Sample records for observations results showed

  1. Spatial Heterodyne Observation of Water (SHOW) from a high altitude aircraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bourassa, A. E.; Langille, J.; Solheim, B.; Degenstein, D. A.; Letros, D.; Lloyd, N. D.; Loewen, P.

    2017-12-01

    The Spatial Heterodyne Observations of Water instrument (SHOW) is limb-sounding satellite prototype that is being developed in collaboration between the University of Saskatchewan, York University, the Canadian Space Agency and ABB. The SHOW instrument combines a field-widened SHS with an imaging system to observe limb-scattered sunlight in a vibrational band of water (1363 nm - 1366 nm). Currently, the instrument has been optimized for deployment on NASA's ER-2 aircraft. Flying at an altitude of 70, 000 ft the ER-2 configuration and SHOW viewing geometry provides high spatial resolution (< 500 m) limb-measurements of water vapor in the Upper troposphere and lower stratosphere region. During an observation campaign from July 15 - July 22, the SHOW instrument performed 10 hours of observations from the ER-2. This paper describes the SHOW measurement technique and presents the preliminary analysis and results from these flights. These observations are used to validate the SHOW measurement technique and demonstrate the sampling capabilities of the instrument.

  2. 17. Building 202, observation room for test cell, showing panel, ...

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

    17. Building 202, observation room for test cell, showing panel, abort button, phones, and observation window. View looking northwest. - Rocket Engine Testing Facility, GRC Building No. 202, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH

  3. Battery Carpenter Observation Station, collapsed ruin showing south wall; view ...

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

    Battery Carpenter Observation Station, collapsed ruin showing south wall; view northeast - Fort McKinley, Battery Carpenter Observation Station, West side of East Side Drive, approximately 275 feet south of Weymouth Way, Great Diamond Island, Portland, Cumberland County, ME

  4. Battery Honeycutt Observation Station, closer view showing frame rain; view ...

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

    Battery Honeycutt Observation Station, closer view showing frame rain; view northeast - Fort McKinley, Battery Honeycutt Observation Station, East side of East Side Drive, approximately 225 feet south of Cove Side Drive, Great Diamond Island, Portland, Cumberland County, ME

  5. Battery Berry Observation Station, detail of west side showing former ...

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

    Battery Berry Observation Station, detail of west side showing former entry recess and typical sash window; view southeast - Fort McKinley, Battery Berry Observation Station, North side of Wood Side Drive approximately 80 feet east of Spring Cove Lane, Great Diamond Island, Portland, Cumberland County, ME

  6. 19. Detail of southeast corner of physical plant showing observation ...

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

    19. Detail of southeast corner of physical plant showing observation lookout (view is looking northwest) - Skinner Meat Packing Plant, Main Plant, 6006 South Twenty-seventh Street, Omaha, Douglas County, NE

  7. Ends of the mine observation tower and transformer buildings, showing ...

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

    Ends of the mine observation tower and transformer buildings, showing the separation between them. View facing east - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Waipio Peninsula, Waipo Peninsula, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

  8. Interior of the mine observation tower building, showing the steel ...

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

    Interior of the mine observation tower building, showing the steel compass ring in the tower. View facing east - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Waipio Peninsula, Waipo Peninsula, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

  9. Oblique of mine observation tower building showing entry door and ...

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

    Oblique of mine observation tower building showing entry door and transformer building behind on right. View facing north-northwest - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Waipio Peninsula, Waipo Peninsula, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

  10. Map showing location of observation wells in Massachusetts and Rhode Island

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rader, J.C.

    1995-01-01

    This map shows the locations of the 136 observation wells from the observation-well network maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The wells are identified by town name and well number. The map shows the location of the 10 observation wells that have digital recorders and the 126 observation wells that are measured by local observers. The aquifer material (sand, till, or bedrock) in which a well is located is noted. County and town boundaries are shown on the map. These features are presented at a scale of 1:400,000 (map size is about 38 by 30 inches). The map includes textual information describing the uses of observation-well data. The information is organized by construction, water supply, water quality, and statistical analysis. The map also presents observation well information, which was obtained from the annual data report of the Massachusetts--Rhode Island District. This infor- mation is presented in tabular form and includes town name, well number, aquifer material in which the well is located, and well depth below the land surface. The map was produced from a digital data base using a Geographic Information System. State boundaries were generated from digital line graphs maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. Town and county boundaries were digitized from stable-base materials maintained by State agencies. The map was prepared in cooperation with State agencies of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

  11. Btu accounting: Showing results

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

    Nelson, K.E.

    1994-10-01

    In the preceding article in this series last month, the author showed how to calculate the energy consumed to make a pound of product. To realize a payoff, however, the results must be presented in graphs or tables that clearly display what has happened. They must call attention to plant performance and ultimately lead to more efficient use of energy. Energy-consumption reporting is particularly valuable when viewed over a period of time. The author recommend compiling data annually and maintaining a ten-year performance history. Four cases are considered: individual plant performance; site performance for sites having more than one plant;more » company performance, for companies having more than one site; and performance based on product, for identical or similar products made at different plants or sites. Of these, individual plant performance is inherently the most useful. It also serves as the best basis for site, company and product performance reports. A key element in energy accounting is the relating of all energy consumption to a common basis. As developed last month in Part 1 in this series, the author chose Btu[sub meth] (i.e., Btu of methane equivalent, expressed as its higher heating value) for this purpose. It represents the amount of methane that would be needed to replace (in the case of fuels) or generate (in the case of steam and power) the energy being used.« less

  12. JIRAM infrared observations of Jupiter Aurorae: results of the first year.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mura, A.; Adriani, A.; Altieri, F.; Dinelli, B. M.; Moriconi, M. L.; Migliorini, A.; Bolton, S. J.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Cicchetti, A.; Noschese, R.; Sindoni, G.; Tosi, F.; Filacchione, G.; Fabiano, F.; Piccioni, G.; Turrini, D.; Amoroso, M.; Plainaki, C.; Olivieri, A.; Gerard, J.-C.

    2017-09-01

    JIRAM (Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper) is an imaging spectrometer on board the Juno spacecraft, specifically designed to observe the aurorae of Jupiter. Here we show results on JIRAM's data after one year of observations. The footprints of Io, Europa and Ganymede have also been observed and characterized.

  13. INTERIOR VIEW SHOWING FURNACE KEEPER OBSERVING FURNACE THROUGH BLUE GLASS ...

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

    INTERIOR VIEW SHOWING FURNACE KEEPER OBSERVING FURNACE THROUGH BLUE GLASS EVERY TWENTY MINUTES TO DETERMINE SIZE AND TEXTURE OF BATCH AND OTHER VARIABLES. FAN IN FRONT COOLS WORKERS AS THEY CONDUCT REPAIRS. FURNACE TEMPERATURE AT 1572 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. - Chambers-McKee Window Glass Company, Furnace No. 2, Clay Avenue Extension, Jeannette, Westmoreland County, PA

  14. STS-55 Earth observation shows a sunset over South America

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1993-01-01

    STS-55 Earth observation taken aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, shows a spectacular sunset view over South America and the cleanest atmosphere since before the volcanic eruptions of 1991, according to NASA scientists studying the STS-55 photography. A dark cloud layer is evident at an altitude of 7 to 9 kilometers. Five kilometers higher, a pink layer of sulfuric acid droplets and ammonium sulfate particles begins at the tropopause and extends upward into the stratosphere to 19 kilometers. Above that, blue scattering by the atmosphere diminishes until, at an altitude of 60 kilometers, the blackness of space is predominant.

  15. Evaluating the Impact of Database Heterogeneity on Observational Study Results

    PubMed Central

    Madigan, David; Ryan, Patrick B.; Schuemie, Martijn; Stang, Paul E.; Overhage, J. Marc; Hartzema, Abraham G.; Suchard, Marc A.; DuMouchel, William; Berlin, Jesse A.

    2013-01-01

    Clinical studies that use observational databases to evaluate the effects of medical products have become commonplace. Such studies begin by selecting a particular database, a decision that published papers invariably report but do not discuss. Studies of the same issue in different databases, however, can and do generate different results, sometimes with strikingly different clinical implications. In this paper, we systematically study heterogeneity among databases, holding other study methods constant, by exploring relative risk estimates for 53 drug-outcome pairs and 2 widely used study designs (cohort studies and self-controlled case series) across 10 observational databases. When holding the study design constant, our analysis shows that estimated relative risks range from a statistically significant decreased risk to a statistically significant increased risk in 11 of 53 (21%) of drug-outcome pairs that use a cohort design and 19 of 53 (36%) of drug-outcome pairs that use a self-controlled case series design. This exceeds the proportion of pairs that were consistent across databases in both direction and statistical significance, which was 9 of 53 (17%) for cohort studies and 5 of 53 (9%) for self-controlled case series. Our findings show that clinical studies that use observational databases can be sensitive to the choice of database. More attention is needed to consider how the choice of data source may be affecting results. PMID:23648805

  16. Traces on sky. Unexpected results of regular observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Churyumov, K. I.; Steklov, A. F.; Vidmachenko, A. P.; Dashkiev, N. G.; Steklov, E. A.

    2016-08-01

    If the fireball's track has noticeable angular size, it can be seen even in the daytime. After the flight, bolide remains a noticeable trace of a dust, dark against the light sky. If such a dust trail illuminated by the rays of the Sun, which had just hid behind the horizon (or even in the moonlight), it is visible as bright lanes in the night sky or in twilight. That's why we call it the twilight bolides. Usually, astronomical observations using of meteor patrols, carried out at night after the evening astronomical twilight. But from March 2013 to October 2015, the authors have obtained several thousands of different tracks in the sky over Kiev. Therefore, we have identified a special class of twilight observations of fireballs. We register the traces of invading to atmosphere of meteoroids of natural and artificial origin. At the same time, observe the traces of fireballs at the day-time are also possible. But they are less effective than in the twilight. Night observations of bright meteoric tracks can usually observe some seconds. While traces of the twilight bolides we observed from some minutes up to two hours, before they be scattered by atmospheric currents. It opens the great prospects for low-cost direct experiments probing of these tracks by using, for example, the astronomical aviation. We propose the twilight tracks are classified into the following types: AMT - aero-meteorological tracks, AST - aero-space, ATT - aero-technical, and NST - not yet classified tracks of unknown nature. During the short period of our observations (from March 2013 to 2016), was fixed falling at least a dozen fragments of cometary nuclei, at least five of sufficiently large and dozens of smaller fragments of meteoroids. The results of our observations also showed that during the morning and evening twilight over Kiev clearly visible the plume of aerosols of technical nature from the plants, factories and other production facilities.

  17. 13. DETAIL VIEW OF BUTTRESS 4 SHOWING THE RESULTS OF ...

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

    13. DETAIL VIEW OF BUTTRESS 4 SHOWING THE RESULTS OF POOR CONSTRUCTION WORK. THOUGH NOT A SERIOUS STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCY, THE 'HONEYCOMB' TEXTURE OF THE CONCRETE SURFACE WAS THE RESULT OF INADEQUATE TAMPING AT THE TIME OF THE INITIAL 'POUR'. - Hume Lake Dam, Sequioa National Forest, Hume, Fresno County, CA

  18. Results of Sustained Observations from SABSOON

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seim, H.; Nelson, J.

    2001-12-01

    A variety of meteorological and oceanographic data being collected on the continental shelf off Georgia by the South Atlantic Bight Synoptic Offshore Observational Network (SABSOON) permit an examination of episodic and seasonal phenomena operative on the shelf. Data are collected at offshore platforms and transmitted to shore in near-real time and made available on the project website. Examples of data collected since 1999 are presented that illustrate some of processes being addressed using the network. Maximum winds occur during remarkably energetic downbursts observed in spring and summer, associated with the passage of squalls over the coastal ocean. Peak wind speed at 50 m height exceed 40 ms and air temperature drops by 4 oC or more in less than 6 minutes, often accompanied by large changes in humidity and heavy rainfall, suggesting down draft of air from aloft. These events may play an important role in the offshore transport of continentally-derived material. Continuous ADCP measurements are being used to examine the seasonality of cross-shelf exchange and its relationship to the cross-shelf density gradient. The low-frequency cross-shelf circulation changes sign when the cross-shelf density gradient changes sign. Vertical stratification is surprisingly episodic, and maximum stratification has occurred in the winter and spring associated with appearance of long-salinity surface lens and may be associated with baroclinic instabilities. Strong stratification has also been observed in summer during Gulf Stream-derived intrusions onto the shelf, during which time the upper and lower layers become largely decoupled. Continuous optical measurements of above-water and in-water irradiance (PAR) show the mid-shelf surface sediments are often in the euphotic zone. Chlorophyll fluorescence (stimulated) shows strong light-dependent diurnal variability in near-surface waters and evidence of resuspension of benthic diatoms during storm events, particularly in the early

  19. GEOS observation systems intercomparison investigation results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berbert, J. H.

    1974-01-01

    The results of an investigation designed to determine the relative accuracy and precision of the different types of geodetic observation systems used by NASA is presented. A collocation technique was used to minimize the effects of uncertainties in the relative station locations and in the earth's gravity field model by installing accurate reference tracking systems close to the systems to be compared, and by precisely determining their relative survey. The Goddard laser and camera systems were shipped to selected sites, where they tracked the GEOS satellite simultaneously with other systems for an intercomparison observation.

  20. 14. DETAIL VIEW OF BUTTRESS 4 SHOWING THE RESULTS OF ...

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

    14. DETAIL VIEW OF BUTTRESS 4 SHOWING THE RESULTS OF INADEQUATE TAMPING. THE SIZE OF THE GRANITE AGGREGATE USED IN THE DAMS CONCRETE IS CLEARLY SHOWN. - Hume Lake Dam, Sequioa National Forest, Hume, Fresno County, CA

  1. Gun shows across a multistate American gun market: observational evidence of the effects of regulatory policies

    PubMed Central

    Wintemute, Garen J

    2007-01-01

    Objective To describe gun shows and assess the impact of increased regulation on characteristics linked to their importance as sources of guns used in crime. Design Cross‐sectional, observational. Subjects Data were collected at a structured sample of 28 gun shows in California, which regulates these events and prohibits undocumented private party gun sales; and in Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Florida—all leading sources of California's crime guns—where these restrictions do not exist. Main outcome measures Size of shows, measured by numbers of gun vendors and people in attendance; number and nature of guns for sale by gun vendors; measures of private party gun sales and illegal surrogate (“straw”) gun purchases. Results Shows in comparison states were larger, but the number of attendees per gun vendor was higher in California. None of these differences was statistically significant. Armed attendees were more common in other states (median 5.7%, interquartile range (IQR) 3.9–10.0%) than in California (median 1.1%, IQR 0.5–2.2%), p = 0.0007. Thirty percent of gun vendors both in California and elsewhere were identifiable as licensed firearm retailers. There were few differences in the types or numbers of guns offered for sale; vendors elsewhere were more likely to sell assault weapons (34.9% and 13.3%, respectively; p = 0.001). Straw purchases were more common in the comparison states (rate ratio 6.6 (95% CI 0.9 to 49.1), p = 0.06). Conclusions California's regulatory policies were associated with a decreased incidence of anonymous, undocumented gun sales and illegal straw purchases at gun shows. No significant adverse effects of these policies were observed. PMID:17567968

  2. Scheduling Results for the THEMIS Observation Scheduling Tool

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mclaren, David; Rabideau, Gregg; Chien, Steve; Knight, Russell; Anwar, Sadaat; Mehall, Greg; Christensen, Philip

    2011-01-01

    We describe a scheduling system intended to assist in the development of instrument data acquisitions for the THEMIS instrument, onboard the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, and compare results from multiple scheduling algorithms. This tool creates observations of both (a) targeted geographical regions of interest and (b) general mapping observations, while respecting spacecraft constraints such as data volume, observation timing, visibility, lighting, season, and science priorities. This tool therefore must address both geometric and state/timing/resource constraints. We describe a tool that maps geometric polygon overlap constraints to set covering constraints using a grid-based approach. These set covering constraints are then incorporated into a greedy optimization scheduling algorithm incorporating operations constraints to generate feasible schedules. The resultant tool generates schedules of hundreds of observations per week out of potential thousands of observations. This tool is currently under evaluation by the THEMIS observation planning team at Arizona State University.

  3. Dysphoric students show higher use of the observer perspective in their retrieval of positive versus negative autobiographical memories

    PubMed Central

    Nelis, Sabine; Debeer, Elise; Holmes, Emily A.; Raes, Filip

    2013-01-01

    Autobiographical memories are retrieved as images from either a field perspective or an observer perspective. The observer perspective is thought to dull emotion. Positive affect is blunted in depressed mood. Consequently, are positive events recalled from an observer perspective in depressed mood? We investigated the relationship between memory vantage perspective and depressive symptoms in a student sample. Participants completed the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT; Williams & Broadbent, 1986) and assessed the perspective accompanying each memory. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996) and the Responses to Positive Affect questionnaire (RPA; Feldman, Joormann, & Johnson, 2008) were administered. The results showed a small positive association between depressive symptoms and the use of an observer perspective for positive autobiographical memories, but not for negative memories. Furthermore, comparing a subgroup with clinically significant symptom levels (dysphoric students) with non-dysphoric individuals revealed that dysphoric students used an observer perspective more for positive memories compared with negative memories. This was not the case for non-dysphoric students. The observer perspective in dysphorics was associated with a dampening cognitive style in response to positive experiences. PMID:23083015

  4. Upper Stratospheric Temperature Climatology Derived from SAGE II Observations: Preliminary Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, P.-H.; Cunnold, D. M.; Wang, H. J.; Chu, W. P.; Thomason, L. W.

    2002-01-01

    This study shows that the temperature information in the upper stratosphere can be derived from the SAGE II 385-mn observations. The preliminary results indicate that the zonal mean temperature increases with altitude below 50 km and decreases above 50 km. At 50 km, a regional maximum of 263 K is located in the tropics, and a minimum of 261 K occurs in the subtropics in both hemispheres. The derived long-term temperature changes from 1985 to 1997 reveal a statistically significant negative trend of -2 to -2.5 K/decade in the tropical upper stratosphere and about -2 K/decade in the subtropics near the stratopause. At latitudes poleward of 50, the results show a statistically significant positive trend of about 1 K/decade in the upper stratosphere. The preliminary results also show large annual temperature oscillations in the extratropics with a maximum amplitude of approx. 8 K located at about 44 km near 50 in both hemispheres during local summer. In addition, the semiannual oscillation is found to be a maximum in the tropics with a peak amplitude of approx. 3.3 K located at about 42 km during the equinox.

  5. Gun Shows and Gun Violence: Fatally Flawed Study Yields Misleading Results

    PubMed Central

    Hemenway, David; Webster, Daniel; Pierce, Glenn; Braga, Anthony A.

    2010-01-01

    A widely publicized but unpublished study of the relationship between gun shows and gun violence is being cited in debates about the regulation of gun shows and gun commerce. We believe the study is fatally flawed. A working paper entitled “The Effect of Gun Shows on Gun-Related Deaths: Evidence from California and Texas” outlined this study, which found no association between gun shows and gun-related deaths. We believe the study reflects a limited understanding of gun shows and gun markets and is not statistically powered to detect even an implausibly large effect of gun shows on gun violence. In addition, the research contains serious ascertainment and classification errors, produces results that are sensitive to minor specification changes in key variables and in some cases have no face validity, and is contradicted by 1 of its own authors’ prior research. The study should not be used as evidence in formulating gun policy. PMID:20724672

  6. Gun shows and gun violence: fatally flawed study yields misleading results.

    PubMed

    Wintemute, Garen J; Hemenway, David; Webster, Daniel; Pierce, Glenn; Braga, Anthony A

    2010-10-01

    A widely publicized but unpublished study of the relationship between gun shows and gun violence is being cited in debates about the regulation of gun shows and gun commerce. We believe the study is fatally flawed. A working paper entitled "The Effect of Gun Shows on Gun-Related Deaths: Evidence from California and Texas" outlined this study, which found no association between gun shows and gun-related deaths. We believe the study reflects a limited understanding of gun shows and gun markets and is not statistically powered to detect even an implausibly large effect of gun shows on gun violence. In addition, the research contains serious ascertainment and classification errors, produces results that are sensitive to minor specification changes in key variables and in some cases have no face validity, and is contradicted by 1 of its own authors' prior research. The study should not be used as evidence in formulating gun policy.

  7. CHEERS Results on Mrk 573: A Study of Deep Chandra Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paggi, Alessandro; Wang, Junfeng; Fabbiano, Giuseppina; Elvis, Martin; Karovska, Margarita

    2012-09-01

    We present results on Mrk 573 obtained as part of the CHandra survey of Extended Emission-line Regions in nearby Seyfert galaxies (CHEERS). Previous studies showed that this source features a biconical emission in the soft X-ray band closely related to the narrow-line region as mapped by the [O III] emission line and the radio emission, though on a smaller scale; we investigate the properties of soft X-ray emission from this source with new deep Chandra observations. Making use of the subpixel resolution of the Chandra/ACIS image and point-spread function deconvolution, we resolve and study substructures in each ionizing cone. The two cone spectra are fitted with a photoionization model, showing a mildly photoionized phase diffused over the bicone. Thermal collisional gas at about ~1.1 keV and ~0.8 keV appears to be located between the nucleus and the "knots" resolved in radio observations, and between the "arcs" resolved in the optical images, respectively; this can be interpreted in terms of shock interaction with the host galactic plane. The nucleus shows a significant flux decrease across the observations indicating variability of the active galactic nucleus (AGN), with the nuclear region featuring a higher ionization parameter with respect to the bicone region. The long exposure allows us to find extended emission up to ~7 kpc from the nucleus along the bicone axis. Significant emission is also detected in the direction perpendicular to the ionizing cones, disagreeing with the fully obscuring torus prescribed in the AGN unified model and suggesting instead the presence of a clumpy structure.

  8. First Results of Venus Express Spacecraft Observations with Wettzell

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Calves, Guifre Molera; Wagner, Jan; Neidhardt, Alexander; Kronschnabl, Gerhard; Ayucar, Miguel Perez; Cimo, Giuseppe; Pogrebenko, Sergei

    2010-01-01

    The ESA Venus Express spacecraft was observed at X-band with the Wettzell radio telescope in October-December 2009 in the framework of an assessment study of the possible contribution of the European VLBI Network to the upcoming ESA deep space missions. A major goal of these observations was to develop and test the scheduling, data capture, transfer, processing, and analysis pipeline. Recorded data were transferred from Wettzell to Metsahovi for processing, and the processed data were sent from Mets ahovi to JIVE for analysis. A turnover time of 24 hours from observations to analysis results was achieved. The high dynamic range of the detections allowed us to achieve a milliHz level of spectral resolution accuracy and to extract the phase of the spacecraft signal carrier line. Several physical parameters can be determined from these observational results with more observational data collected. Among other important results, the measured phase fluctuations of the carrier line at different time scales can be used to determine the influence of the solar wind plasma density fluctuations on the accuracy of the astrometric VLBI observations.

  9. Mars Science Laboratory relative humidity observations: Initial results.

    PubMed

    Harri, A-M; Genzer, M; Kemppinen, O; Gomez-Elvira, J; Haberle, R; Polkko, J; Savijärvi, H; Rennó, N; Rodriguez-Manfredi, J A; Schmidt, W; Richardson, M; Siili, T; Paton, M; Torre-Juarez, M De La; Mäkinen, T; Newman, C; Rafkin, S; Mischna, M; Merikallio, S; Haukka, H; Martin-Torres, J; Komu, M; Zorzano, M-P; Peinado, V; Vazquez, L; Urqui, R

    2014-09-01

    The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) made a successful landing at Gale crater early August 2012. MSL has an environmental instrument package called the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) as a part of its scientific payload. REMS comprises instrumentation for the observation of atmospheric pressure, temperature of the air, ground temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity (REMS-H), and UV measurements. We concentrate on describing the REMS-H measurement performance and initial observations during the first 100 MSL sols as well as constraining the REMS-H results by comparing them with earlier observations and modeling results. The REMS-H device is based on polymeric capacitive humidity sensors developed by Vaisala Inc., and it makes use of transducer electronics section placed in the vicinity of the three humidity sensor heads. The humidity device is mounted on the REMS boom providing ventilation with the ambient atmosphere through a filter protecting the device from airborne dust. The final relative humidity results appear to be convincing and are aligned with earlier indirect observations of the total atmospheric precipitable water content. The water mixing ratio in the atmospheric surface layer appears to vary between 30 and 75 ppm. When assuming uniform mixing, the precipitable water content of the atmosphere is ranging from a few to six precipitable micrometers. Atmospheric water mixing ratio at Gale crater varies from 30 to 140 ppmMSL relative humidity observation provides good dataHighest detected relative humidity reading during first MSL 100 sols is RH75.

  10. Observational results of a multi-telescope campaign in search of interstellar urea [(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}CO

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

    Remijan, Anthony J.; Snyder, Lewis E.; Kuo, Hsin-Lun

    In this paper, we present the results of an observational search for gas phase urea [(NH{sub 2}){sub 2}CO] observed toward the Sgr B2(N-LMH) region. We show data covering urea transitions from ∼100 GHz to 250 GHz from five different observational facilities: the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland-Association (BIMA) Array, the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA), the NRAO 12 m telescope, the IRAM 30 m telescope, and the Swedish-ESO Submillimeter Telescope (SEST). The results show that the features ascribed to urea can be reproduced across the entire observed bandwidth and all facilities by best-fit column density, temperature, and source size parameters whichmore » vary by less than a factor of two between observations merely by adjusting for telescope-specific parameters. Interferometric observations show that the emission arising from these transitions is cospatial and compact, consistent with the derived source sizes and emission from a single species. Despite this evidence, the spectral complexity of both (NH{sub 2}){sub 2}CO and of Sgr B2(N) makes the definitive identification of this molecule challenging. We present observational spectra, laboratory data, and models, and discuss our results in the context of a possible molecular detection of urea.« less

  11. Mars Science Laboratory relative humidity observations: Initial results

    PubMed Central

    Harri, A-M; Genzer, M; Kemppinen, O; Gomez-Elvira, J; Haberle, R; Polkko, J; Savijärvi, H; Rennó, N; Rodriguez-Manfredi, JA; Schmidt, W; Richardson, M; Siili, T; Paton, M; Torre-Juarez, M De La; Mäkinen, T; Newman, C; Rafkin, S; Mischna, M; Merikallio, S; Haukka, H; Martin-Torres, J; Komu, M; Zorzano, M-P; Peinado, V; Vazquez, L; Urqui, R

    2014-01-01

    The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) made a successful landing at Gale crater early August 2012. MSL has an environmental instrument package called the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) as a part of its scientific payload. REMS comprises instrumentation for the observation of atmospheric pressure, temperature of the air, ground temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity (REMS-H), and UV measurements. We concentrate on describing the REMS-H measurement performance and initial observations during the first 100 MSL sols as well as constraining the REMS-H results by comparing them with earlier observations and modeling results. The REMS-H device is based on polymeric capacitive humidity sensors developed by Vaisala Inc., and it makes use of transducer electronics section placed in the vicinity of the three humidity sensor heads. The humidity device is mounted on the REMS boom providing ventilation with the ambient atmosphere through a filter protecting the device from airborne dust. The final relative humidity results appear to be convincing and are aligned with earlier indirect observations of the total atmospheric precipitable water content. The water mixing ratio in the atmospheric surface layer appears to vary between 30 and 75 ppm. When assuming uniform mixing, the precipitable water content of the atmosphere is ranging from a few to six precipitable micrometers. Key Points Atmospheric water mixing ratio at Gale crater varies from 30 to 140 ppm MSL relative humidity observation provides good data Highest detected relative humidity reading during first MSL 100 sols is RH75% PMID:26213667

  12. STS-44 Earth observation shows purplish twilight over the Atlantic Ocean

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    STS-44 Earth observation taken aboard Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, shows twilight over the Atlantic Ocean. OV-104 was at a point in the north Atlantic located at 28 degrees north latitude and 37 degrees west longitude. The spacecraft has just passed sundown on the Earth's surface, but it was still daylight at an altitude of 195 nautical miles. During the mission, the astronauts noted that the limb of the Earth displayed a more purplish tint instead of its normal blue. This effect, according to NASA scientists, is attributed to the high altitude residue (mostly sulfuric acid particles) from the Mount Pinatubo eruptions of mid June 1991. Note the broad band of twilight in the center of the image. This band is another indicator of the upper atmospheric scattering of sunlight caused by this layer of haze that exists between 20 and 30 kilometers above Earth. Sunlight highlights the empty payload bay (PLB), the vertical tail, and orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods against the black

  13. Initial Results Derived from JEM-GLIMS Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, M.; Ushio, T.; Morimoto, T.; Kobayashi, N.; Takahashi, Y.; Suzuki, M.; Yamazaki, A.; Inan, U.; Linscott, I.; Hobara, Y.

    2012-12-01

    measured by two radio receivers. JEM-GIMS was successfully launched by H-IIB rocket at 02:06:18 UT on July 21, 2012 and transported to ISS by the HTV-3 cargo transfer spaceship. HTV-3 successfully arrived at ISS on July 27 and our JEM-GLIMS instruments will be installed at JEM-EF on August 9. For the period from September 15 to 21 we will carry out the initial checkout operation, and finally we will start continuous TLE observations from the middle of October. At the presentation we will show the test results obtained during the checkout operations and will present the initial results derived from JEM-GLIMS lightning/TLE observations.

  14. Water vapour tomography using GPS phase observations: Results from the ESCOMPTE experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nilsson, T.; Gradinarsky, L.; Elgered, G.

    2007-10-01

    Global Positioning System (GPS) tomography is a technique for estimating the 3-D structure of the atmospheric water vapour using data from a dense local network of GPS receivers. Several current methods utilize estimates of slant wet delays between the GPS satellites and the receivers on the ground, which are difficult to obtain with millimetre accuracy from the GPS observations. We present results of applying a new tomographic method to GPS data from the Expériance sur site pour contraindre les modèles de pollution atmosphérique et de transport d'emissions (ESCOMPTE) experiment in southern France. This method does not rely on any slant wet delay estimates, instead it uses the GPS phase observations directly. We show that the estimated wet refractivity profiles estimated by this method is on the same accuracy level or better compared to other tomographic methods. The results are in agreement with earlier simulations, for example the profile information is limited above 4 km.

