A detailed version of the Lorenz energy cycle, which decomposes the energy flows into baroclinic and barotropic terms and into zonal mean and eddy components, was applied to the 6-hourly ERA-I reanalysis for the period of 1979 to 2016. The obtained results show that the positive NAO phase is preceded by an significant increase of synoptic baroclinic eddy activity. The eddy available potential energy is converted into kinetic energy and transferred to barotropic synoptic eddies. Then, the kinetic energy is transferred upscale into the barotropic planetary waves, which reproduce the NAO pattern. Therefore, we conclude that the synoptic baroclinic eddy activity forces the NAO variability. No clear signal was found for a modulating role of the NAO in the baroclinic eddy activity.

Correlação de longo alcance em sistemas binários de raios-x usando remoção de flutuações

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, M. G.; Moret, M. A.; Zebende, G. F.; Nogueira, E., Jr.

2003-08-01

Neste trabalho é proposta uma metodologia de analise de series temporais de fontes astrofísicas, baseada no método proposto por Peng et al. (1994) e Liu et al. (1999), o qual consiste na idéia de que uma série temporal correlacionada pode ser mapeada por um processo de busca de auto-similaridades em diversas escalas de tempo n. Removendo as eventuais tendências e integrando o sinal observado, é obtida uma medida do desvio médio quadrático das flutuações do sinal integrado F(n)~na, onde a representa o fator de escala associado com a auto-similaridade da correlação de longo alcance do sinal. Baseado nos valores obtidos de a, é possível distinguir entre os casos de sinais não-correlacionados, tipo ruído branco (a = 0,5), sinal anti-persistentes (a < 0,5) e sinal persistente (a > 0,5). Usando esta metodologia, foram analisadas 129 curvas de luz de sistemas binários de raios-X, provenientes do banco de dados públicos de observações feitas pelo instrumento All Sky Monitor, a bordo do satélite Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer (ASM-RXTE). Foram identificadas a presença de a'0,5 em mais de 90% dos sistemas estudados, implicando em dizer que as flutuações de intensidade observadas apresentam correlação de auto-similaridade, sem entretanto, indícios de apresentarem uma escala de tempo característica das flutuações de intensidade. Sistemas onde são observadas erupções (flares), apresentam sistematicamente a > 0,5, característica esta, possivelmente associada com persistência das flutuações de densidade de disco ou taxa de acréscimo de massa. Os sistemas com curvas de luz onde nao são observadas as erupções apresentam uma distribuição normal centrada em a~0,62+/-0,10. Referências ¾ Peng, C.-K., Buldyrev, S.V., Havlin, S., Simons, M., Stanley, H.E., e Goldberg, A.L., Phys. Rev. E, (49), 1685 (1994). ¾ Liu, Y., Gopikrishnan, P., Cizeau, P., Meyer, M., Peng,C.-K., e Stanley, H.E., Phys. Rev. E, (60), 1390 (1999).

Busca de estruturas em grandes escalas em altos redshifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boris, N. V.; Sodré, L., Jr.; Cypriano, E.

2003-08-01

A busca por estruturas em grandes escalas (aglomerados de galáxias, por exemplo) é um ativo tópico de pesquisas hoje em dia, pois a detecção de um único aglomerado em altos redshifts pode por vínculos fortes sobre os modelos cosmológicos. Neste projeto estamos fazendo uma busca de estruturas distantes em campos contendo pares de quasares próximos entre si em z Â3 0.9. Os pares de quasares foram extraídos do catálogo de Véron-Cetty & Véron (2001) e estão sendo observados com os telescópios: 2,2m da University of Hawaii (UH), 2,5m do Observatório de Las Campanas e com o GEMINI. Apresentamos aqui a análise preliminar de um par de quasares observado nos filtros i'(7800 Å) e z'(9500 Å) com o GEMINI. A cor (i'-z') mostrou-se útil para detectar objetos "early-type" em redshifts menores que 1.1. No estudo do par 131046+0006/J131055+0008, com redshift ~ 0.9, o uso deste método possibilitou a detecção de sete objetos candidatos a galáxias "early-type". Num mapa da distribuição projetada dos objetos para 22 < i' < 25 observou-se que estas galáxias estão localizadas próximas a um dos quasares e há indícios de que estejam aglomeradas dentro de um área de ~ 6 arcmin2. Se esse for o caso, estes objetos seriam membros de uma estrutura em grande escala. Um outro argumento em favor dessa hipótese é que eles obedecem uma relação do tipo Kormendy (raio equivalente X brilho superficial dentro desse raio), como a apresentada pelas galáxias elípticas em z = 0.

Revealing the Reaction Mechanism of Na–O 2 Batteries using Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy

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

Kwak, Won -Jin; Luo, Langli; Jung, Hun -Gi

Due to its high energy efficiency, sodium-oxygen (Na-O 2) batteries have been extensively studied recently. One of the critical challenges for the development of the Na-O 2 battery is the elucidation of the reaction mechanism, the reaction products, and thestructural and chemical evolution of reaction product as well as their correlation with the battery performance. Herein, in-situ TEM was employed to probe the reaction mechanism and the structural evolution of the discharge products in Na-O 2 batteries. The discharge product is featured by the formation of both cubic and conformal NaO 2. It has been noticed that the impingement ofmore » reaction product (NaO 2) can lead to the coarsening of the particle through coalescence. We also investigated the stability of the discharge product, noticing that the reaction product NaO 2 is stable in the case of solid electrolyte. Here, the present work provide unprecedented insight for the development of the Na-O 2 batteries.« less

Revealing the Reaction Mechanism of Na–O 2 Batteries using Environmental Transmission Electron Microscopy

DOE PAGES

Kwak, Won -Jin; Luo, Langli; Jung, Hun -Gi; ...

2018-01-15

Due to its high energy efficiency, sodium-oxygen (Na-O 2) batteries have been extensively studied recently. One of the critical challenges for the development of the Na-O 2 battery is the elucidation of the reaction mechanism, the reaction products, and thestructural and chemical evolution of reaction product as well as their correlation with the battery performance. Herein, in-situ TEM was employed to probe the reaction mechanism and the structural evolution of the discharge products in Na-O 2 batteries. The discharge product is featured by the formation of both cubic and conformal NaO 2. It has been noticed that the impingement ofmore » reaction product (NaO 2) can lead to the coarsening of the particle through coalescence. We also investigated the stability of the discharge product, noticing that the reaction product NaO 2 is stable in the case of solid electrolyte. Here, the present work provide unprecedented insight for the development of the Na-O 2 batteries.« less

Variations in suicide method and in suicide occurrence by season and day of the week in Russia and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Northwestern Russia: a retrospective population-based mortality study.

PubMed

Sumarokov, Yury A; Brenn, Tormod; Kudryavtsev, Alexander V; Nilssen, Odd

2015-09-23

Suicide is an important world health issue, especially in territories inhabited by indigenous people. This investigated differences in suicide rates, suicide methods, and suicide occurrence by month and day of the week among the indigenous and non-indigenous populations of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) and to compare the findings from the NAO with national Russian statistics. In this retrospective population-based mortality study we investigated all suicides that occurred in the NAO in 2002-2012 (N = 252). Suicide method and the month and day of the week suicide occurred was taken from autopsy reports and disaggregated by ethnic group (indigenous and non-indigenous) and sex. Data from the NAO were then compared with national data from the Russian Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat). Hanging was the most common suicide method in the NAO in both indigenous and non-indigenous populations. The proportion of suicides by hanging among males was lower in the NAO than in national data (69.3 vs 86.2 %), but the inverse was true for females (86.5 vs 74.9 %). Suicide by firearm and by cutting was significantly higher among the indigenous population in the NAO when compared with national data. Peaks in suicide occurrence were observed in May and September in the NAO, whereas national data showed only one peak in May. Suicide occurrence in the indigenous population of the NAO was highest in April, while the non-indigenous population showed peaks in May and September. Suicide occurrence in the NAO was highest on Fridays; in national data this occurrence was highest on Mondays. We showed different relative frequencies of suicide by hanging, cutting, and firearm, as well as different suicide occurrence by month and day of the week in the NAO compared with Russia as a whole. These results can be used to plan suicide prevention activities in the Russian Arctic.

Atomic layer deposition of metal oxide by non-aqueous sol-gel chemistry =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marichy, Catherine

O trabalho apresentado neste manuscrito foi desenvolvido no ambito do programa doutoral intitulado “Deposicao de Camadas Atomicas (ALD) de oxido de metais por sol-gel nao-aquoso”. O objectivo deste trabalho foi a preparacao de hetero-estruturas funcionais por ALD e a sua caracterizacao. Foi desenvolvido um novo processo de deposicao de oxido de estanho a temperatura baixa-moderada, utilizando um metodo ALD nao-aquoso, o qual foi aplicado com sucesso ao revestimento controlado das paredes internas e externas de nanotubos de carbono. Uma vez que a preparacao de nanomateriais funcionais requer uma elevada exatidao do processo de deposicao, foi demonstrada a deposicao precisa de filmes que se adaptem a forma do substrato ou de filmes nano-estruturados constituidos por particulas em varios substratos. Alem disso, foram depositados com grande exatidao varios oxidos de metal em nanotubos de carbono e demonstrou-se a possibilidade de ajustar o revestimento feito por ALD atraves do controlo da funcionalizacao da superficie do substrato nano-estruturado de carbono. As hetero-estruturas obtidas foram posteriormente aplicadas como sensores de gases. O melhoramento verificado na sensibilidade foi atribuido a formacao de heterojuncoes p-n entre o filme de oxido de metais e o suporte. O trabalho desenvolvido tendo como objetivo o controlo do revestimento por ALD atraves da funcionalizacao da superficie do suporte e certamente de interesse para o design de hetero-estruturas funcionais baseadas em substratos de carbono. De facto, durante o ultimo periodo do programa de doutoramento, este conceito foi alargado a funcionalizacao e revestimento com oxidos de metal de fibras de carbono preparadas por “electrospinning”, de forma a melhorar a estabilidade e a atividade eletrocatalitica de catalisadores a base de Pt. Este trabalho foi realizado maioritariamente na Universidade de Aveiro mas tambem na Universidade Nacional de Seul e beneficiou de varias colaboracoes internacionais

Ultrasonic location system =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albuquerque, Daniel Filipe

Esta tese apresenta um sistema de localizacao baseado exclusivamente em ultrassons, nao necessitando de recorrer a qualquer outra tecnologia. Este sistema de localizacao foi concebido para poder operar em ambientes onde qualquer outra tecnologia nao pode ser utilizada ou o seu uso esta condicionado, como sao exemplo aplicacoes subaquaticas ou ambientes hospitalares. O sistema de localizacao proposto faz uso de uma rede de farois fixos permitindo que estacoes moveis se localizem. Devido a necessidade de transmissao de dados e medicao de distancias foi desenvolvido um pulso de ultrassons robusto a ecos que permite realizar ambas as tarefas com sucesso. O sistema de localizacao permite que as estacoes moveis se localizem escutando apenas a informacao em pulsos de ultrassons enviados pelos farois usando para tal um algoritmo baseado em diferencas de tempo de chegada. Desta forma a privacidade dos utilizadores e garantida e o sistema torna-se completamente independente do numero de utilizadores. Por forma a facilitar a implementacao da rede de farois apenas sera necessario determinar manualmente a posicao de alguns dos farois, designados por farois ancora. Estes irao permitir que os restantes farois, completamente autonomos, se possam localizar atraves de um algoritmo iterativo de localizacao baseado na minimizacao de uma funcao de custo. Para que este sistema possa funcionar como previsto sera necessario que os farois possam sincronizar os seus relogios e medir a distancia entre eles. Para tal, esta tese propoe um protocolo de sincronizacao de relogio que permite tambem obter as medidas de distancia entre os farois trocando somente tres mensagens de ultrassons. Adicionalmente, o sistema de localizacao permite que farois danificados possam ser substituidos sem comprometer a operabilidade da rede reduzindo a complexidade na manutencao. Para alem do mencionado, foi igualmente implementado um simulador de ultrassons para ambientes fechados, o qual provou ser bastante

Development of the Wintertime Sr/Ca-SST Record from Red Sea Corals as a Proxy for the North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernstein, W. N.; Hughen, K. A.

2009-12-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is one of the most pronounced and influential patterns in winter atmospheric circulation variability. This meridional redistribution of atmospheric mass across the Atlantic Ocean produces large changes in the intensity, number and direction of storms generated within the basin, and the regional climate of surrounding continents. The NAO exerts a significant impact on society, through influences on agriculture, fisheries, water management, energy generation and coastal development. NAO effects on climate extend from eastern North America across Europe to the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Changes in NAO behavior during the late 20th century have been linked to global warming; yet despite its importance, the causes and long-term patterns of NAO variability in the past remain poorly understood. In order to better predict the influence of the NAO on climate in the future, it is critical to examine multi-century NAO variability. The Red Sea is an excellent location from which to generate long NAO records for two reasons. First, patterns of wintertime sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS) in the Red Sea are highly correlated with NAO variability (Visbeck et al. 2001; Hurrell et al. 2003). Second, the tropical/subtropical Red Sea region contains fast growing long-lived massive Porites spp. corals with annually banded skeletons. These corals are ideal for generating well-dated high-resolution paleoclimatic records that extend well beyond the instrumental period. Here we present a study of winter SST and NAO variability in the Red sea region based on coral Sr/Ca data. In 2008, we collected multiple drill cores ranging in length from 1 to 4.1 meters from Porites corals at six sites spanning a large SST gradient. Sr/Ca measurements from multiple corals will be regressed against 23 years of satellite SST data, expanding the SST range over which we calibrate. A sampling resolution of 0.5mm will yield greater than bi

Use of Bacillus subtilis isolates from Tua-nao towards nutritional improvement of soya bean hull for monogastric feed application.

PubMed

Wongputtisin, P; Khanongnuch, C; Kongbuntad, W; Niamsup, P; Lumyong, S; Sarkar, P K

2014-09-01

Soya bean hull (SBH) is a cheap and high-fibre content feed ingredient that obtained after soya bean oil extraction. Microbial fermentation was expected to improve SBH qualities before applying to animals, especially monogastric animals. Two bacterial strains, Bacillus subtilis MR10 and TK8 that were isolated from Tua-nao, a traditional fermented soya bean in northern Thailand, were used for fermented soya bean hull (FSBH) production. Both could easily grow at 37°C in SBH as the sole substrate. MR10 produced the highest β-mannanase activity (400 U g(-1) SBH) on day 2, while TK8 produced the highest cellulase activity (14·5 U g(-1) SBH) on day 3. After fermentation, the nutritional quality of SBH was obviously improved by an increase in soluble sugars, soluble proteins, crude protein and crude lipid, and a decrease in the content of raffinose family oligosaccharides. Scavenging activity (%) of SBH against ABTS radical cation was also increased from 14 to 27 and 20% by MR10 and TK8 fermentation, respectively. According to the GRAS property of these both strains and various improvements of nutritional values, the fermented SBH proved to be a potential feed ingredient, especially for the monogastric animals. Normally, soya bean hull has been recognized as only a worthless by-product from soya bean oil production process because of its low utilizable nutrients. Our study introduced an alternative way to utilize this worthless residue using biotechnological knowledge. The nutritional quality of soya bean hull was improved by microbial fermentation. Fermented soya bean hull can be used as a cheap, safe and high-nutrient feed ingredient for livestock production, especially monogastric animals, to promote their growth performances, instead of using antibiotics in some regions of the world. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

The influence of the winter North Atlantic Oscillation index on hospital admissions through diseases of the circulatory system in Lisbon, Portugal.

PubMed

Almendra, Ricardo; Santana, Paula; Vasconcelos, João; Silva, Giovani; Gonçalves, Fábio; Ambrizzi, Tércio

2017-02-01

The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), meteorological variables, air pollutants, and hospital admissions due to diseases of circulatory systems in Lisbon (Portugal) during winter months (2003-2012). This paper is one of the few studies analyzing the impact of NAO on health through its influence on thermal stress and air pollution and is the first to be conducted in Lisbon. This study uses meteorological data (synthetized into a thermal comfort index), air pollutant metrics, and the NAO index (all clustered in 10-day cycles to overcome daily variability of the NAO index). The relationship between morbidity, thermal comfort index, NAO index, and air pollutants was explored through several linear models adjusted to seasonality through a periodic function. The possible indirect effect between the NAO index and hospital admissions was tested, assuming that NAO (independent variable) is affecting hospital admissions (outcome variable) through thermal discomfort and/or pollution levels (tested as individual mediators). This test was conducted through causal mediation analysis and adjusted for seasonal variation. The results from this study suggest a possible indirect relationship between NAO index and hospital admissions. Although NAO is not significantly associated with hospital admissions, it is significantly associated with CO, PM 2.5 , NO, and SO 2 levels, which in turn increase the probability of hospitalization. The discomfort index (built with temperature and relative humidity) is significantly associated with hospital admissions, but its variability is not explained by the NAO index. This study highlights the impacts of the atmospheric circulation patterns on health. Furthermore, understanding the influence of the atmospheric circulation patterns can support the improvement of the existing contingency plans.

The role of the North Atlantic Oscillation in controlling U.K. butterfly population size and phenology

PubMed Central

Westgarth-Smith, Angus R; Roy, David B; Scholze, Martin; Tucker, Allan; Sumpter, John P

2012-01-01

1. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) exerts considerable control on U.K. weather. This study investigates the impact of the NAO on butterfly abundance and phenology using 34 years of data from the U.K. Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS). 2. The study uses a multi-species indicator to show that the NAO does not affect overall U.K. butterfly population size. However, the abundance of bivoltine butterfly species, which have longer flight seasons, were found to be more likely to respond positively to the NAO compared with univoltine species, which show little or a negative response. 3. A positive winter NAO index is associated with warmer weather and earlier flight dates for Anthocharis cardamines (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), Melanargia galathea (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Aphantopus hyperantus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Pyronia tithonus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), Lasiommata megera (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) and Polyommatus icarus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). In bivoltine species, the NAO affects the phenology of the first generation, the timing of which indirectly controls the timing of the second generation. 4. The NAO influences the timing of U.K. butterfly flight seasons more strongly than it influences population size. PMID:22879687

Ionic Dependence of Reversal Voltage of the Light Response in Limulus Ventral Photoreceptors

PubMed Central

Brown, J. E.; Mote, M. I.

1974-01-01

The light-induced current as measured using a voltage clamp (holding voltage at resting potential) is attenuated when sodium ions in the bathing solution, Nao, are replaced by Tris, choline, or Li or when NaCl is replaced by sucrose. After replacement of NaCl by sucrose, the reversal voltage, V rev, for the light response becomes more negative. In this case, the slope of the V rev vs. log Nao near Nao = 425 mM is approximately 55 mV/decade increase of Nao (mean for 13 cells). The slope decreases at lower values of Nao. Choline is not impermeant and partially substitutes for Na; the slope of V rev vs. log Nao is 20 mV/decade (mean for three cells). V rev does not change when Na is replaced by Li. Decreases in the bath concentrations of Ca, Mg, Cl, or K do not affect V rev. When Nao = 212 mM, V rev becomes more positive when Ko is increased. Thus, light induces a change in membrane permeability to Na and probably also to K. PMID:4817353

Cod Collapse and the Climate in the North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, K. C.; Oremus, K. L.; Gaines, S.

2014-12-01

Effective fisheries management requires forecasting population changes. We find a negative relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index and subsequently surveyed biomass and catch of Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, off the New England coast. A 1-unit NAO increase is associated with a 17% decrease in surveyed biomass of age-1 cod the following year. This relationship persists as the cod mature, such that observed NAO can be used to forecast future adult biomass. We also document that an NAO event lowers catch for up to 15 years afterward. In contrast to forecasts by existing stock assessment models, our NAO-driven statistical model successfully hindcasts the recent collapse of New England cod fisheries following strong NAO events in 2007 and 2008 (see figure). This finding can serve as a template for forecasting other fisheries affected by climatic conditions.

The North Atlantic Oscillation Reconstructed at Bermuda for 220 Years Using Sr/Ca Ratios in Diploria labyrinthiformis (brain coral)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodkin, N. F.; Hughen, K. A.; Cohen, A. L.; Curry, W. B.; Doney, S. C.

2006-12-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a meridional oscillation in atmospheric mass measured by pressure anomalies between Iceland (65°N, 23°W) and the Azores (38°N, 26°W) (Hurrell, 1995). Changes between the positive and negative phase of the NAO strongly influence weather patterns across the US, Europe and the Middle East. A shift in recent decades toward a sustained positive NAO has raised questions about the influence of greenhouse gas emissions on this system. Unfortunately, instrumental records are too short to identify the natural baseline variability of the NAO, and NAO reconstructions generally encompass only land-based proxies, excluding ocean processes. Winter-time sea surface temperatures (SST) in the Sargasso Sea have previously been shown to correlate to the NAO (Visbeck et al., 2001), and thus a long winter SST record based on proxy data could be used to reconstruct NAO variability back in time. Here we present an annually resolved winter-time strontium to calcium ratio (Sr/Ca) record from a 220-year old brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) collected from the south shore of Bermuda. Brain coral is prevalent in Bermuda and shows distinct annual banding in its skeleton providing precise age models. Winter-time coral Sr/Ca has previously been shown to accurately record winter SST free from growth rate influences (Goodkin et al., 2005), and that relationship is confirmed here. Cross-spectral analysis between winter-time coral Sr/Ca and four instrumental and proxy records of the NAO (Hurrell, 1995, Jones et al., 1997, Luterbacher et al., 2001, Cook et al., 2002) show two frequencies of coherence with >95% confidence. At periods greater than 20 years and between 3 and 5 years, the coral Sr/Ca effectively captures the NAO variability. Filtering the coral record to these frequencies and comparing to the instrumental and proxy records, including another marine-based NAO reconstruction from the North and Norwegian Seas (Schoene et al., 2003), show

The Global Warming Hiatus Tied to the North Atlantic Oscillation and Its Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, J.; Sun, C.

2015-12-01

The twentieth century Northern Hemisphere mean surface temperature (NHT) is characterized by a multidecadal warming-cooling-warming pattern followed by a flat trend since about 2000 (recent warming hiatus). Here we demonstrate that the multidcadal variability in NHT including the recent warming hiatus is tied to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the NAO is implicated as a useful predictor of NHT multidecadal variability. Observational analysis shows that the NAO leads both the detrended NHT and oceanic Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) by 15-20 years. Theoretical analysis illuminates that the NAO precedes NHT multidecadal variability through its delayed effect on the AMO due to the large thermal inertia associated with slow oceanic processes. The CCSM4 model is employed to investigate possible physical mechanisms. The positive NAO forces the strengthening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and induces a basin-wide uniform sea surface temperature (SST) warming that corresponds to the AMO. The SST field exhibits a delayed response to the preceding enhanced AMOC, and shows a pattern similar to the North Atlantic tripole (NAT), with SST warming in the northern North Atlantic and cooling in the southern part. This SST pattern (negative NAT phase) may lead to an atmospheric response that resembles the negative NAO phase, and subsequently the oscillation proceeds, but in the opposite sense. Based on these mechanisms, a simple delayed oscillator model is established to explain the quasi-periodic multidecadal variability of the NAO. The magnitude of the NAO forcing of the AMOC/AMO and the time delay of the AMOC/AMO feedback are two key parameters of the delayed oscillator. For a given set of parameters, the quasi 60-year cycle of the NAO can be well predicted. This delayed oscillator model is useful for understanding of the oscillatory mechanism of the NAO, which has potential for decadal predictions as well as the interpretation of proxy

Correlation of the NBME advanced clinical examination in EM and the national EM M4 exams.

PubMed

Hiller, Katherine; Miller, Emily S; Lawson, Luan; Wald, David; Beeson, Michael; Heitz, Corey; Morrissey, Thomas; House, Joseph; Poznanski, Stacey

2015-01-01

Since 2011 two online, validated exams for fourth-year emergency medicine (EM) students have been available (National EM M4 Exams). In 2013 the National Board of Medical Examiners offered the Advanced Clinical Examination in Emergency Medicine (EM-ACE). All of these exams are now in widespread use; however, there are no data on how they correlate. This study evaluated the correlation between the EM-ACE exam and the National EM M4 Exams. From May 2013 to April 2014 the EM-ACE and one version of the EM M4 exam were administered sequentially to fourth-year EM students at five U.S. medical schools. Data collected included institution, gross and scaled scores and version of the EM M4 exam. We performed Pearson's correlation and random effects linear regression. 305 students took the EM-ACE and versions 1 (V1) or 2 (V2) of the EM M4 exams (281 and 24, respectively) [corrected].The mean percent correct for the exams were as follows: EM-ACE 74.9 (SD-9.82), V1 83.0 (SD-6.39), V2 78.5 (SD-7.70) [corrected]. Pearson's correlation coefficient for the V1/EM-ACE was 0.53 (0.43 scaled) and for the V2/EM-ACE was 0.58 (0.41 scaled) [corrected]. The coefficient of determination for V1/ EM-ACE was 0.73 and for V2/EM-ACE 0.71 (0.65 and .49 for scaled scores) [ERRATUM]. The R-squared values were 0.28 and 0.30 (0.18 and 0.13 scaled), respectively [corrected]. There was significant cluster effect by institution. There was moderate positive correlation of student scores on the EM-ACE exam and the National EM M4 Exams.

Role of the North Atlantic Oscillation in decadal temperature trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iles, Carley; Hegerl, Gabriele

2017-11-01

Global temperatures have undergone periods of enhanced warming and pauses over the last century, with greater variations at local scales due to internal variability of the climate system. Here we investigate the role of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in decadal temperature trends in the Northern Hemisphere for periods with large decadal NAO trends. Using a regression based technique we find a best estimate that trends in the NAO more than halved (reduced by 57%, 5%-95%: 47%-63%) the winter warming over the Northern Hemisphere extratropics (NH; 30N-90N) from 1920-1971 and account for 45% (±14%) of the warming there from 1963-1995, with larger impacts on regional scales. Over the period leading into the so-called warming hiatus, 1989-2013, the NAO reduced NH winter warming to around one quarter (24%; 19%-31%) of what it would have been, and caused large negative regional trends, for example, in Northern Eurasia. Warming is more spatially uniform across the Northern Hemisphere after removing the NAO influence in winter, and agreement with multi-model mean simulated trends improves. The impact of the summer NAO is much weaker, but still discernible over Europe, North America and Greenland, with the downward trend in the summer NAO from 1988-2012 reducing warming by about a third in Northern Europe and a half in North America. A composite analysis using CMIP5 control runs suggests that the ocean response to prolonged NAO trends may increase the influence of decadal NAO trends compared to estimates based on interannual regressions, particularly in the Arctic. Results imply that the long-term NAO trends over the 20th century alternately masked or enhanced anthropogenic warming, and will continue to temporarily offset or enhance its effects in the future.

A 3000-year annual-resolution record of the North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, B. F.; Mariethoz, G.; Hellstrom, J.; Baker, A.

2013-12-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation provides an index of North Atlantic climate variability. The 947-yr long annual resolution record of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) of Trouet et al. (2009, Science, 324, 78-81), the NAO Morocco-Scotland index, combined tree ring and stalagmite data, the latter a single stalagmite growth rate archive from NW Scotland. Trouet et al (2009) noted the unusual persistence of the positive phase of the NAO during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA; 1050-1400AD). In order to better assess the uniqueness of the persistently positive NAO in the MCA, we extend the speleothem portion of the proxy NAO record with a composite of five stalagmites from the same cave system. We present the first-ever composite speleothem growth rate record. Using a combination of lamina counting, U-Th dating, and correlation between growth rate series, we build a continuous, annual-resolution, annually laminated, stalagmite growth rates series for the last 3000 years. We use geostatistical and stochastic approaches appropriate to stalagmite growth rate time series to characterise uncertainty in the stalagmite series and to screen them for periods of relative climate sensitivity vs. periods where there is hydrologically introduced, non-climatic variability. We produce the longest annual-resolution annual lamina record of the NAO for the last 3000 years. The screened stalagmite series is compared to instrumental and proxy records of the NAO. Spectral and wavelet analysis demonstrates that the series contains significant decadal to centennial scale periodicity throughout the record. We demonstrate that the persistently positive NAO during the MCA (1080-1460 CE) is remarkable within the last 3000 years. Two other phases of persistent, positive NAO, occur at 290-550 CE and 660-530 BCE, in agreement with the lower resolution, 5,200-yr Greenland lake sediment NAO proxy (Olsen et al, 2012, Nature Geoscience, 5, 808-812).

Winter North Atlantic Oscillation impact on European precipitation and drought under climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsanis, I.; Tapoglou, E.

2018-01-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is responsible for the climatic variability in the Northern Hemisphere, in particular, in Europe and is related to extreme events, such as droughts. The purpose of this paper is to study the correlation between precipitation and winter (December-January-February-March (DJFM)) NAO both for the historical period (1951-2000) and two future periods (2001-2050 and 2051-2100). NAO is calculated for these three periods by using sea level pressure, while precipitation data from seven climate models following the representative concentration pathway (RCP) 8.5 are also used in this study. An increasing trend in years with positive DJFM NAO values in the future is defined by this data, along with higher average DJFM NAO values. The correlation between precipitation and DJFM NAO is high, especially in the Northern (high positive) and Southern Europe (high negative). Therefore, higher precipitation in Northern Europe and lower precipitation in Southern Europe are expected in the future. Cross-spectral analysis between precipitation and DJFM NAO time series in three different locations in Europe revealed the best coherence in a dominant cycle between 3 and 4 years. Finally, the maximum drought period in terms of consecutive months with drought is examined in these three locations. The results can be used for strategic planning in a sustainable water resources management plan, since there is a link between drought events and NAO.

EMS provider determinations of necessity for transport and reimbursement for EMS response, medical care, and transport: combined resource document for the National Association of EMS Physicians position statements.

PubMed

Millin, Michael G; Brown, Lawrence H; Schwartz, Brian

2011-01-01

With increasing demands for emergency medical services (EMS), many EMS jurisdictions are utilizing EMS provider-initiated nontransport policies as a method to offload potentially nonemergent patients from the EMS system. EMS provider determination of medical necessity, resulting in nontransport of patients, has the potential to avert unnecessary emergency department visits. However, EMS systems that utilize these policies must have additional education for the providers, a quality improvement process, and active physician oversight. In addition, EMS provider determination of nontransport for a specific situation should be supported by evidence in the peer-reviewed literature that the practice is safe. Further, EMS systems that do not utilize these programs should not be financially penalized. Payment for EMS services should be based on the prudent layperson standard. EMS systems that do utilize nontransport policies should be appropriately reimbursed, as this represents potential cost savings to the health care system.

New England Cod Collapse and the Climate.

PubMed

Meng, Kyle C; Oremus, Kimberly L; Gaines, Steven D

2016-01-01

To improve fishery management, there is an increasing need to understand the long-term consequences of natural and anthropogenic climate variability for ecological systems. New England's iconic cod populations have been in decline for several decades and have recently reached unprecedented lows. We find that 17% of the overall decline in Gulf of Maine cod biomass since 1980 can be attributed to positive phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This is a consequence of three results: i) a 1-unit increase in the NAO winter index is associated with a 17% decrease in the spring biomass of age-1 cod the following year; ii) this NAO-driven decrease persists as the affected cohort matures; iii) fishing practices appear to exacerbate NAO's direct biological effect such that, since 1913, a 1-unit increase in the NAO index lowers subsequent cod catch for up to 19 years. The Georges Bank cod stock displays similar patterns. Because we statistically detect a delay between the NAO and subsequent declines in adult biomass, our findings imply that observed current NAO conditions can be used in stock forecasts, providing lead time for adaptive policy. More broadly, our approach can inform forecasting efforts for other fish populations strongly affected by natural and anthropogenic climatic variation.

North Atlantic Oscillation influence on the stramflows of the Iberian Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenzo-Lacruz, J.; González-Hidalgo, J. C.; Vicente-Serrano, S. M.; López-Moreno, J. I.

2010-09-01

"NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION INFLUENCE ON THE STREAMFLOWS OF THE IBERIAN RIVERS" LORENZO-LACRUZ, J. ¹, GONZÁLEZ-HIDALGO, J.C.², VICENTE-SERRANO, S.M. ¹, LÓPEZ-MORENO, J.I.¹ ¹Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, CSIC (Spanish Research Council), Campus de Aula Dei, P.O. Box 202, Zaragoza 50080, Spain ²Departamento de Geografía, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain. We analyzed the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influence on the monthly river discharges of Iberian rivers from 1945 to 2005. The study covers most of the Iberian river basins, using 187 monthly discharge series. The aim of this study is to determine the role of the variability of the NAO on the Iberian river discharges. Using the winter NAO we calculated correlations with the monthly river discharge series. We identified the positive and negative phases of the winter NAO for the period 1945-2006, and related to river discharge anomalies. Significant differences in river discharge were found between the positive and negative NAO phases with negative anomalies (dry conditions) during positive NAO periods, and positive anomalies (wet conditions) during negative NAO periods The results show a consistent and strong control of the river discharges by the winter NAO, but some spatial differences are shown, as three different domains were defined: a region under the direct influence of the NAO (central and western part of the Iberian Peninsula), a transition zone (Ebro Valley) and region free from that influence (Eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula). The spatial differences are also identified in the annual pattern of discharge anomalies. The basin characteristics, the location of the gauging stations and the human management are the possible drivers of these differences.

Observed linkages between the northern annular mode/North Atlantic Oscillation, cloud incidence, and cloud radiative forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ying; Thompson, David W. J.; Huang, Yi; Zhang, Minghong

2014-03-01

The signature of the northern annular mode/North Atlantic Oscillation (NAM/NAO) in the vertical and horizontal distribution of tropospheric cloudiness is investigated in CloudSat and CALIPSO data from June 2006 to April 2011. During the Northern Hemisphere winter, the positive polarity of the NAM/NAO is marked by increases in zonally averaged cloud incidence north of ~60°N, decreases between ~25 and 50°N, and increases in the subtropics. The tripolar-like anomalies in cloud incidence associated with the NAM/NAO are largest over the North Atlantic Ocean basin/Middle East and are physically consistent with the NAM/NAO-related anomalies in vertical motion. Importantly, the NAM/NAO-related anomalies in tropospheric cloud incidence lead to significant top of atmosphere cloud radiative forcing anomalies that are comparable in amplitude to those associated with the NAM/NAO-related temperature anomalies. The results provide observational evidence that the most prominent pattern of Northern Hemisphere climate variability is significantly linked to variations in cloud radiative forcing. Implications for two-way feedback between extratropical dynamics and cloud radiative forcing are discussed.

Pre-Schoolers' Interest and Caring Behaviour around a Humanoid Robot

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ioannou, Andri; Andreou, Emily; Christofi, Maria

2015-01-01

This exploratory case study involved a humanoid robot, NAO, and four pre-schoolers. NAO was placed in an indoor playground together with other toys and appeared as a peer who played, talked, danced and said stories. Analysis of video recordings focused on children's behaviour around NAO and how the robot gained children's attention and…

Alcohol and suicide in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia

PubMed Central

Sumarokov, Yury A.; Brenn, Tormod; Kudryavtsev, Alexander V.; Sidorenkov, Oleg; Nilssen, Odd

2016-01-01

Background High suicide rates in the Russian North are coupled with high alcohol consumption in the described populations. Objective To investigate the potential role of alcohol consumption on suicides in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) in 2002–2012 and to compare this information with corresponding data from the neighboring Arkhangelsk Oblast (AO). Design Retrospective population-based mortality study. Methods Data from autopsy reports were used to identify 252 cases of suicide in the NAO and 1,198 cases in the AO in the period 2002–2012. Postmortem blood alcohol content (BAC) was available for 228 cases in the NAO and 1,185 cases in the AO. BAC as well as other selected variables were compared between the NAO and the AO among women and men, different age groups, ethnic groups, and selected variables of suicide. Results Alcohol was present in the blood of 74.1% of male and 82.9% of female suicide cases in the NAO, which was significantly higher than the proportions found in the AO (59.3% of male and 46.6% female cases). BAC<1.0‰ and between 2.0 and 3.0‰ were more frequently found among suicide cases in the NAO than those in the AO. Conclusions Our findings specify that alcohol drinking may be an essential risk factor for suicide in the NAO, and that this factor may be of greater importance in the indigenous population of the NAO than among Russians in the AO. PMID:27452190

Autonomous Microstructure EM-APEX Floats

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

Autonomous Microstructure_EM-APEX_Float 4/8/16 at 3:21 PM 1 Title: Autonomous Microstructure EM-APEX Floats Authors: Ren-Chieh Lien1,2...Street Seattle, WA 98105 rcl@uw.edu Abstract: Fast responding FP-07 thermistors have been incorporated on profiling EM-APEX floats to measure...storage board. The raw and processed temperature observations are stored on a microSD card. Results from eight microstructure EM-APEX floats

3D coordination polymers with nitrilotriacetic and 4,4'-bipyridyl mixed ligands: structural variation based on dinuclear or tetranuclear subunits assisted by Na-O and/or O-H...O interactions.

PubMed

Lü, Xing-Qiang; Jiang, Ji-Jun; Chen, Chun-Long; Kang, Bei-Sheng; Su, Cheng-Yong

2005-06-27

The reactions of Cu(II) with the mixed nitrilotriacetic acid (H3NTA) and 4,4'-bipyridyl (4,4'-bpy) ligands in different metal-to-ligand ratios in the presence of NaOH and NaClO4 afforded two complexes, Na3[Cu2(NTA)2(4,4'-bpy)]ClO4 x 5H2O (1) and [Cu2(NTA) (4,4'-bpy)2]ClO4 x 4H2O (2). The two complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, XRD, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 1 contains a basic doubly negatively charged [Cu2(NTA)2(4,4'-bpy)]2- dinuclear unit which was further assembled via multiple Na-O and O-H...O interactions into a three-dimensional (3D) pillared-layer structure. 2 features a two-dimensional (2D) undulated brick-wall architecture containing a basic doubly positively charged [Cu4(NTA)2(4,4'-bpy)2]2+ tetranuclear unit. The 2D network possesses large cavities hosting guest molecules and was further assembled via O-H...O hydrogen bonds into a 3D structure with several channels running in different directions.

Chemical profiling and quantification of Dan-Deng-Tong-Nao-capsule using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution hybrid quadruple-orbitrap mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Lv, Xiao-Jing; Sun, Zhi; Wang, Pei-Le; Yang, Jing; Xu, Tan-Ye; Jia, Qing-Quan; Li, Da-Wei; Su, Fang-Yi; Zhu, Zhen-Feng; Kang, Jian; Zhang, Xiao-Jian

2018-01-30

Dan-Deng-Tong-Nao capsule (DDTN) was a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, and has been widely used for the treatment of stroke clinically which caused by blood stasis. However, the bioactive substances and mechanism are unclear because of the complex compositions in DDTN. In this research, An ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with hybrid quadruple-orbitrap mass spectrometry (Q-Orbitrap MS) method was utilized to identify the chemical constituents of DDTN. In total, 102 compounds including diterpenes, lactones, flavonoids, and phenolic acids were identified by the accurate masses and fragmentation pathways, and 18 of them were unambiguously determined by comparison of reference standards. Besides, 12 representative compounds were simultaneously quantification analyzed and successfully applified for detecting in 9 batches of DDTN samples by UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS in parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) mode. The proposed approach was validated to be satisfied in terms of linearity (0.9954-0.9999), LOD (0.771ng/mL), LOQ (2.568ng/mL), intra-day precision ( <2.68%), inter-day precision ( <4.52%), repeatability ( <2.96%), stability ( <3.21%), and recovery (94.6-105.5%). The results indicate that the method of combining UHPLC with Q-Orbitrap MS is practical and efficient for the chemical clarification in DDTN, and has great potential for the integrating quality control of other traditional Chinese medicines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regional Famine Patterns of The Last Millennium as Influenced by Aggregated Climate Teleconnections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoro, Michael Melton

Famine is the result of a complex set of environmental and social factors. Climate conditions are established as environmental factors contributing to famine occurrence, often through teleconnective patterns. This dissertation is designed to investigate the combined influence on world famine patterns of teleconnections, specifically the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Southern Oscillation (SO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), or regional climate variations such as the South Asian Summer Monsoon (SASM). The investigation is three regional case studies of famine patterns specifically, Egypt, the British Isles, and India. The first study (published in Holocene) employs the results of a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) yielding a SO-NAO eigenvector to predict major Egyptian famines between AD 1049-1921. The SO-NAO eigenvector (1) successfully discriminates between the 5-10 years preceding a famine and the other years, (2) predicts eight of ten major famines, and (3) correctly identifies fifty out of eighty events (63%) of food availability decline leading up to major famines. The second study investigates the impact of the NAO, PDO, SO, and AMO on 63 British Isle famines between AD 1049 and 1914 attributed to climate causes in historical texts. Stepwise Regression Analysis demonstrates that the 5-year lagged NAO is the primary teleconnective influence on famine patterns; it successfully discriminates 73.8% of weather-related famines in the British Isles from 1049 to 1914. The final study identifies the aggregated influence of the NAO, SO, PDO, and SASM on 70 Indian famines from AD 1049 to 1955. PCA results in a NAO-SOI vector and SASM vector that predicts famine conditions with a positive NAO and negative SO, distinct from the secondary SASM influence. The NAO-famine relationship is consistently the strongest; 181 of 220 (82%) of all famines occurred during positive NAO years. Ultimately, the causes of famine are complex

The influence of sea surface temperature anomalies on low-frequency variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manganello, Julia V.

2008-05-01

The influence of sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) on multi-year persistence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the second half of the twentieth century is investigated using the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA) Atmospheric GCM (AGCM) with an emphasis on isolating the geographic location of the SSTA that produce this influence. The present study focuses on calculating the atmospheric response to the SSTA averaged over 1988 1995 (1961 1968) corresponding to the observed period of strong persistence of the positive (negative) phase of the decadal NAO. The model response to the global 1988 1995 average SSTA shows a statistically significant large-scale pattern characteristic of the positive phase of the NAO. Forcing with the global 1961 1968 average SSTA generates a NAO of the opposite polarity compared to observations. However, all large-scale features both in the model and observations during this period are weaker in magnitude and less significant compared to 1988 1995. Additional idealized experiments show that over the northern center of the NAO the non-linear component of the forced response appears to be quite important and acts to enhance the positive NAO signal. On the other hand, over the southern center where the model response is the strongest, it is also essentially linear. The 1988 1995 average SSTA restricted to the western tropical Pacific region produce a positive NAO remarkably similar in structure but stronger in magnitude than the model response to the global and tropical Indo-Pacific 1988 1995 forcing. A 200-hPa geopotential height response in these experiments shows a positive anomaly over the southern center of the NAO embedded in the Rossby wave trains propagating from the western tropical Pacific. Indian Ocean SSTA lead to much weaker positive NAO primarily through the effect on its northern center. SST forcing confined to the North Atlantic north of equator does not produce a response statistically different

Benchmark of Ab Initio Bethe-Salpeter Equation Approach with Numeric Atom-Centered Orbitals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chi; Kloppenburg, Jan; Kanai, Yosuke; Blum, Volker

The Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) approach based on the GW approximation has been shown to be successful for optical spectra prediction of solids and recently also for small molecules. We here present an all-electron implementation of the BSE using numeric atom-centered orbital (NAO) basis sets. In this work, we present benchmark of BSE implemented in FHI-aims for low-lying excitation energies for a set of small organic molecules, the well-known Thiel's set. The difference between our implementation (using an analytic continuation of the GW self-energy on the real axis) and the results generated by a fully frequency dependent GW treatment on the real axis is on the order of 0.07 eV for the benchmark molecular set. We study the convergence behavior to the complete basis set limit for excitation spectra, using a group of valence correlation consistent NAO basis sets (NAO-VCC-nZ), as well as for standard NAO basis sets for ground state DFT with extended augmentation functions (NAO+aug). The BSE results and convergence behavior are compared to linear-response time-dependent DFT, where excellent numerical convergence is shown for NAO+aug basis sets.

EMS Provider Perceptions on Termination of Resuscitation in a Large, Urban EMS System.

PubMed

Tataris, Katie L; Richards, Christopher T; Stein-Spencer, Leslee; Ryan, Stephanie; Lazzara, Pete; Weber, Joseph M

2017-01-01

Despite the value of out-of-hospital Termination of Resuscitation (TOR) and the scientific evidence in favor of this practice, TOR has not been uniformly adopted or consistently practiced in EMS systems. Previous focus group studies have identified multiple barriers to implementation of out of hospital TOR but existing literature on EMS provider perceptions is limited. We sought to identify EMS providers' perceived barriers to performing out-of-hospital TOR in a large urban EMS system. The Chicago EMS System is a regional collaborative of EMS physicians, nurses and provider agencies, including the Chicago Fire Department (CFD), which provides exclusive emergency response for 9-1-1 calls in Chicago. CFD is an urban, fire-based EMS agency with a tiered response, with fire-fighter EMTs and paramedics providing initial care, and single role paramedics providing supplemental care and transport. A 2-page written survey was distributed to understand providers' experiences with managing OHCA and perceived barriers to TOR to inform subsequent improvements in protocol development and education. Of 3500 EMS providers that received the survey, 2309 were completed (66%). Survey respondent demographics were fire-fighter/EMTB (69%), fire-fighter/paramedic (14%), and single role paramedic (17%). The most frequent barrier to field TOR was scene safety (86%). The most common safety issue identified was family reaction to TOR (68%) and many providers felt threatened by family when trying to perform TOR (38%). Providers with a higher career numbers of OHCA were more likely to have felt threatened by the family (OR 6.70, 95% CI 2.99-15.00) and single role paramedics were more likely than FF/EMTBs to have felt threatened (OR 3.34, 95% CI 2.65-4.22). Barriers to delivering a death notification after TOR, include being uncomfortable or threatened with possible family reaction (52%) and family asking to continue the resuscitation (45%). There was lack of formal prior death notification

Persistent positive North Atlantic oscillation mode dominated the Medieval Climate Anomaly.

PubMed

Trouet, Valérie; Esper, Jan; Graham, Nicholas E; Baker, Andy; Scourse, James D; Frank, David C

2009-04-03

The Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) was the most recent pre-industrial era warm interval of European climate, yet its driving mechanisms remain uncertain. We present here a 947-year-long multidecadal North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) reconstruction and find a persistent positive NAO during the MCA. Supplementary reconstructions based on climate model results and proxy data indicate a clear shift to weaker NAO conditions into the Little Ice Age (LIA). Globally distributed proxy data suggest that this NAO shift is one aspect of a global MCA-LIA climate transition that probably was coupled to prevailing La Niña-like conditions amplified by an intensified Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during the MCA.

Intraseasonal Characteristics Of North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bojariu, R.; Gimeno, L..; de La Torre, L.; Nieto, R.

There is evidence of a temporal structure of regional response to the NAO variability in the cold season (e.g. NAO-related climate fluctuations reveal their strongest signal in January). To document the details of NAO intraseasonal characteristics we anal- ysed surface and upper air variables (air surface temperature, sea-ice concentration, sea surface temperature, and sea level pressure and geopotential heights at 700 hPa level) in individual months, from November to April. The data consist of 40 years of monthly reanalyses (1961-2000) extracted from the NCAR-NCEP data set. In ad- dition, snow cover data are used (monthly snow cover frequencies from the Climate Prediction Centre and number of days with snow cover from the Former Soviet Union Hydrological Snow Surveys available at the National Snow and Ice Data Centre). A NAO-related signal with predictive potential has been identified in November air surface temperature over Europe and SLP and geopotential heights over Eurasia. Neg- ative thermal anomalies over the Central Europe and positive geopotential anomalies at 700 hPa over a latitudinal belt from Arabic Peninsula to Pacific Ocean are associated with a high NAO index in the following winter. The November thermal anomalies that seem to be related to the NAO interannual persistence are also linked with the fluctu- ations of snow cover over Europe. Both tropical and high latitude influences may play a role in the onset of the November signal and in further NAO development.

Sodium-Oxygen Batteries: A Comparative Review from Chemical and Electrochemical Fundamentals to Future Perspective.

PubMed

Yadegari, Hossein; Sun, Qian; Sun, Xueliang

2016-09-01

Alkali metal-oxygen (Li-O2 , Na-O2 ) batteries have attracted a great deal of attention recently due to their high theoretical energy densities, comparable to gasoline, making them attractive candidates for application in electrical vehicles. However, the limited cycling life and low energy efficiency (high charging overpotential) of these cells hinder their commercialization. The Li-O2 battery system has been extensively studied in this regard during the past decade. Compared to the numerous reports of Li-O2 batteries, the research on Na-O2 batteries is still in its infancy. Although, Na-O2 batteries show a number of attractive properties such as low charging overpotential and high round-trip energy efficiency, their cycling life is currently limited to a few tens of cycles. Therefore, understanding the chemistry behind Na-O2 cells is critical towards enhancing their performance and advancing their development. Chemical and electrochemical reactions of Na-O2 batteries are reviewed and compared with those of Li-O2 batteries in the present review, as well as recent works on the chemical composition and morphology of the discharge products in these batteries. Furthermore, the determining kinetics factors for controlling the chemical composition of the discharge products in Na-O2 cells are discussed and the potential research directions toward improving Na-O2 cells are proposed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Decadal variability in the Northern Hemisphere winter circulation: Role of internal and external drivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maliniemi, V.; Asikainen, T.; Mursula, K.

2017-12-01

Northern Hemisphere winter circulation is known to be affected by both internal and external (solar-related) forcings. Earlier studies have shown ENSO and volcanic activity to produce negative and positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) type responses, respectively. In addition, recent studies have shown a positive NAO response related to both geomagnetic activity (proxy for solar wind driven particle precipitation) and sunspot activity (proxy for solar irradiance). These solar-related signals have been suggested to be due to the changes in the polar vortex. Here the relative role of these four internal and external drivers on wintertime circulation in the Northern Hemisphere is studied. The phase of the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) is used to study the driver responses for different stratospheric conditions. Moreover, the effects are separated for early (Dec/Jan) and late (Feb/Mar) winter. The global pattern of ENSO is very similar (negative NAO) otherwise, but in early winter and westerly QBO the pattern is changed in the Atlantic sector to a weakly positive NAO. The positive NAO pattern due to volcanic activity is more pronounced for westerly QBO in both early and late winter. The positive NAO pattern produced by geomagnetic activity is obtained during easterly QBO phase in both early and late winter. Sunspot related NAO response in late winter is also strongly modulated by the QBO phase. These results imply that the stratospheric conditions expressed by QBO significantly modulate the way the internal and external drivers affect the Northern Hemisphere winter climate.

Cod Collapse and Climate in the North Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oremus, K. L.; Meng, K. C.; Gaines, S.

2016-02-01

Understanding the determinants of fish population dynamics is crucial to the recovery of many fisheries. Current research emphasizes the role of environmental conditions in driving fish populations, but the magnitude of and mechanisms behind these effects on crucial populations are not well established. Despite aggressive management efforts, New England cod fisheries have been in decline for several decades and have now reached unprecedented lows. We find a strong negative relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and subsequent adult cod biomass and catch. In the Gulf of Maine fishery, a 1-unit NAO increase is associated with a 13% decrease in the biomass of age-1 cod the following year, a decrease that persists as the affected cohort matures. We further detect that a 1-unit NAO increase can lower commercial catch for up to 19 subsequent years, suggesting that fishing practices may be inadvertently exacerbating NAO's direct biological effects. These results imply that 18% and 32% of the overall decline in adult biomass and catch, respectively, since 1980 can be attributed to the NAO's recent multi-decadal positive phase. The Georges Bank cod fishery displays similar patterns. Because there is a delay between an NAO event and subsequent declines in adult biomass, our finding implies that already observed NAO events can be used in stock forecasts, providing lead time for adaptive policy. More broadly, our approach can inform forecasting efforts for other fisheries strongly affected by natural and anthropogenic climatic variation.

Linking North Atlantic Teleconnections to Latitudinal Variability of Wave Climate Along the North American Atlantic Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Provancha, C.; Adams, P. N.; Hegermiller, C.; Storlazzi, C. D.

2015-12-01

Shoreline change via coastal erosion and accretion is largely influenced by variations in ocean wave climate. Identifying the sources of these variations is challenging because the timing of wave energy delivery varies over multiple timescales within ocean basins. We present the results of an investigation of USACE Wave Information Studies hindcast hourly wave heights, periods, and directions along the North American Atlantic coast from 1980-2012, designed to explore links between wave climate and teleconnection patterns. Trends in median and extreme significant wave heights (SWHs) demonstrate that mean monthly SWHs increased from 1 to 5 cm/yr along the roughly 3000 km reach of study area, with changes in hurricane season waves appearing to be most influential in producing the overall trends. Distributions of SWHs categorized by North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) phase, show that positive-period NAO SWHs are greater than negative-period NAO SWHs along the entire eastern seaboard (25°N to 45°N). The most prominent wave direction off Cape Cod, MA during positive-period NAO is approximately 105°, as compared to approximately 75° during negative-period NAO. Prominent wave directions between Cape Canaveral, FL, and Savannah, GA exhibit a similar shift but during opposite phases of the NAO. The results of this analysis suggest that the atmosphere-ocean interactions associated with contrasting NAO phases can significantly change the wave climate observed offshore along the North American Atlantic coast, altering alongshore wave energy fluxes and sediment transport patterns along the coast.

Forest productivity in southwestern Europe is controlled by coupled North Atlantic and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillations.

PubMed

Madrigal-González, Jaime; Ballesteros-Cánovas, Juan A; Herrero, Asier; Ruiz-Benito, Paloma; Stoffel, Markus; Lucas-Borja, Manuel E; Andivia, Enrique; Sancho-García, Cesar; Zavala, Miguel A

2017-12-20

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) depicts annual and decadal oscillatory modes of variability responsible for dry spells over the European continent. The NAO therefore holds a great potential to evaluate the role, as carbon sinks, of water-limited forests under climate change. However, uncertainties related to inconsistent responses of long-term forest productivity to NAO have so far hampered firm conclusions on its impacts. We hypothesize that, in part, such inconsistencies might have their origin in periodical sea surface temperature anomalies in the Atlantic Ocean (i.e., Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, AMO). Here we show strong empirical evidence in support of this hypothesis using 120 years of periodical inventory data from Iberian pine forests. Our results point to AMO + NAO + and AMO - NAO - phases as being critical for forest productivity, likely due to decreased winter water balance and abnormally low winter temperatures, respectively. Our findings could be essential for the evaluation of ecosystem functioning vulnerabilities associated with increased climatic anomalies under unprecedented warming conditions in the Mediterranean.

Solar forcing synchronizes decadal North Atlantic climate variability.

PubMed

Thiéblemont, Rémi; Matthes, Katja; Omrani, Nour-Eddine; Kodera, Kunihiko; Hansen, Felicitas

2015-09-15

Quasi-decadal variability in solar irradiance has been suggested to exert a substantial effect on Earth's regional climate. In the North Atlantic sector, the 11-year solar signal has been proposed to project onto a pattern resembling the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), with a lag of a few years due to ocean-atmosphere interactions. The solar/NAO relationship is, however, highly misrepresented in climate model simulations with realistic observed forcings. In addition, its detection is particularly complicated since NAO quasi-decadal fluctuations can be intrinsically generated by the coupled ocean-atmosphere system. Here we compare two multi-decadal ocean-atmosphere chemistry-climate simulations with and without solar forcing variability. While the experiment including solar variability simulates a 1-2-year lagged solar/NAO relationship, comparison of both experiments suggests that the 11-year solar cycle synchronizes quasi-decadal NAO variability intrinsic to the model. The synchronization is consistent with the downward propagation of the solar signal from the stratosphere to the surface.

Combined Effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation on Sea Surface Temperature in the Alborán Sea

PubMed Central

Báez, José C.; Gimeno, Luis; Gómez-Gesteira, Moncho; Ferri-Yáñez, Francisco; Real, Raimundo

2013-01-01

We explored the possible effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO) on interannual sea surface temperature (SST) variations in the Alborán Sea, both separately and combined. The probability of observing mean annual SST values higher than average was related to NAO and AO values of the previous year. The effect of NAO on SST was negative, while that of AO was positive. The pure effects of NAO and AO on SST are obscuring each other, due to the positive correlation between them. When decomposing SST, NAO and AO in seasonal values, we found that variation in mean annual SST and mean winter SST was significantly related to the mean autumn NAO of the previous year, while mean summer SST was related to mean autumn AO of the previous year. The one year delay in the effect of the NAO and AO on the SST could be partially related to the amount of accumulated snow, as we found a significant correlation between the total snow in the North Alborán watershed for a year with the annual average SST of the subsequent year. A positive AO implies a colder atmosphere in the Polar Regions, which could favour occasional cold waves over the Iberian Peninsula which, when coupled with precipitations favoured by a negative NAO, may result in snow precipitation. This snow may be accumulated in the high peaks and melt down in spring-summer of the following year, which consequently increases the runoff of freshwater to the sea, which in turn causes a diminution of sea surface salinity and density, and blocks the local upwelling of colder water, resulting in a higher SST. PMID:23638005

Inter-Relationship Between Subtropical Pacific Sea Surface Temperature, Arctic Sea Ice Concentration, and the North Atlantic Oscillation in Recent Summers and Winters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lim, Young-Kwon; Cullather, Richard I.; Nowicki, Sophie M.; Kim, Kyu-Myong

2017-01-01

The inter-relationship between subtropical western-central Pacific sea surface temperatures (STWCPSST), sea ice concentration in the Beaufort Sea (SICBS), and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are investigated for the last 37 summers and winters (1980-2016). Lag-correlation of the STWCPSST×(-1) in spring with the NAO phase and SICBS in summer increases over the last two decades, reaching r = 0.4-0.5 with significance at 5 percent, while winter has strong correlations in approximately 1985-2005. Observational analysis and the atmospheric general circulation model experiments both suggest that STWCPSST warming acts to increase the Arctic geopotential height and temperature in the following season. This atmospheric response extends to Greenland, providing favorable conditions for developing the negative phase of the NAO. SIC and surface albedo tend to decrease over the Beaufort Sea in summer, linked to the positive surface net shortwave flux. Energy balance considering radiative and turbulent fluxes reveal that available energy that can heat surface is larger over the Arctic and Greenland and smaller over the south of Greenland, in response to the STWCPSST warming in spring. XXXX Arctic & Atlantic: Positive upper-level height/T anomaly over the Arctic and Greenland, and a negative anomaly over the central-eastern Atlantic, resembling the (-) phase of the NAO. Pacific: The negative height/T anomaly over the mid-latitudes, along with the positive anomaly over the STWCP, where 1degC warming above climatology is prescribed. Discussion: It is likely that the Arctic gets warm and the NAO is in the negative phase in response to the STWCP warming. But, there are other factors (e.g., internal variability) that contribute to determination of the NAO phase: not always the negative phase of the NAO in the event of STWCP warming (e.g.: recent winters and near neutral NAO in 2017 summer).

Climate variability and marine ecosystem impacts: a North Atlantic perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, L. S.; Lear, W. H.

In recent decades it has been recognized that in the North Atlantic climatic variability has been largely driven by atmospheric forcing related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO index began a pronounced decline around 1950 to a low in the 1960s. From 1970 onward the NAO index increased to its most extreme and persistent positive phase during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Changes in the pattern of the NAO have differential impacts on the opposite sides of the North Atlantic and differential impacts in the north and south. The changes in climate resulting from changes in the NAO appear to have had substantial impacts on marine ecosystems, in particular, on fish productivity, with the effects varying from region to region. An examination of several species and stocks, e.g. gadoids, herring and plankton in the Northeast Atlantic and cod and shellfish in the Northwest Atlantic, indicates that there is a link between long-term trends in the NAO and the productivity of various components of the marine ecosystem. While broad trends are evident, the mechanisms are poorly understood. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of how this climate variability affects the productivity of various components of the North Atlantic marine ecosystem.

New England Cod Collapse and the Climate

PubMed Central

Meng, Kyle C.; Oremus, Kimberly L.; Gaines, Steven D.

2016-01-01

To improve fishery management, there is an increasing need to understand the long-term consequences of natural and anthropogenic climate variability for ecological systems. New England’s iconic cod populations have been in decline for several decades and have recently reached unprecedented lows. We find that 17% of the overall decline in Gulf of Maine cod biomass since 1980 can be attributed to positive phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This is a consequence of three results: i) a 1-unit increase in the NAO winter index is associated with a 17% decrease in the spring biomass of age-1 cod the following year; ii) this NAO-driven decrease persists as the affected cohort matures; iii) fishing practices appear to exacerbate NAO’s direct biological effect such that, since 1913, a 1-unit increase in the NAO index lowers subsequent cod catch for up to 19 years. The Georges Bank cod stock displays similar patterns. Because we statistically detect a delay between the NAO and subsequent declines in adult biomass, our findings imply that observed current NAO conditions can be used in stock forecasts, providing lead time for adaptive policy. More broadly, our approach can inform forecasting efforts for other fish populations strongly affected by natural and anthropogenic climatic variation. PMID:27463967

Contrasting spatial structures of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation between observations and slab ocean model simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Cheng; Li, Jianping; Kucharski, Fred; Xue, Jiaqing; Li, Xiang

2018-04-01

The spatial structure of Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) is analyzed and compared between the observations and simulations from slab ocean models (SOMs) and fully coupled models. The observed sea surface temperature (SST) pattern of AMO is characterized by a basin-wide monopole structure, and there is a significantly high degree of spatial coherence of decadal SST variations across the entire North Atlantic basin. The observed SST anomalies share a common decadal-scale signal, corresponding to the basin-wide average (i. e., the AMO). In contrast, the simulated AMO in SOMs (AMOs) exhibits a tripole-like structure, with the mid-latitude North Atlantic SST showing an inverse relationship with other parts of the basin, and the SOMs fail to reproduce the observed strong spatial coherence of decadal SST variations associated with the AMO. The observed spatial coherence of AMO SST anomalies is identified as a key feature that can be used to distinguish the AMO mechanism. The tripole-like SST pattern of AMOs in SOMs can be largely explained by the atmosphere-forced thermodynamics mechanism due to the surface heat flux changes associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The thermodynamic forcing of AMOs by the NAO gives rise to a simultaneous inverse NAO-AMOs relationship at both interannual and decadal timescales and a seasonal phase locking of the AMOs variability to the cold season. However, the NAO-forced thermodynamics mechanism cannot explain the observed NAO-AMO relationship and the seasonal phase locking of observed AMO variability to the warm season. At decadal timescales, a strong lagged relationship between NAO and AMO is observed, with the NAO leading by up to two decades, while the simultaneous correlation of NAO with AMO is weak. This lagged relationship and the spatial coherence of AMO can be well understood from the view point of ocean dynamics. A time-integrated NAO index, which reflects the variations in Atlantic meridional overturning

NGC 6535: the lowest mass Milky Way globular cluster with a Na-O anti-correlation? Cluster mass and age in the multiple population context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bragaglia, A.; Carretta, E.; D'Orazi, V.; Sollima, A.; Donati, P.; Gratton, R. G.; Lucatello, S.

2017-11-01

To understand globular clusters (GCs) we need to comprehend how their formation process was able to produce their abundance distribution of light elements. In particular, we seek to figure out which stars imprinted the peculiar chemical signature of GCs. One of the best ways is to study the light-element anti-correlations in a large sample of GCs that are analysed homogeneously. As part of our spectroscopic survey of GCs with FLAMES, we present here the results of our study of about 30 red giant member stars in the low-mass, low-metallicity Milky Way cluster NGC 6535. We measured the metallicity (finding [Fe/H] =-1.95, rms = 0.04 dex in our homogeneous scale) and other elements of the cluster and, in particular, we concentrate here on O and Na abundances. These elements define the normal Na-O anti-correlation of classical GCs, making NGC 6535 perhaps the lowest mass cluster with a confirmed presence of multiple populations. We updated the census of Galactic and extragalactic GCs for which a statement on the presence or absence of multiple populations can be made on the basis of high-resolution spectroscopy preferentially, or photometry and low-resolution spectroscopy otherwise; we also discuss the importance of mass and age of the clusters as factors for multiple populations. Based on observations collected at ESO telescopes under programme 093.B-0583.Table 2 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/607/A44

An interannual link between Arctic sea-ice cover and the North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caian, Mihaela; Koenigk, Torben; Döscher, Ralf; Devasthale, Abhay

2018-01-01

This work investigates links between Arctic surface variability and the phases of the winter (DJF) North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on interannual time-scales. The analysis is based on ERA-reanalysis and model data from the EC-Earth global climate model. Our study emphasizes a mode of sea-ice cover variability that leads the NAO index by 1 year. The mechanism of this leading is based on persistent surface forcing by quasi-stationary meridional thermal gradients. Associated thermal winds lead a slow adjustment of the pressure in the following winter, which in turn feeds-back on the propagation of sea-ice anomalies. The pattern of the sea-ice mode leading NAO has positive anomalies over key areas of South-Davis Strait-Labrador Sea, the Barents Sea and the Laptev-Ohkostsk seas, associated to a high pressure anomaly over the Canadian Archipelago-Baffin Bay and the Laptev-East-Siberian seas. These anomalies create a quasi-annular, quasi-steady, positive gradient of sea-ice anomalies about coastal line (when leading the positive NAO phase) and force a cyclonic vorticity anomaly over the Arctic in the following winter. During recent decades in spite of slight shifts in the modes' spectral properties, the same leading mechanism remains valid. Encouraging, actual models appear to reproduce the same mechanism leading model's NAO, relative to model areas of persistent surface forcing. This indicates that the link between sea-ice and NAO could be exploited as a potential skill-source for multi-year prediction by addressing the key problem of initializing the phase of the NAO/AO (Arctic Oscillation).

Cosmic muon induced EM showers in NO$$\

DOE PAGES

Yadav, Nitin; Duyang, Hongyue; Shanahan, Peter; ...

2016-11-15

Here, the NuMI Off-Axis v e Appearance (NOvA) experiment is a ne appearance neutrino oscillation experiment at Fermilab. It identifies the ne signal from the electromagnetic (EM) showers induced by the electrons in the final state of neutrino interactions. Cosmic muon induced EM showers, dominated by bremsstrahlung, are abundant in NOvA far detector. We use the Cosmic Muon- Removal technique to get pure EM shower sample from bremsstrahlung muons in data. We also use Cosmic muon decay in flight EM showers which are highly pure EM showers.The large Cosmic-EM sample can be used, as data driven method, to characterize themore » EM shower signature and provides valuable checks of the simulation, reconstruction, particle identification algorithm, and calibration across the NOvA detector.« less

Cosmic muon induced EM showers in NO$$\

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

Yadav, Nitin; Duyang, Hongyue; Shanahan, Peter

Here, the NuMI Off-Axis v e Appearance (NOvA) experiment is a ne appearance neutrino oscillation experiment at Fermilab. It identifies the ne signal from the electromagnetic (EM) showers induced by the electrons in the final state of neutrino interactions. Cosmic muon induced EM showers, dominated by bremsstrahlung, are abundant in NOvA far detector. We use the Cosmic Muon- Removal technique to get pure EM shower sample from bremsstrahlung muons in data. We also use Cosmic muon decay in flight EM showers which are highly pure EM showers.The large Cosmic-EM sample can be used, as data driven method, to characterize themore » EM shower signature and provides valuable checks of the simulation, reconstruction, particle identification algorithm, and calibration across the NOvA detector.« less

Local and regional effects of large scale atmospheric circulation patterns on winter wind power output in Western Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubiate, Laura; McDermott, Frank; Sweeney, Conor; O'Malley, Mark

2014-05-01

Recent studies (Brayshaw, 2009, Garcia-Bustamante, 2010, Garcia-Bustamante, 2013) have drawn attention to the sensitivity of wind speed distributions and likely wind energy power output in Western Europe to changes in low-frequency, large scale atmospheric circulation patterns such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Wind speed variations and directional shifts as a function of the NAO state can be larger or smaller depending on the North Atlantic region that is considered. Wind speeds in Ireland and the UK for example are approximately 20 % higher during NAO + phases, and up to 30 % lower during NAO - phases relative to the long-term (30 year) climatological means. By contrast, in southern Europe, wind speeds are 15 % lower than average during NAO + phases and 15 % higher than average during NAO - phases. Crucially however, some regions such as Brittany in N.W. France have been identified in which there is negligible variability in wind speeds as a function of the NAO phase, as observed in the ERA-Interim 0.5 degree gridded reanalysis database. However, the magnitude of these effects on wind conditions is temporally and spatially non-stationary. As described by Comas-Bru and McDermott (2013) for temperature and precipitation, such non-stationarity is caused by the influence of two other patterns, the East Atlantic pattern, (EA), and the Scandinavian pattern, (SCA), which modulate the position of the NAO dipole. This phenomenon has also implications for wind speeds and directions, which has been assessed using the ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset and the indices obtained from the PC analysis of sea level pressure over the Atlantic region. In order to study the implications for power production, the interaction of the NAO and the other teleconnection patterns with local topography was also analysed, as well as how these interactions ultimately translate into wind power output. The objective is to have a better defined relationship between wind speed and power

The Brava seamount, Cape Verde: Beyond the spatial extent of EM1 and petrogenesis of highly evolved alkaline lavas.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, Abigail; Andersson, Axel; Troll, Valentin; Hansteen, Thor; Ellam, Robert

2010-05-01

Alkaline lavas from the Brava seamount, Cape Verde are investigated to establish the spatial distribution of compositional heterogeneity in the southwest of the Cape Verde archipelago. Highly evolved lavas provide a record of shallow level magma-crust interaction beneath the Brava seamount. The Brava seamount, located southwest of the island of Brava, Cape Verde was sampled during research cruise 8/85 of the R.R.S. Charles Darwin in 1985. Two groups of highly evolved alkaline volcanics are distinguished from the Brava seamount: 1) pyroxene-phonolites containing clinopyroxene, amphibole, nepheline, ±biotite, and minor sanidine and 2) feldspathoid-phonolites containing nepheline, nausean, minor biotite and leucite. All of the samples have MgO between 0.8 and 2 wt%, comparable to the most evolved volcanics sampled in the Cape Verde archipelago. The feldspathoid-phonolites have NaO2 of 12-13 wt%. Alkaline lavas from the Brava seamount have higher 87Sr/87Sr (0.70337 to 0.70347) at ɛNd of +6 to +7 than previously sampled in Cape Verde. Sr isotopes will be integrated with oxygen isotopes to establish magma and crust interactions in the magmatic plumbing system beneath the Brava seamount. Clinopyroxene-melt thermobarometry will be presented to constrain the depths of equilibrium crystallisation. Sr-O isotopes and thermobarometry will be combined to build a picture of the levels of magma stalling and interaction between magmas and the crust beneath the Brava seamount. The Brava seamount phonolitic lavas have high 206Pb/204Pb of 19.5 to 19.8 with negative ?8/4 and high ɛNd of +6 to +7 in contrast to the positive ?8/4 for lavas from nearby Brava and the southern islands of the Cape Verde archipelago. Lavas from the Brava seamount have Pb-Nd isotope systematics comparable to the northern Cape Verde islands, indicating the southwestern boundary in mantle heterogeneity and thereby the spatial extent of the EM1-like source contributing to the southern islands. The extensive

Spectral studies of N-nonyl acridine orange in anionic, cationic and neutral surfactants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiosetek-Reske, Agnieszka M.; Wysocki, Stanisław

2006-08-01

The spectroscopic and photophysical properties of N-nonyl acridine orange - a metachromatic dye useful as a mitochondrial probe in living cells - are reported in water and microheterogeneous media: anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and neutral octylophenylpolyoxyethylene ether (TX-100). The spectral changes of N-nonyl acridine orange were observed in the presence of varying amount of SDS, CTAB and TX-100 and indicated formation of a dye-surfactant complex. The spectral changes were also regarded to be caused by the incorporation of dye molecules to micelles. It was proved by calculated values Kb and f in the following order: Kb TX-100 > Kb CTAB > Kb SDS and fTX-100 > fCTAB > fSDS. NAO binds to the micelle regardless the micellar charge. There are two types of interactions between NAO and micelles: hydrophobic and electrostatic. The hydrophobic interactions play a dominant role in binding of the dye to neutral TX-100. The unexpected fact of the binding NAO to cationic CTAB can be explained by a dominant role of hydrophobic interactions over electrostatic repulsion. Therefore, the affinity of NAO to CTAB is smaller than TX-100. Electrostatic interactions play an important role in binding of NAO to anionic micelles SDS. We observed a prolonged fluorescence lifetime after formation of the dye-surfactant complex τSDS > τTX-100 > τCTAB > τwater, the dye being protected against water in this environment. TX-100 is found to stabilize the excited state of NAO which is more polar than the ground state. Spectroscopic and photophysical properties of NAO will be helpful for a better understanding of the nature of binding and distribution inside mammalian cells.

The Influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on Tropospheric Distributions of Ozone and Carbon Monoxide.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-12-01

The influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on the tropospheric distributions of ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) has been quantified. The Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) Reanalysis, a combined meteorology and composition dataset for the period 2003-2012 (Innes et al., 2013), is used to investigate the composition of the troposphere and lower stratosphere in relation to the location of the storm track as well as other meteorological parameters over the North Atlantic associated with the different NAO phases. Cyclone tracks in the MACC Reanalysis compare well to the cyclone tracks in the widely-used ERA-Interim Reanalysis for the same 10-year period (cyclone tracking performed using the tracking algorithm of Hodges (1995, 1999)), as both are based on the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts' (ECMWF) Integrated Forecast System (IFS). A seasonal analysis is performed whereby the MACC reanalysis meteorological fields, O3 and CO mixing ratios are weighted by the monthly NAO index values. The location of the main storm track, which tilts towards high latitudes (toward the Arctic) during positive NAO phases to a more zonal location in the mid-latitudes (toward Europe) during negative NAO phases, impacts the location of both horizontal and vertical transport across the North Atlantic and into the Arctic. During positive NAO seasons, the persistence of cyclones over the North Atlantic coupled with a stronger Azores High promotes strong horizontal transport across the North Atlantic throughout the troposphere. In all seasons, significantly more intense cyclones occur at higher latitudes (north of ~50°C) during the positive phase of the NAO and in the southern mid-latitudes during the negative NAO phase. This impacts the location of stratospheric intrusions within the descending dry airstream behind the associated cold front of the extratropical cyclone and the venting of low-level pollution up into the free troposphere within

A emissão em 8mm e as bandas de Merrill-Sanford em estrelas carbonadas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Mello, A. B.; Lorenz-Martins, S.

2003-08-01

Estrelas carbonadas possuem bandas moleculares em absorção no visível e, no infravermelho (IR) as principais características espectrais se devem a emissão de grãos. Recentemente foi detectada a presença de bandas de SiC2 (Merrill-Sanford, MS) em emissão sendo atribuída à presença de um disco rico em poeira. Neste trabalho analisamos uma amostra de 14 estrelas carbonadas, observadas no telescópio de 1.52 m do ESO em 4 regiões espectrais diferentes, a fim de detectar as bandas de MS em emissão. Nossa amostra é composta de estrelas que apresentam além da emissão em 11.3 mm, outra em 8 mm. Esta última emissão, não usual nestes objetos, tem sido atribuída ou a moléculas de C2H2, ou a um composto sólido ainda indefinido. A detecção de emissões de MS e aquelas no IR, simultaneamente, revelaria um cenário mais complexo que o habitualmente esperado para os ventos destes objetos. No entanto como primeiro resultado, verificamos que as bandas de Merrill-Sanford encontram-se em absorção, não revelando nenhuma conexão com a emissão a 8 mm. Assim, temos duas hipóteses: (a) a emissão a 8 mm se deve à molécula C2H2 ou (b) essa emissão é resultado da emissão térmica de grãos. Testamos a segunda hipótese modelando a amostra com grãos não-homogêneos de SiC e quartzo, o qual emite em aproximadamente 8mm. Este grão seria produzido em uma fase evolutiva anterior a das carbonadas (estrelas S) e por terem uma estrutura cristalina são destruídos apenas na presença de campos de radiação ultravioleta muito intensos. Os modelos para os envoltórios utilizam o método de Monte Carlo para descrever o problema do transporte da radiação. As conclusões deste trabalho são: (1) as bandas de Merrill-Sanford se encontram em absorção, sugerindo um cenário usual para os ventos das estrelas da amostra; (2) neste cenário, a emissão em 8 mm seria resultado de grãos de quartzo com mantos de SiC, indicando que o quartzo poderia sobreviver a fase

The Orthogonally Partitioned EM Algorithm: Extending the EM Algorithm for Algorithmic Stability and Bias Correction Due to Imperfect Data.

PubMed

Regier, Michael D; Moodie, Erica E M

2016-05-01

We propose an extension of the EM algorithm that exploits the common assumption of unique parameterization, corrects for biases due to missing data and measurement error, converges for the specified model when standard implementation of the EM algorithm has a low probability of convergence, and reduces a potentially complex algorithm into a sequence of smaller, simpler, self-contained EM algorithms. We use the theory surrounding the EM algorithm to derive the theoretical results of our proposal, showing that an optimal solution over the parameter space is obtained. A simulation study is used to explore the finite sample properties of the proposed extension when there is missing data and measurement error. We observe that partitioning the EM algorithm into simpler steps may provide better bias reduction in the estimation of model parameters. The ability to breakdown a complicated problem in to a series of simpler, more accessible problems will permit a broader implementation of the EM algorithm, permit the use of software packages that now implement and/or automate the EM algorithm, and make the EM algorithm more accessible to a wider and more general audience.

North Atlantic climate variability: The role of the North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurrell, James W.; Deser, Clara

2009-08-01

Marine ecosystems are undergoing rapid change at local and global scales. To understand these changes, including the relative roles of natural variability and anthropogenic effects, and to predict the future state of marine ecosystems requires quantitative understanding of the physics, biogeochemistry and ecology of oceanic systems at mechanistic levels. Central to this understanding is the role played by dominant patterns or "modes" of atmospheric and oceanic variability, which orchestrate coherent variations in climate over large regions with profound impacts on ecosystems. We review the spatial structure of extratropical climate variability over the Northern Hemisphere and, specifically, focus on modes of climate variability over the extratropical North Atlantic. A leading pattern of weather and climate variability over the Northern Hemisphere is the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO refers to a redistribution of atmospheric mass between the Arctic and the subtropical Atlantic, and swings from one phase to another producing large changes in surface air temperature, winds, storminess and precipitation over the Atlantic as well as the adjacent continents. The NAO also affects the ocean through changes in heat content, gyre circulations, mixed layer depth, salinity, high latitude deep water formation and sea ice cover. Thus, indices of the NAO have become widely used to document and understand how this mode of variability alters the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. There is no unique way, however, to define the NAO. Several approaches are discussed including both linear (e.g., principal component analysis) and nonlinear (e.g., cluster analysis) techniques. The former, which have been most widely used, assume preferred atmospheric circulation states come in pairs, in which anomalies of opposite polarity have the same spatial structure. In contrast, nonlinear techniques search for recurrent patterns of a specific amplitude and sign. They reveal

North Atlantic climate variability: The role of the North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurrell, James W.; Deser, Clara

2010-02-01

Marine ecosystems are undergoing rapid change at local and global scales. To understand these changes, including the relative roles of natural variability and anthropogenic effects, and to predict the future state of marine ecosystems requires quantitative understanding of the physics, biogeochemistry and ecology of oceanic systems at mechanistic levels. Central to this understanding is the role played by dominant patterns or "modes" of atmospheric and oceanic variability, which orchestrate coherent variations in climate over large regions with profound impacts on ecosystems. We review the spatial structure of extratropical climate variability over the Northern Hemisphere and, specifically, focus on modes of climate variability over the extratropical North Atlantic. A leading pattern of weather and climate variability over the Northern Hemisphere is the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO refers to a redistribution of atmospheric mass between the Arctic and the subtropical Atlantic, and swings from one phase to another producing large changes in surface air temperature, winds, storminess and precipitation over the Atlantic as well as the adjacent continents. The NAO also affects the ocean through changes in heat content, gyre circulations, mixed layer depth, salinity, high latitude deep water formation and sea ice cover. Thus, indices of the NAO have become widely used to document and understand how this mode of variability alters the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. There is no unique way, however, to define the NAO. Several approaches are discussed including both linear (e.g., principal component analysis) and nonlinear (e.g., cluster analysis) techniques. The former, which have been most widely used, assume preferred atmospheric circulation states come in pairs, in which anomalies of opposite polarity have the same spatial structure. In contrast, nonlinear techniques search for recurrent patterns of a specific amplitude and sign. They reveal

EMS Agenda for the Future

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-09-01

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau sponsored The EMS Agenda for the Future. This document focuses on aspects of EMS related to emergency ca...

Global climate change and reindeer: effects of winter weather on the autumn weight and growth of calves.

PubMed

Weladji, Robert B; Holand, Øystein

2003-07-01

Reindeer/caribou (Rangifer tarandus), which constitute a biological resource of vital importance for the physical and cultural survival of Arctic residents, and inhabit extremely seasonal environments, have received little attention in the global change debate. We investigated how body weight and growth rate of reindeer calves were affected by large-scale climatic variability [measured by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) winter index] and density in one population in central Norway. Body weights of calves in summer and early winter, as well as their growth rate (summer to early winter), were significantly influenced by density and the NAO index when cohorts were in utero. Males were heavier and had higher absolute growth than females, but there was no evidence that preweaning condition of male and female calves were influenced differently by the NAO winter index. Increasing NAO index had a negative effect on calves' body weight and growth rate. Increasing density significantly reduced body weight and growth rate of calves, and accentuated the effect of the NAO winter index. Winters with a higher NAO index are thus severe for reindeer calves in this area and their effects are associated with nutritional stress experienced by the dams during pregnancy or immediately after calving. Moreover, increased density may enhance intra-specific competition and limits food available at the individual level within cohorts. We conclude that if the current pattern of global warming continues, with greater change occurring in northern latitudes and during winter as is predicted, reduced body weight of reindeer calves may be a consequence in areas where winters with a high NAO index are severe. This will likely have an effect on the livelihood of many northern indigenous peoples, both economically and culturally.

The changing relationship between the December North Atlantic Oscillation and the following February East Asian trough before and after the late 1980s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Guolin; Zou, Meng; Qiao, Shaobo; Zhi, Rong; Gong, Zhiqiang

2018-03-01

This study investigates the changing relationship between the December North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the following February East Asian trough (EAT) throughout the past 60 years. We found that the relationship between the December NAO and the following February EAT is significantly enhanced after the late 1980s compared with the period before the late 1980s. The changing relationship mainly results from the enhanced relationship between the December NAO and the following February North Atlantic mid-latitudes' sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (NAMA) during the same period. During the period after the late 1980s, the persistent positive (negative) NAO pattern from December to the following January contributes to a positive (negative) NAMA, which reaches its maximum magnitude in the following February and excites an anomalous wave train along the North Atlantic and northern Eurasia, and significantly impacts the EAT. During the period before the late 1980s, the positive (negative) NAO pattern during December cannot persist into the following January, and the related positive (negative) NAMA is insignificant during the following February, causing the response of the simultaneous EAT to be insignificant as well. Moreover, there exists a significant impact of the December NAO on the December-January NAMA after the late 1980s, while the December-January NAMA is relatively less affected by the December NAO before the late 1980s. As a result, the simultaneous response of the atmospheric circulation anomalies to the December-January NAMA are evident before the late 1980s, and the positive (negative) NAMA can excite an anomalous wave train along the North Atlantic and northern Eurasia and significantly deepen (shallow) the downstream EAT. By contrast, after involving a feature of atmosphere forcing of SST, the simultaneous feedback of the December-January NAMA on EAT is significantly decreased after the 1980s.

Challenging a 15-year-old claim: The North Atlantic Oscillation index as a predictor of spring migration phenology of birds.

PubMed

Haest, Birgen; Hüppop, Ommo; Bairlein, Franz

2018-04-01

Many migrant bird species that breed in the Northern Hemisphere show advancement in spring arrival dates. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index is one of the climatic variables that have been most often investigated and shown to be correlated with these changes in spring arrival. Although the NAO is often claimed to be a good predictor or even to have a marked effect on interannual changes in spring migration phenology of Northern Hemisphere breeding birds, the results on relations between spring migration phenology and NAO show a large variety, ranging from no, over weak, to a strong association. Several factors, such as geographic location, migration phase, and the NAO index time window, have been suggested to partly explain these observed differences in association. A combination of a literature meta-analysis, and a meta-analysis and sliding time window analysis of a dataset of 23 short- and long-distance migrants from the constant-effort trapping garden at Helgoland, Germany, however, paints a completely different picture. We found a statistically significant overall effect size of the NAO on spring migration phenology (coefficient = -0.14, SE = 0.054), but this on average only explains 0%-6% of the variance in spring migration phenology across all species. As such, the value and biological meaning of the NAO as a general predictor or explanatory variable for climate change effects on migration phenology of birds, seems highly questionable. We found little to no definite support for previously suggested factors, such as geographic location, migration phenology phase, or the NAO time window, to explain the heterogeneity in correlation differences. We, however, did find compelling evidence that the lack of accounting for trends in both time series has led to strongly inflated (spurious) correlations in many studies (coefficient = -0.13, SE = 0.019). © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Topical Treatment With an Agent Disruptive to <em>P. acnesem> Biofilm Provides Positive Therapeutic Response: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Bernhardt, Michael J; Myntti, Matthew F

2016-06-01

The traditional disease model of acne has been one of follicular plugging due to 'sticky epithelial cells' associated with increased sebum production with deep follicular anaerobic conditions favoring <em>P. acnesem>- generated inflammation. <em>P. acnesem> biofilms have been found more frequently in patients with acne than controls. Biofilms are genetically coded to create adhesion to the pilosebaceous unit followed by production of a mucopolysaccharide coating capable of binding to lipid surfaces. Traditional therapies for acne have involved mixtures of oral and topical antibiotics admixed with topical keratolytics and retinoids, which are aimed at traditional bacterial reduction as well as downregulating the inflammatory cascade. These approaches are limited by side effect and compliance/tolerability issues. As the <em>P. acnesem> biofilm may, in fact, be the instigator of this process, we studied the use of a topical agent designed to reduce the <em>P. acnesem> biofilm to see if reducing the biofilm would be therapeutically efficacious. We present data of a proprietary topical non-prescription agent with a novel pharmaco mechanism designed to attack the biofilm produced by <em>P. acnesem>. Our data shows a decrease of inflammatory lesions by 44% and non-inflammatory lesions by 32% after 12 weeks and also provided for a meaningful improvement in the quality of life of the patients in the study. These improvements were achieved with a product that was not associated with burning, chafing, irritation, or erythema, which can be seen with topical treatments. It is apparent from this study that by addressing the biofilm which protects the <em>P. acnesem> bacteria through the use of the Acne Gel, the incidence of acne symptoms can be greatly reduced, while having no negative impacts on the patients' skin (ClinicalTrials.gov registry number NCT02404285).

<em>J Drugs Dermatol. em>2016;15(6):677-683.

Estudo em microondas do aprisionamento e precipitação de elétrons em explosões solares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosal, A. C.; Costa, J. E. R.

2003-08-01

Uma explosão solar é uma variação rápida e intensa do brilho que ocorre nas chamadas regiões ativas da atmosfera, constituídas por um plasma magnetizado com intensa indução magnética. Os modelos de explosões solares atuais, discutidos na literatura, apresentam características de aprisionamento e precipitação de elétrons em ambientes magnéticos simplificados. Neste trabalho, nos propusemos a separar a emissão dos elétrons aprisionados da emissão dos elétrons em precipitação apenas a partir da emissão em microondas, melhorando portanto o controle sobre o conjunto de parâmetros inferidos. A emissão em microondas da população em precipitação é bastante fraca e portanto da nossa base de dados de 130 explosões observadas pelo Rádio Polarímetro de Nobeyama, em sete freqüências, apenas para 32 foi possível separar as duas componentes de emissão com uma boa razão sinal/ruído. A partir de estudos das escalas de tempo das emissões devidas à variação gradual da emissão no aprisionamento e da variação rápida da emissão dos elétrons em precipitação foi possível obter a separação utilizando um filtro temporal nas emissões resultantes. Em nossa análise destas explosões estudamos os espectros girossincrotrônicos da emissão gradual, a qual associamos provir do topo dos arcos magnéticos e da emissão de variação rápida associada aos elétrons em precipitação. Estes espectros foram calculados e dos quais inferimos que a indução magnética efetiva do topo e dos pés foi em média, Btopo = 236 G e Bpés = 577 G, inferidas das freqüências de pico dos espectros em ntopo = 11,8 GHz e npés = 14,6 GHz com leve anisotropia (pequeno alargamento espectral). O índice espectral da distribuição não-térmica de elétrons d, inferido do índice espectral de fótons da emissão em regime opticamente fino, foi de dtopo = 3,3 e dpés = 3,9. Estes parâmetros são típicos da maioria das análises realizadas em ambiente único de

Retrospectively exploring the importance of items in the decision to leave the emergency medical services (EMS) profession and their relationships to life satisfaction after leaving EMS and likelihood of returning to EMS.

PubMed

Blau, Gary; Chapman, Susan

2011-01-01

An exit survey was returned by a sample of 127 respondents in fully compensated positions who left the EMS profession, most within 12 months prior to filling out the exit survey. A very high percentage continued to work after leaving EMS. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of each of 17 items in affecting their decision to leave EMS. A higher than anticipated response to a "not applicable" response choice affected the usability of 8 of these items. Nine of the 17 items had at least 65 useable responses and were used for further analysis. Within these 9, stress/burnout and lack of job challenges had the highest importance in affecting the decision to leave EMS, while desire for better pay and benefits had the lowest importance. Desire for career change was positively related to life satisfaction after leaving EMS and negatively related to likelihood of returning to EMS. Stress/burnout was positively related to life satisfaction after leaving EMS. Study limitations and future research issues are briefly discussed.

Injuries to emergency medicine residents on EMS rotations.

PubMed

Cone, D C; McNamara, R M

1998-01-01

To study the incidence and nature of injuries sustained by emergency medicine (EM) residents during EMS rotations, and steps taken at EM residency programs to increase resident safety during field activities. An eight-question survey form was mailed to all 114 U.S. EM residency directors, with a second mailing to nonresponders eight weeks after the initial mailing. A total of 105 surveys were returned (92%). Six surveys were from new programs whose residents have not yet rotated on EMS. These were excluded from further analysis, leaving 99 programs. Of these, 91 (92%) reported no injuries. One EM resident died in a helicopter crash in 1985. Seven other injury events were reported: 1) facial lacerations, rib fractures, and a shoulder injury in an ambulance accident; 2) an open finger fracture (crushed by a backboard); 3) contusions and a concussion when an ambulance was struck by a fire engine; 4) a groin pull sustained while entering a helicopter; 5) bilateral metatarsal fractures in a fall; 6) rib fractures, a pneumothorax, and a concussion in an ambulance accident; and 7) "minor injuries" sustained in a crash while responding to a scene in a program-owned response vehicle. Actions taken at residency programs to reduce the risk of injury include the use of ballistic vests (four programs), requiring helmets on flights (five programs), and changing flight experience from mandatory to optional (two programs). Ten programs (10%) reported using ground scene safety lectures, and nine programs (15% of those offering flights) reported various types of flight safety instruction. Sixty-nine programs (70%) reported no formal field safety training or other active steps to increase resident safety on EMS rotations. Injuries sustained by EM residents during EMS rotations are uncommon but nontrivial, with several serious injuries and one fatality reported. The majority of EM residency programs have no formal safety training programs for EMS rotations.

Navigating 3D electron microscopy maps with EM-SURFER.

PubMed

Esquivel-Rodríguez, Juan; Xiong, Yi; Han, Xusi; Guang, Shuomeng; Christoffer, Charles; Kihara, Daisuke

2015-05-30

The Electron Microscopy DataBank (EMDB) is growing rapidly, accumulating biological structural data obtained mainly by electron microscopy and tomography, which are emerging techniques for determining large biomolecular complex and subcellular structures. Together with the Protein Data Bank (PDB), EMDB is becoming a fundamental resource of the tertiary structures of biological macromolecules. To take full advantage of this indispensable resource, the ability to search the database by structural similarity is essential. However, unlike high-resolution structures stored in PDB, methods for comparing low-resolution electron microscopy (EM) density maps in EMDB are not well established. We developed a computational method for efficiently searching low-resolution EM maps. The method uses a compact fingerprint representation of EM maps based on the 3D Zernike descriptor, which is derived from a mathematical series expansion for EM maps that are considered as 3D functions. The method is implemented in a web server named EM-SURFER, which allows users to search against the entire EMDB in real-time. EM-SURFER compares the global shapes of EM maps. Examples of search results from different types of query structures are discussed. We developed EM-SURFER, which retrieves structurally relevant matches for query EM maps from EMDB within seconds. The unique capability of EM-SURFER to detect 3D shape similarity of low-resolution EM maps should prove invaluable in structural biology.

Protective effects of traditional Chinese medicine formula NaoShuanTong capsule on haemorheology and cerebral energy metabolism disorders in rats with blood stasis.

PubMed

Liu, Hong; Peng, Yao-Yao; Liang, Feng-Yin; Chen, Si; Li, Pei-Bo; Peng, Wei; Liu, Zhong-Zheng; Xie, Cheng-Shi; Long, Chao-Feng; Su, Wei-Wei

2014-01-02

NaoShuanTong capsule (NSTC), an oral traditional Chinese medicine formula, is composed of Pollen Typhae , Radix Paeoniae Rubra , Rhizoma Gastrodiae , Radix Rhapontici and Radix Curcumae . It has been widely used to treat ischemic stroke in clinic for many years in China. In addition to neuronal apoptosis, haemorheology and cerebral energy metabolism disorders also play an important role in the pathogenesis and development of ischemic stroke. The present study was designed to evaluate the in vivo protective effects of NSTC on haemorheology and cerebral energy metabolism disorders in rats with blood stasis. Sixty specific pathogen-free sprague-dawley rats, male only, were randomly divided into six groups (control group, model group, aspirin (100 mg/kg/d) group, NSTC low-dose (400 mg/kg/d) group, NSTC intermediate-dose (800 mg/kg/d) group, NSTC high-dose (1600 mg/kg/d) group) with 10 animals in each. The rats except those in the control group were placed in ice-cold water (0-4 °C) for 5 min during the time interval (4 h) of two adrenaline hydrochloride injections (0.8 mg/kg) to induce blood stasis. After treatment, whole blood viscosity at three shear rates, plasma viscosity and erythrocyte sedimentation rate significantly decreased in NSTC intermediate- and high-dose groups; erythrocyte aggregation index and red corpuscle electrophoresis index significantly decreased in all the three dose NSTC groups. Moreover, treatment with high-dose NSTC could significantly improve Na + -K + adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and Ca 2+ ATPase activity, as well as lower lactic acid level in brain tissues. These results demonstrated the protective effects of NSTC on haemorheology and cerebral energy metabolism disorders, which may provide scientific information for the further understanding of mechanism(s) of NSTC as a clinical treatment for ischemic stroke. Furthermore, the protective effects of activating blood circulation as observed in this study might create valuable

Where There is No EMS: Lay Providers in Emergency Medical Services Care - EMS as a Public Health Priority.

PubMed

Debenham, Sierra; Fuller, Matthew; Stewart, Matthew; Price, Raymond R

2017-12-01

By 2030, road traffic accidents are projected to be the fifth leading cause of death worldwide, with 90% of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While high-quality, prehospital trauma care is crucial to reduce the number of trauma-related deaths, effective Emergency Medical Systems (EMS) are limited or absent in many LMICs. Although lay providers have long been recognized as the front lines of informal trauma care in countries without formal EMS, few efforts have been made to capitalize on these networks. We suggest that lay providers can become a strong foundation for nascent EMS through a four-fold approach: strengthening and expanding existing lay provider training programs; incentivizing lay providers; strengthening locally available first aid supply chains; and using technology to link lay provider networks. Debenham S , Fuller M , Stewart M , Price RR . Where there is no EMS: lay providers in Emergency Medical Services care - EMS as a public health priority. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):593-595.

An Analysis of EMS and ED Detection of Stroke.

PubMed

Medoro, Ian; Cone, David C

2017-01-01

Studies have shown a reduction in time-to-CT and improved process measures when EMS personnel notify the ED of a "stroke alert" from the field. However, there are few data on the accuracy of these EMS stroke alerts. The goal of this study was to examine diagnostic test performance of EMS and ED stroke alerts and related process measures. The EMS and ED records of all stroke alerts in a large tertiary ED from August 2013-January 2014 were examined and data abstracted by one trained investigator, with data accuracy confirmed by a second investigator for 15% of cases. Stroke alerts called by EMS prior to ED arrival were compared to stroke alerts called by ED physicians and nurses (for walk-in patients, and patients transported by EMS without EMS stroke alerts). Means ± SD, medians, unpaired t-tests (for continuous data), and two-tailed Fisher's exact tests (for categorical data) were used. Of 260 consecutive stroke alerts, 129 were EMS stroke alerts, and 131 were ED stroke alerts (70 called by physicians, 61 by nurses). The mean NIH Stroke Scale was higher in the EMS group (8.1 ± 7.6 vs. 3.0 ± 5.0, p < 0.0001). The positive predictive value of EMS stroke alerts was 0.60 (78/129), alerts by ED nurses was 0.25 (15/61), and alerts by ED physicians was 0.31 (22/70). The PPV for EMS was better than for nurses or physicians (both p < 0.001), and more patients in the EMS group had final diagnoses of stroke (62/129 vs. 24/131, p < 0.001). The positive likelihood ratio was 1.53 for EMS personnel, 0.45 for physicians, and 0.77 for nurses. The mean time to order the CT (8.5 ± 7.1 min vs. 23.1 ± 18.2 min, p < 0.0001) and the mean ED length of stay (248 ± 116 min vs. 283 ± 128 min, p = 0.022) were shorter for the EMS stroke alert group. More EMS stroke alert patients received tPA (16/129 vs. 6/131, p = 0.027). EMS stroke alerts have better diagnostic test performance than stroke alerts by ED staff, likely due to higher NIH Stroke Scale scores (more obvious

An economic toolkit for identifying the cost of emergency medical services (EMS) systems: detailed methodology of the EMS Cost Analysis Project (EMSCAP).

PubMed

Lerner, E Brooke; Garrison, Herbert G; Nichol, Graham; Maio, Ronald F; Lookman, Hunaid A; Sheahan, William D; Franz, Timothy R; Austad, James D; Ginster, Aaron M; Spaite, Daniel W

2012-02-01

Calculating the cost of an emergency medical services (EMS) system using a standardized method is important for determining the value of EMS. This article describes the development of a methodology for calculating the cost of an EMS system to its community. This includes a tool for calculating the cost of EMS (the "cost workbook") and detailed directions for determining cost (the "cost guide"). The 12-step process that was developed is consistent with current theories of health economics, applicable to prehospital care, flexible enough to be used in varying sizes and types of EMS systems, and comprehensive enough to provide meaningful conclusions. It was developed by an expert panel (the EMS Cost Analysis Project [EMSCAP] investigator team) in an iterative process that included pilot testing the process in three diverse communities. The iterative process allowed ongoing modification of the toolkit during the development phase, based upon direct, practical, ongoing interaction with the EMS systems that were using the toolkit. The resulting methodology estimates EMS system costs within a user-defined community, allowing either the number of patients treated or the estimated number of lives saved by EMS to be assessed in light of the cost of those efforts. Much controversy exists about the cost of EMS and whether the resources spent for this purpose are justified. However, the existence of a validated toolkit that provides a standardized process will allow meaningful assessments and comparisons to be made and will supply objective information to inform EMS and community officials who are tasked with determining the utilization of scarce societal resources. © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Reconstructing Late Holocene North Atlantic atmospheric circulation changes using functional paleoclimate networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franke, Jasper G.; Werner, Johannes P.; Donner, Reik V.

2017-11-01

Obtaining reliable reconstructions of long-term atmospheric circulation changes in the North Atlantic region presents a persistent challenge to contemporary paleoclimate research, which has been addressed by a multitude of recent studies. In order to contribute a novel methodological aspect to this active field, we apply here evolving functional network analysis, a recently developed tool for studying temporal changes of the spatial co-variability structure of the Earth's climate system, to a set of Late Holocene paleoclimate proxy records covering the last two millennia. The emerging patterns obtained by our analysis are related to long-term changes in the dominant mode of atmospheric circulation in the region, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). By comparing the time-dependent inter-regional linkage structures of the obtained functional paleoclimate network representations to a recent multi-centennial NAO reconstruction, we identify co-variability between southern Greenland, Svalbard, and Fennoscandia as being indicative of a positive NAO phase, while connections from Greenland and Fennoscandia to central Europe are more pronounced during negative NAO phases. By drawing upon this correspondence, we use some key parameters of the evolving network structure to obtain a qualitative reconstruction of the NAO long-term variability over the entire Common Era (last 2000 years) using a linear regression model trained upon the existing shorter reconstruction.

Changes in North Atlantic Oscillation drove Population Migrations and the Collapse of the Western Roman Empire.

PubMed

Drake, B Lee

2017-04-27

Shifts in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) from 1-2 to 0-1 in four episodes increased droughts on the Roman Empire's periphery and created push factors for migrations. These climatic events are associated with the movements of the Cimbri and Teutones from 113-101 B.C., the Marcomanni and Quadi from 164 to 180 A.D., the Goths in 376 A.D., and the broad population movements of the Migration Period from 500 to 600 A.D. Weakening of the NAO in the instrumental record of the NAO have been associated with a shift to drought in the areas of origin for the Cimbri, Quadi, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Huns, and Slavs. While other climate indices indicate deteriorating climate after 200 A.D. and cooler conditions after 500 A.D., the NAO may indicate a specific cause for the punctuated history of migrations in Late Antiquity. Periodic weakening of the NAO caused drought in the regions of origin for tribes in antiquity, and may have created a powerful push factor for human migration. While climate change is frequently considered as a threat to sustainability, its role as a conflict amplifier in history may be one of its largest impacts on populations.

Measurement of Mitochondrial Mass by Flow Cytometry during Oxidative Stress.

PubMed

Doherty, Edward; Perl, Andras

2017-07-01

Properly assessing mitochondrial health is crucial to understand their role in disease. MitoTracker green (MTG) and nonylacridine orange (NAO) are fluorescent probes which have been commonly used to assess mitochondrial mass. This is based on the assumption that both MTG and NAO accumulate in mitochondria regardless of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨ m ). Here, we utilized flow cytometry to evaluate the performance of these probes for assessment of mitochondrial mass relative to forward (FSC) and side scatter (SSC) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). In isolated mitochondria, two subpopulations were identified by FSC and SSC measurements which were matched to subpopulations stained by MTG and NAO. The performance of these dyes was examined under oxidative and nitrosative stress induced by rotenone and NOC-18 while N -acetylcysteine (NAC) was employed as an antioxidant. Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ΔΨ m were monitored in parallel. With respect to representation of mitochondrial mass, neither MTG nor NAO was affected by ΔΨ m . However, MTG showed significant correlation with cytosolic and mitochondrial ROS production and nitrosative stress. Our data suggest that NAO may be more suitable than MTG for assessment of mitochondrial mass by flow cytometry during oxidative stress.

Volcanic forcing of the North Atlantic Oscillation over the last 2,000 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breitenbach, Sebastian F. M.; Ridley, Harriet E.; Lechleitner, Franziska A.; Asmerom, Yemane; Rehfeld, Kira; Prufer, Keith M.; Kennett, Douglas J.; Aquino, Valorie V.; Polyak, Victor; Goswami, Bedartha; Marwan, Norbert; Haug, Gerald H.; Baldini, James U. L.

2015-04-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is a principal mode of atmospheric circulation in the North Atlantic realm (Hurrell et al. 2003) and influences rainfall distribution over Europe, North Africa and North America. Although observational data inform us on multi-annual variability of the NAO, long and detailed paleoclimate datasets are required to understand the mechanisms and full range of its variability and the spatial extent of its influence. Chronologies of available proxy-based NAO reconstructions are often interdependent and cover only the last ~1,100 years, while longer records are characterized by low sampling resolution and chronological constraints. This complicates the reconstruction of regional responses to NAO changes. We present data from a 2,000 year long sub-annual carbon isotope record from speleothem YOK-I from Yok Balum Cave, Belize, Central America. YOK-I has been extensively dated using U-series (Kennett et al. 2012). Monitoring shows that stalagmite δ13C in Yok Balum cave is governed by infiltration changes associated with tropical wet season rainfall. Higher (lower) δ13C values reflect drier (wetter) conditions related to Intertropical Convergence Zone position and trade winds intensity. Comparison with NAO reconstructions (Proctor et al. 2000, Trouet et al. 2009, Wassenburg et al. 2013) reveals that YOK-I δ13C sensitively records NAO-related rainfall dynamics over Belize. The Median Absolute Deviation (MAD) of δ13C extends NAO reconstructions to the last 2,000 years and indicates that high latitude volcanic aerosols force negative NAO phases. We infer that volcanic aerosols modify inter-hemispheric temperature contrasts at multi-annual scale, resulting in meridional relocation of the ITCZ and the Bermuda-Azores High, altering NAO and tropical rainfall patterns. Decade-long dry periods in the 11th and the late 18th century relate to major high northern latitude eruptions and exemplify the climatic response to volcanic forcing by

The association between EMS workplace safety culture and safety outcomes.

PubMed

Weaver, Matthew D; Wang, Henry E; Fairbanks, Rollin J; Patterson, Daniel

2012-01-01

Prior studies have highlighted wide variation in emergency medical services (EMS) workplace safety culture across agencies. To determine the association between EMS workplace safety culture scores and patient or provider safety outcomes. We administered a cross-sectional survey to EMS workers affiliated with a convenience sample of agencies. We recruited these agencies from a national EMS management organization. We used the EMS Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (EMS-SAQ) to measure workplace safety culture and the EMS Safety Inventory (EMS-SI), a tool developed to capture self-reported safety outcomes from EMS workers. The EMS-SAQ provides reliable and valid measures of six domains: safety climate, teamwork climate, perceptions of management, working conditions, stress recognition, and job satisfaction. A panel of medical directors, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, and occupational epidemiologists developed the EMS-SI to measure self-reported injury, medical errors and adverse events, and safety-compromising behaviors. We used hierarchical linear models to evaluate the association between EMS-SAQ scores and EMS-SI safety outcome measures. Sixteen percent of all respondents reported experiencing an injury in the past three months, four of every 10 respondents reported an error or adverse event (AE), and 89% reported safety-compromising behaviors. Respondents reporting injury scored lower on five of the six domains of safety culture. Respondents reporting an error or AE scored lower for four of the six domains, while respondents reporting safety-compromising behavior had lower safety culture scores for five of the six domains. Individual EMS worker perceptions of workplace safety culture are associated with composite measures of patient and provider safety outcomes. This study is preliminary evidence of the association between safety culture and patient or provider safety outcomes.

Sodium-Oxygen Battery: Steps Toward Reality.

PubMed

Landa-Medrano, Imanol; Li, Chunmei; Ortiz-Vitoriano, Nagore; Ruiz de Larramendi, Idoia; Carrasco, Javier; Rojo, Teófilo

2016-04-07

Rechargeable metal-oxygen batteries are receiving significant interest as a possible alternative to current state of the art lithium ion batteries due to their potential to provide higher gravimetric energies, giving significantly lighter or longer-lasting batteries. Recent advances suggest that the Na-O2 battery, in many ways analogous to Li-O2 yet based on the reversible formation of sodium superoxide (NaO2), has many advantages such as a low charge overpotential (∼100 mV) resulting in improved efficiency. In this Perspective, we discuss the current state of knowledge in Na-O2 battery technology, with an emphasis on the latest experimental studies, as well as theoretical models. We offer special focus on the principle outstanding challenges and issues and address the advantages/disadvantages of the technology when compared with Li-O2 batteries as well as other state-of-the-art battery technologies. We finish by detailing the direction required to make Na-O2 batteries both commercially and technologically viable.

The North Atlantic Oscillation system and plant phenology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubálek, Zdenek

2016-05-01

The onset of flowering in 78 wild and domesticated terrestrial plant species recorded in South Moravia (Czech Republic) from 1965 to 2014 was correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index of the preceding winter. Flowering occurred significantly earlier following positive winter NAO phases (causing spring to be warmer than normal in Central Europe) in nearly all early-flowering (March, April) species; high Pearson correlation values were recorded in, e.g., goat willow, spring snowflake, golden bell, cornelian cherry, sweet violet, cherry plum, grape hyacinth, apricot, blackthorn, common dandelion, cherry, southern magnolia, common apple, cuckoo flower, European bird cherry, and cherry laurel. In contrast, the timing of later-flowering plant species (May to July) did not correlate significantly with the winter NAO index. It was found that local temperature is obviously a proximate factor of plant phenology, while the winter NAO is the ultimate factor, affecting temperature and other meteorological phenomena in Central Europe during spring season.

A new Em-like protein from Lactuca sativa, LsEm1, enhances drought and salt stress tolerance in Escherichia coli and rice.

PubMed

Xiang, Dian-Jun; Man, Li-Li; Zhang, Chun-Lan; Peng-Liu; Li, Zhi-Gang; Zheng, Gen-Chang

2018-02-07

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are closely related to abiotic stress tolerance of plants. In the present study, we identified a novel Em-like gene from lettuce, termed LsEm1, which could be classified into group 1 LEA proteins, and shared high homology with Cynara cardunculus Em protein. The LsEm1 protein contained three different 20-mer conserved elements (C-element, N-element, and M-element) in the C-termini, N-termini, and middle-region, respectively. The LsEm1 mRNAs were accumulated in all examined tissues during the flowering and mature stages, with a little accumulation in the roots and leaves during the seedling stage. Furthermore, the LsEm1 gene was also expressed in response to salt, dehydration, abscisic acid (ABA), and cold stresses in young seedlings. The LsEm1 protein could effectively reduce damage to the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and protect LDH activity under desiccation and salt treatments. The Escherichia coli cells overexpressing the LsEm1 gene showed a growth advantage over the control under drought and salt stresses. Moreover, LsEm1-overexpressing rice seeds were relatively sensitive to exogenously applied ABA, suggesting that the LsEm1 gene might depend on an ABA signaling pathway in response to environmental stresses. The transgenic rice plants overexpressing the LsEm1 gene showed higher tolerance to drought and salt stresses than did wild-type (WT) plants on the basis of the germination performances, higher survival rates, higher chlorophyll content, more accumulation of soluble sugar, lower relative electrolyte leakage, and higher superoxide dismutase activity under stress conditions. The LsEm1-overexpressing rice lines also showed less yield loss compared with WT rice under stress conditions. Furthermore, the LsEm1 gene had a positive effect on the expression of the OsCDPK9, OsCDPK13, OsCDPK15, OsCDPK25, and rab21 (rab16a) genes in transgenic rice under drought and salt stress conditions, implying that overexpression of these

7 CFR 1945.35 - Special EM loan training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) EMERGENCY Disaster Assistance-General § 1945.35 Special EM loan training... workshop and a test. (c) Objective. The basic objective of this training program is to keep State and... employees in administering the EM loan program. (d) Comprehensive EM loan training package. A comprehensive...

Identification of entomopathogenic nematodes and symbiotic bacteria from Nam Nao National Park in Thailand and larvicidal activity of symbiotic bacteria against Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus.

PubMed

Yooyangket, Temsiri; Muangpat, Paramaporn; Polseela, Raxsina; Tandhavanant, Sarunporn; Thanwisai, Aunchalee; Vitta, Apichat

2018-01-01

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) that are symbiotically associated with Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus bacteria can kill target insects via direct infection and toxin action. There are limited reports identifying such organisms in the National Park of Thailand. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to identify EPNs and symbiotic bacteria from Nam Nao National Park, Phetchabun Province, Thailand and to evaluate the larvicidal activity of bacteria against Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. A total of 12 EPN isolates belonging to Steinernema and Heterorhabditis were obtained form 940 soil samples between February 2014 and July 2016. EPNs were molecularly identified as S. websteri (10 isolates) and H. baujardi (2 isolates). Symbiotic bacteria were isolated from EPNs and molecularly identified as P. luminescens subsp. akhurstii (13 isolates), X. stockiae (11 isolates), X. vietnamensis (2 isolates) and X. japonica (1 isolate). For the bioassay, bacterial suspensions were evaluated for toxicity against third to early fourth instar larvae of Aedes spp. The larvae of both Aedes species were orally susceptible to symbiotic bacteria. The highest larval mortality of Ae. aegypti was 99% after exposure to X. stockiae (bNN112.3_TH) at 96 h, and the highest mortality of Ae. albopictus was 98% after exposure to P. luminescens subsp. akhurstii (bNN121.4_TH) at 96 h. In contrast to the control groups (Escherichia coli and distilled water), the mortality rate of both mosquito larvae ranged between 0 and 7% at 72 h. Here, we report the first observation of X. vietnamensis in Thailand. Additionally, we report the first observation of P. luminescens subsp. akhurstii associated with H. baujardi in Thailand. X. stockiae has potential to be a biocontrol agent for mosquitoes. This investigation provides a survey of the basic diversity of EPNs and symbiotic bacteria in the National Park of Thailand, and it is a bacterial resource for further studies of bioactive compounds.