  15. Evaluation of Observation-Fused Regional Air Quality Model Results for Population Air Pollution Exposure Estimation

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Gang; Li, Jingyi; Ying, Qi; Sherman, Seth; Perkins, Neil; Rajeshwari, Sundaram; Mendola, Pauline

    2014-01-01

    In this study, Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model was applied to predict ambient gaseous and particulate concentrations during 2001 to 2010 in 15 hospital referral regions (HRRs) using a 36-km horizontal resolution domain. An inverse distance weighting based method was applied to produce exposure estimates based on observation-fused regional pollutant concentration fields using the differences between observations and predictions at grid cells where air quality monitors were located. Although the raw CMAQ model is capable of producing satisfying results for O3 and PM2.5 based on EPA guidelines, using the observation data fusing technique to correct CMAQ predictions leads to significant improvement of model performance for all gaseous and particulate pollutants. Regional average concentrations were calculated using five different methods: 1) inverse distance weighting of observation data alone, 2) raw CMAQ results, 3) observation-fused CMAQ results, 4) population-averaged raw CMAQ results and 5) population-averaged fused CMAQ results. It shows that while O3 (as well as NOx) monitoring networks in the HRR regions are dense enough to provide consistent regional average exposure estimation based on monitoring data alone, PM2.5 observation sites (as well as monitors for CO, SO2, PM10 and PM2.5 components) are usually sparse and the difference between the average concentrations estimated by the inverse distance interpolated observations, raw CMAQ and fused CMAQ results can be significantly different. Population-weighted average should be used to account spatial variation in pollutant concentration and population density. Using raw CMAQ results or observations alone might lead to significant biases in health outcome analyses. PMID:24747248

  16. Results of geomagnetic observations in Central Africa by Portuguese explorers during 1877 1885

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vaquero, José M.; Trigo, Ricardo M.

    2006-08-01

    In this short contribution, geomagnetic measurements in Central Africa made by Capelo and Ivens - two Portuguese explorers - during the years 1877 and 1885 are provided. We show the scarce number of geomagnetic observation in Africa compiled until now. These Portuguese explorers performed a considerable amount of measurements of geomagnetic declination (44 measurements), inclination (50) and horizontal component (50) of the geomagnetic field. We compared the results attained by these keen observers with those derived from the global geomagnetic model by Jackson et al. [Jackson, A., Jonkers, A.,Walker, M., 2000. Four centuries of geomagnetic secular variation from historical records. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 358, 957-990].

  17. Observing Tropical Cyclones from the Global Hawk: HAMSR Results from GRIP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lambrigtsen, B.; Brown, S.; Behrangi, A.

    2011-12-01

    The Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) recently acquired by NASA was flown for the first time in 2010 in a hurricane field campaign, the NASA Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment. One of the primary payloads was the High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR) developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. HAMSR is a cloud penetrating microwave sounder that provides a picture of the state of the atmosphere, such as the thermodynamic environment around hurricanes and the convective structure in the inner core. We show results from GRIP, including analysis of observations of Hurricane Karl during 13 hours during a period of rapid intensification.

  18. NuSTAR Results and Future Plans for Magnetar and Rotation-Powered Pulsar Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    An, H.; Kaspi, V. M.; Archibald, R.; Bachetti, M.; Bhalerao, V.; Bellm, E. C.; Beloborodov, A. M.; Boggs, S. E.; Chakrabarty, D.; Christensen, F. E.; hide

    2014-01-01

    The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is the first focusing hard X-ray mission in orbit and operates in the 3-79 keV range. NuSTAR's sensitivity is roughly two orders of magnitude better than previous missions in this energy band thanks to its superb angular resolution. Since its launch in 2012 June, NuSTAR has performed excellently and observed many interesting sources including four magnetars, two rotation-powered pulsars and the cataclysmic variable AE Aquarii. NuSTAR also discovered 3.76-s pulsations from the transient source SGR J1745-29 recently found by Swift very close to the Galactic center, clearly identifying the source as a transient magnetar. For magnetar 1E 1841-045, we show that the spectrum is well fit by an absorbed blackbody plus broken power-law model with a hard power-law photon index of approximately 1.3. This is consistent with previous results by INTEGRAL and RXTE. We also find an interesting double-peaked pulse profile in the 25-35 keV band. For AE Aquarii, we show that the spectrum can be described by a multi-temperature thermal model or a thermal plus non-thermal model; a multi-temperature thermal model without a non-thermal component cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, we do not see a spiky pulse profile in the hard X-ray band, as previously reported based on Suzaku observations. For other magnetars and rotation-powered pulsars observed with NuSTAR, data analysis results will be soon available.

  19. Latitude Dependence of Low-Altitude O+ Ion Upflow: Statistical Results From FAST Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, K.; Chen, K. W.; Jiang, Y.; Chen, W. J.; Huang, L. F.; Fu, S.

    2017-09-01

    We introduce a statistical model to explain the latitudinal dependence of the occurrence rate and energy flux of the ionospheric escaping ions, taking advantage of advances in the spatial coverage and accuracy of FAST observations. We use a weighted piecewise Gaussian function to fit the dependence, because two probability peaks are located in the dayside polar cusp source region and the nightside auroral oval zone source region. The statistical results show that (1) the Gaussian Mixture Model suitably describes the dayside polar cusp upflows, and the dayside and the nightside auroral oval zone upflows. (2) The magnetic latitudes of the ionospheric upflow source regions expand toward the magnetic equator as Kp increases, from 81° magnetic latitude (MLAT) (cusp upflows) and 63° MLAT (auroral oval upflows) during quiet times to 76° MLAT and 61° MLAT, respectively. (3) The dayside polar cusp region provides only 3-5% O+ upflows among all the source regions, which include the dayside auroral oval zone, dayside polar cusp, nightside auroral oval zone, and even the polar cap. However, observations show that more than 70% of upflows occur in the auroral oval zone and that the occurrence probability increases at the altitudes of 3500-4200 km, which is considered to be the lower altitude boundary of ion beams. This observed result suggests that soft electron precipitation and transverse wave heating are the most efficient ion energization/acceleration mechanisms at the altitudes of FAST orbit, and that the parallel acceleration caused by field-aligned potential drops becomes effective above that altitude.

  20. Results From Mars Show Electrostatic Charging of the Mars Pathfinder Sojourner Rover

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kolecki, Joseph C.; Siebert, Mark W.

    1998-01-01

    Indirect evidence (dust accumulation) has been obtained indicating that the Mars Pathfinder rover, Sojourner, experienced electrostatic charging on Mars. Lander camera images of the Sojourner rover provide distinctive evidence of dust accumulation on rover wheels during traverses, turns, and crabbing maneuvers. The sol 22 (22nd Martian "day" after Pathfinder landed) end-of-day image clearly shows fine red dust concentrated around the wheel edges with additional accumulation in the wheel hubs. A sol 41 image of the rover near the rock "Wedge" (see the next image) shows a more uniform coating of dust on the wheel drive surfaces with accumulation in the hubs similar to that in the previous image. In the sol 41 image, note particularly the loss of black-white contrast on the Wheel Abrasion Experiment strips (center wheel). This loss of contrast was also seen when dust accumulated on test wheels in the laboratory. We believe that this accumulation occurred because the Martian surface dust consists of clay-sized particles, similar to those detected by Viking, which have become electrically charged. By adhering to the wheels, the charged dust carries a net nonzero charge to the rover, raising its electrical potential relative to its surroundings. Similar charging behavior was routinely observed in an experimental facility at the NASA Lewis Research Center, where a Sojourner wheel was driven in a simulated Martian surface environment. There, as the wheel moved and accumulated dust (see the following image), electrical potentials in excess of 100 V (relative to the chamber ground) were detected by a capacitively coupled electrostatic probe located 4 mm from the wheel surface. The measured wheel capacitance was approximately 80 picofarads (pF), and the calculated charge, 8 x 10(exp -9) coulombs (C). Voltage differences of 100 V and greater are believed sufficient to produce Paschen electrical discharge in the Martian atmosphere. With an accumulated net charge of 8 x 10(exp

  1. Results from EDDAatCOSY: Spin Observables in Proton-Proton Elastic Scattering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rohdjeß, Heiko

    2003-07-01

    Elastic proton-proton scattering as one of the fundamental hadronic reactions has been studied with the internal target experiment EDDA at the Cooler-Synchrotron COSY/Jülich. A precise measurement of differential cross section, analyzing power and three spin-correlation parameters over a large angular (θc.m. ≈ 35° - 90°) and energy (Tp ≈ 0.5 - 2.5 GeV) range has been carried out in the past years. By taking scattering data during the acceleration of the COSY beam, excitation functions were measured in small energy steps and consistent normalization with respect to luminosity and polarization. The experiment uses internal fiber targets and a polarized hydrogen atomic-beam target in conjunction with a double-layered, cylindrical scintillator hodoscope for particle detection. The results on differential cross sections and analyzing powers have been published and helped to improve phase shift solutions. Recently data taking with polarized beam and target has been completed. Preliminary results for the spin-correlation parameters A NN, ASS, and ASL are presented. The observable ASS has been measured the first time above 800 MeV and our results are in sharp contrast to phase-shift predictions at higher energies. Our analysis shows that some of the ambiguities in the direct reconstruction of scattering amplitudes which also show up as differences between available phase-shift solutions, will be reduced by these new measurements.

  2. Gun shows across a multistate American gun market: observational evidence of the effects of regulatory policies.

    PubMed

    Wintemute, Garen J

    2007-06-01

    To describe gun shows and assess the impact of increased regulation on characteristics linked to their importance as sources of guns used in crime. Cross-sectional, observational. Data were collected at a structured sample of 28 gun shows in California, which regulates these events and prohibits undocumented private party gun sales; and in Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Florida-all leading sources of California's crime guns--where these restrictions do not exist. Size of shows, measured by numbers of gun vendors and people in attendance; number and nature of guns for sale by gun vendors; measures of private party gun sales and illegal surrogate ("straw") gun purchases. Shows in comparison states were larger, but the number of attendees per gun vendor was higher in California. None of these differences was statistically significant. Armed attendees were more common in other states (median 5.7%, interquartile range (IQR) 3.9-10.0%) than in California (median 1.1%, IQR 0.5-2.2%), p = 0.0007. Thirty percent of gun vendors both in California and elsewhere were identifiable as licensed firearm retailers. There were few differences in the types or numbers of guns offered for sale; vendors elsewhere were more likely to sell assault weapons (34.9% and 13.3%, respectively; p = 0.001). Straw purchases were more common in the comparison states (rate ratio 6.6 (95% CI 0.9 to 49.1), p = 0.06). California's regulatory policies were associated with a decreased incidence of anonymous, undocumented gun sales and illegal straw purchases at gun shows. No significant adverse effects of these policies were observed.

  3. Kappa Cygnids (KCG) by TV observation results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shiba, Yasuo

    2017-12-01

    The kappa Cygnids (KCG) and its nearby region were researched by using Japanese automatic TV observation network (SonotaCo network) results for 2007-2016. KCG in 2007 and 2014 were observed with an enhancement of eight times as many meteors than ordinary years at solar longitude 145 degrees. Also the 2013 KCG were enhanced with three times the number of meteors recorded than ordinary years at solar longitude 135 degrees. In years of observed enhanced KCG (2007, 2013, 2014) luminous magnitudes were brighter than in ordinary years. The 2007 and 2014 KCG radiant distributions were similar but shifted 5 degrees to the north in 2013. The 2013 KCG orbital elements were systematically different from 2007 and 2014. If a continuous meteoroid distribution in the solar system causes the enhanced KCG, it is suggested that a distorted `swarm' has been constructed. The annual KCG radiant distribution and distributions of every orbital element have some peaks which indicate a complex meteor shower. Luminous trajectory altitudes in years of observed enhanced KCG were higher than the annual KCG height. August Draconids (AUD) is an annual meteor shower, many meteors of which are decided to also belong to KCG by using the criterion, but each meteor shower is independent because they have different characteristics. AUD radiants on the celestial sphere drift to the west and form an arc lasting till the end of September. I recommend to create a standard to decide for two meteor showers whether they are truly two meteor showers or not.

  4. Recent results from the SIMECA code and VLTI observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meilland, A.; Stee, Ph.

    We present recent results on active hot stars using the first VLTI/MIDI and VLTI/AMBER observations, and the SIMECA code developed by Stee (1994). α Arae was the first classical Be star observed with MIDI (June 2003) and AMBER (February 2005). The size of its circumstellar envelope was measured and thanks to the spectrally-resolved interferometric AMBER observations, we were able, for the first time to evidence the Keplerian rotation of the circumstellar disc. MWC 297 is one of the brightest Herbig Be star, and it was then observed during the first commissioning run of AMBER in May 2004. The data obtained were good enough to allow us to infer the accretion disc extension, as well as to put strong constraints on the stellar wind geometry and kinematics.

  5. Volatile Transport on Pluto: First Results from the 2013 Observing Season

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buratti, B. J.; Dalba, P. A.; Hicks, M.; Chu, D.; O'Neill, A.; Chesley, J. P.

    2013-12-01

    With the New Horizons spacecraft due to encounter Pluto in slightly less than two years, close scrutiny of this dwarf ice planet has begun in earnest. Ground-based observations are especially critical for context and for a larger temporal excursion. Seasonal transport of volatiles should occur on Pluto, and this transport should be detectable through changes in its rotational light curve, once all variations due to viewing geometry have been modeled. Giving the steady increase observed in Pluto's atmospheric pressure over the past two decades, associated sublimation of frost from the surface has likely occurred, as predicted by volatile transport models. Rotational light curves of Pluto through time have been created for static frost models based on images from the Hubble Space Telescope. These models, which account for changes in viewing geometry, have been compared with observed light curves obtained between 1950 and 2013. No evidence for transport was evident prior to 2000. Observations from 2002 (Buie et al., 2010, Astron. J. 139, 1128) and 2007-2008 (Hicks et al. 2008, B.A.A.S. 40, 460) suggest changes in the frost pattern on Pluto's surface. New observations of Pluto's light curve from the 2013 season from Table Mountain Observatory show no evidence for the large transport of volatiles on Pluto's surface. Our data are the first measurement of a large opposition surge on Pluto similar to that seen on other icy bodies. Both Buie et al. (2010) and our observations from the 2012-2013 seasons show that Pluto is becoming more red in color. This observation makes sense if nitrogen is being removed from the surface to uncover a red, photolyzed substrate of methane. Funded by NASA.

  6. Results of Joint Observations of Jupiter's Atmosphere by Juno and a Network of Earth-Based Observing Stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orton, G. S.; Momary, T.; Tabataba-Vakili, F.; Bolton, S.; Levin, S.; Adriani, A.; Gladstone, G. R.; Hansen, C. J.; Janssen, M.

    2017-09-01

    Well over sixty investigator/instrument investigations are actively engaged in the support of the Juno mission. These observations range from X-ray to the radio wavelengths and involve both space- and ground-based astronomical facilities. These observations enhance and expand Juno measurements by (1) providing a context that expands the area covered by often narrow spatial coverage of Juno's instruments, (2) providing a temporal context that shows how phenomena evolve over Juno's 53-day orbit period, (3) providing observations in spectral ranges not covered by Juno's instruments, and (4) monitoring the behavior of external influences to Jupiter's magnetosphere. Intercommunication between the Juno scientists and the support program is maintained by reference to a Google table that describes the observation and its current status, as well as by occasional group emails. A non-interactive version of this invitation-only site is mirrored in a public site. Several sets of these supporting observations are described at this meeting.

  7. The variables V477 Peg and MW Com observation results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bahý, V.; Gajtanska, M.; Hanisko, P.; Krišták, L.

    2018-04-01

    The paper deals with our results of the photometric observations of two variable stars and with basic interprettions of our results. We have observed the V477 Pegassi and MW Comae systems. We have obtained their light curves in the integral light and in the B, V, R and I filters. The color indices have been computed and there have been realized the models of the both systems by the usage of the BM3 software. These models are presented in our study too.

  8. CASSINI VIMS OBSERVATIONS SHOW ETHANE IS PRESENT IN TITAN'S RAINFALL

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

    Dalba, Paul A.; Buratti, Bonnie J.; Baines, Kevin H.

    2012-12-20

    Observations obtained over two years by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem suggest that rain showers fall on the surface. Using measurements obtained by the Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, we identify the main component of the rain to be ethane, with methane as an additional component. We observe five or six probable rainfall events, at least one of which follows a brief equatorial cloud appearance, suggesting that frequent rainstorms occur on Titan. The rainfall evaporates, sublimates, or infiltrates on timescales of months, and in some cases it is associated with fluvial features but not with their creation or alteration. Thus, Titanmore » exhibits frequent 'gentle rainfall' instead of, or in addition to, more catastrophic events that cut rivers and lay down large fluvial deposits. Freezing rain may also be present, and the standing liquid may exist as puddles interspersed with patches of frost. The extensive dune deposits found in the equatorial regions of Titan imply multi-season arid conditions there, which are consistent with small, but possibly frequent, amounts of rain, in analogy to terrestrial deserts.« less

  9. Plasma observations near jupiter: initial results from voyager 1.

    PubMed

    Bridge, H S; Belcher, J W; Lazarus, A J; Sullivan, J D; McNutt, R L; Bagenal, F; Scudder, J D; Sittler, E C; Siscoe, G L; Vasyliunas, V M; Goertz, C K; Yeates, C M

    1979-06-01

    Extensive measurements of low-energy positive ions and electrons were made throughout the Jupiter encounter of Voyager 1. The bow shock and magneto-pause were crossed several times at distances consistent with variations in the upstream solar wind pressure measured on Voyager 2. During the inbound pass, the number density increased by six orders of magnitude between the innermost magnetopause crossing at approximately 47 Jupiter radii and near closest approach at approximately 5 Jupiter radii; the plasma flow during this period was predominately in the direction of corotation. Marked increases in number density were observed twice per planetary rotation, near the magnetic equator. Jupiterward of the Io plasma torus, a cold, corotating plasma was observed and the energylcharge spectra show well-resolved, heavy-ion peaks at mass-to-charge ratios A/Z* = 8, 16, 32, and 64.

  10. Plasma observations near Jupiter - Initial results from Voyager 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bridge, H. S.; Belcher, J. W.; Lazarus, A. J.; Sullivan, J. D.; Mcnutt, R. L.; Bagenal, F.; Scudder, J. D.; Sittler, E. C.; Siscoe, G. L.; Vasyliunas, V. M.

    1979-01-01

    Extensive measurements of low-energy positive ions and electrons were made throughout the Jupiter encounter of Voyager 1. The bow shock and magnetopause were crossed several times at distances consistent with variations in the upstream solar wind pressure measured on Voyager 2. During the inbound pass, the number density increased by six orders of magnitude between the innermost magnetopause crossing at approximately 47 Jupiter radii and near closest approach at approximately 5 Jupiter radii; the plasma flow during this period was predominately in the direction of corotation. Marked increases in number density were observed twice per planetary rotation, near the magnetic equator. Jupiterward of the Io plasma torus, a cold, corotating plasma was observed and the energy/charge spectra show well-resolved, heavy-ion peaks at mass-to-charge ratios equal to 8, 16, 32, and 64.

  11. Results of Joint Observations of Jupiter's Atmosphere by Juno and a Network of Earth-Based Observing Stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orton, Glenn; Momary, Thomas; Bolton, Scott; Levin, Steven; Hansen, Candice; Janssen, Michael; Adriani, Alberto; Gladstone, G. Randall; Bagenal, Fran; Ingersoll, Andrew

    2017-04-01

    The Juno mission has promoted and coordinated a network of Earth-based observations, including both Earth-proximal and ground-based facilities, to extend and enhance observations made by the Juno mission. The spectral region and timeline of all of these observations are summarized in the web site: https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/planned-observations. Among the earliest of these were observation of Jovian auroral phenomena at X-ray, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths and measurements of Jovian synchrotron radiation from the Earth simultaneously with the measurement of properties of the upstream solar wind. Other observations of significance to the magnetosphere measured the mass loading from Io by tracking its observed volcanic activity and the opacity of its torus. Observations of Jupiter's neutral atmosphere included observations of reflected sunlight from the near-ultraviolet through the near-infrared and thermal emission from 5 μm through the radio region. The point of these measurements is to relate properties of the deep atmosphere that are the focus of Juno's mission to the state of the "weather layer" at much higher atmospheric levels. These observations cover spectral regions not included in Juno's instrumentation, provide spatial context for Juno's often spatially limited coverage of Jupiter, and they describe the evolution of atmospheric features in time that are measured only once by Juno. We will summarize the results of measurements during the approach phase of the mission that characterized the state of the atmosphere, as well as observations made by Juno and the supporting campaign during Juno's perijoves 1 (2016 August 27), 3 (2016 December 11), 4 (2017 February 2) and possibly "early" results from 5 (2017 March 27). Besides a global network of professional astronomers, the Juno mission also benefited from the enlistment of a network of dedicated amateur astronomers who provided a quasi-continuous picture of the evolution of features observed by

  12. Plasma observations near jupiter: initial results from voyager 2.

    PubMed

    Bridge, H S; Belcher, J W; Lazarus, A J; Sullivan, J D; Bagenal, F; McNutt, R L; Ogilvie, K W; Scudder, J D; Sittler, E C; Vasyliunas, V M; Goertz, C K

    1979-11-23

    The first of at least nine bow shock crossings observed on the inbound pass of Voyager 2 occurred at 98.8 Jupiter radii (R(J)) with final entry into the magnetosphere at 62 R(J). On both the inbound and outbound passes the plasma showed a tendency to move in the direction of corotation, as was observed on the inbound pass of Voyager 1. Positive ion densities and electron intensities observed by Voyager 2 are comparable within a factor of 2 to those seen by Voyager 1 at the same radial distance from Jupiter; the composition of the magnetospheric plasma is again dominated by heavy ions with a ratio of mass density relative to hydrogen of about 100/1. A series of dropouts of plasma intensity near Ganymede may be related to a complex interaction between Ganymede and the magnetospheric plasma. From the planetary spin modulation of the intensity of plasma electrons it is inferred that the plasma sheet is centered at the dipole magnetic equator out to a distance of 40 to 50 R(J) and deviates from it toward the rotational equator at larger distances. The longitudinal excursion of the plasma sheet lags behind the rotating dipole by a phase angle that increases with increasing radial distance.

  13. Folic acid supplementation and preterm birth: results from observational studies.

    PubMed

    Mantovani, Elena; Filippini, Francesca; Bortolus, Renata; Franchi, Massimo

    2014-01-01

    Folic acid (FA) supplementation is recommended worldwide in the periconceptional period for the prevention of neural tube defects. Due to its involvement in a number of cellular processes, its role in other pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage, low birth weight, preterm birth (PTB), preeclampsia, abruptio placentae, and stillbirth has been investigated. PTB is a leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity; therefore its association with FA supplementation is of major interest. The analysis of a small number of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) has not found a beneficial role of FA in reducing the rate of PTBs. The aim of this review was to examine the results from recent observational studies about the effect of FA supplementation on PTB. We carried out a search on Medline and by manual search of the observational studies from 2009 onwards that analyzed the rate of PTB in patients who received supplementation with FA before and/or throughout pregnancy. The results from recent observational studies suggest a slight reduction of PTBs that is not consistent with the results from RCTs. Further research is needed to better understand the role of FA supplementation before and during pregnancy in PTB.

  14. The effect of observing session duration on OPUS-RS results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dincer Dogru, A.; Ugur Sanli, D.; Hayal, Adem G.; Berber, Mustafa

    2016-04-01

    Online GPS positioning software has now a widespread interest among practitioners and researchers. Researchers rescently use online software to monitor natural hazards such as landslides. The fact that this software usually employs continuously operating GPS stations of the International GNSS Service (IGS) as reference stations in the processing, the community of world-wide users is growing day by day. In the monitoring of landslides, rapid static mode of a GPS surveying is usually preferred because it is possible to have wider field coverage with only a few minutes of data and low cost ground markers. Results comparable to static positioning can be obtained with careful network design and processing strategies. Some online software such as OPUS-RS developed by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) of the USA provides rapid static positioning engine that processes GPS data from sessions of only a few minutes. 15-minute is the recommended/standard observing session duration for OPUS-RS processing. In this study, using the CORS data operating in the US, we carried out some tests in which the observing session duration is changed from 8 through 118 minutes, and observed the accuracy change on the OPUS-RS solutions. Then we compared the results with the accuracy levels given for 15-min solutions by the NGS. We determined that there is the effect of changing observing session duration on the obtained results, and we report them in this study.

  15. Initial Results from Fitting Resolved Modes using HMI Intensity Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Korzennik, Sylvain G.

    2017-08-01

    The HMI project recently started processing the continuum intensity images following global helioseismology procedures similar to those used to process the velocity images. The spatial decomposition of these images has produced time series of spherical harmonic coefficients for degrees up to l=300, using a different apodization than the one used for velocity observations. The first 360 days of observations were processed and made available. I present initial results from fitting these time series using my state of the art fitting methodology and compare the derived mode characteristics to those estimated using co-eval velocity observations.

  16. Testing Delays Resulting in Increased Identification Accuracy in Line-Ups and Show-Ups.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dekle, Dawn J.

    1997-01-01

    Investigated time delays (immediate, two-three days, one week) between viewing a staged theft and attempting an eyewitness identification. Compared lineups to one-person showups in a laboratory analogue involving 412 subjects. Results show that across all time delays, participants maintained a higher identification accuracy with the showup…

  17. Field Extension of Real Values of Physical Observables in Classical Theory can Help Attain Quantum Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hai; Kumar, Asutosh; Cho, Minhyung; Wu, Junde

    2018-04-01

    Physical quantities are assumed to take real values, which stems from the fact that an usual measuring instrument that measures a physical observable always yields a real number. Here we consider the question of what would happen if physical observables are allowed to assume complex values. In this paper, we show that by allowing observables in the Bell inequality to take complex values, a classical physical theory can actually get the same upper bound of the Bell expression as quantum theory. Also, by extending the real field to the quaternionic field, we can puzzle out the GHZ problem using local hidden variable model. Furthermore, we try to build a new type of hidden-variable theory of a single qubit based on the result.

  18. Solar System Observations with Spitzer Space Telescope: Preliminary Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cruikshank, Dale P.

    2005-01-01

    The programs of observations of Solar System bodies conducted in the first year of the operation of the Spitzer Space Telescope as part of the Guaranteed Observing Time allocations are described. Initial results include the determination of the albedos of a number of Kuiper Belt objects and Centaurs from observations of their flux densities at 24 and 70 microns, and the detection of emission bands in the spectra of several distant asteroids (Trojans) around 10 and 25 microns. The 10 Kuiper Belt objects observed to date have albedos in the range 0.08 - 0.15, significantly higher than the earlier estimated 0.04. An additional KBO [(55565) 2002 AW(sub l97)] has an albedo of 0.17 plus or minus 0.03. The emission bands in the asteroid spectra are indicative of silicates, but specific minerals have not yet been identified. The Centaur/comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 has a nucleus surface albedo of 0.025 plus or minus 0.01, and its dust production rate was calculated from the properties of the coma. Several other investigations are in progress as the incoming data are processed and analyzed.

  19. Preliminary Results from an Assimilation of TOMS Aerosol Observations Into the GOCART Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    daSilva, Arlindo; Weaver, Clark J.; Ginoux, Paul; Torres, Omar; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    At NASA Goddard we are developing a global aerosol data assimilation system that combines advances in remote sensing and modeling of atmospheric aerosols. The goal is to provide high resolution, 3-D aerosol distributions to the research community. Our first step is to develop a simple assimilation system for Saharan mineral aerosol. The Goddard Chemistry and Aerosol Radiation model (GOCART) provides accurate 3-D mineral aerosol size distributions that compare well with TOMS satellite observations. Surface, mobilization, wet and dry deposition, convective and long-range transport are all driven by assimilated fields from the Goddard Earth Observing System Data Assimilation System, GEOS-DAS. Our version of GOCART transports sizes from.08-10 microns and only simulates Saharan dust. TOMS radiance observations in the ultra violet provide information on the mineral and carbonaceous aerosol fields. We use two main observables in this study: the TOMS aerosol index (AI) which is directly related to the ratio of the 340 and 380 radiances and the 380 radiance. These are sensitive to the aerosol optical thickness, the single scattering albedo and the height of the aerosol layer. The Goddard Aerosol Assimilation System (GAAS) uses the Data Assimilation Office's Physical-space Statistical Analysis System (PSAS) to combine TOMS observations and GOCART model first guess fields. At this initial phase we only assimilate observations into the the GOCART model over regions of Africa and the Atlantic where mineral aerosols dominant and carbonaceous aerosols are minimal, Our preliminary results during summer show that the assimilation with TOMS data modifies both the aerosol mass loading and the single scattering albedo. Assimilated aerosol fields will be compared with assimilated aerosol fields from GOCART and AERONET observations over Cape Verde.

  20. NICER observations of highly magnetized neutron stars: Initial results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Enoto, Teruaki; Arzoumanian, Zaven; Gendreau, Keith C.; Nynka, Melania; Kaspi, Victoria; Harding, Alice; Guver, Tolga; Lewandowska, Natalia; Majid, Walid; Ho, Wynn C. G.; NICER Team

    2018-01-01

    The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) was launched on June 3, 2017, and attached to the International Space Station. The large effective area of NICER in soft X-rays makes it a powerful tool not only for its primary science objective (diagnostics of the nuclear equation state) but also for studying neutron stars of various classes. As one of the NICER science working groups, the Magnetars and Magnetospheres (M&M) team coordinates monitoring and target of opportunity (ToO) observations of magnetized neutron stars, including magnetars, high-B pulsars, X-ray dim isolated neutron stars, and young rotation-powered pulsars. The M&M working group has performed simultaneous X-ray and radio observations of the Crab and Vela pulsars, ToO observations of the active anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61, and a monitoring campaign for the transient magnetar SGR 0501+4516. Here we summarize the current status and initial results of the M&M group.