The variability of the North Atlantic Oscillation throughout the Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wassenburg, Jasper; Dietrich, Stephan; Fietzke, Jan; Fohlmeister, Jens; Wei, Wei; Jochum, Klaus Peter; Scholz, Denis; Richter, Detlev; Sabaoui, Abdellah; Lohmann, Gerrit; Andreae, Meinrat; Immenhauser, Adrian

2013-04-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has a major impact on Northern Hemisphere winter climate. Trouet et al. (2009) reconstructed the NAO for the last millennium based on a Moroccan tree ring PDSI (Palmer Drought Severity Index) reconstruction and a Scottish speleothem record. More recently, Olsen et al. (2012) extended the NAO record back to 5.2 ka BP based on a lake record from West Greenland. It is, however, well known that the NAO exhibits non-stationary behavior and the use of a single location for a NAO reconstruction may not capture the complete variability. In addition, the imprint of the NAO on European rainfall patterns in the Early and Mid Holocene on (multi-) centennial timescales is still largely unknown. This is related to difficulties in establishing robust correlations between different proxy records and the fact that proxies may not only reflect winter conditions (i.e., the season when the NAO has the largest influence). Here we present a precisely dated, high resolution speleothem δ18O record from NW Morocco covering the complete Early and Mid Holocene. Carbon and oxygen isotopes were measured at a resolution of 15 years. A multi-proxy approach provides solid evidence that speleothem δ18O values reflect changes in past rainfall intensity. The Moroccan record shows a significant correlation with a speleothem rainfall record from western Germany, which covers the entire Holocene (Fohlmeister et al., 2012). The combination with the extended speleothem record from Scotland, speleothem records from north Italy and the NAO reconstruction from West Greenland (Olsen et al., 2012) allows us to study the variability of the NAO during the entire Holocene. The relation between West German and Northwest Moroccan rainfall has not been stationary, which is evident from the changing signs of correlation. The Early Holocene is characterized by a positive correlation, which changes between 9 and 8 ka BP into a negative correlation. Simulations with the state

The association between EMS workplace safety culture and safety outcomes

PubMed Central

Weaver, Matthew D.; Wang, Henry E.; Fairbanks, Rollin J.; Patterson, Daniel

2012-01-01

Objective Prior studies have highlighted wide variation in EMS workplace safety culture across agencies. We sought to determine the association between EMS workplace safety culture scores and patient or provider safety outcomes. Methods We administered a cross-sectional survey to EMS workers affiliated with a convenience sample of agencies. We recruited these agencies from a national EMS management organization. We used the EMS Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (EMS-SAQ) to measure workplace safety culture and the EMS Safety Inventory (EMS-SI), a tool developed to capture self-reported safety outcomes from EMS workers. The EMS-SAQ provides reliable and valid measures of six domains: safety climate, teamwork climate, perceptions of management, perceptions of working conditions, stress recognition, and job satisfaction. A panel of medical directors, paramedics, and occupational epidemiologists developed the EMS-SI to measure self-reported injury, medical errors and adverse events, and safety-compromising behaviors. We used hierarchical linear models to evaluate the association between EMS-SAQ scores and EMS-SI safety outcome measures. Results Sixteen percent of all respondents reported experiencing an injury in the past 3 months, four of every 10 respondents reported an error or adverse event (AE), and 90% reported safety-compromising behaviors. Respondents reporting injury scored lower on 5 of the 6 domains of safety culture. Respondents reporting an error or AE scored lower for 4 of the 6 domains, while respondents reporting safety-compromising behavior had lower safety culture scores for 5 of 6 domains. Conclusions Individual EMS worker perceptions of workplace safety culture are associated with composite measures of patient and provider safety outcomes. This study is preliminary evidence of the association between safety culture and patient or provider safety outcomes. PMID:21950463

Association between EMS Question Bank Completion and Passing Rates on the EMS Certification Examination.

PubMed

Clemency, Brian; Martin-Gill, Christian; Rall, Nicole; May, Paul; Lubin, Jeffrey; Cooley, Craig; Van Dillen, Christine; Silvestri, Salvatore; Portela, Roberto; Cooney, Derek; Knutsen, Christian; March, Juan

2017-01-01

A board review question bank was created to assist candidates in their preparation for the 2015 EMS certification examination. We aimed to describe the development of this question bank and evaluate its successes in preparing candidates to obtain EMS subspecialty board certification. An online question bank was developed by 13 subject matter experts who participated as item writers, representing eight different EMS fellowship programs. The online question bank consisted of four practice tests, with each of the tests comprised of 100 questions. The number of candidates who participated in and completed the question bank was calculated. The passing rate among candidates who completed the question bank was calculated and compared to the publicly reported statistics for all candidates. The relationship between candidates' performance on the question bank and subspecialty exam pass rates was determined. A total of 252 candidates took at least one practice test and, of those, 225 candidates completed all four 100-question practice tests. The pass rate on the 2015 EMS certification exam was 79% (95%CI 74-85%) among candidates who completed the question bank, which is 12% higher than the overall pass rate (p = 0.003). Candidates' performance on the question bank was positively associated with overall success on the exam (X 2 = 75.8, p < 0.0001). Achieving a score of ≥ 70% on the question bank was associated with a higher likelihood of passing the exam (OR = 17.8; 95% CI: 8.0-39.6). Completing the question bank program was associated with improved pass rates on the EMS certification exam. Strong performance on the question bank correlated with success on the exam.

77 FR 33980 - National Appeals Office Rules of Procedure

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-08

... National Appeals Office (NAO), a division of NMFS' Office of Management and Budget within NOAA. NAO's... Section 303A of the Magnuson-Steven Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The proposed procedures could... Goodman, National Appeals Office, Office of Management and Budget, NMFS, 1315 East West Hwy., Room 9553...

In vivo pharmacokinetic comparisons of ferulic acid and puerarin after oral administration of monomer, medicinal substance aqueous extract and Nao-De-Sheng to rats

PubMed Central

Ouyang, Zhen; Zhao, Ming; Tang, Jianming; Pan, Lulin

2012-01-01

Background: Nao-De-Sheng decoction (NDS), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription containing Radix puerariae lobatae, Floscarthami, Radix et Rhizoma Notoginseng, Rhizoma chuanxiong and Fructus crataegi, is effective in the treatment of cerebral arteriosclerosis, ischemic cerebral stroke and apoplexy linger effect. Ferulic acid and puerarin are the main absorbed effective ingredients of NDS. Objective: To assess the affection of other components in medical material and compound recipe compatibility on the pharmacokinetics of ferulaic acid and puerarin, of ferulic acid from the monomer Rhizoma chuanxiong aqueous extract and NDS were studied. And pharmacokinetics comparisons of puerarin from the monomer Radix puerariae extract and NDS decoction were investigated simultaneously. Materials and Methods: At respective different time points after oral administration of the monomer, medicinal substance aqueous extract and NDS at the same dose in rats, plasma concentrations of ferulic acid and puerarin in rats were determined by RP-HPLC, and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated with 3P97 software. Results: The plasma concentration-time curves of ferulaic acid and puerarin were both best fitted with a two-compartment model. AUC0−t, AUC0→∞, Tmax, and Cmax of ferulic acid in the monomer and NDS decoction were increased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with that in Rhizoma chuanxiong aqueous extract. And statistically significant increase (P < 0.05) in pharmacokinetic parameters of puerarin including AUC0−t, AUC0→∞, CL, Tmax and Cmax were obtained after oral administration of puerarin monomer compared with Radix puerariae extract. Although the changes of AUC0−t, AUC0→∞ and CL had no statistically significant, Cmax of puerarin in NDS was increased remarkably (P < 0.05) compared with that in single puerarin. Conclusions: Some ingredients of Rhizoma chuanxiong and Radix puerariae may be suggested to remarkably influence plasma

Estimation of multiple sound sources with data and model uncertainties using the EM and evidential EM algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xun; Quost, Benjamin; Chazot, Jean-Daniel; Antoni, Jérôme

2016-01-01

This paper considers the problem of identifying multiple sound sources from acoustical measurements obtained by an array of microphones. The problem is solved via maximum likelihood. In particular, an expectation-maximization (EM) approach is used to estimate the sound source locations and strengths, the pressure measured by a microphone being interpreted as a mixture of latent signals emitted by the sources. This work also considers two kinds of uncertainties pervading the sound propagation and measurement process: uncertain microphone locations and uncertain wavenumber. These uncertainties are transposed to the data in the belief functions framework. Then, the source locations and strengths can be estimated using a variant of the EM algorithm, known as the Evidential EM (E2M) algorithm. Eventually, both simulation and real experiments are shown to illustrate the advantage of using the EM in the case without uncertainty and the E2M in the case of uncertain measurement.

Peat soils stabilization using Effective Microorganisms (EM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yusof, N. Z.; Samsuddin, N. S.; Hanif, M. F.; Syed Osman, S. B.

2018-04-01

Peat soil is known as geotechnical problematic soil since it is the softest soil having highly organic and moisture content which led to high compressibility, low shear strength and long-term settlement. The aim of this study was to obtain the stabilized peat soils using the Effective Microorganisms (EM). The volume of EM added and mixed with peat soils varied with 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% and then were cured for 7, 14 and 21 days. The experiment was done for uncontrolled and controlled moisture content. Prior conducting the main experiments, the physical properties such as moisture content, liquid limit, specific gravity, and plastic limit etc. were measure for raw peat samples. The Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) test was performed followed by regression analysis to check the effect of EM on the soil strength. Obtained results have shown that the mix design for controlled moisture contents showed the promising improvement in their compressive strength. The peat soil samples with 10% of EM shows the highest increment in UCS value and the percentage of increments are in the range of 44% to 65% after curing for 21 days. The regression analysis of the EM with the soil compressive strength showed that in controlled moisture conditions, EM significantly improved the soil stability as the value of R2 ranged between 0.97 – 0.78. The results have indicated that the addition of EM in peat soils provides significant improving in the strength of the soil as well as the other engineering properties.

Life history tactics shape amphibians' demographic responses to the North Atlantic Oscillation.

PubMed

Cayuela, Hugo; Joly, Pierre; Schmidt, Benedikt R; Pichenot, Julian; Bonnaire, Eric; Priol, Pauline; Peyronel, Olivier; Laville, Mathias; Besnard, Aurélien

2017-11-01

Over the last three decades, climate abnormalities have been reported to be involved in biodiversity decline by affecting population dynamics. A growing number of studies have shown that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influences the demographic parameters of a wide range of plant and animal taxa in different ways. Life history theory could help to understand these different demographic responses to the NAO. Indeed, theory states that the impact of weather variation on a species' demographic traits should depend on its position along the fast-slow continuum. In particular, it is expected that NAO would have a higher impact on recruitment than on adult survival in slow species, while the opposite pattern is expected occur in fast species. To test these predictions, we used long-term capture-recapture datasets (more than 15,000 individuals marked from 1965 to 2015) on different surveyed populations of three amphibian species in Western Europe: Triturus cristatus, Bombina variegata, and Salamandra salamandra. Despite substantial intraspecific variation, our study revealed that these three species differ in their position on a slow-fast gradient of pace of life. Our results also suggest that the differences in life history tactics influence amphibian responses to NAO fluctuations: Adult survival was most affected by the NAO in the species with the fastest pace of life (T. cristatus), whereas recruitment was most impacted in species with a slower pace of life (B. variegata and S. salamandra). In the context of climate change, our findings suggest that the capacity of organisms to deal with future changes in NAO values could be closely linked to their position on the fast-slow continuum. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impacts of radiation management techniques on the North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adakudlu, Muralidhar; Helge Otterå, Odd; Tjiputra, Jerry; Muri, Helene; Grini, Alf; Schulz, Michael

2017-04-01

The effectiveness of various climate engineering techniques in limiting the global warming signal to reasonable levels has been the topic of state-of-the-art research on climate change. Using an Earth system model, we show that these techniques have the potential to bring down the high CO2 concentration climate in RCP8.5 to a moderate climate similar to RCP4.5 in terms of global temperature. Nevertheless, their influence on the regional aspects of atmospheric circulation is not clear. The regional circulation patterns in the atmosphere are largely characterized by the natural variability modes, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). In this study, we assess the impacts of three radiation managment techniques, namely, Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI), Marine Sky Brightening (MSB) and Cirrus Cloud Thinning (CCT), on the structure and features of the NAO. The results indicate an east-northeastward shift as well as intensification of the NAO spatial pattern in the global warming scenarios of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, with the signal being most intense in the latter. The climate engineering forcings when applied to the RCP8.5 case tend to reduce the strength of the NAO with little impact on its position. The CCT case appears to have the maximum effect on the NAO signal. The patterns of cloud radiative forcing, expressed as the difference between net radiative forcing at TOA under average conditions and clear sky conditions, reveal a northeastward shift of the radiative heating in the north Atlantic region. This implies a possible link between the changes in the NAO signal and the cloud radiative forcing.

Properties of self-assembled diluted magnetic semiconductor nanostructures =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ankiewicz, Amelia Olga Goncalves

Este trabalho centra-se na investigacao da possibilidade de se conseguir um semicondutor magnetico diluido (SMD) baseado em ZnO. Foi levado a cabo um estudo detalhado das propriedades magneticas e estruturais de estruturas de ZnO, nomeadamente nanofios (NFs), nanocristais (NCs) e filmes finos, dopadas com metais de transicao (MTs). Foram usadas varias tecnicas experimentais para caracterizar estas estruturas, designadamente difraccao de raios-X, microscopia electronica de varrimento, ressonancia magnetica, SQUID, e medidas de transporte. Foram incorporados substitucionalmente nos sitios do Zn ioes de Mn2+ e Co2+ em ambos os NFs e NCs de ZnO. Revelou-se para ambos os ioes dopantes, que a incorporacao e heterogenea, uma vez que parte do sinal de ressonancia paramagnetica electronica (RPE) vem de ioes de MTs em ambientes distorcidos ou enriquecidos com MTs. A partir das intensidades relativas dos espectros de RPE e de modificacoes da superficie, demonstra-se ainda que os NCs exibem uma estrutura core-shell. Os resultados, evidenciam que, com o aumento da concentracao de MTs, a dimensao dos NCs diminui e aumentam as distorcoes da rede. Finalmente, no caso dos NCs dopados com Mn, obteve-se o resultado singular de que a espessura da shell e da ordem de 0.3 nm e de que existe uma acumulacao de Mn na mesma. Com o objectivo de esclarecer o papel dos portadores de carga na medicao das interaccoes ferromagneticas, foram co-dopados filmes de ZnO com Mn e Al ou com Co e Al. Os filmes dopados com Mn, revelaram-se simplesmente paramagneticos, com os ioes de Mn substitucionais nos sitios do Zn. Por outro lado, os filmes dopados com Co exibem ferromagnetismo fraco nao intrinseco, provavelmente devido a decomposicao spinodal. Foram ainda efectuados estudos comparativos com filmes de ligas de Zn1-xFexO. Como era de esperar, detectaram-se segundas fases de espinela e de oxido de ferro nestas ligas; todas as amostras exibiam curvas de histerese a 300 K. Estes resultados suportam a

North Atlantic sub-decadal variability in climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reintges, Annika; Martin, Thomas; Latif, Mojib; Park, Wonsun

2017-04-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the dominant variability mode for the winter climate of the North Atlantic sector. During a positive (negative) NAO phase, the sea level pressure (SLP) difference between the subtropical Azores high and the subpolar Icelandic low is anomalously strong (weak). This affects, for example, temperature, precipitation, wind, and surface heat flux over the North Atlantic, and over large parts of Europe. In observations we find enhanced sub-decadal variability of the NAO index that goes along with a dipolar sea surface temperature (SST) pattern. The corresponding SLP and SST patterns are reproduced in a control experiment of the Kiel Climate Model (KCM). Large-scale air-sea interaction is suggested to be essential for the North Atlantic sub-decadal variability in the KCM. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays a key role, setting the timescale of the variability by providing a delayed negative feedback to the NAO. The interplay of the NAO and the AMOC on the sub-decadal timescale is further investigated in the CMIP5 model ensemble. For example, the average CMIP5 model AMOC pattern associated with sub-decadal variability is characterized by a deep-reaching dipolar structure, similar to the KCM's sub-decadal AMOC variability pattern. The results suggest that dynamical air-sea interactions are crucial to generate enhanced sub-decadal variability in the North Atlantic climate.

Temperature-precipitation relationship of the Common Era in northern Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luoto, Tomi P.; Nevalainen, Liisa

2018-05-01

Due to the lack of knowledge on dynamics of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) prior to the last millennium, synchronized records of air temperature and precipitation variability are needed to understand large-scale drivers of the hydroclimate. Here, we use completely synchronized paleolimnological proxy-based records of air temperature and effective precipitation from two Scandinavian lakes with ˜2000-year sediment profiles. We show that the relationship between air temperature and precipitation (T/P ratio) is synchronous in both study sites throughout the records suggesting warm and dry conditions at ˜300-1100 CE and cold and wet conditions at ˜1200-1900 CE. Owing to the significantly increased air temperatures, the most recent T/P ratio has again turned positive. During the first millennium of the Common Era, the T/P mimics patterns in Southern Oscillation index, whereas the second millennium shows response to the NAO index but is also concurrent with solar irradiance shifts. Since our T/P reconstruction is mostly linked with the NAO, we propose the T/P ratio as an indicator of the NAO. Our results from the coherent records provide first-time knowledge on the long-term temperature-precipitation relationship in Northern Europe that increase understanding of the comprehensive hydroclimate system in the region and the NAO dynamics also further back in time.

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb212.ctl.grib2

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 006 10 m above ground VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s of <em>Wind> [m/s] 018 250 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 019 500 mb HGT analysis Geopotential Height [gpm] 020 500 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 021 500 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb132.ctl.grib2

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 006 10 m above ground VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s of <em>Wind> [m/s] 018 250 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 019 500 mb HGT analysis Geopotential Height [gpm] 020 500 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 021 500 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb243.ctl.grib2

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 006 10 m above ground VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s of <em>Wind> [m/s] 018 250 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 019 500 mb HGT analysis Geopotential Height [gpm] 020 500 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 021 500 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb221.ctl.grib2

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 006 10 m above ground VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s of <em>Wind> [m/s] 018 250 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 019 500 mb HGT analysis Geopotential Height [gpm] 020 500 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 021 500 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb216.ctl.grib2

Science.gov Websites

UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 006 10 m above ground VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s of <em>Wind> [m/s] 018 250 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 019 500 mb HGT analysis Geopotential Height [gpm] 020 500 mb UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 021 500 mb VGRD analysis V-Component of

Emergency Medical Services Utilization in EMS Priority Conditions in Beirut, Lebanon.

PubMed

El Sayed, Mazen; Tamim, Hani; Chehadeh, Ahel Al-Hajj; Kazzi, Amin A

2016-12-01

Early activation and use of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are associated with improved patient outcomes in EMS priority conditions in developed EMS systems. This study describes patterns of EMS use and identifies predictors of EMS utilization in EMS priority conditions in Lebanon METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of a random sample of adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary care center in Beirut with the following EMS priority conditions: chest pain, major trauma, respiratory distress, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, and airway obstruction. Patient/proxy survey (20 questions) and chart review were completed. The responses to survey questions were "disagree," "neutral," or "agree" and were scored as one, two, or three with three corresponding to higher likelihood of EMS use. A total scale score ranging from 20 to 60 was created and transformed from 0% to 100%. Data were analyzed based on mode of presentation (EMS vs other). Among the 481 patients enrolled, only 112 (23.3%) used EMS. Mean age for study population was 63.7 years (SD=18.8 years) with 56.5% males. Mean clinical severity score (Emergency Severity Index [ESI]) was 2.5 (SD=0.7) and mean pain score was 3.1 (SD=3.5) at ED presentation. Over one-half (58.8%) needed admission to hospital with 21.8% to an intensive care unit care level and with a mortality rate of 7.3%. Significant associations were found between EMS use and the following variables: severity of illness, degree of pain, familiarity with EMS activation, previous EMS use, perceived EMS benefit, availability of EMS services, trust in EMS response times and treatment, advice from family, and unavailability of immediate private mode of transport (P≤.05). Functional screening, or requiring full assistance (OR=4.77; 95% CI, 1.85-12.29); acute symptoms onset ≤ one hour (OR=2.14; 95% CI, 1.08-4.26); and higher scale scores (OR=2.99; 95% CI, 2.20-4.07) were significant predictors of EMS use. Patients

School Budget Hold'em Facilitator's Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Resource Strategies, 2012

2012-01-01

"School Budget Hold'em" is a game designed to help school districts rethink their budgeting process. It evolved out of Education Resource Strategies' (ERS) experience working with large urban districts around the country. "School Budget Hold'em" offers a completely new approach--one that can turn the budgeting process into a long-term visioning…

Environmental Education and Development Division (EM-522). Annual report, Fiscal year 1993

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

Not Available

1993-12-31

The Environmental Education and Development Division (EM-522) is one of three divisions within the Office of Technology Integration and Environmental Education and Development (EM-52) in Environmental Restoration and Waste Management`s (EM`s) Office of Technology Development (EM-50). The primary design criterion for EM-522 education activities is directly related to meeting EM`s goal of environmental compliance on an accelerated basis and cleanup of the 1989 inventory of inactive sites and facilities by the year 2019. Therefore, EM-522`s efforts are directed specifically toward stimulating knowledge and capabilities to achieve the goals of EM while contributing to DOE`s overall goal of increasing scientific, mathematical,more » and technical literacy and competency. This report discusses fiscal year 1993 activities.« less

Signatures of large-scale and local climates on the demography of white-tailed ptarmigan in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA.

PubMed

Wang, Guiming; Hobbs, N Thompson; Galbraith, Hector; Giesen, Kenneth M

2002-09-01

Global climate change may impact wildlife populations by affecting local weather patterns, which, in turn, can impact a variety of ecological processes. However, it is not clear that local variations in ecological processes can be explained by large-scale patterns of climate. The North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) is a large-scale climate phenomenon that has been shown to influence the population dynamics of some animals. Although effects of the NAO on vertebrate population dynamics have been studied, it remains uncertain whether it broadly predicts the impact of weather on species. We examined the ability of local weather data and the NAO to explain the annual variation in population dynamics of white-tailed ptarmigan ( Lagopus leucurus) in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA. We performed canonical correlation analysis on the demographic subspace of ptarmigan and local-climate subspace defined by the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) using data from 1975 to 1999. We found that two subspaces were significantly correlated on the first canonical variable. The Pearson correlation coefficient of the first EOF values of the demographic and local-climate subspaces was significant. The population density and the first EOF of local-climate subspace influenced the ptarmigan population with 1-year lags in the Gompertz model. However, the NAO index was neither related to the first two EOF of local-climate subspace nor to the first EOF of the demographic subspace of ptarmigan. Moreover, the NAO index was not a significant term in the Gompertz model for the ptarmigan population. Therefore, local climate had stronger signature on the demography of ptarmigan than did a large-scale index, i.e., the NAO index. We conclude that local responses of wildlife populations to changing climate may not be adequately explained by models that project large-scale climatic patterns.

Winter precipitation changes during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age in arid Central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fohlmeister, Jens; Plessen, Birgit; Dudashvili, Alexey Sergeevich; Tjallingii, Rik; Wolff, Christian; Gafurov, Abror; Cheng, Hai

2017-12-01

The strength of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is considered to be the main driver of climate changes over the European and western Asian continents throughout the last millennium. For example, the predominantly warm Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and the following cold period of the Little Ice Age (LIA) over Europe have been associated with long-lasting phases with a positive and negative NAO index. Its climatic imprint is especially pronounced in European winter seasons. However, little is known about the influence of NAO with respect to its eastern extent over the Eurasian continent. Here we present speleothem records (δ13C, δ18O and Sr/Ca) from the southern rim of Fergana Basin (Central Asia) revealing annually resolved past climate variations during the last millennium. The age control of the stalagmite relies on radiocarbon dating as large amounts of detrital material inhibit accurate 230Th dating. Present-day calcification of the stalagmite is most effective during spring when the cave atmosphere and elevated water supply by snow melting and high amount of spring precipitation provide optimal conditions. Seasonal precipitation variations cause changes of the stable isotope and Sr/Ca compositions. The simultaneous changes in these geochemical proxies, however, give also evidence for fractionation processes in the cave. By disentangling both processes, we demonstrate that the amount of winter precipitation during the MCA was generally higher than during the LIA, which is in line with climatic changes linked to the NAO index but opposite to the higher mountain records of Central Asia. Several events of strongly reduced winter precipitation are observed during the LIA in Central Asia. These dry winter events can be related to phases of a strong negative NAO index and all results reveal that winter precipitation over the central Eurasian continent is tightly linked to atmospheric NAO modes by the westerly wind systems.

The effects of climate change on harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus).

PubMed

Johnston, David W; Bowers, Matthew T; Friedlaender, Ari S; Lavigne, David M

2012-01-01

Harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) have evolved life history strategies to exploit seasonal sea ice as a breeding platform. As such, individuals are prepared to deal with fluctuations in the quantity and quality of ice in their breeding areas. It remains unclear, however, how shifts in climate may affect seal populations. The present study assesses the effects of climate change on harp seals through three linked analyses. First, we tested the effects of short-term climate variability on young-of-the year harp seal mortality using a linear regression of sea ice cover in the Gulf of St. Lawrence against stranding rates of dead harp seals in the region during 1992 to 2010. A similar regression of stranding rates and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index values was also conducted. These analyses revealed negative correlations between both ice cover and NAO conditions and seal mortality, indicating that lighter ice cover and lower NAO values result in higher mortality. A retrospective cross-correlation analysis of NAO conditions and sea ice cover from 1978 to 2011 revealed that NAO-related changes in sea ice may have contributed to the depletion of seals on the east coast of Canada during 1950 to 1972, and to their recovery during 1973 to 2000. This historical retrospective also reveals opposite links between neonatal mortality in harp seals in the Northeast Atlantic and NAO phase. Finally, an assessment of the long-term trends in sea ice cover in the breeding regions of harp seals across the entire North Atlantic during 1979 through 2011 using multiple linear regression models and mixed effects linear regression models revealed that sea ice cover in all harp seal breeding regions has been declining by as much as 6 percent per decade over the time series of available satellite data.

The Effects of Climate Change on Harp Seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus)

PubMed Central

Johnston, David W.; Bowers, Matthew T.; Friedlaender, Ari S.; Lavigne, David M.

2012-01-01

Harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus) have evolved life history strategies to exploit seasonal sea ice as a breeding platform. As such, individuals are prepared to deal with fluctuations in the quantity and quality of ice in their breeding areas. It remains unclear, however, how shifts in climate may affect seal populations. The present study assesses the effects of climate change on harp seals through three linked analyses. First, we tested the effects of short-term climate variability on young-of-the year harp seal mortality using a linear regression of sea ice cover in the Gulf of St. Lawrence against stranding rates of dead harp seals in the region during 1992 to 2010. A similar regression of stranding rates and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index values was also conducted. These analyses revealed negative correlations between both ice cover and NAO conditions and seal mortality, indicating that lighter ice cover and lower NAO values result in higher mortality. A retrospective cross-correlation analysis of NAO conditions and sea ice cover from 1978 to 2011 revealed that NAO-related changes in sea ice may have contributed to the depletion of seals on the east coast of Canada during 1950 to 1972, and to their recovery during 1973 to 2000. This historical retrospective also reveals opposite links between neonatal mortality in harp seals in the Northeast Atlantic and NAO phase. Finally, an assessment of the long-term trends in sea ice cover in the breeding regions of harp seals across the entire North Atlantic during 1979 through 2011 using multiple linear regression models and mixed effects linear regression models revealed that sea ice cover in all harp seal breeding regions has been declining by as much as 6 percent per decade over the time series of available satellite data. PMID:22238591

North Atlantic Oscillation and moisture transport towards the Iberian Peninsula during winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ordóñez, Paulina; Liberato, Margarida L. R.; Gouveia, Célia; Trigo, Ricardo M.

2013-04-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the major source of interannual variability in winter precipitation over the Iberian Peninsula (IP). Recent works have identified the most important sources of moisture that supply the IP during different seasons of the year, including the nearby western Mediterranean and the tropical-subtropical North Atlantic corridor that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the IP, and the IP itself (Gimeno et al., 2010). However, although rainfall is directly related to the moisture supply, the relationship between the water vapor transported towards IP and the NAO phase remains unclear. In this work the moisture transport towards IP was analyzed using a Lagrangian diagnosis method, which relies on the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART. This methodology computes budgets of evaporation minus precipitation (E-P) by evaluating changes in the specific humidity along back-trajectories. Here we have computed (for each day) the evolution of moisture of the particles bound for Iberia up to 10 days prior to their arrival. The analysis was constrained to the winter (DJF) season, responsible for the largest fraction of precipitation, for the 20 years of ECMWF Reanalyses ERA40 dataset from 1980 to 2000. The contribution of the NAO phase on the water budgets is examined using composites of the obtained (E - P) fields for the 5 most extreme positive and negative NAO years of the study period. Results confirm that the IP is dominated by positive (negative) E-P anomalies during positive (negative) NAO phase. Additionally an anomalous water vapor sink (source) region located approximately over the Gulf Stream is found during positive (negative) NAO phase. Gimeno L., Nieto R., Trigo R.M. , Vicente-Serrano S.M, Lopes-Moreno J.I., (2010) "Where does the Iberian Peninsula moisture come from? An answer based on a Lagrangian approach". J. Hydrometeorology, 11, 421-436 DOI: 10.1175/2009JHM1182.1.

The detailed chemistry and thermodynamics of sodium in oxygen-rich flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hynes, A. J.; Steinberg, M.; Schofield, K.

1982-01-01

Measurement of sodium and OH concentrations in ten oxygen-rich H2/O2/N2 flames by respective saturated and low-power laser induced fluorescence techniques have permitted a detailed examination of the pronounced flame chemistry of sodium in such oxygen rich media. Previous interpretations have been shown to be largely incomplete or in error. The flame downstream profiles indicate that the amount of free sodium tracks the decay of H-atom and as the flame radicals decay sodium becomes increasingly bound in a molecular form. A detailed kinetic model indicates that the sodium is distributed between NaOH and NaO2 species. Concentrations of NaO are very small and NaH negligible. The actual distribution is controlled by the state of equilibrium of the flames' basic free radicals. Na, NaO2 and NaOH are all coupled to one another by fast reactions which can rapidly interconvert one to another as flame conditions vary. Above about 2000K, NaOH becomes dominant whereas NaO2 plays an increasingly important contribution at lower temperatures.

Connections of Precipitable Water Vapor and Total Ozone Anomalies over European Russia with the North Atlantic Oscillation: Specific Features of Summer 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitnov, S. A.; Mokhov, I. I.; Bezverkhny, V. A.

2017-12-01

Based on the measurements of precipitable water vapor (PWV) and total column ozone (TCO) from the MODIS satellite instruments (Aqua/Terra platforms), the connections between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the anomalies in PWV and TCO over European Russia (ER) in summer 2010 are analyzed. It is found that the PWV (TCO) anomalies over the northern ER in summer 2010 positively (negatively) correlated with the NAO, and the local correlations reached 0.68 (-0.55). The physical mechanisms of the correlations are discussed. A comparative analysis of the relationships between the NAO and the regional PWV and TCO anomalies over ER during the summer seasons of 2000-2015 is carried out.

The EM Earthquake Precursor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, K. B., II; Saxton, P. T.

2013-12-01

Many attempts have been made to determine a sound forecasting method regarding earthquakes and warn the public in turn. Presently, the animal kingdom leads the precursor list alluding to a transmission related source. By applying the animal-based model to an electromagnetic (EM) wave model, various hypotheses were formed, but the most interesting one required the use of a magnetometer with a differing design and geometry. To date, numerous, high-end magnetometers have been in use in close proximity to fault zones for potential earthquake forecasting; however, something is still amiss. The problem still resides with what exactly is forecastable and the investigating direction of EM. After the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, American earthquake investigators predetermined magnetometer use and a minimum earthquake magnitude necessary for EM detection. This action was set in motion, due to the extensive damage incurred and public outrage concerning earthquake forecasting; however, the magnetometers employed, grounded or buried, are completely subject to static and electric fields and have yet to correlate to an identifiable precursor. Secondly, there is neither a networked array for finding any epicentral locations, nor have there been any attempts to find even one. This methodology needs dismissal, because it is overly complicated, subject to continuous change, and provides no response time. As for the minimum magnitude threshold, which was set at M5, this is simply higher than what modern technological advances have gained. Detection can now be achieved at approximately M1, which greatly improves forecasting chances. A propagating precursor has now been detected in both the field and laboratory. Field antenna testing conducted outside the NE Texas town of Timpson in February, 2013, detected three strong EM sources along with numerous weaker signals. The antenna had mobility, and observations were noted for recurrence, duration, and frequency response. Next, two

E/M coding problems plague physicians, coders.

PubMed

King, Mitchell S; Lipsky, Martin S; Sharp, Lisa

2002-01-01

As the government turns its high beams on fraudulent billing, physician E/M coding is raising questions. With several studies spotlighting the difficulty physicians have in applying CPT E/M codes, the authors wanted to know if credentialed coders had the same problem. Here's what they found.

Application of the EM algorithm to radiographic images.

PubMed

Brailean, J C; Little, D; Giger, M L; Chen, C T; Sullivan, B J

1992-01-01

The expectation maximization (EM) algorithm has received considerable attention in the area of positron emitted tomography (PET) as a restoration and reconstruction technique. In this paper, the restoration capabilities of the EM algorithm when applied to radiographic images is investigated. This application does not involve reconstruction. The performance of the EM algorithm is quantitatively evaluated using a "perceived" signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as the image quality metric. This perceived SNR is based on statistical decision theory and includes both the observer's visual response function and a noise component internal to the eye-brain system. For a variety of processing parameters, the relative SNR (ratio of the processed SNR to the original SNR) is calculated and used as a metric to compare quantitatively the effects of the EM algorithm with two other image enhancement techniques: global contrast enhancement (windowing) and unsharp mask filtering. The results suggest that the EM algorithm's performance is superior when compared to unsharp mask filtering and global contrast enhancement for radiographic images which contain objects smaller than 4 mm.

Feasibility for an EMS workforce safety and health surveillance system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-05-01

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel treat an estimated 22 million patients a year in the United States. Estimates have placed the EMS workforce at around 900,000 workers, but the precise number is unknown because EMS workers include career and...

Mechanical behaviour of AlSiC nano composites produced by ball milling and spark plasma sintering =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchheim, Claudia Sofia de Andrade Redondo Murilhas

Neste trabalho foram produzidos nanocompositos de AlSiC misturando aluminio puro com nano particulas de SiC com diâmetro de 45 - 55 nm, usando, de forma sequencial, a tecnica da metalurgia do po e a compactacao por "Spark Plasma Sintering". O composito obtido apresentava graos com 100 nm de diâmetro, encontrandose as particulas de SiC localizadas, principalmente, nas fronteiras de grao. O nanocomposito sob a forma de provetes cilindricos foi submetido a testes de compressao uniaxial e a testes de nanoindentacao para analisar a influencia das nanoparticulas de SiC, da fracao volumica de acido estearico e do tempo de moagem, nas propriedades mecânicas do material. Para efeitos de comparacao, utilizouse o comportamento mecânico do Al puro processado em condicoes similares e da liga de aluminio AA1050O. A tensao limite de elasticidade do nanocomposito com 1% Vol./Vol. de SiC e dez vezes superior a do AA1050. O refinamento de grao a escala nano constitui o principal mecanismo de aumento de resistencia mecânica. Na realidade, o Al nanocristalino sem reforco de particulas de SiC, apresenta uma tensao limite de elasticidade sete vezes superior a da liga AA1050O. A adicao de 0,5 % Vol./Vol. e de 1 % Vol./Vol. de SiC conduzem, respetivamente, ao aumento da tensao limite de elasticidade em 47 % e 50%. O aumento do tempo de moagem e a adicao de acido estearico ao po durante a moagem conduzem apenas a um pequeno aumento da tensao de escoamento. A dureza do material medida atraves de testes de nanoindentacao confirmaram os dados anteriores. A estabilidade das microestruturas do aluminio puro e do nanocomposito AlSiC, foi testada atraves de recozimento de restauracao realizado as temperaturas de 150 °C e 250 °C durante 2 horas. Aparentemente, o tratamento termico nao influenciou as propriedades mecânicas dos materiais, excepto do nanocomposito com 1 % Vol./Vol. de SiC restaurado a temperatura de 250 °C, para o qual se observou uma reducao da tensao limite de elasticidade

EMS providers do not use FOAM for education.

PubMed

Bucher, Joshua; Donovan, Colleen; McCoy, Jonathan

2018-05-24

Free open access to medical education (FOAM, #FOAM) is the free availability of educational materials on various medicine topics. We hope to evaluate the use of social media and FOAM by emergency medical services (EMS) providers. We designed an online survey distributed to EMS providers with questions about demographics and social media/FOAM use by providers. The survey was sent to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) EMS Listserv of medical directors and was asked to be distributed to their respective agencies. The survey was designed to inquire about the providers' knowledge of FOAM and social media and their use of the above for EMS education. There were 169 respondents out of a total of 523 providers yielding a response rate of 32.3%. Fifty-three percent of respondents are paramedics, 37% are EMT-Basic trained, and the remainder (16%) were "other." The minority (20%) of respondents had heard of FOAM. However, 54% of respondents had heard of "free medical education online" regarding pertinent topics. Of the total respondents who used social media for education, 31% used Facebook and 23% used blogs and podcasts as resources for online education. Only 4% of respondents stated they produced FOAM content. Seventy-six percent of respondents said they were "interested" or "very interested" in using FOAM for medical education. If FOAM provided continuing medical education (CME), 83% of respondents would be interested in using it. Social media is not used frequently by EMS providers for the purposes of FOAM. There is interest within EMS providers to use FOAM for education, even if CME was not provided. FOAM can provide a novel area of education for EMS.

Emergency medical service (EMS): A unique flight environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shively, R. Jay

1993-01-01

The EMS flight environment is unique in today's aviation. The pilots must respond quickly to emergency events and often fly to landing zones where they have never been before . The time from initially receiving a call to being airborne can be as little as two to three minutes. Often the EMS pilot is the only aviation professional on site, they have no operations people or other pilots to aid them in making decisons. Further, since they are often flying to accident scenes, not airports, there is often complete weather and condition information. Therefore, the initial decision that the pilot must make, accepting or declining a flight, can become very difficult. The accident rate of EMS helicopters has been relatively high over the past years. NASA-Ames research center has taken several steps in an attempt to aid EMS pilots in their decision making and situational awareness. A preflight risk assessment system (SAFE) was developed to aid pilots in their decision making, and was tested at an EMS service. The resutls of the study were promising and a second version incorporating the lessons learned is under development. A second line of research was the development of a low cost electronic chart display (ECD). This is a digital map display to help pilots maintain geographical orientation. Another thrust was undertaken in conjunction with the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). This involved publicizing the ASRS to EMS pilots and personnel, and calling each of the reporters back to gather additional information. This paper will discuss these efforts and how they may positively impact the safety of EMS operations.

Recent developments in the CCP-EM software suite.

PubMed

Burnley, Tom; Palmer, Colin M; Winn, Martyn

2017-06-01

As part of its remit to provide computational support to the cryo-EM community, the Collaborative Computational Project for Electron cryo-Microscopy (CCP-EM) has produced a software framework which enables easy access to a range of programs and utilities. The resulting software suite incorporates contributions from different collaborators by encapsulating them in Python task wrappers, which are then made accessible via a user-friendly graphical user interface as well as a command-line interface suitable for scripting. The framework includes tools for project and data management. An overview of the design of the framework is given, together with a survey of the functionality at different levels. The current CCP-EM suite has particular strength in the building and refinement of atomic models into cryo-EM reconstructions, which is described in detail.

Recent developments in the CCP-EM software suite

PubMed Central

Burnley, Tom

2017-01-01

As part of its remit to provide computational support to the cryo-EM community, the Collaborative Computational Project for Electron cryo-Microscopy (CCP-EM) has produced a software framework which enables easy access to a range of programs and utilities. The resulting software suite incorporates contributions from different collaborators by encapsulating them in Python task wrappers, which are then made accessible via a user-friendly graphical user interface as well as a command-line interface suitable for scripting. The framework includes tools for project and data management. An overview of the design of the framework is given, together with a survey of the functionality at different levels. The current CCP-EM suite has particular strength in the building and refinement of atomic models into cryo-EM reconstructions, which is described in detail. PMID:28580908

Long term variability of O3 in the UTLS as measured by MOZAIC since 1994 and its link to NAO indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thouret, Valérie; Cammas, Jean-Pierre; Cassou, Christophe; Nédélec, Philippe; Athier, Gilles; Boulanger, Damien; Karcher, Fernand

2010-05-01

The MOZAIC program (http://mozaic.aero.obs-mip.fr) measures O3 and thermodynamical parameters since August 1994 on board 5 commercial aircraft operated by European airlines. Thus, most of the sampling data have been recorded at northern mid-latitudes, between 9 and 12 km altitude, in the upper troposphere - lower stratosphere (UTLS). To better assess the O3 distribution and its seasonal and regional behavior, measurements have been referenced to the tropopause altitude. The tropopause is defined as being a transition zone 30 hPa thick centered on the surface PV=2 pvu. Two other layers are defined on either side of the tropopause to encompass all the cruise levels of the MOZAIC flights, as fully described in Thouret et al., (2006). Then, we have access to the upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric ozone distributions independently of any ozone threshold and regardless of the seasonal variations of the tropopause. We will present a climatology of O3 in the UTLS for different regions of the northern mid-latitudes, from Western US to Japan, via North Atlantic and Europe. We will focus on the seasonal and regional differences to better highlight the ozone behavior in this critical region. Given the availability of 15 years of data (up to 2008), we also aim to further assess the interannual variability and "trends". The first analysis presented in Thouret et al., (2006) showed an increase of O3 of about 1%/year between 1994 and 2003 in both the UT and the LS over a large North Atlantic area. This time period was actually characterized by the so-called (positive) anomaly 1998-1999. O3 time series and anomalies have been correlated with the atmospheric teleconnections indices (NAO and NAM), showing thus the coupling between the stratosphere and the troposphere and the role of the variations in large scale dynamics, through wave-driven stratospheric circulation influencing down to the middle and upper troposphere. Later on, Koumoutsaris et al., (2008) have also shown

How good can cryo-EM become?

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

Glaeser, Robert M.

The suddenness with which single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a method for determining high-resolution structures of biological macromolecules invites the questions, how much better can this technology get, and how fast is that likely to happen? While we can rightly celebrate the maturation of cryo-EM as a high-resolution structure-determination tool, I believe there still are many developments to look forward to.

Identification of entomopathogenic nematodes and symbiotic bacteria from Nam Nao National Park in Thailand and larvicidal activity of symbiotic bacteria against Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus

PubMed Central

Yooyangket, Temsiri; Muangpat, Paramaporn; Polseela, Raxsina; Tandhavanant, Sarunporn; Thanwisai, Aunchalee

2018-01-01

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) that are symbiotically associated with Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus bacteria can kill target insects via direct infection and toxin action. There are limited reports identifying such organisms in the National Park of Thailand. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to identify EPNs and symbiotic bacteria from Nam Nao National Park, Phetchabun Province, Thailand and to evaluate the larvicidal activity of bacteria against Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. A total of 12 EPN isolates belonging to Steinernema and Heterorhabditis were obtained form 940 soil samples between February 2014 and July 2016. EPNs were molecularly identified as S. websteri (10 isolates) and H. baujardi (2 isolates). Symbiotic bacteria were isolated from EPNs and molecularly identified as P. luminescens subsp. akhurstii (13 isolates), X. stockiae (11 isolates), X. vietnamensis (2 isolates) and X. japonica (1 isolate). For the bioassay, bacterial suspensions were evaluated for toxicity against third to early fourth instar larvae of Aedes spp. The larvae of both Aedes species were orally susceptible to symbiotic bacteria. The highest larval mortality of Ae. aegypti was 99% after exposure to X. stockiae (bNN112.3_TH) at 96 h, and the highest mortality of Ae. albopictus was 98% after exposure to P. luminescens subsp. akhurstii (bNN121.4_TH) at 96 h. In contrast to the control groups (Escherichia coli and distilled water), the mortality rate of both mosquito larvae ranged between 0 and 7% at 72 h. Here, we report the first observation of X. vietnamensis in Thailand. Additionally, we report the first observation of P. luminescens subsp. akhurstii associated with H. baujardi in Thailand. X. stockiae has potential to be a biocontrol agent for mosquitoes. This investigation provides a survey of the basic diversity of EPNs and symbiotic bacteria in the National Park of Thailand, and it is a bacterial resource for further studies of bioactive compounds. PMID:29641570

Big data in cryoEM: automated collection, processing and accessibility of EM data.

PubMed

Baldwin, Philip R; Tan, Yong Zi; Eng, Edward T; Rice, William J; Noble, Alex J; Negro, Carl J; Cianfrocco, Michael A; Potter, Clinton S; Carragher, Bridget

2018-06-01

The scope and complexity of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) data has greatly increased, and will continue to do so, due to recent and ongoing technical breakthroughs that have led to much improved resolutions for macromolecular structures solved using this method. This big data explosion includes single particle data as well as tomographic tilt series, both generally acquired as direct detector movies of ∼10-100 frames per image or per tilt-series. We provide a brief survey of the developments leading to the current status, and describe existing cryoEM pipelines, with an emphasis on the scope of data acquisition, methods for automation, and use of cloud storage and computing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ALiEM Blog and Podcast Watch: Toxicology.

PubMed

Zaver, Fareen; Craddick, Michael; Sanford, Audrey; Sefa, Nana; Hughes, George; Lin, Michelle

2017-10-01

The WestJEM Blog and Podcast Watch presents high-quality open-access educational blogs and podcasts in emergency medicine based on the ongoing Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) Approved Instructional Resources (AIR) and AIR-Professional (Pro) series. Both series critically appraise open-access educational blogs and podcasts in EM using an objective scoring instrument. This installment of the blog and podcast watch series curated and scored relevant posts in the specific topic of toxicology emergencies from the AIR-Pro Series. The AIR-Pro Series is a continuously building curriculum covering a new subject area every two months. For each area, eight EM chief residents identify 3-5 advanced clinical questions. Using FOAMsearch.net and FOAMSearcher to search blogs and podcasts, relevant posts are scored by eight reviewers from the AIR-Pro editorial board, which is comprised of EM faculty and chief residents at various institutions across North America. The scoring instrument contains five measurement outcomes based on seven-point Likert scales: recency, accuracy, educational utility, evidence based, and references. The AIR-Pro label is awarded to posts with a score of ≥28 (out of 35) points. An "honorable mention" label is awarded if board members collectively felt that the blogs were valuable and the scores were > 25. A total of 31 blog posts and podcasts were included. Key educational pearls from the six high-quality AIR-Pro posts and four honorable mentions are summarized. The WestJEM ALiEM Blog and Podcast Watch series is based on the AIR and AIR-Pro Series, which attempts to identify high-quality educational content on open-access blogs and podcasts. This series provides an expert-based, crowdsourced approach towards critically appraising educational social media content for EM clinicians. This installment focuses on toxicology emergencies.

ALiEM Blog and Podcast Watch: Toxicology

PubMed Central

Zaver, Fareen; Craddick, Michael; Sanford, Audrey; Sefa, Nana; Hughes, George; Lin, Michelle

2017-01-01

Introduction The WestJEM Blog and Podcast Watch presents high-quality open-access educational blogs and podcasts in emergency medicine based on the ongoing Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) Approved Instructional Resources (AIR) and AIR-Professional (Pro) series. Both series critically appraise open-access educational blogs and podcasts in EM using an objective scoring instrument. This installment of the blog and podcast watch series curated and scored relevant posts in the specific topic of toxicology emergencies from the AIR-Pro Series. Methods The AIR-Pro Series is a continuously building curriculum covering a new subject area every two months. For each area, eight EM chief residents identify 3–5 advanced clinical questions. Using FOAMsearch.net and FOAMSearcher to search blogs and podcasts, relevant posts are scored by eight reviewers from the AIR-Pro editorial board, which is comprised of EM faculty and chief residents at various institutions across North America. The scoring instrument contains five measurement outcomes based on seven-point Likert scales: recency, accuracy, educational utility, evidence based, and references. The AIR-Pro label is awarded to posts with a score of ≥28 (out of 35) points. An “honorable mention” label is awarded if board members collectively felt that the blogs were valuable and the scores were > 25. Results A total of 31 blog posts and podcasts were included. Key educational pearls from the six high-quality AIR-Pro posts and four honorable mentions are summarized. Conclusion The WestJEM ALiEM Blog and Podcast Watch series is based on the AIR and AIR-Pro Series, which attempts to identify high-quality educational content on open-access blogs and podcasts. This series provides an expert-based, crowdsourced approach towards critically appraising educational social media content for EM clinicians. This installment focuses on toxicology emergencies. PMID:29085545

Concentrated Electrolyte for the Sodium-Oxygen Battery: Solvation Structure and Improved Cycle Life.

PubMed

He, Mingfu; Lau, Kah Chun; Ren, Xiaodi; Xiao, Neng; McCulloch, William D; Curtiss, Larry A; Wu, Yiying

2016-12-05

Alkali metal-oxygen batteries are of great interests for energy storage because of their unparalleled theoretical energy densities. Particularly attractive is the emerging Na-O 2 battery because of the formation of superoxide as the discharge product. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a promising solvent for this battery but its instability towards Na makes it impractical in the Na-O 2 battery. Herein we report the enhanced stability of Na in DMSO solutions containing concentrated sodium trifluoromethanesulfonimide (NaTFSI) salts (>3 mol kg -1 ). Raman spectra of NaTFSI/DMSO electrolytes and ab initio molecular dynamics simulation reveal the Na + solvation number in DMSO and the formation of Na(DMSO) 3 (TFSI)-like solvation structure. The majority of DMSO molecules solvating Na + in concentrated solutions reduces the available free DMSO molecules that can react with Na and renders the TFSI anion decomposition, which protects Na from reacting with the electrolyte. Using these concentrated electrolytes, Na-O 2 batteries can be cycled forming sodium superoxide (NaO 2 ) as the sole discharge product with improved long cycle life, highlighting the beneficial role of concentrated electrolytes for Na-based batteries. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Concentrated Electrolyte for the Sodium-Oxygen Battery: Solvation Structure and Improved Cycle Life

DOE PAGES

He, Mingfu; Lau, Kah Chun; Ren, Xiaodi; ...

2016-11-03

Alkali metal-oxygen batteries are of great interests for energy storage because of their unparalleled theoretical energy densities. Particularly attractive is the emerging Na-O 2 battery because of the formation of superoxide as the discharge product. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a promising solvent for this battery but its instability towards Na makes it impractical in the Na-O 2 battery. Here in this paper, we report the enhanced stability of Na in DMSO solutions containing concentrated sodium trifluoromethanesulfonimide (NaTFSI) salts (>3molkg -1). Raman spectra of NaTFSI/DMSO electrolytes and abinitio molecular dynamics simulation reveal the Na + solvation number in DMSO and themore » formation of Na(DMSO) 3(TFSI)-like solvation structure. The majority of DMSO molecules solvating Na + in concentrated solutions reduces the available free DMSO molecules that can react with Na and renders the TFSI anion decomposition, which protects Na from reacting with the electrolyte. Using these concentrated electrolytes, Na-O 2 batteries can be cycled forming sodium superoxide (NaO 2) as the sole discharge product with improved long cycle life, highlighting the beneficial role of concentrated electrolytes for Na-based batteries.« less

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

He, Mingfu; Lau, Kah Chun; Ren, Xiaodi

Alkali metal-oxygen batteries are of great interests for energy storage because of their unparalleled theoretical energy densities. Particularly attractive is the emerging Na-O 2 battery because of the formation of superoxide as the discharge product. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is a promising solvent for this battery but its instability towards Na makes it impractical in the Na-O 2 battery. Here in this paper, we report the enhanced stability of Na in DMSO solutions containing concentrated sodium trifluoromethanesulfonimide (NaTFSI) salts (>3molkg -1). Raman spectra of NaTFSI/DMSO electrolytes and abinitio molecular dynamics simulation reveal the Na + solvation number in DMSO and themore » formation of Na(DMSO) 3(TFSI)-like solvation structure. The majority of DMSO molecules solvating Na + in concentrated solutions reduces the available free DMSO molecules that can react with Na and renders the TFSI anion decomposition, which protects Na from reacting with the electrolyte. Using these concentrated electrolytes, Na-O 2 batteries can be cycled forming sodium superoxide (NaO 2) as the sole discharge product with improved long cycle life, highlighting the beneficial role of concentrated electrolytes for Na-based batteries.« less

EMS versus civilian transportation of severely injured patients

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-08-26

A previous report of 5782 trauma patients demonstrated higher mortality among those transported by EMS than among their non-EMS transported counterparts. This study was performed to test the hypothesis that the two groups differed in the injury-to-ho...

Trombo flutuante em veia femoral

PubMed Central

Bertanha, Matheus; Pimenta, Rafael Elias Farres; Brandão, Gustavo Muçouçah Sampaio; Sobreira, Marcone Lima; Moura, Regina; Jaldin, Rodrigo Gibin; de Camargo, Paula Angeleli Bueno; Yoshida, Winston Bonetti

2017-01-01

Resumo O trombo venoso flutuante em veia femoral é um tipo de trombo com alto potencial de embolização pulmonar. Entretanto, ainda é controversa a conduta mais apropriada nesses casos. Tratamentos clínicos com anticoagulantes ou fibrinolíticos e trombectomias abertas ou por meio de dispositivos endovasculares vêm sendo empregados ainda sem um critério de indicação bem definido. Apresentamos três casos clínicos de trombos flutuantes em veia femoral, de etiologias distintas, cujos tratamentos e respectivas evoluções serão discutidos. PMID:29930666

Inventory of File sref_em.t09z.pgrb212.ctl.grib2

Science.gov Websites

Temperature [K] 002 10 m above ground UGRD 3 hour fcst U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 003 10 m above ground VGRD 3 hour fcst V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 004 mean sea level PRMSL 3 hour fcst Pressure Reduced to MSL [Pa mb HGT 3 hour fcst Geopotential Height [gpm] 012 250 mb UGRD 3 hour fcst U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s

Structural Composites With Tuned EM Chirality

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-23

photonic   crystals .   Tammuz  Dubnov  (7/14  –  9/14)  –  Laboratory  Assistant  -­‐  assisted in the testing...AFRL-OSR-VA-TR-2015-0018 STRUCTURAL COMPOSITES WITH TUNED EM CHIRALITY Siavouche Nemat Nasser UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO Final Report 12/23...REPORT Grant/Contract  Title:        STRUCTURAL  COMPOSITES  WITH  TUNED  EM   CHIRALITY     Grant  No.:

Processing of Cryo-EM Movie Data.

PubMed

Ripstein, Z A; Rubinstein, J L

2016-01-01

Direct detector device (DDD) cameras dramatically enhance the capabilities of electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) due to their improved detective quantum efficiency (DQE) relative to other detectors. DDDs use semiconductor technology that allows micrographs to be recorded as movies rather than integrated individual exposures. Movies from DDDs improve cryo-EM in another, more surprising, way. DDD movies revealed beam-induced specimen movement as a major source of image degradation and provide a way to partially correct the problem by aligning frames or regions of frames to account for this specimen movement. In this chapter, we use a self-consistent mathematical notation to explain, compare, and contrast several of the most popular existing algorithms for computationally correcting specimen movement in DDD movies. We conclude by discussing future developments in algorithms for processing DDD movies that would extend the capabilities of cryo-EM even further. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterizing local EMS systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

Emergency medical services (EMS) systems are configured differently depending on several factors, including the size, demographics, geography, and politics of the local communities they serve. Although some information exists about the organization, ...

Intraseasonal interaction between the Madden-Julian Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation.

PubMed

Cassou, Christophe

2008-09-25

Bridging the traditional gap between the spatio-temporal scales of weather and climate is a significant challenge facing the atmospheric community. In particular, progress in both medium-range and seasonal-to-interannual climate prediction relies on our understanding of recurrent weather patterns and the identification of specific causes responsible for their favoured occurrence, persistence or transition. Within this framework, I here present evidence that the main climate intra-seasonal oscillation in the tropics-the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO)-controls part of the distribution and sequences of the four daily weather regimes defined over the North Atlantic-European region in winter. North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) regimes are the most affected, allowing for medium-range predictability of their phase far exceeding the limit of around one week that is usually quoted. The tropical-extratropical lagged relationship is asymmetrical. Positive NAO events mostly respond to a mid-latitude low-frequency wave train initiated by the MJO in the western-central tropical Pacific and propagating eastwards. Precursors for negative NAO events are found in the eastern tropical Pacific-western Atlantic, leading to changes along the North Atlantic storm track. Wave-breaking diagnostics tend to support the MJO preconditioning and the role of transient eddies in setting the phase of the NAO. I present a simple statistical model to quantitatively assess the potential predictability of the daily NAO index or the sign of the NAO regimes when they occur. Forecasts are successful in approximately 70 per cent of the cases based on the knowledge of the previous approximately 12-day MJO phase used as a predictor. This promising skill could be of importance considering the tight link between weather regimes and both mean conditions and the chances of extreme events occurring over Europe. These findings are useful for further stressing the need to better simulate and forecast the tropical

Virtual Surgery for the Nasal Airway: A Preliminary Report on Decision Support and Technology Acceptance.

PubMed

Vanhille, Derek L; Garcia, Guilherme J M; Asan, Onur; Borojeni, Azadeh A T; Frank-Ito, Dennis O; Kimbell, Julia S; Pawar, Sachin S; Rhee, John S

2018-01-01

Nasal airway obstruction (NAO) is a common problem that affects patient quality of life. Surgical success for NAO correction is variable. Virtual surgery planning via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has the potential to improve the success rates of NAO surgery. To elicit surgeon feedback of a virtual surgery planning tool for NAO and to determine if this tool affects surgeon decision making. For this cross-sectional study, 60-minute face-to-face interviews with board-certified otolaryngologists were conducted at a single academic otolaryngology department from September 16, 2016, through October 7, 2016. Virtual surgery methods were introduced, and surgeons were able to interact with the virtual surgery planning tool interface. Surgeons were provided with a patient case of NAO, and open feedback of the platform was obtained, with emphasis on surgical decision making. Likert scale responses and qualitative feedback were collected for the virtual surgery planning tool and its influence on surgeon decision making. Our 9 study participants were all male, board-certified otolaryngologists with a mean (range) 15 (4-28) number of years in practice and a mean (range) number of nasal surgeries per month at 2.2 (0.0-6.0). When examined on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 5 (completely), surgeon mean (SD) score was 3.4 (0.5) for how realistic the virtual models were compared with actual surgery. On the same scale, when asked how much the virtual surgery planning tool changed surgeon decision making, mean (SD) score was 2.6 (1.6). On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), surgeon scores for perceived usefulness of the technology and attitude toward using it were 5.1 (1.1) and 5.7 (0.9), respectively. Our study shows positive surgeon experience with a virtual surgery planning tool for NAO based on CFD simulations. Surgeons felt that future applications and areas of study of the virtual surgery planning tool include its potential role for patient counseling

North Atlantic Oscillation and pollutants variability in Europe: model analysis and measurements intercomparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pausata, F.; Pozzoli, L.; Van Dingenen, R.; Vignati, E.; Cavalli, F.; Dentener, F. J.

2013-12-01

Ozone pollution and particulate matter (PM) represent a serious health and environmental problem. While ozone pollution is mostly produced by photochemistry in summer, PM is of main concern during winter. Both pollutants can be influenced nt only by local scale processes but also by long range transport driven by the atmospheric circulation and stratospheric ozone intrusions. We analyze the role of large scale atmospheric circulation variability in the North Atlantic basin in determining surface ozone and PM concentrations over Europe. Here, we show, using ground station measurements and a coupled atmosphere-chemistry model simulation for the period 1980-2005, that with regard to ozone the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) does affect surface ozone concentrations - on a monthly timescale, over 10 ppbv in southwestern, central and northern Europe - during all seasons except fall. We find that the first Principal Component, computed from the time variation of the sea level pressure (SLP) field, detects the atmosphere circulation/ozone relationship not only in winter and spring but also during summer, when the atmospheric circulation weakens and regional photochemical processes peak. Given the NAO forecasting skill at intraseasonal time scale, the first Principal Component of the SLP field could be used as an indicator to identify areas more exposed to forthcoming ozone pollution events. Finally, our results suggest that the increasing baseline ozone in western and northern Europe during the 1990s could be related to the prevailing positive phase of the NAO in that period. With regard to PM, our study shows that in winter the NAO modulates surface PM concentrations accounting in average up to 30% of the total PM variability. During positive NAO phases, positive PM anomalies occur over southern Europe, and negative anomalies in central-northern Europe. A positve shift of the NAO mean states, hence, leads to an increase in cardiac and resipratory morbidity related to PM

The Caspian Sea Catchment influenced by Atlantic Teleconnections in CESM1.2.2 and Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nandini, S. D.; Prange, M.; Schulz, M.

2017-12-01

The Caspian Sea (CS) is the world's largest inland sea and located within a closed (endorheic) drainage basin [ 37°-47N, 47°-54°E]. It has undergone dynamic variations (>3 m) during the past century with huge impacts on the economy, ecosystem and livelihood of coastal people. The origin of these variations as well as future changes are disputable. Here, we examine the impact of the major seasonal North Atlantic teleconnection patterns, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the East Atlantic pattern (EA) on Caspian hydroclimate variability from 1850-2100 CE. Five Numerical experiments at different atmospheric grid resolutions (2° and 1°) and atmospheric model versions (CAM4 and CAM5) are carried out with the coupled Community Earth System Model (CESM1.2.2). Results reveal the 1° CESM1.2.2 CAM5 captures DJF NAO (46.5%) and EA (13.4%), agreeing well with observational data (1850-2000). The DJF NAO has a strong influence on the DJF temperature, rainfall and evaporation minus precipitation (E-P) over the Caspian sub-basins (Volga, Ural, Terek and Kura). Furthermore, 1° model climate projections (2020-2100 CE) are performed with different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) to examine likely changes in the NAO and EA and their influence on the Caspian catchment. The NAO under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios remains the leading mode with the highest variance and influences E-P with increased precipitation over the Volga basin and increased evaporation over the Caspian Sea. The above canceling effects act on the hydroclimate variability in the Caspian sub-basins. Moreover, it is indicated that no substantial change is predicted in the CSL by the year 2100. Keywords: North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), CESM1.2.2 resolutions, Evaporation minus Precipitation (E-P), RCP4.5, RCP8.5

Links between large-scale circulation patterns and streamflow in Central Europe: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steirou, Eva; Gerlitz, Lars; Apel, Heiko; Merz, Bruno

2017-06-01

We disentangle the relationships between streamflow and large-scale atmospheric circulation in Central Europe (CE), an area affected by climatic influences from different origins (Atlantic, Mediterranean and Continental) and characterized by diverse topography and flow regimes. Our literature review examines in detail the links between mean, high and low flows in CE and large-scale circulation patterns, with focus on two closely related phenomena, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Western-zonal circulation (WC). For both patterns, significant relations, consistent between different studies, are found for large parts of CE. The strongest links are found for the winter season, forming a dipole-like pattern with positive relationships with streamflow north of the Alps and the Carpathians for both indices and negative relationships for the NAO in the south. An influence of winter NAO is also detected in the amplitude and timing of snowmelt flows later in the year. Discharge in CE has further been linked to other large-scale climatic modes such as the Scandinavia pattern (SCA), the East Atlantic/West Russian pattern (EA/WR), the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and synoptic weather patterns such as the Vb weather regime. Different mechanisms suggested in the literature to modulate links between streamflow and the NAO are combined with topographical characteristics of the target area in order to explain the divergent NAO/WC influence on streamflow in different parts of CE. In particular, a precipitation mechanism seems to regulate winter flows in North-Western Germany, an area with short duration of snow cover and with rainfall-generated floods. The precipitation mechanism is also likely in Southern CE, where correlations between the NAO and temperature are low. Finally, in the rest of the study area (Northern CE, Alpine region), a joint precipitation-snow mechanism influences floods not only in winter, but also in the spring/snowmelt period, providing

Medical Oversight, Educational Core Content, and Proposed Scopes of Practice of Wilderness EMS Providers: A Joint Project Developed by Wilderness EMS Educators, Medical Directors, and Regulators Using a Delphi Approach.

PubMed

Millin, Michael G; Johnson, David E; Schimelpfenig, Tod; Conover, Keith; Sholl, Matthew; Busko, Jonnathan; Alter, Rachael; Smith, Will; Symonds, Jennifer; Taillac, Peter; Hawkins, Seth C

2017-01-01

A disparity exists between the skills needed to manage patients in wilderness EMS environments and the scopes of practice that are traditionally approved by state EMS regulators. In response, the National Association of EMS Physicians Wilderness EMS Committee led a project to define the educational core content supporting scopes of practice of wilderness EMS providers and the conditions when wilderness EMS providers should be required to have medical oversight. Using a Delphi process, a group of experts in wilderness EMS, representing educators, medical directors, and regulators, developed model educational core content. This core content is a foundation for wilderness EMS provider scopes of practice and builds on both the National EMS Education Standards and the National EMS Scope of Practice Model. These experts also identified the conditions when oversight is needed for wilderness EMS providers. By consensus, this group of experts identified the educational core content for four unique levels of wilderness EMS providers: Wilderness Emergency Medical Responder (WEMR), Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT), Wilderness Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (WAEMT), and Wilderness Paramedic (WParamedic). These levels include specialized skills and techniques pertinent to the operational environment. The skills and techniques increase in complexity with more advanced certification levels, and address the unique circumstances of providing care to patients in the wilderness environment. Furthermore, this group identified that providers having a defined duty to act should be functioning with medical oversight. This group of experts defined the educational core content supporting the specific scopes of practice that each certification level of wilderness EMS provider should have when providing patient care in the wilderness setting. Wilderness EMS providers are, indeed, providing health care and should thus function within defined scopes of practice and with

North Atlantic Oscillation modulates total ozone winter trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appenzeller, Christof; Weiss, Andrea K.; Staehelin, Johannes

2000-04-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is modulating the Earth's ozone shield such that the calculated anthropogenic total ozone decrease is enhanced over Europe whereas over the North Atlantic region it is reduced (for the last 30 years). Including the NAO in a statistical model suggests a more uniform chemical winter trend compared to the strong longitudinal variation reported earlier. At Arosa (Switzerland) the trend is reduced to -2.4% per decade compared to -3.2% and at Reykjavik (Iceland) it is enhanced to -3.8% compared to 0%. The revised trend is slightly below the predictions by 2D chemical models. Decadal ozone variability is linked to variations in the dynamical structure of the atmosphere, as reflected in the tropopause pressure. The latter varies in concert with the NAO index with a distinct geographical pattern.

Red ball ranging optimization based on dual camera ranging method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuang, Lei; Sun, Weijia; Liu, Jiaming; Tang, Matthew Wai-Chung

2018-05-01

In this paper, the process of positioning and moving to target red ball by NAO robot through its camera system is analyzed and improved using the dual camera ranging method. The single camera ranging method, which is adapted by NAO robot, was first studied and experimented. Since the existing error of current NAO Robot is not a single variable, the experiments were divided into two parts to obtain more accurate single camera ranging experiment data: forward ranging and backward ranging. Moreover, two USB cameras were used in our experiments that adapted Hough's circular method to identify a ball, while the HSV color space model was used to identify red color. Our results showed that the dual camera ranging method reduced the variance of error in ball tracking from 0.68 to 0.20.

Model-based local density sharpening of cryo-EM maps

PubMed Central

Jakobi, Arjen J; Wilmanns, Matthias

2017-01-01

Atomic models based on high-resolution density maps are the ultimate result of the cryo-EM structure determination process. Here, we introduce a general procedure for local sharpening of cryo-EM density maps based on prior knowledge of an atomic reference structure. The procedure optimizes contrast of cryo-EM densities by amplitude scaling against the radially averaged local falloff estimated from a windowed reference model. By testing the procedure using six cryo-EM structures of TRPV1, β-galactosidase, γ-secretase, ribosome-EF-Tu complex, 20S proteasome and RNA polymerase III, we illustrate how local sharpening can increase interpretability of density maps in particular in cases of resolution variation and facilitates model building and atomic model refinement. PMID:29058676

High school allied health students and their exposure to the profession of EMS.

PubMed

Holloman, Joshua B; Hubble, Michael W

2012-06-01

Ensuring a stable Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workforce is a growing concern, and effective recruiting strategies are needed to expose young adults to the EMS profession. The objective of this study was to assess the exposure of high school allied health students to EMS as a career option, as well as measure their attitudes and beliefs about the EMS profession. Hypothesis Few high school allied health students are exposed to EMS educational and career opportunities. A convenience sample of allied health students in a rural high school system was surveyed about exposure to EMS, career intentions, factors impacting career decisions, and attitudes and beliefs about EMS. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and intention to pursue an EMS career was modeled using logistic regression. Of 171 students enrolled in allied health courses across six high schools, 135 (78.9%) agreed to participate; 85.2% were female. Almost all (92.6%) respondents intended to pursue a health career, but only 43.0% reported that their allied health course exposed them to EMS as a profession. Few participants (37.7%) were knowledgeable about EMS associate degree or baccalaureate degree (27.4%) programs. Only 20.7% of the respondents intended to pursue EMS as a career, although 46.0% wanted to learn more about the profession. Most (68.2%) students expressed interest in an emergency medical technician (EMT) course if one were offered, and 80.0% were interested in a ride-along program. Independent predictors of pursuing an EMS career included exposure to EMS outside of high school (OR = 7.4, 95% CI = 1.7-30.4); media influence on career choice (OR = 9.6, 95% CI = 1.8-50.1); and the belief that EMS was mentally challenging (OR = 15.9, 95% CI = 1.1-216.6). Negative predictors included the beliefs that an EMS career was stimulating (OR = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.00-0.53) and physically challenging (OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.00-0.63); as well as prior exposure to an EMS job advertisement (OR = 0.14, 0

Evaluation of thermochemical biomass conversion in fluidized bed =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neves, Daniel dos Santos Felix das

Dado o aumento acelerado dos precos dos combustiveis fosseis e as incertezas quanto a sua disponibilidade futura, tem surgido um novo interesse nas tecnologias da biomassa aplicadas a producao de calor, eletricidade ou combustiveis sinteticos. Nao obstante, para a conversao termoquimica de uma particula de biomassa solida concorrem fenomenos bastante complexos que levam, em primeiro lugar, a secagem do combustivel, depois a pirolise e finalmente a combustao ou gasificacao propriamente ditas. Uma descricao relativamente incompleta de alguns desses estagios de conversao constitui ainda um obstaculo ao desenvolvimento das tecnologias que importa ultrapassar. Em particular, a presenca de elevados conteudos de materia volatil na biomassa poe em evidencia o interesse pratico do estudo da pirolise. A importância da pirolise durante a combustao de biomassa foi evidenciada neste trabalho atraves de ensaios realizados num reator piloto de leito fluidizado borbulhante. Verificou-se que o processo ocorre em grande parte a superficie do leito com chamas de difusao devido a libertacao de volateis, o que dificulta o controlo da temperatura do reator acima do leito. No caso da gasificacao de biomassa a pirolise pode inclusivamente determinar a eficiencia quimica do processo. Isso foi mostrado neste trabalho durante ensaios de gasificacao num reator de leito fluidizado de 2MWth, onde um novo metodo de medicao permitiu fechar o balanco de massa ao gasificador e monitorizar o grau de conversao da biomassa. A partir destes resultados tornou-se clara a necessidade de descrever adequadamente a pirolise de biomassa com vista ao projeto e controlo dos processos. Em aplicacoes de engenharia ha particular interesse na estequiometria e propriedades dos principais produtos piroliticos. Neste trabalho procurou-se responder a esta necessidade, inicialmente atraves da estruturacao de dados bibliograficos sobre rendimentos de carbonizado, liquidos piroliticos e gases, assim como composicoes

The HOME Team: Evaluating the Effect of an EMS-based Outreach Team to Decrease the Frequency of 911 Use Among High Utilizers of EMS.

PubMed

Tangherlini, Niels; Villar, Julian; Brown, John; Rodriguez, Robert M; Yeh, Clement; Friedman, Benjamin T; Wada, Paul

2016-12-01

The San Francisco Fire Department's (SFFD; San Francisco, California USA) Homeless Outreach and Medical Emergency (HOME) Team is the United States' first Emergency Medical Services (EMS)-based outreach effort using a specially trained paramedic to redirect frequent users of EMS to other types of services. The effectiveness of this program at reducing repeat use of emergency services during the first seven months of the team's existence was examined. A retrospective analysis of EMS use frequency and demographic characteristics of frequent users was conducted. Clients that used emergency services at least four times per month from March 2004 through May 2005 were contacted for intervention. Patterns for each frequent user before and after intervention were analyzed. Changes in EMS use during the 15-month study interval was the primary outcome measurement. A total of 59 clients were included. The target population had a median age of 55.1 years and was 68% male. Additionally, 38.0% of the target population was homeless, 43.4% had no primary care, 88.9% had a substance abuse disorder at time of contact, and 83.0% had a history of psychiatric disorder. The HOME Team undertook 320 distinct contacts with 65 frequent users during the study period. The average EMS use prior to HOME Team contact was 18.72 responses per month (SD=19.40), and after the first contact with the HOME Team, use dropped to 8.61 (SD=10.84), P<.001. Frequent users of EMS suffer from disproportionate comorbidities, particularly substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. This population responds well to the intervention of a specially trained paramedic as measured by EMS usage. Tangherlini N , Villar J , Brown J , Rodriguez RM , Yeh C , Friedman BT , Wada P . The HOME Team: evaluating the effect of an EMS-based outreach team to decrease the frequency of 911 use among high utilizers of EMS. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(6):603-607.

EMS technology assessment template

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-01-01

This technology assessment template is designed to evaluate information technology and EMS devices that provide data about patients, evaluation-oriented clinical patient information, or decision support tools. The template may also be used by consume...

A HF EM installation allowing simultaneous whole body and deep local EM hyperthermia.

PubMed

Mazokhin, V N; Kolmakov, D N; Lucheyov, N A; Gelvich, E A; Troshin, I I

1999-01-01

The structure and main features of a HF EM installation based upon a new approach for creating electromagnetic fields destined for whole body (WBH) and deep local (DLH) hyperthermia are discussed. The HF EM field, at a frequency of 13.56 MHz, is created by a coplanar capacity type applicator positioned under a distilled water filled bolus that the patient is lying on. The EM energy being released directly in the deep tissues ensures effective whole body heating to required therapeutic temperatures of up to 43.5 degrees C, whereas the skin temperature can be maintained as low as 39-40.5 degrees C. For DLH, the installation is equipped with additional applicators and a generator operating at a frequency of 40.68 MHz. High efficiency of the WBH applicator makes it possible to carry out the WBH procedure without any air-conditioning cabin. Due to this, a free access to the patient's body during the WBH treatment is provided and a simultaneous WBH/DLH or WBH/LH procedure by means of additional applicators is possible. Controllable power output in the range of 100-800 W at a frequency of 13.56 MHz and 50-350 W at a frequency of 40.68 MHz allows accurate temperature control during WBH, DLH and WBH/DLH procedures. SAR patterns created by the WBH and DLH applicators in a liquid muscle phantom and measured by means of a non-perturbing E-dipole are investigated. The scattered EM field strength measured in the vicinity of the operating installation during the WBH, DLH and WBH/DLH procedures does not exceed security standards. Examples of temperature versus time graphs in the course of WBH, DLH and WBH/DLH procedures in clinics are presented. The installation is successfully used in leading oncological institutions of Russia and Belarus, though combined WBH/DLH procedures are evidently more complicated and demand thorough planning and temperature measurements to avoid overheating.

What variables affect public perceptions for EMS meeting general community needs?

PubMed

Blau, Gary; Hochner, Arthur; Portwood, James

2012-01-01

In the fall, 2010, a phone survey of 928 respondents examined two research questions: does the general public perceive Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as meeting their community needs? And what factors or correlates help to explain EMS meeting community needs? To maximize geographical representation across the contiguous United States, a clustered stratified sampling strategy was used based upon zip codes across the 48 states. Results showed strong support by the sample for perceiving that EMS was meeting their general community needs. 17 percent of the variance in EMS meeting community needs was collectively explained by the demographic and perceptual variables in the regression model. Of the correlates tested, the strongest relationship was found between greater admiration for EMS professionals and higher perception of EMS meeting community needs. Study limitations included sampling households with only landline (no cell) phones, using a simulated emergency situation, and not collecting gender data.

Correlates of suicidality in firefighter/EMS personnel.

PubMed

Martin, Colleen E; Tran, Jana K; Buser, Sam J

2017-01-15

Firefighter and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel experience higher rates of lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts than the general population and other protective service professions. Several correlates of suicidality (alcohol use, depression, posttraumatic stress) have been identified in the literature as applicable to firefighter/EMS populations; however, few studies to date have examined the specific correlates of suicidality (lifetime suicidal ideation and/or attempts) in a firefighter/EMS sample. Participants (N=3036) from a large, urban fire department completed demographic and self-report measures of alcohol dependence, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, and lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts. Participants in this sample performed both firefighter and EMS duties, were predominately male (97%), White (61.6%), and 25-34 years old (32.1%). Through hierarchical linear regressions, depression (β=.22, p<.05) and PTSD symptom severity (β=.21, p<.05) were significantly associated with lifetime suicidal ideation (R 2 =17.5). Depression (β=.15, p<.001), and PTSD symptom severity (β=.07, p<.01) were significantly associated with lifetime suicide attempts (R 2 =5.1). Several limitations are addressed in the current study. The survey was a self-report pre-existing dataset and lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts were measured using sum scores. Additionally, the disproportionately large sample of males and large, urban setting, may not generalize to female firefighters and members of rural community fire departments. The current study highlights the importance of targeting depression and PTSD symptom severity in efforts to reduce suicidality in firefighter/EMS personnel. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Integrating Green Purchasing Into Your Environmental Management System (EMS)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The goal of this report is to help Federal facilities integrate green purchasing into their EMS. The intended audience includes those tasked with implementing an EMS, reducing environmental impacts, meeting green purchasing requirements.

7 CFR 1945.35 - Special EM loan training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... workshop and a test. (c) Objective. The basic objective of this training program is to keep State and... 7 Agriculture 13 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Special EM loan training. 1945.35 Section 1945.35...) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) EMERGENCY Disaster Assistance-General § 1945.35 Special EM loan training...

7 CFR 1945.35 - Special EM loan training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... workshop and a test. (c) Objective. The basic objective of this training program is to keep State and... 7 Agriculture 13 2011-01-01 2009-01-01 true Special EM loan training. 1945.35 Section 1945.35...) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) EMERGENCY Disaster Assistance-General § 1945.35 Special EM loan training...

Alternatives to Traditional EMS Dispatch and Transport: A Scoping Review of Reported Outcomes.

PubMed

Jensen, Jan L; Carter, Alix J E; Rose, Jennifer; Visintini, Sarah; Bourdon, Emmanuelle; Brown, Ryan; McVey, Jennifer; Travers, Andrew H

2015-09-01

Emergency medical services (EMS) programs, which provide an alternative to traditional EMS dispatch or transport to the emergency department (ED), are becoming widely implemented. This scoping review identified and catalogued all outcomes used to measure such alternative EMS programs. Data Source Broad systematized bibliographic and grey literature searches were conducted. Study Selection Inclusion criteria were 911 callers/EMS patients, reported on alternatives to traditional EMS dispatch OR traditional EMS transport to the ED, and reported an outcome measure. Data Extraction The reports were categorized as either alternative to dispatch or to EMS transport, and outcome measures were categorized and described. Data Synthesis The bibliographic search retrieved 13,215 records, of which 34 articles met the inclusion criteria, with an additional 10 added from reference list hand-searching (n=44 included). In the grey literature search, 31 websites were identified, from which four met criteria and were retrieved (n=4 included). Fifteen reports (16 studies) described alternatives to EMS dispatch, and 33 reports described alternatives to EMS transport. The most common outcomes reported in the alternatives to EMS dispatch reports were service utilization and decision accuracy. Twenty-four different specific outcomes were reported. The most common outcomes reported in the alternatives to EMS transport reports were service utilization and safety, and 50 different specific outcomes were reported. Numerous outcome measures were identified in reports of alternative EMS programs, which were catalogued and described. Researchers and program leaders should achieve consensus on uniform outcome measures, to allow benchmarking and improve comparison across programs.

International Space Station (ISS) Emergency Mask (EM) Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toon, Katherine P.; Hahn, Jeffrey; Fowler, Michael; Young, Kevin

2011-01-01

The Emergency Mask (EM) is considered a secondary response emergency Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) designed to provide respiratory protection to the International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers in response to a post-fire event or ammonia leak. The EM is planned to be delivered to ISS in 2012 to replace the current air purifying respirator (APR) onboard ISS called the Ammonia Respirator (AR). The EM is a one ]size ]fits ]all model designed to fit any size crewmember, unlike the APR on ISS, and uses either two Fire Cartridges (FCs) or two Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) 3M(Trademark). Ammonia Cartridges (ACs) to provide the crew with a minimum of 8 hours of respiratory protection with appropriate cartridge swap ]out. The EM is designed for a single exposure event, for either post ]fire or ammonia, and is a passive device that cannot help crewmembers who cannot breathe on their own. The EM fs primary and only seal is around the wearer fs neck to prevent a crewmember from inhaling contaminants. During the development of the ISS Emergency Mask, several design challenges were faced that focused around manufacturing a leak free mask. The description of those challenges are broadly discussed but focuses on one key design challenge area: bonding EPDM gasket material to Gore(Registered Trademark) fabric hood.

Two fluorescent wavelengths, 440(ex)/520(em) nm and 370(ex)/440(em) nm, reflect advanced glycation and oxidation end products in human skin without diabetes.

PubMed

Beisswenger, Paul J; Howell, Scott; Mackenzie, Todd; Corstjens, Hugo; Muizzuddin, Neelam; Matsui, Mary S

2012-03-01

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and oxidation products (OPs) play an important role in diabetes complications, aging, and damage from sun exposure. Measurement of skin autofluorescence (SAF) has been promoted as a noninvasive technique to measure skin AGEs, but the actual products quantified are uncertain. We have compared specific SAF measurements with analytically determined AGEs and oxidative biomarkers in skin collagen and determined if these measurements can be correlated with chronological aging and actinic exposure. SAF at four excitation (ex)/emission (em) intensities was measured on the upper inner arm ("sun protected") and dorsal forearm ("sun exposed") in 40 subjects without diabetes 20-60 years old. Skin collagen from the same sites was analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for three AGEs-pentosidine, carboxymethyllysine (CML), and carboxyethyllysine (CEL)-and the OP methionine sulfoxide (MetSO). There was poor correlation of AGE-associated fluorescence spectra with AGEs and OP in collagen, with only pentosidine correlating with fluorescence at 370(ex)/440(em) nm. A little-studied SAF (440(ex)/520(em) nm), possibly reflecting elastin cross-links, correlated with all AGEs and OPs. Levels of CML, pentosidine, and MetSO, but not SAF, were significantly higher in sun-exposed skin. These AGEs and OPs, as well as SAF at 370(ex)/440(em) nm and 440(ex)/520(em) nm, increased with chronological aging. SAF measurements at 370(ex)/440(em) nm and 335(ex)/385(em) nm, except for pentosidine, which correlated with fluorescence at 370(ex)/440(em), correlate poorly with glycated and oxidatively modified protein in human skin and do not reflect actinic modification. A new fluorescence measurement (440(ex)/520(em) nm) appears to reflect AGEs and OPs in skin.

The North Atlantic Oscillation and the ITCZ in a climate simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavalcanti, I. F. A.; Souza, P.

2009-04-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Atlantic Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) features are analyzed in a climate simulation with the CPTEC/COLA AGCM. The CPTEC/COLA AGCM reproduces the ITCZ seasonal north-south displacement as well as the seasonal east-west intensity, but the model overestimates the convection. The two phases of NAO are well simulated in the four seasons and also the largest intensity in DJF. The main mode of atmospheric variability considering the North and South Atlantic region, which displays a shifting of the NAO centers and a center of action over South Atlantic to the south of Africa is also reproduced. This mode, in DJF, is associated with the north-south ITCZ displacement in April, in the observed data. The displacement of the NAO centers southwestward allows the increase of pressure over the tropical North Atlantic Ocean and the increase of trade winds and displacement of the confluence and convergence zone southwards. The opposite occurs when the centers are displaced northeastward. The model Atlantic ITCZ position in April is associated with the anomalous (observed) Atlantic SST and the southward displacement of the confluence zone, but the simulated atmospheric features in DJF does not display the main mode of variability, as in the observations. This occurs due to the lack of interaction between the atmosphere and ocean in the atmospheric model. While in the observations the physical mechanism that links the NAO centers of action to the ITCZ position is the ocean-atmosphere interaction, from DJF to April, the atmospheric model responds to the prescribed SST at the same month, in April.

Direct Evidence of Solution-Mediated Superoxide Transport and Organic Radical Formation in Sodium-Oxygen Batteries.

PubMed

Xia, Chun; Fernandes, Russel; Cho, Franklin H; Sudhakar, Niranjan; Buonacorsi, Brandon; Walker, Sean; Xu, Meng; Baugh, Jonathan; Nazar, Linda F

2016-09-07

Advanced large-scale electrochemical energy storage requires cost-effective battery systems with high energy densities. Aprotic sodium-oxygen (Na-O2) batteries offer advantages, being comprised of low-cost elements and possessing much lower charge overpotential and higher reversibility compared to their lithium-oxygen battery cousins. Although such differences have been explained by solution-mediated superoxide transport, the underlying nature of this mechanism is not fully understood. Water has been suggested to solubilize superoxide via formation of hydroperoxyl (HO2), but direct evidence of these HO2 radical species in cells has proven elusive. Here, we use ESR spectroscopy at 210 K to identify and quantify soluble HO2 radicals in the electrolyte-cold-trapped in situ to prolong their lifetime-in a Na-O2 cell. These investigations are coupled to parallel SEM studies that image crystalline sodium superoxide (NaO2) on the carbon cathode. The superoxide radicals were spin-trapped via reaction with 5,5-dimethyl-pyrroline N-oxide at different electrochemical stages, allowing monitoring of their production and consumption during cycling. Our results conclusively demonstrate that transport of superoxide from cathode to electrolyte leads to the nucleation and growth of NaO2, which follows classical mechanisms based on the variation of superoxide content in the electrolyte and its correlation with the crystallization of cubic NaO2. The changes in superoxide content upon charge show that charge proceeds through the reverse solution process. Furthermore, we identify the carbon-centered/oxygen-centered alkyl radicals arising from attack of these solubilized HO2 species on the diglyme solvent. This is the first direct evidence of such species, which are likely responsible for electrolyte degradation.

Degradation of benzodiazepines after 120 days of EMS deployment.

PubMed

McMullan, Jason T; Jones, Elizabeth; Barnhart, Bruce; Denninghoff, Kurt; Spaite, Daniel; Zaleski, Erin; Silbergleit, Robert

2014-01-01

EMS treatment of status epilepticus improves outcomes, but the benzodiazepine best suited for EMS use is unclear, given potential high environmental temperature exposures. To describe the degradation of diazepam, lorazepam, and midazolam as a function of temperature exposure and time over 120 days of storage on active EMS units. Study boxes containing vials of diazepam, lorazepam, and midazolam were distributed to 4 active EMS units in each of 2 EMS systems in the southwestern United States during May-August 2011. The boxes logged temperature every minute and were stored in EMS units per local agency policy. Two vials of each drug were removed from each box at 30-day intervals and underwent high-performance liquid chromatography to determine drug concentration. Concentration was analyzed as mean (and 95%CI) percent of initial labeled concentration as a function of time and mean kinetic temperature (MKT). 192 samples were collected (2 samples of each drug from each of 4 units per city at 4 time-points). After 120 days, the mean relative concentration (95%CI) of diazepam was 97.0% (95.7-98.2%) and of midazolam was 99.0% (97.7-100.2%). Lorazepam experienced modest degradation by 60 days (95.6% [91.6-99.5%]) and substantial degradation at 90 days (90.3% [85.2-95.4%]) and 120 days (86.5% [80.7-92.3%]). Mean MKT was 31.6°C (95%CI 27.1-36.1). Increasing MKT was associated with greater degradation of lorazepam, but not midazolam or diazepam. Midazolam and diazepam experienced minimal degradation throughout 120 days of EMS deployment in high-heat environments. Lorazepam experienced significant degradation over 120 days and appeared especially sensitive to higher MKT exposure.

10 CFR Appendixes E-M to Part 52 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false [Reserved] E Appendixes E-M to Part 52 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS, AND APPROVALS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS Appendixes E-M to Part 52 [Reserved] ...

10 CFR Appendixes E-M to Part 52 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false [Reserved] E Appendixes E-M to Part 52 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS, AND APPROVALS FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS Appendixes E-M to Part 52 [Reserved] ...

How localized is ``local?'' Efficiency vs. accuracy of O(N) domain decomposition in local orbital based all-electron electronic structure theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Havu, Vile; Blum, Volker; Scheffler, Matthias

2007-03-01

Numeric atom-centered local orbitals (NAO) are efficient basis sets for all-electron electronic structure theory. The locality of NAO's can be exploited to render (in principle) all operations of the self-consistency cycle O(N). This is straightforward for 3D integrals using domain decomposition into spatially close subsets of integration points, enabling critical computational savings that are effective from ˜tens of atoms (no significant overhead for smaller systems) and make large systems (100s of atoms) computationally feasible. Using a new all-electron NAO-based code,^1 we investigate the quantitative impact of exploiting this locality on two distinct classes of systems: Large light-element molecules [Alanine-based polypeptide chains (Ala)n], and compact transition metal clusters. Strict NAO locality is achieved by imposing a cutoff potential with an onset radius rc, and exploited by appropriately shaped integration domains (subsets of integration points). Conventional tight rc<= 3å have no measurable accuracy impact in (Ala)n, but introduce inaccuracies of 20-30 meV/atom in Cun. The domain shape impacts the computational effort by only 10-20 % for reasonable rc. ^1 V. Blum, R. Gehrke, P. Havu, V. Havu, M. Scheffler, The FHI Ab Initio Molecular Simulations (aims) Project, Fritz-Haber-Institut, Berlin (2006).

Analysis of the electrochemistry of hemes with Ems spanning 800 mV

PubMed Central

Zheng, Zhong; Gunner, M. R.

2009-01-01

The free energy of heme reduction in different proteins is found to vary over more than 18 kcal/mol. It is a challenge to determine how proteins manage to achieve this enormous range of Ems with a single type of redox cofactor. Proteins containing 141 unique hemes of a-, b-, and c-type, with bis-His, His-Met, and aquo-His ligation were calculated using Multi-Conformation Continuum Electrostatics (MCCE). The experimental Ems range over 800 mV from −350 mV in cytochrome c3 to 450 mV in cytochrome c peroxidase (vs. SHE). The quantitative analysis of the factors that modulate heme electrochemistry includes the interactions of the heme with its ligands, the solvent, the protein backbone, and sidechains. MCCE calculated Ems are in good agreement with measured values. Using no free parameters the slope of the line comparing calculated and experimental Ems is 0.73 (R2 = 0.90), showing the method accounts for 73% of the observed Em range. Adding a +160 mV correction to the His-Met c-type hemes yields a slope of 0.97 (R2 = 0.93). With the correction 65% of the hemes have an absolute error smaller than 60 mV and 92% are within 120 mV. The overview of heme proteins with known structures and Ems shows both the lowest and highest potential hemes are c-type, whereas the b-type hemes are found in the middle Em range. In solution, bis-His ligation lowers the Em by ≈205 mV relative to hemes with His-Met ligands. The bis-His, aquo-His, and His-Met ligated b-type hemes all cluster about Ems which are ≈200 mV more positive in protein than in water. In contrast, the low potential bis-His c-type hemes are shifted little from in solution, whereas the high potential His-Met c-type hemes are raised by ≈300 mV from solution. The analysis shows that no single type of interaction can be identified as the most important in setting heme electrochemistry in proteins. For example, the loss of solvation (reaction field) energy, which raises the Em, has been suggested to be a major factor in

Na3Tb(PO4)2: Synthesis, crystal structure and greenish emitting properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Dan; Ma, Zhao; Liu, Bao-Zhong; Zhang, Rui-Juan; Wu, Zhi-Qiang; Wang, Jian; Duan, Pei-Gao

2018-03-01

A anhydrous orthoborate Na3Tb(PO4)2 has been prepared and its crystal structure was determined by X-Ray diffraction of a non-merohedral twinned single crystal. The results show that the compound crystallizes in monoclinic space group C2/c and the structure features a 3D framework containing PO4, NaO6, NaO7, NaO8 and TbO8 polyhedra. Under near-UV excitation (370 nm), Na3Tb(PO4)2 shows intense characteristic emission bands of Tb3+ (490 nm, 543 nm, 585 nm and 620 nm) with the CIE coordinate of (0.3062, 0.5901), corresponding to greenish color. The excitation spectrum covers a wide range from 340 nm to 390 nm, which indicates that phosphor Na3Tb(PO4)2 can be efficiently activated by near-UV LED ship.

Slow walking model for children with multiple disabilities via an application of humanoid robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, ZeFeng; Peyrodie, Laurent; Cao, Hua; Agnani, Olivier; Watelain, Eric; Wang, HaoPing

2016-02-01

Walk training research with children having multiple disabilities is presented. Orthosis aid in walking for children with multiple disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy continues to be a clinical and technological challenge. In order to reduce pain and improve treatment strategies, an intermediate structure - humanoid robot NAO - is proposed as an assay platform to study walking training models, to be transferred to future special exoskeletons for children. A suitable and stable walking model is proposed for walk training. It would be simulated and tested on NAO. This comparative study of zero moment point (ZMP) supports polygons and energy consumption validates the model as more stable than the conventional NAO. Accordingly direction variation of the center of mass and the slopes of linear regression knee/ankle angles, the Slow Walk model faithfully emulates the gait pattern of children.

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb132.p1.f06.grib2

Science.gov Websites

6 hour fcst <em>Soil> Temperature Validation to deprecate [K] 402 0-0.1 m below ground SOILW 6 hour fcst Volumetric <em>Soil> Moisture Content [Fraction] 403 0.1-0.4 m below ground TSOIL 6 hour fcst <em>Soil> Temperature Validation to deprecate [K] 404 0.1-0.4 m below ground SOILW 6 hour fcst Volumetric <em>Soil> Moisture Content

Time of Day and Day of Week Trends in EMS Demand.

PubMed

Cantwell, Kate; Morgans, Amee; Smith, Karen; Livingston, Michael; Spelman, Tim; Dietze, Paul

2015-01-01

We examined temporal variations in overall Emergency Medical Services (EMS) demand, as well as medical and trauma cases separately. We analyzed cases according to time of day and day of week to determine whether population level demand demonstrates temporal patterns that will increase baseline knowledge for EMS planning. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Ambulance Victoria data warehouse covering the period 2008-2011. We included all cases of EMS attendance which resulted in 1,203,803 cases for review. Data elements comprised age, gender, date and time of call to the EMS emergency number along with the clinical condition of the patient. We employed Poisson regression to analyze case numbers and trigonometric regression to quantify distribution patterns. EMS demand exhibited a bimodal distribution with the highest peak at 10:00 and a second smaller peak at 19:00. The highest number of cases occurred on Fridays, and the lowest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. However, the distribution of cases throughout the day differed by day of week. Distribution patterns on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays differed significantly from the rest of the week (p < 0.001). When categorized into medical or trauma cases, medical cases were more frequent during working hours and involved patients of higher mean age (57 years vs. 49 years for trauma, p < 0.001). Trauma cases peaked on Friday and Saturday nights around midnight. Day of week EMS demand distribution patterns reveal differences that can be masked in aggregate data. Day of week EMS demand distribution patterns showed not only which days have differences in demand but the times of day at which the demand changes. Patterns differed by case type as well. These differences in distribution are important for EMS demand planning. Increased understanding of EMS demand patterns is imperative in a climate of ever-increasing demand and fiscal constraints. Further research is needed into the effect of age and case type on EMS

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb212.p1.f00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

Relative Humidity [%] 014.1 10 m above ground UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 014.2 10 m above ground VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 015 surface WEASD analysis Water Equivalent of Accumulated <em>Wind> [m/s] 032.2 30-0 mb above ground VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 033 30-0 mb above ground

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb221.p1.f00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

Relative Humidity [%] 014.1 10 m above ground UGRD analysis U-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 014.2 10 m above ground VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 015 surface WEASD analysis Water Equivalent of Accumulated <em>Wind> [m/s] 032.2 30-0 mb above ground VGRD analysis V-Component of <em>Wind> [m/s] 033 30-0 mb above ground

Cryo-EM visualization of the protein machine that replicates the chromosome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Huilin

Structural knowledge is key to understanding biological functions. Cryo-EM is a physical method that uses transmission electron microscopy to visualize biological molecules that are frozen in vitreous ice. Due to recent advances in direct electron detector and image processing algorithm, cryo-EM has become a high-resolution technique. Cryo-EM field is undergoing a rapid expansion and vast majority research institutions and research universities around the world are setting up cryo-EM research. Indeed, the method is revolutionizing structural and molecular biology. We have been using cryo-EM to study the structure and mechanism of eukaryotic chromosome replication. Despite an abundance of cartoon drawings found in review articles and biology textbooks, the structure of the eukaryotic helicase that unwinds the double stranded DNA has been unknown. It has also been unknown how the helicase works with DNA polymerases to accomplish the feat of duplicating the genome. In my presentation, I will show how we have used cryo-EM to derive at structures of the eukaryotic chromosome replication machinery and describe mechanistic insights we have gleaned from the structures.

PEG Enhancement for EM1 and EM2+ Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von der Porten, Paul; Ahmad, Naeem; Hawkins, Matt

2018-01-01

NASA is currently building the Space Launch System (SLS) Block-1 launch vehicle for the Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) test flight. The next evolution of SLS, the Block-1B Exploration Mission 2 (EM-2), is currently being designed. The Block-1 and Block-1B vehicles will use the Powered Explicit Guidance (PEG) algorithm. Due to the relatively low thrust-to-weight ratio of the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS), certain enhancements to the Block-1 PEG algorithm are needed to perform Block-1B missions. In order to accommodate mission design for EM-2 and beyond, PEG has been significantly improved since its use on the Space Shuttle program. The current version of PEG has the ability to switch to different targets during Core Stage (CS) or EUS flight, and can automatically reconfigure for a single Engine Out (EO) scenario, loss of communication with the Launch Abort System (LAS), and Inertial Navigation System (INS) failure. The Thrust Factor (TF) algorithm uses measured state information in addition to a priori parameters, providing PEG with an improved estimate of propulsion information. This provides robustness against unknown or undetected engine failures. A loft parameter input allows LAS jettison while maximizing payload mass. The current PEG algorithm is now able to handle various classes of missions with burn arcs much longer than were seen in the shuttle program. These missions include targeting a circular LEO orbit with a low-thrust, long-burn-duration upper stage, targeting a highly eccentric Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) orbit, targeting a disposal orbit using the low-thrust Reaction Control System (RCS), and targeting a hyperbolic orbit. This paper will describe the design and implementation of the TF algorithm, the strategy to handle EO in various flight regimes, algorithms to cover off-nominal conditions, and other enhancements to the Block-1 PEG algorithm. This paper illustrates challenges posed by the Block-1B vehicle, and results show that the improved PEG

SubspaceEM: A Fast Maximum-a-posteriori Algorithm for Cryo-EM Single Particle Reconstruction

PubMed Central

Dvornek, Nicha C.; Sigworth, Fred J.; Tagare, Hemant D.

2015-01-01

Single particle reconstruction methods based on the maximum-likelihood principle and the expectation-maximization (E–M) algorithm are popular because of their ability to produce high resolution structures. However, these algorithms are computationally very expensive, requiring a network of computational servers. To overcome this computational bottleneck, we propose a new mathematical framework for accelerating maximum-likelihood reconstructions. The speedup is by orders of magnitude and the proposed algorithm produces similar quality reconstructions compared to the standard maximum-likelihood formulation. Our approach uses subspace approximations of the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data and projection images, greatly reducing the number of image transformations and comparisons that are computed. Experiments using simulated and actual cryo-EM data show that speedup in overall execution time compared to traditional maximum-likelihood reconstruction reaches factors of over 300. PMID:25839831

Pre-flight risk assessment in Emergency Medical Service (EMS) helicopters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shively, R. J.

1992-01-01

The Emergency Medical Service (EMS) industry has been the subject of several television and newspaper articles (Harvey and Jensen, 1987) which emphasized the negative aspects, (e.g., fatalities and high accident rates), rather than the life saving services performed. Until recently, the accident rate of the EMS industry has been five times as high as that of other civil helicopters. This high accident rate has been coupled with the dramatic rise in the number of programs. The industry has built from a single service at its inception in 1972, to over 180 in 1987 (Spray, 1987), to the point that 93 percent of the contiguous U.S. is now covered by some type of EMS service. These factors prompted the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to study the accidents that occurred between May 11, 1978 and December 3, 1986 (NTSB, 1988). The NTSB report concluded that 'Sound pilot judgment is central to safe flight operations.' They further stated that '... factors unique to EMS helicopter operations--such as the influence of the mission itself, program competition, and EMS program management perspectives--can drastically influence pilot judgment during the EMS mission.' One of the most difficult decisions that a pilot must make is whether to accept or decline a mission. A pre-flight risk assessment system (SAFE) was developed at NASA-Ames Research Center for civil EMS operations to aid pilots in making this decision objectively. The ability of the SAFE system to predict mission risk profiles was tested at an EMS facility. The results of this field study demonstrated that the usefulness of SAFE was highly dependent on the type of mission flown. SAFE is now being modified so that it can 'learn' with each mission flown. For example, after flying a mission to a particular site, an EMS pilot would input information about this mission into the system, such as new buildings, wires, or approach procedures. Then, the next time a pilot flew a similar mission or one to the same

EMS Provider Assessment of Vehicle Damage Compared to a Professional Crash Reconstructionist

PubMed Central

Lerner, E. Brooke; Cushman, Jeremy T.; Blatt, Alan; Lawrence, Richard; Shah, Manish N.; Swor, Robert; Brasel, Karen; Jurkovich, Gregory J.

2011-01-01

Objective To determine the accuracy of EMS provider assessments of motor vehicle damage, when compared to measurements made by a professional crash reconstructionist. Methods EMS providers caring for adult patients injured during a motor vehicle crash and transported to the regional trauma center in a midsized community were interviewed upon ED arrival. The interview collected provider estimates of crash mechanism of injury. For crashes that met a preset severity threshold, the vehicle’s owner was asked to consent to having a crash reconstructionist assess their vehicle. The assessment included measuring intrusion and external auto deformity. Vehicle damage was used to calculate change in velocity. Paired t-test and correlation were used to compare EMS estimates and investigator derived values. Results 91 vehicles were enrolled; of these 58 were inspected and 33 were excluded because the vehicle was not accessible. 6 vehicles had multiple patients. Therefore, a total of 68 EMS estimates were compared to the inspection findings. Patients were 46% male, 28% admitted to hospital, and 1% died. Mean EMS estimated deformity was 18” and mean measured was 14”. Mean EMS estimated intrusion was 5” and mean measured was 4”. EMS providers and the reconstructionist had 67% agreement for determination of external auto deformity (kappa 0.26), and 88% agreement for determination of intrusion (kappa 0.27) when the 1999 Field Triage Decision Scheme Criteria were applied. Mean EMS estimated speed prior to the crash was 48 mph±13 and mean reconstructionist estimated change in velocity was 18 mph±12 (correlation -0.45). EMS determined that 19 vehicles had rolled over while the investigator identified 18 (kappa 0.96). In 55 cases EMS and the investigator agreed on seatbelt use, for the remaining 13 cases there was disagreement (5) or the investigator was unable to make a determination (8) (kappa 0.40). Conclusions This study found that EMS providers are good at estimating

Comments on theoretical foundation of "EM Drive"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C.-W.

2018-03-01

The concept of EM Drive has attracted much attention and groups of work have been conducted to prove or verify it, of which the published experimental outcome is criticized in great details while the theoretical foundation has not been discussed. The present essay investigates on the theoretical derivations of the net thrust in the "EM drive" and reveals the self-contradiction arising at the very start, when the law of conservation of momentum was utilized and opposed simultaneously.

Image segmentation by EM-based adaptive pulse coupled neural networks in brain magnetic resonance imaging.

PubMed

Fu, J C; Chen, C C; Chai, J W; Wong, S T C; Li, I C

2010-06-01

We propose an automatic hybrid image segmentation model that integrates the statistical expectation maximization (EM) model and the spatial pulse coupled neural network (PCNN) for brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) segmentation. In addition, an adaptive mechanism is developed to fine tune the PCNN parameters. The EM model serves two functions: evaluation of the PCNN image segmentation and adaptive adjustment of the PCNN parameters for optimal segmentation. To evaluate the performance of the adaptive EM-PCNN, we use it to segment MR brain image into gray matter (GM), white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The performance of the adaptive EM-PCNN is compared with that of the non-adaptive EM-PCNN, EM, and Bias Corrected Fuzzy C-Means (BCFCM) algorithms. The result is four sets of boundaries for the GM and the brain parenchyma (GM+WM), the two regions of most interest in medical research and clinical applications. Each set of boundaries is compared with the golden standard to evaluate the segmentation performance. The adaptive EM-PCNN significantly outperforms the non-adaptive EM-PCNN, EM, and BCFCM algorithms in gray mater segmentation. In brain parenchyma segmentation, the adaptive EM-PCNN significantly outperforms the BCFCM only. However, the adaptive EM-PCNN is better than the non-adaptive EM-PCNN and EM on average. We conclude that of the three approaches, the adaptive EM-PCNN yields the best results for gray matter and brain parenchyma segmentation. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EMS Providers and Exception From Informed Consent Research: Benefits, Ethics, and Community Consultation

PubMed Central

Ripley, Elizabeth; Ramsey, Cornelia; Prorock-Ernest, Amy; Foco, Rebecca; Luckett, Solomon; Ornato, Joseph P.

2013-01-01

As attention to, and motivation for, EMS-related research continues to grow, particularly exception from informed consent (EFIC) research, it is important to understand the thoughts, beliefs, and experiences of EMS providers who are actively engaged in the research. Study Objective We explored the attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of EMS providers regarding their involvement in prehospital emergency research, particularly EFIC research. Method Using a qualitative design, 24 participants were interviewed including Nationally Registered Paramedics and Virginia certified Emergency Medical Technicians employed at Richmond Ambulance Authority, the participating EMS agency. At the time of our interviews, the EMS agency was involved in an exception from informed consent trial. Transcribed interview data were coded and analyzed for themes. Findings were presented back to the EMS agency for validation. Results Overall, there appeared to be support for prehospital emergency research. Participants viewed research as necessary for the advancement of the field of EMS. Improvement in patient care was identified as one of the most important benefits. A number of ethical considerations were identified: individual risk versus public good and consent. EMS providers in our study were open to working with EMS researchers throughout the community consultation and public disclosure process. Conclusions EMS providers in our study value research and are willing to participate in studies. Support for research was balanced with concerns and challenges regarding the role of providers in the research process. PMID:22823963

Composting of rice straw with effective microorganisms (EM) and its influence on compost quality

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

This study aims to assess the effect of EM application on the composting process of rice straw with goat manure and green waste and to evaluate the quality of both compost treatments. There are two treatment piles in this study, in which one pile was applied with EM and another pile without EM. Each treatment was replicated three times with 90 days of composting duration. The parameters for the temperature, pH, TOC and C/N ratio, show that decomposition of organic matter occurs during the 90-day period. The t-test conducted shows that there is a significant difference between compost with EM and compost without EM. The application of EM in compost increases the macro and micronutrient content. The following parameters support this conclusion: compost applied with EM has more N, P and K content (P < 0.05) compared to compost without EM. Although the Fe in compost with EM is much higher (P < 0.05) than in the compost without EM, for Zn and Cu, there is no significant difference between treatments. This study suggests that the application of EM is suitable to increase the mineralization in the composting process. The final resultant compost indicated that it was in the range of the matured level and can be used without any restriction. PMID:23390930

Composting of rice straw with effective microorganisms (EM) and its influence on compost quality.

PubMed

Jusoh, Mohd Lokman Che; Manaf, Latifah Abd; Latiff, Puziah Abdul

2013-02-07

This study aims to assess the effect of EM application on the composting process of rice straw with goat manure and green waste and to evaluate the quality of both compost treatments. There are two treatment piles in this study, in which one pile was applied with EM and another pile without EM. Each treatment was replicated three times with 90 days of composting duration. The parameters for the temperature, pH, TOC and C/N ratio, show that decomposition of organic matter occurs during the 90-day period. The t-test conducted shows that there is a significant difference between compost with EM and compost without EM. The application of EM in compost increases the macro and micronutrient content. The following parameters support this conclusion: compost applied with EM has more N, P and K content (P < 0.05) compared to compost without EM. Although the Fe in compost with EM is much higher (P < 0.05) than in the compost without EM, for Zn and Cu, there is no significant difference between treatments. This study suggests that the application of EM is suitable to increase the mineralization in the composting process. The final resultant compost indicated that it was in the range of the matured level and can be used without any restriction.

Multifunction waveform generator for EM receiver testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Kai; Jin, Sheng; Deng, Ming

2018-01-01

In many electromagnetic (EM) methods - such as magnetotelluric, spectral-induced polarization (SIP), time-domain-induced polarization (TDIP), and controlled-source audio magnetotelluric (CSAMT) methods - it is important to evaluate and test the EM receivers during their development stage. To assess the performance of the developed EM receivers, controlled synthetic data that simulate the observed signals in different modes are required. In CSAMT and SIP mode testing, the waveform generator should use the GPS time as the reference for repeating schedule. Based on our testing, the frequency range, frequency precision, and time synchronization of the currently available function waveform generators on the market are deficient. This paper presents a multifunction waveform generator with three waveforms: (1) a wideband, low-noise electromagnetic field signal to be used for magnetotelluric, audio-magnetotelluric, and long-period magnetotelluric studies; (2) a repeating frequency sweep square waveform for CSAMT and SIP studies; and (3) a positive-zero-negative-zero signal that contains primary and secondary fields for TDIP studies. In this paper, we provide the principles of the above three waveforms along with a hardware design for the generator. Furthermore, testing of the EM receiver was conducted with the waveform generator, and the results of the experiment were compared with those calculated from the simulation and theory in the frequency band of interest.

Changes in deep-sea fish and crustacean communities at 1000-2200 m in the Western Mediterranean after 25 years: Relation to hydro-climatic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartes, J. E.; Maynou, F.; Fanelli, E.; López-Pérez, C.; Papiol, V.

2015-03-01

Long-term changes in the biomass, diversity and composition of deep-living fish and decapods from the Balearic Basin (western Mediterranean) have been compared between two periods, 1985-1992 vs. 2007-2012, based on 106 bottom trawls performed at 1000-2250 m. Relationships have been identified between the changes in community composition and the hydroclimatic conditions (e.g. NAO, temperature, salinity and dissolved O2) of the area. We found a generalized deepening of middle-slope communities (950-1250 m), especially among decapods, which is suggested (from GLM results) to have been a response to the long-term increase in salinity of the Levantine Intermediate Waters (LIW), located above the level sampled to ca. 700 m. Even more pronounced was the shallowing of all of the lower slope species (1600-2250 m), accompanied by a significant decrease of biomass from 1985-1992 to 2007-2012. This last tendency would be done to a combination of factors: long-term decrease of O2 in the bottom-boundary layer, greater degradation of POM arriving on the bottom due to temperature increase in the Western Mediterranean Deep Waters (WMDW) and probably a decrease of Chl a at the surface and, thus, of production. The influence of climatic oscillations (NAO) on differences found between 1985-1992 and 2007-2012 seems secondary, likely because the NAO did not show significant differences between the two periods. Some plankton-feeding species showed an increase of density during high/positive NAO (e.g. Alepocephalus rostratus), while some benthos feeders increased during low/negative NAO (e.g. Aristeus antennatus, mainly juveniles). The increase of rainfall and advective fluxes under low/negative NAO (i.e., in 2007-2012) may increase the formation of the nepheloid layer identified over 1200-1400 m in the area (Cartes et al., 2013a), linked to zooplankton aggregation in that depth range. Greater food availability could explain the generalized migration by both middle and lower slope species

The North Atlantic Oscillation as a driver of multidecadal variability of the AMOC, the AMO, and Northern Hemisphere climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delworth, T. L.; Zeng, F. J.; Yang, X.; Zhang, L.