  1. Goddard Celebrates International Observe the Moon Night with Laser Show

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Goddard's Laser Ranging Facility directs a laser toward the Lunar Reconassaince Orbiter on International Observe the Moon Night. (Sept 18, 2010) Background on laser ranging: www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/LRO_lr.html Information on inOMN www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/features/2010/moon-nigh... Credit: NASA/GSFC NASA Goddard Space Flight Center contributes to NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s endeavors by providing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Join us on Facebook

  2. Plasma observations near Saturn - Initial results from Voyager 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bridge, H. S.; Bagenal, F.; Belcher, J. W.; Lazarus, A. J.; Mcnutt, R. L.; Sullivan, J. D.; Gazis, P. R.; Hartle, R. E.; Ogilvie, K. W.; Scudder, J. D.

    1982-01-01

    Results of plasma measurements made by Voyager 2 in the vicinity of Saturn are discussed and compared with those made by Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 in a more limited range of latitudes. The initial bow shock crossing on the inbound trajectory closely agreed with the shock position inferred from the external ram pressure in the solar wind, although boundaries on the outbound pass were much further out than expected. Magnetospheric plasma observations reveal the presence of (1) shocked solar wind plasma in the magnetosheath between 30 and 22 Saturn radii; (2) a variable density region between 17 Saturn radii and the magnetopause; (3) an extended thick plasma sheet between 17 and 7 Saturn radii; and (4) an inner plasma torus probably originating from local sources. The ratio of heavy to light ions was observed to vary with distance to the equatorial plane in the dayside magnetosphere, with the heavy ions, probably O(+), more closely confined to the equatorial plane. The plasma data also account for the observed inner boundary of the neutral hydrogen torus discovered by Voyager 1.

  3. The Great Cometary Show

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2007-01-01

    its high spatial and spectral resolution, it was possible to zoom into the very heart of this very massive star. In this innermost region, the observations are dominated by the extremely dense stellar wind that totally obscures the underlying central star. The AMBER observations show that this dense stellar wind is not spherically symmetric, but exhibits a clearly elongated structure. Overall, the AMBER observations confirm that the extremely high mass loss of Eta Carinae's massive central star is non-spherical and much stronger along the poles than in the equatorial plane. This is in agreement with theoretical models that predict such an enhanced polar mass-loss in the case of rapidly rotating stars. ESO PR Photo 06c/07 ESO PR Photo 06c/07 RS Ophiuchi in Outburst Several papers from this special feature focus on the later stages in a star's life. One looks at the binary system Gamma 2 Velorum, which contains the closest example of a star known as a Wolf-Rayet. A single AMBER observation allowed the astronomers to separate the spectra of the two components, offering new insights in the modeling of Wolf-Rayet stars, but made it also possible to measure the separation between the two stars. This led to a new determination of the distance of the system, showing that previous estimates were incorrect. The observations also revealed information on the region where the winds from the two stars collide. The famous binary system RS Ophiuchi, an example of a recurrent nova, was observed just 5 days after it was discovered to be in outburst on 12 February 2006, an event that has been expected for 21 years. AMBER was able to detect the extension of the expanding nova emission. These observations show a complex geometry and kinematics, far from the simple interpretation of a spherical fireball in extension. AMBER has detected a high velocity jet probably perpendicular to the orbital plane of the binary system, and allowed a precise and careful study of the wind and the shockwave

  4. Pan-STARRRS Status and Geo Observations Results

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-09-01

    Earth Orbiting asteroids which may pose a threat. The final design includes four 1.8m telescopes each equipped with a giga- pixel camera and is...are relative to the rotation of the earth, the mount is commanded utilizing “stare mode” for all GEO observations. The belt is surveyed by...integration time the geo belt is observed M number of times. In order to detect an object it must be observed N number of times out of the possible M

  5. Results of observations of the dust distribution in the F-corona of the sun

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shestakova, L. I.; Demchenko, B. I.

    2016-03-01

    The results of modeling of the distribution of dust in the circumsolar zone are presented. The dust distribution was retrieved from observations of the line-of-sight velocities in the F-corona to the distances of 7-11 solar radii during the total eclipses of the Sun in different years: on July 31, 1981; August 11, 1991; March 29, 2006; and August 1, 2008. Comparison of the results has shown that the dust composition varies from year to year and the dust is dynamically nonuniform. In addition to the dust related to the zodiacal cloud and concentrating to the ecliptic plane, the dust of retrograde motion and the ejections and accretion in the polar regions are observed. From the results of observations of eclipses on July 31, 1981, August 11, 1991, and August 1, 2008, the east-west asymmetry in a sign of the line-of-sight velocities was detected: they are negative to the east of the Sun and positive to the west. Such distribution of the velocities is indicative of the nearecliptic orbital dust motion, whose direction coincides with that of the motion of the planets. In the course of the eclipse of March 29, 2006, almost no dynamical connection with the zodiacal cloud was found. At the same time, the direction, where the observed velocities are largest in value and opposite in sign on opposite sides of the Sun, was determined, which provides evidence of the orbital motion deviating from the ecliptic plane. The results of observations in 2006 reveal a clear genetic connection of the observed orbital motion of dust with the parent comets of the Kreutz family found near the Sun close to the eclipse date. The velocities observed near the symmetry line in the plane of the sky grow by absolute value with increasing the elongation, which may take place, if the line of sight croßses an empty zone that is free of dust. The modeling of the data of observations near the symmetry plane allowed the parameters of the dust distribution near the sublimation zone to be obtained. In

  6. Spectral heterogeneity on Phobos and Deimos: HiRISE observations and comparisons to Mars Pathfinder results

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thomas, N.; Stelter, R.; Ivanov, A.; Bridges, N.T.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; McEwen, A.S.

    2011-01-01

    The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been used to observe Phobos and Deimos at spatial scales of around 6 and 20 m/px, respectively. HiRISE (McEwen et al.; JGR, 112, CiteID E05S02, DOI: 10.1029/2005JE002605, 2007) has provided, for the first time, high-resolution colour images of the surfaces of the Martian moons. When processed, by the production of colour ratio images for example, the data show considerable small-scale heterogeneity, which might be attributable to fresh impacts exposing different materials otherwise largely hidden by a homogenous regolith. The bluer material that is draped over the south-eastern rim of the largest crater on Phobos, Stickney, has been perforated by an impact to reveal redder material and must therefore be relatively thin. A fresh impact with dark crater rays has been identified. Previously identified mass-wasting features in Stickney and Limtoc craters stand out strongly in colour. The interior deposits in Stickney appear more inhomogeneous than previously suspected. Several other local colour variations are also evident. Deimos is more uniform in colour but does show some small-scale inhomogeneity. The bright streamers (Thomas et al.; Icarus, 123, 536556,1996) are relatively blue. One crater to the south-west of Voltaire and its surroundings appear quite strongly reddened with respect to the rest of the surface. The reddening of the surroundings may be the result of ejecta from this impact. The spectral gradients at optical wavelengths observed for both Phobos and Deimos are quantitatively in good agreement with those found by unresolved photometric observations made by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP; Thomas et al.; JGR, 104, 90559068, 1999). The spectral gradients of the blue and red units on Phobos bracket the results from IMP. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Longitudinal dependence of the seasonal variations of the topside ionospheric and plasmaspheric electron content: observations and model results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Man-Lian; Liu, Libo; Ning, Baiqi; Wan, Weixing

    2016-07-01

    Radio signals transmitted from GPS satellite going through the ionization zone above the Earth will be refracted by the ionized components in the ionosphere and the plasmasphere, which would produce additional transfer delay and generate extra errors in satellite navigation and positioning, etc. These errors have strong relation with the total electron content (TEC) along the signal's travelling path. Therefore TEC is one of the most important parameters required by many users for different modern usage purposes. The topside ionospheric and plasmaspheric electron content makes a large contribution to TEC. In the present study, data for the year 2008 of the topside ionospheric and plasmaspheric electron content (PEC) between the height of 800-20200km above the Earth derived from the upward-looking TEC measurements of the precise orbit determination antenna on board the COSMIC low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to the GPS signals are used to study the longitudinal dependence of the seasonal variations of PEC. A comparison study of the observed PEC with the IZMIRAN_Plas model results is also made. Our study showed that PEC shows different seasonal variations at different longitudinal sectors: for the 240°E-60°E longitudinal sector, PEC shows a strong annual variation with lowest value in the June solstice and highest value in the December solstice months; In contrast, very weak seasonal variations are observed for PEC at 60°E-240°E longitudinal sector; Comparison study showed that this longitudinal dependence feature of the observed PEC's seasonal variation is not well captured by the IZMIRAN_Plas model result. Acknowledgments This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC No. 41274163)

  8. Pit formation observed in a multilayer dielectric coating as a result of simulated space environmental exposure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fuqua, Peter D.; Presser, Nathan; Barrie, James D.; Meshishnek, Michael J.; Coleman, Dianne J.

    2002-06-01

    Certain spaceborne telescope designs require that dielectric-coated lenses be exposed to the energetic electrons and protons associated with the space environment. Test coupons that were exposed to a simulated space environment showed extensive pitting as a result of dielectric breakdown. A typical pit was 50-100 mum at the surface and extended to the substrate material, in which a 10-mum-diameter melt region was found. Pitting was not observed on similar samples that had also been overcoated with a transparent conductive thin film. Measurement of the bidirectional reflectance distribution transfer function showed that pitting caused a fivefold to tenfold increase in the scattering of visible light.

  9. EarthScope's USArray: A Decade of Observations and Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woodward, R.; Busby, R. W.; Hafner, K.; Gridley, J. M.; Schultz, A.; Frassetto, A.; Simpson, D. W.

    2013-12-01

    EarthScope's USArray observatory provides unprecedented observations of geophysical targets across the contiguous United States through the systematic deployment of seismic, magnetotelluric, and atmospheric instruments. In addition, USArray includes tightly integrated data management and outreach activities. The seismic and atmospheric components of USArray consist of a Transportable Array (TA), Flexible Array (FA), and Reference Network. The TA has now occupied approximately 1700 sites spanning the entire contiguous 48 states, at 70 km inter-station spacing. These stations have provided broadband seismic, barometric pressure and atmospheric infrasound observations. The pool of instruments that comprise the FA have been deployed by numerous individual investigators in dense arrays to investigate local and regional features over time periods ranging from days to years. The Reference Network provides a permanent, stationary foundation for the TA and FA, with approximately 100 broadband stations deployed across the contiguous US at roughly 300 km spacing. The magnetotelluric (MT) component of USArray has provided both fixed and campaign-style long-period magnetotelluric observations at hundreds of locations across the US. Many of the field activities of USArray engaged both students and the public in important ways and this has been a significant component of USArray outreach. The TA alone has engaged well over one hundred students in site reconnaissance activities and placed seismic stations on the property of roughly a thousand different landowners. All data collected by USArray are openly available, most in real time. Many of the observations have also been incorporated into a variety of data products that have been developed to facilitate use of USArray by many different audiences. The scientific community has used USArray data to achieve a wide range of results--some that were anticipated when the facility was proposed and some that were completely unanticipated

  10. International Nanny Association (INA) Survey: Results and Observations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olsen, Glenn W.; And Others

    This document reports the findings of a survey of 145 members of the International Nanny Association (INA). Survey results showed that 82.8 percent of respondents attended college, while 21.4 percent received bachelor's or master's degrees. Many of the nannies had taken classes or training in child care. Most nannies found their job placement…

  11. Plasma observations near saturn: initial results from voyager 2.

    PubMed

    Bridge, H S; Bagenal, F; Belcher, J W; Lazarus, A J; McNutt, R L; Sullivan, J D; Gazis, P R; Hartle, R E; Ogilvie, K W; Scudder, J D; Sittler, E C; Eviatar, A; Siscoe, G L; Goertz, C K; Vasyliunas, V M

    1982-01-29

    Results of measurements of plasma electrons and poitive ions made during the Voyager 2 encounter with Saturn have been combined with measurements from Voyager 1 and Pioneer 11 to define more clearly the configuration of plasma in the Saturnian magnetosphere. The general morphology is well represented by four regions: (i) the shocked solar wind plasma in the magnetosheath, observed between about 30 and 22 Saturn radii (RS) near the noon meridian; (ii) a variable density region between approximately 17 RS and the magnetopause; (iii) an extended thick plasma sheet between approximately 17 and approximately 7 RS symmetrical with respect to Saturn's equatorial plane and rotation axis; and (iv) an inner plasma torus that probably originates from local sources and extends inward from L approximately 7 to less than L approximately 2.7 (L is the magnetic shell parameter). In general, the heavy ions, probably O(+), are more closely confined to the equatorial plane than H(+), so that the ratio of heavy to light ions varies along the trajectory according to the distance of the spacecraft from the equatorial plane. The general configuration of the plasma sheet at Saturn found by Voyager 1 is confirmed, with some notable differences and additions. The "extended plasma sheet," observed between L approximately 7 and L approximately 15 by Voyager 1 is considerably thicker as observed by Voyager 2. Inward of L approximately 4, the plasma sheet collapses to a thin region about the equatorial plane. At the ring plane crossing, L approximately 2.7, the observations are consistent with a density of O(+) of approximately 100 per cubic centimeter, with a temperature of approximately 10 electron volts. The location of the bow shock and magnetopause crossings were consistent with those previously observed. The entire magnetosphere was larger during the outbound passage of Voyager 2 than had been previously observed; however, a magnetosphere of this size or larger is expected approximately 3

  12. Great New Insights from Failed Experiments, Unanticipated Results and Embracing Controversial Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nuth, Joseph A., III; Johnson, Natasha M.; Ferguson, Frank T.; Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.; Hill, Hugh G. M.

    2015-01-01

    Experimental data and observations, whether telescopic or analytical, are never wrong, though data derived from such sources can be misinterpreted or applied inappropriately to derive conclusions that are incorrect. Given that nature always behaves according to the laws of physics and chemistry, rather than according to currently popular models and theories, experimental results should always be considered correct even when the results are far from those that one might initially expect. We discuss a number of cases where the results of experiments, even one carried out as a simple calibration measure, produced wildly different results that generally required many years of effort or contemplation to understand. On the positive side, exploration of the circumstances that produced the errant results often led to new and interesting insights concerning processes that might occur in natural environments and that were well worth the effort involved. Specifically, we show how an experiment that "failed" due to a broken conductor led to experiments that made the first refractory oxide solids containing mass independently fractionated oxygen isotopes and to 1998 predictions of the oxygen isotopic composition of the sun that were confirmed by the analysis of Genesis samples in 2011. We describe a calibration experiment that unexpectedly produced single magnetic domain iron particles. We discuss how tracking down a persistent source of "contamination" in experiments intended to produce amorphous iron and magnesium silicate smokes led to a series of studies on the synthesis of carbonaceous grain coatings that turn out to be very efficient Fischer-Tropsch catalysts and have great potential for trapping the planetary noble gases found in meteorites. We describe how models predicting the instability of silicate grains in circumstellar environments spurred new measurements of the vapor pressure of SiO partially based on previous experiments showing unexpected but systematic non

  13. HST observations of Chiron: preliminary results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    BENEDETTI Rossi, Gustavo; Sicardy, Bruno; Buie, Marc W.; Braga-Ribas, Felipe; Ortiz, Jose-Luis; Duffard, Rene; camargo, julio; Vieira-Martins, Roberto; Gratadour, Damien; Dumas, Christophe

    2016-10-01

    Chiron is a Centaur object, with a radius of approximately 110km. It is orbiting between Saturn and Uranus, and may be a Transneptunian Object (TNO) that has been recently (less than 10 My) scattered by gravitational perturbations from Uranus, just like its "twin brother" Chariklo. On June 3rd, 2013, a stellar occultation by Chariklo of a R=12.4 magnitude star was observed from seven sites in South America, which led to the detection of a total of twelve secondary events, revealing the presence of two narrow and dense rings (see more details at Braga-Ribas F. et al., Nature, 2014).Up to now, planetary rings have been detected exclusively around the four giant planets of our Solar System and Chariklo. In spite of hundreds of occultations by asteroids and several space missions, no other small bodies have shown the presence of rings. However, two recent papers (Ruprecht et al. 2015 and Ortiz et. al 2015) report secondary events from stellar occultations by Chiron that have been interpreted either as a dust shell or a ring system. Using the Hubble Space Telescope we obtained direct images of Chiron surroundings to search for rings, jets and/or small satellites. First results will be presented.

  14. First Observations of the Magnetic Field inside the Pillars of Creation: Results from the BISTRO Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pattle, Kate; Ward-Thompson, Derek; Hasegawa, Tetsuo; Bastien, Pierre; Kwon, Woojin; Lai, Shih-Ping; Qiu, Keping; Furuya, Ray; Berry, David; JCMT BISTRO Survey Team

    2018-06-01

    We present the first high-resolution, submillimeter-wavelength polarimetric observations of—and thus direct observations of the magnetic field morphology within—the dense gas of the Pillars of Creation in M16. These 850 μm observations, taken as part of the B-Fields in Star-forming Region Observations Survey (BISTRO) using the POL-2 polarimeter on the Submillimeter Common-User Bolometer Array 2 (SCUBA-2) camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), show that the magnetic field runs along the length of the Pillars, perpendicular to and decoupled from the field in the surrounding photoionized cloud. Using the Chandrasekhar–Fermi method we estimate a plane-of-sky magnetic field strength of 170–320 μG in the Pillars, consistent with their having been formed through the compression of gas with initially weak magnetization. The observed magnetic field strength and morphology suggests that the magnetic field may be slowing the Pillars’ evolution into cometary globules. We thus hypothesize that the evolution and lifetime of the Pillars may be strongly influenced by the strength of the coupling of their magnetic field to that of their parent photoionized cloud—i.e., that the Pillars’ longevity results from magnetic support.

  15. Kinematic Characteristics of Meteor Showers by Results of the Combined Radio-Television Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narziev, Mirhusen

    2016-07-01

    One of the most important tasks of meteor astronomy is the study of the distribution of meteoroid matter in the solar system. The most important component to address this issue presents the results of measurements of the velocities, radiants, and orbits of both showers and sporadic meteors. Radiant's and orbits of meteors for different sets of data obtained as a result of photographic, television, electro-optical, video, Fireball Network and radar observations have been measured repeatedly. However, radiants, velocities and orbits of shower meteors based on the results of combined radar-optical observations have not been sufficiently studied. In this paper, we present a methods for computing the radiants, velocities, and orbits of the combined radar-TV meteor observations carried out at HisAO in 1978-1980. As a result of the two-year cycle of simultaneous TV-radar observations 57 simultaneous meteors have been identified. Analysis of the TV images has shown that some meteor trails appeared as dashed lines. Among the simultaneous meteors of d-Aquariids 10 produced such dashed images, and among the Perseids there were only 7. Using a known method, for such fragmented images of simultaneous meteors - together with the measured radar distance, trace length, and time interval between the segments - allowed to determine meteor velocity using combined method. In addition, velocity of the same meteors was measured using diffraction and radar range-time methods based on the results of radar observation. It has been determined that the mean values of meteoroid velocity based on the combined radar-TV observations are greater in 1 ÷ 3 km / c than the averaged velocity values measured using only radar methods. Orbits of the simultaneously observed meteors with segmented photographic images were calculated on the basis of the average velocity observed using the combined radar-TV method. The measured results of radiants velocities and orbital elements of individual meteors

  16. Results from Joint Observations of Jupiter's Atmosphere by Juno and a Network of Earth-Based Observing Stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orton, G. S.; Bolton, S. J.; Levin, S.; Hansen, C. J.; Janssen, M. A.; Adriani, A.; Gladstone, R.; Bagenal, F.; Ingersoll, A. P.; Momary, T.; Payne, A.

    2016-12-01

    The Juno mission has promoted and coordinated a network of Earth-based observations, including both space- and ground-based facilities, to extend and enhance observations made by the Juno mission. The spectral region and timeline of all of these observations are summarized in the web site: https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/planned-observations. Among the earliest of these were observation of Jovian auroral phenomena at X-ray, ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths and measurements of Jovian synchrotron radiation from the Earth simultaneously with the measurement of properties of the upstream solar wind described elsewhere in this meeting. Other observations of significance to the magnetosphere measured the mass loading from Io by tracking its observed volcanic activity and the opacity of its torus. Observations of Jupiter's neutral atmosphere included observations of reflected sunlight from the near-ultraviolet through the near-infrared and thermal emission from 5 microns through the radio region. The point of these measurements is to relate properties of the deep atmosphere that are the focus of Juno's mission to the state of the "weather layer" at much higher atmospheric levels. These observations cover spectral regions not included in Juno's instrumentation, provide spatial context for Juno's often spatially limited coverage of Jupiter, and they describe the evolution of atmospheric features in time that are measured only once by Juno. We will summarize the results of measurements during the approach phase of the mission that characterized the state of the atmosphere, as well as observations made by Juno and the supporting campaign during Juno's perijoves 1 (August 27), 2 (October 19), 3 (November 2), 4 (November 15), and 5 (November 30). The Juno mission also benefited from the enlistment of a network of dedicated amateur astronomers who, besides providing input needed for public operation of the JunoCam visible camera, tracked the evolution of features in Jupiter

  17. Results from the First Two Observing Seasons of PIQUE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gundersen, Joshua; Barkats, Denis; Hedman, Matt; Staggs, Suzanne; Winstein, Bruce

    2001-04-01

    We report on the first two seasons of the Princeton IQU Experiment (PIQUE). PIQUE is a ground-based telescope designed to measure the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). During the first season (1/19/00-4/2/00), PIQUE measured the Q Stokes parameter on a ring at declination of 89 degrees from the roof of the Physics Department at Princeton University using a 90 GHz correlation polarimeter with a full-width-half maximum beam of 0.24 degrees. PIQUE's observations from the first season yielded a new limit on the polarization of the CMB in the multipole range 100results from these observations will be presented.

  18. Plasma observations near Jupiter - Initial results from Voyager 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bridge, H. S.; Belcher, J. W.; Lazarus, A. J.; Sullivan, J. D.; Bagenal, F.; Mcnutt, R. L., Jr.; Ogilvie, K. W.; Scudder, J. D.; Sittler, E. D.; Vasyliunas, V. M.

    1979-01-01

    A preliminary report is presented of the results obtained by the Voyager 2 plasma experiment during the encounter of Voyager 2 with Jupiter from about 100 Jupiter radii before periapsis to about 300 Jupiter radii after periapsis, the instrument being identical to that on Voyager 1. The discussion covers the following: (1) the crossings of the bow shock and magnetopause observed on the inbound and outbound passes; (2) the radial variation of plasma properties in the magnetosphere; (3) variations in plasma properties near Ganymede; (4) corotation and composition of the plasma in the dayside magnetosphere; and (5) plasma sheet crossings observed on the inbound and outbound passes. From the planetary spin modulation of the plasma-electron intensity it is inferred that the plasma sheet is centered at the dipole magnetic equator out to a distance of 40-50 Jupiter radii and deviates from it toward the rotational equator at larger distances.

  19. A comparison among observations and earthquake simulator results for the allcal2 California fault model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tullis, Terry. E.; Richards-Dinger, Keith B.; Barall, Michael; Dieterich, James H.; Field, Edward H.; Heien, Eric M.; Kellogg, Louise; Pollitz, Fred F.; Rundle, John B.; Sachs, Michael K.; Turcotte, Donald L.; Ward, Steven N.; Yikilmaz, M. Burak

    2012-01-01

    In order to understand earthquake hazards we would ideally have a statistical description of earthquakes for tens of thousands of years. Unfortunately the ∼100‐year instrumental, several 100‐year historical, and few 1000‐year paleoseismological records are woefully inadequate to provide a statistically significant record. Physics‐based earthquake simulators can generate arbitrarily long histories of earthquakes; thus they can provide a statistically meaningful history of simulated earthquakes. The question is, how realistic are these simulated histories? This purpose of this paper is to begin to answer that question. We compare the results between different simulators and with information that is known from the limited instrumental, historic, and paleoseismological data.As expected, the results from all the simulators show that the observational record is too short to properly represent the system behavior; therefore, although tests of the simulators against the limited observations are necessary, they are not a sufficient test of the simulators’ realism. The simulators appear to pass this necessary test. In addition, the physics‐based simulators show similar behavior even though there are large differences in the methodology. This suggests that they represent realistic behavior. Different assumptions concerning the constitutive properties of the faults do result in enhanced capabilities of some simulators. However, it appears that the similar behavior of the different simulators may result from the fault‐system geometry, slip rates, and assumed strength drops, along with the shared physics of stress transfer.This paper describes the results of running four earthquake simulators that are described elsewhere in this issue of Seismological Research Letters. The simulators ALLCAL (Ward, 2012), VIRTCAL (Sachs et al., 2012), RSQSim (Richards‐Dinger and Dieterich, 2012), and ViscoSim (Pollitz, 2012) were run on our most recent all‐California fault

  20. Malignant lymphomas: results and observations from St George's Hospital.

    PubMed Central

    Lee, R.; Tungekar, M. F.; Harmer, C. L.; Rose, M. S.

    1981-01-01

    With both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the results documented compared well with reference series. Hence the advantages of a modest clinic need not be at the cost of recovery or of survival. A major factor attenuating the scale of therapy in Hodgkin's disease is the risk of inducing second malignancies. Four such complications have been observed amongst 27 patients with Hodgkin's disease. Amongst the patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma better results were noted than the designation 'poor prognosis histology' had led the authors to expect. These findings suggest that the concept of histologically based prognosis may be over-subscribed and that contemporary therapeutic strategies can be extremely effective in this group. PMID:7312734

  1. Herbarium specimens, photographs, and field observations show Philadelphia area plants are responding to climate change.

    PubMed

    Panchen, Zoe A; Primack, Richard B; Anisko, Tomasz; Lyons, Robert E

    2012-04-01

    The global climate is changing rapidly and is expected to continue changing in coming decades. Studying changes in plant flowering times during a historical period of warming temperatures gives us a way to examine the impacts of climate change and allows us to predict further changes in coming decades. The Greater Philadelphia region has a long and rich history of botanical study and documentation, with abundant herbarium specimens, field observations, and botanical photographs from the mid-1800s onward. These extensive records also provide an opportunity to validate methodologies employed by other climate change researchers at a different biogeographical area and with a different group of species. Data for 2539 flowering records from 1840 to 2010 were assessed to examine changes in flowering response over time and in relation to monthly minimum temperatures of 28 Piedmont species native to the Greater Philadelphia region. Regression analysis of the date of flowering with year or with temperature showed that, on average, the Greater Philadelphia species studied are flowering 16 d earlier over the 170-yr period and 2.7 d earlier per 1°C rise in monthly minimum temperature. Of the species studied, woody plants with short flowering duration are the best indicators of a warming climate. For monthly minimum temperatures, temperatures 1 or 2 mo prior to flowering are most significantly correlated with flowering time. Studies combining herbarium specimens, photographs, and field observations are an effective method for detecting the effects of climate change on flowering times.

  2. The ILAN sprite campaigns in Israel: results from 7 years of observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yair, Yoav; Rubanenko, Lior; Katzenelson, Dor; Rosenthal, Neta; Mezuman, Keren; Price, Colin

    2014-05-01

    The ILAN (Imaging of Lightning And Nocturnal flashes, http://ilanteam.com/) campaigns have been conducted since 2004 from Israel, observing winter thunderstorms in the eastern Mediterranean. We searched for transient luminous events using the standard commercial CCD cameras (Watec N100, 902H2 Ultimate) and the UFO-capture software for event detection, commonly used by other TLE- research groups in Europe and Japan. Winter thunderstorms mostly occur in conjunction with the passage of cold fronts in Cyprus lows, and thus TLEs are best observed when the storms are 200-300 km west of the Israeli coastline, above the Mediterranean Sea. We present statistical analysis of 505 sprites observed in 7 winter campaigns from 2006/7-2012/13. Results show a clear peak in the frequency of sprite detections, with maximum values (above 40% of events) between 00:30-02:50 LST (Local Standard Time, UT+2). This distribution is very different from that of lightning in the region, which peaks ~ 05:00 LST over the sea (Altaratz et al., 2001), hinting at the different temporal behavior of +CG flashes, known to be the major producers of sprites. The morphological distribution of 339 sprites is dominated by column sprites (49.3%) with angels (33.0%) and carrots (25.7%) being less frequent. This is similar to reports of winter sprites over the Sea of Japan (Matsudo et al., 2007). Other shapes (trees, wishbones, etc.; Bór, 2013) appear quite rarely. Single element events constitute 16.8% of observations, with 83.2% containing 2 elements or more. Clusters of homogenous types are slightly more frequent than mixed ones (55%). In some rare cases we observed 12-23 elements in a single sprite. The number of elements and the temporal distribution of different sprite types will be presented and compared with the properties of the parent thunderstorms. Altaratz, O., Levin Z. and Y. Yair, 2001: Winter thunderstorms in Israel - a study with lightning location systems and weather radar. Month. Weath. Rev

  3. Magnetic field observations near Mercury: Preliminary results from Mariner 10

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ness, N. F.; Behannon, K. W.; Lepping, R. P.; Whang, Y. C.; Schatten, K. H.

    1974-01-01

    Results are presented from a preliminary analysis of data obtained near Mercury by the NASA/GSFC Magnetic Field Experiment on Mariner 10. A very well developed, detached bow shock wave, which developed as the super-Alfvenic solar wind interacted with the planet Mercury was observed. A magnetosphere-like region, with maximum field strength of 98 gamma at closest approach (704 km altitude) was also observed, and was contained within boundaries similar to the terrestrial magnetopause. The obstacle deflecting the solar wind flow was global in size, but the origin of the enhanced magnetic field was not established. The most plausible explanation, considering the complete body of data, favored the conclusion that Mercury has an intrinsic magnetic field.

  4. Initial pioneer venus magnetic field results: dayside observations.

    PubMed

    Russell, C T; Elphic, R C; Slavin, J A

    1979-02-23

    Initial observations by the Pioneer Venus mangnetometer in the sunlit ionosphere reveal a dynamic ionosphere, very responsive to external solar-wind conditions. The localtions of the bow shock and ionosphere are variable. The strength of the magnetic field just olutside the ionopause is in approximate pressure balance with the thermal plasma of the ionosphere and changes markedly from day, to day in response to changes in solar wind pressure. The field strength in the ionosphere is also variable from day to day. The field is often weak, at most a few gammas, but reaching many tens of gammas for periods of the order of seconds. These field enchantments are interpreted as due to the passage of spacecraft through flux ropes consisting of bundles of twisted field lines surrounded by the ionospheric plasma. The helicity of the flux varies through the flux tube, with lows pitch angles on the inside and very lage angles in the low-field outer edges of the ropes. These ropes may have external or internal sources. Consistent with previous results, the average position of the bow shock is much closer to the planet than would be expected if the solar wnd were completely deflected by the planet. In total, these observations indicate that the solar wind plays a significant role in the physics of the Venus ionosphere.