2017-12-01

We use suites of simulations with coupled ocean-atmosphere models to show that multidecadal changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) can drive multidecadal changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), with associated hemispheric climatic impacts. These impacts include rapid changes in Arctic sea ice, hemispheric temperature, and modulation of Atlantic hurricane activity. We use models that incorporate either a fully dynamic ocean or a simple slab ocean to explore the role of ocean dynamics and ocean-atmosphere interactions. A positive phase of the NAO is associated with strengthened westerly winds over the North Atlantic. These winds extract more heat than normal from the subpolar ocean, thereby increasing upper ocean density, deepwater formation, and the strength of the AMOC and associated poleward ocean heat transport. This warming leads to a positive phase of the AMO. The enhanced oceanic heat transport extends to the Arctic where it causes a reduction of Arctic sea ice. Large-scale atmospheric warming reduces vertical wind shear in the tropical North Atlantic, creating an environment more favorable for tropical storms. We use models to further show that observed multidecadal variations of the NAO over the 20th and early 21st centuries may have led to multidecadal variations of simulated AMOC and the AMO. Specifically, negative NAO values from the late 1960s through the early 1980s led to a weakened AMOC/cold North Atlantic, whereas increasing NAO values from the late 1980s through the late 1990s increased the model AMOC and led to a positive (warm) phase of the AMO. The warm phase contributed to increases in tropical storm activity and decreases in Arctic sea ice after the mid 1990s. Ocean dynamics are essential for translating the observed NAO variations into ocean heat content variations for the extratropical North Atlantic, but appear less important in the tropical North Atlantic

The evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation for the last 700 years inferred from D/H isotopes in the sedimentary record of Lake Azul (Azores archipelago, Portugal).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubio de Ingles, Maria Jesus; Shanahan, Timothy M.; Sáez, Alberto; José Pueyo, Juan; Raposeiro, Pedro M.; Gonçalves, Vitor M.; Hernández, Armand; Trigo, Ricardo; Sánchez López, Guiomar; Francus, Pierre; Giralt, Santiago

2015-04-01

The δD plant leaf wax variations provide insights on precipitation and evaporation evolution through time. This proxy has been used to reconstruct the temporal evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) climate mode since this mode rules most of the climate variability in the central North Atlantic area. A total lipid extraction preparation and the correspondent analyses in the IRMS have been done for 100 samples from the uppermost 1.5 m of the sedimentary infill of Lake Azul (Azores archipelago, Portugal). According to the chronological model, established by 210Pb profile and 4 AMS 14C dates, this record contains the environmental history of the last 730 years. The reconstructed precipitation variations obtained from D/H isotope values, suggest that this area has suffered significant changes in its distribution and intensity rainfall patterns through time. The end of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, 1100- 1300 AD) is characterized by a progressive enrichmentof D/H isotope values which meant decreasing arid conditions. These rainfalls' increase might be interpreted by a shift from positive to negative dominance of the NAO. The Little Ice Age (LIA, 1300 - 1850 AD) was characterized by two humid periods (1300- 1550 AD and 1650 - 1850 AD) separated by a relatively dry period. These precipitation oscillations are clearly visible by marked changes in the D/H isotope values. The LIA was followed by the persistence of the positive NAO mode, exhibited by the depletion of the D/H isotope signal, which indicated an overall decrease of the precipitation in the central North Atlantic area. Surprisingly, the D/H of the last 100 years, characterized by the present global warming and a persistent positive NAO mode, display large fluctuations most possibly linked to an enhancement of the storminess which is in concordance with the data fluctuations observed in the instrumental record for the last 80 years in the archipelago. This climatic evolution is in accordance with

Atmospheric mechanisms governing the spatial and temporal variability of phenological phases in central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheifinger, Helfried; Menzel, Annette; Koch, Elisabeth; Peter, Christian; Ahas, Rein

2002-11-01

A data set of 17 phenological phases from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia spanning the time period from 1951 to 1998 has been made available for analysis together with a gridded temperature data set (1° × 1° grid) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index time series. The disturbances of the westerlies constitute the main atmospheric source for the temporal variability of phenological events in Europe. The trend, the standard deviation and the discontinuity of the phenological time series at the end of the 1980s can, to a great extent, be explained by the NAO. A number of factors modulate the influence of the NAO in time and space. The seasonal northward shift of the westerlies overlaps with the sequence of phenological spring phases, thereby gradually reducing its influence on the temporal variability of phenological events with progression of spring (temporal loss of influence). This temporal process is reflected by a pronounced decrease in trend and standard deviation values and common variability with the NAO with increasing year-day. The reduced influence of the NAO with increasing distance from the Atlantic coast is not only apparent in studies based on the data set of the International Phenological Gardens, but also in the data set of this study with a smaller spatial extent (large-scale loss of influence). The common variance between phenological and NAO time series displays a discontinuous drop from the European Atlantic coast towards the Alps. On a local and regional scale, mountainous terrain reduces the influence of the large-scale atmospheric flow from the Atlantic via a proposed decoupling mechanism. Valleys in mountainous terrain have the inclination to harbour temperature inversions over extended periods of time during the cold season, which isolate the valley climate from the large-scale atmospheric flow at higher altitudes. Most phenological stations reside at valley bottoms and are thus largely decoupled in their temporal

Potential links between the North Atlantic Oscillation and decreasing precipitation and runoff on a Mediterranean area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montaldo, Nicola; Sarigu, Alessio

2017-10-01

In the Mediterranean region, the reduction in precipitation and warmer temperatures is generating a desertification process, with dramatic consequences for both agriculture and the sustainability of water resources. On the island of Sardinia (Italy), the decrease in runoff impacts the management of water resources, resulting in water supply restrictions even for domestic consumption. In the 10 Sardinian basins with a longer database (at least 40 complete years of data, including data from the past 10 years), runoff decreased drastically over the 1975-2010 period, with mean yearly runoff reduced by more than 40% compared to the previous 1922-1974 period. Trends in yearly runoff are negative, with Mann-Kendall τ values ranging from -0.39 to -0.2. Decreasing winter precipitation over the 1975-2010 period everywhere on Sardinia island has led to these decreases in runoff, as most yearly runoff in the Sardinian basins (70% on average) is produced by winter precipitation due to the seasonality typical of the Mediterranean climate regime. The trend in winter precipitation is not homogenous; the negative trend is higher (around -0.25) on the west Sardinian coast, becoming lower across the island toward the east coast (around -0.14). Winter precipitation is highly correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a weather phenomenon in the North Atlantic Ocean that controls the direction and strength of westerly winds and storm tracks into Europe. High negative correlations (up to -0.45) between winter NAO index and winter precipitation are estimated along the west coast. Meanwhile, these correlations decrease east across the island toward the high mountain in the center of Sardinia, reaching the lowest values along the east coast (about -0.25). The generally decreasing correlation between winter NAO index and winter precipitation in the longitudinal direction (from the North Atlantic dipole to the east) here accelerates due to local-scale orographic effects that

Potential links between the North Atlantic Oscillation and decreasing precipitation and runoff on Sardinia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarigu, A.; Montaldo, N.

2017-12-01

In the Mediterranean region, the reduction in precipitation and warmer temperatures is generating a desertification process, with dramatic consequences for both agriculture and the sustainability of water resources. On the island of Sardinia (Italy), the decrease in runoff impacts the management of water resources, resulting in water supply restrictions even for domestic consumption. In the 10 Sardinian basins with a longer database (at least 40 complete years of data, including data from the past 10 years), runoff decreased drastically over the 1975-2010 period, with mean yearly runoff reduced by more than 40% compared to the previous 1922-1974 period. Trends in yearly runoff are negative, with Mann-Kendall τ values ranging from -0.39 to -0.2. Decreasing winter precipitation over the 1975-2010 period everywhere on Sardinia island has led to these decreases in runoff, as most yearly runoff in the Sardinian basins (70% on average) is produced by winter precipitation due to the seasonality typical of the Mediterranean climate regime. The trend in winter precipitation is not homogenous; the negative trend is higher (around -0.25) on the west Sardinian coast, becoming lower across the island toward the east coast (around -0.14). Winter precipitation is highly correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a weather phenomenon in the North Atlantic Ocean that controls the direction and strength of westerly winds and storm tracks into Europe. High negative correlations (up to -0.45) between winter NAO index and winter precipitation are estimated along the west coast. Meanwhile, these correlations decrease east across the island toward the high mountain in the center of Sardinia, reaching the lowest values along the east coast (about -0.25). The decreasing correlation between winter NAO index and winter precipitation in the longitudinal direction (from the North Atlantic dipole to the east) here accelerates due to local-scale orographic effects that overlap the

2-D modelling and simulation of EM brake for liquid steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aslan, Necdet; Senturk, Kenan; Tessarotto, Massimo

2003-11-01

The problem of EM control of bottom tapping in steelmaking metallurgy is an old and well known challenge not only from the technological viewpoint but also, potentially, an interesting and still open theoretical problem, from the viewpoint of the investigation of the detailed MHD phenomena occurring in EM braking devices [1]. Purpose of the present work is the formulation of a 2-D MHD model for a DC EM braking device, which includes the consistent modelization of inductive EM fields produced by the conductive fluid, large scale turbulence, boundary conditions for the EM fields and thermal effects. The mathematical model has been implemented in a new 2-D MHD code developed for this purpose [2], based on the so-called fluctuation splitting and dual-time stepping methods, respectively, to advance in time the fluid fields and satisfy the relevant incompressibility-solenoidality conditions for the fluid mass velocity and the magnetic field. Main goal of the investigation is the analysis of the nonlinear phenomena occurring in the process of slowing down of a column of liquid steel under the action of the EM brake, and in particular the detailed description of the effects of large scale turbulence produced by the action of Lorentz force on the fluid, their influence on the magnitude of the inductive EM fields and the performance of the EM brake itself. REFERENCES [1] A.Codutti, A.Martinis, M.Pavlicevic, M.Tessarotto and D.Batic, Proc. 3rd International Symposium on EMP (Nagoya, Japan, April 2000), p.530 (2000). [2] N.Aslan, K.Senturk and M.Tessarotto, Efficient 2-D solver for incompressible magnefluids, communication at this Conference (2003).

Functionalized anatomical models for EM-neuron Interaction modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neufeld, Esra; Cassará, Antonino Mario; Montanaro, Hazael; Kuster, Niels; Kainz, Wolfgang

2016-06-01

The understanding of interactions between electromagnetic (EM) fields and nerves are crucial in contexts ranging from therapeutic neurostimulation to low frequency EM exposure safety. To properly consider the impact of in vivo induced field inhomogeneity on non-linear neuronal dynamics, coupled EM-neuronal dynamics modeling is required. For that purpose, novel functionalized computable human phantoms have been developed. Their implementation and the systematic verification of the integrated anisotropic quasi-static EM solver and neuronal dynamics modeling functionality, based on the method of manufactured solutions and numerical reference data, is described. Electric and magnetic stimulation of the ulnar and sciatic nerve were modeled to help understanding a range of controversial issues related to the magnitude and optimal determination of strength-duration (SD) time constants. The results indicate the importance of considering the stimulation-specific inhomogeneous field distributions (especially at tissue interfaces), realistic models of non-linear neuronal dynamics, very short pulses, and suitable SD extrapolation models. These results and the functionalized computable phantom will influence and support the development of safe and effective neuroprosthetic devices and novel electroceuticals. Furthermore they will assist the evaluation of existing low frequency exposure standards for the entire population under all exposure conditions.

Improving rural emergency medical services (EMS) through transportation system enhancements.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-05-01

Improved emergency medical services (EMS) will impact traffic safety and public health in rural : communities. Better planned, designed, and operated roadway networks that connect hospitals with : communities in need will enhance EMS performance. To ...

A Generalized Fast Frequency Sweep Algorithm for Coupled Circuit-EM Simulations

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

Rockway, J D; Champagne, N J; Sharpe, R M

2004-01-14

Frequency domain techniques are popular for analyzing electromagnetics (EM) and coupled circuit-EM problems. These techniques, such as the method of moments (MoM) and the finite element method (FEM), are used to determine the response of the EM portion of the problem at a single frequency. Since only one frequency is solved at a time, it may take a long time to calculate the parameters for wideband devices. In this paper, a fast frequency sweep based on the Asymptotic Wave Expansion (AWE) method is developed and applied to generalized mixed circuit-EM problems. The AWE method, which was originally developed for lumped-loadmore » circuit simulations, has recently been shown to be effective at quasi-static and low frequency full-wave simulations. Here it is applied to a full-wave MoM solver, capable of solving for metals, dielectrics, and coupled circuit-EM problems.« less

Finding of No Significant Impact, Skiffes Creek Federal Navigation Channel Maintenance Dredging, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Fort Eustis, Virginia

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-06

National Marine Fisheries Service Habitat Conservation District 904 South Morris Street Oxford, MD 21654 Dear Mr. Goodger: The U.S. Army...Nadal, Teresita I NAO From: Nadal, Teresita I NAO Sent: Tuesday , February 04, 2014 2:10 PM To: ’David.L.O’Brien@noaa.gov’ Subject: Skiffes Creek EFH...Noaa.gov). Sincerely, DanielS. Morris Acting Regional Administrator File Code: H:\\S7ST1Section 7\\Non-Fisheries\\ACOE\\Infonnal\\20 I2\\Norfolk District

Evaluation of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation Impact on Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulation in the Atlantic Region in Summer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenov, V. A.; Cherenkova, E. A.

2018-02-01

The influence of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) on large-scale atmospheric circulation in the Atlantic region in summer for the period of 1950-2015 is investigated. It is shown that the intensification of the summer North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) with significant changes in sea level pressure anomalies in the main centers of action (over Greenland and the British Isles) occurred while the North Atlantic was cooler. Sea surface temperature anomalies, which are linked to the AMO in the summer season, affect both the NAO index and fluctuations of the Eastern Atlantic/Western Russia (EAWR) centers of action. The positive (negative) phase of the AMO is characterized by a combination of negative (positive) values of the NAO and EAWR indices. The dominance of the opposite phases of the teleconnection indices in summer during the warm North Atlantic and in its colder period resulted in differences in the regional climate in Europe.

Comparative Analysis of Fusion Center Outreach to Fire and EMS Agencies

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

ANALYSIS OF FUSION CENTER OUTREACH TO FIRE AND EMS AGENCIES by Scott E. Goldstein December 2015 Thesis Advisor: Fathali Moghaddam Second...REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FUSION CENTER OUTREACH TO FIRE AND EMS AGENCIES 5...public release; distribution is unlimited 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) Fire and EMS responders have had little

The Low-Frequency Variability of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haekkinen, Sirpa; Mo, Kingtse C.; Koblinsky, Chester J. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Upper ocean temperature variability in the tropical Atlantic is examined from the Comprehensive Ocean Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) as well as from an ocean model simulation forced by COADS anomalies appended to a monthly climatology. Our findings are as follows: Only the sea surface temperatures (SST) in the northern tropics are driven by heat fluxes, while the southern tropical variability arises from wind driven ocean circulation changes. The subsurface temperatures in the northern and southern tropics are found to have a strong linkage to buoyancy forcing changes in the northern North Atlantic. Evidence for Kelvin-like boundary wave propagation from the high latitudes is presented from the model simulation. This extratropical influence is associated with wintertime North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) forcing and manifests itself in the northern and southern tropical temperature anomalies of the same sign at depth of 100-200 meters as result of a Rossby wave propagation away from the eastern boundary in the wake of the boundary wave passage. The most apparent association of the southern tropical sea surface temperature anomalies (STA) arises with the anomalous cross-equatorial winds which can be related to both NAO and the remote influence from the Pacific equatorial region. These teleconnections are seasonal so that the NAO impact on the tropical SST is the largest it mid-winter but in spring and early summer the Pacific remote influence competes with NAO. However, NAO appears to have a more substantial role than the Pacific influence at low frequencies during the last 50 years. The dynamic origin of STA is indirectly confirmed from the SST-heat flux relationship using ocean model experiments which remove either anomalous wind stress forcing or atmospheric forcing anomalies contributing to heat exchange.

European Wintertime Windstorms and its Links to Large-Scale Variability Modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Befort, D. J.; Wild, S.; Walz, M. A.; Knight, J. R.; Lockwood, J. F.; Thornton, H. E.; Hermanson, L.; Bett, P.; Weisheimer, A.; Leckebusch, G. C.

2017-12-01

Winter storms associated with extreme wind speeds and heavy precipitation are the most costly natural hazard in several European countries. Improved understanding and seasonal forecast skill of winter storms will thus help society, policy-makers and (re-) insurance industry to be better prepared for such events. We firstly assess the ability to represent extra-tropical windstorms over the Northern Hemisphere of three seasonal forecast ensemble suites: ECMWF System3, ECMWF System4 and GloSea5. Our results show significant skill for inter-annual variability of windstorm frequency over parts of Europe in two of these forecast suites (ECMWF-S4 and GloSea5) indicating the potential use of current seasonal forecast systems. In a regression model we further derive windstorm variability using the forecasted NAO from the seasonal model suites thus estimating the suitability of the NAO as the only predictor. We find that the NAO as the main large-scale mode over Europe can explain some of the achieved skill and is therefore an important source of variability in the seasonal models. However, our results show that the regression model fails to reproduce the skill level of the directly forecast windstorm frequency over large areas of central Europe. This suggests that the seasonal models also capture other sources of variability/predictability of windstorms than the NAO. In order to investigate which other large-scale variability modes steer the interannual variability of windstorms we develop a statistical model using a Poisson GLM. We find that the Scandinavian Pattern (SCA) in fact explains a larger amount of variability for Central Europe during the 20th century than the NAO. This statistical model is able to skilfully reproduce the interannual variability of windstorm frequency especially for the British Isles and Central Europe with correlations up to 0.8.

Effect of Alkali Metal Cations on Slow Inactivation of Cardiac Na+ Channels

PubMed Central

Townsend, Claire; Horn, Richard

1997-01-01

Human heart Na+ channels were expressed transiently in both mammalian cells and Xenopus oocytes, and Na+ currents measured using 150 mM intracellular Na+. The kinetics of decaying outward Na+ current in response to 1-s depolarizations in the F1485Q mutant depends on the predominant cation in the extracellular solution, suggesting an effect on slow inactivation. The decay rate is lower for the alkali metal cations Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, and Cs+ than for the organic cations Tris, tetramethylammonium, N-methylglucamine, and choline. In whole cell recordings, raising [Na+]o from 10 to 150 mM increases the rate of recovery from slow inactivation at −140 mV, decreases the rate of slow inactivation at relatively depolarized voltages, and shifts steady-state slow inactivation in a depolarized direction. Single channel recordings of F1485Q show a decrease in the number of blank (i.e., null) records when [Na+]o is increased. Significant clustering of blank records when depolarizing at a frequency of 0.5 Hz suggests that periods of inactivity represent the sojourn of a channel in a slow-inactivated state. Examination of the single channel kinetics at +60 mV during 90-ms depolarizations shows that neither open time, closed time, nor first latency is significantly affected by [Na+]o. However raising [Na+]o decreases the duration of the last closed interval terminated by the end of the depolarization, leading to an increased number of openings at the depolarized voltage. Analysis of single channel data indicates that at a depolarized voltage a single rate constant for entry into a slow-inactivated state is reduced in high [Na+]o, suggesting that the binding of an alkali metal cation, perhaps in the ion-conducting pore, inhibits the closing of the slow inactivation gate. PMID:9234168

Considerations on the role of cardiolipin in cellular responses to PDT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Rachel L.; Azizuddin, Kashif; Berlin, Jeffrey C.; Burda, Clemens; Kenney, Malcolm E.; Samia, Anna C. S.; Oleinick, Nancy L.

2004-06-01

Cardiolipin is a unique phospholipid containing two phosphatidyl glycerol moieties and four fatty acids per molecule. It is found exclusively in the mitochondrial inner membrane and at the contact sites between the inner and outer membranes. The acridine derivative, nonyl-acridine orange (NAO), is a highly specific probe of cardiolipin, with a binding affinity approximately two orders of magnitude greater than that for binding to other anionic phospholipids. We recently reported that when NAO is bound in the mitochondria of human prostate cancer PC-3 cells and activated at 488 nm, NAO could transfer fluorescence resonance energy to the phthalocyanine photosensitizer Pc 4. This observation indicates that one site of Pc 4 binding is very near to NAO and therefore very near to cardiolipin. The average distance between the two fluorophores was calculated to be 7 nm. In the present study, we have extended the observation to the endogenously synthesized photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX, an intermediate in heme biosynthesis that is used for photodynamic therapy of several types of malignant and non-malignant conditions. Protoporphyrin IX is generated in the mitochondria but is known to bind to other cellular sites as well, especially the endoplasmic reticulum. The ability of this molecule to accept resonance energy from NAO in cells is consistent with a localization of at least some of the molecules in the mitochondria either on the inner membrane, the site of cardiolipin, or within about 10 nm of it. Since protoporphyrin IX binds with high affinity to the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, a component of the permeability transition pore complex that forms at contact sites between the inner and outer membranes, our observations provide evidence for the close association of several critical molecules for mitochondrial functions and suggest that cardiolipin may be an early oxidative target during PDT with at least two photosensitizers.

Man-Portable Simultaneous Magnetometer and EM System (MSEMS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

expensive fluxgate magnetometers . This is because the interleaving hardware is expecting a Larmor signal as input; it performs period counting of the...Larmor signal between EM61 pulses to convert the frequency-based Larmor signal into nanotesla. A fluxgate magnetometer does not employ the resonance...FINAL REPORT Man-Portable Simultaneous Magnetometer and EM System (MSEMS) ESTCP Project MM-0414 December 2008 Robert Siegel Science

Methodology for the development of a Canadian national EMS research agenda

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Many health care disciplines use evidence-based decision making to improve patient care and system performance. While the amount and quality of emergency medical services (EMS) research in Canada has increased over the past two decades, there has not been a unified national plan to enable research, ensure efficient use of research resources, guide funding decisions and build capacity in EMS research. Other countries have used research agendas to identify barriers and opportunities in EMS research and define national research priorities. The objective of this project is to develop a national EMS research agenda for Canada that will: 1) explore what barriers to EMS research currently exist, 2) identify current strengths and opportunities that may be of benefit to advancing EMS research, 3) make recommendations to overcome barriers and capitalize on opportunities, and 4) identify national EMS research priorities. Methods/Design Paramedics, educators, EMS managers, medical directors, researchers and other key stakeholders from across Canada will be purposefully recruited to participate in this mixed methods study, which consists of three phases: 1) qualitative interviews with a selection of the study participants, who will be asked about their experience and opinions about the four study objectives, 2) a facilitated roundtable discussion, in which all participants will explore and discuss the study objectives, and 3) an online Delphi consensus survey, in which all participants will be asked to score the importance of each topic discovered during the interviews and roundtable as they relate to the study objectives. Results will be analyzed to determine the level of consensus achieved for each topic. Discussion A mixed methods approach will be used to address the four study objectives. We anticipate that the keys to success will be: 1) ensuring a representative sample of EMS stakeholders, 2) fostering an open and collaborative roundtable discussion, and 3

Prevalência de tromboembolismo pulmonar incidental em pacientes oncológicos: análise retrospectiva em grande centro

PubMed Central

Carneiro, Renata Mota; van Bellen, Bonno; Santana, Pablo Rydz Pinheiro; Gomes, Antônio Carlos Portugal

2017-01-01

Resumo Contexto Devido à maior aplicação de exames de imagem rotineiros, especialmente nos pacientes com neoplasia para controle da doença, vem aumentando o diagnóstico de tromboembolismo pulmonar (TEP) incidental, importante fator de morbimortalidade associado. Objetivo Identificar os casos de TEP incidental em pacientes oncológicos submetidos a tomografia computadorizada (TC) de tórax, correlacionando aspectos clínicos e fatores de risco associados. Métodos Estudo retrospectivo de todos os episódios de TEP ocorridos de janeiro de 2013 a junho de 2016, com seleção dos pacientes oncológicos e divisão deles em dois grupos: com suspeita clínica e sem suspeita clínica (incidentais) de embolia pulmonar. Resultados Foram avaliados 468 pacientes com TEP no período citado. Destes, 23,1% eram oncológicos, entre os quais 44,4% apresentaram achado incidental de embolia pulmonar na TC de tórax. Não houve diferença estatística entre os grupos para sexo, idade e tabagismo. Quanto à procedência, 58,3% dos pacientes sem suspeita clínica eram de origem ambulatorial e 41,7% com suspeita de TEP vinham do pronto-socorro (p < 0,001). As neoplasias mais prevalentes foram de pulmão (17,6%), intestino (15,7%) e mama (13,0%). Aqueles com achado incidental apresentaram significativamente mais metástases, sem diferença entre os grupos para realização de quimioterapia, radioterapia ou cirurgia recente. Quanto aos sintomas apresentados, 41,9% daqueles sem suspeita clínica tinham queixas sugestivas de TEP quando realizaram o exame. Conclusão TEP incidental é frequente em pacientes oncológicos, especialmente naqueles provenientes de seguimento ambulatorial e em estágios avançados da doença. Sintomas sugestivos de TEP estavam presentes em pacientes sem suspeita clínica ao realizarem a TC de tórax. PMID:29930652

The US DOE EM international program

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

Elmetti, Rosa R.; Han, Ana M.; Roach, Jay A.

2013-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) conducts international collaboration activities in support of U.S. policies and objectives regarding the accelerated risk reduction and remediation of environmental legacy of the nations' nuclear weapons program and government sponsored nuclear energy research. The EM International Program supported out of the EM Office of the Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary pursues collaborations with foreign government organizations, educational institutions and private industry to assist in identifying technologies and promote international collaborations that leverage resources and link international experience and expertise. In fiscal year (FY) 2012, the International Program awarded eightmore » international collaborative projects for work scope spanning waste processing, groundwater and soil remediation, deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) and nuclear materials disposition initiatives to seven foreign organizations. Additionally, the International Program's scope and collaboration opportunities were expanded to include technical as well as non-technical areas. This paper will present an overview of the on-going tasks awarded in FY 2012 and an update of upcoming international activities and opportunities for expansion into the remainder of FY 2013 and beyond. (authors)« less

EMS workforce for the 21st century : a national assessment

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-06-01

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics are a critical component of any communitys Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system. Assuring the continued viability of the prehospital EMS workforce is a key concern for many local, State, Feder...

7 CFR 759.6 - EM to be made available.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... natural disaster has occurred in a county, resulting in severe physical losses. If the FSA Administrator determines that such a natural disaster has occurred, then EM can be made available to eligible farmers for... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PROGRAMS DISASTER DESIGNATIONS AND NOTIFICATIONS § 759.6 EM to be made available. (a) For...

7 CFR 759.6 - EM to be made available.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... natural disaster has occurred in a county, resulting in severe physical losses. If the FSA Administrator determines that such a natural disaster has occurred, then EM can be made available to eligible farmers for... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL PROGRAMS DISASTER DESIGNATIONS AND NOTIFICATIONS § 759.6 EM to be made available. (a) For...

Association of Burnout with Workforce-Reducing Factors among EMS Professionals.

PubMed

Crowe, Remle P; Bower, Julie K; Cash, Rebecca E; Panchal, Ashish R; Rodriguez, Severo A; Olivo-Marston, Susan E

2018-01-01

Emergency medical services (EMS) professionals often work long hours at multiple jobs and endure frequent exposure to traumatic events. The stressors inherent to the prehospital setting may increase the likelihood of experiencing burnout and lead providers to exit the profession, representing a serious workforce and public health concern. Our objectives were to estimate the prevalence of burnout, identify characteristics associated with experiencing burnout, and quantify its relationship with factors that negatively impact EMS workforce stability, namely sickness absence and turnover intentions. A random sample of 10,620 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and 10,540 paramedics was selected from the National EMS Certification database to receive an electronic questionnaire between October, 2015 and November, 2015. Using the validated Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), we assessed burnout across three dimensions: personal, work-related, and patient-related. We used multivariable logistic regression modeling to identify burnout predictors and quantify the association between burnout and our workforce-related outcomes: reporting ten or more days of work absence due to personal illness in the past 12 months, and intending to leave an EMS job or the profession within the next 12 months. Burnout was more prevalent among paramedics than EMTs (personal: 38.3% vs. 24.9%, work-related: 30.1% vs. 19.1%, and patient-related: 14.4% vs. 5.5%). Variables associated with increased burnout in all dimensions included certification at the paramedic level, having between five and 15 years of EMS experience, and increased weekly call volume. After adjustment, burnout was associated with over a two-fold increase in odds of reporting ten or more days of sickness absence in the past year. Burnout was associated with greater odds of intending to leave an EMS job (personal OR:2.45, 95% CI:1.95-3.06, work-related OR:3.37, 95% CI:2.67-4.26, patient-related OR: 2.38, 95% CI:1.74-3.26) or

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb221.p1.f06.grib2

Science.gov Websites

surface WEASD 6 hour fcst Water <em>Equivalent> of Accumulated Snow Depth [kg/m^2] 016 surface APCP 0-6 hour surface WEASD 0-6 hour acc Water <em>Equivalent> of Accumulated Snow Depth [kg/m^2] 019 surface CSNOW 6 hour hour fcst Specific Humidity [kg/kg] 401 surface NCPCP 0-6 hour acc Large-Scale Precipitation (<em>non>

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb132.p1.f00.grib2

Science.gov Websites

0-0.1 m below ground TSOIL analysis <em>Soil> Temperature Validation to deprecate [K] 402 0-0.1 m below ground SOILW analysis Volumetric <em>Soil> Moisture Content [Fraction] 403 0.1-0.4 m below ground TSOIL analysis <em>Soil> Temperature Validation to deprecate [K] 404 0.1-0.4 m below ground SOILW analysis Volumetric

Traffic safety facts : feasibility for an EMS workforce safety and health surveillance system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-05-01

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel treat an estimated : 22 million patients a year (Maguire and Walz, 2004). : While on duty, EMS workers frequently encounter two : work-related risks: injury and illness. Current research on : EMS workforce i...

Compositions of HIMU, EM1, and EM2 from Global Trends between Radiogenic Isotopes and Major Elements in Ocean Island Basalts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, M. G.; Dasgupta, R.

2008-12-01

Sr and Pb isotopes exhibit global trends with the concentrations of major elements (SiO2, TiO2, FeO, Al2O3 and K2O) and major elements ratios (CaO/Al2O3 and K2O/TiO2) in the shield-stage lavas from 18 oceanic hotspots (including Hawaii, Iceland, Galapagos, Cook-Australs, St. Helena, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canary, Madeira, Comoros, Azores, Samoa, Society, Marquesas, Mascarene, Kerguelen, Pitcairn, and Selvagen). Based on the relationships between major elements and isotopes in ocean island basalts (OIBs), we find that the lavas derived from the mantle end members, HIMU (or high 'ì' = 238U/204Pb), EM1 (enriched mantle 1), EM2 (enriched mantle 2), and DMM (depleted MORB [mid-ocean ridge basalt] mantle) exhibit distinct major element characteristics: When compared to oceanic hotspots globally, the hotspots with a HIMU (radiogenic Pb-isotopes and low 87Sr/86Sr) component, such as St. Helena and Cook-Australs, exhibit high CaO/Al2O3, FeOT, and TiO2 and low SiO2 and Al2O3. EM1 (enriched mantle 1; intermediate 87Sr/86Sr and low 206Pb/204Pb; sampled by hotspots like Pitcairn and Kerguelen) and EM2 (enriched mantle 2; high 87Sr/86Sr and intermediate 206Pb/204Pb; sampled by hotspots like Samoa and Societies) exhibit higher K2O concentrations and K2O/TiO2 weight ratios than HIMU lavas. EM1 lavas exhibit the lowest CaO/Al2O3 in the OIB dataset, and this sets EM1 apart from EM2. A plot of CaO/Al2O3 vs K2O/TiO2 perfectly resolves the four mantle end member lavas. Melting processes (pressure, temperature and degree of melting) fail to provide an explanation for the full spectrum of major element concentrations in OIBs. Such processes also fail to explain the correlations between major elements and radiogenic isotopes. Instead, a long, time integrated history of various parent- daughter elements appears to be coupled to major element and/or volatile heterogeneity in the mantle source. End member lava compositions are compared with experimental partial melt compositions to place

Compositions of HIMU, EM1, and EM2 from global trends between radiogenic isotopes and major elements in ocean island basalts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Matthew G.; Dasgupta, Rajdeep

2008-11-01

Sr and Pb isotopes exhibit global trends with the concentrations of major elements (SiO 2, TiO 2, FeO, Al 2O 3 and K 2O) and major elements ratios (CaO/Al 2O 3 and K 2O/TiO 2) in the shield-stage lavas from 18 oceanic hotspots (including Hawaii, Iceland, Galapagos, Cook-Australs, St. Helena, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canary, Madeira, Comoros, Azores, Samoa, Society, Marquesas, Mascarene, Kerguelen, Pitcairn, and Selvagen). Based on the relationships between major elements and isotopes in ocean island basalts (OIBs), we find that the lavas derived from the mantle end members, HIMU (or high 'μ' = 238U/ 204Pb), EM1 (enriched mantle 1), EM2 (enriched mantle 2), and DMM (depleted MORB [mid-ocean ridge basalt] mantle) exhibit distinct major element characteristics: When compared to oceanic hotspots globally, the hotspots with a HIMU (radiogenic Pb-isotopes and low 87Sr/ 86Sr) component, such as St. Helena and Cook-Australs, exhibit high CaO/Al 2O 3, FeO T, and TiO 2 and low SiO 2 and Al 2O 3. EM1 (enriched mantle 1; intermediate 87Sr/ 86Sr and low 206Pb/ 204Pb; sampled by hotspots like Pitcairn and Kerguelen) and EM2 (enriched mantle 2; high 87Sr/ 86Sr and intermediate 206Pb/ 204Pb; sampled by hotspots like Samoa and Societies) exhibit higher K 2O concentrations and K 2O/TiO 2 weight ratios than HIMU lavas. EM1 lavas exhibit the lowest CaO/Al 2O 3 in the OIB dataset, and this sets EM1 apart from EM2. A plot of CaO/Al 2O 3 vs K 2O/TiO 2 perfectly resolves the four mantle end member lavas. Melting processes (pressure, temperature and degree of melting) fail to provide an explanation for the full spectrum of major element concentrations in OIBs. Such processes also fail to explain the correlations between major elements and radiogenic isotopes. Instead, a long, time integrated history of various parent-daughter elements appears to be coupled to major element and/or volatile heterogeneity in the mantle source. End member lava compositions are compared with experimental partial

Consensus Reached in the Role of EMS in Injury Prevention

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-06-01

The intent of this statement is to represent the consensus of the EMS community on essential and desirable activities for EMS in primary injury prevention. After reviewing the literature, the project steering committee drafted the statement. Then the...

Effect of Ocean Tide Models on the Precise Orbit Determination of Geodetic Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubo-Oka, T.; Matsumoto, K.; Otsubo, T.; Gotoh, T.

2005-12-01

Several ocean tide models are tested with precise observation data of satellite laser ranging to geodetic satellites, Starlette and Stella. Four ocean models, NAO.99b, CSR 3.0 (standard model in IERS Conventions 2003), CSR 4.0, and GOT99.2b were implemented in our orbit analysis software "concerto ver. 4". NAO.99b model was developed by assimilating tidal solutions from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data into hydrodynamical model. Eight constituents (M2, S2, K1, O1, N2, P1, K2, Q1) were taken into account in each ocean tide model. Moreover, eight additional constituents (M1, J1, OO1, 2N2, Mu2, Nu2, L2, T2) can be included in NAO.99b model. Effect of ocean tides on geopotential coefficients were computed to 20th order. SLR data to Starlette and Stella were divided into arcs of 7 days length and 52 arcs (Jan. 2 - Dec. 30, 2004) were analyzed. Using different ocean tide model, orbits of these satellites were determined and weighted rms of postfit residuals are compared. We found that the NAO.99b model with 16 constituents can reduce weighted rms of postfit residuals using to the level of about 6.0 cm (Starlette) and 9.6 cm (Stella). These values are about 3-5 % smaller compared to other ocean tide models.

A daily Azores-Iceland North Atlantic Oscillation index back to 1850.

PubMed

Cropper, Thomas; Hanna, Edward; Valente, Maria Antónia; Jónsson, Trausti

2015-07-01

We present the construction of a continuous, daily (09:00 UTC), station-based (Azores-Iceland) North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index back to 1871 which is extended back to 1850 with additional daily mean data. The constructed index more than doubles the length of previously existing, widely available, daily NAO time series. The index is created using entirely observational sea-level pressure (SLP) data from Iceland and 73.5% of observational SLP data from the Azores - the remainder being filled in via reanalysis (Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project and European Mean Sea Level Pressure) SLP data. Icelandic data are taken from the Southwest Iceland pressure series. We construct and document a new Ponta Delgada SLP time series based on recently digitized and newly available data that extend back to 1872. The Ponta Delgada time series is created by splicing together several fractured records (from Ponta Delgada, Lajes, and Santa Maria) and filling in the major gaps (pre-1872, 1888-1905, and 1940-1941) and occasional days (145) with reanalysis data. Further homogeneity corrections are applied to the Azores record, and the daily (09:00 UTC) NAO index is then calculated. The resulting index, with its extended temporal length and daily resolution, is the first reconstruction of daily NAO back into the 19th Century and therefore is useful for researchers across multiple disciplines.

Inventory of File sref_em.t03z.pgrb212.p1.f06.grib2

Science.gov Websites

surface WEASD 6 hour fcst Water <em>Equivalent> of Accumulated Snow Depth [kg/m^2] 016 surface APCP 0-6 hour surface WEASD 0-6 hour acc Water <em>Equivalent> of Accumulated Snow Depth [kg/m^2] 019 surface CSNOW 6 hour -6 hour acc Large-Scale Precipitation (<em>non>-convective) [kg/m^2] 415 surface SNOM 0-6 hour acc Snow

Operation Protective Edge - A Unique Challenge for a Civilian EMS Agency.

PubMed

Jaffe, Eli; Strugo, Refael; Wacht, Oren

2015-10-01

During July through August 2014, Operation Protective Edge, a military conflict between Israel and the Hamas regime in Gaza, dramatically affected both populations. Magen David Adom (MDA), the Israeli national Emergency Medical Service (EMS) and a member of the Red Cross, faced a unique challenge during the conflict: to continue providing crucial service to the entire civilian population of Israel, which was under constant missile threat. This challenge included not only providing immediate care for routine EMS calls under missile threat, but also preparing and delivering immediate care to civilians injured in attacks on major cities, as well as small communities, in Israel. This task is a challenge for a civilian EMS agency that normally operates in a non-military environment, yet, in an instant, must enhance its capability to respond to a considerable threat to its population. During Operation Protective Edge, MDA provided care for 842 wounded civilians and utilized a significant amount of its resources. Providing EMS services for a civilian population in a mixed civilian/military scenario is a challenging task on a national level for an EMS system, especially when the threat lasts for weeks. This report describes MDA's preparedness and operations during Operation Protective Edge, and the unique EMS challenges and dilemmas the agency faced.

Aquisição de Estreptococos Mutans e Desenvolvimento de Cárie Dental em Primogênitos

PubMed Central

NOCE, Erica; RUBIRA, Cassia Maria Fischer; da Silva ROSA, Odila Pereira; da SILVA, Salete Moura Bonifácio; BRETZ, Walter Antonio

2011-01-01

Objetivo Avaliar o momento de aquisição de estreptococos mutans (EM), desenvolvimento de cárie dental e as variáveis a eles associadas no decorrer de 23 meses, em primogênitos de famílias de baixo nível socioeconômico, desde os sete meses de idade. Método A amostra foi selecionada com base em mães densamente colonizadas por EM, incluindo todos os membros de 14 famílias que conviviam na mesma casa. Foram envolvidos no estudo 14 mães, pais e primogênitos e 8 parentes, na maioria avós. Exames clínicos e radiográficos iniciais determinaram os índices de cárie e condição periodontal dos adultos. Contagens de EM foram feitas em todos os adultos nas duas primeiras visitas. Nas crianças foram avaliados os níveis de EM, o número de dentes e de cáries, em quatro visitas. Resultados A prevalência de EM nos adultos foi alta, estando ausente em apenas um dos pais. EM foram detectados em 1, 2, 3 e 10 crianças, respectivamente nas visitas #1, 2, 3 e 4. A cárie dental foi detectada em apenas três crianças na última visita (aos 30 meses de idade), as quais apresentaram escores de EM significantemente maiores que as crianças sem cárie, na mesma visita. Conclusão Exclusivamente a condição social de baixa renda e mães densamente colonizadas por EM não são sinônimo de colonização precoce e alta atividade de cárie em crianças cuidadas em casa. O desenvolvimento de cárie está significantemente associado a escores elevados de EM nas crianças. PMID:22022218

YangXue QingNao Wan and Silibinin Capsules, the Two Chinese Medicines, Attenuate Cognitive Impairment in Aged LDLR (+/-) Golden Syrian Hamsters Involving Protection of Blood Brain Barrier

PubMed Central

Gu, You-Yu; Huang, Ping; Li, Quan; Liu, Yu-Ying; Liu, George; Wang, Yu-Hui; Yi, Ming; Yan, Li; Wei, Xiao-Hong; Yang, Lei; Hu, Bai-He; Zhao, Xin-Rong; Chang, Xin; Sun, Kai; Pan, Chun-Shui; Cui, Yuan-Chen; Chen, Qing-Fang; Wang, Chuan-She; Fan, Jing-Yu; Ma, Zhi-Zhong; Han, Jing-Yan

2018-01-01

The purpose of the study was to explore the effect and the underlying mechanism of YangXue QingNao Wan (YXQNW) and Silibinin Capsules (SC), the two Chinese medicines, on cognitive impairment in older people with familial hyperlipidaemia. Fourteen month-old female LDLR (+/-) golden Syrian hamsters were used with their wild type as control. YXQNW (0.5 g/kg/day), SC (0.1 g/kg/day), or YXQNW (0.5 g/kg/day) + SC (0.1 g/kg/day) were administrated orally for 30 days. To assess the effects of the two drugs on plasma lipid content and cognitive ability, plasma TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C were measured, and Y maze task was carried out both before and after administration. After administering of the drugs for 30 days, to evaluate the effect of the two drugs on disturbed blood flow caused by hyperlipidemia, the cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured. To assess blood–brain barrier integrity, albumin leakage in middle cerebral artery (MCA) area was determined. To evaluate the effect of the drugs on impaired microvessels, the number and morphology of microvessels were assessed in hippocampus area. To further evaluate the ultrastructure of microvessels in hippocampus, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were carried out. To assess the profiles of claudin-5 and occludin in hippocampus, we performed immunofluorescence. Finally, to assess the expression of claudin-5, JAM-1, occludin and ZO-1 in hippocampus, western blot was carried out. The results showed that YXQNW, SC, and YXQNW + SC improved cognitive impairment of aged LDLR (+/-) golden Syrian hamsters without lowering plasma TC and LDL-C. YXQNW, SC, and YXQNW + SC attenuated albumin leakage in MCA area and neuronal damage in hippocampus, concomitant with an increase in CBF, a decrease of perivascular edema and an up-regulated expression of claudin-5, occludin and ZO-1. In conclusion, YXQNW, SC, and YXQNW + SC are able to improve cognitive ability in aged LDLR (+/-) golden Syrian hamsters

Cryo-EM in drug discovery: achievements, limitations and prospects.

PubMed

Renaud, Jean-Paul; Chari, Ashwin; Ciferri, Claudio; Liu, Wen-Ti; Rémigy, Hervé-William; Stark, Holger; Wiesmann, Christian

2018-06-08

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) of non-crystalline single particles is a biophysical technique that can be used to determine the structure of biological macromolecules and assemblies. Historically, its potential for application in drug discovery has been heavily limited by two issues: the minimum size of the structures it can be used to study and the resolution of the images. However, recent technological advances - including the development of direct electron detectors and more effective computational image analysis techniques - are revolutionizing the utility of cryo-EM, leading to a burst of high-resolution structures of large macromolecular assemblies. These advances have raised hopes that single-particle cryo-EM might soon become an important tool for drug discovery, particularly if they could enable structural determination for 'intractable' targets that are still not accessible to X-ray crystallographic analysis. This article describes the recent advances in the field and critically assesses their relevance for drug discovery as well as discussing at what stages of the drug discovery pipeline cryo-EM can be useful today and what to expect in the near future.

EPA LABORATORIES IMPLEMENT EMS PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

This paper highlights the breadth and magnitude of carrying out an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) program at the U.S. EPA's research and development laboratories. Federal research laboratories have unique operating challenges compared to more centralized industr...

The multispectral instrument of the Sentinel2 EM program results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chorvalli, Vincent; Espuche, Stéphane; Delbru, Francis; Martimort, Philippe; Fernandez, Valerie; Kirchner, Volker

2017-11-01

The MSI EM campaign has been conducted before releasing the flight model integration and test. This paper presents the MSI EM configuration and the various tests results. Experience gained through this extensive test program allowed securing the MSI PFM integration and test activities.

NASA EM Followup of LIGO-Virgo Candidate Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blackburn, Lindy L.

2011-01-01

We present a strategy for a follow-up of LIGO-Virgo candidate events using offline survey data from several NASA high-energy photon instruments aboard RXTE, Swift, and Fermi. Time and sky-location information provided by the GW trigger allows for a targeted search for prompt and afterglow EM signals. In doing so, we expect to be sensitive to signals which are too weak to be publicly reported as astrophysical EM events.

The missing Northern European winter cooling response to Arctic sea ice loss

PubMed Central

Screen, James A.

2017-01-01

Reductions in Arctic sea ice may promote the negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO−). It has been argued that NAO-related variability can be used an as analogue to predict the effects of Arctic sea ice loss on mid-latitude weather. As NAO− events are associated with colder winters over Northern Europe, a negatively shifted NAO has been proposed as a dynamical pathway for Arctic sea ice loss to cause Northern European cooling. This study uses large-ensemble atmospheric simulations with prescribed ocean surface conditions to examine how seasonal-scale NAO− events are affected by Arctic sea ice loss. Despite an intensification of NAO− events, reflected by more prevalent easterly flow, sea ice loss does not lead to Northern European winter cooling and daily cold extremes actually decrease. The dynamical cooling from the changed NAO is ‘missing', because it is offset (or exceeded) by a thermodynamical effect owing to advection of warmer air masses. PMID:28262679

The Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis does not form microscopically detectable cardiolipin-specific lipid domains.

PubMed

Pogmore, Alex-Rose; Seistrup, Kenneth H; Strahl, Henrik

2018-04-01

Rather than being homogenous diffusion-dominated structures, biological membranes can exhibit areas with distinct composition and characteristics, commonly termed as lipid domains. Arguably the most comprehensively studied examples in bacteria are domains formed by cardiolipin, which have been functionally linked to protein targeting, the cell division process and the mode of action of membrane-targeting antimicrobials. Cardiolipin domains were originally identified in the Gram-negative model organism Escherichia coli based on preferential staining by the fluorescent membrane dye nonylacridine orange (NAO), and later reported to also exist in other Gram-negative and -positive bacteria. Recently, the lipid-specificity of NAO has been questioned based on studies conducted in E. coli. This prompted us to reanalyse cardiolipin domains in the Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis. Here we show that logarithmically growing B. subtilis does not form microscopically detectable cardiolipin-specific lipid domains, and that NAO is not a specific stain for cardiolipin in this organism.

Inter-annual and decadal changes in teleconnections drive continental-scale synchronization of tree reproduction.

PubMed

Ascoli, Davide; Vacchiano, Giorgio; Turco, Marco; Conedera, Marco; Drobyshev, Igor; Maringer, Janet; Motta, Renzo; Hacket-Pain, Andrew

2017-12-20

Climate teleconnections drive highly variable and synchronous seed production (masting) over large scales. Disentangling the effect of high-frequency (inter-annual variation) from low-frequency (decadal trends) components of climate oscillations will improve our understanding of masting as an ecosystem process. Using century-long observations on masting (the MASTREE database) and data on the Northern Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), we show that in the last 60 years both high-frequency summer and spring NAO, and low-frequency winter NAO components are highly correlated to continent-wide masting in European beech and Norway spruce. Relationships are weaker (non-stationary) in the early twentieth century. This finding improves our understanding on how climate variation affects large-scale synchronization of tree masting. Moreover, it supports the connection between proximate and ultimate causes of masting: indeed, large-scale features of atmospheric circulation coherently drive cues and resources for masting, as well as its evolutionary drivers, such as pollination efficiency, abundance of seed dispersers, and natural disturbance regimes.

Two-thirds of global cropland area impacted by climate oscillations.

PubMed

Heino, Matias; Puma, Michael J; Ward, Philip J; Gerten, Dieter; Heck, Vera; Siebert, Stefan; Kummu, Matti

2018-03-28

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) peaked strongly during the boreal winter 2015-2016, leading to food insecurity in many parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Besides ENSO, the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) are known to impact crop yields worldwide. Here we assess for the first time in a unified framework the relationships between ENSO, IOD and NAO and simulated crop productivity at the sub-country scale. Our findings reveal that during 1961-2010, crop productivity is significantly influenced by at least one large-scale climate oscillation in two-thirds of global cropland area. Besides observing new possible links, especially for NAO in Africa and the Middle East, our analyses confirm several known relationships between crop productivity and these oscillations. Our results improve the understanding of climatological crop productivity drivers, which is essential for enhancing food security in many of the most vulnerable places on the planet.

The database of the Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory as a unit of an international virtual observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Protsyuk, Yu.; Pinigin, G.; Shulga, A.

2005-06-01

Results of the development and organization of the digital database of the Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory (NAO) are presented. At present, three telescopes are connected to the local area network of NAO. All the data obtained, and results of data processing are entered into the common database of NAO. The daily average volume of new astronomical information obtained from the CCD instruments ranges from 300 MB up to 2 GB, depending on the purposes and conditions of observations. The overwhelming majority of the data are stored in the FITS format. Development and further improvement of storage standards, procedures of data handling and data processing are being carried out. It is planned to create an astronomical web portal with the possibility to have interactive access to databases and telescopes. In the future, this resource may become a part of an international virtual observatory. There are the prototypes of search tools with the use of PHP and MySQL. Efforts for getting more links to the Internet are being made.

The Relationship Between Extratropical Cyclone Steering and Blocking Along the North American East Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booth, James F.; Dunn-Sigouin, Etienne; Pfahl, Stephan

2017-12-01

The path and speed of extratropical cyclones along the east coast of North America influence their societal impact. This work characterizes the climatological relationship between cyclone track path and speed, and blocking and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). An analysis of Lagrangian cyclone track propagation speed and angle shows that the percentage of cyclones with blocks is larger for cyclones that propagate northward or southeastward, as is the size of the blocked region near the cyclone. Cyclone-centered composites show that propagation of cyclones relative to blocks is consistent with steering by the block: northward tracks more often have a block east/northeast of the cyclone; slow tracks tend to have blocks due north of the cyclone. Comparison with the NAO shows that to first-order blocking and the NAO steer cyclones in a similar manner. However, blocked cyclones are more likely to propagate northward, increasing the likelihood of cyclone related impacts.

Spatial Organization In Europe of Decadal and Interdecadal Fluctuations In Annual Rainfall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucero, O. A.; Rodriguez, N. C.

In this research the spatial patterns of decadal and bidecadal fluctuations in annual rainfall in Europe are identified. Filtering of time series of anomaly of annual rainfall is carried out using the Morlet wavelet technique. Reconstruction is achieved by sum- ming the contributions from bands of wavelet timescales; the decadal band and the bidecadal band are composed of contributions from the band of (10- to 17-year] and (17- to 27- year] timescales respectively. Results indicate that 1) the spatial organi- zation of decadal and bidecadal components of annual rainfall are standing wave-like organized patterns. Three standing decadal fluctuations zonally aligned formed the spatial pattern from 1900 until 1931; thereafter the pattern changed into a NW-SE orientation. The decadal band shows an average 12-year period. 2) The spatial orga- nization of bidecadal component was composed of three standing fluctuations since 1903 to 1986. After 1987 two standing bidecadal fluctuations were located on Europe. The orientation of bidecadal fluctuations changed during the period under study. Until 1913 the spatial pattern of the bidecadal component was zonally aligned. Since 1913 until 1986 the three bidecadal fluctuations composing the spatial pattern were aligned SW U NE; starting 1987 the spatial pattern is composed of two standing fluctuations zonally aligned. The bidecadal spatial pattern shows an average period of 20- to 22- year length. 3) At decadal and bidecadal timescales, the first principal component of the spatial field of anomaly of annual rainfall and the NAO index are connected. The upper positive third (lower negative third) of values of first principal component are indicative of extensive area with positive (negative) anomaly of annual rainfall. 4) At decadal timescale the relative phase between the first PC and the NAO index changes through the period under study; these changes define three regimes: 1) Dur- ing the regime covering the period 1900 (start of

The combined influence of the main European circulation patterns on carbon uptake by ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastos, Ana; Gouveia, Célia; Trigo, Ricardo

2014-05-01

Understanding how natural climate variability affects carbon uptake by land and ocean pools is particularly relevant to better characterize human impact on the carbon cycle. Recently, we have contributed to assess the major role played by the El-Niño/Southern Oscillation in driving inter-annual variability (IAV) of carbon uptake by land ecosystems and significantly influencing global CO2 air-borne fraction [1]. Despite the prominent role played by ENSO, other important teleconnections on the hemispheric scale have deserved less attention. On the European scale, the main mode of variability is the North-Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which controls storm tracks position and drives changes in temperature and precipitation over the whole region, affecting vegetation dynamics [2]. Besides NAO, a few additional large scale circulation patterns the Scandinavian (SC) and East-Atlantic (EA) Patterns, are also known to influence significantly the European climate [3]. Different combinations of these teleconnection polarities have been recently shown to modulate the overall role of the NAO impact location and strength, thus affecting winter temperature and precipitation patterns over Europe [4]. This work aims to answer the following questions: (i) how do NAO, EA and SC affect vegetation carbon uptake IAV? (ii) do the interactions between these three modes have a significant impact on land CO2 IAV? (iii) what is the contribution of the different physical variables to ecosystems' response to these modes? (iv) how well do the state-of-the-art Earth System Models (ESMs) from CMIP5 represent these climate variability modes and the corresponding carbon fluxes? We first analyze observational data to assess the relationships between the different combinations of NAO, SC and EA polarities and IAV of gross and net primary production (GPP and NPP, respectively), as well as the most relevant driving factors of ecosystem's response to those variability patterns. Although the winter state

Sobre o uso das séries de Puiseux em mecanica celeste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miloni, O. I.

2003-08-01

Neste trabalho é apresentada uma demonstração do uso dos diferentes desenvolvimentos em séries para as equações de perturbação em Mecânica Celeste no marco Hamiltoniano. Em trabalhos clássicos como os de Poincaré (Poincaré, 1893) por exemplo, já esta planteado o uso de potências não inteiras no pequeno parâmetro, o que evidencia a não analiticidade das funções quando uma ressonância ocorre. Nestes trabalhos os desenvolvimentos são na raíz quadrada da massa de Júpiter (o pequeno parâmetro). Mais recentemente (Ferraz-Mello, 1985) outros tipos de desenvolvimentos foram aplicados modificando substancialmente as ordens de grandeza e a velocidade de convergência das séries. Com esta abordagem, os desenvolvimentos foram expressados em termos da raíz cúbica do pequeno parâmetro. Neste trabalho apresentamos um enfoque geral, onde os diferentes tipos de desenvolvimentos em séries de Puiseux (Valiron, 1950) são obtidos a partir da aplicação de Teorema de Preparação de Weierstrass (Goursat, 1916) considerando a equação de Hamilton-Jacobi como uma equação algébrica. Os resultados são aplicados ao problema restrito dos três corpos em ressonância de primeira ordem e, dependendo da grandeza da excentricidade do asteróide em relação à de Júpiter, obtemos os diferentes desenvolvimentos, em raíz quadrada ou raíz cúbica da massa de Júpiter.

A novel storage system for cryoEM samples.

PubMed

Scapin, Giovanna; Prosise, Winifred W; Wismer, Michael K; Strickland, Corey

2017-07-01

We present here a new CryoEM grid boxes storage system designed to simplify sample labeling, tracking and retrieval. The system is based on the crystal pucks widely used by the X-ray crystallographic community for storage and shipping of crystals. This system is suitable for any cryoEM laboratory, but especially for large facilities that will need accurate tracking of large numbers of samples coming from different sources. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

EM calibration based on Post OPC layout analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreedhar, Aswin; Kundu, Sandip

2010-03-01

Design for Manufacturability (DFM) involves changes to the design and CAD tools to help increase pattern printability and improve process control. Design for Reliability (DFR) performs the same to improve reliability of devices from failures such as Electromigration (EM), gate-oxide break down, hot carrier injection (HCI), Negative Bias Temperature Insatiability (NBTI) and mechanical stress effects. Electromigration (EM) occurs due to migration or displacement of atoms as a result of the movement of electrons through a conducting medium. The rate of migration determines the Mean Time to Failure (MTTF) which is modeled as a function of temperature and current density. The model itself is calibrated through failure analysis (FA) of parts that are deemed to have failed due to EM against design parameters such as linewidth. Reliability Verification (RV) of a design involves verifying that every conducting line in a design meets certain MTTF threshold. In order to perform RV, current density for each wire must be computed. Current itself is a function of the parasitics that are determined through RC extraction. The standard practice is to perform the RC extraction and current density calculation on drawn, pre-OPC layouts. If a wire fails to meet threshold for MTTF, it may be resized. Subsequently, mask preparation steps such as OPC and PSM introduce extra features such as SRAFs, jogs,hammerheads and serifs that change their resistance, capacitance and current density values. Hence, calibrating EM model based on pre-OPC layouts will lead to different results compared to post-OPC layouts. In this work, we compare EM model calibration and reliability check based on drawn layout versus predicted layout, where the drawn layout is pre-OPC layout and predicted layout is based on litho simulation of post-OPC layout. Results show significant divergence between these two approaches, making a case for methodology based on predicted layout.