  5. Ionospheric scintillation observations over Kenyan region - Preliminary results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olwendo, O. J.; Xiao, Yu; Ming, Ou

    2016-11-01

    Ionospheric scintillation refers to the rapid fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of a satellite signal as it passes through small-scale plasma density irregularities in the ionosphere. By analyzing ionospheric scintillation observation datasets from satellite signals such as GPS signals we can study the morphology of ionospheric bubbles. At low latitudes, the diurnal behavior of scintillation is driven by the formation of large-scale equatorial density depletions which form one to two hours after sunset via the Rayleigh-Taylor instability mechanism near the magnetic equator. In this work we present ionospheric scintillation activity over Kenya using data derived from a newly installed scintillation monitor developed by CRIRP at Pwani University (39.78°E, 3.24°S) during the period August to December, 2014. The results reveal the scintillation activity mainly occurs from post-sunset to post-midnight hours, and ceases around 04:00 LT. We also found that the ionospheric scintillation tends to appear at the southwest and northwest of the station. These locations coincide with the southern part of the Equatorial Ionization Anomaly crest over Kenya region. The occurrence of post-midnight L-band scintillation events which are not linked to pre-midnight scintillation observations raises fundamental question on the mechanism and source of electric fields driving the plasma depletion under conditions of very low background electron density.

  6. Early Results from NICER Observations of Accreting Neutron Stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chakrabarty, Deepto; Ozel, Feryal; Arzoumanian, Zaven; Gendreau, Keith C.; Bult, Peter; Cackett, Ed; Chenevez, Jerome; Fabian, Andy; Guillot, Sebastien; Guver, Tolga; Homan, Jeroen; Keek, Laurens; Lamb, Frederick; Ludlam, Renee; Mahmoodifar, Simin; Markwardt, Craig B.; Miller, Jon M.; Psaltis, Dimitrios; Strohmayer, Tod E.; Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.; Wolff, Michael T.

    2018-01-01

    The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) offers significant new capabilities for the study of accreting neuton stars relative to previous X-ray missions including large effective area, low background, and greatly improved low-energy response. The NICER Burst and Accretion Working Group has designed a 2 Ms observation program to study a number of phenomena in accreting neutron stars including type-I X-ray bursts, superbursts, accretion-powered pulsations, quasi-periodic oscillations, and accretion disk reflection spectra. We present some early results from the first six months of the NICER mission.

  7. DUst around NEarby Stars. The Survey Observational Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eiroa, C.; Marshall, J. P.; Mora, A.; Montesinos, B.; Absil, O.; Augereau, J. Ch.; Bayo, A.; Bryden, G.; Danchi, W.; delBurgo, C.; hide

    2013-01-01

    Context. Debris discs are a consequence of the planet formation process and constitute the fingerprints of planetesimal systems. Their solar system counterparts are the asteroid and Edgeworth-Kuiper belts.Aims. The DUNES survey aims at detecting extra-solar analogues to the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt around solar-type stars, putting in this way the solar system into context. The survey allows us to address some questions related to the prevalence and properties of planetesimal systems.Methods. We used Herschel PACS to observe a sample of nearby FGK stars. Data at 100 and 160 micron were obtained, complemented in some cases with observations at 70 micron, and at 250, 350 and 500 micron using SPIRE. The observing strategy was to integrate as deep as possible at 100 micron to detect the stellar photosphere. Results. Debris discs have been detected at a fractional luminosity level down to several times that of the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt. The incidence rate of discs around the DUNES stars is increased from a rate of approx. 12.1% +/- 5% before Herschel to approx 20.2 % +/- % 2. A significant fraction (approx. 52%) of the discs are resolved, which represents an enormous step ahead from the previously known resolved discs. Some stars are associated with faint far-IR excesses attributed to a new class of cold discs. Although it cannot be excluded that these excesses are produced by coincidental alignment of background galaxies, statistical arguments suggest that at least some of them are true debris discs. Some discs display peculiar SEDs with spectral indexes in the 70-160 micron range steeper than the Rayleigh-Jeans one. An analysis of the debris disc parameters suggests that a decrease might exist of the mean black body radius from the F-type to the K-type stars. In addition, a weak trend is suggested for a correlation of disc sizes and an anticorrelation of disc temperatures with the stellar age.

  8. High-resolution, terrestrial radar velocity observations and model results reveal a strong bed at stable, tidewater Rink Isbræ, West Greenland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartholomaus, T. C.; Walker, R. T.; Stearns, L. A.; Fahnestock, M. A.; Cassotto, R.; Catania, G. A.; Felikson, D.; Fried, M.; Sutherland, D.; Nash, J. D.; Shroyer, E.

    2015-12-01

    At tidewater Rink Isbræ, on the central west coast of Greenland, satellite observations reveal that glacier velocities and terminus positions have remained stable, while the lowest 25 km have thinned 30 m since 1985. Over this same time period, other tidewater glaciers in central west Greenland have retreated, thinned and accelerated. Here we present field observations and model results to show that the flow of Rink Isbræ is resisted by unusually high basal shear stresses. Terrestrial radar interferometry (TRI) observations over 9 days in summer 2014 demonstrate weak velocity response to 4 km wide, full thickness calving events. Velocities at the terminus change by +/- 10% in response to rising and falling tides within a partial-width, 2.5-km-long floating ice tongue; however these tidal perturbations damp out within 2 km of the grounding line. Inversions for basal shear stress and force balance analyses together show that basal shear stresses in excess of 300 kPa support the majority of the driving stress at thick, steep Rink Isbræ. These observational and modeling results tell a consistent story in which a strong bed may limit the unstable tidewater glacier retreats observed elsewhere. Rink Isbræ has an erosion resistant quartzite bed with low fracture density. We hypothesize that this geology may play a major role in the bed strength.

  9. Storm-wave-induced seabed deformation: Results from in situ observation in the Yellow River subaqueous delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Y.; Wang, Z. Mr; Liu, X.; Shan, H.

    2017-12-01

    Submarine landslides move large volumes of sediment and are often hazardous to offshore installations. Current research into submarine landslides mainly relies on marine surveying techniques. In contrast, in situ observations of the submarine landslide process, specifically seabed deformation, are sparse, and therefore restrict our understanding of submarine landslide mechanisms and the establishment of a disaster warning scheme. The submarine landslide monitoring (SLM) system, which has been designed to partly overcome these pitfalls, can monitor storm-wave-induced submarine landslides in situ and over a long time period. The SLM system comprises two parts: (1) a hydrodynamic monitoring tripod for recording hydrodynamic data and (2) a shape accel array for recording seabed deformation at different depths. This study recorded the development of the SLM system and the results of in situ observation in the Yellow River Delta, China, during the boreal winter of 2014-2015. The results show an abrupt small-scale storm-wave-induced seabed shear deformation; the shear interface is in at least 1.5-m depth and the displacement of sediments at 1.23-m depth is more than 13 mm. The performance of the SLM system confirms the feasibility and stability of this approach. Further, the in situ observations, as well as the laboratory tests, helped reveal the profound mechanism of storm-wave-induced seabed deformation.

  10. Magnetic Field Observations near Mercury: Preliminary Results from Mariner 10.

    PubMed

    Ness, N F; Behannon, K W; Lepping, R P; Whang, Y C; Schatten, K H

    1974-07-12

    Results are presented from a preliminary analysis of data obtained near Mercury on 29 March 1974 by the NASA-GSFC magnetic field experiment on Mariner 10. Rather unexpectedly, a very well-developed, detached bow shock wave, which develops as the super-Alfvénic solar wind interacts with the planet, has been observed. In addition, a magnetosphere-like region, with maximum field strength of 98 gammas at closest approach (704 kilometers altitude), has been observed, contained within boundaries similar to the terrestrial magnetopause. The obstacle deflecting the solar wind flow is global in size, but the origin of the enhanced magnetic field has not yet been uniquely established. The field may be intrinsic to the planet and distorted by interaction with the solar wind. It may also be associated with a complex induction process whereby the planetary interior-atmosphere-ionosphere interacts with the solar wind flow to generate the observed field by a dynamo action. The complete body of data favors the preliminary conclusion that Mercury has an intrinsic magnetic field. If this is correct, it represents a major scientific discovery in planetary magnetism and will have considerable impact on studies of the origin of the solar system.

  11. Results From the First 118 GHz Passive Microwave Observations Over Antarctica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McAllister, R.; Gallaher, D. W.; Gasiewski, A. J.; Periasamy, L.; Belter, R.; Hurowitz, M.; Hosack, W.; Sanders, B. T.

    2017-12-01

    Cooperation between the University of Colorado (Center for Environmental Technology, National Snow and Ice Data Center, and Colorado Space Grant Consortium) and the private corporation Orbital Micro Systems (OMS) has resulted in a highly miniturized passive microwave sensor. This sensor was successfully flown over Antarctica in onboard NASA's DC-8 in Operation Ice Bridge (OIB) in October / November of 2016. Data was collected from the "MiniRad" 8 channel miniaturized microwave sensor, which operated as both a sounder and an imager. The non-calibrated observation included both high and low altitude observations over clouds, sea, ice, ice sheets, and mountains as well as terrain around Tierra del Fuego. Sample results and their significance will be discussed. The instrument is in a form factor suitable for deployment in cubesats and will be launched into orbit next year. Commercial deployments by OMS in a constellation configuration will shortly follow.

  12. Children with autism show specific handwriting impairments

    PubMed Central

    Fuentes, Christina T.; Mostofsky, Stewart H.; Bastian, Amy J.

    2009-01-01

    Background: Handwriting skills, which are crucial for success in school, communication, and building children’s self-esteem, have been observed to be poor in individuals with autism. Little information exists on the handwriting of children with autism, without delineation of specific features that can contribute to impairments. As a result, the specific aspects of handwriting in which individuals with autism demonstrate difficulty remain unknown. Methods: A case-control study of handwriting samples from children with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was performed using the Minnesota Handwriting Assessment. Samples were scored on an individual letter basis in 5 categories: legibility, form, alignment, size, and spacing. Subjects were also tested on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–IV and the Physical and Neurological Examination for Subtle (Motor) Signs. Results: We found that children with ASD do indeed show overall worse performance on a handwriting task than do age- and intelligence-matched controls. More specifically, children with ASD show worse quality of forming letters but do not show differences in their ability to correctly size, align, and space their letters. Within the ASD group, motor skills were significantly predictive of handwriting performance, whereas age, gender, IQ, and visuospatial abilities were not. Conclusions: We addressed how different elements of handwriting contribute to impairments observed in children with autism. Our results suggest that training targeting letter formation, in combination with general training of fine motor control, may be the best direction for improving handwriting performance in children with autism. GLOSSARY ADI-R = Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised; ADOS-G = Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule–Generic; ASD = autism spectrum disorders; DICA-IV = Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents, 4th edition; DSM-IV = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th

  13. Lunar occultation of Saturn. IV - Astrometric results from observations of the satellites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dunham, D. W.; Elliot, J. L.

    1978-01-01

    The method of determining local lunar limb slopes, and the consequent time scale needed for diameter studies, from accurate occultation timings at two nearby telescopes is described. Results for photoelectric observations made at Mauna Kea Observatory during the occultation of Saturn's satellites on March 30, 1974, are discussed. Analysis of all observations of occultations of Saturn's satellites during 1974 indicates possible errors in the ephemerides of Saturn and its satellites.

  14. Insight into collision zone dynamics from topography: numerical modelling results and observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bottrill, A. D.; van Hunen, J.; Allen, M. B.

    2012-11-01

    Dynamic models of subduction and continental collision are used to predict dynamic topography changes on the overriding plate. The modelling results show a distinct evolution of topography on the overriding plate, during subduction, continental collision and slab break-off. A prominent topographic feature is a temporary (few Myrs) basin on the overriding plate after initial collision. This "collisional mantle dynamic basin" (CMDB) is caused by slab steepening drawing, material away from the base of the overriding plate. Also, during this initial collision phase, surface uplift is predicted on the overriding plate between the suture zone and the CMDB, due to the subduction of buoyant continental material and its isostatic compensation. After slab detachment, redistribution of stresses and underplating of the overriding plate cause the uplift to spread further into the overriding plate. This topographic evolution fits the stratigraphy found on the overriding plate of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone in Iran and south east Turkey. The sedimentary record from the overriding plate contains Upper Oligocene-Lower Miocene marine carbonates deposited between terrestrial clastic sedimentary rocks, in units such as the Qom Formation and its lateral equivalents. This stratigraphy shows that during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene the surface of the overriding plate sank below sea level before rising back above sea level, without major compressional deformation recorded in the same area. Our modelled topography changes fit well with this observed uplift and subsidence.

  15. Initial Checkout Results of the Compact Infrared Camera (circ) for Earth Observation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kato, E.; Katayama, H.; Sakai, M.; Nakajima, Y.; Kimura, T.; Nakau, K.; Tonooka, H.

    2015-04-01

    Compact Infrared Camera (CIRC) is a technology-demonstration instrument equipped with an uncooled infrared array detector (microbolometer) for space application. CIRC is the first microbolometer sensor without a calibration function in orbit, like a shutter system or an onboard blackbody. The main objective of the CIRC is to detect wildfires, which are major and chronic disasters affecting various countries of Southeast Asia, particularly considering the effects of global warming and climate change. The CIRC achieves a small size (approximately 200 mm), light mass (approximately 3 kg), and low electrical power consumption (<20 W) by employing athermal optics and a shutterless system. The CIRC can be consequently mounted on multiple satellites to enable highfrequency observation. Installation of CIRCs on the ALOS-2 and on the JEM/CALET is expected to increase observation frequency. We present the initial check-out results of the CIRC onboard ALOS-2. Since the initial check-out phase (July 4-14, 2014), the CIRC has acquired the images of Earth. CIRC was demonstrated to function according to its intended design. After the early calibration validation phase, which confirmed the temperature accuracy of observed data, CIRC data has been available to the public January 2015 onward. We also introduce a few observational results about wildfire, volcanoes, and heat-island.

  16. X-ray observations of characteristic structures and time variations from the solar corona - Preliminary results from Skylab.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vaiana, G. S.; Davis, J. M.; Giacconi, R.; Krieger, A. S.; Silk, J. K.; Timothy, A. F.; Zombeck, M.

    1973-01-01

    Examples taken from the S-054 X-ray telescope observations made during the first Skylab mission show the hot coronal plasma tracing the configuration of the magnetic fields. The high spectral resolution and sensitivity of the instrument has enabled the following two facts to be more firmly established: (1) that the 'quiet homogeneous corona' is in fact highly structured and that the structures observed appear to be the results of dispersed active region magnetic fields; and (2) that numerous bright points are distributed randomly on the disk. Their presence at high latitudes may play a role in solar cycle models. In addition, the capability of Skylab for studying time evolution has enabled the restructuring of coronal features to be seen at times of high activity, indicating a restructuring of the coronal magnetic fields.

  17. Observation VLBI Session RAPL02. the Results of the Data Processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chuprikov, A. A.

    Results of processing of data of a VLBI experiment titled RAPL02 are presented. These observations were made in 2011 February with 5 antennas. All 3 antennas of Petersberg's Institute of Applied Astronomy (IAA) were used in this session. These were antennae in Svetloe, in Zelenchuck, and in Badary. Additionally, a 22-m antenna in Puschino as well as a 32-m antenna in Medicina (Italy) were also included into observations. The raw data correlation was made at the software correlator of Astro Space Center. The secondary data processing was made for 3 quasars, 3C273, 3C279, and 3C286.

  18. Young and Older Observers Show Similar Perceived Contrast Functions for Isoluminat Stimuli

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-01-01

    male subjects each. The young subjects were screened on the basis of admitted good general and ocular health . Subjects within the older aged group were...with the method of contrast estimation. Ten young and 10 older males (mean ages 20 and 64.5 yrs) viewed counterphase flickered gratings of 0.6 and...of the LGN, and if a selective attenuation of magno responses occurs with age , perceived contrast functions of young and older observers should

  19. Magnetic Field Observations near Venus: Preliminary Results from Mariner 10.

    PubMed

    Ness, N F; Behannon, K W; Lepping, R P; Whang, Y C; Schatten, K H

    1974-03-29

    The NASA-GSFC magnetic field experiment on Mariner 10 is the first flight of a dual magnetometer system conceived to permit accurate measurements of weak magnetic fields in space in the presence of a significant and variable spacecraft magnetic field. Results from a preliminary analysis of a limted data set are summarized in this report, which is restricted primarily to Venus encounter. A detached bow shock wave that develops as the super Alfvénic solar wind interacts with the Venusian atmosphere has been observed. However, the unique coincidence of trajectory position and interplanetary field orientation at the time of bow shock crossing led to a very disturbed shock profile with considerably enhanced upstream magnetic fluctuations. At present it is not possible to ascertain the nature and characteristics of the obstacle responsible for deflecting the solar wind flow. Far downstream disturbances associated with the solar wind wake have been observed.

  20. Effect of observation on lower limb prosthesis gait biomechanics: Preliminary results.

    PubMed

    Malchow, Connor; Fiedler, Goeran

    2016-12-01

    The Hawthorne effect, a subcategory of reactivity, causes human behavior to change when under observation. Such an effect may apply to gait variation of persons with prosthetics or orthotics devices. This study investigated whether the presence of observers directly affects the gait pattern of users of lower limb prostheses. Within-subject intervention study. Primary outcome measures were gait parameters of initial double support time and upper body lateral tilt angle, which were collected with a mobile sensor attached to the subjects' back. To make subjects feel unwatched, a certain amount of deception was necessary, and two different conditions were created and statistically compared against each other: one in which the subjects were initially unaware of the attention of observers and another one in which the same subjects were aware of a group of observers. Data from two subjects using trans-femoral prosthesis are reported. Findings included a change in step initial double support percentage by up to 14.2% (p = 0.019). Considerable changes were also noted in secondary outcome measures including speed, stride length, and stride symmetry. A reactivity effect of observation exists in prosthetics gait analysis. More comprehensive studies may be motivated by these preliminary findings. Results of this study suggest that users of lower limb prostheses walk differently when their gait is being assessed (e.g. in the prosthetist's office) than in situations without observers. This may in part explain the clinical experience that modifications of prosthetic fit or alignment provide only short-term betterment. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.

  1. Spatial Heterodyne Observations of Water (SHOW) vapour in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere from a high altitude aircraft: Modelling and sensitivity analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langille, J. A.; Letros, D.; Zawada, D.; Bourassa, A.; Degenstein, D.; Solheim, B.

    2018-04-01

    A spatial heterodyne spectrometer (SHS) has been developed to measure the vertical distribution of water vapour in the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere with a high vertical resolution (∼500 m). The Spatial Heterodyne Observations of Water (SHOW) instrument combines an imaging system with a monolithic field-widened SHS to observe limb scattered sunlight in a vibrational band of water (1363 nm-1366 nm). The instrument has been optimized for observations from NASA's ER-2 aircraft as a proof-of-concept for a future low earth orbit satellite deployment. A robust model has been developed to simulate SHOW ER-2 limb measurements and retrievals. This paper presents the simulation of the SHOW ER-2 limb measurements along a hypothetical flight track and examines the sensitivity of the measurement and retrieval approach. Water vapour fields from an Environment and Climate Change Canada forecast model are used to represent realistic spatial variability along the flight path. High spectral resolution limb scattered radiances are simulated using the SASKTRAN radiative transfer model. It is shown that the SHOW instrument onboard the ER-2 is capable of resolving the water vapour variability in the UTLS from approximately 12 km - 18 km with ±1 ppm accuracy. Vertical resolutions between 500 m and 1 km are feasible. The along track sampling capability of the instrument is also discussed.

  2. SOAR remote observing: tactics and early results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cecil, Gerald N.; Crain, J. Adam

    2004-09-01

    Travel from North America to the 4.1m SOAR telescope atop Cerro Pachon exceeds $1000, and takes >16 hours door to door (20+ hours typically). SOAR aims to exploit best seeing, requiring dynamic scheduling that is impossible to accomplish when catering to peripatetic astronomers. According to technical arguments at www.peakoil.org, we are near the peak rate of depleting world petroleum, so can expect travel costs to climb sharply. With the telecom bubble's glut of optical fiber, we can transmit data more efficiently than astronomers and "observe remotely". With data compression, less than half of the 6 Mbps bandwidth shared currently by SOAR and CTIO is enough to enable a high-fidelity observing presence for SOAR partners in North America, Brazil, and Chile. We discuss access from home by cable modem/DSL link.

  3. Results of solar observations by the CORONAS-F payload

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuznetsov, V. D.; Sobelman, I. I.; Zhitnik, I. A.; Kuzin, S. V.; Kotov, Yu. D.; Charikov, Yu. E.; Kuznetsov, S. N.; Mazets, E. P.; Nusinov, A. A.; Pankov, A. M.; Sylwester, J.

    2011-05-01

    The CORONAS-F mission experiments and results have been reviewed. The observations with the DIFOS multi-channel photometer in a broad spectral range from 350 to 1500 nm have revealed the dependence of the relative amplitudes of p-modes of the global solar oscillations on the wavelength that agrees perfectly well with the earlier data obtained in a narrower spectral ranges. The SPIRIT EUV observations have enabled the study of various manifestations of solar activity and high-temperature events on the Sun. The data from the X-ray spectrometer RESIK, gamma spectrometer HELICON, flare spectrometer IRIS, amplitude-temporal spectrometer AVS-F, and X-ray spectrometer RPS-1 have been used to analyze the X- and gamma-ray emission from solar flares and for diagnostics of the flaring plasma. The absolute and relative content of various elements (such as potassium, argon, and sulfur) of solar plasma in flares has been determined for the first time with the X-ray spectrometer RESIK. The Solar Cosmic Ray Complex monitored the solar flare effects in the Earth's environment. The UV emission variations recorded during solar flares in the vicinity of the 120-nm wavelength have been analyzed and the amplitude of relative variations has been determined.

  4. Spacelab Science Results Study. Volume 1; External Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Naumann, Robert J. (Compiler)

    1999-01-01

    Some of the 36 Spacelab missions were more or less dedicated to specific scientific disciplines, while other carried a eclectic mixture of experiments ranging from astrophysics to life sciences. However, the experiments can be logically classified into two general categories; those that make use of the Shuttle as an observing platform for external phenomena (including those which use the Shuttle in an interactive mode) and those which use the Shuttle as a microgravity laboratory. This first volume of this Spacelab Science Results study will be devoted to experiments of the first category. The disciplines included are Astrophysics, Solar Physics, Space Plasma Physics, Atmospheric Sciences, and Earth Sciences. Because of the large number of microgravity investigations, Volume 2 will be devoted to Microgravity Sciences, which includes Fluid Physics, Combustion Science, Materials Science, and Biotechnology, and Volume 3 will be devoted to Space Life Sciences, which studies the response and adaptability of living organisms to the microgravity environment.

  5. HST Observations of the Uranian Ring Plane Crossing: Early Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Showalter, Mark R.; Lissauer, J. J.; French, R. G.; Hamilton, D. P.; Nicholson, P. D.; de Pater, I.

    2007-10-01

    Between early May and mid-August 2007, Earth was on the north side of the Uranian ring plane while the Sun was still shining on the rings’ southern face. This has provided an exceedingly rare opportunity to view the ring system via transmitted light. The ɛ ring, which typically out-shines every other component of the inner ring-moon system, has been rendered essentially invisible. We have been conducting regular imaging of the Uranian system throughout this period with the Wide Field/Planetary Camera on HST to address numerous scientific goals. (1) To search the inner Uranian system for the "shepherding” moons long believed to confine the narrow rings; (2) to study the packing density of the main rings via direct observations of their vertical thickness; (3) to search for the inner dust rings that appeared in a few Voyager images; (4) to determine the vertical thickness of the faint outer rings μ and ν (5) to obtain the most sensitive determinations of the outer rings’ colors and try to understand why ring ν is red but ring μ is blue; (6) to search for additional outer dust rings under optimal viewing geometry; and (7) to continue monitoring the seemingly chaotic orbital variations of the inner Uranian moons, particularly Mab. HST observations span mid-May to mid-September. We will present our initial results from this observing program.

  6. The 2014 March 29 X-Flare: Results from the Best-Ever Flare Observation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, P.

    2014-12-01

    An X1 class solar flare occurred on 2014 March 29, peaking at 17:48 UT, and producing a filament eruption and EUV wave. It was observed as part of a Sac Peak-IRIS-Hinode observing program, delivering unprecedented coverage at all layers of the solar atmosphere. This talk will summarize new results obtained for this flare, with a particular focus on spectroscopic results obtained from IRIS and Hinode/EIS. Topics include mass flows prior and during the filament eruption, dynamics of 10 MK plasma during the flare rise phase, and the evolution of the flare ribbons

  7. Globular-cluster stars - Results of theoretical evolution and pulsation studies compared with the observations.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Iben, I., Jr.

    1971-01-01

    Survey of recently published studies on globular clusters, and comparison of stellar evolution and pulsation theory with reported observations. The theory of stellar evolution is shown to be capable of describing, in principle, the behavior of a star through all quasi-static stages. Yet, as might be expected, estimates of bulk properties obtained by comparing observations with results of pulsation and stellar atmosphere theory differ somewhat from estimates of these same properties obtained by comparing observations with results of evolution theory. A description is given of how such estimates are obtained, and suggestions are offered as to where the weak points in each theory may lie.

  8. Cassini Observations of Saturn's Magnetotail Region: Preliminary Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sittler, E. C.; Arridge, C.; Rymer, A.; Coates, A.; Krupp, N.; Blanc, M.; Richardson, J.; Andre, N.; Thomsen, M.; Tokar, R. L.; hide

    2007-01-01

    Using Cassini thermal plasma, hot plasma and magnetic field observations for several intervals between the dawn meridian of Saturn's outer magnetosphere and Saturn's magnetotail region, we investigate the structure of the magnetotail, plasma and magnetic field properties within tail-like current sheet regions and ion flows within the magnetotail regions. We use Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS), Electron Plasma Spectrometer (ELS) observations, MIMI LEMMS ion and electron observations and Cassini magnetometer data (MAG) to characterize the plasma environment. IMS observations are used to measure plasma flow velocities from which one can infer rotation versus convective flows. IMS composition measurements are used to trace the source of plasma from the inner magnetosphere (protons, H2+ and water group ions) versus an external solar wind source (protons and e +i+on s). A critical parameter for both models is the strength of the convection electric field with respect to the rotational electric field for the large scale magnetosphere. For example, are there significant return flows (i.e., negative radial velocities, VR < 0) and/or plasmoids (V(sub R) > 0) within the magnetotail region? Initial preliminary evidence of such out flows and return flows was presented by Sittler et al. This talk complements the more global analysis by McAndrews et al.

  9. Plasma observations near saturn: initial results from voyager 1.

    PubMed

    Bridge, H S; Belcher, J W; Lazarus, A J; Olbert, S; Sullivan, J D; Bagenal, F; Gazis, P R; Hartle, R E; Ogilvie, K W; Scudder, J D; Sittler, E C; Eviatar, A; Siscoe, G L; Goertz, C K; Vasyliunas, V M

    1981-04-10

    Extensive measurements of low-energy plasma electrons and positive ions were made during the Voyager 1 encounter with Saturn and its satellites. The magnetospheric plasma contains light and heavy ions, probably hydrogen and nitrogen or oxygen; at radial distances between 15 and 7 Saturn-radii (Rs) on the inbound trajectory, the plasma appears to corotate with a velocity within 20 percent of that expected for rigid corotation. The general morphology of Saturn's magnetosphere is well represented by a plasma sheet that extends from at least 5 to 17 Rs, is symmetrical with respect to Saturn's equatorial plane and rotation axis, and appears to be well ordered by the magnetic shell parameter L (which represents the equatorial distance of a magnetic field line measured in units of Rs). Within this general configuration, two distinct structures can be identified: a central plasma sheet observed from L = 5 to L = 8 in which the density decreases rapidly away from the equatorial plane, and a more extended structure from L = 7 to beyond 18 Rs in which the density profile is nearly flat for a distance +/- 1.8 Rs off the plane and falls rapidly thereafter. The encounter with Titan took place inside the magnetosphere. The data show a clear signature characteristic of the interaction between a subsonic corotating magnetospheric plasma and the atmospheric or ionospheric exosphere of Titan. Titan appears to be a significant source of ions for the outer magnetosphere. The locations of bow shock crossings observed inbound and outbound indicate that the shape of the Saturnian magnetosphere is similar to that of Earth and that the position of the stagnation point scales approximately as the inverse one-sixth power of the ram pressure.

  10. Ion cyclotron instability at Io: Hybrid simulation results compared to in situ observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Šebek, Ondřej; Trávníček, Pavel M.; Walker, Raymond J.; Hellinger, Petr

    2016-08-01

    We present analysis of global three-dimensional hybrid simulations of Io's interaction with Jovian magnetospheric plasma. We apply a single-species model with simplified neutral-plasma chemistry and downscale Io in order to resolve the ion kinetic scales. We consider charge exchange, electron impact ionization, and photoionization by using variable rates of these processes to investigate their impact. Our results are in a good qualitative agreement with the in situ magnetic field measurements for five Galileo flybys around Io. The hybrid model describes ion kinetics self-consistently. This allows us to assess the distribution of temperature anisotropies around Io and thereby determine the possible triggering mechanism for waves observed near Io. We compare simulated dynamic spectra of magnetic fluctuations with in situ observations made by Galileo. Our results are consistent with both the spatial distribution and local amplitude of magnetic fluctuations found in the observations. Cyclotron waves, triggered probably by the growth of ion cyclotron instability, are observed mainly downstream of Io and on the flanks in regions farther from Io where the ion pickup rate is relatively low. Growth of the ion cyclotron instability is governed mainly by the charge exchange rate.

  11. Earth observations and photography experiment: Summary of significant results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    El-Baz, F.

    1978-01-01

    Observation and photographic data from the Apollo Soyuz Test Project are analyzed. The discussion is structured according to the fields of investigation including: geology, desert studies, oceanography, hydrology, and meteorology. The data were obtained by: (1) visual observations of selected Earth features, (2) hand-held camera photography to document observations, and (3) stereo mapping photography of areas of significant scientific interest.