The Chemistry of Meteoric Metals in the Upper Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balasubramanian, Rajasekhar

The metals Na, Li, K, Ca and Fe have been observed around 90 km in the earth's upper atmosphere. Meteoric ablation is believed to be the source of these metals. The mesospheric chemistry of these metals and their impact on the general chemistry of the atmosphere are poorly understood. Therefore, a detailed investigation of processes affecting the gas -phase chemistry of these metals was undertaken. Both kinetic and photochemical studies were carried out using the techniques of pulsed photolysis of a suitable metal precursor and laser induced fluorescence of the resulting metal atoms. Ab initio calculations were also carried out to study the geometries of the metallic species and calculate their thermochemical properties. Kinetic investigations on the recombination reactions of the alkali metals with O_2 were performed over an extended temperature range (230-1100 K) in an attempt to understand their different seasonal behavior. The three reactions have very similar temperature dependences over the experimental temperature range. Use of the Troe formalism indicates that this dependency will continue into the mesospheric temperature range (140-240 K). The similarity suggests that differences in the temperature dependence of these reactions are not responsible for the different seasonal behavior of the alkali metals. The lower limits for the bond energies of the alkali superoxides were estimated from the kinetic decays obtained at 1100 K, and then combined with ab initio calculations to yield recommended bond energies. These values are of use in the Troe formalism and the mesospheric models. To assess the effectiveness of NaO_2 as a daytime sink, the absolute cross-section for photodissociation of NaO_2 was measured at 230 K. The photolysis rate of NaO_2 was derived above 70 km. The results indicate that above 85 km the reaction between NaO_2 and O is a more important loss term for NaO _2 than daytime photolysis and that between 80 and 65 km the photolysis of NaO_2 is

The EM SSAB Annual Work Plan Process: Focusing Board Efforts and Resources - 13667

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

Young, Ralph

One of the most daunting tasks for any new member of a local board of the Environmental Management Site Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) is to try to understand the scope of the clean-up activities going on at the site. In most cases, there are at least two or three major cleanup activities in progress as well as monitoring of past projects. When planning for future projects is added to the mix, the list of projects can be long. With the clean-up activities involving all major environmental media - air, water, soils, and groundwater, new EM SSAB members can findmore » themselves totally overwhelmed and ineffective. Helping new members get over this initial hurdle is a major objective of EM and all local boards of the EM SSAB. Even as members start to understand the size and scope of the projects at a site, they can still be frustrated at the length of time it takes to see results and get projects completed. Many project and clean-up timelines for most of the sites go beyond 10 years, so it's not unusual for an EM SSAB member to see the completion of only 1 or 2 projects over the course of their 6-year term on the board. This paper explores the annual work planning process of the EM SSAB local boards, one tool that can be used to educate EM SSAB members into seeing the broader picture for the site. EM SSAB local work plans divide the site into projects focused on a specific environmental issue or media such as groundwater and/or waste disposal options. Projects are further broken down into smaller segments by highlighting major milestones. Using these metrics, local boards of the EM SSAB can start to quantify the effectiveness of the project in achieving the ultimate goal of site clean-up. These metrics can also trigger board advice and recommendations for EM. At the beginning of each fiscal year, the EM SSAB work plan provides a road map with quantifiable checkpoints for activities throughout the year. When the work plans are integrated with site

Improving Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) through transportation system enhancements Phase II : project brief.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-12-01

This study used the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) South Dakota data to develop datadriven performance metrics for EMS. Researchers used the data for three tasks: geospatial analysis of EMS events, optimization of station locations, and ser...

A User's Guide to the ALiEM Emergency Medicine Match Advice Web Series.

PubMed

Gisondi, Michael A; Fant, Abra; Shakeri, Nahzinine; Schnapp, Benjamin H; Lin, Michelle

2017-06-01

ALiEM EM Match Advice is a web series hosted on the Academic Life in Emergency Medicine website. The intended audience includes senior medical students seeking a residency in emergency medicine (EM) and the faculty members who advise them. Each episode features a panel of three EM program directors who discuss a critical step in the residency application process. This article serves as a user's guide to the series, including a timeline for viewing each episode, brief summaries of the panel discussions, and reflection questions for discussion between students and their faculty advisors.

High-resolution cryo-EM proteasome structures in drug development

PubMed Central

da Fonseca, Paula C. A.

2017-01-01

With the recent advances in biological structural electron microscopy (EM), protein structures can now be obtained by cryo-EM and single-particle analysis at resolutions that used to be achievable only by crystallographic or NMR methods. We have explored their application to study protein–ligand inter­actions using the human 20S proteasome, a well established target for cancer therapy that is also being investigated as a target for an increasing range of other medical conditions. The map of a ligand-bound human 20S proteasome served as a proof of principle that cryo-EM is emerging as a realistic approach for more general structural studies of protein–ligand interactions, with the potential benefits of extending such studies to complexes that are unfavourable to other methods and allowing structure determination under conditions that are closer to physiological, preserving ligand specificity towards closely related binding sites. Subsequently, the cryo-EM structure of the Plasmodium falciparum 20S proteasome, with a new prototype specific inhibitor bound, revealed the molecular basis for the ligand specificity towards the parasite complex, which provides a framework to guide the development of highly needed new-generation antimalarials. Here, the cryo-EM analysis of the ligand-bound human and P. falciparum 20S proteasomes is reviewed, and a complete description of the methods used for structure determination is provided, including the strategy to overcome the bias orientation of the human 20S proteasome on electron-microscope grids and details of the icr3d software used for three-dimensional reconstruction. PMID:28580914

Design of a prosumer EMS for energy trading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, T.; Yoo, Y.; Kang, S.; Lee, I.

2018-03-01

We design a DER management system for energy trading based on OASIS EI and EMIX. With the spread of DERs, there is a growing need of a system for integrated management of DERs and customer loads. In this paper, we give a brief overview of a DER EMS for prosumer energy saving and trading. Based on the OASIS standards, we design a functional architecture of a DER EMS for energy trading. After showing communication protocols and operation sequences, we summarize our works.

Community surveillance of falls among the elderly using computerized EMS transport data.

PubMed

Wofford, J L; Heuser, M D; Moran, W P; Schwartz, E; Mittelmark, M B

1994-07-01

Because falls are common among the elderly and are associated with high morbidity and mortality, community surveillance has been recommended. The purpose of this study was to characterize the impact of falls among the elderly on emergency medical transport services (EMS) and to explore the potential for community surveillance of falls through the use of computerized EMS data. Computerized EMS data and United States census data for 1990 for persons aged > or = 65 in Forsyth County, NC, were used to produce EMS transport rates for falls and to make comparisons by age, gender, race, and residence (nursing home vs community). A fall was reported as the cause for EMS summons in 15.1% (613 of 4,058) of cases. Transport rates in 1990 for falls were 7.8 per 1,000, 25.4 per 1,000, and 58.5 per 1,000 for the age groups of 65 to 74 years, 75 to 84 years, and 85 years and older. Rates were higher for females than for males (17.1 per 1,000 v 8.1 per 1,000) and higher for whites than for African-Americans (14.3 per 1,000 v 10.3 per 1,000). Rates for nursing home residents were four times that of community residents (70.6 per 1,000 v 16.0 per 1,000). Over 50% of nursing home fallers were transported between midnight and 0400 compared with 25% of community dwellers. EMS summons for older adults reporting a fall accounts for a significant portion (15%) of all transports in this county. Computerized EMS data demonstrated patterns of falls among the elderly that are consistent with known demographic factors. The potential for using computerized EMS data as a practical means of community surveillance should be further explored.

Ambiente e formação estelar em galáxias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mateus, A., Jr.; Sodré, L., Jr.

2003-08-01

Estudamos o ambiente de galáxias com formação estelar inicialmente a partir de uma amostra limitada em volume proveniente do 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. Discriminamos as galáxias com formação estelar com base em distintas classes espectrais, utilizando para esta classificação as larguras equivalentes das linhas [OII]l3727 e Hd. O ambiente é caracterizado pela densidade espacial local de galáxias. Mostramos que a fração de galáxias com formação estelar é bastante reduzida em ambientes densos, enquanto a de galáxias passivas aumenta nestas regiões. Por outro lado, quando analisamos a fração de galáxias que apresentam um surto recente de formação estelar, notamos que ela independe do ambiente, sendo que em regiões mais densas alguns destes objetos apresentam distorções em sua morfologia. Estes resultados são confrontados com a análise da dependência ambiental da taxa de formação estelar, estimada pela emissão em Ha, de uma amostra extraída do Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Um declínio gradual da formação estelar também é observado nesta análise, sugerindo que as interações por efeitos de maré sejam responsáveis pela redução da formação estelar em ambientes densos através da remoção do reservatório de gás das galáxias. No entanto, estas interações também podem induzir surtos de formação estelar nas galáxias, além de peculiaridades morfológicas observadas nos objetos que habitam regiões mais densas.

Astronomia para/com crianças carentes em Limeira

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bretones, P. S.; Oliveira, V. C.

2003-08-01

Em 2001, o Instituto Superior de Ciências Aplicadas (ISCA Faculdades de Limeira) iniciou um projeto pelo qual o Observatório do Morro Azul empreendeu uma parceria com o Centro de Promoção Social Municipal (CEPROSOM), instituição mantida pela Prefeitura Municipal de Limeira para atender crianças e adolescentes carentes. O CEPROSOM contava com dois projetos: Projeto Centro de Convivência Infantil (CCI) e Programa Criança e Adolescente (PCA), que atendiam crianças e adolescentes em Centros Comunitários de diversas áreas da cidade. Esses projetos têm como prioridades estabelecer atividades prazerosas para as crianças no sentido de retirá-las das ruas. Assim sendo, as crianças passaram a ter mais um tipo de atividade - as visitas ao observatório. Este painel descreve as várias fases do projeto, que envolveu: reuniões de planejamento, curso de Astronomia para as orientadoras dos CCIs e PCAs, atividades relacionadas a visitas das crianças ao Observatório, proposta de construção de gnômons e relógios de Sol nos diversos Centros Comunitários de Limeira e divulgação do projeto na imprensa. O painel inclui discussões sobre a aprendizagem de crianças carentes, relatos que mostram a postura das orientadoras sobre a pertinência do ensino de Astronomia, relatos do monitor que fez o atendimento no Observatório e o que o número de crianças atendidas representou para as atividades da instituição desde o início de suas atividades e, em particular, em 2001. Os resultados são baseados na análise de relatos das orientadoras e do monitor do Observatório, registros de visitas e matérias da imprensa local. Conclui com uma avaliação do que tal projeto representou para as Instituições participantes. Para o Observatório, em particular, foi feita uma análise com relação às outras modalidades de atendimentos que envolvem alunos de escolas e público em geral. Também é abordada a questão do compromisso social do Observatório na educação do

Robust w-Estimators for Cryo-EM Class Means.

PubMed

Huang, Chenxi; Tagare, Hemant D

2016-02-01

A critical step in cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) image analysis is to calculate the average of all images aligned to a projection direction. This average, called the class mean, improves the signal-to-noise ratio in single-particle reconstruction. The averaging step is often compromised because of the outlier images of ice, contaminants, and particle fragments. Outlier detection and rejection in the majority of current cryo-EM methods are done using cross-correlation with a manually determined threshold. Empirical assessment shows that the performance of these methods is very sensitive to the threshold. This paper proposes an alternative: a w-estimator of the average image, which is robust to outliers and which does not use a threshold. Various properties of the estimator, such as consistency and influence function are investigated. An extension of the estimator to images with different contrast transfer functions is also provided. Experiments with simulated and real cryo-EM images show that the proposed estimator performs quite well in the presence of outliers.

Latest Holocene Climate Variability revealed by a high-resolution multiple Proxy Record off Lisbon (Portugal)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrantes, F.; Lebreiro, S.; Ferreira, A.; Gil, I.; Jonsdottir, H.; Rodrigues, T.; Kissel, C.; Grimalt, J.

2003-04-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is known to have a major influence on the wintertime climate of the Atlantic basin and surrounding countries, determining precipitation and wind conditions at mid-latitudes. A comparison of Hurrel's NAO index to the mean winter (January-March) discharge of the Iberian Tagus River reveals a good negative correlation to negative NAO, while the years of largest upwelling anomalies, as referred in the literature, appear to be in good agreement with positive NAO. On this basis, a better understanding of the long-term variability of the NAO and Atlantic climate variability can be gained from high-resolution climate records from the Lisbon area. Climate variability of the last 2,000 years is assessed through a multiple proxy study of sedimentary sequences recovered from the Tagus prodelta deposition center, off Lisbon (Western Iberia). Physical properties, XRF and magnetic properties from core logging, grain size, δ18O, TOC, CaCO3, total alkenones, n-alkanes, alkenone SST, diatoms, benthic and planktonic foraminiferal assemblage compositions and fluxes are the proxies employed. The age model for site D13902 is based on AMS C-14 dates from mollusc and planktonic foraminifera shells, the reservoir correction for which was obtained by dating 3 pre-bomb, mollusc shells from the study area. Preliminary results indicate a Little Ice Age (LIA - 1300 - 1600 AD) alkenone derived SSTs around 15 degC followed by a sharp and rapid increase towards 19 degC. In spite the strong variability observed for most records, this low temperature interval is marked by a general increase in organic carbon, total alkenone concentration, diatom and foraminiferal abundances, as well as an increase in the sediment fine fraction and XRF determined Fe content, pointing to important river input and higher productivity. The Medieval Warm Period (1080 - 1300 AD) is characterized by 17-18 degC SSTs, increased mean grain size, but lower magnetic susceptibility and Fe

Sodium Octanoate Modulates the Innate Immune Response of Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells through the TLR2/P38/JNK/ERK1/2 Pathway: Implications during Staphylococcus aureus Internalization.

PubMed

Alva-Murillo, Nayeli; Ochoa-Zarzosa, Alejandra; López-Meza, Joel E

2017-01-01

Bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) contribute to mammary gland defense against invading pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus (intracellular facultative), which is recognized by TLR2. In a previous report, we showed that sodium octanoate [NaO, a medium chain fatty acid (C8)] induces (0.25 mM) or inhibits (1 mM) S. aureus internalization into bMECs and differentially regulates the innate immune response (IIR). However, the molecular mechanisms have not been described, which was the aim of this study. The results showed that α5β1 integrin membrane abundance (MA) was increased in 0.25 mM NaO-treated cells, but TLR2 or CD36 MA was not modified. When these receptors were blocked individually, 0.25 mM NaO-increased S. aureus internalization was notably reduced. Interestingly, in this condition, the IIR of the bMECs was impaired because MAPK (p38, JNK, and ERK1/2) phosphorylation and the activation of transcription factors related to these pathways were decreased. In addition, the 1 mM NaO treatment induced TLR2 MA, but neither the integrin nor CD36 MA was modified. The reduction in S. aureus internalization induced by 1 mM NaO was increased further when TLR2 was blocked. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of the MAPKs increased, and 13 transcriptional factors related to the IIR were slightly activated (CBF, CDP, c-Myb, AP-1, Ets-1/Pea-3, FAST-1, GAS/ISRE, AP-2, NFAT-1, OCT-1, RAR/DR-5, RXR/DR-1, and Stat-3). Moreover, the 1 mM NaO treatment up-regulated gene expression of IL-8 and RANTES and secretion of IL-1β. Notably, when 1 mM NaO-treated bMECs were challenged with S. aureus , the gene expression of IL-8 and IL-10 increased, while IL-1β secretion was reduced. In conclusion, our results showed that α5β1 integrin, TLR2 and CD36 are involved in 0.25 mM NaO-increased S. aureus internalization in bMECs. In addition, 1 mM NaO activates bMECs via the TLR2 signaling pathways (p38, JNK, and ERK1/2), which improves IIR before S. aureus invasion. Additionally

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of Nasal Airway Obstruction: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment.

PubMed

Mohan, Suresh; Fuller, Jennifer C; Ford, Stephanie Friree; Lindsay, Robin W

2018-05-10

Nasal airway obstruction (NAO) is a common complaint in the otolaryngologist's office and can have a negative influence on quality of life (QOL). Existing diagnostic methods have improved, but little consensus exists on optimal tools. Furthermore, although surgical techniques for nasal obstruction continue to be developed, effective outcome measurement is lacking. An update of recent advances in diagnostic and therapeutic management of NAO is warranted. To review advances in diagnosis and treatment of NAO from the last 5 years. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, LILACS, Web of Science, and Guideline.gov were searched with the terms nasal obstruction and nasal blockage and their permutations from July 26, 2012, through October 23, 2017. Studies were included if they evaluated NAO using a subjective and an objective technique, and in the case of intervention-based studies, the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale and an objective technique. Exclusion criteria consisted of animal studies; patients younger than 14 years; nasal foreign bodies; nasal masses including polyps; choanal atresia; sinus disease; obstructive sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breathing; allergic rhinitis; and studies not specific to nasal obstruction. The initial search resulted in 942 articles. After independent screening by 2 investigators, 46 unique articles remained, including 2 randomized clinical trials, 3 systematic reviews, 3 meta-analyses, and 39 nonrandomized cohort studies (including a combined systematic review and meta-analysis). An aggregate of approximately 32 000 patients were reviewed (including meta-analyses). Of the subjective measures available for NAO, the NOSE scale is outstanding with regard to disease-specific validation and correlation with symptoms. No currently available objective measure can be considered a criterion standard. Structural measures of flow, pressure, and volume appear to be necessary but insufficient to assess NAO. Therefore

Identified EM Earthquake Precursors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Kenneth, II; Saxton, Patrick

2014-05-01

Many attempts have been made to determine a sound forecasting method regarding earthquakes and warn the public in turn. Presently, the animal kingdom leads the precursor list alluding to a transmission related source. By applying the animal-based model to an electromagnetic (EM) wave model, various hypotheses were formed, but the most interesting one required the use of a magnetometer with a differing design and geometry. To date, numerous, high-end magnetometers have been in use in close proximity to fault zones for potential earthquake forecasting; however, something is still amiss. The problem still resides with what exactly is forecastable and the investigating direction of EM. After a number of custom rock experiments, two hypotheses were formed which could answer the EM wave model. The first hypothesis concerned a sufficient and continuous electron movement either by surface or penetrative flow, and the second regarded a novel approach to radio transmission. Electron flow along fracture surfaces was determined to be inadequate in creating strong EM fields, because rock has a very high electrical resistance making it a high quality insulator. Penetrative flow could not be corroborated as well, because it was discovered that rock was absorbing and confining electrons to a very thin skin depth. Radio wave transmission and detection worked with every single test administered. This hypothesis was reviewed for propagating, long-wave generation with sufficient amplitude, and the capability of penetrating solid rock. Additionally, fracture spaces, either air or ion-filled, can facilitate this concept from great depths and allow for surficial detection. A few propagating precursor signals have been detected in the field occurring with associated phases using custom-built loop antennae. Field testing was conducted in Southern California from 2006-2011, and outside the NE Texas town of Timpson in February, 2013. The antennae have mobility and observations were noted for

Impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation on the trans-Atlantic migrations of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kettle, A. James; Bakker, Dorothee C. E.; Haines, Keith

2008-09-01

Glass eel catches and FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) landings of the European freshwater eel (Anguilla anguilla) show a decrease over the past 20 years. The long-term trends in the time series mask an interannual fluctuation, which becomes apparent on the application of a high-pass filter and autocorrelation analysis. Both the FAO landings and the glass eel catches show interannual fluctuations with a repeat period of 6-8 years, similar to the period of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Most glass eel catch monitoring stations are in phase. The glass eel catches show a significant negative correlation with the NAO lagged by 0-2 years, consistent with the hypothesis that the positive NAO phase has an adverse impact on the larval survival in and migration from the Sargasso Sea spawning location, one year prior to the arrival of the glass eels in Europe and North Africa. The FAO landings can be divided into two groups of different phase that have an approximate correspondence to the NAO dipole in winter rainfall in Europe and North Africa. One group (P) comprises Denmark, Ireland, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom, and the other group (N) comprises France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey. At least for the interannual fluctuations, the success of the glass eel fishery (and eel recruitment) may be coupled with the number of migrating silver eels from the N group of countries and uncoupled with the P group of countries.

EMS Provider assessment of vehicle damage compared with assessment by a professional crash reconstructionist.

PubMed

Lerner, E Brooke; Cushman, Jeremy T; Blatt, Alan; Lawrence, Richard D; Shah, Manish N; Swor, Robert A; Brasel, Karen; Jurkovich, Gregory J

2011-01-01

To determine the accuracy of emergency medical services (EMS) provider assessments of motor vehicle damage when compared with measurements made by a professional crash reconstructionist. EMS providers caring for adult patients injured during a motor vehicle crash and transported to the regional trauma center in a midsized community were interviewed upon emergency department arrival. The interview collected provider estimates of crash mechanism of injury. For crashes that met a preset severity threshold, the vehicle's owner was asked to consent to having a crash reconstructionist assess the vehicle. The assessment included measuring intrusion and external automobile deformity. Vehicle damage was used to calculate change in velocity. Paired t-test, correlation, and kappa were used to compare EMS estimates and investigator-derived values. Ninety-one vehicles were enrolled; of these, 58 were inspected and 33 were excluded because the vehicle was not accessible. Six vehicles had multiple patients. Therefore, a total of 68 EMS estimates were compared with the inspection findings. Patients were 46% male, 28% were admitted to hospital, and 1% died. The mean EMS-estimated deformity was 18 inches and the mean measured deformity was 14 inches. The mean EMS-estimated intrusion was 5 inches and the mean measured intrusion was 4 inches. The EMS providers and the reconstructionist had 68% agreement for determination of external automobile deformity (kappa 0.26) and 88% agreement for determination of intrusion (kappa 0.27) when the 1999 American College of Surgeons Field Triage Decision Scheme criteria were applied. The mean (± standard deviation) EMS-estimated speed prior to the crash was 48 ± 13 mph and the mean reconstructionist-estimated change in velocity was 18 ± 12 mph (correlation -0.45). The EMS providers determined that 19 vehicles had rolled over, whereas the investigator identified 18 (kappa 0.96). In 55 cases, EMS and the investigator agreed on seat belt use; for

TandEM: Titan and Enceladus mission

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coustenis, A.; Atreya, S.K.; Balint, T.; Brown, R.H.; Dougherty, M.K.; Ferri, F.; Fulchignoni, M.; Gautier, D.; Gowen, R.A.; Griffith, C.A.; Gurvits, L.I.; Jaumann, R.; Langevin, Y.; Leese, M.R.; Lunine, J.I.; McKay, C.P.; Moussas, X.; Muller-Wodarg, I.; Neubauer, F.; Owen, T.C.; Raulin, F.; Sittler, E.C.; Sohl, F.; Sotin, Christophe; Tobie, G.; Tokano, T.; Turtle, E.P.; Wahlund, J.-E.; Waite, J.H.; Baines, K.H.; Blamont, J.; Coates, A.J.; Dandouras, I.; Krimigis, T.; Lellouch, E.; Lorenz, R.D.; Morse, A.; Porco, C.C.; Hirtzig, M.; Saur, J.; Spilker, T.; Zarnecki, J.C.; Choi, E.; Achilleos, N.; Amils, R.; Annan, P.; Atkinson, D.H.; Benilan, Y.; Bertucci, C.; Bezard, B.; Bjoraker, G.L.; Blanc, M.; Boireau, L.; Bouman, J.; Cabane, M.; Capria, M.T.; Chassefiere, E.; Coll, P.; Combes, M.; Cooper, J.F.; Coradini, A.; Crary, F.; Cravens, T.; Daglis, I.A.; de Angelis, E.; De Bergh, C.; de Pater, I.; Dunford, C.; Durry, G.; Dutuit, O.; Fairbrother, D.; Flasar, F.M.; Fortes, A.D.; Frampton, R.; Fujimoto, M.; Galand, M.; Grasset, O.; Grott, M.; Haltigin, T.; Herique, A.; Hersant, F.; Hussmann, H.; Ip, W.; Johnson, R.; Kallio, E.; Kempf, S.; Knapmeyer, M.; Kofman, W.; Koop, R.; Kostiuk, T.; Krupp, N.; Kuppers, M.; Lammer, H.; Lara, L.-M.; Lavvas, P.; Le, Mouelic S.; Lebonnois, S.; Ledvina, S.; Li, Ji; Livengood, T.A.; Lopes, R.M.; Lopez-Moreno, J. -J.; Luz, D.; Mahaffy, P.R.; Mall, U.; Martinez-Frias, J.; Marty, B.; McCord, T.; Salvan, C.M.; Milillo, A.; Mitchell, D.G.; Modolo, R.; Mousis, O.; Nakamura, M.; Neish, Catherine D.; Nixon, C.A.; Mvondo, D.N.; Orton, G.; Paetzold, M.; Pitman, J.; Pogrebenko, S.; Pollard, W.; Prieto-Ballesteros, O.; Rannou, P.; Reh, K.; Richter, L.; Robb, F.T.; Rodrigo, R.; Rodriguez, S.; Romani, P.; Bermejo, M.R.; Sarris, E.T.; Schenk, P.; Schmitt, B.; Schmitz, N.; Schulze-Makuch, D.; Schwingenschuh, K.; Selig, A.; Sicardy, B.; Soderblom, L.; Spilker, L.J.; Stam, D.; Steele, A.; Stephan, K.; Strobel, D.F.; Szego, K.; Szopa,

2009-01-01

TandEM was proposed as an L-class (large) mission in response to ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 Call, and accepted for further studies, with the goal of exploring Titan and Enceladus. The mission concept is to perform in situ investigations of two worlds tied together by location and properties, whose remarkable natures have been partly revealed by the ongoing Cassini–Huygens mission. These bodies still hold mysteries requiring a complete exploration using a variety of vehicles and instruments. TandEM is an ambitious mission because its targets are two of the most exciting and challenging bodies in the Solar System. It is designed to build on but exceed the scientific and technological accomplishments of the Cassini–Huygens mission, exploring Titan and Enceladus in ways that are not currently possible (full close-up and in situ coverage over long periods of time). In the current mission architecture, TandEM proposes to deliver two medium-sized spacecraft to the Saturnian system. One spacecraft would be an orbiter with a large host of instruments which would perform several Enceladus flybys and deliver penetrators to its surface before going into a dedicated orbit around Titan alone, while the other spacecraft would carry the Titan in situ investigation components, i.e. a hot-air balloon (Montgolfière) and possibly several landing probes to be delivered through the atmosphere.

TandEM: Titan and Enceladus mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coustenis, A.; Atreya, S. K.; Balint, T.; Brown, R. H.; Dougherty, M. K.; Ferri, F.; Fulchignoni, M.; Gautier, D.; Gowen, R. A.; Griffith, C. A.; Gurvits, L. I.; Jaumann, R.; Langevin, Y.; Leese, M. R.; Lunine, J. I.; McKay, C. P.; Moussas, X.; Müller-Wodarg, I.; Neubauer, F.; Owen, T. C.; Raulin, F.; Sittler, E. C.; Sohl, F.; Sotin, C.; Tobie, G.; Tokano, T.; Turtle, E. P.; Wahlund, J.-E.; Waite, J. H.; Baines, K. H.; Blamont, J.; Coates, A. J.; Dandouras, I.; Krimigis, T.; Lellouch, E.; Lorenz, R. D.; Morse, A.; Porco, C. C.; Hirtzig, M.; Saur, J.; Spilker, T.; Zarnecki, J. C.; Choi, E.; Achilleos, N.; Amils, R.; Annan, P.; Atkinson, D. H.; Bénilan, Y.; Bertucci, C.; Bézard, B.; Bjoraker, G. L.; Blanc, M.; Boireau, L.; Bouman, J.; Cabane, M.; Capria, M. T.; Chassefière, E.; Coll, P.; Combes, M.; Cooper, J. F.; Coradini, A.; Crary, F.; Cravens, T.; Daglis, I. A.; de Angelis, E.; de Bergh, C.; de Pater, I.; Dunford, C.; Durry, G.; Dutuit, O.; Fairbrother, D.; Flasar, F. M.; Fortes, A. D.; Frampton, R.; Fujimoto, M.; Galand, M.; Grasset, O.; Grott, M.; Haltigin, T.; Herique, A.; Hersant, F.; Hussmann, H.; Ip, W.; Johnson, R.; Kallio, E.; Kempf, S.; Knapmeyer, M.; Kofman, W.; Koop, R.; Kostiuk, T.; Krupp, N.; Küppers, M.; Lammer, H.; Lara, L.-M.; Lavvas, P.; Le Mouélic, S.; Lebonnois, S.; Ledvina, S.; Li, J.; Livengood, T. A.; Lopes, R. M.; Lopez-Moreno, J.-J.; Luz, D.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Mall, U.; Martinez-Frias, J.; Marty, B.; McCord, T.; Menor Salvan, C.; Milillo, A.; Mitchell, D. G.; Modolo, R.; Mousis, O.; Nakamura, M.; Neish, C. D.; Nixon, C. A.; Nna Mvondo, D.; Orton, G.; Paetzold, M.; Pitman, J.; Pogrebenko, S.; Pollard, W.; Prieto-Ballesteros, O.; Rannou, P.; Reh, K.; Richter, L.; Robb, F. T.; Rodrigo, R.; Rodriguez, S.; Romani, P.; Ruiz Bermejo, M.; Sarris, E. T.; Schenk, P.; Schmitt, B.; Schmitz, N.; Schulze-Makuch, D.; Schwingenschuh, K.; Selig, A.; Sicardy, B.; Soderblom, L.; Spilker, L. J.; Stam, D.; Steele, A.; Stephan, K.; Strobel, D. F.; Szego, K.; Szopa, C.; Thissen, R.; Tomasko, M. G.; Toublanc, D.; Vali, H.; Vardavas, I.; Vuitton, V.; West, R. A.; Yelle, R.; Young, E. F.

2009-03-01

TandEM was proposed as an L-class (large) mission in response to ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Call, and accepted for further studies, with the goal of exploring Titan and Enceladus. The mission concept is to perform in situ investigations of two worlds tied together by location and properties, whose remarkable natures have been partly revealed by the ongoing Cassini-Huygens mission. These bodies still hold mysteries requiring a complete exploration using a variety of vehicles and instruments. TandEM is an ambitious mission because its targets are two of the most exciting and challenging bodies in the Solar System. It is designed to build on but exceed the scientific and technological accomplishments of the Cassini-Huygens mission, exploring Titan and Enceladus in ways that are not currently possible (full close-up and in situ coverage over long periods of time). In the current mission architecture, TandEM proposes to deliver two medium-sized spacecraft to the Saturnian system. One spacecraft would be an orbiter with a large host of instruments which would perform several Enceladus flybys and deliver penetrators to its surface before going into a dedicated orbit around Titan alone, while the other spacecraft would carry the Titan in situ investigation components, i.e. a hot-air balloon (Montgolfière) and possibly several landing probes to be delivered through the atmosphere.

The US DOE-EM International Program - 13004

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

Elmetti, Rosa R.; Han, Ana M.; Williams, Alice C.

2013-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) conducts international collaboration activities in support of U.S. policies and objectives regarding the accelerated risk reduction and remediation of environmental legacy of the nations' nuclear weapons program and government sponsored nuclear energy research. The EM International Program supported out of the EM Office of the Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary pursues collaborations with foreign government organizations, educational institutions and private industry to assist in identifying technologies and promote international collaborations that leverage resources and link international experience and expertise. In fiscal year (FY) 2012, the International Program awarded eightmore » international collaborative projects for work scope spanning waste processing, groundwater and soil remediation, deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) and nuclear materials disposition initiatives to seven foreign organizations. Additionally, the International Program's scope and collaboration opportunities were expanded to include technical as well as non-technical areas. This paper will present an overview of the on-going tasks awarded in FY 2012 and an update of upcoming international activities and opportunities for expansion into FY 2013 and beyond. (authors)« less

Helicopter EMS: Research Endpoints and Potential Benefits

PubMed Central

Thomas, Stephen H.; Arthur, Annette O.

2012-01-01

Patients, EMS systems, and healthcare regions benefit from Helicopter EMS (HEMS) utilization. This article discusses these benefits in terms of specific endpoints utilized in research projects. The endpoint of interest, be it primary, secondary, or surrogate, is important to understand in the deployment of HEMS resources or in planning further HEMS outcomes research. The most important outcomes are those which show potential benefits to the patients, such as functional survival, pain relief, and earlier ALS care. Case reports are also important “outcomes” publications. The benefits of HEMS in the rural setting is the ability to provide timely access to Level I or Level II trauma centers and in nontrauma, interfacility transport of cardiac, stroke, and even sepsis patients. Many HEMS crews have pharmacologic and procedural capabilities that bring a different level of care to a trauma scene or small referring hospital, especially in the rural setting. Regional healthcare and EMS system's benefit from HEMS by their capability to extend the advanced level of care throughout a region, provide a “backup” for areas with limited ALS coverage, minimize transport times, make available direct transport to specialized centers, and offer flexibility of transport in overloaded hospital systems. PMID:22203905

Protective immunity against Eimeria maxima induced by vaccines of Em14-3-3 antigen.

PubMed

Liu, Tingqi; Huang, Jingwei; Ehsan, Muhammad; Wang, Shuai; Fei, Hong; Zhou, Zhouyang; Song, Xiaokai; Yan, Ruofeng; Xu, Lixin; Li, Xiangrui

2018-04-15

Eimeria maxima 14-3-3 (Em14-3-3) open reading frame (ORF) which consisted of 861 bp encoding a protein of 286 amino acids was successfully amplified and sequenced. Subsequently, the Em14-3-3 ORF was subcloned into pET-32a (+) and pVAX1, respectively. RT-PCR and immunoblot analyses confirmed that the target gene was successfully transcribed and expressed in vivo. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that Em14-3-3 was expressed in both the sporozoites and merozoites. The animal experiments demonstrated that both rEm14-3-3 and pVAX1-14-3-3 could clearly alleviate jejunum lesions and body weight loss. The Em14-3-3 vaccines could increase oocyst decrease ratio, as well as produce an anticoccidial index of more than 165. The percentages of CD4 + in both the Em14-3-3 immunized groups were much higher, when compared with those of PBS, pET32a (+), and pVAX1 controls (P < 0.05). Similarly, the anti-Em14-3-3 antibody titers of both rEm14-3-3 and pVAX1-14-3-3 immunized groups showed higher levels compared with those of PBS, pET32a (+), and pVAX1 controls (P < 0.05). The IFN-γ and tumor growth factor-β (TGF-β) levels showed significant increments in the rEm14-3-3 and pVAX1-14-3-3 immunized groups, when compared with those in the negative controls (P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that Em14-3-3 could be used as a promising antigen candidate for developing vaccines against E. maxima. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

X-rays in the Cryo-EM Era: Structural Biology’s Dynamic Future

PubMed Central

Shoemaker, Susannah C.; Ando, Nozomi

2018-01-01

Over the past several years, single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a leading method for elucidating macromolecular structures at near-atomic resolution, rivaling even the established technique of X-ray crystallography. Cryo-EM is now able to probe proteins as small as hemoglobin (64 kDa), while avoiding the crystallization bottleneck entirely. The remarkable success of cryo-EM has called into question the continuing relevance of X-ray methods, particularly crystallography. To say that the future of structural biology is either cryo-EM or crystallography, however, would be misguided. Crystallography remains better suited to yield precise atomic coordinates of macromolecules under a few hundred kDa in size, while the ability to probe larger, potentially more disordered assemblies is a distinct advantage of cryo-EM. Likewise, crystallography is better equipped to provide high-resolution dynamic information as a function of time, temperature, pressure, and other perturbations, whereas cryo-EM offers increasing insight into conformational and energy landscapes, particularly as algorithms to deconvolute conformational heterogeneity become more advanced. Ultimately, the future of both techniques depends on how their individual strengths are utilized to tackle questions on the frontiers of structural biology. Structure determination is just one piece of a much larger puzzle: a central challenge of modern structural biology is to relate structural information to biological function. In this perspective, we share insight from several leaders in the field and examine the unique and complementary ways in which X-ray methods and cryo-EM can shape the future of structural biology. PMID:29227642

Kinetic properties of the sodium-calcium exchanger in rat brain synaptosomes.

PubMed Central

Fontana, G; Rogowski, R S; Blaustein, M P

1995-01-01

1. The kinetic properties of the internal Na+ (Na+i)- dependent 45Ca2+ influx and external Na+ (Na+o)-dependent 45Ca2+ efflux were determined in isolated rat brain nerve terminals (synaptosomes) under conditions which the concentrations of internal Na+ ([Na+]i), external Na+ ([Na+]o), external Ca2+ (Ca2+]o), and external K+ ([K+]o) were varied. Both fluxes are manifestations of Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange. 2. Ca2+ uptake was augmented by raising [Na+]i and / or lowering [Na+]o. The increase in Ca2+ uptake induced by removing external Na+ was, in most instances, quantitatively equal to the Na+i-dependent Ca2+ uptake. 3. The Na+i-dependent Ca2+ uptake (measured at 1 s) was activated with an apparent half-maximal [Ca2+]o (KCa(o)) of about 0.23 mM. External Na+ inhibited the uptake in a non- competitive manner: increasing [Na+]o from 4.7 to 96 mM reduced the maximal Na+(i)-dependent Ca2+ uptake but did not affect KCa(o). 4. The inhibition of Ca2+ uptake by Na+o was proportional to ([Na+]o)2, and had a Hill coefficient (nH) of approximately 2.0. The mean apparent half-maximal [Na+]o for inhibition (KI(Na)) was about 60mM, and was independent of [Ca2+]o between 0.1 and 1.2mM; this, too, is indicative of non-competitive inhibition. 5. Low concentrations of alkali metal ions (M+) in the medium, including Na+, stimulated the Na+i-dependent uptake. The external Na+ and K+ concentrations required for apparent half-maximal activation (KM(Na) and KM(K), respectively) were 0.12 and 0.10mM. Thus, the relationship between Ca2+ uptake and [Na+]o was biphasic: uptake was stimulated by [Na+]o < or = 10 mM, and inhibited by higher [Na+]o. 6. The calculated maximal Na+i-dependent Ca2+ uptake (Jmax) was about 1530 pmol (mg protein) -1s-1 at 30 degrees C saturating [Ca2+]o and external M+ concentration ([M+]o), and with negligible inhibition by external Na+. 7. Internal Na+ activated the Ca2+ uptake with an apparent half-maximal concentration (KNa(i)) of about 20 mM and a Hill coefficient, n

The effective molarity (EM)--a computational approach.

PubMed

Karaman, Rafik

2010-08-01

The effective molarity (EM) for 12 intramolecular S(N)2 processes involving the formation of substituted aziridines and substituted epoxides were computed using ab initio and DFT calculation methods. Strong correlation was found between the calculated effective molarity and the experimentally determined values. This result could open a door for obtaining EM values for intramolecular processes that are difficult to be experimentally provided. Furthermore, the calculation results reveal that the driving forces for ring-closing reactions in the two different systems are proximity orientation of the nucleophile to the electrophile and the ground strain energies of the products and the reactants. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term Variations of The Solar Activity -- Lower Atmosphere Relationship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitseva, S.; Akhremtchik, S.; Pudovkin, M.; Besser, B.; Rijnbeek, R.

Long-term variations of the air temperature in St.Petersburg, Stockholm, Salzburg and English Midlands are considered. There is shown that in the regions under consider- ation the air temperature distinctly depends on the intensity of the lower atmospheric zonal circulation (Blinova index and North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO)). In turn, the NAO-index is shown to depend on the solar activity. However, this dependence is rather complicated and exhibits long-period variations associated with secular varia- tions of the solar activity. A possible mechanism of this phenomena is discussed.

Learning when to Hold'em and When to Fold'em: ERS's Budget Hold'em Game Facilitates the Budget Development Process in Memphis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Resource Strategies, 2010

2010-01-01

If your school district is facing a budget issue, it might surprise you to learn that the solution might very well lie in a game of cards. That certainly was the case earlier this year for the city schools of Memphis, Tennessee. The game is called Budget Hold'em, and it was developed by Education Resource Strategies (ERS) of Watertown,…

Winter NH low-frequency variability in a hierarchy of low-order stochastic dynamical models of earth-atmosphere system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Nan

2018-02-01

The origin of winter Northern Hemispheric low-frequency variability (hereafter, LFV) is regarded to be related to the coupled earth-atmosphere system characterized by the interaction of the jet stream with mid-latitude mountain ranges. On the other hand, observed LFV usually appears as transitions among multiple planetary-scale flow regimes of Northern Hemisphere like NAO + , AO +, AO - and NAO - . Moreover, the interaction between synoptic-scale eddies and the planetary-scale disturbance is also inevitable in the origin of LFV. These raise a question regarding how to incorporate all these aspects into just one framework to demonstrate (1) a planetary-scale dynamics of interaction of the jet stream with mid-latitude mountain ranges can really produce LFV, (2) such a dynamics can be responsible for the existence of above multiple flow regimes, and (3) the role of interaction with eddy is also clarified. For this purpose, a hierarchy of low-order stochastic dynamical models of the coupled earth-atmosphere system derived empirically from different timescale ranges of indices of Arctic Oscillation (AO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific/North American (PNA), and length of day (LOD) and related probability density function (PDF) analysis are employed in this study. The results seem to suggest that the origin of LFV cannot be understood completely within the planetary-scale dynamics of the interaction of the jet stream with mid-latitude mountain ranges, because (1) the existence of multiple flow regimes such as NAO+, AO+, AO- and NAO- resulted from processes with timescales much longer than LFV itself, which may have underlying dynamics other than topography-jet stream interaction, and (2) we find LFV seems not necessarily to come directly from the planetary-scale dynamics of the interaction of the jet stream with mid-latitude mountain, although it can produce similar oscillatory behavior. The feedback/forcing of synoptic-scale eddies on the planetary

An Evaluation of DOE-EM Public Participation Programs

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

Bradbury, Judith A.; Branch, Kristi M.; Malone, Elizabeth L.

This report evaluates the scope and effectiveness of the public participation pr ograms, including Site-Specific Advisory Boards (SSABs), at seven U.S. Departmen t of Energy (DOE) sites: Fernald, Hanford, Los Alamos, Nevada, Oak Ridge, Paduc ah, and Savannah River. The primary purpose of the study is to assist both DOE Field and Headquarters managers in reviewing and understanding lessons learned o ver the past decade concerning public participation programs administered by the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM). The evaluation provides a snapsh ot of selected EM public participation programs at a particular point of time. It is based onmore » interviews and site visits conducted between January and June 200 2- a time of change within the program. The study focuses on public participati on programs that incorporate a variety of activities and address a wide range of individual site activities and decisions. It uses the Acceptability Diamond as an evaluative framework to answer questions about stakeholders' experiences wit h, and assessment of, DOE-EM's public participation programs. The Acceptability Diamond, which was developed by researchers from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in previous research, identifies four program dimensions - substanti ve issues, decision-making process, relationships, and accountability - that det ermine the effectiveness of an agency's interactions with local communities. Es sentially, a public participation program may be deemed effective to the extent that it provides for open disclosure and addresses all four acceptability dimens ions in ways that are appropriate and effective for a particular community and s ituation. This framework provides a guide for agencies to 1) set objectives, 2) design public participation and oversight programs, and 3) set criteria for eva luating program effectiveness. In the current study, where the framework is use d as a means of assessing program effectiveness, the focus is on

Ondas de choque em jatos de quasares e objetos BL Lacertae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melo, F. E.; Botti, L. C. L.

2003-08-01

Este trabalho é parte de um projeto que vem sendo realizado há dois anos no CRAAM, cujos objetivos principais são analisar e aplicar um modelo generalizado de ondas de choque em jatos relativísticos de plasma, presentes em quasares e objetos BL Lacertae, para explicar a variabilidade observada nestes objetos. O método consiste em uma decomposição de curvas de luz em séries de explosões similares, em várias freqüências, baseando-se em uma evolução espectro-temporal média das explosões. A partir da evolução média, um ajuste de cada explosão é feito com base em equações empíricas, modificando-se apenas parâmetros específicos de cada explosão. Inicialmente o modelo foi aplicado ajustando-se as curvas de luz a explosões delineadas por uma evolução do choque em três estágios, segundo a predominância do processo de emissão: síncrotron, Compton e adiabático. Entretanto, nesta nova fase de projeto, visando uma parametrização mais concisa, uma otimização do algoritmo de ajuste e uma convergência mais rápida, a formulação para cada evento foi assumida com uma evolução em apenas dois estágios: subida e descida. Isto possibilitou uma ótima delineação das curvas de luz das fontes OV236, OJ287, 3C273 e BL Lac, entre 1980 e 2000, nas freqüências 4.8, 8.0, 14.5 e 22 GHz, utilizando-se dados do Observatório da Universidade de Michigan, do Observatório do Itapetinga (Atibaia SP) e do Observatório Metsähovi. Como conclusões importantes, verificou-se que: os parâmetros ajustados descrevem o comportamento do jato; os valores do índice que descreve a expansão do jato sugerem que o mesmo se expande de uma forma não-cônica; o campo magnético é turbulento atrás da frente de choque; e as peculiaridades das explosões são devidas à influência de grandezas tais como o coeficiente da distribuição espectral de energia dos elétrons, a intensidade de campo magnético e o fator de feixe Doppler, no início do choque.

Unsupervised Cryo-EM Data Clustering through Adaptively Constrained K-Means Algorithm.

PubMed

Xu, Yaofang; Wu, Jiayi; Yin, Chang-Cheng; Mao, Youdong

2016-01-01

In single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), K-means clustering algorithm is widely used in unsupervised 2D classification of projection images of biological macromolecules. 3D ab initio reconstruction requires accurate unsupervised classification in order to separate molecular projections of distinct orientations. Due to background noise in single-particle images and uncertainty of molecular orientations, traditional K-means clustering algorithm may classify images into wrong classes and produce classes with a large variation in membership. Overcoming these limitations requires further development on clustering algorithms for cryo-EM data analysis. We propose a novel unsupervised data clustering method building upon the traditional K-means algorithm. By introducing an adaptive constraint term in the objective function, our algorithm not only avoids a large variation in class sizes but also produces more accurate data clustering. Applications of this approach to both simulated and experimental cryo-EM data demonstrate that our algorithm is a significantly improved alterative to the traditional K-means algorithm in single-particle cryo-EM analysis.

Robust w-Estimators for Cryo-EM Class Means

PubMed Central

Huang, Chenxi; Tagare, Hemant D.

2016-01-01

A critical step in cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) image analysis is to calculate the average of all images aligned to a projection direction. This average, called the “class mean”, improves the signal-to-noise ratio in single particle reconstruction (SPR). The averaging step is often compromised because of outlier images of ice, contaminants, and particle fragments. Outlier detection and rejection in the majority of current cryo-EM methods is done using cross-correlation with a manually determined threshold. Empirical assessment shows that the performance of these methods is very sensitive to the threshold. This paper proposes an alternative: a “w-estimator” of the average image, which is robust to outliers and which does not use a threshold. Various properties of the estimator, such as consistency and influence function are investigated. An extension of the estimator to images with different contrast transfer functions (CTFs) is also provided. Experiments with simulated and real cryo-EM images show that the proposed estimator performs quite well in the presence of outliers. PMID:26841397

Orion EM-1 Booster Preps - Aft Skirt Preps/Painting

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-31

The right hand aft skirt for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has been refurbished and painted and is in a drying cell in a support building at the Hangar AF facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The space shuttle-era aft skirt will be used on the right hand booster of the SLS for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). NASA is preparing for EM-1, deep space missions, and the Journey to Mars.

Orion EM-1 Booster Preps - Aft Skirt Preps/Painting

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-29

The right hand aft skirt for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has been painted and is in a drying cell in a support building at the Hangar AF facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The space shuttle-era aft skirt will be used on the right hand booster of NASA's Space Launch System rocket for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). NASA is preparing for EM-1, deep space missions, and the Journey to Mars.

The European Mobile System (EMS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jongejans, A.; Rogard, R.; Mistretta, I.; Ananasso, F.

1993-01-01

The European Space Agency is presently procuring an L band payload in order to promote a regional European L band system coping with the specific needs of the European market. The payload, and the two communications systems to be supported, are described below. The potential market for EMS in Europe is discussed.

Laser fluorescence studies of the chemical interactions of sodium species with sulfur bearing fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinberg, M.; Schofield, K.

1983-01-01

By using a large matrix of fuel rich and fuel lean H2/O2/N2 and fuel rich C2H2/O2/N2 flames, the behavior of sodium and its interactions with sulfur at high temperatures was extensively characterized. OH concentrations were measured for each flame using the previously validated laser induced fluorescence technique. Sodium atomic concentrations were obtained by the saturated laser fluorescence method. Measurements were made in the absence and presence of up to 2% sulfur. In oxygen rich systems sodium is depleted by NaO2 and NaOH formation. The relative amounts of each are controlled by the degree of nonequilibration of the flame radicals and by the temperature. The bond strength of NaO2 was established. For the first time, a complete understanding of the complex behavior of sodium in fuel lean H2/O2 flames has emerged and computer modeling has permitted various rate constants of Na, NaO2 and NaOH reactions to be approximately fixed.

Cryo-EM of dynamic protein complexes in eukaryotic DNA replication.

PubMed

Sun, Jingchuan; Yuan, Zuanning; Bai, Lin; Li, Huilin

2017-01-01

DNA replication in Eukaryotes is a highly dynamic process that involves several dozens of proteins. Some of these proteins form stable complexes that are amenable to high-resolution structure determination by cryo-EM, thanks to the recent advent of the direct electron detector and powerful image analysis algorithm. But many of these proteins associate only transiently and flexibly, precluding traditional biochemical purification. We found that direct mixing of the component proteins followed by 2D and 3D image sorting can capture some very weakly interacting complexes. Even at 2D average level and at low resolution, EM images of these flexible complexes can provide important biological insights. It is often necessary to positively identify the feature-of-interest in a low resolution EM structure. We found that systematically fusing or inserting maltose binding protein (MBP) to selected proteins is highly effective in these situations. In this chapter, we describe the EM studies of several protein complexes involved in the eukaryotic DNA replication over the past decade or so. We suggest that some of the approaches used in these studies may be applicable to structural analysis of other biological systems. © 2016 The Protein Society.

Robust estimation for class averaging in cryo-EM Single Particle Reconstruction.

PubMed

Huang, Chenxi; Tagare, Hemant D

2014-01-01

Single Particle Reconstruction (SPR) for Cryogenic Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) aligns and averages the images extracted from micrographs to improve the Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR). Outliers compromise the fidelity of the averaging. We propose a robust cross-correlation-like w-estimator for combating the effect of outliers on the average images in cryo-EM. The estimator accounts for the natural variation of signal contrast among the images and eliminates the need for a threshold for outlier rejection. We show that the influence function of our estimator is asymptotically bounded. Evaluations of the estimator on simulated and real cryo-EM images show good performance in the presence of outliers.

New Developments in the Technology Readiness Assessment Process in US DOE-EM - 13247

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

Krahn, Steven; Sutter, Herbert; Johnson, Hoyt

2013-07-01

A Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) is a systematic, metric-based process and accompanying report that evaluates the maturity of the technologies used in systems; it is designed to measure technology maturity using the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale pioneered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 1980's. More recently, DoD has adopted and provided systematic guidance for performing TRAs and determining TRLs. In 2007 the GAO recommended that the DOE adopt the NASA/DoD methodology for evaluating technology maturity. Earlier, in 2006-2007, DOE-EM had conducted pilot TRAs on a number of projects at Hanford and Savannah River. In Marchmore » 2008, DOE-EM issued a process guide, which established TRAs as an integral part of DOE-EM's Project Management Critical Decision Process. Since the development of its detailed TRA guidance in 2008, DOE-EM has continued to accumulate experience in the conduct of TRAs and the process for evaluating technology maturity. DOE has developed guidance on TRAs applicable department-wide. DOE-EM's experience with the TRA process, the evaluations that led to recently developed proposed revisions to the DOE-EM TRA/TMP Guide; the content of the proposed changes that incorporate the above lessons learned and insights are described. (authors)« less

Improving Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) through transportation system enhancements Phase II.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-12-01

Providing acute medical care outside of the hospital, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is crucial in rural environments where hospitals are not close by and are difficult to access. Establishing EMS performance measures is critical in improving a rur...

Scalable and Interactive Segmentation and Visualization of Neural Processes in EM Datasets

PubMed Central

Jeong, Won-Ki; Beyer, Johanna; Hadwiger, Markus; Vazquez, Amelio; Pfister, Hanspeter; Whitaker, Ross T.

2011-01-01

Recent advances in scanning technology provide high resolution EM (Electron Microscopy) datasets that allow neuroscientists to reconstruct complex neural connections in a nervous system. However, due to the enormous size and complexity of the resulting data, segmentation and visualization of neural processes in EM data is usually a difficult and very time-consuming task. In this paper, we present NeuroTrace, a novel EM volume segmentation and visualization system that consists of two parts: a semi-automatic multiphase level set segmentation with 3D tracking for reconstruction of neural processes, and a specialized volume rendering approach for visualization of EM volumes. It employs view-dependent on-demand filtering and evaluation of a local histogram edge metric, as well as on-the-fly interpolation and ray-casting of implicit surfaces for segmented neural structures. Both methods are implemented on the GPU for interactive performance. NeuroTrace is designed to be scalable to large datasets and data-parallel hardware architectures. A comparison of NeuroTrace with a commonly used manual EM segmentation tool shows that our interactive workflow is faster and easier to use for the reconstruction of complex neural processes. PMID:19834227

Pre-flight risk assessment in emergency medical service (EMS) helicopters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shively, Robert J.

1990-01-01

A preflight risk assessment system (SAFE) was developed at NASA-Ames Research Center for civil EMS operations to assist pilots in making a decision objectively to accept or decline a mission. The ability of the SAFE system to predict risk profiles was examined at an EMS operator. Results of this field study showed that the usefulness of SAFE was largely dependent on the type of mission flown.

A User’s Guide to the ALiEM Emergency Medicine Match Advice Web Series

PubMed Central

Gisondi, Michael A.; Fant, Abra; Shakeri, Nahzinine; Schnapp, Benjamin H.; Lin, Michelle

2017-01-01

ALiEM EM Match Advice is a web series hosted on the Academic Life in Emergency Medicine website. The intended audience includes senior medical students seeking a residency in emergency medicine (EM) and the faculty members who advise them. Each episode features a panel of three EM program directors who discuss a critical step in the residency application process. This article serves as a user’s guide to the series, including a timeline for viewing each episode, brief summaries of the panel discussions, and reflection questions for discussion between students and their faculty advisors. PMID:28611891

Orion EM-1 Booster Preps - Aft Skirt Preps/Painting

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-28

A technician with Orbital ATK, prime contractor for the Space Launch System (SLS) Booster, preps a section of the right hand aft skirt for primer and paint in a support building at the Hangar AF facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The space shuttle-era aft skirt will be used on the right hand booster of NASA's SLS rocket for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). NASA is preparing for EM-1, deep space missions, and the Journey to Mars.

Research on large area VUV-sensitive gaseous photomultipliers for cryogenic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coimbra, Artur Emanuel Cardoso

Desde cedo que a comunidade cientifica compreendeu que gases nobres em liquido sao excelentes meios de deteccao de radiacao, combinando a sua elevada densidade, elevado grau de homogeneidade e de elevado rendimento de cintilacao. Para alem destas caracteristicas inerentes, estes tem a potencialidade de fornecer ambos sinais de ionizacao - criando electroes livres - e cintilacao em resposta a interaccao com radiacao ionizante e, tendo em vista a sua aplicacao em experiencias de eventos raros relacionados com fisica de neutrinos ou materia-escura, a capacidade de autoblindagem garante a exclusao de eventos induzidos por radiacao de fundo. O facto de nao absorverem a sua propria luz, emergente dos eventos de cintilacao, permite a expansao deste tipo de detectores ate grandes volumes, sendo que as colaboracoes mais recentes propoem detectores com dezenas de toneladas de xenon em estado liquido. As experiencias actuais que usam gases nobres em estado liquido empregam xenon ou argon numa so fase (estado liquido) ou em dupla-fase (estado liquido + gasoso) e as suas aplicacoes abrangem desde as ja referidas experiencias de procura de eventos raros, passando por imagiologia medica tais como detectores de radiacao gama para PET ou câmaras Compton "3-gamma" em combinacao com PET, passando tambem por aplicacoes de seguranca como sistemas de inspeccao para deteccao de material fissil e, finalmente, em câmaras Compton para aplicacoes de astrofisica. Em ambas as configuracoes a leitura dos sinais de cintilacao e geralmente feita atraves de um grande numero de dispendiosos fotomultiplicadores de vacuo agrupados. A presente tese de doutoramento e dedicada aos fotomultiplicadores gasosos de grande area para aplicacoes criogenicas desenvolvidos no contexto do programa doutoral, tendo em vista a sua eventual aplicacao como um dispositivo complementar aos metodos existentes de deteccao de cintilacao, para aplicacao em futuras experiencias de grande escala. Esta pesquisa foi

EMS Systems in Lower-Middle Income Countries: A Literature Review.

PubMed

Suryanto; Plummer, Virginia; Boyle, Malcolm

2017-02-01

Introduction Prehospital care is one of the many issues that require addressing by lower-middle income countries (LMICs) where approximately 90% of global injuries occur. This may arise from more traffic in LMICs, poor road conditions, lack of public awareness of the importance of road safety, and the lack of ability to provide first aid to the victims. However, prehospital care in LMICs remains underdeveloped. Problem There is insufficient evidence regarding the development of prehospital care among LMICs. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the status of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems in these countries. A review of medical-related electronic databases was designed to identify the development of EMS systems in LMICs. A search of the literature was undertaken using three electronic databases, CINAHL, Ovid Medline, and EMBASE via Ovid, from their commencement date until the end of July 2015. The grey literature was searched using Google Scholar. Articles were included if they reported on the establishment and current status of an EMS system and were excluded if they were letters to the editor, articles focusing on disaster management, a combination of more than one country if the other country was not a LMIC, written in a language other than English or Bahasa Indonesia, and/or focusing only on in-hospital care. There were 337 articles identified in CINAHL, 731 in Ovid Medline, 891 in EMBASE via Ovid, and 41 in Google Scholar. Based on the title and abstract, 31 articles from CINAHL, 40 from Ovid Medline, 43 from EMBASE, and 11 from Google Scholar were retrieved for further review. There were 92 articles that met the inclusion criteria with 35 articles removed, as they were duplicated, leaving 57 articles to be reviewed. From those 48 countries categorized as LMICs, there were 16 (33.3%) countries that had information about an EMS system, including injury types, patient demographic, prehospital transport, and the obstacles in implementing

Inter-annual dynamics of the Barents Sea red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) stock indices in relation to environmental factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dvoretsky, Alexander G.; Dvoretsky, Vladimir G.