  12. Results of Observational Studies: Analysis of Findings from the Nurses’ Health Study

    PubMed Central

    Tai, Vicky; Grey, Andrew; Bolland, Mark J.

    2014-01-01

    Background The role of observational studies in informing clinical practice is debated, and high profile examples of discrepancies between the results of observational studies and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have intensified that debate. We systematically reviewed findings from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), one of the longest and largest observational studies, to assess the number and strength of the associations reported and to determine if they have been confirmed in RCTs. Methods We reviewed NHS publication abstracts from 1978–2012, extracted information on associations tested, and graded the strength of the reported effect sizes. We searched PubMed for RCTs or systematic reviews for 3 health outcomes commonly reported in NHS publications: breast cancer, ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and osteoporosis. NHS results were compared with RCT results and deemed concordant when the difference in effect sizes between studies was ≤0.15. Findings 2007 associations between health outcomes and independent variables were reported in 1053 abstracts. 58.0% (1165/2007) were statistically significant, and 22.2% (445/2007) were neutral (no association). Among the statistically significant results that reported a numeric odds ratio (OR) or relative risk (RR), 70.5% (706/1002) reported a weak association (OR/RR 0.5–2.0), 24.5% (246/1002) a moderate association (OR/RR 0.25–0.5 or 2.0–4.0) and 5.0% (50/1002) a strong association (OR/RR ≤0.25 or ≥4.0). 19 associations reported in NHS publications for breast cancer, IHD and osteoporosis have been tested in RCTs, and the concordance between NHS and RCT results was low (≤25%). Conclusions NHS publications contain a large number of analyses, the majority of which reported statistically significant but weak associations. Few of these associations have been tested in RCTs, and where they have, the agreement between NHS results and RCTs is poor. PMID:25330007

  13. Planck intermediate results: XXIX. All-sky dust modelling with Planck, IRAS, and WISE observations

    DOE PAGES

    Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Alves, M. I. R.; ...

    2016-02-09

    In this paper, we present all-sky modelling of the high resolution Planck, IRAS, and WISE infrared (IR) observations using the physical dust model presented by Draine & Li in 2007 (DL, ApJ, 657, 810). We study the performance and results of this model, and discuss implications for future dust modelling. The present work extends the DL dust modelling carried out on nearby galaxies using Herschel and Spitzer data to Galactic dust emission. We employ the DL dust model to generate maps of the dust mass surface density Σ Md, the dust optical extinction A V, and the starlight intensity heatingmore » the bulk of the dust, parametrized by U min. The DL model reproduces the observed spectral energy distribution (SED) satisfactorily over most of the sky, with small deviations in the inner Galactic disk and in low ecliptic latitude areas, presumably due to zodiacal light contamination. In the Andromeda galaxy (M31), the present dust mass estimates agree remarkably well (within 10%) with DL estimates based on independent Spitzer and Herschel data. We compare the DL optical extinction A V for the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) with optical estimates for approximately 2 × 10 5 quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) observed inthe Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The DL A V estimates are larger than those determined towards QSOs by a factor of about 2, which depends on U min. The DL fitting parameter U min, effectively determined by the wavelength where the SED peaks, appears to trace variations in the far-IR opacity of the dust grains per unit A V, and not only in the starlight intensity. These results show that some of the physical assumptions of the DL model will need to be revised. To circumvent the model deficiency, we propose an empirical renormalization of the DL A V estimate, dependent of U min, which compensates for the systematic differences found with QSO observations. This renormalization, made to match the A V estimates towards QSOs, also brings into agreement the DL A

  14. The vela pulsar: results from the first year of FERMI lat observations

    DOE PAGES

    Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; ...

    2010-03-18

    Here, we report on analysis of timing and spectroscopy of the Vela pulsar using 11 months of observations with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The intrinsic brightness of Vela at GeV energies combined with the angular resolution and sensitivity of the LAT allows us to make the most detailed study to date of the energy-dependent light curves and phase-resolved spectra, using a LAT-derived timing model. The light curve consists of two peaks (P1 and P2) connected by bridge emission containing a third peak (P3). We have confirmed the strong decrease of the P1/P2 ratiomore » with increasing energy seen with EGRET and previous Fermi LAT data, and observe that P1 disappears above 20 GeV. The increase with energy of the mean phase of the P3 component can be followed with much greater detail, showing that P3 and P2 are present up to the highest energies of pulsation. We find significant pulsed emission at phases outside the main profile, indicating that magnetospheric emission exists over 80% of the pulsar period. With increased high-energy counts the phase-averaged spectrum is seen to depart from a power law with simple exponential cutoff, and is better fit with a more gradual cutoff. The spectra in fixed-count phase bins are well fit with power laws with exponential cutoffs, revealing a strong and complex phase dependence of the cutoff energy, especially in the peaks. Finally, by combining these results with predictions of the outer magnetosphere models that map emission characteristics to phase, it will be possible to probe the particle acceleration and the structure of the pulsar magnetosphere with unprecedented detail.« less

  15. DUst around NEarby Stars. The survey observational results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eiroa, C.; Marshall, J. P.; Mora, A.; Montesinos, B.; Absil, O.; Augereau, J. Ch.; Bayo, A.; Bryden, G.; Danchi, W.; del Burgo, C.; Ertel, S.; Fridlund, M.; Heras, A. M.; Krivov, A. V.; Launhardt, R.; Liseau, R.; Löhne, T.; Maldonado, J.; Pilbratt, G. L.; Roberge, A.; Rodmann, J.; Sanz-Forcada, J.; Solano, E.; Stapelfeldt, K.; Thébault, P.; Wolf, S.; Ardila, D.; Arévalo, M.; Beichmann, C.; Faramaz, V.; González-García, B. M.; Gutiérrez, R.; Lebreton, J.; Martínez-Arnáiz, R.; Meeus, G.; Montes, D.; Olofsson, G.; Su, K. Y. L.; White, G. J.; Barrado, D.; Fukagawa, M.; Grün, E.; Kamp, I.; Lorente, R.; Morbidelli, A.; Müller, S.; Mutschke, H.; Nakagawa, T.; Ribas, I.; Walker, H.

    2013-07-01

    Context. Debris discs are a consequence of the planet formation process and constitute the fingerprints of planetesimal systems. Their solar system counterparts are the asteroid and Edgeworth-Kuiper belts. Aims: The DUNES survey aims at detecting extra-solar analogues to the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt around solar-type stars, putting in this way the solar system into context. The survey allows us to address some questions related to the prevalence and properties of planetesimal systems. Methods: We used Herschel/PACS to observe a sample of nearby FGK stars. Data at 100 and 160 μm were obtained, complemented in some cases with observations at 70 μm, and at 250, 350 and 500 μm using SPIRE. The observing strategy was to integrate as deep as possible at 100 μm to detect the stellar photosphere. Results: Debris discs have been detected at a fractional luminosity level down to several times that of the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt. The incidence rate of discs around the DUNES stars is increased from a rate of ~12.1% ± 5% before Herschel to ~20.2% ± 2%. A significant fraction (~52%) of the discs are resolved, which represents an enormous step ahead from the previously known resolved discs. Some stars are associated with faint far-IR excesses attributed to a new class of cold discs. Although it cannot be excluded that these excesses are produced by coincidental alignment of background galaxies, statistical arguments suggest that at least some of them are true debris discs. Some discs display peculiar SEDs with spectral indexes in the 70-160 μm range steeper than the Rayleigh-Jeans one. An analysis of the debris disc parameters suggests that a decrease might exist of the mean black body radius from the F-type to the K-type stars. In addition, a weak trend is suggested for a correlation of disc sizes and an anticorrelation of disc temperatures with the stellar age. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator

  16. Satellite-derived SIF and CO2 Observations Show Coherent Responses to Interannual Climate Variations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butterfield, Z.; Hogikyan, A.; Kulawik, S. S.; Keppel-Aleks, G.

    2017-12-01

    Gross primary production (GPP) is the single largest carbon flux in the Earth system, but its sensitivity to changes in climate is subject to significant uncertainty. Satellite measurements of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) offer insight into spatial and temporal patterns in GPP at a global scale and, combined with other satellite-derived datasets, provide unprecedented opportunity to explore interactions between atmospheric CO2, GPP, and climate variability. To explore potential drivers of GPP in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), we compare monthly-averaged SIF data from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2 (GOME-2) with observed anomalies in temperature (T; CRU-TS), liquid water equivalent (LWE) from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; CERES SYN1deg). Using observations from 2007 through 2015 for several NH regions, we calculate month-specific sensitivities of SIF to variability in T, LWE, and PAR. These sensitivities provide insight into the seasonal progression of how productivity is affected by climate variability and can be used to effectively model the observed SIF signal. In general, we find that high temperatures are beneficial to productivity in the spring, but detrimental in the summer. The influences of PAR and LWE are more heterogeneous between regions; for example, higher LWE in North American temperate forest leads to decreased springtime productivity, while exhibiting a contrasting effect in water-limited regions. Lastly, we assess the influence of variations in terrestrial productivity on atmospheric carbon using a new lower tropospheric CO2 product derived from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT). Together, these data shed light on the drivers of interannual variability in the annual cycle of NH atmospheric CO2, and may provide improved constraints on projections of long-term carbon cycle responses to climate change.

  17. Mars Methane at Gale Crater Shows Strong Seasonal Cycle: Updated Results from TLS-SAM on Curiosity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webster, C. R.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Atreya, S. K.; Flesch, G.; Malespin, C.; McKay, C.; Martinez, G.; Moores, J.; Smith, C. L.; Martin-Torres, F. J.; Gomez-Elvira, J.; Zorzano, M. P.; Wong, M. H.; Trainer, M. G.; Eigenbrode, J. L.; Glavin, D. P.; Steele, A.; Archer, D., Jr.; Sutter, B.; Coll, P. J.; Freissinet, C.; Meslin, P. Y.; Pavlov, A.; Keymeulen, D.; Christensen, L. E.; Gough, R. V.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Navarro-Gonzalez, R.; Pla-García, J.; Rafkin, S. C.; Vicente-Retortillo, Á.; Kahanpää, H.; Viudez-Moreiras, D.; Smith, M. D.; Harri, A. M.; Genzer, M.; Hassler, D.; Lemmon, M. T.; Crisp, J. A.; Zurek, R. W.; Vasavada, A. R.

    2017-12-01

    In situ measurements of atmospheric methane have been made over a 5-year period at Gale Crater on Mars using the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS) instrument in the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite on the Curiosity rover. We report two important observations: (i) a background level of mean value of 0.41 ±0.11 (2sem) that is about 5 times lower than some model predictions based on generation from UV degradation of micro-meteorites or interplanetary dust delivered to the martian surface; (ii) "spikes" of elevated levels of 7 ppbv attributed to episodic releases from small local sources, probably to the north of Gale crater1. Reports of plumes, patches or episodic releases of methane in the Martian atmosphere have to date eluded explanation in part because of their lack of repeatability in time or location. Our in situ measurements of the background methane levels exhibit a strong, repeatable seasonal variability. The amplitude of the observed seasonal cycle is 3 times greater than both that expected from the annual sublimation and freezing of polar carbon dioxide and that expected from methane production from ultraviolet (UV) degradation of exogenously-delivered surface material. The observed large seasonal variation in the background, and sporadic observations of higher pulses of 7 ppbv appear consistent with localized small sources of methane release from Martian surface reservoirs that may be occurring throughout the planet. We will present our updated data set, correlations of Mars methane with various other measurements from SAM, REMS, RAD and ChemCam instruments on Curiosity, as well as empirical models of UV surface insolation, and provide preliminary interpretation of results. 1 "Mars Methane Detection and Variability at Gale Crater", C. R. Webster et al., Science, 347, 415-417 (2015) and references therein. The research described here was carried out in part at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the

  18. ATM observations - X-ray results. [solar coronal structure from Skylab experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vaiana, G. S.; Zombeck, M.; Krieger, A. S.; Timothy, A. F.

    1976-01-01

    Preliminary results of the solar X-ray observations from Skylab are reviewed which indicate a highly structured nature for the corona, with closed magnetic-loop structures over a wide range of size scales. A description of the S-054 experiments is provided, and values are given for the parameters - including size, density, and temperature - describing a variety of typical coronal features. The structure and evolution of active regions, coronal holes, and bright points are discussed.

  19. First results of mapping sporadic E with a passive observing network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rice, D. D.; Sojka, J. J.; Eccles, J. V.; Raitt, J. W.; Brady, J. J.; Hunsucker, R. D.

    2011-12-01

    Sporadic E (Es) can have dramatic effects on communications in the HF and low VHF range, producing over-the-horizon propagation for signals normally restricted to line-of-sight, and sometimes blocking F region propagation of signals in the lower HF range. Measuring the E region winds believed to produce Es is difficult, and no practical means of predicting Es occurrence currently exists other than statistical models. We describe a low-cost observing network based on software-controlled receivers that continuously watches for Es in near-real time using oblique HF propagation from existing transmitters. Results from an 11-day pilot campaign in July 2008 demonstrated that even a limited number of receivers in the network can readily determine the presence and extent of Es patches. These observations indicate that Es often develops quickly over regions of several hundred kilometers rather than gradually drifting across an area. These widespread Es “blooms” have been observed near winter solstice and occasionally at other times of the year; their lifetime depends on the season but can be several hours during the summer. The current network allows the extent of Es in portions of North America to be evaluated: the geographical distribution of Es and bounds on the density of the layer are inferred from its effects on the ionospheric maximum usable frequency (MUF). This study demonstrates quantitatively that Es mapping can provide information about Es layer geographical growth and decay. The observed sudden widespread Es blooms are space weather events that can have significant impact on HF/lower VHF communications and propagation model predictions.

  20. Results of Spectral Corona Observations in Solar Activity Cycles 17-24

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aliev, A. Kh.; Guseva, S. A.; Tlatov, A. G.

    2017-12-01

    The results of the work of the global observation network are considered, and a comparative analysis of the data of various coronal observatories is performed. The coronal activity index has been reconstructed for the period 1939-2016 based on the data of various observatories in Kislovodsk system. For this purpose, the corona daily intensity maps from the Sacramento Peak and Lomnický Štít observatories according to the Solar-Geophysical Data journal have been digitized; they supplement the data of other observatories. The homogeneity and continuity of the corona observations at the Kislovodsk station, including activity cycle 24, is confirmed. Unfortunately, the only observatory at present that continues observation of the spectral corona in Fe XIV 5303 Å and Fe XIV 6374 Å lines is the Kislovodsk astronomical station Mountain Astronomical Station (MAS) of the Central Astronomical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences (Pulkovo). The data on the combined corona in 5303 Å line are analyzed. It is shown that there is a high correlation of the intensity index of green corona with solar radiation measurements in the vacuum UV region. Data on the beginning of the new 25th activity cycle in the corona at high latitudes are presented.

  1. Hi-C Observations of Penumbral Bright Dots: Comparison with the IRIS Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alpert, S. E.; Tiwari, S. K.; Moore, R. L.; Savage, S. L.; Winebarger, A. R.

    2014-01-01

    We observed bright dots (BDs) in a sunspot penumbra by using data acquired by the High Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C). The sizes of these BDs are on the order of 1 arcsecond (1') and are therefore hard to identify using the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly's (AIA) 0.6' pixel -1 resolution. These BDs become readily apparent with Hi-C's 0.1' pixel -1 resolution. Tian et al. (2014) found penumbral BDs in the transition region (TR) by using the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). However, only a few of their dots could be associated with any enhanced brightness in AIA channels. In this work, we examine the characteristics of the penumbral BDs observed by Hi-C in a sunspot penumbra, including their sizes, lifetimes, speeds, and intensity. We also attempt to relate these BDs to the IRIS BDs. There are fewer Hi-C BDs in the penumbra than seen by IRIS, though different sunspots were studied and Hi-C had a short observation time. We use 193 A Hi-C data from July 11, 2012 which observed from 18:52:00 UT{18:56:00 UT and supplement it with data from AIA's 193 A passband to see the complete lifetime of the dots that were born before and/or lasted longer than Hi-C's 5-minute observation period. We use additional AIA passbands and compare the light curves of the BDs at different temperatures to test whether the Hi-C BDs are TR BDs. We find that most Hi-C BDs show clear movement, and of those that do, they move in a radial direction, toward or away from the sunspot umbra, sometimes doing both. BDs interact with other BDs, combining to fade away or brighten. The BDs that do not interact with other BDs tend to move less and last longer. We examine the properties of the Hi-C BDs and compare them with the IRIS BDs. Our BDs are similar to the exceptional values of the IRIS BDs: they move slower on average and their sizes and lifetimes are on the higher end of the distributions of IRIS BDs. We infer that our penumbral BDs are some of the larger BDs observed by IRIS.

  2. Depression and Oxidative Stress: Results From a Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

    PubMed Central

    Palta, Priya; Samuel, Laura J.; Miller, Edgar R.; Szanton, Sarah L.

    2014-01-01

    Objective To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis that quantitatively tests and summarizes the hypothesis that depression results in elevated oxidative stress and lower antioxidant levels. Methods We performed a meta-analysis of studies that reported an association between depression and oxidative stress and/or antioxidant status markers. PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for articles published from January 1980 through December 2012. A random-effects model, weighted by inverse variance, was performed to pool standard deviation (Cohen’s d) effect size estimates across studies for oxidative stress and antioxidant status measures, separately. Results Twenty-three studies with 4980 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Depression was most commonly measured using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria. A Cohen’s d effect size of 0.55 (95% confidence interval = 0.47–0.63) was found for the association between depression and oxidative stress, indicating a roughly 0.55 of 1-standard-deviation increase in oxidative stress among individuals with depression compared with those without depression. The results of the studies displayed significant heterogeneity (I2 = 80.0%, p < .001). A statistically significant effect was also observed for the association between depression and antioxidant status markers (Cohen’s d = −0.24, 95% confidence interval = −0.33 to −0.15). Conclusions This meta-analysis observed an association between depression and oxidative stress and antioxidant status across many different studies. Differences in measures of depression and markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status markers could account for the observed heterogeneity. These findings suggest that well-established associations between depression and poor heath outcomes may be mediated by high oxidative stress. PMID:24336428

  3. Ocean Carbon States: Data Mining in Observations and Numerical Simulations Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Latto, R.; Romanou, A.

    2017-12-01

    Advanced data mining techniques are rapidly becoming widely used in Climate and Earth Sciences with the purpose of extracting new meaningful information from increasingly larger and more complex datasets. This is particularly important in studies of the global carbon cycle, where any lack of understanding of its combined physical and biogeochemical drivers is detrimental to our ability to accurately describe, understand, and predict CO2 concentrations and their changes in the major carbon reservoirs. The analysis presented here evaluates the use of cluster analysis as a means of identifying and comparing spatial and temporal patterns extracted from observational and model datasets. As the observational data is organized into various regimes, which we will call "ocean carbon states", we gain insight into the physical and/or biogeochemical processes controlling the ocean carbon cycle as well as how well these processes are simulated by a state-of-the-art climate model. We find that cluster analysis effectively produces realistic, dynamic regimes that can be associated with specific processes at different temporal scales for both observations and the model. In addition, we show how these regimes can be used to illustrate and characterize the model biases in the model air-sea flux of CO2. These biases are attributed to biases in salinity, sea surface temperature, wind speed, and nitrate, which are then used to identify the physical processes that are inaccurately reproduced by the model. In this presentation, we provide a proof-of-concept application using simple datasets, and we expand to more complex ones, using several physical and biogeochemical variable pairs, thus providing considerable insight into the mechanisms and phases of the ocean carbon cycle over different temporal and spatial scales.

  4. Evaluation of observation-driven evaporation algorithms: results of the WACMOS-ET project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miralles, Diego G.; Jimenez, Carlos; Ershadi, Ali; McCabe, Matthew F.; Michel, Dominik; Hirschi, Martin; Seneviratne, Sonia I.; Jung, Martin; Wood, Eric F.; (Bob) Su, Z.; Timmermans, Joris; Chen, Xuelong; Fisher, Joshua B.; Mu, Quiaozen; Fernandez, Diego

    2015-04-01

    Terrestrial evaporation (ET) links the continental water, energy and carbon cycles. Understanding the magnitude and variability of ET at the global scale is an essential step towards reducing uncertainties in our projections of climatic conditions and water availability for the future. However, the requirement of global observational data of ET can neither be satisfied with our sparse global in-situ networks, nor with the existing satellite sensors (which cannot measure evaporation directly from space). This situation has led to the recent rise of several algorithms dedicated to deriving ET fields from satellite data indirectly, based on the combination of ET-drivers that can be observed from space (e.g. radiation, temperature, phenological variability, water content, etc.). These algorithms can either be based on physics (e.g. Priestley and Taylor or Penman-Monteith approaches) or be purely statistical (e.g., machine learning). However, and despite the efforts from different initiatives like GEWEX LandFlux (Jimenez et al., 2011; Mueller et al., 2013), the uncertainties inherent in the resulting global ET datasets remain largely unexplored, partly due to a lack of inter-product consistency in forcing data. In response to this need, the ESA WACMOS-ET project started in 2012 with the main objectives of (a) developing a Reference Input Data Set to derive and validate ET estimates, and (b) performing a cross-comparison, error characterization and validation exercise of a group of selected ET algorithms driven by this Reference Input Data Set and by in-situ forcing data. The algorithms tested are SEBS (Su et al., 2002), the Penman- Monteith approach from MODIS (Mu et al., 2011), the Priestley and Taylor JPL model (Fisher et al., 2008), the MPI-MTE model (Jung et al., 2010) and GLEAM (Miralles et al., 2011). In this presentation we will show the first results from the ESA WACMOS-ET project. The performance of the different algorithms at multiple spatial and temporal

  5. Seismic Observations From the Afar Rift Dynamics Project: Preliminary Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hammond, J. O.; Guidarelli, M.; Belachew, M.; Keir, D.; Ayele, A.; Ebinger, C.; Stuart, G.; Kendall, J.

    2008-12-01

    Following the 2005 Dabbahu rifting event in Afar, 9 broadband seismometers were installed around the active rift segment to study the microseismicity associated with this and subsequent dyking events. These recorded more than one year of continuous data. In March 2007, 41 stations were deployed throughout Afar and the adjacent rift flanks as part of a large multi-national, collaboration involving universities and organisations from the UK, US and Ethiopia. This abstract describes the crustal and upper mantle structure results of the first 19 months of data. Bulk crustal structure has been determined using the H-k stacking of receiver functions and thickness varies from ~45 km on the rift margins to ~16 km beneath the northeastern Afar stations. Estimates of Vp/Vs show normal continental crust values (1.7-1.8) on the rift margins, and very high values (2.0-2.2) in Afar. A study of seismic noise interferometry is in early stages, but inversions using 20 s Green's function estimates, with some control from regional surface waves, show evidence for thin crustal regions around the recently rifted Dabbahu segment. To improve our understanding of the physical and compositional properties of the crust and locate regions of high attenuation (an indicator of melt), we determine attenuation (Q) using t* values measured from spectra of P wave arrivals. We present whole path attenuation from source to receiver, which will provide a starting point for a future tomographic inversion. SKS-wave splitting results show sharp changes over small lateral distances (40° over <30 km), with fast directions overlying the Dabbahu segment aligning parallel with the recent diking. This supports ideas of melt dominated anisotropy beneath the Ethiopian rift. Seismic tomography inversions show that in the top 150 km low velocities mimic the trend of the seismicity in Afar. The low velocity anomalies extend from the main Ethiopian rift NE, towards Djibouti, and from Djibouti NW towards the

  6. Photographic zenith tube of the Zvenigorod INASAN Observatory - Processing method and observation results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yurov, E. A.

    1992-10-01

    A method for the reduction of PZT plates which has been used at the Zvenigorod INASAN Observatory since 1986 is described. The formulas used for computing the coordinates of the stellar image in the focal plane at the midpoint of the exposure are correct to 0.0024 arcsec. Observations from February 1986 to October 1988 are compared with data of BIH and IERS, and the results of the comparison are used to compute the amplitudes of the annual terms of nonpolar variations in the observed latitudes and Delta(UTI).

  7. Emissions and transport of NOx over East Asia diagnosed by satellite and in-situ observations and chemical transport model results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, H.; Kim, S.; Brioude, J.; Cooper, O. R.; Frost, G. J.; Trainer, M.; Kim, C.

    2012-12-01

    Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) columns observed from space have been useful in detecting the increase of NOx emissions over East Asia in accordance with rapid growth in its economy. In addition to emissions, transport can be an important factor to determine the observed satellite NO2 columns in this region. Satellite tropospheric NO2 columns showed maximum in winter and minimum in summer over the high emission areas in China, as lifetime of NO2 decreases with increase of sunlight. However, secondary peaks in the satellite NO2 columns were found in spring in both Korea and Japan, which may be influenced by transport of NOx within East Asia. Surface in-situ observations confirm the findings from the satellite measurements. The large-scale distribution of satellite NO2 columns over East Asia and the Pacific Ocean showed that the locations of NO2 column maxima coincided with wind convergence zones that change with seasons. In spring, the convergence zone is located over 30-40°N, leading to the most efficient transport of the emissions from southern China to downwind areas including Korea, Japan, and western coastal regions of the United States. We employed a Lagrangian particle dispersion model to identify the sources of the observed springtime maximum NO2. In order to understand chemical processing during the transport and quantify the roles of emissions and transport in local NOx budgets, we will also present the results from a regional chemical transport model.

  8. Best in show but not best shape: a photographic assessment of show dog body condition.

    PubMed

    Such, Z R; German, A J

    2015-08-01

    Previous studies suggest that owners often wrongly perceive overweight dogs to be in normal condition. The body shape of dogs attending shows might influence owners' perceptions, with online images of overweight show winners having a negative effect. This was an observational in silico study of canine body condition. 14 obese-prone breeds and 14 matched non-obese-probe breeds were first selected, and one operator then used an online search engine to identify 40 images, per breed, of dogs that had appeared at a major national UK show (Crufts). After images were anonymised and coded, a second observer subjectively assessed body condition, in a single sitting, using a previously validated method. Of 1120 photographs initially identified, 960 were suitable for assessing body condition, with all unsuitable images being from longhaired breeds. None of the dogs (0 per cent) were underweight, 708 (74 per cent) were in ideal condition and 252 (26 per cent) were overweight. Pugs, basset hounds and Labrador retrievers were most likely to be overweight, while standard poodles, Rhodesian ridgebacks, Hungarian vizslas and Dobermanns were least likely to be overweight. Given the proportion of show dogs from some breeds that are overweight, breed standards should be redefined to be consistent with a dog in optimal body condition. British Veterinary Association.

  9. Combined Radio and Space-Based Solar Observations: From Techniques to New Results - Preface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kontar, Eduard P.; Nindos, Alexander

    2018-06-01

    The phenomena observed at the Sun have a variety of unique radio signatures that can be used to diagnose the processes in the solar atmosphere. The insights provided by radio observations are further enhanced when they are combined with observations from space-based telescopes. This Topical collection demonstrates the power of combination methodology at work and provides new results on i) type I solar radio bursts and thermal emission to study active regions; ii) type II and IV bursts to better understand the structure of coronal mass ejections; and iii) non-thermal gyro-synchrotron and/or type III bursts to improve the characterisation of particle acceleration in solar flares. The ongoing improvements in time, frequency, and spatial resolutions of ground-based telescopes reveal new levels in the complexity of solar phenomena and pose new questions.

  10. Dissemination of a Web-Based Tool for Supporting Health Insurance Plan Decisions (Show Me Health Plans): Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Jingsong; Mir, Nageen; Ackermann, Nicole; Kaphingst, Kimberly A; Politi, Mary C

    2018-06-20

    The rate of uninsured people has decreased dramatically since the Affordable Care Act was passed. To make an informed decision, consumers need assistance to understand the advantages and disadvantages of health insurance plans. The Show Me Health Plans Web-based decision support tool was developed to improve the quality of health insurance selection. In response to the promising effectiveness of Show Me Health Plans in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and the growing need for Web-based health insurance decision support, the study team used expert recommendations for dissemination and implementation, engaged external stakeholders, and made the Show Me Health Plans tool available to the public. The purpose of this study was to implement the public dissemination of the Show Me Health Plans tool in the state of Missouri and to evaluate its impact compared to the RCT. This study used a cross-sectional observational design. Dissemination phase users were compared with users in the RCT study across the same outcome measures. Time spent using the Show Me Health Plans tool, knowledge, importance rating of 9 health insurance features, and intended plan choice match with algorithm predictions were examined. During the dissemination phase (November 2016 to January 2017), 10,180 individuals visited the SMHP website, and the 1069 users who stayed on the tool for more than one second were included in our analyses. Dissemination phase users were more likely to live outside St. Louis City or County (P<.001), were less likely to be below the federal poverty level (P<.001), and had a higher income (P=.03). Overall, Show Me Health Plans users from St. Louis City or County spent more time on the Show Me Health Plans tool than those from other Missouri counties (P=.04); this association was not observed in the RCT. Total time spent on the tool was not correlated with knowledge scores, which were associated with lower poverty levels (P=.009). The users from the RCT phase were more

  11. Does observability affect prosociality?

    PubMed Central

    Lawrence, Claire

    2018-01-01

    The observation of behaviour is a key theoretical parameter underlying a number of models of prosociality. However, the empirical findings showing the effect of observability on prosociality are mixed. In this meta-analysis, we explore the boundary conditions that may account for this variability, by exploring key theoretical and methodological moderators of this link. We identified 117 papers yielding 134 study level effects (total n = 788 164) and found a small but statistically significant, positive association between observability and prosociality (r = 0.141, 95% confidence interval = 0.106, 0.175). Moderator analysis showed that observability produced stronger effects on prosociality: (i) in the presence of passive observers (i.e. people whose role was to only observe participants) versus perceptions of being watched, (ii) when participants’ decisions were consequential (versus non-consequential), (iii) when the studies were performed in the laboratory (as opposed to in the field/online), (iv) when the studies used repeated measures (instead of single games), and (v) when the studies involved social dilemmas (instead of bargaining games). These effects show the conditions under which observability effects on prosociality will be maximally observed. We describe the theoretical and practical significance of these results. PMID:29593114

  12. Does observability affect prosociality?

    PubMed

    Bradley, Alex; Lawrence, Claire; Ferguson, Eamonn

    2018-03-28

    The observation of behaviour is a key theoretical parameter underlying a number of models of prosociality. However, the empirical findings showing the effect of observability on prosociality are mixed. In this meta-analysis, we explore the boundary conditions that may account for this variability, by exploring key theoretical and methodological moderators of this link. We identified 117 papers yielding 134 study level effects (total n = 788 164) and found a small but statistically significant, positive association between observability and prosociality ( r = 0.141, 95% confidence interval = 0.106, 0.175). Moderator analysis showed that observability produced stronger effects on prosociality: (i) in the presence of passive observers (i.e. people whose role was to only observe participants) versus perceptions of being watched, (ii) when participants' decisions were consequential (versus non-consequential), (iii) when the studies were performed in the laboratory (as opposed to in the field/online), (iv) when the studies used repeated measures (instead of single games), and (v) when the studies involved social dilemmas (instead of bargaining games). These effects show the conditions under which observability effects on prosociality will be maximally observed. We describe the theoretical and practical significance of these results. © 2018 The Authors.

  13. Some results on radiation belt electrons from observations of satellite-borne semiconductor electron detector

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

    Cheng Doug-yuan; Wu Ji-ping

    1987-04-01

    This paper presents some results from observations of a Chinese satellite-borne semiconductor electron detector. Data analysis yields typical values of electron fluxes in the central region of the inner radiation belt. The omnidirectional fluxes of electrons having energies greater than 0.5 MeV and 1.0 MeV are 1.9 x 10/sup 8/ and 6.7 x 10/sup 7/ elec./s-cm/sup 2/, respectively. The electron-flux profile on a typical orbit as a function of time is also given. In addition, the omnidirectional fluxes at the synchronous altitude for the two electron-energy levels mentioned are 2.43 x 10/sup 6/ and 4.25 x 10/sup 5/ elec./s-cm/sup 2/.more » The diurnal variations of electrons in the outer radiation belt observed at the synchronous altitude are also given. The results agree with those observed abroad.« less

  14. Public availability of results of observational studies evaluating an intervention registered at ClinicalTrials.gov.

    PubMed

    Baudart, Marie; Ravaud, Philippe; Baron, Gabriel; Dechartres, Agnes; Haneef, Romana; Boutron, Isabelle

    2016-01-28

    Observational studies are essential for assessing safety. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether results of observational studies evaluating an intervention with safety outcome(s) registered at ClinicalTrials.gov were published and, if not, whether they were available through posting on ClinicalTrials.gov or the sponsor website. We identified a cohort of observational studies with safety outcome(s) registered on ClinicalTrials.gov after October 1, 2007, and completed between October 1, 2007, and December 31, 2011. We systematically searched PubMed for a publication, as well as ClinicalTrials.gov and the sponsor website for results. The main outcomes were the time to the first publication in journals and to the first public availability of the study results (i.e. published or posted on ClinicalTrials.gov or the sponsor website). For all studies with results publicly available, we evaluated the completeness of reporting (i.e. reported with the number of events per arm) of safety outcomes. We identified 489 studies; 334 (68%) were partially or completely funded by industry. Results for only 189 (39%, i.e. 65% of the total target number of participants) were published at least 30 months after the study completion. When searching other data sources, we obtained the results for 53% (n = 158; i.e. 93% of the total target number of participants) of unpublished studies; 31% (n = 94) were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov and 21% (n = 64) on the sponsor website. As compared with non-industry-funded studies, industry-funded study results were less likely to be published but not less likely to be publicly available. Of the 242 studies with a primary outcome recorded as a safety issue, all these outcomes were adequately reported in 86% (114/133) when available in a publication, 91% (62/68) when available on ClinicalTrials.gov, and 80% (33/41) when available on the sponsor website. Only 39% of observational studies evaluating an intervention with safety outcome

  15. Results from the First Observing Season of PIQUE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hedman, M. M.; Barkats, D.; Gundersen, J. O.; Staggs, S. T.; Winstein, B.

    2000-12-01

    The Princeton IQU Experiment (PIQUE) is a ground-based telescope designed to measure the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Between 19 January 2000 and 2 April 2000, this telescope observed one of the Stokes parameters (Q) on the ring at δ = 89o from the roof of Jadwin Hall, Princeton, NJ. The telescope had a beam full-width-half-maximum of 0.24o and the detector was a single correlation polarimeter operating at 90 GHz. These observations have yielded a new limit on the polarization of the CMB in the multipole range 100 < l < 600. This work was supported by NIST precision measurement grant #60NANB8D0061 and by NSF grant #PHY9600015. Additional support was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation through their fellowships for STS and BW respectively.

  16. Long-term active-layer dynamics: results of 22 years of field observations in Northern Hemisphere permafrost regions.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shiklomanov, N. I.; Nelson, F. E.; Streletskiy, D. A.; Klene, A. E.; Biskaborn, B. K.

    2016-12-01

    The uppermost layer of seasonal thawing above permafrost (the active layer) is an important regulator of energy and mass fluxes between the surface and the atmosphere in the polar regions. Active layer monitoring is an important component of efforts to assess the effects of global change in permafrost environments. The Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) program, established in the early 1990s, is designed to observe temporal and spatial variability of the active layer and its response to changes and variations in climatic conditions. The CALM network is an integral part of the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P), operating under the auspices of the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) /Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). Standardized thaw depth observations in the Northern Hemisphere are available for more than 200 GTN-P/CALM sites in the Northern Hemisphere. At each of the sites spatially distributed ALT measurements have been conducted annually by mechanical probing. The locations of sites represent generalized surface and subsurface conditions characteristic of broader regions. The data are assimilated and distributed though the CALM (www.gwu.edu/ calm) and GTN-P (gtnpdatabase.org) online databases. In this presentation we use data from approximately 20 years of continuous observations to examine temporal trends in active-layer thickness for several representative Arctic regions. Results indicate substantial interannual fluctuations in active-layer thickness, primarily in response to variations in air temperature. Decadal trends in ALT vary by region. A progressive increase in ALT has been observed in the Nordic countries, the Russian European North, West Siberia, East Siberia, the Russian Far East, and the Interior of Alaska. North American Arctic sites show no apparent thaw depth trend over 22-years of record. However, combined active layer, ground temperature and heave/subsidence observations conducted in northern Alaska

  17. Trends in Surface Level Ozone Observations from Human-health Relevant Metrics: Results from the Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fleming, Z. L.; von Schneidemesser, E.; Doherty, R. M.; Malley, C.; Cooper, O. R.; Pinto, J. P.; Colette, A.; Xu, X.; Simpson, D.; Schultz, M.; Hamad, S.; Moola, R.; Solberg, S.; Feng, Z.

    2017-12-01

    Ozone is an air pollutant formed in the atmosphere from precursor species (NOx, VOCs, CH4, CO) that is detrimental to human health and ecosystems. The global Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR) initiative has assembled a global database of surface ozone observations and generated ozone exposure metrics at thousands of measurement sites around the world. This talk will present results from the assessment focused on those indicators most relevant to human health. Specifically, the trends in ozone, comparing different time periods and patterns across regions and among metrics will be addressed. In addition, the fraction of population exposed to high ozone levels and how this has changed between 2000 and 2014 will also be discussed. The core time period analyzed for trends was 2000-2014, selected to include a greater number of sites in East Asia. Negative trends were most commonly observed at many US and some European sites, whereas many sites in East Asia showed positive trends, while sites in Japan showed more of a mix of positive and negative trends. More than half of the sites showed a common direction and significance in the trends for all five human-health relevant metrics. The peak ozone metrics indicate a reduction in exposure to peak levels of ozone related to photochemical episodes in Europe and the US. A considerable number of European countries and states within the US have shown a decrease in population-weighted ozone over time. The 2000-2014 results will be augmented and compared to the trend analysis for additional time periods that cover a greater number of years, but by necessity are based on fewer sites. Trends are found to be statistically significant at a larger fraction of sites with longer time series, compared to the shorter (2000-2014) time series.

  18. Depression and oxidative stress: results from a meta-analysis of observational studies.

    PubMed

    Palta, Priya; Samuel, Laura J; Miller, Edgar R; Szanton, Sarah L

    2014-01-01

    To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis that quantitatively tests and summarizes the hypothesis that depression results in elevated oxidative stress and lower antioxidant levels. We performed a meta-analysis of studies that reported an association between depression and oxidative stress and/or antioxidant status markers. PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for articles published from January 1980 through December 2012. A random-effects model, weighted by inverse variance, was performed to pool standard deviation (Cohen's d) effect size estimates across studies for oxidative stress and antioxidant status measures, separately. Twenty-three studies with 4980 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Depression was most commonly measured using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria. A Cohen's d effect size of 0.55 (95% confidence interval = 0.47-0.63) was found for the association between depression and oxidative stress, indicating a roughly 0.55 of 1-standard-deviation increase in oxidative stress among individuals with depression compared with those without depression. The results of the studies displayed significant heterogeneity (I(2) = 80.0%, p < .001). A statistically significant effect was also observed for the association between depression and antioxidant status markers (Cohen's d = -0.24, 95% confidence interval = -0.33 to -0.15). This meta-analysis observed an association between depression and oxidative stress and antioxidant status across many different studies. Differences in measures of depression and markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant status markers could account for the observed heterogeneity. These findings suggest that well-established associations between depression and poor heath outcomes may be mediated by high oxidative stress.

  19. Balancing the Evidence: How to Reconcile the Results of Observational Studies vs. Randomized Clinical Trials in Dialysis.

    PubMed

    Shen, Jenny I; Lum, Erik L; Chang, Tara I

    2016-09-01

    Because large randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in dialysis have been relatively scarce, evidence-based dialysis care has depended heavily on the results of observational studies. However, when results from RCTs appear to contradict the findings of observational studies, nephrologists are left to wonder which type of study they should believe. In this editorial, we explore the key differences between observational studies and RCTs in the context of such seemingly conflicting studies in dialysis. Confounding is the major limitation of observational studies, whereas low statistical power and problems with external validity are more likely to limit the findings of RCTs. Differences in the specification of the population, exposure, and outcomes can also contribute to different results among RCTs and observational studies. Rigorous methods are required regardless of what type of study is conducted, and readers should not automatically assume that one type of study design is superior to the other. Ultimately, dialysis care requires both well-designed, well-conducted observational studies and RCTs to move the field forward. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Balancing the Evidence: How to Reconcile the Results of Observational Studies vs. Randomized Clinical Trials in Dialysis

    PubMed Central

    Shen, Jenny I.; Lum, Erik L.; Chang, Tara I.

    2016-01-01

    Because large randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in dialysis have been relatively scarce, evidence-based dialysis care has depended heavily on the results of observational studies. However, when results from RCTs appear to contradict the findings of observational studies, nephrologists are left to wonder which type of study they should believe. In this editorial we explore the key differences between observational studies and RCTs in the context of such seemingly conflicting studies in dialysis. Confounding is the major limitation of observational studies, while low statistical power and problems with external validity are more likely to limit the findings of RCTs. Differences in the specification of the population, exposure, and outcomes can also contribute to different results among RCTs and observational studies. Rigorous methods are required regardless of what type of study is conducted, and readers should not automatically assume that one type of study design is superior to the other. Ultimately, dialysis care requires both well-designed, well-conducted observational studies and RCTs to move the field forward. PMID:27207819

  1. Air pollution and clouds in southern China: preliminary results from the observations in spring 2009 at Mt. Heng

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, T.; Xue, L.; Gao, X.; Nie, W.; Wang, X.; Wang, Y.; Sun, M.; Ding, A.; Fan, S.; Zhang, Q.; Wang, W.

    2009-12-01

    Aerosols and clouds play a key role in climate change, and the interaction between them also affect the chemical transformation and removal of air pollutants. As a part of China's National Basic Research Project (National '973 Project) on acid deposition, trace gases, aerosols, and cloud water composition were measured in March-May 2009 at the summit of Mount Heng in southern China (Long: 112° 42’ E, Lat: 27 ° 18’ N, 1269 m a.s.l.). The preliminary results from this study are presented. Frequent clouds/fogs occurred at this site. Despite its southern location, the impact of a dust storm from northern China was observed in late April during which the PM10 concentration exceeded 800 ug/m3. Moderate levels of pollution were observed. Formation and growth of new particles frequently occurred on clear days as indicated from the measurement of particle number and size distributions. Cloud water was mostly acidic with a mean acidity of 3.75 (range: 2.51-6.91). The chemical data from this study are compared with those from Mt Tai to show the difference in southern and northern China. The sources of air pollution at this mountain site and the implications of the results will be discussed.

  2. Latest results from the GreenHouse gas Observations of the Stratosphere and Troposphere (GHOST) airborne shortwave infrared spectrometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Humpage, Neil; Boesch, Hartmut; Palmer, Paul; Vick, Andy

    2017-04-01

    GHOST is a novel, compact shortwave infrared grating spectrometer, designed for remote sensing of tropospheric columns of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from an airborne platform. GHOST observes solar radiation at medium to high spectral resolution which has been reflected by the surface, using similar methods to those used by polar orbiting satellites such as the JAXA GOSAT mission, the NASA OCO-2 mission and the forthcoming Copernicus Sentinel 5-Precursor. By using an original design comprising optical fibre inputs along with a single diffraction grating and detector array, GHOST is able to observe CO2 absorption bands centred around 1.61 μm and 2.06 μm (the same wavelength regions used by OCO-2 and GOSAT) whilst simultaneously measuring CH4 absorption at 1.65 μm (also observed by GOSAT), and both CH4 and CO at 2.30 μm (to be observed by Sentinel 5-P once launched later in 2017). The overlapping spectral ranges and comparable spectral resolutions mean that GHOST has unique potential for providing validation opportunities for these platforms, particularly over the ocean where ground-based validation measurements are not available. Here we present the latest results from the spectral analysis, using an optimal estimation based retrieval method, of CO2 and CH4 from GHOST flight spectra for the 1.6 μm band which utilise recently updated laboratory calibration measurements. GHOST took part in two science flights on board the NASA Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle based at the Armstrong Flight Research Centre in Edwards, California, in March 2015. These flights involved long approximately north-south transects over the eastern Pacific Ocean. In addition to observing spatial trends in GHG column concentrations over a regional scale, the second of these flights (on 10th March) allows inter-comparisons of GHOST retrievals with observations from OCO-2 and GOSAT, which both passed directly over the Global Hawk during clear sky conditions. We will show results from these

  3. ESO Large Program on physical studies of Trans-Neptunian objects and Centaurs: Final results of the visible spectrophotometric observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fornasier, S.; Doressoundiram, A.; Tozzi, G. P.; Barucci, M. A.; Boehnhardt, H.; de Bergh, C.; Delsanti, A.; Davies, J.; Dotto, E.

    2004-07-01

    The Large Program on physical studies of TNOs and Centaurs, started at ESO Cerro Paranal on April 2001, has recently been concluded. This project was devoted to the investigation of the surface properties of these icy bodies through photometric and spectroscopic observations. In this paper we present the latest results on these pristine bodies obtained from the spectrophotometric investigation in the visible range. The newly obtained spectrophotometric data on 3 Centaurs and 5 TNOs, coming from 2 observing runs at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), show a large variety of spectral characteristics, comprising both gray and red objects in the two different populations. A very broad and weak absorption feature, centered around 7000 Å , has been revealed in the spectrum of the gray TNO 2003 AZ84. This absorption is very similar to a feature observed on low albedo main belt asteroids and attributed to the action of the aqueous alteration process on minerals. This process was previously also claimed as the most plausible explanation for some peculiar visible absorption bands observed on 2000 EB173 and 2000 GN171 in the framework of the Large Program (Lazzarin et al. \\cite{Lazzarin03}; de Bergh et al. \\cite{Bergh04}). This detection seems to reinforce the hypothesis that aqueous alteration might have taken place also at such large heliocentric distances. We also report the results of a spectroscopic investigation performed outside the Large Program on the very interesting TNO 2000 GN171 during part of its rotational period. This object, previously observed twice in the framework of the Large Program, had shown during the early observations a very peculiar absorption band tentatively attributed to aqueous alteration processes. As this feature was not confirmed in a successive spectrum, we recently repeated the investigations of 2000 GN171, finding out that it has an heterogeneous composition. Finally an analysis of the visible spectral slopes is reported for all the data

  4. Sulbutiamine shows promising results in reducing fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Sevim, Serhan; Kaleağası, Hakan; Taşdelen, Bahar

    2017-08-01

    Fatigue is the most frequent and often debilitating symptom for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). There are no available effective therapies for fatigue associated with MS, and it is unclear whether a successful therapy of MS leads to clinical improvement. Sulbutiamine is a lipophilic compound that crosses the blood-brain barrier more readily than thiamine and increases the levels of thiamine and thiamine phosphate esters in the brain. Whereas several clinical trials have demonstrated the beneficial effects of sulbutiamine in patients with asthenia, there have been no reports on the effects of sulbutiamine on fatigue in patients with MS. Our study was designed to evaluate the short-term effects of sulbutiamine on fatigue in patients with MS. Patients were included if fatigue was one of their three predominant symptoms. They were required to have a total score on the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) of >20, and on the Beck Depression Inventory of <17, and no relapse in the last 3 months prior to onset of the study. Patients were advised to receive 400mg orally of sulbutiamine once daily for two months. The outcome of the study was in the changes of FIS. Twenty-six patients with MS (18 females and 8 males) were selected. The patients were 18-57 years of age (mean:37,2). The average score of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) of the patients was 2,71. A significant number of the subjects who were on some kind of disease modifying treatment (DMT) demonstrated obvious improvement in their total FIS scores, whereas none of the subjects who were not on any DMT improved (13/23 vs. 0/5). The average fatigue score was 77 (SD:30,5) at the baseline and 60,5 (SD:29,7) on Day 60, respectively. Sulbutiamine intake resulted in a significant reduction on the total score of FIS and on all three subscales assessing physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning (all p-values < 0,01). There were no serious adverse events. Sulbutiamin appears to be effective in treating fatigue

  5. New results of the spectral observations of CP stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polosukhina, N. S.; Shavrina, A. V.; Drake, N. A.; Kudryavtsev, D. O.; Smirnova, M. A.

    2010-04-01

    The lithium problem in Ap-CP stars has been, for a long time, a subject of debate. Individual characteristics of CP stars, such as high abundance of the rare-earth elements presence of magnetic fields, complicate structure of the surface distribution of chemical elements, rapid oscillations of some CP-stars, make the detection of the lithium lines and the determination of the lithium abundance, a difficult task. During the International Meeting in Slovakia in 1996, the lithium problem in Ap-CP stars was discussed. The results of the Li study carried out in CrAO Polosukhina (1973-1976), the works of Hack & Faraggiana (1963), Wallerstein & Hack (1964), Faraggiana et al. (1992-1996) formed the basis of the International project ‘Lithium in the cool CP-stars with magnetic fields’. The main goal of the project was, using systematical observations of Ap-CP stars with phase rotation in the spectral regions of the resonance doublet Li I 6708 Å and subordinate 6104 Å lithium lines with different telescopes, to create a database, which will permit to explain the physical origin of anomalous Li abundance in the atmospheres of these stars.

  6. Utilisation and Safety of Deferasirox: Results from an Observational Cohort Study in England.

    PubMed

    Osborne, Vicki; Davies, Miranda; Layton, Deborah; Shakir, Saad A W

    2018-03-01

    Deferasirox (EXJADE ® , Novartis, UK) is an oral iron-chelating agent primarily used to reduce chronic iron overload in patients receiving blood transfusions for various chronic anaemias and some non-transfusion dependant anaemias. The aim of this study was to examine the utilisation and safety of deferasirox used in general practice in England. A single exposure observational cohort study design was used. Patients were identified from dispensed prescriptions for deferasirox between September 2006 and September 2014. Outcome data were collected via postal questionnaires sent to prescribers ≥ 6 months after first dispensed prescription for an individual patient. Summary descriptive statistics were calculated. The evaluable cohort consisted of 122 patients, of which 41.8% were aged 2-17 years. Frequent reasons for prescribing were sickle cell anaemia (27/103 where specified, 26.2%) and beta thalassaemia (26, 25.2%). The majority of patients (43/51, 84.3%) were prescribed the licensed doses of 10 or 20 mg/kg/day at start. Prior measurements of serum creatinine were only reported for a small proportion this study (18/122, 14.8%). In total, 91 incident events were reported, including two of raised serum creatinine. These results show that deferasirox is largely being prescribed for its licensed indications in general practice in England and events reported were consistent with the known safety profile.

  7. FIRST, a fibered aperture masking instrument: Results of the Lick observing campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bordwell, Baylee; Duchene, Gaspard; Huby, Elsa; Goebel, Sean; Marchis, Franck; Perrin, Guy; Lacour, Sylvestre; Kotani, Takayuki; Gates, Elinor L.; Choquet, Elodie

    2015-01-01

    FIRST is a prototype instrument aimed at achieving high dynamic range and angular resolution in ground-based images at visible wavelengths near the diffraction limit. FIRST utilizes an aperture masking-like technique that makes use of single-mode fibers and pupil remapping to maximize the area of the telescope mirror in use. While located at Lick observatory in 2011 and 2012, FIRST observed 25 binary systems with the Shane 3m telescope, with separations ranging from 20 to 200 mas, comparable to the 50 mas diffraction limit for our central wavelength. Huby et al. (2013) has reported results for the Capella system that established the utility of FIRST for characterizing stellar binaries using the directly measured spectral flux ratio. Using an improved data analysis pipeline, we obtained closure phase measurements for a majority of the targets observed at Lick, and derived angular separations and spectral flux ratios. From the spectral flux ratios we obtained spectra for the companions over at least 600-850 nm with R~300. Finally, by obtaining results for many binary systems we have better constrained the current performance of FIRST, which has an exciting future ahead at its current location behind SCExAO at the Subaru 8.2 m telescope, where it will eventually become available for general use by the astronomical community.

  8. Short-Arc Orbit Determination Results and Space Debris Test Observation of the OWL-Net

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, J.; Jo, J.; Yim, H.

    Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute had developed the Optical Wide-field patroL-Network (OWL-Net) for maintaining the domestic Low Earth Orbit satellites’ ephemeris and monitoring Geostationary Earth Orbit region. It also can be used to observe space debris. The orbit determination process was planned with batch least square orbit estimator for every week. The optical tracking window is very narrow, several times per week. Sequentialbatch type estimation strategy was attempted for more reliable orbit prediction. We compared the test operation results with Two Line Elements and CPF files to validate the system. This results can be used to estimate the performance of the OWL-Net operations. And also we had observation of the Astro-H debris. We got the dozens of photometric data of the Astro-H debris main part for a few seconds with the chopper system.

  9. How do rehomed laboratory beagles behave in everyday situations? Results from an observational test and a survey of new owners

    PubMed Central

    Nick, Ophelia; Bauer, Alexander; Küchenhoff, Helmut; Erhard, Michael H.

    2017-01-01

    When laboratory dogs are rehomed into private households, they experience an extreme change in their life situation. They leave their familiar, limited environment in the research facility and encounter a multitude of animate and inanimate stimuli in their new home. Although literature reports have described the experiences with rehoming as being mostly positive, scientific observations of the dogs in everyday situations have not been done. Hence, we conducted an observational test with 74 laboratory beagles 6 weeks after adoption in their new homes. This test included standardized tasks and elements; the dogs were observed during specific interactions with their new owners and during a walk. Furthermore, the owners of these 74 and of 71 additional dogs participated in standardized phone interviews 1 and 12 weeks after adoption, during which they answered questions about the dogs’ behavior in everyday situations. In the observational test, the dogs behaved mostly friendly towards humans and dogs, were tolerant during manipulations by the owner and were relaxed during the walk, even in traffic. Eighty percent (of n = 71) of the dogs walked well behaved on the leash without pulling. According to the interviews, the majority of the dogs showed desired, friendly and relaxed behavior, and the survey results reflected the bonding between dog and owner. The analysis of a possible influence of various factors (age, sex, origin, etc.) using mixed regression models confirmed the results from two previous behavior tests and interviews. Specifically, dogs that had been bred in the research facility scored significantly better than dogs that the research facility had purchased from commercial laboratory dog breeders (p = 0.0113). The results of this study demonstrate a successful adaptation of the rehomed beagles to their new life situation. PMID:28742824

  10. The Distant Tail at 200 R(sub E): Comparison Between Geotail Observations and the Results from a Global Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berchem, J.; Raeder, J.; Ashour-Abdalla, M.; Frank, L. A.; Paterson, W. R.; Ackerson, K. L.; Kokubun, S.; Yamamoto, T.; Lepping, R. P.

    1998-01-01

    This paper reports a comparison between Geotail observations of plasmas and magnetic fields at 200 R(sub E) in the Earth's magnetotail with results from a time-dependent, global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere. The study focuses on observations from July 7, 1993, during which the Geotail spacecraft crossed the distant tail magnetospheric boundary several times while the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was predominantly northward and was marked by slow rotations of its clock angle. Simultaneous IMP 8 observations of solar wind ions and the IMF were used as driving input for the MHD simulation, and the resulting time series were compared directly with those from the Geotail spacecraft. The very good agreement found provided the basis for an investigation of the response of the distant tail associated with the clock angle of the IMF. Results from the simulation show that the stresses imposed by the draping of magnetosheath field lines and the asymmetric removal of magnetic flux tailward of the cusps altered considerably the shape of the distant tail as the solar wind discontinuities convected downstream of Earth. As a result, the cross section of the distant tail was considerably flattened along the direction perpendicular to the IMF clock angle, the direction of the neutral sheet following that of the IMF. The simulation also revealed that the combined action of magnetic reconnection and the slow rotation of the IMF clock angle led to a braiding of the distant tail's magnetic field lines along the axis of the tail, with the plane of the braid lying in the direction of the IMF.

  11. Investigation of Ionospheric Disturbances Using Radio and Optical Observations in South-East Asia -- The Initial Results of the ASI and FPI Observations in Chiang Mai, Thailand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kubota, M.; Nagatsuma, T.; Otsuka, Y.; Shiokawa, K.; Komonjinda, S.; Komolmis, T.; Somboon, E.; Tsugawa, T.; Maruyama, T.; Murata, K. T.

    2010-12-01

    For the purpose of monitoring and forecasting equatorial ionospheric disturbances, SEALION (SouthEast Asia Low-latitude IOnospheric Network) has been developed since 2003 as a cooperation project by National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) in Thailand, Chiang Mai University (CMU) in Thailand, National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) in Indonesia, Hanoi Institute of Geophysics (HIG), Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology in Vietnam, Center for Space Science and Applied Research (CSSAR), Chinese Academy of Sciences in China, Kyoto University in Japan, and Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory (STEL), Nagoya University in Japan. SEALION consists of five ionosondes, four GPS receivers, two GPS scintillation monitors, and a magnetometer. As a part of this project, we newly installed an all-sky imager (ASI) and a Fabry-Perot Interferometer (FPI) at Sirindhorn observatory in Chiang Mai (18.8N, 98.9E, Dip lat. 13.1), Thailand. This site is located near conjugate to EAR site in Kototabang, Indonesia. One of main targets of the ASI observation is the large-scale wave structure (LSWS) with wavelengths of 100-1000 km. The LSWS is thought to be connected to the generation mechanism of equatorial plasma bubbles (EPB). The optical observations in Chiang Mai started in February 2010, and we have detected several ionospheric disturbance events with these instruments In this paper, we will show the initial results of the optical observations from Sirindhorn observatory, and discuss the features of ionospheric disturbances in Southeast Asia.

  12. Doppler signals observed during high temperature thermal ablation are the result of boiling.

    PubMed

    Nahirnyak, Volodymyr M; Moros, Eduardo G; Novák, Petr; Suzanne Klimberg, V; Shafirstein, Gal

    2010-01-01

    To elucidate the causation mechanism of Spectral Doppler ultrasound signals (DUS) observed during high temperature thermal ablation and evaluate their potential for image-guidance. Sixteen ex vivo ablations were performed in fresh turkey breast muscle, eight with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) devices, and eight with a conductive interstitial thermal therapy (CITT) device. Temperature changes in the ablation zone were measured with thermocouples located at 1 to 10 mm away from the ablation probes. Concomitantly, DUS were recorded using a standard diagnostic ultrasound scanner. Retrospectively, sustained observations of DUS were correlated with measured temperatures. Sustained DUS was arbitrarily defined as the Doppler signals lasting more than 10 s as observed in the diagnostic ultrasound videos captured from the scanner. For RFA experiments, minimum average temperature (T1 +/- SD) at which sustained DUS were observed was 97.2 +/- 7.3 degrees C, while the maximum average temperature (T2 +/- SD) at which DUS were not seen was 74.3 +/- 9.1 degrees C. For CITT ablation, T1 and T2 were 95.7 +/- 5.9 degrees C and 91.6 +/- 7.2 degrees C, respectively. It was also observed, especially during CITT ablation, that temperatures remained relatively constant during Doppler activity. The value of T1 was near the standard boiling point of water (99.61 degrees C) while T2 was below it. Together, T1 and T2 support the conclusion that DUS during high temperature thermal ablation are the result of boiling (phase change). This conclusion is also supported by the nearly constant temperature histories maintained at locations from which DUS emanated.

  13. PHOTOMETRY OF VARIABLE STARS FROM DOME A, ANTARCTICA: RESULTS FROM THE 2010 OBSERVING SEASON

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

    Wang, Lingzhi; Zhu, Zonghong; Macri, Lucas M.

    We present results from a season of observations with the Chinese Small Telescope ARray, obtained over 183 days of the 2010 Antarctic winter. We carried out high-cadence time-series aperture photometry of 9125 stars with i ∼< 15.3 mag located in a 23 deg{sup 2} region centered on the south celestial pole. We identified 188 variable stars, including 67 new objects relative to our 2008 observations, thanks to broader synoptic coverage, a deeper magnitude limit, and a larger field of view. We used the photometric data set to derive site statistics from Dome A. Based on two years of observations, wemore » find that extinction due to clouds at this site is less than 0.1 and 0.4 mag during 45% and 75% of the dark time, respectively.« less

  14. First Real-World Insights into Belimumab Use and Outcomes in Routine Clinical Care of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Germany: Results from the OBSErve Germany Study.