2016-12-01

Knowledge of relationships between environmental variables and biological processes can greatly improve fisheries assessment and management in commercially important species. We analyzed the effects of environmental factors (climatic indices and water temperature) on the stock characteristics (total population number, number of pre-recruits and number of legal males) of the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus), an introduced species in the Barents Sea. Stock trends in red king crab appear to be related to decadal climate shifts. Abundances were negatively related to the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO) in August and positively related to water temperature in late winter-early summer. Total and commercial stock abundance were negatively correlated with the lag-1 Arctic Oscillation index (AO) in August and the lag-2 winter NAO index. The total number of P. camtschaticus was most strongly associated with water temperature in spring and summer and NAO/AO indices in April and May. Lagged NAO indices in February and August (9 or 10 yr) had a positive relationship to the commercial stock of P. camtschaticus. These findings suggest that temperature conditions of current and previous year affect natural mortality of larvae and juvenile red king crabs. Warmer temperature conditions lead to increased biomass of red king crab food items. Negative correlations between climatic indices and the red king crab stocks may be associated with predator pressure on juvenile red king crabs or higher mortality because of predator or parasite pressure and diseases. The associations between stock indices and environmental variables could help better predict recruitment patterns of P. camtschaticus.

XTEN Nationwide EMS Proposal.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

revenue producers.20 It is the co on carriers position to sell as much service as possible to users of the network while DCS is designed to provide...escalating costs in the United States Postal Service ( USPS ) (due to its labor intensive nature) and declining costs in the EMS industries (due to...Carrier Assoc. for Tele- communications (CCAT), GTE Service Corporation (GTE), Litton Micro- wave Cooking Products , Inc., Microband Corporation of American

The longitudinal study of turnover and the cost of turnover in EMS

PubMed Central

Patterson, P. Daniel; Jones, Cheryl B.; Hubble, Michael W.; Carr, Matthew; Weaver, Matthew D.; Engberg, John; Castle, Nicholas

2010-01-01

Purpose Few studies have examined employee turnover and associated costs in emergency medical services (EMS). The purpose of this study was to quantify the mean annual rate of turnover, total median cost of turnover, and median cost per termination in a diverse sample of EMS agencies. Methods A convenience sample of 40 EMS agencies was followed over a 6 month period. Internet, telephone, and on-site data collection methods were used to document terminations, new hires, open positions, and costs associated with turnover. The cost associated with turnover was calculated based on a modified version of the Nursing Turnover Cost Calculation Methodology (NTCCM). The NTCCM identified direct and indirect costs through a series of questions that agency administrators answered monthly during the study period. A previously tested measure of turnover to calculate the mean annual rate of turnover was used. All calculations were weighted by the size of the EMS agency roster. The mean annual rate of turnover, total median cost of turnover, and median cost per termination were determined for 3 categories of agency staff mix: all paid staff, mix of paid and volunteer (mixed), and all-volunteer. Results The overall weighted mean annual rate of turnover was 10.7%. This rate varied slightly across agency staffing mix: (all-paid=10.2%, mixed=12.3%, all-volunteer=12.4%). Among agencies that experienced turnover (n=25), the weighted median cost of turnover was $71,613.75, which varied across agency staffing mix: (all-paid=$86,452.05, mixed=$9,766.65, and all-volunteer=$0). The weighted median cost per termination was $6,871.51 and varied across agency staffing mix: (all-paid=$7,161.38, mixed=$1,409.64, and all-volunteer=$0). Conclusions Annual rates of turnover and costs associated with turnover vary widely across types of EMS agencies. The study’s mean annual rate of turnover was lower than expected based on information appearing in the news media and EMS trade magazines. Findings

Unsupervised Cryo-EM Data Clustering through Adaptively Constrained K-Means Algorithm

PubMed Central

Xu, Yaofang; Wu, Jiayi; Yin, Chang-Cheng; Mao, Youdong

2016-01-01

In single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), K-means clustering algorithm is widely used in unsupervised 2D classification of projection images of biological macromolecules. 3D ab initio reconstruction requires accurate unsupervised classification in order to separate molecular projections of distinct orientations. Due to background noise in single-particle images and uncertainty of molecular orientations, traditional K-means clustering algorithm may classify images into wrong classes and produce classes with a large variation in membership. Overcoming these limitations requires further development on clustering algorithms for cryo-EM data analysis. We propose a novel unsupervised data clustering method building upon the traditional K-means algorithm. By introducing an adaptive constraint term in the objective function, our algorithm not only avoids a large variation in class sizes but also produces more accurate data clustering. Applications of this approach to both simulated and experimental cryo-EM data demonstrate that our algorithm is a significantly improved alterative to the traditional K-means algorithm in single-particle cryo-EM analysis. PMID:27959895

Factors that Influence the Formation and Stability of Thin, Cryo-EM Specimens

DOE PAGES

Glaeser, Robert M.; Han, Bong-Gyoon; Csencsits, Roseann; ...

2015-09-17

Poor consistency of the ice thickness from one area of a cryo-electron microscope (cryo-EM) specimen grid to another, from one grid to the next, and from one type of specimen to another, motivates a reconsideration of how to best prepare suitably thin specimens. We first review the three related topics of wetting, thinning, and stability against dewetting of aqueous films spread over a hydrophilic substrate. Furthermore, we then suggest that the importance of there being a surfactant monolayer at the air-water interface of thin, cryo-EM specimens has been largely underappreciated. In fact, a surfactant layer (of uncontrolled composition and surfacemore » pressure) can hardly be avoided during standard cryo-EM specimen preparation. Thus it is suggested that better control over the composition and properties of the surfactant layer may result in more reliable production of cryo-EM specimens with the desired thickness.« less

Factors that Influence the Formation and Stability of Thin, Cryo-EM Specimens

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

Glaeser, Robert M.; Han, Bong-Gyoon; Csencsits, Roseann

Poor consistency of the ice thickness from one area of a cryo-electron microscope (cryo-EM) specimen grid to another, from one grid to the next, and from one type of specimen to another, motivates a reconsideration of how to best prepare suitably thin specimens. We first review the three related topics of wetting, thinning, and stability against dewetting of aqueous films spread over a hydrophilic substrate. Furthermore, we then suggest that the importance of there being a surfactant monolayer at the air-water interface of thin, cryo-EM specimens has been largely underappreciated. In fact, a surfactant layer (of uncontrolled composition and surfacemore » pressure) can hardly be avoided during standard cryo-EM specimen preparation. Thus it is suggested that better control over the composition and properties of the surfactant layer may result in more reliable production of cryo-EM specimens with the desired thickness.« less

Configurations of EMS systems : a pilot study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-03-01

Emergency medical services (EMS) systems are configured differently depending on several factors, including the size, demographics, geography, and politics of the local communities they serve. Although some information exists about the organization, ...

Method for evaluating compatibility of commercial electromagnetic (EM) microsensor tracking systems with surgical and imaging tables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nafis, Christopher; Jensen, Vern; von Jako, Ron

2008-03-01

Electromagnetic (EM) tracking systems have been successfully used for Surgical Navigation in ENT, cranial, and spine applications for several years. Catheter sized micro EM sensors have also been used in tightly controlled cardiac mapping and pulmonary applications. EM systems have the benefit over optical navigation systems of not requiring a line-of-sight between devices. Ferrous metals or conductive materials that are transient within the EM working volume may impact tracking performance. Effective methods for detecting and reporting EM field distortions are generally well known. Distortion compensation can be achieved for objects that have a static spatial relationship to a tracking sensor. New commercially available micro EM tracking systems offer opportunities for expanded image-guided navigation procedures. It is important to know and understand how well these systems perform with different surgical tables and ancillary equipment. By their design and intended use, micro EM sensors will be located at the distal tip of tracked devices and therefore be in closer proximity to the tables. Our goal was to define a simple and portable process that could be used to estimate the EM tracker accuracy, and to vet a large number of popular general surgery and imaging tables that are used in the United States and abroad.

Compassionate Options for Pediatric EMS (COPE): Addressing Communication Skills.

PubMed

Calhoun, Aaron W; Sutton, Erica R H; Barbee, Anita P; McClure, Beth; Bohnert, Carrie; Forest, Richard; Taillac, Peter; Fallat, Mary E

2017-01-01

Each year, 16,000 children suffer cardiopulmonary arrest, and in one urban study, 2% of pediatric EMS calls were attributed to pediatric arrests. This indicates a need for enhanced educational options for prehospital providers that address how to communicate to families in these difficult situations. In response, our team developed a cellular phone digital application (app) designed to assist EMS providers in self-debriefing these events, thereby improving their communication skills. The goal of this study was to pilot the app using a simulation-based investigative methodology. Video and didactic app content was generated using themes developed from a series of EMS focus groups and evaluated using volunteer EMS providers assessed during two identical nonaccidental trauma simulations. Intervention groups interacted with the app as a team between assessments, and control groups debriefed during that period as they normally would. Communication performance and gap analyses were measured using the Gap-Kalamazoo Consensus Statement Assessment Form. A total of 148 subjects divided into 38 subject groups (18 intervention groups and 20 control groups) were assessed. Comparison of initial intervention group and control group scores showed no statistically significant difference in performance (2.9/5 vs. 3.0/5; p = 0.33). Comparisons made during the second assessment revealed a statistically significant improvement in the intervention group scores, with a moderate to large effect size (3.1/5 control vs. 4.0/5 intervention; p < 0.001, r = 0.69, absolute value). Gap analysis data showed a similar pattern, with gaps of -0.6 and -0.5 (values suggesting team self-over-appraisal of communication abilities) present in both control and intervention groups (p = 0.515) at the initial assessment. This gap persisted in the control group at the time of the second assessment (-0.8), but was significantly reduced (0.04) in the intervention group (p = 0.013, r = 0.41, absolute value

Cystatin E/M Suppresses Tumor Cell Growth through Cytoplasmic Retention of NF-κB

PubMed Central

Soh, Hendrick; Venkatesan, Natarajan; Veena, Mysore S.; Ravichandran, Sandhiya; Zinabadi, Alborz; Basak, Saroj K.; Parvatiyar, Kislay; Srivastava, Meera; Liang, Li-Jung; Gjertson, David W.; Torres, Jorge Z.; Moatamed, Neda A.

2016-01-01

We and others have shown that the cystatin E/M gene is inactivated in primary human tumors, pointing to its role as a tumor suppressor gene. However, the molecular mechanism of tumor suppression is not yet understood. Using plasmid-directed cystatin E/M gene overexpression, a lentivirus-mediated tetracycline-inducible vector system, and human papillomavirus 16 (HPV 16) E6 and E7 gene-immortalized normal human epidermal keratinocytes, we demonstrated intracellular and non-cell-autonomous apoptotic growth inhibition of tumor cell lines and that growth inhibition is associated with cytoplasmic retention of NF-κB. We further demonstrated decreased phosphorylation of IκB kinase (IKKβ) and IκBα in the presence of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), confirming the role of cystatin E/M in the regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Growth suppression of nude mouse xenograft tumors carrying a tetracycline-inducible vector system was observed with the addition of doxycycline in drinking water, confirming that the cystatin E/M gene is a tumor suppressor gene. Finally, immunohistochemical analyses of cervical carcinoma in situ and primary tumors have shown a statistically significant inverse relationship between the expression of cystatin E/M and cathepsin L and a direct relationship between the loss of cystatin E/M expression and nuclear expression of NF-κB. We therefore propose that the cystatin E/M suppressor gene plays an important role in the regulation of NF-κB. PMID:27090639

Orion EM-1 Booster Preps - Aft Skirt Preps/Painting

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-28

Technicians with Orbital ATK, prime contractor for the Space Launch System (SLS) Booster, prepare the right hand aft skirt for NASA’s SLS rocket for primer and painting inside a support building at the Hangar AF facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The space shuttle-era aft skirt, was inspected and resurfaced and will be primed and painted for use on the right hand booster of the SLS rocket for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). NASA is preparing for EM-1, deep-space missions, and the journey to Mars.

Orion EM-1 Booster Preps - Aft Skirt Preps/Painting

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-28

Technicians with Orbital ATK, prime contractor for the Space Launch System (SLS) Booster, prepare a paint mixture for the right hand aft skirt for NASA’s SLS in a support building at the Hangar AF facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The space shuttle-era aft skirt, was inspected and resurfaced, and will be primed and painted for use on the right hand booster of the SLS rocket for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). NASA is preparing for EM-1, deep-space missions, and the Journey to Mars.

Automated structure refinement of macromolecular assemblies from cryo-EM maps using Rosetta.

PubMed

Wang, Ray Yu-Ruei; Song, Yifan; Barad, Benjamin A; Cheng, Yifan; Fraser, James S; DiMaio, Frank

2016-09-26

Cryo-EM has revealed the structures of many challenging yet exciting macromolecular assemblies at near-atomic resolution (3-4.5Å), providing biological phenomena with molecular descriptions. However, at these resolutions, accurately positioning individual atoms remains challenging and error-prone. Manually refining thousands of amino acids - typical in a macromolecular assembly - is tedious and time-consuming. We present an automated method that can improve the atomic details in models that are manually built in near-atomic-resolution cryo-EM maps. Applying the method to three systems recently solved by cryo-EM, we are able to improve model geometry while maintaining the fit-to-density. Backbone placement errors are automatically detected and corrected, and the refinement shows a large radius of convergence. The results demonstrate that the method is amenable to structures with symmetry, of very large size, and containing RNA as well as covalently bound ligands. The method should streamline the cryo-EM structure determination process, providing accurate and unbiased atomic structure interpretation of such maps.

Estudo comparativo entre estrelas centrais de nebulosas planetárias deficientes em hidrogênio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcolino, W. L. F.; de Araújo, F. X.

2003-08-01

Apresentamos neste trabalho o resultado de um estudo das principais características espectrais das estrelas centrais de nebulosas planetárias (ECNP) deficientes em hidrogênio. A origem e a evolução dessas estrelas ainda constitui um problema em aberto na evolução estelar. Geralmente esses objetos são divididos em [WCE], [WCL] e [WELS]. Os tipos [WCE] e [WCL] apresentam um espectro típico de uma estrela Wolf-Rayet carbonada de população I e as [WELS] apresentam linhas fracas de carbono e oxigênio em emissão. Existem evidências que apontam a seguinte sequência evolutiva : [WCL] = > [WCE] = > [WELS] = > PG 1159 (pré anã-branca). No entanto, tal cenário apresenta falhas como por exemplo a falta de ECNP entre os tipos [WCL] e [WCE]. Baseados em uma amostra de 24 objetos obtida no telescópio de 1.52m em La Silla, Chile (acordo ESO/ON), ao longo do ano 2000, apresentamos os resultados da comparação das larguras equivalentes de diversas linhas relevantes entre os tipos [WCL], [WCE] e [WELS]. Verificamos que nossos dados estão de acordo com a sequência evolutiva. Baseado nas linhas de C IV, conseguimos dividir pela primeira vez as [WELS] em dois grupos principais. Além disso, os dados reforçam a afirmação de que as [WCE] são as estrelas que possuem a maior temperatura entre as ECNP deficientes em hidrogênio. Discutimos ainda, a escassez de dados disponíveis na literatura e a necessidade da obtenção de parametros físicos para estes objetos.

Spin-Transfer-Torque Nano-Oscillators: Fabrication, Characterization and Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa, Jose Diogo Teixeira Barbosa

Este trabalho aborda algumas propriedades magneticas e estruturais de nanoparticulas de oxidos e oxidos-hidroxidos de ferro crescidos em matrizes hibridas orgânicas-inorgânicas. As matrizes hibridas, denominadas di-ureasils e obtidas pelo processo sol-gel, sao compostas por uma rede siliciosa ligada covalentemente por pontes ureia a cadeias orgânicas de diferente peso molecular. A estrutura local dos di-ureasils nao dopados esta modelada como grupos de dominios siliciosos com dimensoes nanometricas, estruturalmente correlacionados no seio de uma matriz rica em polimero. Neste trabalho mostra-se que os di-ureasils permitem o crescimento controlado de oxidos e oxidos-hidroxidos de ferro, incluindo a magnetite, maguemite, oxihidroxinitrato de ferro e ferrihidrite. O crescimento das nanoparticulas de ferrihidrite da-se em condicoes acidas a superficie dos dominios siliciosos, junto aos grupos carbonilo, que funcionam como pontos de nucleacao. Desse modo da-se uma nucleacao heterogenea, onde o tamanho das nanoparticulas depende da concentracao de ferro (entre 1 e 6% em massa), sendo a concentracao de particulas constante. As propriedades magneticas das nanoparticulas de ferrihidrite revelam a existencia de interaccoes antiferromagneticas e de momentos descompensados. A contribuicao destas duas componentes nas curvas de magnetizacao em funcao do campo magnetico pode ser separada usando um metodo aqui proposto, o que permite um adequado estudo da evolucao do momento magnetico com a temperatura. O estudo das propriedades magneticas dinâmicas das particulas de ferrihidrite, atraves de susceptibilidade ac, medidas de relaxacao e medidas de efeito Mossbauer, permitiu estudar a evolucao das interaccoes dipolares em funcao da concentracao de ferro, bem como determinar a distribuicao de barreiras de energia de anisotropia no caso em que essas interaccoes sao desprezaveis. E apresentado um novo metodo para comparacao desta distribuicao com a distribuicao de tamanhos, que

Structural and Magnetic Studies on Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Hybrid Matrices =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Nuno Joao de Oliveira

Este trabalho aborda algumas propriedades magneticas e estruturais de nanoparticulas de oxidos e oxidos-hidroxidos de ferro crescidos em matrizes hibridas orgânicas-inorgânicas. As matrizes hibridas, denominadas di-ureasils e obtidas pelo processo sol-gel, sao compostas por uma rede siliciosa ligada covalentemente por pontes ureia a cadeias orgânicas de diferente peso molecular. A estrutura local dos di-ureasils nao dopados esta modelada como grupos de dominios siliciosos com dimensoes nanometricas, estruturalmente correlacionados no seio de uma matriz rica em polimero. Neste trabalho mostra-se que os di-ureasils permitem o crescimento controlado de oxidos e oxidos-hidroxidos de ferro, incluindo a magnetite, maguemite, oxihidroxinitrato de ferro e ferrihidrite. O crescimento das nanoparticulas de ferrihidrite da-se em condicoes acidas a superficie dos dominios siliciosos, junto aos grupos carbonilo, que funcionam como pontos de nucleacao. Desse modo da-se uma nucleacao heterogenea, onde o tamanho das nanoparticulas depende da concentracao de ferro (entre 1 e 6% em massa), sendo a concentracao de particulas constante. As propriedades magneticas das nanoparticulas de ferrihidrite revelam a existencia de interaccoes antiferromagneticas e de momentos descompensados. A contribuicao destas duas componentes nas curvas de magnetizacao em funcao do campo magnetico pode ser separada usando um metodo aqui proposto, o que permite um adequado estudo da evolucao do momento magnetico com a temperatura. O estudo das propriedades magneticas dinâmicas das particulas de ferrihidrite, atraves de susceptibilidade ac, medidas de relaxacao e medidas de efeito Mossbauer, permitiu estudar a evolucao das interaccoes dipolares em funcao da concentracao de ferro, bem como determinar a distribuicao de barreiras de energia de anisotropia no caso em que essas interaccoes sao desprezaveis. E apresentado um novo metodo para comparacao desta distribuicao com a distribuicao de tamanhos, que

Does EMS Perceived Anatomic Injury Predict Trauma Center Need?

PubMed Central

Lerner, E. Brooke; Roberts, Jennifer; Guse, Clare E.; Shah, Manish N.; Swor, Robert; Cushman, Jeremy T.; Blatt, Alan; Jurkovich, Gregory J.; Brasel, Karen

2013-01-01

Objective Our objective was to determine the predictive value of the anatomic step of the 2011 Field Triage Decision Scheme for identifying trauma center need. Methods EMS providers caring for injured adults transported to regional trauma centers in 3 midsized communities were interviewed over two years. Patients were included, regardless of injury severity, if they were at least 18 years old and were transported by EMS with a mechanism of injury that was an assault, motor vehicle or motorcycle crash, fall, or pedestrian or bicyclist struck. The interview was conducted upon ED arrival and collected physiologic condition and anatomic injury data. Patients who met the physiologic criteria were excluded. Trauma center need was defined as non-orthopedic surgery within 24 hours, intensive care unit admission, or death prior to hospital discharge. Data were analyzed by calculating descriptive statistics including positive likelihood ratios (+LR) with 95% confidence intervals. Results 11,892 interviews were conducted. One was excluded because of missing outcome data and 1,274 were excluded because they met the physiologic step. EMS providers identified 1,167 cases that met the anatomic criteria, of which 307 (26%) needed the resources of a trauma center (38% sensitivity, 91% specificity, +LR 4.4; CI: 3.9 - 4.9). Criteria with a +LR ≥5 were flail chest (9.0; CI: 4.1 - 19.4), paralysis (6.8; CI: 4.2 - 11.2), two or more long bone fractures (6.3; CI: 4.5 - 8.9), and amputation (6.1; CI: 1.5 - 24.4). Criteria with a +LR >2 and <5 were penetrating injury (4.8; CI: 4.2 - 5.6), and skull fracture (4.8; CI: 3.0 - 7.7). Only pelvic fracture (1.9; CI: 1.3 - 2.9) had a +LR less than 2. Conclusions The anatomic step of the Field Triage Guidelines as determined by EMS providers is a reasonable tool for determining trauma center need. Use of EMS perceived pelvic fracture as an indicator for trauma center need should be re-evaluated. PMID:23627418

RURALSIM: the design and implementation of a rural EMS simulator.

PubMed

Shuman, L J; Wolfe, H; Gunter, M J

1992-01-01

Why were these applications of simulation technology unsuccessful? Parochialism, the volunteer nature of EMS planning, and limited regional commitment to resolve such complex problems at the local level all combined to present significant barriers to implementation. Political factors which posed the most significant barriers included: conservative attitudes concerning the funding and regulation of EMS activities by local governments; general opposition to governmental intervention in the private sector; strong resistance to mandatory standards for EMS; jurisdictional disputes between EMS-related agencies; lack of cooperation between the local governments; competition between prehospital-care providers and between hospitals; overemphasis on local jurisdictional boundaries in the planning and delivery of services; and the allocation of EMS resources, such as ambulances, according to political priorities, rather than more objective criteria. Based upon the results of the four field tests, the following observations are relevant: 1. RURALSIM is a very complex simulator. While every effort was made to assure generalizability, for any given situation, it required extensive modification and tailoring. The result was a model capable of handling a rather diverse set of situations, but one that could not be turned over to the general public for use. To implement RURALSIM required the participation of the University of Pittsburgh research team. The newer simulation languages now available alleviate this problem somewhat. 2. RURALSIM's complexity was needed to examine the different alternatives proposed by local planners. It was particularly needed in order to simulate each region's existing system. Such "base-line" simulations were required in order to achieve face validity and provide a basis for comparing alternatives. 3. With hindsight, a major weakness was the limited amount of face-to-face interaction between local planners and decision makers and the University of

Assessing the environmental performance of construction materials testing using EMS: An Australian study.

PubMed

Dejkovski, Nick

2016-10-01

This paper reports the audit findings of the waste management practices at 30 construction materials testing (CMT) laboratories (constituting 4.6% of total accredited CMT laboratories at the time of the audit) that operate in four Australian jurisdictions and assesses the organisation's Environmental Management System (EMS) for indicators of progress towards sustainable development (SD). In Australia, waste indicators are 'priority indicators' of environmental performance yet the quality and availability of waste data is poor. National construction and demolition waste (CDW) data estimates are not fully disaggregated and the contribution of CMT waste (classified as CDW) to the national total CDW landfill burden is difficult to quantify. The environmental and human impacts of anthropogenic release of hazardous substances contained in CMT waste into the ecosphere can be measured by construing waste indicators from the EMS. An analytical framework for evaluating the EMS is developed to elucidate CMT waste indicators and assess these indicators against the principle of proportionality. Assessing against this principle allows for: objective evaluations of whether the environmental measures prescribed in the EMS are 'proportionate' to the 'desired' (subjective) level of protection chosen by decision-makers; and benchmarking CMT waste indicators against aspirational CDW targets set by each Australian jurisdiction included in the audit. Construed together, the EMS derived waste indicators and benchmark data provide a composite indicator of environmental performance and progress towards SD. The key audit findings indicate: CMT laboratories have a 'poor' environmental performance (and overall progress towards SD) when EMS waste data are converted into indicator scores and assessed against the principle of proportionality; CMT waste recycling targets are lower when benchmarked against jurisdictional CDW waste recovery targets; and no significant difference in the average

Cryo-EM Data Are Superior to Contact and Interface Information in Integrative Modeling.

PubMed

de Vries, Sjoerd J; Chauvot de Beauchêne, Isaure; Schindler, Christina E M; Zacharias, Martin

2016-02-23

Protein-protein interactions carry out a large variety of essential cellular processes. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a powerful technique for the modeling of protein-protein interactions at a wide range of resolutions, and recent developments have caused a revolution in the field. At low resolution, cryo-EM maps can drive integrative modeling of the interaction, assembling existing structures into the map. Other experimental techniques can provide information on the interface or on the contacts between the monomers in the complex. This inevitably raises the question regarding which type of data is best suited to drive integrative modeling approaches. Systematic comparison of the prediction accuracy and specificity of the different integrative modeling paradigms is unavailable to date. Here, we compare EM-driven, interface-driven, and contact-driven integrative modeling paradigms. Models were generated for the protein docking benchmark using the ATTRACT docking engine and evaluated using the CAPRI two-star criterion. At 20 Å resolution, EM-driven modeling achieved a success rate of 100%, outperforming the other paradigms even with perfect interface and contact information. Therefore, even very low resolution cryo-EM data is superior in predicting heterodimeric and heterotrimeric protein assemblies. Our study demonstrates that a force field is not necessary, cryo-EM data alone is sufficient to accurately guide the monomers into place. The resulting rigid models successfully identify regions of conformational change, opening up perspectives for targeted flexible remodeling. Copyright © 2016 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cryo-EM Data Are Superior to Contact and Interface Information in Integrative Modeling

PubMed Central

de Vries, Sjoerd J.; Chauvot de Beauchêne, Isaure; Schindler, Christina E.M.; Zacharias, Martin

2016-01-01

Protein-protein interactions carry out a large variety of essential cellular processes. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a powerful technique for the modeling of protein-protein interactions at a wide range of resolutions, and recent developments have caused a revolution in the field. At low resolution, cryo-EM maps can drive integrative modeling of the interaction, assembling existing structures into the map. Other experimental techniques can provide information on the interface or on the contacts between the monomers in the complex. This inevitably raises the question regarding which type of data is best suited to drive integrative modeling approaches. Systematic comparison of the prediction accuracy and specificity of the different integrative modeling paradigms is unavailable to date. Here, we compare EM-driven, interface-driven, and contact-driven integrative modeling paradigms. Models were generated for the protein docking benchmark using the ATTRACT docking engine and evaluated using the CAPRI two-star criterion. At 20 Å resolution, EM-driven modeling achieved a success rate of 100%, outperforming the other paradigms even with perfect interface and contact information. Therefore, even very low resolution cryo-EM data is superior in predicting heterodimeric and heterotrimeric protein assemblies. Our study demonstrates that a force field is not necessary, cryo-EM data alone is sufficient to accurately guide the monomers into place. The resulting rigid models successfully identify regions of conformational change, opening up perspectives for targeted flexible remodeling. PMID:26846888

EM Cep: The Be Star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochiashvili, N.; Kochiashvili, I.; Natsvlishvili, R.; Vardosanidze, M.; Beradze, S.

2017-07-01

On the basis of UBVR photometric data, obtained in the Abastumani Observatory during 1991-1999, very interesting and unusual flare of EM Cep has been revealed. Duration of the flare was over two hours. We estimated the percentage of brightness increase during the flare and brightness decrease of the corresponding anti- flare and the minimum amount of the lost mass during this event. We have solved the light curves of the star using the Wilson-Devinney code. But the resulting fraction of calculated brightness of the companion star was not in accordance with spectral data. Then we decided to check the idea of a pulsating single star using new spectral data. Together with our Buyrakan colleagues we obtained and analyzed spectra of the star. We could not find spectral lines of a companion star or any traces of the radial velocities using this data. Hence, we concluded that we need the higher resolution spectra for final resolution of the matter. On the basis of the latest spectral data of Bulgarian astronomers they concluded that EM Cep is a single star. This makes it possible to suggest, that the question of stellar pulsation could be solved using additional photometric observations.

Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to influenza vaccination in equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) horses.

PubMed

Elzinga, Sarah; Reedy, Stephanie; Barker, Virginia D; Chambers, Thomas M; Adams, Amanda A

2018-05-01

Obesity is an increasing problem in the equine population with recent reports indicating that the percentage of overweight horses may range anywhere from 20.6-51%. Obesity in horses has been linked to more serious health concerns such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). EMS is a serious problem in the equine industry given its defining characteristics of insulin dysregualtion and obesity, as well as the involvement of laminitis. Little research however has been conducted to determine the effects of EMS on routine healthcare of these horses, in particular how they respond to vaccination. It has been shown that obese humans and mice have decreased immune responses to vaccination. EMS may have similar effects on vaccine responses in horses. If this is the case, these animals may be more susceptible to disease, acting as unknown disease reservoirs. Therefore, we investigated the effects of EMS on immune responses to routine influenza vaccination. Twenty-five adult horses of mixed-sex and mixed-breed (8-21 years old) horses; 13 EMS and 12 non-EMS were selected. Within each group, 4 horses served as non-vaccinate saline controls and the remaining horses were vaccinated with a commercially available equine influenza vaccine. Vaccination (influenza or saline) was administered on weeks 0 and 3, and peripheral blood samples taken on week 0 prior to vaccination and on weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 post vaccination. Blood samples were used to measure hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers and equine influenza specific IgGa, IgGb, and IgGT levels. Blood samples were also used to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for analysis of cell mediated immune (CMI) responses via real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All horses receiving influenza vaccination responded with significant increases (P < 0.05) in HI titers, and IgGa and IgGb equine influenza specific antibodies following vaccination compared to saline controls. EMS did not significantly affect (P�

The PX-EM algorithm for fast stable fitting of Henderson's mixed model

PubMed Central

Foulley, Jean-Louis; Van Dyk, David A

2000-01-01

This paper presents procedures for implementing the PX-EM algorithm of Liu, Rubin and Wu to compute REML estimates of variance covariance components in Henderson's linear mixed models. The class of models considered encompasses several correlated random factors having the same vector length e.g., as in random regression models for longitudinal data analysis and in sire-maternal grandsire models for genetic evaluation. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the procedures. Much better results in terms of convergence characteristics (number of iterations and time required for convergence) are obtained for PX-EM relative to the basic EM algorithm in the random regression. PMID:14736399

Biofunctionality and immunocompatibility of starch-based biomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marques, Alexandra Margarida Pinto

A procura de novos biomateriais que desempenhem funcoes especificas sem, no entanto, desencadearem respostas negativas nos hospedeiros constitui um desafio permanente e actual nesta area. Biomateriais degradaveis foram uma das solucoes propostas e actualmente em aplicacao mas, embora possuam vantagens inegaveis, tambem apresentam alguns problemas nomeadamente no que diz respeito aos seus produtos de degradacao e respectivos efeitos negativos consequentes. Outros biomateriais, entre os quais polimeros de origem natural, foram propostos considerando que os seus produtos de degradacao poderao ser incorporados nas vias metabolicas normais evitando efeitos secundarios no hospedeiro. Ate ao momento, e apesar de todos os esforcos e do grande numero de dispositivos biomedicos desenvolvidos, o biomaterial ideal para uma aplicacao especifica ainda nao foi encontrado. Estudos com polimeros biodegradaveis a base de amido demonstraram que estes materiais possuem propriedades promissoras abrindo novas perspectivas para a sua possivel aplicacao numa variedade de aplicacoes biomedicas. Assim, de modo a demonstrar que estes materiais tem de facto potencial para serem utilizados em, por exemplo, substituicao ossea, sistemas de libertacao controlada, cimentos osseos e engenharia de tecidos, seria imperativo avaliar com maior profundidade a resposta biologica desencadeada pelos mesmos. Para tal foi delineado um plano de trabalhos com tres objectivos principais: i) avaliar a citocompatibilidade dos polimeros e compositos a base de amido com monitorizacao da citotoxicidade e analise da adesao e proliferacao celulares nas suas superficies. Foi dada particular atencao a osteoblastos considerando uma possivel aplicacao ortopedica para estes materiais; ii) estabelecer modelos in vitro para analisar e prever, tanto quanto possivel, uma situacao real de resposta inflamatoria; iii) validar os resultados in vitro com um modelo in vivo ja estabelecido em outros trabalhos de analise da resposta

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article loaded onto Guppy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-25

The Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article, inside its transport container, is secured in NASA's Super Guppy aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The test article will be transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article loaded onto Guppy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-25

The Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article, secured inside its transport container, is loaded into NASA's Super Guppy aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The test article will be transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

The 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: cryo-EM comes of age.

PubMed

Shen, Peter S

2018-03-01

The 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson for "developing cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) for the high-resolution structure determination of biomolecules in solution." This feature article summarizes some of the major achievements leading to the development of cryo-EM and recent technological breakthroughs that have transformed the method into a mainstream tool for structure determination.

Leukocyte Recognition Using EM-Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colunga, Mario Chirinos; Siordia, Oscar Sánchez; Maybank, Stephen J.

This document describes a method for classifying images of blood cells. Three different classes of cells are used: Band Neutrophils, Eosinophils and Lymphocytes. The image pattern is projected down to a lower dimensional sub space using PCA; the probability density function for each class is modeled with a Gaussian mixture using the EM-Algorithm. A new cell image is classified using the maximum a posteriori decision rule.

Contribution of atmospheric circulation to recent off-shore sea-level variations in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karabil, Sitar; Zorita, Eduardo; Hünicke, Birgit

2018-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to quantify the contribution of atmospheric factors to recent off-shore sea-level variability in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea on interannual timescales. For this purpose, we statistically analysed sea-level records from tide gauges and satellite altimetry and several climatic data sets covering the last century. Previous studies had concluded that the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the main pattern of atmospheric variability affecting sea level in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea in wintertime. However, we identify a different atmospheric circulation pattern that is more closely connected to sea-level variability than the NAO. This circulation pattern displays a link to sea level that remains stable through the 20th century, in contrast to the much more variable link between sea level and the NAO. We denote this atmospheric variability mode as the Baltic Sea and North Sea Oscillation (BANOS) index. The sea-level pressure (SLP) BANOS pattern displays an SLP dipole with centres of action located over (5° W, 45° N) and (20° E, 70° N) and this is distinct from the standard NAO SLP pattern in wintertime. In summertime, the discrepancy between the SLP BANOS and NAO patterns becomes clearer, with centres of action of the former located over (30° E, 45° N) and (20° E, 60° N). This index has a stronger connection to off-shore sea-level variability in the study area than the NAO in wintertime for the period 1993-2013, explaining locally up to 90 % of the interannual sea-level variance in winter and up to 79 % in summer. The eastern part of the Gulf of Finland is the area where the BANOS index is most sensitive to sea level in wintertime, whereas the Gulf of Riga is the most sensitive region in summertime. In the North Sea region, the maximum sea-level sensitivity to the BANOS pattern is located in the German Bight for both winter and summer seasons. We investigated, and when possible quantified, the contribution of several

BSSDATA - um programa otimizado para filtragem de dados em radioastronomia solar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinon, A. R. F.; Sawant, H. S.; Fernandes, F. C. R.; Stephany, S.; Preto, A. J.; Dobrowolski, K. M.

2003-08-01

A partir de 1998, entrou em operação regular no INPE, em São José dos Campos, o Brazilian Solar Spectroscope (BSS). O BSS é dedicado às observações de explosões solares decimétricas com alta resolução temporal e espectral, com a principal finalidade de investigar fenômenos associados com a liberação de energia dos "flares" solares. Entre os anos de 1999 e 2002, foram catalogadas, aproximadamente 340 explosões solares classificadas em 8 tipos distintos, de acordo com suas características morfológicas. Na análise detalhada de cada tipo, ou grupo, de explosões solares deve-se considerar a variação do fluxo do sol calmo ("background"), em função da freqüência e a variação temporal, além da complexidade das explosões e estruturas finas registradas superpostas ao fundo variável. Com o intuito de realizar tal análise foi desenvolvido o programa BSSData. Este programa, desenvolvido em linguagem C++, é constituído de várias ferramentas que auxiliam no tratamento e análise dos dados registrados pelo BSS. Neste trabalho iremos abordar as ferramentas referentes à filtragem do ruído de fundo. As rotinas do BSSData para filtragem de ruído foram testadas nos diversos grupos de explosões solares ("dots", "fibra", "lace", "patch", "spikes", "tipo III" e "zebra") alcançando um bom resultado na diminuição do ruído de fundo e obtendo, em conseqüência, dados onde o sinal torna-se mais homogêneo ressaltando as áreas onde existem explosões solares e tornando mais precisas as determinações dos parâmetros observacionais de cada explosão. Estes resultados serão apresentados e discutidos.

Impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation on winter precipitation totals in Slovakia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leskova, Livia; Stastny, Pavel

2013-04-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the most important circulation mode in the Northern Hemisphere, which impacts climate in Europe in various ways. The strongest impacts of oscillation on air temperature and precipitation regime are detected in Scandinavia and Mediterranean region, but impacts have opposite effect. Therefore, assessment of the relation between NAO and precipitation totals seems to be interesting in Slovakia, because of the country location in the centre between above mentioned regions. Our former research detected only the relation between NAO and a winter precipitation totals in Slovakia. More detailed aspects of this relation is analysed in this paper. A correlation method was used at two resolution levels, which detected opposite spatial impact of NAO on above mentioned seasonal precipitation. The first generalised level was based on the precipitation regions, which were distinguished on the base of characteristic precipitation regime of individual regions. The second level was more detailed and the correlation method was applied on data of every individual rain gauge station from the set of 202 rain gauge stations with complete data for period 1901 - 2010 in Slovakia. In the northern part of the country (Orava and Kysuce regions), there was found the positive correlation. Increase in the winter precipitation totals was recorded in the same regions and general precipitation trend in this area was similar to the trend in used Hurrell oscillation index. It means, following the increasing trend in oscillation course, we can also expect the increase in precipitation totals in these regions in the near future. In a southward direction, this correlation changed to the negative values and the most negative correlation coefficients were reached in the lowland regions (Podunajská and Východoslovenská nížina) and in the region of Juhoslovenská kotlina. This last mentioned region is located in multiple precipitation shadow of Carpathians

The Use of Oceanic Indices Variations Due to Climate Change to Predict Annual Discharge Variations in Northeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berton, R.; Shaw, S. B.; Chandler, D. G.; Driscoll, C. T.

2014-12-01

Climatic change affects streamflow in watersheds with winter snowpack and an annual snowmelt hydrograph. In the northeastern US, changes in streamflow are driven by both the advanced timing of snowmelt and increasing summer precipitation. Projections of climate for the region in the 21st century is for warmer winters and wetter summers. Water planners need to understand future changes in flow metrics to determine if the current water resources are capable of fulfilling future demands or adapting to future changes in climate. The study of teleconnection patterns between oceanic indices variations and hydrologic variables may help improve the understanding of future water resources conditions in a watershed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the correlation between oceanic indices and discharge variations in the Merrimack Watershed. The Merrimack Watershed is the fourth largest basin in New England which drains much of New Hampshire and northeastern portions of Massachusetts, USA. Variations in sea surface temperature (SST) and sea level pressure (SLP) are defined by the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), respectively. We hypothesize that temporal changes in discharge are related to AMO and NAO variations since precipitation and discharge are highly correlated in the Merrimack. The Merrimack Watershed consists of undisturbed (reference) catchments and disturbed (developed) basins with long stream gauge records (> 100 years). Developed basins provide an opportunity to evaluate the impacts of river regulation and land development on teleconnection patterns as well as changing climate. Time series of AMO and NAO indices over the past 150 years along with Merrimack annual precipitation and discharge time series have shown a 1 to 2-year watershed hydrologic memory; higher correlation between Merrimack‎ annual precipitation and discharge with AMO and NAO are observed when a 1 to 2-year lag is given to AMO and NAO

Linkages Between Terrestrial Carbon Uptake and Interannual Climate Variability over the Texas-northern Mexico High Plains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parazoo, N.; Barnes, E. A.; Worden, J.; Harper, A. B.; Bowman, K. W.; Frankenberg, C.

2014-12-01

The Texas-northern Mexico high plains experienced record drought conditions in 2011 during strong negative phases of ENSO and the NAO. Given predictions of increased frequency and severity of drought under projected climate change [e.g., Reichstein et al., 2013] and recent findings of CO2 growth rate sensitivity to interannual variability of carbon uptake in semi-arid ecosystems [Poulter et al., 2014], we investigate the response of carbon uptake in the Texas high plains to interannual climate variability with the goal of improved mechanistic understanding of climate-carbon cycle links. Specifically, we examine (1) observed tendencies in regional scale carbon uptake and soil moisture from 2010 to 2011 using satellite observations of gross primary production (GPP) (from plant fluorescence) from GOSAT and soil moisture from SMOS, and (2) the interannual relationship between GPP and ENSO & NAO variability using terrestrial biosphere simulations from 1950-2012. Observations reveal widespread decline of GPP in 2011 (0.42 +/- 0.04 Pg C yr-1) correlated with negative soil moisture tendencies (r = 0.85 +/- 0.21) which leads to corresponding declines in net carbon uptake and transpiration (according to model simulations). Further examination of model results over the period 1950-2012 indicates that negative GPP anomalies are linked systematically to winter and spring precipitation deficits associated with overlapping negative phases of winter NAO and ENSO, with increasing magnitude of negative anomalies in strong La Niña years. Furthermore, the strongest decline of GPP, carbon uptake, and transpiration on record occurred during the 2011 drought and were associated with extreme negative phases of ENSO and NAO, with 2011 being the only year since 1950 that both indices exceeded 1 σ standard deviation.

Linear and nonlinear winter atmospheric responses to extreme phases of low frequency Pacific sea surface temperature variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Dandan; Wu, Qigang; Hu, Aixue; Yao, Yonghong; Liu, Shizuo; Schroeder, Steven R.; Yang, Fucheng

2018-02-01

This study examines Northern Hemisphere winter (DJFM) atmospheric responses to opposite strong phases of interdecadal (low frequency, LF) Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) forcing, which resembles El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on a longer time scale, in observations and GFDL and CAM4 model simulations. Over the Pacific-North America (PNA) sector, linear observed responses of 500-hPa height (Z500) anomalies resemble the PNA teleconnection pattern, but show a PNA-like nonlinear response because of a westward Z500 shift in the negative (LF-) relative to the positive LF (LF+) phase. Significant extratropical linear responses include a North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)-like Z500 anomaly, a dipole-like Z500 anomaly over northern Eurasia associated with warming over mid-high latitude Eurasia, and a Southern Annular anomaly pattern associated with warming in southern land areas. Significant nonlinear Z500 responses also include a NAO-like anomaly pattern. Models forced by LF+ and LF- SST anomalies reproduce many aspects of observed linear and nonlinear responses over the Pacific-North America sector, and linear responses over southern land, but not in the North Atlantic-European sector and Eurasia. Both models simulate PNA-like linear responses in the North Pacific-North America region similar to observed, but show larger PNA-like LF+ responses, resulting in a PNA nonlinear response. The nonlinear PNA responses result from both nonlinear western tropical Pacific rainfall changes and extratropical transient eddy feedbacks. With LF tropical Pacific forcing only (LFTP+ and LFTP-, climatological SST elsewhere), CAM4 simulates a significant NAO response to LFTP-, including a linear negative and nonlinear positive NAO response.

Numerical Analysis Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, Michael

1997-08-01

The Numerical Analysis Objects project (NAO) is a project in the Mathematics Department of IBM's TJ Watson Research Center. While there are plenty of numerical tools available today, it is not an easy task to combine them into a custom application. NAO is directed at the dual problems of building applications from a set of tools, and creating those tools. There are several "reuse" projects, which focus on the problems of identifying and cataloging tools. NAO is directed at the specific context of scientific computing. Because the type of tools is restricted, problems such as tools with incompatible data structures for input and output, and dissimilar interfaces to tools which solve similar problems can be addressed. The approach we've taken is to define interfaces to those objects used in numerical analysis, such as geometries, functions and operators, and to start collecting (and building) a set of tools which use these interfaces. We have written a class library (a set of abstract classes and implementations) in C++ which demonstrates the approach. Besides the classes, the class library includes "stub" routines which allow the library to be used from C or Fortran, and an interface to a Visual Programming Language. The library has been used to build a simulator for petroleum reservoirs, using a set of tools for discretizing nonlinear differential equations that we have written, and includes "wrapped" versions of packages from the Netlib repository. Documentation can be found on the Web at "http://www.research.ibm.com/nao". I will describe the objects and their interfaces, and give examples ranging from mesh generation to solving differential equations.

Large-scale Controls on Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity on Seasonal Time Scales

PubMed Central

Lim, Young-Kwon; Schubert, Siegfried D.; Reale, Oreste; Molod, Andrea M.; Suarez, Max J.; Auer, Benjamin M.

2018-01-01

Interannual variations in seasonal tropical cyclone (TC) activity (e.g., genesis frequency and location, track pattern, and landfall) over the Atlantic are explored by employing observationally-constrained simulations with the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System version (GEOS-5) atmospheric general circulation model. The climate modes investigated are El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM). The results show that the NAO and AMM can strongly modify and even oppose the well-known ENSO impacts, like in 2005, when a strong positive AMM (associated with warm SSTs and a negative SLP anomaly over the western tropical Atlantic), led to a very active TC season with enhanced TC genesis over the Caribbean Sea and a number of landfalls over North America, under a neutral ENSO condition. On the other end, the weak TC activity during 2013 (characterized by weak negative Niño index) appears caused by a NAO-induced positive SLP anomaly with enhanced vertical wind shear over the tropical North Atlantic. During 2010, the combined impact of the three modes produced positive SST anomalies across the entire low- latitudinal Atlantic and a weaker subtropical high, leading to more early recurvers and thus fewer landfalls despite enhanced TC genesis. The study provides evidence that TC number and track are very sensitive to the relative phases and intensities of these three modes, and not just to ENSO alone. Examination of seasonal predictability reveals that predictive skill of the three modes is limited over tropics to sub-tropics, with the AMM having the highest predictability over the North Atlantic, followed by ENSO and NAO. PMID:29928071

Interaction of External K, Na, and Cardioactive Steroids with the Na-K Pump of the Human Red Blood Cell

PubMed Central

Sachs, John R.

1974-01-01

The interaction of extracellular Na (Nao), K (Ko), and strophanthidin with the Na-K pump of the human red blood cell has been investigated. Inhibition by submaximal concentrations of strophanthidin rapidly reaches a level which does not increase further over a relatively long period of time. Under these circumstances, it is possible to apply a steady-state kinetic analysis to the interaction of Nao, Ko, and strophanthidin with the pump. In Na-free solutions, strophanthidin increases the apparent K1/2 of the pump for Ko, but does not change the form of the relation between the reciprocal of the active K influx (i M K P–1) and the reciprocal of [Ko] ([Ko]–1); the relation both in the presence and absence of strophanthidin is adequately described by a straight line. In solutions containing Na, strophanthidin changes the form of the curve describing the relation between i M K P–1 vs. [Ko]–1; the curve becomes more parabolic in solutions containing strophanthidin. The rate of ouabain binding to K-free cells has also been measured; in the absence of K, the rate of binding is unaffected by Nao. The data are considered in terms of a simple kinetic model. The findings can be explained if it is supposed that at low external K the form of the pump combined with one Nao is more likely to combine with strophanthidin than is the uncombined form of the pump. The uncombined form of the pump is more likely to combine with K even at very low Ko than with strophanthidin. PMID:4812632

Large-Scale Controls on Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity on Seasonal Time Scales

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lim, Young-Kwon; Schubert, Siegfried D.; Reale, Oreste; Molod, Andrea M.; Suarez, Max J.; Auer, Benjamin M.

2016-01-01

Interannual variations in seasonal tropical cyclone (TC) activity (e.g., genesis frequency and location, track pattern, and landfall) over the Atlantic are explored by employing observationally-constrained simulations with the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System version (GEOS-5) atmospheric general circulation model. The climate modes investigated are El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Atlantic Meridional Mode (AMM). The results show that the NAO and AMM can strongly modify and even oppose the well- known ENSO impacts, like in 2005, when a strong positive AMM (associated with warm SSTs and a negative SLP anomaly over the western tropical Atlantic), led to a very active TC season with enhanced TC genesis over the Caribbean Sea and a number of landfalls over North America, under a neutral ENSO condition. On the other end, the weak TC activity during 2013 (characterized by weak negative Nio index) appears caused by a NAO-induced positive SLP anomaly with enhanced vertical wind shear over the tropical North Atlantic. During 2010, the combined impact of the three modes produced positive SST anomalies across the entire low-latitudinal Atlantic and a weaker subtropical high, leading to more early recurvers and thus fewer landfalls despite enhanced TC genesis. The study provides evidence that TC number and track are very sensitive to the relative phases and intensities of these three modes, and not just to ENSO alone. Examination of seasonal predictability reveals that predictive skill of the three modes is limited over tropics to sub-tropics, with the AMM having the highest predictability over the North Atlantic, followed by ENSO and NAO.

Orion EM-1 Booster Preps - Aft Skirt Preps/Painting

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-28

A paint technician with Orbital ATK, prime contractor for the Space Launch System (SLS) Booster, uses an air gun to apply paint to the right hand aft skirt for NASA’s SLS rocket inside a support building at the Hangar AF facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The space shuttle-era aft skirt, was inspected and resurfaced to prepare it for primer and paint. The aft skirt will be used on the right hand booster of the SLS rocket for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). NASA is preparing for EM-1, deep-space missions, and the journey to Mars.

Efficient evaluation of nonlocal operators in density functional theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ying-Chih; Chen, Jing-Zhe; Michaud-Rioux, Vincent; Shi, Qing; Guo, Hong

2018-02-01

We present a method which combines plane waves (PW) and numerical atomic orbitals (NAO) to efficiently evaluate nonlocal operators in density functional theory with periodic boundary conditions. Nonlocal operators are first expanded using PW and then transformed to NAO so that the problem of distance-truncation is avoided. The general formalism is implemented using the hybrid functional HSE06 where the nonlocal operator is the exact exchange. Comparison of electronic structures of a wide range of semiconductors to a pure PW scheme validates the accuracy of our method. Due to the locality of NAO, thus sparsity of matrix representations of the operators, the computational complexity of the method is asymptotically quadratic in the number of electrons. Finally, we apply the technique to investigate the electronic structure of the interface between a single-layer black phosphorous and the high-κ dielectric material c -HfO2 . We predict that the band offset between the two materials is 1.29 eV and 2.18 eV for valence and conduction band edges, respectively, and such offsets are suitable for 2D field-effect transistor applications.

Cycles in oceanic teleconnections and global temperature change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seip, Knut L.; Grøn, Øyvind

2018-06-01

Three large ocean currents are represented by proxy time series: the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). We here show how proxies for the currents interact with each other and with the global temperature anomaly (GTA). Our results are obtained by a novel method, which identifies running average leading-lagging (LL) relations, between paired series. We find common cycle times for a paired series of 6-7 and 25-28 years and identify years when the LL relations switch. Switching occurs with 18.4 ± 14.3-year intervals for the short 6-7-year cycles and with 27 ± 15-year intervals for the 25-28-year cycles. During the period 1940-1950, the LL relations for the long cycles were circular (nomenclature x leads y: x → y): GTA → NAO → SOI → PDO → GTA. However, after 1960, the LL relations become more complex and there are indications that GTA leads to both NAO and PDO. The switching years are related to ocean current tie points and reversals reported in the literature.

North Atlantic Oscillation Drives Regional Greenland Glacier Volume During the 20th Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bjork, A. A.; Aagaard, S.; Hallander, A. M.; Khan, S. A.; Box, J. E.; Kjeldsen, K. K.; Larsen, N. K.; Korsgaard, N. J.; Cappelen, J.; Colgan, W. T.; Machguth, H.; Andresen, C. S.; Kjaer, K. H.

2016-12-01

While most areas of the Greenland ice sheet have undergone rapid mass loss since c. 1990, the central eastern section of the ice sheet has advanced and gained mass. This contrasting regional trend has been attributed to positive surface mass balance (SMB) in the absence of significant dynamic mass loss. To constrain the atypical behavior in this region, we mapped glacier length fluctuations of nearly 200 peripheral glaciers and ice caps (PGICs) over a 103-year period, and compare the results with c. 150 new glacier length records from central west Greenland. We demonstrate that the regional response in ice volume is closely correlated to changes in precipitation, governed by circulation patterns associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and secondarily influenced by temperature forcing in certain periods. More broadly, we find that the NAO contributes to contrasting precipitation variability in East and West Greenland, where it appears to be responsible for at least 10% and more than 25%, respectively, of the variability in ice sheet accumulation rate. This east-west asymmetry, which influences both LGICs and the ice sheet, illustrates how substantial uncertainty in NAO projections directly contributes to uncertainty in mass balance projections.

Recruitment success of different fish stocks in the North Sea in relation to climate variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dippner, Joachim W.

1997-09-01

Long-term data of year class strengths of different commercially harvested fish stocks based on a virtual population analysis (VPA) are available from ICES. The anomalies of these long-term data sets of year class strength are analyzed using Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs) and are related to climate variability: the anomalies of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the northern North Sea and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. A Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) between the leading eigenmodes is performed. The results suggest that the variability in the fish recruitment of western mackerel and three gadoids, namely North Sea cod, North Sea saithe, and North Sea whiting is highly correlated to the variability of the North Sea SST which is directly influenced by the NAO. For North Sea haddock and herring no meaningful correlation exists to North Sea SST and NAO. The results allow the conclusion that is seems possible to predict long-term changes in the fish recruitment from climate change scenarios for North Sea cod, North Sea saithe and western mackerel. Furthermore, the results indicate the possibility of recruitment failure for North Sea cod, North Sea whiting, and western mackerel in the case of global warming.

DOE-EM Science of Safety Robotics Challenge

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

Rimando, Rodrigo; Watts, Alex; Bobbitt, John

During the week of August 22nd, 2016, over 150 technologists, stakeholders, and Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management workers, met at DOE’s Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio, for the EM Science of Safety Robotics Challenge.

Análise da medição do raio solar em ultravioleta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saraiva, A. C. V.; Giménez de Castro, C. G.; Costa, J. E. R.; Selhorst, C. L.; Simões, P. J. A.

2003-08-01

A medição acurada do raio solar em qualquer banda do espectro eletromagnético é de relevância na formulação e calibração de modelos da estrutura e atmosfera solar. Esses modelos atribuem emissão do contínuo do Sol calmo em microondas à mesma região da linha Ha do Hell. Apresentamos a medição do raio solar em UV com imagens do EIT (Extreme Ultraviolet Image Telescope) entre 1996 e 2002, no comprimento de onda 30,9 nm (Ha do Hell), que se forma na região de transição/cromosfera solar. A técnica utilizada para o cálculo do raio UV foi baseada na transformada Wavelet B3spline. Fizemos um banco de dados com 1 imagem por dia durante o período citado. Obtivemos como resultado o raio médio da ordem de 975.61" e uma diminuição do mesmo para o período citado variando em média -0,45" /ano. Comparamos estes dados com os valores obtidos pelo ROI (Radio Observatório de Itapetinga) em 22/48 GHz e Nobeyama Radio Heliograph em 17 GHz mostrando que os raios médios são muito próximos o que indica que a região de formação nessas freqüências é a mesma conforme os modelos. Comparamos os resultados também com outros índices de atividade solar.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article loaded onto Guppy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-25

On the tarmac at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article, secured in its transport container, is loaded into the agency's Super Guppy aircraft. The test article will be transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article loaded onto Guppy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-25

NASA's Super Guppy aircraft has been closed and secured at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article is secured inside the Super Guppy and will be transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Winter Precipitation in North America and the Pacific-North America Pattern in GEOS-S2Sv2 Seasonal Hindcast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Zhao; Molod, Andrea; Schubert, Siegfried

2018-01-01

Reliable prediction of precipitation remains one of the most pivotal and complex challenges in seasonal forecasting. Previous studies show that various large-scale climate modes, such as ENSO, PNA and NAO play significant role in winter precipitation variability over the Northern America. The influences are most pronounced in years of strong indices of such climate modes. This study evaluates model bias, predictability and forecast skills of monthly winter precipitation in GEOS5-S2S 2.0 retrospective forecast from 1981 to 2016, with emphasis on the forecast skill of precipitation over North America during the extreme events of ENSO, PNA and NAO by applying EOF and composite analysis.

DOE-EM Science of Safety Robotics Challenge

ScienceCinema

Rimando, Rodrigo; Watts, Alex; Bobbitt, John; McLaughlin, Doug; Quigley, Morgan; Gladwell, Scott; McLoughlin, Mike; Kinnamon, Tony; Garcia, Joe; Ansari, Alex; Voyles, Richard; Chambers, David; Pryor, Mitch; Workman, Theresa; Mehling, Joshua; Browning, Kimberly; Deuel, Jake; Profitt, Bryan; Reibold, Marty

2018-06-12

During the week of August 22nd, 2016, over 150 technologists, stakeholders, and Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management workers, met at DOE’s Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio, for the EM Science of Safety Robotics Challenge.

Availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) among public and private health facilities in rural northwest Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sikder, Shegufta S; Labrique, Alain B; Ali, Hasmot; Hanif, Abu A M; Klemm, Rolf D W; Mehra, Sucheta; West, Keith P; Christian, Parul

2015-01-31

Although safe motherhood strategies recommend that women seek timely care from health facilities for obstetric complications, few studies have described facility availability of emergency obstetric care (EmOC). We sought to describe and compare availability and readiness to provide EmOC among public and private health facilities commonly visited for pregnancy-related complications in two districts of northwest Bangladesh. We also described aspects of financial and geographic access to healthcare and key constraints to EmOC provision. Using data from a large population-based community trial, we identified and surveyed the 14 health facilities (7 public, 7 private) most frequently visited for obstetric complications and near misses as reported by women. Availability of EmOC was based on provision of medical services, assessed through clinician interviews and record review. Levels of EmOC availability were defined as basic or comprehensive. Readiness for EmOC provision was based on scores in four categories: staffing, equipment, laboratory capacity, and medicines. Readiness scores were calculated using unweighted averages. Costs of C-section procedures and geographic locations of facilities were described. Textual analysis was used to identify key constraints. The seven surveyed private facilities offered comprehensive EmOC compared to four of the seven public facilities. With 100% representing full readiness, mean EmOC readiness was 81% (range: 63%-91%) among surveyed private facilities compared to 67% (range: 48%-91%) in public facilities (p = 0.040). Surveyed public clinics had low scores on staffing and laboratory capacity (69%; 50%). The mean cost of the C-section procedure in private clinics was $77 (standard deviation: $16) and free in public facilities. The public sub-district facilities were the only facilities located in rural areas, with none providing comprehensive EmOC. Shortages in specialized staff were listed as the main barrier to EmOC provision in

Demographics and Fellowship Training of Residency Leadership in EM: A Descriptive Analysis.

PubMed

Greenstein, Josh; Hardy, Ross; Chacko, Jerel; Husain, Abbas

2017-01-01

Emergency medicine (EM) fellowships are becoming increasingly numerous, and there is a growing trend among EM residents to pursue postgraduate fellowship training. Scant data have been published on the prevalence of postgraduate training among emergency physicians. We aimed to describe the prevalence and regional variation of fellowships among EM residency leadership. We conducted an online anonymous survey that was sent to the Council of EM Residency Directors (CORD) membership in October 2014. The survey was a brief questionnaire, which inquired about fellowship, secondary board certification, gender, and length in a leadership position of each member of its residency leadership. We separated the responses to the survey into four different geographic regions. The geographic regions were defined by the same classification used by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). We defined residency leadership as program director (PD), associate PD and assistant PD. Residencies that did not complete the survey were then individually contacted to encourage completion. The survey was initially piloted for ease of use and understanding of the questions with a select few EM PDs. We obtained responses from 145 of the 164 Accrediting Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited EM residencies (88%). The fellowship prevalence among PDs, associate PDs, and assistant PDs was 21.4%, 20.3%, and 24.9% respectively. The most common fellowship completed was a fellowship in toxicology. Secondary board certification among PDs, associate PDs, and assistant PDs was 9.7%, 4.8%, and 2.9% respectively. Eighty-two percent of PDs have at least five years in residency leadership. Seventy-six percent of PDs were male, and there was a near-even split of gender among associate PDs and assistant PDs. The Western region had the highest percentage of fellowship and or secondary board certification among all levels of residency leadership. There is a low prevalence of fellowship training and

Syndrome surveillance of fentanyl-laced heroin outbreaks: Utilization of EMS, Medical Examiner and Poison Center databases.

PubMed

Moore, P Quincy; Weber, Joseph; Cina, Steven; Aks, Steven

2017-11-01

Describe surveillance data from three existing surveillance systems during an unexpected fentanyl outbreak in a large metropolitan area. We performed a retrospective analysis of three data sets: Chicago Fire Department EMS, Cook County Medical Examiner, and Illinois Poison Center. Each included data from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. EMS data included all EMS responses in Chicago, Illinois, for suspected opioid overdose in which naloxone was administered and EMS personnel documented other criteria indicative of opioid overdose. Medical Examiner data included all deaths in Cook County, Illinois, related to heroin, fentanyl or both. Illinois Poison Center data included all calls in Chicago, Illinois, related to fentanyl, heroin, and other prescription opioids. Descriptive statistics using Microsoft Excel® were used to analyze the data and create figures. We identified a spike in opioid-related EMS responses during an 11-day period from September 30-October 10, 2015. Medical Examiner data showed an increase in both fentanyl and mixed fentanyl/heroin related deaths during the months of September and October, 2015 (375% and 550% above the median, respectively.) Illinois Poison Center data showed no significant increase in heroin, fentanyl, or other opioid-related calls during September and October 2015. Our data suggests that EMS data is an effective real-time surveillance mechanism for changes in the rate of opioid overdoses. Medical Examiner's data was found to be valuable for confirmation of EMS surveillance data and identification of specific intoxicants. Poison Center data did not correlate with EMS or Medical Examiner data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article loaded onto Guppy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-25

A view from inside NASA's Super Guppy aircraft at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as the Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article, secured inside its transport container, is loaded into the aircraft. The test article will be transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article loaded onto Guppy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-25

On the tarmac at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency's Super Guppy aircraft closes after the Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article, in its transport container, is secured inside. The test article will be transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article loaded onto Guppy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-25

The Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article, secured inside its transport container, arrives at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The test article will be loaded into NASA's Super Guppy aircraft, in view at left, and transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Forward Skirt Move from Hangar AF to BFF

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-30

The Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) left-hand forward skirt for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket boosters arrives inside the high bay at the Booster Fabrication Facility (BFF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the BFF, the forward skirt will be inspected and prepared for use on the left-hand solid rocket booster for EM-1. NASA's Orion spacecraft will fly atop the SLS rocket on its first uncrewed flight test.

National Energy Efficiency Evaluation, Measurement and Verification (EM&V) Standard: Scoping Study of Issues and Implementation Requirements

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

Schiller Consulting, Inc.; Schiller, Steven R.; Goldman, Charles A.

2011-02-04

This report is a scoping study that identifies issues associated with developing a national evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) standard for end-use, non-transportation, energy efficiency activities. The objectives of this study are to identify the scope of such a standard and define EM&V requirements and issues that will need to be addressed in a standard. To explore these issues, we provide and discuss: (1) a set of definitions applicable to an EM&V standard; (2) a literature review of existing guidelines, standards, and 'initiatives' relating to EM&V standards as well as a review of 'bottom-up' versus 'top-down' evaluation approaches; (3) amore » summary of EM&V related provisions of two recent federal legislative proposals (Congressman Waxman's and Markey's American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 and Senator Bingaman's American Clean Energy Leadership Act of 2009) that include national efficiency resource requirements; (4) an annotated list of issues that that are likely to be central to, and need to be considered when, developing a national EM&V standard; and (5) a discussion of the implications of such issues. There are three primary reasons for developing a national efficiency EM&V standard. First, some policy makers, regulators and practitioners believe that a national standard would streamline EM&V implementation, reduce costs and complexity, and improve comparability of results across jurisdictions; although there are benefits associated with each jurisdiction setting its own EM&V requirements based on their specific portfolio and evaluation budgets and objectives. Secondly, if energy efficiency is determined by the US Environmental Protection Agency to be a Best Available Control Technology (BACT) for avoiding criteria pollutant and/or greenhouse gas emissions, then a standard can be required for documenting the emission reductions resulting from efficiency actions. The third reason for a national EM&V standard is that such a

EM&V for Energy Efficiency Policies and Initiatives

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Learn how representatives of jurisdictions, companies, and other entities can use evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) in demand-side energy efficiency (EE) investments to achieve intended environmental, energy, and economic goals.

Uma grade de perfis teóricos para estrelas massivas em transição

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nascimento, C. M. P.; Machado, M. A.

2003-08-01

Na XXVIII Reunião Anual da Sociedade Astronômica Brasileira (2002) apresentamos uma grade de perfis calculados de acordo com os pontos da trajetória evolutiva de metalicidade solar, Z = 0.02 e taxa de perda de massa () padrão, para estrelas com massa inicial de 25, 40, 60, 85 e 120 massas solares. Estes perfis foram calculados com o auxílio de um código numérico adequado para descrever os ventos de objetos massivos, supondo simetria esférica, estacionaridade e homogeneidade. No presente trabalho, apresentamos a complementação da grade com os perfis teóricos relativos às trajetórias de Z = 0.02 com taxa de perda de massa dobrada em relação a padrão (2´), e de metalicidade Z = 0.008. Para cada ponto das três trajetórias obtemos os perfis teóricos de Ha, Hb, Hg e Hd, e como esperado eles se apresentam em pura emissão, pura absorção ou em P-Cygni. Para valores de taxa de perda de massa muito baixos (~10-7) não há formação de linhas, o que é visto nos primeiros pontos em todas as trajetórias. Em geral, para um mesmo ponto a componente de emissão diminui e a absorção aumenta de Ha para Hd. É verificado que as trajetórias com Z = 0.02 e padrão possuem menos circuitos (loops) do que as com metalicidade Z = 0.02 e 2´ padrão, e seus perfis são, em geral, menos intensos. Em relação a trajetória de Z = 0.008, verifica-se menos circuitos e maior variação em luminosidade, e seus perfis mostram-se em, algumas trajetórias, mais intensos. Verificamos também que, pontos distintos em uma mesma trajetória, apresentam perfis diferentes para valores similares de luminosidade e temperatura efetiva. Sendo assim, uma grade de perfis teóricos parece ser útil para fornecer uma informação preliminar sobre o estágio evolutivo de uma estrela massiva.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) is being moved to a clean room. The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lockheed Martin technicians move the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) into a clean room. The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lockheed Martin technicians begin to move the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) to a clean room. The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lockheed Martin technicians move the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) toward a clean room. The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Immune protection of microneme 7 (EmMIC7) against Eimeria maxima challenge in chickens.

PubMed

Huang, Jingwei; Zhang, Zhenchao; Li, Menghui; Song, Xiaokai; Yan, Ruofeng; Xu, Lixin; Li, Xiangrui

2015-10-01

In the present study, the immune protective effects of recombinant microneme protein 7 of Eimeria maxima (rEmMIC7) and a DNA vaccine encoding this antigen (pVAX1-EmMIC7) on experimental challenge were evaluated. Two-week-old chickens were randomly divided into five groups. Experimental groups of chickens were immunized with 100 μg DNA vaccine pVAX1-MIC7 or 200 μg rEmMIC7, while control groups of chickens were injected with pVAX1 plasmid or sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The results showed that the anti-EmMIC7 antibody titres in chickens of both rEmMIC7 and pVAX1-MIC7 groups were significantly higher as compared to PBS and pVAX1 control (P < .05). The splenocytes from both vaccinated groups of chickens displayed significantly greater proliferation response compared with the controls (P < .05). Serum from chickens immunized with pVAX1-MIC7 and rEmMIC7 displayed significantly high levels of interleukin-2, interferon-γ, IL-10, IL-17, tumour growth factor-β and IL-4 (P < .05) compared to those of negative controls. The challenge experiment results showed that both the recombinant antigen and the DNA vaccine could obviously alleviate jejunum lesions, body weight loss and enhance oocyst decrease ratio. The anti-coccidial index (ACI) of the pVAX1-MIC7 group was 167.84, higher than that of the recombinant MIC7 protein group, 167.10. Our data suggested that immunization with EmMIC7 was effective in imparting partial protection against E. maxima challenge in chickens and it could be an effective antigen candidate for the development of new vaccines against E. maxima.

Recidivism Among Licensed-Released Prisoners Who Participated in the EM Program in Israel.

PubMed

Shoham, Efrat; Yehosha-Stern, Shirley; Efodi, Rotem

2015-08-01

Toward the end of 2006, a pilot program was launched in Israel wherein licensed-released prisoners were put under electronic monitoring (EM). In addition to EM, the pilot program, operated by the Prisoners' Rehabilitation Authority, provides programs of occupational supervision and personal therapy and is designed to allow for early release of those prisoners who, without increased supervision, would have been found unsuitable for early release. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether participation in the EM program among licensed-released prisoners in Israel might bring about lessened recidivism. For that matter, rates of arrests and incarceration were examined during a follow-up period of up to 4 years, among the entirety of licensed-released prisoners participating in the EM program between the years 2007 and 2009 (n = 155). To compare recidivism rates, a control group was assembled from among the entirety of released prisoners who were found unsuitable for early release in judicial conditions, and had therefore served the full term of their incarceration, to be released between the years 2005 and 2006 (a period of time during which an EM program was not yet operated among licensed-released prisoners in Israel). Study findings clearly show that while among the control group, 42% of released prisoners were re-incarcerated, at the end of a 4-year follow-up period, only 15% among the study group had returned to prison. These findings can be explained by combining the Social Control theory and the Self-Control theory which consider the period of time under EM program and the occupational and familial integration tools for reducing criminal connections and enhancing pro-social behavior. © The Author(s) 2014.

Assessing the role of Climate Variability in the recent evolution of coastlines in southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Paola, Gianluigi; Atkinson, David; Rosskopf, Carmen M.; Walker, Ian

2016-04-01

During the last century, Climatic Variability (CV) and change effects have generated a discernable impact on the world's coasts, most notably through changes in the frequency and/or magnitude of storm surges, flooding, coastal erosion and sea-level rise. This study explores CV signals and coastal responses along a 36 km stretch of coast in the Molise region of southern Italy on the Central Adriatic Sea. Two dominant signals of CV in the Mediterranean region of Europe are characterized by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the East Atlantic-West Russia (EAWR) patterns. The NAO is the leading mode of CV in the North Atlantic region and periods with positive NAO index values are typically associated with above average wind speeds across the mid-latitudes of the Atlantic and western Europe, with anomalously northerly flows across the Mediterranean region and enhanced trade winds over the sub-tropical North Atlantic. Although NAO is one of the most prominent patterns in all seasons, its relative role in regulating the variability of the European climate during non-winter months is not as clear as for the winter season. In contrast, the EAWR exerts strong influence on precipitation in the Mediterranean region such that, during the negative phase of EAWR, wetter conditions prevail across central Europe and the Mediterranean region, with precipitation extremes often occurring during these periods. This study examines the effects of NAO and EAWR on coastline response in the Molise region, which has a microtidal regime (ordinary tidal excursions of 30-40 cm). GIS analysis of shoreline changes from historical aerial photography from 1954-2011 was performed and 20 years (1989-2008) of wave data were analysed from the nearby Ortona buoy to define trends and extreme event occurrence in the wave climate in the study area. Finally, statistical associations between NAO, EAWR, and other CV indices of possible influence (e.g. Arctic Oscillation, Scandinavia Pattern, or the East

Combined influences of seasonal East Atlantic Pattern and North Atlantic Oscillation to excite Atlantic multidecadal variability in a climate model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruprich-Robert, Yohan; Cassou, Christophe

2015-01-01

The physical processes underlying the internal component of the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV) are investigated from a 1,000-yr pre-industrial control simulation of the CNRM-CM5 model. The low-frequency fluctuations of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) are shown to be the main precursor for the model AMV. The full life cycle of AMOC/AMV events relies on a complex time-evolving relationship with both North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and East Atlantic Pattern (EAP) that must be considered from a seasonal perspective in order to isolate their action; the ocean is responsible for setting the multidecadal timescale of the fluctuations. AMOC rise leading to a warm phase of AMV is statistically preceded by wintertime NAO+ and EAP+ from ~Lag -40/-20 yrs. Associated wind stress anomalies induce an acceleration of the subpolar gyre (SPG) and enhanced northward transport of warm and saline subtropical water. Concurrent positive salinity anomalies occur in the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian Seas in link to local sea-ice decline; those are advected by the Eastern Greenland Current to the Labrador Sea participating to the progressive densification of the SPG and the intensification of ocean deep convection leading to AMOC strengthening. From ~Lag -10 yrs prior an AMOC maximum, opposite relationship is found with the NAO for both summer and winter seasons. Despite negative lags, NAO- at that time is consistent with the atmospheric response through teleconnection to the northward shift/intensification of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone in link to the ongoing warming of tropical north Atlantic basin due to AMOC rise/AMV build-up. NAO- acts as a positive feedback for the full development of the model AMV through surface fluxes but, at the same time, prepares its termination through negative retroaction on AMOC. Relationship between EAP+ and AMOC is also present in summer from ~Lags -30/+10 yrs while winter EAP- is favored around the AMV peak. Based on

Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Utilization by Syrian Refugees Residing in Ankara, Turkey.

PubMed

Altıner, Ali Osman; Yeşil, Sıdıka Tekeli

2018-04-01

Introduction Many Syrians have left their country and migrated to other countries since March 2011, due to the civil war. As of March 2016, a total of 2,747,946 Syrian refugees had immigrated to Turkey. Some Syrian refugees have been living in camps, while 2,475,134 have been living in metropolitan areas, such as Ankara. Study Objective This study investigated Emergency Medical Service (EMS) utilization among Syrian refugees residing in Ankara. This study was a descriptive, cross-sectional database analysis using data obtained from the Department of EMS of the Ankara Provincial Health Directorate. Five stations in the Altındağ region of Ankara responded to 42% of all calls from Syrian refugees. Prehospital EMS in Ankara have been used mostly by Syrian refugees younger than 18-years-old. Study findings also suggest that medical staff in regions where Syrian refugees are likely to be treated should be supported and provided with the ability to overcome language barriers and cultural differences. Altıner AO , Tekeli Yeşil S . Emergency Medical Service (EMS) utilization by Syrian refugees residing in Ankara, Turkey. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):160-164.

Measurement and Analysis of L-Band (1535-1660 MHz) Electromagnetic (EM) Noise on Ships

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-12-01

A program of L-band (1535-1660 MHz) electromagnetic (EM) noise measurements conducted on ships is described. The magnitude and duration of EM noise on ships is of particular significance in terms of potential radio frequency interference (RFI) to fut...

Disaster Relief and Emergency Medical Services Project (DREAMS TM): Digital EMS

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

exchanges between the hospital and the EMS vehicle. By creating the virtual presence of a physician at or near the emergency scene, more lives will be saved ...address, cross street, zip code etc. The map can be saved to the clipboard or to an EMF graphics file for use by other applications in the system. 29...section can be found in Appendix B. The EMS personnel on board the ambulance can benefit greatly from technology integration. Several time- saving

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article loaded onto Guppy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-25

On the tarmac at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA and contractor workers review procedures before beginning loading of the Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article in its transport container into NASA's Super Guppy aircraft. The test article will be transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Forward Skirt Move from Hangar AF to BFF

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-30

The Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) left-hand forward skirt for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket boosters arrives at the entrance to the high bay at the Booster Fabrication Facility (BFF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In the BFF, the forward skirt will be inspected and prepared for use on the left-hand solid rocket booster for EM-1. NASA's Orion spacecraft will fly atop the SLS rocket on its first uncrewed flight test.

Measuring Turbulence Mixing in Indonesian Seas Using Microstructure EM-APEX Floats

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-18

14 . ABSTRACT With the help of my graduate student at Columbia Univers ity (Asmi Napitu who is from Indonesia ) I have arranged a plan for the...and Fisheries of Republic of Indonesia (KKP), Bali BPPL lab on their Baruna Jaya 8 cruise in August 2016. Arrangement to sh ip the EM APEX float to... Indonesia in the spring 2016 are being arranged. 15. SUBJECT TERMS mixing within the Banda; EM APEX fl oats; upper ocean processes; mixed layer

An EM System with Dynamic Multi-Axis Transmitter and Tensor Gradiometer Receiver

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

main difference between the spatial behavior of target anomalies measured with a magnetometer and those we measured with an EM system is in the nature...environmental and UXO applications, current efforts include the development of tensor magnetic gradiometers based on triaxial fluxgate technology by the USGS...Superconducting gradiometer/ Magnetometer Arrays and a Novel Signal Processing Technique. IEEE Trans. on Magnetics, MAG-11(2), 701-707. EM Tensor

An EM System With Dramatic Multi-Axis Transmitter and Tensor Gradiometer Receiver

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

Thus, the main difference between the spatial behavior of target anomalies measured with a magnetometer and those we measured with an EM system is in...current efforts include the development of tensor magnetic gradiometers based on triaxial fluxgate technology by the USGS (Snyder & Bracken, Development...Superconducting gradiometer/ Magnetometer Arrays and a Novel Signal Processing Technique. IEEE Trans. on Magnetics, MAG-11(2), 701-707. EM Tensor Gradiometer

Observações no infravermelho médio de objetos estelares jovens em NGC 3576

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbosa, C.; Damineli, A.; Blum, R.; Conti, P.

2003-08-01

Apresentamos os resultados de observações no infravermelho médio de candidatos a objetos estelares jovens e massivos em NGC 3576. As imagens de alta resolução foram obtidas no observatório Gemini Sul com o uso dos filtros em 10,8, 7,9, 9,8, 12,5 e 18,2 mm. Nossas imagens mostram a fonte IRS 1 resolvida em 4 objetos pela primeira vez em 10 mm. Para cada objeto obtivemos a distribuição espectral de energia de 1.2 até 18 mm, bem como a temperatura de cor, a distribuição espacial e a profundidade óptica em 9,8 mm da poeira circunstelar. Apresentamos uma estimativa das massas dos objetos estudados, baseados na luminosidade emitida no infravermelho médio, bem como um modelo para explicar as diferentes características observadas de cada objeto. Finalmente discutimos a possível localização da(s) fonte(s) de ionização de NGC 3576.

Directly reconstructing principal components of heterogeneous particles from cryo-EM images.

PubMed

Tagare, Hemant D; Kucukelbir, Alp; Sigworth, Fred J; Wang, Hongwei; Rao, Murali

2015-08-01

Structural heterogeneity of particles can be investigated by their three-dimensional principal components. This paper addresses the question of whether, and with what algorithm, the three-dimensional principal components can be directly recovered from cryo-EM images. The first part of the paper extends the Fourier slice theorem to covariance functions showing that the three-dimensional covariance, and hence the principal components, of a heterogeneous particle can indeed be recovered from two-dimensional cryo-EM images. The second part of the paper proposes a practical algorithm for reconstructing the principal components directly from cryo-EM images without the intermediate step of calculating covariances. This algorithm is based on maximizing the posterior likelihood using the Expectation-Maximization algorithm. The last part of the paper applies this algorithm to simulated data and to two real cryo-EM data sets: a data set of the 70S ribosome with and without Elongation Factor-G (EF-G), and a data set of the influenza virus RNA dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRP). The first principal component of the 70S ribosome data set reveals the expected conformational changes of the ribosome as the EF-G binds and unbinds. The first principal component of the RdRP data set reveals a conformational change in the two dimers of the RdRP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Directly Reconstructing Principal Components of Heterogeneous Particles from Cryo-EM Images

PubMed Central

Tagare, Hemant D.; Kucukelbir, Alp; Sigworth, Fred J.; Wang, Hongwei; Rao, Murali

2015-01-01

Structural heterogeneity of particles can be investigated by their three-dimensional principal components. This paper addresses the question of whether, and with what algorithm, the three-dimensional principal components can be directly recovered from cryo-EM images. The first part of the paper extends the Fourier slice theorem to covariance functions showing that the three-dimensional covariance, and hence the principal components, of a heterogeneous particle can indeed be recovered from two-dimensional cryo-EM images. The second part of the paper proposes a practical algorithm for reconstructing the principal components directly from cryo-EM images without the intermediate step of calculating covariances. This algorithm is based on maximizing the (posterior) likelihood using the Expectation-Maximization algorithm. The last part of the paper applies this algorithm to simulated data and to two real cryo-EM data sets: a data set of the 70S ribosome with and without Elongation Factor-G (EF-G), and a data set of the inluenza virus RNA dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRP). The first principal component of the 70S ribosome data set reveals the expected conformational changes of the ribosome as the EF-G binds and unbinds. The first principal component of the RdRP data set reveals a conformational change in the two dimers of the RdRP. PMID:26049077

Detecção inesperada de efeitos de lentes fracas em grupos de galáxias pouco luminosos em raios-X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrasco, R.; Mendes de Oliveira, C.; Sodré, L., Jr.; Lima Neto, G. B.; Cypriano, E. S.; Lengruber, L. L.; Cuevas, H.; Ramirez, A.

2003-08-01

Obtivemos, como parte do programa de verificação científica do GMOS Sul, imagens profundas de três grupos de galáxias: G97 e G102 (z~0,4) e G124 (z = 0,17). Esses alvos foram selecionados a partir do catálogo de fontes extensas de Vikhlinin (1998), por terem luminosidades em raios X menores que 3´1043 ergs s-1, valor cerca de uma ou duas ordens de grandeza inferior ao de aglomerados de galáxias. O objetivo primário dessas observações é o estudo da evolução de galáxias em grupos. Grupos são ambientes menos densos que aglomerados, contêm a grande maioria das galáxias do Universo mas que, até o momento, foram estudados detalhadamente apenas no Universo local (z~0). Com esses dados efetuamos uma análise estatística da distorção na forma das galáxias de fundo (lentes gravitacionais fracas) como forma de inferir o conteúdo e a distribuição de massa nesses grupos apesar de que, em princípio, esse efeito não deveria ser detectado uma vez que os critérios de seleção adotados previlegiam sistemas de baixa massa. De fato, para G124 obtivemos apenas um limite superior para sua massa que é compatível com sua luminosidade em raios X. De modo contrário e surpreendente, os objetos G102 e G097, aparentam ter massas que resultariam em dispersões de velocidade maiores que 1000 km s-1, muito maiores do que se espera para grupos de galáxias. Com efeito, para G097 obtivemos, a partir de dados do satélite XMM, uma estimativa para a temperatura do gás intragrupo de kT = 2,6 keV, que é tipica de sistemas com dispersões de velocidade de ~ 600 km s-1, bem característica de grupos. Essas contradições aparentes entre lentes fracas e raios X podem ser explicadas de dois modos: i) a massa obtida por lentes estaria sobreestimada devido à superposição de estruturas massivas ao longo da linha de visada ou ii) a temperatura do gás do meio intra-grupo reflete o potencial gravitacional de estruturas menores que estariam se fundindo para formar uma

pH regulation in barnacle muscle fibers: dependence on extracellular sodium and bicarbonate.

PubMed

Boron, W F; McCormick, W C; Roos, A

1981-01-01

Intracellular pH (pHi) regulation was studied in barnacle muscle fibers with pH-sensitive microelectrodes. The cells were acid loaded, and the subsequent recovery of pHi was monitored. The rate of recovery was reduced by one-third when external Na+ ([Na+]o) was replaced by Li+, but recovery was completely abolished when Na+ was replaced by choline or N-methyl-D-glucamine. In other experiments, varying amounts of Na+ were replaced by choline, and the acid extrusion rate, derived from the recovery rate of pHi, was calculated at a single value of pHi, 6.80. The dependence of the acid extrusion rate on [Na+]o could be described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics; at pHo (extracellular) = 8.0 and [HCO3-]o (extracellular) = 10 mM, the apparent Km and Vmax were 59 mM and 1.3 mmol x l(-1) x min-1. When [HCO3-]o was reduced to 2.5 mM at the same pHo, Km did not change significantly, but Vmax was substantially reduced. On the other hand, when pHo was reduced to 7.4 at constant [HCO3-]o, Vmax changed only slightly, but Km increased substantially. In similar experiments, we examined the dependence of the acid extrusion rate on [HCO3-]o. At pHo = 8.0 and [Na+]o = 440 mM, the apparent Km and Vmax were 4.1 mM and 2.1 mmol x 1-1 x min-1. When pHo was reduced to 7.4, Vmax was not altered, but Km substantially increased. The kinetic data are discussed in terms of the role of pHo, [Na+]o, and [HCO3-]o in the pHi-regulating system.

a Mineralogical Analysis of Hspdp Core Samples from the Northern Awash Pliocene Hadar Formation, Ethiopia: the tale of AN East African Paleolake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, D. M.; Deocampo, D.; Rabideaux, N. M.; Campisano, C. J.

2017-12-01

The Northern Awash Valley is located in the southwestern portion of the Afar Depression in Ethiopia. During the 2014 field season, two core sites were drilled as part of the Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP), recovering a total of 600 m of sediment from both localities (NAO and NAW). Mineralogical analyses of the bulk sediments and clays from the Hadar Formation have helped to begin constructing a more complete picture of the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Northern Awash during the Pliocene. This work is an attempt to begin to answer the questions about salinity/alkalinity of Hadar Paleolake as well as its sulfur content. The two sites, NAW and NAO, are about 3 kilometers apart and presumably part of the same paleolake basin. The data has shown that this area was much more humid during the Pliocene than it is today and that most of the minerals in the paleolake basin are detrital, save for calcite, Mg-calcite, gypsum, pyrite, and a few zeolites. 060 analyses of the clays in the cores show that the lake was a freshwater lake three million years ago, up until its eventual evaporation. Interestingly, the lack of trioctahedral clays is an indication that the lake water did not become highly saline and alkaline during its evaporation. An interesting contrast between the two cores shows that NAO contains gypsum, but so far, no pyrite. NAW, on the other hand, contains both pyrite and gypsum. The pyrite in NAW is mostly at the bottom of the core, whereas, the gypsum is intermittent throughout the core and much more sparse toward the bottom. This line of evidence suggests that the two sites within the lake may have experienced different redox conditions. It may be that the NAO core was sampled in a shallower part of the lake whereas the NAW core sampled a deeper section.

Prospects for seasonal forecasting of summer drought and low river flow anomalies in England and Wales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wedgbrow, C. S.; Wilby, R. L.; Fox, H. R.; O'Hare, G.

2002-02-01

Future climate change scenarios suggest enhanced temporal and spatial gradients in water resources across the UK. Provision of seasonal forecast statistics for surface climate variables could alleviate some negative effects of climate change on water resource infrastructure. This paper presents a preliminary investigation of spatial and temporal relationships between large-scale North Atlantic climatic indices, drought severity and river flow anomalies in England and Wales. Potentially useful predictive relationships are explored between winter indices of the Polar-Eurasian (POL) teleconnection pattern, the North Atlantic oscillation (NAO), North Atlantic sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs), and the summer Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) and reconstructed river flows in England and Wales. Correlation analyses, coherence testing and an index of forecast potential, demonstrate that preceding winter values of the POL index, SSTA (and to a lesser extent the NAO), provide indications of summer and early autumn drought severity and river flow anomalies in parts of northwest, southwest and southeast England. Correlation analyses demonstrate that positive winter anomalies of T1, POL index and NAO index are associated with negative PDSI (i.e. drought) across eastern parts of the British Isles in summer (r < 0.51). Coherence tests show that a positive winter SSTA (1871-1995) and POL index (1950-95) have preceded below-average summer river flows in the northwest and southwest of England and Wales in 70 to 100% of summers. The same rivers have also experienced below-average flows during autumn following negative winter phases of the NAO index in 64 to 93% of summers (1865-1995). Possible explanations for the predictor-predictand relationships are considered, including the memory of groundwater, and ocean-atmosphere coupling, and regional manifestations of synoptic rainfall processes. However, further research is necessary to increase the number of years and

Millennial surface water dynamics in the Ria de Vigo during the last 3,000 years as revealed by coccolithophores and biomarkers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez, M. C.; Flores, J. A.; Sierro, F. J.; Diz, P.; Frances, G.; Pelejero, C.; Grimalt, J.

2003-04-01

A combined study of coccolithophore assemblages and biomarkers in gravity core VIR-18 (380 cm long) located in the Ria de Vigo (42°14.07 N, 8°47.37W) at a water depth of 45 m situated in the Ria de Vigo (SW Spain) has allowed us to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental conditions for the last 3000 years. The quantitative distribution of coccolithophore species points to three different intervals along the core, dated by AMS radiocarbon measurements. A first interval (I; ca. 975 BC-252 AD), characterized by high abundances of Calcidiscus leptoporus and Gephyrocapsa muellerae, features moderate temperatures, suggesting a transition from a warmer to a cooler period. A second interval (II; ca. 252-1368 AD), characterized by the dominance of Coccolithus pelagicus, Helicosphaera carteri and Syracosphaera spp., and a high concentration of hexacosanol linked to terrestrial input, is interpreted as having been a humid period with prevailing runoff. The third interval (III; ca. 1368 AD-1950) is characterized by a high abundance of Gephyrocapsa oceanica, high values of alkenones and low values of hexacosanol, and is interpreted as a period of dominance of oceanic conditions within the Ria. Taking into account the ocean-atmospheric system existing in the region studied, we propose an alternance in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) at millennial time scale. A developed upwelling and a good Ria-ocean connection in the warmer Interval I, suggest a NAO+ phase influenced by a Hypsithermal period. The occurrence of the humid and relatively warm Interval II is consistent with a negative phase in the NAO, as well as a relative restriction in ocean-Ria exchange. Interval III, which was dryer and more productive, suggests the dominance of a positive phase in the NAO, with a more intense oceanic connection and more energized upwelling.

Climatic and Societal Causes for Abrupt Environmental Change in the Mediterranean During the Common Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mensing, S. A.; Tunno, I.; Sagnotti, L.; Florindo, F.; Noble, P. J.; Archer, C.; Zimmerman, S. R. H.; Pavón-Carrasco, F. J.; Cifnani, G.; Passigli, S.; Piovesan, G.

2015-12-01

We compare climatic and societal causes for abrupt environmental change for the last 2000 years in the Rieti Basin, central Italy using high-resolution sedimentary paleoenvironmental proxies, historical documents, and annually resolved independent climate reconstructions of temperature and precipitation. Pollen zones, identified from temporally constrained cluster analysis, coincide with historic periods developed from well-established ceramic sequences corresponding to the Roman Imperial through Late Antique (1 to 600 CE) Early Medieval (600 to 875 CE), Medieval through Late Medieval (875 to 1400 CE), Renaissance and Modern (1400 to 1725 CE), and Contemporary periods (1725 CE to present). Non-metric dimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination showed that each temporal period occupied a unique ecologic space suggesting that a new landscape was created during each successive historic period. During Roman time, between 1 and 500 CE, a modest decline in forest coincides with a positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and drier climate; however mesophyllous forest is preserved. Steep decline in forest cover between 850 and 950 CE coincides with positive temperature anomalies in Europe and a positive NAO. Although this would seem to suggest climate as a cause, temperature and precipitation changes are modest and the magnitude and rapidity of the vegetation change suggests climate played a small role. Archaeological evidence from across Europe identifies socioeconomic factors that produced forest clearing. In contrast, cooler temperatures and a negative NAO (increased ppt) appears to have been a catalyst for land abandonment and forest recovery in the 13th to 14th centuries. The NAO produces opposite effects on societies in the eastern and western Mediterranean with the negative phase in 1400 CE leading to cool wet climate and land abandonment in central Italy but an abrupt shift to drier conditions and change from sedentary village life to nomadism in Syria.

Areas of Potential Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on EMS: A Synthesis of the Literature.

PubMed

Ostermayer, Daniel G; Brown, Charles A; Fernandez, William G; Couvillon, Emily

2017-04-01

This comprehensive review synthesizes the existing literature on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) as it relates to emergency medical services (EMS) in order to provide guidance for navigating current and future healthcare changes. We conducted a comprehensive review to identify all existing literature related to the ACA and EMS and all sections within the federal law pertaining to EMS. Many changes enacted by the ACA directly affect emergency care with potential indirect effects on EMS systems. New Medicaid enrollees and changes to existing coverage plans may alter EMS transport volumes. Reimbursement changes such as adjustments to the ambulance inflation factor (AIF) alter the yearly increases in EMS reimbursement by incorporating the multifactor productivity value into yearly reimbursement adjustments. New initiatives, funded by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation are exploring novel and cost-effective prehospital care delivery opportunities while EMS agencies individually explore partnerships with healthcare systems. EMS systems should be aware of the direct and indirect impact of ACA on prehospital care due to the potential for changes in financial reimbursement, acuity and volume changes, and ongoing new care delivery initiatives.

Areas of Potential Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on EMS: A Synthesis of the Literature

PubMed Central

Ostermayer, Daniel G.; Brown, Charles A.; Fernandez, William G.; Couvillon, Emily

2017-01-01

Introduction This comprehensive review synthesizes the existing literature on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) as it relates to emergency medical services (EMS) in order to provide guidance for navigating current and future healthcare changes. Methods We conducted a comprehensive review to identify all existing literature related to the ACA and EMS and all sections within the federal law pertaining to EMS. Results Many changes enacted by the ACA directly affect emergency care with potential indirect effects on EMS systems. New Medicaid enrollees and changes to existing coverage plans may alter EMS transport volumes. Reimbursement changes such as adjustments to the ambulance inflation factor (AIF) alter the yearly increases in EMS reimbursement by incorporating the multifactor productivity value into yearly reimbursement adjustments. New initiatives, funded by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation are exploring novel and cost-effective prehospital care delivery opportunities while EMS agencies individually explore partnerships with healthcare systems. Conclusion EMS systems should be aware of the direct and indirect impact of ACA on prehospital care due to the potential for changes in financial reimbursement, acuity and volume changes, and ongoing new care delivery initiatives. PMID:28435495

ALiEM Blog and Podcast Watch: Procedures in Emergency Medicine.

PubMed

Joshi, Nikita; Morley, Eric J; Taira, Taku; Branzetti, Jeremy; Grock, Andrew

2017-10-01

The WestJEM Blog and Podcast Watch presents high-quality, open-access educational blogs and podcasts in emergency medicine (EM) based on the ongoing Academic Life in EM (ALiEM) Approved Instructional Resources (AIR) and AIR-Professional series. Both series critically appraise resources using an objective scoring rubric. This installment of the Blog and Podcast Watch highlights the topic of procedure emergencies from the AIR Series. The AIR Series is a continuously building curriculum that follows the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors' (CORD) annual testing schedule. For each module, relevant content is collected from the top 50 Social Media Index sites published within the previous 12 months, and scored by eight AIR board members using five equally weighted measurement outcomes: Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine (BEEM) score, accuracy, educational utility, evidence based, and references. Resources scoring ≥30 out of 35 available points receive an AIR label. Resources scoring 27-29 receive an "honorable mention" label if the executive board agrees that the post is accurate and educationally valuable. A total of 85 blog posts and podcasts were evaluated in June 2016. This report summarizes key educational pearls from the three AIR posts and the 10 Honorable Mentions. The WestJEM Blog and Podcast Watch series is based on the AIR and AIR-Pro series, which attempts to identify high-quality educational content on open-access blogs and podcasts. This series provides an expert-based, post-publication curation of educational social media content for EM clinicians, with this installment focusing on procedure emergencies within the AIR series.

What do EMS personnel think about domestic violence? An exploration of attitudes and experiences after participation in training.

PubMed

Donnelly, Elizabeth A; Oehme, Karen; Melvin, Rebecca

2016-02-01

In 2012, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) reaffirmed that domestic violence is a serious public health hazard that emergency medical services (EMS) personnel will encounter. Many victims of domestic violence may refuse transport to the hospital, making EMS prehospital field personnel --EMTs and paramedics-- their only contact with healthcare providers. Despite these facts, the interaction of field EMS personnel and victims of domestic violence remains largely unexamined. Given the importance of the interaction of field EMS personnel have with victims of domestic violence, the goal of this study is to explore attitudes about and experiences of EMS personnel on the issue of domestic violence after completing a training on domestic violence. Participants were recruited by researchers contacting multiple EMS agencies. Data were gathered using a survey attached to an online domestic violence training for field EMS personnel (EMTs and paramedics) circulated in a large southern state. Participants were able to obtain continuing education credits for completing the online modules. A total of 403 respondents completed the survey. 71% of respondents indicated that they frequently encounter patients who disclose domestic violence; 45% believe that if a victim does not disclose abuse, there is little they can do to help; and from 32% to 43% reported assumptions and attitudes that indicate beliefs that victims are responsible for the abuse. Implications of the data are discussed suggesting that EMS providers are aware that they frequently assist victims of domestic violence, yet many continue to endorse common myths and negative attitudes about victims. Core components of training that can educate EMS personnel about the dynamics of domestic violence are described, and a new free online training for medical professionals on domestic violence is offered for use as part of ongoing education to enhance the EMS response to victims. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd

The National Clinical Assessment Tool for Medical Students in the Emergency Department (NCAT-EM)

PubMed Central

Jung, Julianna; Franzen, Douglas; Lawson, Luan; Manthey, David; Tews, Matthew; Dubosh, Nicole; Fisher, Jonathan; Haughey, Marianne; House, Joseph B.; Trainor, Arleigh; Wald, David A.; Hiller, Katherine

2018-01-01

Introduction Clinical assessment of medical students in emergency medicine (EM) clerkships is a highly variable process that presents unique challenges and opportunities. Currently, clerkship directors use institution-specific tools with unproven validity and reliability that may or may not address competencies valued most highly in the EM setting. Standardization of assessment practices and development of a common, valid, specialty-specific tool would benefit EM educators and students. Methods A two-day national consensus conference was held in March 2016 in the Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM) track at the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) Academic Assembly in Nashville, TN. The goal of this conference was to standardize assessment practices and to create a national clinical assessment tool for use in EM clerkships across the country. Conference leaders synthesized the literature, articulated major themes and questions pertinent to clinical assessment of students in EM, clarified the issues, and outlined the consensus-building process prior to consensus-building activities. Results The first day of the conference was dedicated to developing consensus on these key themes in clinical assessment. The second day of the conference was dedicated to discussing and voting on proposed domains to be included in the national clinical assessment tool. A modified Delphi process was initiated after the conference to reconcile questions and items that did not reach an a priori level of consensus. Conclusion The final tool, the National Clinical Assessment Tool for Medical Students in Emergency Medicine (NCAT-EM) is presented here. PMID:29383058

Perfil das alterações vasculares periféricas em dependentes de crack acompanhados em Centro de Atenção Psicossocial para Álcool e Drogas (CAPS-AD)

PubMed Central

da Costa, Antônio Fagundes; Baldaçara, Leonardo Rodrigo; da Silva, Sílvio Alves; Tavares, Ana Célia de Freitas Ramos; Orsolin, Ederson de Freitas; Prehl, Vinícius Barros; Gondo, Fernando Hirohito Beltran; Santana, Hernani Lopes

2016-01-01

Resumo Contexto O consumo de crack é um dos grandes desafios em saúde pública, e o uso dessa droga tem efeitos diretos na saúde de seus usuários. Objetivos Avaliar o perfil das alterações vasculares em pacientes com dependência de crack em Centro de Atenção Psicossocial para Álcool e Drogas (CAPS-AD) e observar os possíveis efeitos vasculares periféricos. Métodos Trata-se de um estudo observacional, descritivo, de corte transversal. Os pacientes da amostra foram submetidos a um questionário objetivo para avaliar questões demográficas, padrão de uso da droga, coexistência de diabetes melito, hipertensão arterial ou tabagismo, exame físico e ecográfico. Os dados foram sumarizados e analisados estatisticamente com teste qui-quadrado ou teste exato de Fisher. Resultados A média de idade da amostra foi de 33,29 (±7,15) anos, e 74% eram do gênero masculino. A média de idade de início de uso da droga foi de 23,4 (±7,78) anos, com tempo médio de uso de 9,58 (±5,64) anos. O consumo médio diário de pedras de crack foi de 21,45 (±8,32) pedras. A alteração de pulsos em membros inferiores foi mais frequente em mulheres. A prevalência do espessamento da parede arterial nos membros inferiores foi de 94,8%. O tempo de uso da droga apresentou associação estatística (p = 0,0096) com alteração do padrão de curva espectral das artérias dos membros inferiores. Conclusões Há alterações vasculares periféricas em usuários de crack. O tempo de uso da droga exerceu um maior impacto nesse sistema, o que sugere associação entre o uso do crack e a diminuição de fluxo arterial.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article loaded onto Guppy

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-25

The Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article, secured inside its transport container, is lifted up by crane from its transport vehicle at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The test article will be loaded into NASA's Super Guppy aircraft, in view at left, and transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Forward Skirt Transport from Hangar AF to BFF

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-30

The Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) left-hand forward skirt for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket boosters is transported by truck to the Booster Fabrication Facility (BFF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida from Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. In the BFF, the forward skirt will be inspected and prepared for use on the left-hand solid rocket booster for EM-1. NASA's Orion spacecraft will fly atop the SLS rocket on its first uncrewed flight test.

Orion EM-1 Forward Skirt Move from Hangar AF to BFF

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-08-30

The Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) left-hand forward skirt for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket boosters arrives at the Booster Fabrication Facility (BFF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida from Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. In the BFF, the forward skirt will be inspected and prepared for use on the left-hand solid rocket booster for EM-1. NASA's Orion spacecraft will fly atop the SLS rocket on its first uncrewed flight test.

A Goal Programming Model for the Siting of Multilevel EMS Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

Management," unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1971. -23- (11) Daskin , M. and E. Stern, " A Multiobjective Set Covering...GOAL PROGRAM4MING MODEL FOR THE SITING OF MULTILEVEL EMS SYSTE-ETC(U) UNM1AR 80 A CHARNES, J E STORBECK N000iA-75-C-569 WICLASSIFIED CCS-366 N...366 A GOAL PROGRAMMING MODEL FOR THE SITING OF MULTILEVEL EMS SYSTEMS by A . Charnes J. Storbeck March 1980 This project was partially supported by

EM-1 Booster Prep, Right Aft Skirt Work-In-Progress

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-30

The right hand aft skirt for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket has been refurbished and painted and is ready for the assembly process in the Booster Fabrication Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The aft skirt was refurbished and painted in support facilities at the Hangar AF facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The space shuttle-era aft skirt will be used on the right hand booster of the SLS for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1). NASA is preparing for EM-1, deep space missions, and the Journey to Mars.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lockheed Martin technicians secure a protective cover around the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) for its move to a clean room. The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a Lockheed Martin technician secures a protective cover around the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) for its move to a clean room The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lockheed Martin technicians secure a protective cover around the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) for its move to a clean room. The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a protective cover is installed around the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) for its move to a clean room. The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lockheed Martin technicians are preparing the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) for the move into a clean room. The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Lockheed Martin technicians secure a protective cover around the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) for its move to a clean. The CMA will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Adapter Move to Clean Room

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-29

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion crew module adapter (CMA) for Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) is in a clean room with protective walls secured around it. The adapter will undergo propellant and environmental control and life support system tube installation and welding. The adapter will connect the Orion crew module to the European Space Agency-provided service module. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission, in late 2018.

Classification of ASASSN-17em/AT2017cts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bersier, David

2017-04-01

We obtained a spectrum of the candidate supernova ASASSN-17em/AT2017cts (ATEL #10241), using the SPRAT spectrograph mounted on the robotic 2m Liverpool Telescope at the Roque de los Muchachos observatory (La Palma).

Strain-controlled electronic properties and magnetorelaxor behaviors in electron-doped CaMnO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, P.-H.; Yamada, H.; Sawa, A.; Akoh, H.

2009-02-01

We have fabricated epitaxial thin films of electron-doped manganite Ca1-xCexMnO3 (CCMO) with 0≤x≤0.08. The transport properties of CCMO films are very sensitive to substrate-controlled epitaxial strain. For the CCMO(x =0.05) film, the metallic transport characteristic is observed only on a nearly lattice-matched NdAlO3 (NAO) substrate, while tensilely and compressively stressed films are insulating. The CCMO(x =0.06) film on the NAO substrate shows a large magnetoresistance characteristic of a magnetorelaxor. This behavior can be explained in terms of the phase separation and the irreversible growth of the metallic domain in antiferromagnetic insulating matrix.

Study of hydrogen in phthalocyanine semiconductors using muSR technique =

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duarte, Joao Pedro Piroto Pereira

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo experimental dos semicondutores organicos Ftalocianina (H2Pc), Ftalocianina de Zinco (ZnPc) e Ftalocianina de Cobre (CuPc) por tecnicas de µSR, tendo-se obtido informacao detalhada sobre a estrutura electronica dos estados de carga formados pelo muao positivo nos tres compostos, e sobre as interaccoes dinamicas a que esses estados se encontram sujeitos. Os resultados do estudo indicam que nas ftalocianias com caracter nao magneticas H2Pc e ZnPc se da a formacao de tres radicais muonicos paramagneticos distintos. A estrutura hiperfina destes radicais, referidos como estados I, II e III, foi caracterizada atraves da medida dos parametros de acoplamento hipefino em conjunto com a parameterizacao da sua dependencia com a temperatura. Uma quarta componente paramagnetica do sinal µSR foi tambem identificada, mas sobre a qual nao foi possivel retirar conclusoes definitivas quanto a sua origem. Verificou-se que os parametros de acoplamento hiperfino isotropicos dos tres estados identificados se encontram numa regiao de valores entre os 100 e os 150MHz para os estados I e II, enquanto que para o estado III esta quantidade toma valores em torno de 10 MHz. A estrutura electronica de todos os estados possui simetria axial, caracterizada por parametros dipolares de cerca de 15MHz para os estados I e II, e 20MHz para o estado III. A origem dos estados I e II foi determinada como sendo devida a adicao de muonio a uma das ligacoes duplas existentes nos aneis benzenicos da periferia das moleculas de ftalocianina recorrendo a calculos de estrutura electronica, tendo-se verificado a existencia de um acoplamento entre a interaccao hiperfina desses estados e modos vibracionais desses aneis. A problematica da localizacao do estado III tambem foi abordada, tomando-se como hipotese mais provavel uma posicao intersticial entre duas moleculas de ftalocianina. O estudo das interaccoes dinamicas de spin destes tres estados revelou que o estado III esta

Evolução química em galáxias compactas azuis (BCGs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanfranchi, G. A.; Matteucci, F.

2003-08-01

Neste trabalho, a formação estelar e evolução quí mica em galáxias Compactas Azuis (Blue Compact Galaxies - BCGs) foram estudadas através da comparação de previsões de modelos de evolução quí mica a várias razões de abundância quí mica observadas nestas galáxias. Modelos detalhados com recentes dados de nucleossí ntese e que levam em consideração o papel desempenahdo por supernovas de ambos os tipos (II e Ia) na evolução galáctica foram desenvolvidos para as BCGs permitindo seguir a evolução de vários elementos quí micos (H, D, He, C, N, O, Mg, Si, S, Ca, e Fe). O modelo é caracterizado pelas prescrições adotadas para a formação estelar, a qual ocorre em vários surtos de atividade separados por longos perí odos quiescentes. Após ajustar os melhores modelos aos dados observacionais, as previsões destes modelos foram comparadas também a razões de abundância observadas em sistemas Damped Lyman alpha (DLAs) e a origem do N (primária ou secundária) foi discutida. Alguns dos resultados obtidos são: i) as razões de abundância observadas nas BCGs são reproduzidas por modelos com 2 a 7 surtos de formação estelar com eficiência entre n = 0.2-0.9 Gano-1; ii) os baixos valores de N/O observados nestas galáxias são um resultado natural de uma formação estelar em surtos; iii) os modelos para BCGs podem reproduzir os dados dos DLAs, iv) uma quantidade "baixa" de N primário produzido em estrelas de alta massa pode ser uma explicação para os baixos valores de [N/a] observados em DLAs.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article Prepped for Trans

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-24

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians secure the transport container with the Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article onto a transport vehicle for the move to the Shuttle Landing Facility. The test article will be loaded in NASA's Super Guppy airplane and transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article Prepped for Trans

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-24

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article inside its transport container, is secured onto a transport vehicle for the move to the Shuttle Landing Facility. The test article will be loaded in NASA's Super Guppy airplane and transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article Prepped for Trans

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-24

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians secure the Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article in its transport container onto a transport vehicle for the move to the Shuttle Landing Facility. The test article will be loaded in NASA's Super Guppy airplane and transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

Orion EM-1 Crew Module Structural Test Article Prepped for Trans

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-04-24

Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Orion Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) structural test article, secured inside its transport container, is lowered onto a transport vehicle for the move to the Shuttle Landing Facility. The test article will be loaded in NASA's Super Guppy airplane and transported to Lockheed Martin's Denver facility for testing. The Orion spacecraft will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System rocket on EM-1, its first deep space mission.

3D time-domain airborne EM modeling for an arbitrarily anisotropic earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Changchun; Qi, Yanfu; Liu, Yunhe

2016-08-01

Time-domain airborne EM data is currently interpreted based on an isotropic model. Sometimes, it can be problematic when working in the region with distinct dipping stratifications. In this paper, we simulate the 3D time-domain airborne EM responses over an arbitrarily anisotropic earth with topography by edge-based finite-element method. Tetrahedral meshes are used to describe the abnormal bodies with complicated shapes. We further adopt the Backward Euler scheme to discretize the time-domain diffusion equation for electric field, obtaining an unconditionally stable linear equations system. We verify the accuracy of our 3D algorithm by comparing with 1D solutions for an anisotropic half-space. Then, we switch attentions to effects of anisotropic media on the strengths and the diffusion patterns of time-domain airborne EM responses. For numerical experiments, we adopt three typical anisotropic models: 1) an anisotropic anomalous body embedded in an isotropic half-space; 2) an isotropic anomalous body embedded in an anisotropic half-space; 3) an anisotropic half-space with topography. The modeling results show that the electric anisotropy of the subsurface media has big effects on both the strengths and the distribution patterns of time-domain airborne EM responses; this effect needs to be taken into account when interpreting ATEM data in areas with distinct anisotropy.

Importance of climatological downscaling and plant phenology for red deer in heterogeneous landscapes

PubMed Central

Pettorelli, Nathalie; Mysterud, Atle; Yoccoz, Nigel G; Langvatn, Rolf; Stenseth, Nils Chr

2005-01-01

Understanding how climate influences ecosystems represents a challenge in ecology and natural resource management. Although we know that climate affects plant phenology and herbivore performances at any single site, no study has directly coupled the topography–climate interaction (i.e. the climatological downscaling process) with large-scale vegetation dynamics and animal performances. Here we show how climatic variability (measured by the North Atlantic oscillation ‘NAO’) interacts with local topography in determining the vegetative greenness (as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index ‘NDVI’) and the body masses and seasonal movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Norway. Warm springs induced an earlier onset of vegetation, resulting in earlier migration and higher body masses. Increasing values of the winter-NAO corresponded to less snow at low altitude (warmer, more precipitation results in more rain), but more snow at high altitude (colder, more precipitation corresponds to more snow) relative to winters with low winter-NAO. An increasing NAO thus results in a spatially more variable phenology, offering migrating deer an extended period with access to high-quality forage leading to increased body mass. Our results emphasize the importance of incorporating spring as well as the interaction between winter climate and topography when aiming at understanding how plant and animal respond to climate change. PMID:16243701

Long term changes in flooding and heavy rainfall associated with North Atlantic tropical cyclones: Roles of the North Atlantic Oscillation and El Niño-Southern Oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aryal, Yog N.; Villarini, Gabriele; Zhang, Wei; Vecchi, Gabriel A.

2018-04-01

The aim of this study is to examine the contribution of North Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) to flooding and heavy rainfall across the continental United States. Analyses highlight the spatial variability in these hazards, their temporal changes in terms of frequency and magnitude, and their connection to large-scale climate, in particular to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We use long-term stream and rain gage measurements, and our analyses are based on annual maxima (AMs) and peaks-over-threshold (POTs). TCs contribute to ∼20-30% of AMs and POTs over Florida and coastal areas of the eastern United States, and the contribution decreases as we move inland. We do not detect statistically significant trends in the magnitude or frequency of TC floods. Regarding the role of climate, NAO and ENSO do not play a large role in controlling the frequency and magnitude of TC flooding. The connection between heavy rainfall and TCs is comparable to what observed in terms of flooding. Unlike flooding, NAO plays a significant role in TC-related extreme rainfall along the U.S. East Coast, while ENSO is most strongly linked to the TC precipitation in Texas.

Lithium Superoxide Hydrolysis and Relevance to Li–O 2 Batteries

DOE PAGES

Wang, Hsien -Hau; Lee, Yun Jung; Assary, Rajeev S.; ...

2017-04-17

Fundamental understanding of reactions of lithium peroxides and superoxides is essential for the development of Li–O 2 batteries. In this context, an investigation is reported of the hydrolysis of lithium superoxide, which has recently been synthesized in a Li–O 2 battery. Surprisingly, the hydrolysis of solid LiO 2 is significantly different from that of NaO 2 and KO 2. Unlike KO 2 and NaO 2, the hydrolysis of LiO 2 does not produce H 2O 2. Similarly, the reactivity of Li 2O 2 toward water differs from LiO 2, in that Li 2O 2 results in H 2O 2 asmore » a product. The difference in the LiO 2 reactivity with water is due to the more exothermic nature of the formation of LiOH and O 2 compared with the corresponding reactions of NaO 2 and KO 2. Here, we also show that a titration method used in this study, based on reaction of the discharge product with a Ti(IV)OSO 4 solution, provides a useful diagnostic technique to provide information on the composition of a discharge product in a Li–O 2 battery.« less

Interannual differences for sea turtles bycatch in Spanish longliners from Western Mediterranean Sea.

PubMed