    PubMed

    Schwarting, Andreas; Schroeder, Johann O; Alexander, Tobias; Schmalzing, Marc; Fiehn, Christoph; Specker, Christof; Perna, Alessandra; Cholmakow-Bodechtel, Constanze; Koscielny, Volker B; Carnarius, Heike

    2016-12-01

    OBSErve Germany was the first observational study of belimumab as add-on treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in routine clinical care in Germany, retrospectively collecting data from 102 SLE patients, 6 months before and after belimumab initiation. Most patients had moderate or severe SLE and several SLE manifestations. After 6 months of belimumab treatment, 78% of patients showed an improvement in overall disease activity of at least 20% in their physician's judgment and for 42% of patients the improvement was at least 50%. Similar results were observed for the most common manifestations: arthritis, fatigue, rash, alopecia, increased anti-dsDNA antibody levels, and low complement. The SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI/SELENA-SLEDAI) decreased from 10.6 to 5.6 (n = 65), with other indices also showing improvement. A notable dose reduction was seen for concomitant oral corticosteroids, from 13.7 to 7.6 mg/day overall (n = 91), and from 17.5 to 8.6 mg/day in patients with a high corticosteroid dose at belimumab initiation (≥7.5 mg; n = 63). Six patients discontinued belimumab therapy within 6 months. Overall, belimumab showed promising results for SLE patients in real-world settings. After 6 months of belimumab treatment, disease activity and corticosteroid use were reduced. The discontinuation rate was low and belimumab appeared to be well tolerated. Funding GlaxoSmithKline UK.

  15. Long-Term Trial Results Show No Mortality Benefit from Annual Prostate Cancer Screening

    Cancer.gov

    Thirteen year follow-up data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening trial show higher incidence but similar mortality among men screened annually with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and digital rectal examination

  16. TRMM-TMI Satellite Observed Soil Moisture and Vegetation Density (1998-2005) Show Strong Connection with El Nino in Eastern Australia

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Yi; van Dijk, Albert I.J.M.; Owe, Manfred

    2007-01-01

    Spatiotemporal patterns in soil moisture and vegetation water content across mainland Australia were investigated from 1998 through 2005, using TRMMITMI passive microwave observations. The Empirical Orthogonal Function technique was used to extract dominant spatial and temporal patterns in retrieved estimates of moisture content for the top 1-cm of soil (theta) and vegetation moisture content (via optical depth tau). The dominant temporal theta and tau patterns were strongly correlated to El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in spring (3 = 0.90), and to a progressively lesser extent autumn, summer and winter. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) index also explained part of the variation in spring 8 and z. Cluster analysis suggested that the regions most affected by ENS0 are mainly located in eastern Australia. The results suggest that the drought conditions experienced in eastern Australia since 2000 an clearly expressed in these satellite observations have a strong connection with ENSO patterns.

  17. Preliminary JIRAM results from Juno polar observations: 1. Methodology and analysis applied to the Jovian northern polar region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dinelli, B. M.; Fabiano, F.; Adriani, A.; Altieri, F.; Moriconi, M. L.; Mura, A.; Sindoni, G.; Filacchione, G.; Tosi, F.; Migliorini, A.; Grassi, D.; Piccioni, G.; Noschese, R.; Cicchetti, A.; Bolton, S. J.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Atreya, S. K.; Bagenal, F.; Gladstone, G. R.; Hansen, C. J.; Kurth, W. S.; Levin, S. M.; Mauk, B. H.; McComas, D. J.; Gèrard, J.-C.; Turrini, D.; Stefani, S.; Amoroso, M.; Olivieri, A.

    2017-05-01

    During the first orbit around Jupiter of the NASA/Juno mission, the Jovian Auroral Infrared Mapper (JIRAM) instrument observed the auroral regions with a large number of measurements. The measured spectra show both the emission of the H3+ ion and of methane in the 3-4 μm spectral region. In this paper we describe the analysis method developed to retrieve temperature and column density (CD) of the H3+ ion from JIRAM spectra in the northern auroral region. The high spatial resolution of JIRAM shows an asymmetric aurora, with CD and temperature ovals not superimposed and not exactly located where models and previous observations suggested. On the main oval averaged H3+ CDs span between 1.8 × 1012 cm-2 and 2.8 × 1012 cm-2, while the retrieved temperatures show values between 800 and 950 K. JIRAM indicates a complex relationship among H3+ CDs and temperatures on the Jupiter northern aurora.

  18. Results of magnetic field measurements performed with the 6-m telescope. IV. Observations in 2010

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romanyuk, I. I.; Semenko, E. A.; Kudryavtsev, D. O.; Moiseeva, A. V.; Yakunin, I. A.

    2017-10-01

    We present the results of measurements of magnetic fields, radial velocities and rotation velocities for 92 objects, mainly main-sequence chemically peculiar stars. Observations were performed at the 6-m BTA telescope using Main Stellar Spectrograph with a Zeeman analyzer. In 2010, twelve new magnetic stars were discovered: HD 17330, HD 29762, HD 49884, HD 54824, HD 89069, HD 96003, HD 113894, HD 118054, HD 135679, HD 138633, HD 138777, BD +53.1183. The presence of a field is suspected in HD 16705, HD 35379 and HD 35881. Observations of standard stars without a magnetic field confirm the absence of systematic errors which can introduce distortions into the measurements of longitudinal field. The paper gives comments on the results of investigation of each star.

  19. Earth's colour unchanged since 1967: results from earthshine observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thejll, Peter; Flynn, Chris; Gleisner, Hans; Schwarz, Henriette

    2014-05-01

    The colour of Earthlight is a function of atmospheric, surface and ocean conditions because each scatters light in a characteristic way. The colour of Earth can in principle be determined and monitored from satellites - but geostationary satellites do not observe in multiple visual bands, and low Earth orbit platforms do not provide instantaneous colour pictures of the terrestrial disc. Observations of the dark side of the Moon - illuminated by earthlight - can be used to determine the terrestrial colour, and was done accurately in 1967 with astronomical photometric techniques. Until now, such techniques have not been re-applied. We report on multi-band visual photometry of the earthshine in 2011/2012. Scattered light in the atmosphere and the equipment is a difficult issue to circumvent - but for a unique pair of observations in the Johnson B and V bands we have a situation where scattered light cancels closely and thus we can estimate the Johnson B-V colours of the earthshine itself. By arguing on the basis of changes in reflected sunlight we can estimate the colour of the earthlight striking the Moon - and hence the colour of the Earth at that particular time. We find good agreement with the a measurement performed 47 years previously, and broad agreement with historic measurements from the 1920s and 30s. This similarity has fundamental consequences for the climate system feedback mechanisms, discussed in this poster.

  20. Conventional physical therapy and physical therapy based on reflex stimulation showed similar results in children with myelomeningocele.

    PubMed

    Aizawa, Carolina Y P; Morales, Mariana P; Lundberg, Carolina; Moura, Maria Clara D Soares de; Pinto, Fernando C G; Voos, Mariana C; Hasue, Renata H

    2017-03-01

    We aimed to investigate whether infants with myelomeningocele would improve their motor ability and functional independence after ten sessions of physical therapy and compare the outcomes of conventional physical therapy (CPT) to a physical therapy program based on reflex stimulation (RPT). Twelve children were allocated to CPT (n = 6, age 18.3 months) or RPT (n = 6, age 18.2 months). The RPT involved proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. Children were assessed with the Gross Motor Function Measure and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory before and after treatment. Mann-Whitney tests compared the improvement on the two scales of CPT versus RPT and the Wilcoxon test compared CPT to RPT (before vs. after treatment). Possible correlations between the two scales were tested with Spearman correlation coefficients. Both groups showed improvement on self-care and mobility domains of both scales. There were no differences between the groups, before, or after intervention. The CPT and RPT showed similar results after ten weeks of treatment.

  1. Stratospheric Assimilation of Chemical Tracer Observations Using a Kalman Filter. Pt. 2; Chi-Square Validated Results and Analysis of Variance and Correlation Dynamics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menard, Richard; Chang, Lang-Ping

    1998-01-01

    A Kalman filter system designed for the assimilation of limb-sounding observations of stratospheric chemical tracers, which has four tunable covariance parameters, was developed in Part I (Menard et al. 1998) The assimilation results of CH4 observations from the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Sounder instrument (CLAES) and the Halogen Observation Experiment instrument (HALOE) on board of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite are described in this paper. A robust (chi)(sup 2) criterion, which provides a statistical validation of the forecast and observational error covariances, was used to estimate the tunable variance parameters of the system. In particular, an estimate of the model error variance was obtained. The effect of model error on the forecast error variance became critical after only three days of assimilation of CLAES observations, although it took 14 days of forecast to double the initial error variance. We further found that the model error due to numerical discretization as arising in the standard Kalman filter algorithm, is comparable in size to the physical model error due to wind and transport modeling errors together. Separate assimilations of CLAES and HALOE observations were compared to validate the state estimate away from the observed locations. A wave-breaking event that took place several thousands of kilometers away from the HALOE observation locations was well captured by the Kalman filter due to highly anisotropic forecast error correlations. The forecast error correlation in the assimilation of the CLAES observations was found to have a structure similar to that in pure forecast mode except for smaller length scales. Finally, we have conducted an analysis of the variance and correlation dynamics to determine their relative importance in chemical tracer assimilation problems. Results show that the optimality of a tracer assimilation system depends, for the most part, on having flow-dependent error correlation rather than on evolving the

  2. Hubble Tarantula Treasury Project: Unraveling Tarantula's Web. I. Observational Overview and First Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sabbi, E.; Anderson, J.; Lennon, D. J.; van der Marel, R. P.; Aloisi, A.; Boyer, Martha L.; Cignoni, M.; De Marchi, G.; De Mink, S. E.; Evans, C. J.; hide

    2013-01-01

    The Hubble Tarantula Treasury Project (HTTP) is an ongoing panchromatic imaging survey of stellar populations in the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud that reaches into the sub-solar mass regime (<0.5 Stellar Mass). HTTP utilizes the capability of the Hubble Space Telescope to operate the Advanced Camera for Surveys and the Wide Field Camera 3 in parallel to study this remarkable region in the near-ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared spectral regions, including narrow-band H(alpha) images. The combination of all these bands provides a unique multi-band view. The resulting maps of the stellar content of the Tarantula Nebula within its main body provide the basis for investigations of star formation in an environment resembling the extreme conditions found in starburst galaxies and in the early universe. Access to detailed properties of individual stars allows us to begin to reconstruct the temporal and spatial evolution of the stellar skeleton of the Tarantula Nebula over space and time on a sub-parsec scale. In this first paper we describe the observing strategy, the photometric techniques, and the upcoming data products from this survey and present preliminary results obtained from the analysis of the initial set of near-infrared observations.

  3. A remote sensing applications update: Results of interviews with Earth Observations Commercialization Program (EOCAP) participants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcvey, Sally

    1991-01-01

    Earth remote sensing is a uniquely valuable tool for large-scale resource management, a task whose importance will likely increase world-wide through the foreseeable future. NASA research and engineering have virtually created the existing U.S. system, and will continue to push the frontiers, primarily through Earth Observing System (EOS) instruments, research, and data and information systems. It is the researchers' view that the near-term health of remote sensing applications also deserves attention; it seems important not to abandon the system or its clients. The researchers suggest that, like its Landsat predecessor, a successful Earth Observing System program is likely to reinforce pressure to 'manage' natural resources, and consequently, to create more pressure for Earth Observations Commercialization (EOCAP) type applications. The current applications programs, though small, are valuable because of their technical and commercial results, and also because they support a community whose contributions will increase along with our ability to observe the Earth from space.

  4. Gravity Changes and Internal Processes: Some Results Obtained from Observations at Three Volcanoes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jentzsch, Gerhard; Weise, Adelheid; Rey, Carlos; Gerstenecker, Carl

    Temporal gravity changes provide information about mass and/or density variations within and below the volcano edifice. Three active volcanoes have been under investigation; each of them related to a plate boundary: Mayon/Luzon/Philippines, Merapi/Java/Indonesia, and Galeras/Colombia. The observed gravity changes are smaller than previously expected but significant. For the three volcanoes under investigation, and within the observation period, mainly the increase of gravity is observed, ranging from 1,000 nm-2 to 1,600 nms-2. Unexpectedly, the gravity increase is confined to a rather small area with radii of 5 to 8 km around the summit. At Mayon and Merapi the parallel GPS measurements yield no significant elevation changes. This is crucial for the interpretation, as the internal pressure variations do not lead to significant deformation at the surface. Thus the classical Mogi-model for a shallow extending magma reservoir cannot apply. To confine the possible models, the attraction due to changes of groundwater level or soil moisture is estimated along the slope of Merapi exemplarily by 2-D modelling. Mass redistribution or density changes were evaluated within the vent as well as deeper fluid processes to explain the gravity variations; the results are compared to the model incorporating the additional effect of elastic deformation.

  5. Mars Global Surveyor TES Results: Observations of Water Ice Clouds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pearl, John C.; Smith, M. D.; Conrath, B. J.; Bandfield, J. L.; Christensen, P. R.

    1999-01-01

    On July 31, 1999, Mars Global Surveyor completed its first martian year in orbit. During this time, the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) experiment gathered extensive data on water ice clouds. We report here on three types of martian clouds. 1) Martian southern summer has long been characterized as the season when the most severe dust storms occur. It is now apparent that northern spring/summer is characterized as a time of substantial low latitude ice clouds [1]. TES observations beginning in the northern summer (Lsubs=107) show a well developed cloud belt between 10S and 30N latitude; 12 micron opacities were typically 0.15. This system decreased dramatically after Lsubs= 130. Thereafter, remnants were most persistent over the Tharsis ridge. 2) Clouds associated with major orographic features follow a different pattern [2]. Clouds of this type were present prior to the regional Noachis dust storm of 1997. They disappeared with the onset of the storm, but reappeared rather quickly following its decay. Typical infrared opacities were near 0.5. 3) Extensive, very thin clouds are also widespread [3]. Found at high altitudes (above 35 km), their opacities are typically a few hundredths. At times, such as in northern spring, these clouds are limited in their northern extent only by the southern edge of the polar vortex. We describe the distribution, infrared optical properties, and seasonal trends of these systems during the first martian year of TES operations.

  6. Role of pulmonary hemodynamics in determining 6-minute walk test result in atrial septal defect: an observational study.

    PubMed

    Supomo, Supomo; Darmawan, Handy; Arjana, Adika Zhulhi

    2018-05-22

    The presence of altered pulmonary hemodynamics in adult patients with atrial septal defect (ASD) is common. However, there are no observational studies which evaluate the impact of altered pulmonary hemodynamics on the 6-min walk test (6MWT) result. This study aimed to investigate the role of pulmonary hemodynamics in determining 6MWT result of patients with ASD. Forty-six consecutive adult patients with ASD were included in this study. Right heart catheterization was performed to obtain the pulmonary hemodynamics profile. Meanwhile, 6MWT was presented as high or low with cut-off point 350 m. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used for analytical methods. Abnormal functional capacity was indicated by ROC result of mPAP cut-off value of > 24 mmHg (p = 0.0243; AUC = 0.681). The value of PVR > 3.42 woods unit (WU) showed high specificity in determining abnormal functional capacity (p = 0.0069; AUC = 0.713). Flow ratio with cut-off point ≤4.89 had the highest sensitivity (100%) (p = 0.8300; AUC = 0.520). Pulmonary hemodynamics can serve as an indicator of 6MWT result in adult ASD patients with values of mPAP> 24 mmHg and PVR > 3.42 WU.

  7. Observation of flow processes in the vadose zone using ERT on different space and time scales: results, obstacles, and suggestions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noell, Ursula; Ganz, Christina; Lamparter, Axel; Duijnisveld, Wilhelmus; Bachmann, Jörg

    2013-04-01

    Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) observes the flow processes in the vadose zone indirectly. ERT has been used to estimate water flow in different soil types and under different flow conditions using active experiments or monitoring the natural process in many cases. Our experiments in sand and loess soil connected ERT with local soil probing using TDR devices and tensiometers in order to proof the reliability of the ERT inversion results in terms of infiltration velocity. Additionally, a colour tracer was used and sections through the infiltration zones were excavated in order to compare the shape of the dye -stained infiltration zone with the results of the ERT inversion. The data revealed the complicated infiltration pattern with a higher transport velocity in sand and a different shape than expected by classical soil hydraulic models. These results indicate the need for independent observations in order to correctly assess the water storage in the vadose zone with its hydrological consequences, the groundwater recharge and the contamination risk caused by rapid movement of water. ERT can be used for this purpose on different spatial- and time scales but for reliable results various obstacles need to be dealt with. Firstly, the ambiguity of the resistivity because soil resistivity depends on both, soil water content and electrical soil/water conductivity. This obstacle is less severe when the infiltration velocity is investigated, because then only the first onset of resistivity change is interpreted as the water arrival time. Our results show that the arrival of the water front as well as the final infiltration depth can be reliably detected. In contrast, this obstacle is very severe when the amount of water stored is observed using conductive tracer. The problem is not critical during a passive experiment when the natural rain fall and the waters fate through the vadose zone is monitored. The second obstacle is the limited resolution of ERT which

  8. Effect of different transport observations on inverse modeling results: case study of a long-term groundwater tracer test monitored at high resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rasa, Ehsan; Foglia, Laura; Mackay, Douglas M.; Scow, Kate M.

    2013-11-01

    Conservative tracer experiments can provide information useful for characterizing various subsurface transport properties. This study examines the effectiveness of three different types of transport observations for sensitivity analysis and parameter estimation of a three-dimensional site-specific groundwater flow and transport model: conservative tracer breakthrough curves (BTCs), first temporal moments of BTCs ( m 1), and tracer cumulative mass discharge ( M d) through control planes combined with hydraulic head observations ( h). High-resolution data obtained from a 410-day controlled field experiment at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California (USA), have been used. In this experiment, bromide was injected to create two adjacent plumes monitored at six different transects (perpendicular to groundwater flow) with a total of 162 monitoring wells. A total of 133 different observations of transient hydraulic head, 1,158 of BTC concentration, 23 of first moment, and 36 of mass discharge were used for sensitivity analysis and parameter estimation of nine flow and transport parameters. The importance of each group of transport observations in estimating these parameters was evaluated using sensitivity analysis, and five out of nine parameters were calibrated against these data. Results showed the advantages of using temporal moment of conservative tracer BTCs and mass discharge as observations for inverse modeling.

  9. Evaluating Behavioural Observation Audiometry with Handicapped Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flexer, Carol; Gans, Donald P.

    1982-01-01

    Three observers evaluated the responses to sound with 21 mild to severely handicapped children (7 months to 10 years old) on Behavioural Observation Audiometry, an alternative to conditioning paradigms in audiometric assessment. Results showed that inter-observer agreement was high and that responsitivity was not affected by stimulus presentation…

  10. Accuracy and Availability of Egnos - Results of Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Felski, Andrzej; Nowak, Aleksander; Woźniak, Tomasz

    2011-01-01

    According to SBAS concept the user should receive timely the correct information about the system integrity and corrections to the pseudoranges measurements, which leads to better accuracy of coordinates. In theory the whole system is permanently monitored by RIMS stations, so it is impossible to deliver the faulty information to the user. The quality of the system is guaranteed inside the border of the system coverage however in the east part of Poland lower accuracy and availability of the system is still observed. This was the impulse to start an observation and analysis of real accuracy and availability of EGNOS service in the context of support air-operations in local airports and as the supplementation in hydrographic operations on the Polish Exclusive Zone. A registration has been conducted on three PANSA stations situated on airports in Warsaw, Krakow and Rzeszow and on PNA station in Gdynia. Measurements on PANSA stations have been completed permanently during each whole month up to end of September 2011. These stations are established on Septentrio PolaRx2e receivers and have been engaged into EGNOS Data Collection Network performed by EUROCONTROL. The advantage of these registrations is the uniformity of receivers. Apart from these registrations additional measurements in Gdynia have been provided with different receivers, mainly dedicated sea-navigation: CSI Wireless 1, NOVATEL OEMV, Sperry Navistar, Crescent V-100 and R110 as well as Magellan FX420. The main object of analyses was the accuracy and availability of EGNOS service in each point and for different receivers. Accuracy has been analyzed separately for each coordinate. Finally the temporarily and spatial correlations of coordinates, its availability and accuracy has been investigated. The findings prove that present accuracy of EGNOS service is about 1,5m (95%), but availability of the service is controversial. The accuracy of present EGNOS service meets the parameters of APV I and even APV II

  11. Team Formation in Partially Observable Multi-Agent Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Agogino, Adrian K.; Tumer, Kagan

    2004-01-01

    Sets of multi-agent teams often need to maximize a global utility rating the performance of the entire system where a team cannot fully observe other teams agents. Such limited observability hinders team-members trying to pursue their team utilities to take actions that also help maximize the global utility. In this article, we show how team utilities can be used in partially observable systems. Furthermore, we show how team sizes can be manipulated to provide the best compromise between having easy to learn team utilities and having them aligned with the global utility, The results show that optimally sized teams in a partially observable environments outperform one team in a fully observable environment, by up to 30%.

  12. Observed galaxy number counts on the lightcone up to second order: I. Main result

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

    Bertacca, Daniele; Maartens, Roy; Clarkson, Chris, E-mail: daniele.bertacca@gmail.com, E-mail: roy.maartens@gmail.com, E-mail: chris.clarkson@gmail.com

    2014-09-01

    We present the galaxy number overdensity up to second order in redshift space on cosmological scales for a concordance model. The result contains all general relativistic effects up to second order that arise from observing on the past light cone, including all redshift effects, lensing distortions from convergence and shear, and contributions from velocities, Sachs-Wolfe, integrated SW and time-delay terms. This result will be important for accurate calculation of the bias on estimates of non-Gaussianity and on precision parameter estimates, introduced by nonlinear projection effects.

  13. Observability of discretized partial differential equations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cohn, Stephen E.; Dee, Dick P.

    1988-01-01

    It is shown that complete observability of the discrete model used to assimilate data from a linear partial differential equation (PDE) system is necessary and sufficient for asymptotic stability of the data assimilation process. The observability theory for discrete systems is reviewed and applied to obtain simple observability tests for discretized constant-coefficient PDEs. Examples are used to show how numerical dispersion can result in discrete dynamics with multiple eigenvalues, thereby detracting from observability.

  14. An integrated observational site for monitoring pre-earthquake processes in Peloponnese, Greece. Preliminary results.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tsinganos, Kanaris; Karastathis, Vassilios K.; Kafatos, Menas; Ouzounov, Dimitar; Tselentis, Gerassimos; Papadopoulos, Gerassimos A.; Voulgaris, Nikolaos; Eleftheriou, Georgios; Mouzakiotis, Evangellos; Liakopoulos, Spyridon; Aspiotis, Theodoros; Gika, Fevronia; E Psiloglou, Basil

    2017-04-01

    We are presenting the first results of developing a new integrated observational site in Greece to study pre-earthquake processes in Peloponnese, lead by the National Observatory of Athens. We have developed a prototype of multiparameter network approach using an integrated system aimed at monitoring and thorough studies of pre-earthquake processes at the high seismicity area of the Western Hellenic Arc (SW Peloponnese, Greece). The initial prototype of the new observational systems consists of: (1) continuous real-time monitoring of Radon accumulation in the ground through a network of radon sensors, consisting of three gamma radiation detectors [NaI(Tl) scintillators], (2) nine-station seismic array installed to detect and locate events of low magnitude (less than 1.0 R) in the offshore area of the Hellenic arc, (3) real-time weather monitoring systems (air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, pressure) and (4) satellite thermal radiation from AVHRR/NOAA-18 polar orbit sensing. The first few moths of operations revealed a number of pre-seismic radon variation anomalies before several earthquakes (M>3.6). The radon increases systematically before the larger events. For example a radon anomaly was predominant before the event of Sep 28, M 5.0 (36.73°N, 21.87°E), 18 km ESE of Methoni. The seismic array assists in the evaluation of current seismicity and may yield identification of foreshock activity. Thermal anomalies in satellite images are also examined as an additional tool for evaluation and verification of the Radon increase. According to the Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling (LAIC) concept, atmospheric thermal anomalies observed before large seismic events are associated with the increase of Radon concentration on the ground. Details about the integrating ground and space observations, overall performance of the observational sites, future plans in advancing the cooperation in observations will be discussed.

  15. Global Investigation of the Mg Atom and ion Layers using SCIAMACHY/Envisat Observations between 70 km and 150 km Altitude and WACCM-MG Model Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Langowski, M.; vonSavigny, C.; Burrows, J. P.; Feng, W.; Plane, J. M. C.; Marsh, D. R.; Janches, Diego; Sinnhuber, M.; Aikin, A. C.

    2014-01-01

    Mg and Mg+ concentration fields in the upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere (UMLT) region are retrieved from SCIAMACHY/Envisat limb measurements of Mg and Mg+ dayglow emissions using a 2-D tomographic retrieval approach. The time series of monthly means of Mg and Mg+ for number density as well as vertical column density in different latitudinal regions are shown. Data from the limb mesosphere-thermosphere mode of SCIAMACHY/Envisat are used, which covers the 50 km to 150 km altitude region with a vertical sampling of 3.3 km and a highest latitude of 82 deg. The high latitudes are not covered in the winter months, because there is no dayglow emission during polar night. The measurements were performed every 14 days from mid-2008 until April 2012. Mg profiles show a peak at around 90 km altitude with a density between 750 cm(exp-3) and 2000 cm(exp-3). Mg does not show strong seasonal variation at mid-latitudes. The Mg+ peak occurs 5-15 km above the neutral Mg peak at 95-105 km. Furthermore, the ions show a significant seasonal cycle with a summer maximum in both hemispheres at mid- and high-latitudes. The strongest seasonal variations of the ions are observed at mid-latitudes between 20-40 deg and densities at the peak altitude range from 500 cm(exp-3) to 6000 cm(exp-3). The peak altitude of the ions shows a latitudinal dependence with a maximum at mid-latitudes that is up to 10 km higher than the peak altitude at the equator. The SCIAMACHY measurements are compared to other measurements and WACCM model results. In contrast to the SCIAMACHY results, the WACCM results show a strong seasonal variability for Mg with a winter maximum, which is not observable by SCIAMACHY, and globally higher peak densities. Although the peak densities do not agree the vertical column densities agree, since SCIAMACHY results show a wider vertical profile. The agreement of SCIAMACHY and WACCM results is much better for Mg+, showing the same seasonality and similar peak densities. However

  16. Mapping Department of Defense laboratory results to Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC).

    PubMed

    Lau, Lee Min; Banning, Pam D; Monson, Kent; Knight, Elva; Wilson, Pat S; Shakib, Shaun C

    2005-01-01

    The Department of Defense (DoD) has used a common application, Composite Health Care System (CHCS), throughout all DoD facilities. However, the master files used to encode patient data in CHCS are not identical across DoD facilities. The encoded data is thus not interoperable from one DoD facility to another. To enable data interoperability in the next-generation system, CHCS II, and for the DoD to exchange laboratory results with external organizations such as the Veterans Administration (VA), the disparate master file codes for laboratory results are mapped to Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes (LOINC) wherever possible. This paper presents some findings from our experience mapping DoD laboratory results to LOINC.

  17. Results of NASA's First Autonomous Formation Flying Experiment: Earth Observing-1 (EO-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Folta, David C.; Hawkins, Albin; Bauer, Frank H. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    NASA's first autonomous formation flying mission completed its primary goal of demonstrating an advanced technology called enhanced formation flying. To enable this technology, the Guidance, Navigation, and Control center at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) implemented a universal 3-axis formation flying algorithm in an autonomous executive flight code onboard the New Millennium Program's (NMP) Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) spacecraft. This paper describes the mathematical background of the autonomous formation flying algorithm and the onboard flight design and presents the validation results of this unique system. Results from functionality assessment through fully autonomous maneuver control are presented as comparisons between the onboard EO-1 operational autonomous control system called AutoCon(tm), its ground-based predecessor, and a standalone algorithm.

  18. Third-Year Results from the Circumarctic Lakes Observation Network (CALON) Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinkel, K. M.; Arp, C. D.; Beck, R. A.; Eisner, W. R.; Frey, K. E.; Grosse, G.; Jones, B. M.; Kim, C.; Lenters, J. D.; Liu, H.; Townsend-Small, A.

    2014-12-01

    Since 2012, 60 lakes in northern Alaska have been instrumented under the auspices of CALON, a project designed to document landscape-scale variability in physical and biogeochemical processes of Arctic lakes in permafrost terrain. The network has ten observation nodes along two latitudinal transects extending from the Arctic Ocean inland some 200 km to the Brooks Range foothills. At each node, a meteorological station is deployed, and six representative lakes of differing area and depth are instrumented and sampled at different intensity levels to collect basic field measurements. In April, sensors measuring water temperature and depth are deployed through the ice in each lake, ice and snow thickness recorded, and water samples are collected. Data are downloaded, lakes re-sampled, and bathymetric surveys are conducted in August. In 2014, the snow cover on inland lakes was thinner than in previous years but thicker on lakes located near the coast. Lake ice was generally thinner near the coast, but the difference diminished inland. Winters (Oct-March) have been progressively warmer over the 3-year period, which partially explains the thinner lake ice that formed in 2013-14. Lakes are typically well-mixed and largely isothermal, with minor thermal stratification occurring in deeper lakes during calm, sunny periods. These regional lake and meteorological data sets, used in conjunction with satellite imagery, supports the wind-driven lake circulation model for the origin of thermokarst lakes. Results of biogeochemical analyses of lake waters generally show notably higher concentrations of cations/anions, chromophoric dissolved organic matter, and chlorophyll-a during April as compared with August. Dissolved methane concentrations are also much higher under ice than in open water during summer, although all lakes are a source of atmospheric methane. Interviews with indigenous elders in Anaktuvuk Pass indicate that mountain lakes are drying up. During the 2014 breakup

  19. Hue discrimination in Iberoamerican Observers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carranza, Jazmín; Medina, Juana

    2008-04-01

    In this work we analyze the Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue Test results, this test offers a simple method for testing color discrimination and was applied to a sample of 129 observers, with natural daylight in the same conditions (the observers were men and women), all of these were participants in colorimetric training courses, and aged 20 to 76, with two to twenty five years experience in the color control manufacturer laboratories (of plastics, rugs, dyes, textiles, and paints). Their job titles included mixers, inspectors, shaders, matchers, passers, and dyers. The test was applied twice and the results here presented are the comparison between both tests, taking into account errors by mistakes incidence in each hue position, as well as the redeeming of each participant in both test. The comparison shows us that most of the mistakes are in the green hue in both tests, but in the second test, approximately 20 percent of the observers reduced those. Also we can to separate persons with normal color vision of those which have zones of color confusion. In this work it is show some ones results of the comparison between men and women.

  20. Sensor Web Interoperability Testbed Results Incorporating Earth Observation Satellites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frye, Stuart; Mandl, Daniel J.; Alameh, Nadine; Bambacus, Myra; Cappelaere, Pat; Falke, Stefan; Derezinski, Linda; Zhao, Piesheng

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes an Earth Observation Sensor Web scenario based on the Open Geospatial Consortium s Sensor Web Enablement and Web Services interoperability standards. The scenario demonstrates the application of standards in describing, discovering, accessing and tasking satellites and groundbased sensor installations in a sequence of analysis activities that deliver information required by decision makers in response to national, regional or local emergencies.

  1. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) show an attentional bias toward conspecifics’ emotions

    PubMed Central

    Kret, Mariska E.; Jaasma, Linda; Bionda, Thomas; Wijnen, Jasper G.

    2016-01-01

    In social animals, the fast detection of group members’ emotional expressions promotes swift and adequate responses, which is crucial for the maintenance of social bonds and ultimately for group survival. The dot-probe task is a well-established paradigm in psychology, measuring emotional attention through reaction times. Humans tend to be biased toward emotional images, especially when the emotion is of a threatening nature. Bonobos have rich, social emotional lives and are known for their soft and friendly character. In the present study, we investigated (i) whether bonobos, similar to humans, have an attentional bias toward emotional scenes compared with conspecifics showing a neutral expression, and (ii) which emotional behaviors attract their attention the most. As predicted, results consistently showed that bonobos’ attention was biased toward the location of the emotional versus neutral scene. Interestingly, their attention was grabbed most by images showing conspecifics such as sexual behavior, yawning, or grooming, and not as much—as is often observed in humans—by signs of distress or aggression. The results suggest that protective and affiliative behaviors are pivotal in bonobo society and therefore attract immediate attention in this species. PMID:26976586

  2. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) show an attentional bias toward conspecifics' emotions.

    PubMed

    Kret, Mariska E; Jaasma, Linda; Bionda, Thomas; Wijnen, Jasper G

    2016-04-05

    In social animals, the fast detection of group members' emotional expressions promotes swift and adequate responses, which is crucial for the maintenance of social bonds and ultimately for group survival. The dot-probe task is a well-established paradigm in psychology, measuring emotional attention through reaction times. Humans tend to be biased toward emotional images, especially when the emotion is of a threatening nature. Bonobos have rich, social emotional lives and are known for their soft and friendly character. In the present study, we investigated (i) whether bonobos, similar to humans, have an attentional bias toward emotional scenes compared with conspecifics showing a neutral expression, and (ii) which emotional behaviors attract their attention the most. As predicted, results consistently showed that bonobos' attention was biased toward the location of the emotional versus neutral scene. Interestingly, their attention was grabbed most by images showing conspecifics such as sexual behavior, yawning, or grooming, and not as much-as is often observed in humans-by signs of distress or aggression. The results suggest that protective and affiliative behaviors are pivotal in bonobo society and therefore attract immediate attention in this species.

  3. Modern Geodynamics of South Yenisei Ridge to Result of the GPS/GLONASS Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tatarinov, Viktor; Kaftan, Vladimir; Tatarinova, Tatiana; Manevich, Alexander

    2017-12-01

    Yenisei Ridge is located at the junction of major tectonic structures - Siberian Platform and West Siberian Plate. Its southern part is characterized by stable tectonic regime, the average speed of uplift according to geological data is 0.2-0.3 mm per year with the total amplitude of 400-500 m. However, the speed of modern movements of the Earth’s crust is by more than an order of magnitude higher due to the temporary effect of large-scale geodynamic movements. The Yenisei river divides the area into two parts. The left bank is characterized by predominantly negative vertical movements and the right bank by positive ones. The major tectonic disturbances occur in the areas of the Muratovsky, Atamanovsky, Pravoberezhny and Bolshetelsky submeridional faults. It was investigated the dynamics of changes in the lengths of ΔL baselines for separate epochs of observations. In 2010-2013 the absolute values of ΔL were significantly lower than for the periods 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. For the entire observation period the average value of the differences of the line lengths is 3.8 mm. This suggests that in general the area experienced strain during the period 2010-2015. Maps of the Earth’s surface dilatation zones (deformation rate) showed that the maximum deformations were recorded in the area of Muratovsky and Atamanovsky faults located at the junction of Siberian Platform and West Siberian plate.

  4. Results of Instrument Observations and Adaptive Prediction of Thermoabrasion of Banks of the Vilyui Reservoir

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

    Velikin, S. A.; Sobol', I. S.; Sobol', S. V.

    2013-11-15

    Quantitative data derived from observations of reformation of the thermoabrasive banks of the Viliyui Reservoir in Yakutia during the service period from 1972 through 2011, and results of analytical prediction of bank formations over the next 20 years for purposes of monitoring the ecological safety of this water body are presented.

  5. Comb-Push Ultrasound Shear Elastography of Breast Masses: Initial Results Show Promise

    PubMed Central

    Song, Pengfei; Fazzio, Robert T.; Pruthi, Sandhya; Whaley, Dana H.; Chen, Shigao; Fatemi, Mostafa

    2015-01-01

    Purpose or Objective To evaluate the performance of Comb-push Ultrasound Shear Elastography (CUSE) for classification of breast masses. Materials and Methods CUSE is an ultrasound-based quantitative two-dimensional shear wave elasticity imaging technique, which utilizes multiple laterally distributed acoustic radiation force (ARF) beams to simultaneously excite the tissue and induce shear waves. Female patients who were categorized as having suspicious breast masses underwent CUSE evaluations prior to biopsy. An elasticity estimate within the breast mass was obtained from the CUSE shear wave speed map. Elasticity estimates of various types of benign and malignant masses were compared with biopsy results. Results Fifty-four female patients with suspicious breast masses from our ongoing study are presented. Our cohort included 31 malignant and 23 benign breast masses. Our results indicate that the mean shear wave speed was significantly higher in malignant masses (6 ± 1.58 m/s) in comparison to benign masses (3.65 ± 1.36 m/s). Therefore, the stiffness of the mass quantified by the Young’s modulus is significantly higher in malignant masses. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), the optimal cut-off value of 83 kPa yields 87.10% sensitivity, 82.61% specificity, and 0.88 for the area under the curve (AUC). Conclusion CUSE has the potential for clinical utility as a quantitative diagnostic imaging tool adjunct to B-mode ultrasound for differentiation of malignant and benign breast masses. PMID:25774978

  6. [A systematic social observation tool: methods and results of inter-rater reliability].

    PubMed

    Freitas, Eulilian Dias de; Camargos, Vitor Passos; Xavier, César Coelho; Caiaffa, Waleska Teixeira; Proietti, Fernando Augusto

    2013-10-01

    Systematic social observation has been used as a health research methodology for collecting information from the neighborhood physical and social environment. The objectives of this article were to describe the operationalization of direct observation of the physical and social environment in urban areas and to evaluate the instrument's reliability. The systematic social observation instrument was designed to collect information in several domains. A total of 1,306 street segments belonging to 149 different neighborhoods in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were observed. For the reliability study, 149 segments (1 per neighborhood) were re-audited, and Fleiss kappa was used to access inter-rater agreement. Mean agreement was 0.57 (SD = 0.24); 53% had substantial or almost perfect agreement, and 20.4%, moderate agreement. The instrument appears to be appropriate for observing neighborhood characteristics that are not time-dependent, especially urban services, property characterization, pedestrian environment, and security.

  7. Comparisons of GLM and LMA Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, R. J.; Krehbiel, P. R.; Rison, W.; Stanley, M. A.; Attanasio, A.

    2017-12-01

    Observations from 3-dimensional VHF lightning mapping arrays (LMAs) provide a valuable basis for evaluating the spatial accuracy and detection efficiencies of observations from the recently launched, optical-based Geosynchronous Lightning Mapper (GLM). In this presentation, we describe results of comparing the LMA and GLM observations. First, the observations are compared spatially and temporally at the individual event (pixel) level for sets of individual discharges. For LMA networks in Florida, Colorado, and Oklahoma, the GLM observations are well correlated time-wise with LMA observations but are systematically offset by one- to two pixels ( 10 to 15 or 20 km) in a southwesterly direction from the actual lightning activity. The graphical comparisons show a similar location uncertainty depending on the altitude at which the scattered light is emitted from the parent cloud, due to being observed at slant ranges. Detection efficiencies (DEs) can be accurately determined graphically for intervals where individual flashes in a storm are resolved time-wise, and DEs and false alarm rates can be automated using flash sorting algorithms for overall and/or larger storms. This can be done as a function of flash size and duration, and generally shows high detection rates for larger flashes. Preliminary results during the May 1 2017 ER-2 overflight of Colorado storms indicate decreased detection efficiency if the storm is obscured by an overlying cloud layer.

  8. Study of the Effect of Temporal Sampling Frequency on DSCOVR Observations Using the GEOS-5 Nature Run Results. Part II; Cloud Coverage

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holdaway, Daniel; Yang, Yuekui

    2016-01-01

    This is the second part of a study on how temporal sampling frequency affects satellite retrievals in support of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission. Continuing from Part 1, which looked at Earth's radiation budget, this paper presents the effect of sampling frequency on DSCOVR-derived cloud fraction. The output from NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System version 5 (GEOS-5) Nature Run is used as the "truth". The effect of temporal resolution on potential DSCOVR observations is assessed by subsampling the full Nature Run data. A set of metrics, including uncertainty and absolute error in the subsampled time series, correlation between the original and the subsamples, and Fourier analysis have been used for this study. Results show that, for a given sampling frequency, the uncertainties in the annual mean cloud fraction of the sunlit half of the Earth are larger over land than over ocean. Analysis of correlation coefficients between the subsamples and the original time series demonstrates that even though sampling at certain longer time intervals may not increase the uncertainty in the mean, the subsampled time series is further and further away from the "truth" as the sampling interval becomes larger and larger. Fourier analysis shows that the simulated DSCOVR cloud fraction has underlying periodical features at certain time intervals, such as 8, 12, and 24 h. If the data is subsampled at these frequencies, the uncertainties in the mean cloud fraction are higher. These results provide helpful insights for the DSCOVR temporal sampling strategy.

  9. Single baseline GLONASS observations with VLBI: data processing and first results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tornatore, V.; Haas, R.; Duev, D.; Pogrebenko, S.; Casey, S.; Molera Calvés, G.; Keimpema, A.

    2011-07-01

    Several tests to observe signals transmitted by GLONASS (GLObal NAvigation Satellite System) satellites have been performed using the geodetic VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) technique. The radio telescopes involved in these experiments were Medicina (Italy) and Onsala (Sweden), both equipped with L-band receivers. Observations at the stations were performed using the standard Mark4 VLBI data acquisition rack and Mark5A disk-based recorders. The goals of the observations were to develop and test the scheduling, signal acquisition and processing routines to verify the full tracking pipeline, foreseeing the cross-correlation of the recorded data on the baseline Onsala-Medicina. The natural radio source 3c286 was used as a calibrator before the starting of the satellite observation sessions. Delay models, including the tropospheric and ionospheric corrections, which are consistent for both far- and near-field sources are under development. Correlation of the calibrator signal has been performed using the DiFX software, while the satellite signals have been processed using the narrow band approach with the Metsaehovi software and analysed with a near-field delay model. Delay models both for the calibrator signals and the satellites signals, using the same geometrical, tropospheric and ionospheric models, are under investigation to make a correlation of the satellite signals possible.

  10. New observations, new theoretical results and controversies regarding PC 3-5 waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takahashi, K.

    Observations and theories of medium- to long-period (Pc 3-5) magnetic pulsations excited by magnetospheric particles are described. Satellite observations indicate that most pulsations can be classified into two groups according to their magnetic field polarization. One group has a transverse magnetic perturbation and the other strongly compressional perturbation. Despite this difference in polarization they share common characteristics, including large azimuthal wave number, westward propagation, and antisymmetric field-aligned structure. Recent theories describe these observations in a unified framework. It has been pointed out that trapped energetic ions play an important role in determining the instability threshold and the mode structure of the pulsations. Observations and theories of energetic particle response to the excited pulsations are also described.

  11. Effects of the Crustal Magnetic Fields and Changes in the IMF Orientation on the Magnetosphere of Mars: MAVEN Observations and LATHYS Results.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romanelli, N. J.; Modolo, R.; Leblanc, F.; Chaufray, J. Y.; Hess, S.; Brain, D.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Halekas, J. S.; McFadden, J. P.; Jakosky, B. M.

    2017-12-01

    The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution MissioN (MAVEN) is currently probing the very complex and dynamic Martian environment. Although the main structures resulting from the interaction between the solar wind (SW) and the induced magnetosphere of Mars can be described using a steady state picture, time-dependent physical processes play a key role modifying the response of this obstacle. These processes are the consequence of temporal variabilities in the internal and/or external electromagnetic fields and plasma properties. For instance, the rotation of the crustal magnetic fields (CF) constantly modifies the intrinsic magnetic field topology relative to the SW magnetized plasma flow. Moreover, changes in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation are convected by the SW and also affect the structure of the magnetosphere.In this work we analyze magnetic field and plasma measurements provided by MAVEN on 23 December 2014 between 06:00 UT and 14:20 UT. During this time interval the spacecraft sampled the Martian magnetosphere twice, with highly similar trajectories. MAVEN measurements suggest that the external conditions remained approximately constant when the spacecraft was inside the magnetosphere for the first time. In contrast, MAVEN observed changes in the IMF orientation before visiting the magnetosphere for the second time. To investigate the response of the Martian plasma environment to the rotation of the CF and the change of the background magnetic field orientation, we perform numerical simulations making use of the LatHyS three dimensional multispecies hybrid model. These simulations include the rotation of the CF and use MAVEN observations to set the external SW conditions and the variation of the IMF. The simulation results are compared with the MAVEN MAG and Solar Wind Ion Analyzer observations obtained in the Martian magnetosphere and show a good agreement. Model results also show that the position of the bow shock varies locally

  12. Incoming Shortwave Fluxes at the Surface--A Comparison of GCM Results with Observations.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garratt, J. R.

    1994-01-01

    Evidence is presented that the exam surface net radiation calculated in general circulation models at continental surfaces is mostly due to excess incoming shortwave fluxes. Based on long-term observations from 22 worldwide inland stations and results from four general circulation models the overestimate in models of 20% (11 W m2) in net radiation on an annual basis compares with 6% (9 W m2) for shortwave fluxes for the same 22 locations, or 9% (18 W m2) for a larger set of 93 stations (71 having shortwave fluxes only). For annual fluxes, these differences appear to be significant.

  13. The TETRA-II Experiment to Observe Terrestrial Gamma Flashes at Ground Level - Preliminary Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cherry, M. L.; Adams, C.; Al-Nussirat, S.; Bai, S.; Banadaki, Y.; Bitzer, P. M.; Hoffmann, J.; Khosravi, E.; Legault, M.; Orang, M.; Pleshinger, D. J.; Rodriguez, R.; Smith, D.; Trepanier, J. C.; Sunda-Meya, A.; Zimmer, N.

    2017-12-01

    An upgraded version of the TGF and Energetic Thunderstorm Rooftop Array (TETRA-II) consists of an array of BGO scintillators to detect bursts of gamma rays from thunderstorms at ground level in four separate locations: the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; the campus of the University of Puerto Rico at Utuado, Puerto Rico; the Centro Nacional de Metrologia de Panama (CENAMEP) in Panama City, Panama; and the Severe Weather Institute and Radar & Lightning Laboratories in Huntsville, Alabama. The original TETRA-I array of NaI scintillators at Louisiana State University detected 37 millisecond-scale bursts of gamma rays at energies 50 keV-2 MeV associated with nearby (< 8 km) thunderstorms. TETRA-II began operation in May 2016 and now has approximately an order of magnitude greater sensitivity than TETRA-I. The ability to observe ground-level Terrestrial Gamma Flashes from close to the source allows a unique analysis of the storm cells producing these events. A brief description of the TETRA-I observations, a description of TETRA-II, and preliminary results of the first events observed by TETRA-II will be presented including frequency and time history of events, spectral information, and correlation with local radar and radio data.

  14. Preliminary Results from Recent Simultaneous Chandra/HST Observations of Jupiter Auroral Zones

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elsner, R.; Gladstone, R.; Waite, H.; Majeed, T.; Ford, P.; Grodent, D.; Bwardwaj, A.; Howell, R.; Cravens, T.; MacDowell, R.

    2003-01-01

    Jupiter was observed by the Chandra X-ray Observatory in late February, 2003, for 144 ks, using both the ACIS-S and HRC-I imaging x-ray cameras. Five orbits of HST STIS observations of the planet's northern auroral zone were obtained during the ACIS-S observations. These data are providing a wealth of information about Jupiter's auroral activity, including the first x-ray spectra from the x-ray hot spots inside the auroral ovals. We will also discuss the approximately 45 minute quasi-periodicity in the auroral x-ray emission - which correlates well with simultaneous observations of radio bursts by the Ulysses spacecraft - and a possible phase relation between the emission from the northern and southern x-ray aurora.

  15. Crustal dynamics project observations: 1982 results and plans for 1983

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frey, H.

    1983-01-01

    The 1982 Crustal Dynamics Project observations by fixed and mobile SLR and VLBI systems are reviewed. Plate motion measurements between North America and Europe were conducted by both techniques and SLR measurements were also made between North America, the Pacific, Australia and South American plates. Regional deformation measurements by VLBI and SLR systems were restricted to the western United States in 1982, including a number of important intercomparison baseline measured by both techniques. In 1983 the observing program grows significantly, with new SLR systems in Mexico, Easter Island, the Pacific and Italy. New VLBI systems will include a dedicated VLBI site at Weltzell, in Germany. Two highly mobile SLR and two highly mobile VLBI systems will greatly increase the regional deformation measurements in California and through the Basin and Range, where more than 25 sites will be occupied in 1983.

  16. Turbulent upwelling of mid-latitude ionosphere. 1. Observational results by the MU radar

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

    Fukao, Shoichiro; Shirakawa, Tatsuya; Takami, Tomoyuki

    1991-03-01

    In this paper, the authors present the detailed results of a series of experiments designed to study the coherent backscatter of 50-MHz radar waves from the mid-latitude F region. Data were obtained with the active phased-array MU radar in Japan and include some auxiliary E region coherent echoes as well.The strongest echoes correspond to irregularities at least 20 dB stronger than thermal backscatter at the same frequency from typical F region densities at the same range. Simultaneous observations with ionosondes show that these echoes occur during strong mid-latitude spread F. As defined by ionosondes, the latter phenomenon is certainly muchmore » more widespread than the turbulent upwelling events described here, but they believe that in some sense these correspond to the most violent mid-latitude spread F. The strongest echoes occur in large patches which display away Doppler shifts corresponding to irregularity motion upward and northward from the radar. At the edges of these patches there is often a brief period of toward Doppler before the echoing region ceases. On rare occasions comparable patches of strong away and toward Doppler are detected, although in such cases the Doppler width of the toward echoes is much narrower than that of the away echoes. The multiple beam capability at MU allowed us to track the patches in the zonal direction on two days. The patches moved east to west in both cases at velocities of 125 m/s and 185 m/s, respectively. There is a distinct tendency for the bottom contour of the scattering region to be modulated at the same period as the patch occurence frequency as well as at higher frequencies. This higher-frequency component may correspond to substructures in the large patches and to the E region coherent scatter patches which were detected simultaneously in several multiple beam experiments.« less

  17. Review on optical constants of Titan aerosols: Experimental results and modeling/observational data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brassé, Coralie; Muñoz, Olga; Coll, Patrice; Raulin, François

    2014-05-01

    During the last years many studies have been performed to improve the experimental database of optical constants of Titan aerosols. Indeed, the determination of the optical constants of these particles is essential to quantify their capacity to absorb and to scatter solar radiation, and thus to evaluate their role on Titan's radiative balance and climate. The study of optical properties is also crucial to analyze and to better interpret many of Titan's observational data, in particular those acquired during the Cassini-Huygens mission. One way to determine Titan aerosols optical constant is to measure the optical constants of analogues of Titan complex organic material synthesized in the laboratory, usually named Titan's tholins (Sagan and Khare, 1979). But the optical constants depend on the chemical composition, the size and the shape of particles (Raulin et al., 2012). Those three parameters result from the experimental conditions such as energy source, gas mixing ratio, gas pressure, flow rate and irradiation time (Cable et al., 2012). Besides the determination of the refractive index in the laboratory, there are others methods using theoretical models or observational data. Nevertheless, theoretical models are based on laboratory data or/and observational data. The visible - near infrared spectral region of optical constants has been widely studied with laboratory analogues. Comparison of the obtained results suggest that tholins synthesized by Tran et al. (2003) and Majhoub et al. (2012) are the best representative of Titan aerosols with regards to their refractive indexes in this spectral region. The mid-infrared spectral range has been studied only by Imanaka et al. (2012) and slightly by Tran et al. (2003). In that spectral range, Titan tholins do not exhibit the features displayed by Kim and Courtin (2013) from Titan's observations. For spectral region of wavelengths smaller than 0.20µm or higher than 25µm, only the data from Khare et al. (1984) are

  18. In-situ observation of Martian neutral exosphere: Results from MENCA aboard Indian Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhardwaj, Anil; Pratim Das, Tirtha; Dhanya, M. B.; Thampi, Smitha V.

    2016-07-01

    Till very recently, the only in situ measurements of the Martian upper atmospheric composition was from the mass spectrometer experiments aboard the two Viking landers, which covered the altitude region from 120 to 200 km. Hence, the exploration by the Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA) aboard the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) spacecraft of ISRO and the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) experiment aboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile ENvironment (MAVEN) mission of NASA are significant steps to further understand the Martian neutral exosphere and its variability. MENCA is a quadrupole based neutral mass spectrometer which observes the radial distribution of the Martian neutral exosphere. The analysis of the data from MENCA has revealed unambiguous detection of the three major constituents, which are amu 44 (CO2), amu 28 (contributions from CO and N2) and amu 16 (atomic O), as well as a few minor species. Since MOM is in a highly elliptical orbit, the MENCA observations pertain to different local times, in the low-latitude region. Examples of such observations would be presented, and compared with NGIMS results. Emphasis would be given to the observations pertaining to high solar zenith angles and close to perihelion period. During the evening hours, the transition from CO2 to O dominated region is observed near 270 km, which is significantly different from the previous observations corresponding to sub-solar point and SZA of ~45°. The mean evening time exospheric temperature derived using these observations is 271±5 K. These are the first observations corresponding to the Martian evening hours, which would help to provide constraints to the thermal escape models.

  19. Preliminary results on the apparent size of the sources of type III bursts observed at low frequencies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alvarez, H.

    1976-01-01

    We present preliminary results on the apparent angular size of the sources of four type III bursts observed between 3500 and 50 kHz from the IMP-6 spacecraft. The observations were made with a dipole rotating in the plane of the ecliptic where the sources are assumed to be. The apparent angular sizes obtained are unexpectedly large. We discuss different explanations for the results. It seems that the scattering of radio waves by electron density inhomogeneities is the most likely cause. We report a temporal increase of the apparent angular size of the source during the burst lifetime for some bursts. From its characteristics it appears to be a real effect.

  20. Phone use while driving: results from an observational survey.

    PubMed

    Wundersitz, L N

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to quantify the level of handheld phone use when driving in South Australia. The study also sought to investigate any driver, site, and vehicle characteristics associated with handheld phone use to inform countermeasure development and publicity campaigns. An on-road observational survey of handheld phone use was undertaken as part of a larger restraint use survey. The survey was conducted at 61 sites in metropolitan Adelaide and rural regions within South Australia on weekdays and a weekend in 2009. A total of 64 (0.6%) of the 11,524 drivers observed during the survey were using handheld phones. Handheld phone usage rates ranged from 0.8 percent in metropolitan Adelaide to 0.3 percent in the rural region of The Riverland. Of all driver, site, and vehicle characteristics examined, the only statistically significant difference in handheld phone usage was for the number of vehicle occupants. The odds of a driver using a handheld phone while traveling alone was over 4 times higher than for a driver traveling with passengers. The level of handheld phone use among drivers in South Australia appears to be low relative to other jurisdictions. The level of enforcement activity and severity of penalties do not offer a clear explanation for the higher levels of compliance with phone laws. Given the rate of increase in phone technology, it is important to conduct regular roadside surveys of phone use among drivers to monitor trends in usage over time.

  1. ULF foreshock under radial IMF: THEMIS observations and global kinetic simulation Vlasiator results compared

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palmroth, Minna; Rami, Vainio; Archer, Martin; Hietala, Heli; Afanasiev, Alexandr; Kempf, Yann; Hoilijoki, Sanni; von Alfthan, Sebastian

    2015-04-01

    For decades, a certain type of ultra low frequency waves with a period of about 30 seconds have been observed in the Earth's quasi-parallel foreshock. These waves, with a wavelength of about an Earth radius, are compressive and propagate with an average angle of 20 degrees with respect of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The latter property has caused trouble to scientists as the growth rate for the instability causing the waves is maximized along the magnetic field. So far, these waves have been characterized by single or multi-spacecraft methods and 2-dimensional hybrid-PIC simulations, which have not fully reproduced the wave properties. Vlasiator is a newly developed, global hybrid-Vlasov simulation, which solves the six-dimensional phase space utilising the Vlasov equation for protons, while electrons are a charge-neutralising fluid. The outcome of the simulation is a global reproduction of ion-scale physics in a holistic manner where the generation of physical features can be followed in time and their consequences can be quantitatively characterised. Vlasiator produces the ion distribution functions and the related kinetic physics in unprecedented detail, in the global scale magnetospheric scale with a resolution of a couple of hundred kilometres in the ordinary space and 20 km/s in the velocity space. We run Vlasiator under a radial IMF in five dimensions consisting of the three-dimensional velocity space embedded in the ecliptic plane. We observe the generation of the 30-second ULF waves, and characterize their evolution and physical properties in time. We compare the results both to THEMIS observations and to the quasi-linear theory. We find that Vlasiator reproduces the foreshock ULF waves in all reported observational aspects, i.e., they are of the observed size in wavelength and period, they are compressive and propagate obliquely to the IMF. In particular, we discuss the issues related to the long-standing question of oblique propagation.

  2. Electrophysiological correlates of observational learning in children.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez Buritica, Julia M; Eppinger, Ben; Schuck, Nicolas W; Heekeren, Hauke R; Li, Shu-Chen

    2016-09-01

    Observational learning is an important mechanism for cognitive and social development. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying observational learning in children are not well understood. In this study, we used a probabilistic reward-based observational learning paradigm to compare behavioral and electrophysiological markers of individual and observational reinforcement learning in 8- to 10-year-old children. Specifically, we manipulated the amount of observable information as well as children's similarity in age to the observed person (same-aged child vs. adult) to examine the effects of similarity in age on the integration of observed information in children. We show that the feedback-related negativity (FRN) during individual reinforcement learning reflects the valence of outcomes of own actions. Furthermore, we found that the feedback-related negativity during observational reinforcement learning (oFRN) showed a similar distinction between outcome valences of observed actions. This suggests that the oFRN can serve as a measure of observational learning in middle childhood. Moreover, during observational learning children profited from the additional social information and imitated the choices of their own peers more than those of adults, indicating that children have a tendency to conform more with similar others (e.g. their own peers) compared to dissimilar others (adults). Taken together, our results show that children can benefit from integrating observable information and that oFRN may serve as a measure of observational learning in children. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. VizieR Online Data Catalog: DUNES survey observational results (Eiroa+, 2013)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eiroa, C.; Marshall, J. P.; Mora, A.; Montesinos, B.; Absil, O.; Augereau, J.-C.; Bayo, A.; Bryden, G.; Danchi, W.; Del Burgo, C.; Ertel, S.; Fridlund, M.; Heras, A. M.; Krivov, A. V.; Launhardt, R.; Liseau, R.; Loehne, T.; Maldonado, J.; Pilbratt, G. L.; Roberge, A.; Rodmann, J.; Sanz-Forcada, J.; Solano, E.; Stapelfeldt, K.; Thebault, P.; Wolf, S.; Ardila, D.; Arevalo, M.; Beichmann, C.; Faramaz, V.; Gonzalez-Garcia, B. M.; Gutierrez, R.; Lebreton, J.; Martinez-Arnaiz, R.; Meeus, G.; Montes, D.; Olofsson, G.; Su, K. Y. L.; White, G. J.; Barrado, D.; Fukagawa, M.; Gruen, E.; Kamp, I.; Lorente, R.; Morbidelli, A.; Mueller, S.; Mutschke, H.; Nakagawa, T.; Ribas, I.; Walker, H.

    2013-05-01

    The on-line tabular material contains a complete description of the DUNES objects, providing absolute parameters of the stars, the photometry used to build their spectral energy distributions, the Herschel/PACS fluxes, the photospheric predictions at the PACS wavelengths, the significance of the potential excesses and additional information concerning the stars with extended emission, the offsets of the stellar positions as measured in the optical and in the PACS100 images, the AORs (Astronomical Observation Request number) of the observations and the on-source integration times. (11 data files).

  4. Results of TLE and TGF Observation in RELEC Experiment onboard "Vernov" Mission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klimov, Pavel; Garipov, Gali; Klimov, Stanislav; Rothkaehl, Hanna; Khrenov, Boris; Pozanenko, Alexei; Morozenko, Violetta; Iyudin, Anatoly; Bogomolov, Vitalij V.; Svertilov, Sergey; Panasyuk, Mikhail; Saleev, Kirill; Kaznacheeva, Margarita; Maximov, Ivan

    2016-07-01

    "Vernov" satellite with RELEC experiment onboard was launched on 2014 July, 8 into a polar solar-synchronous orbit. The payload includes DUV ultraviolet and red photometer and DRGE gamma-ray spectrometer providing measurements in 10-3000 keV energy range with four detectors. Both instruments directed to the atmosphere. Total area of DRGE detectors is ˜500 cm ^{2}. The data were recorded both in monitoring and gamma by gamma modes with timing accuracy ˜15 μs. Several TGF candidates with 10-40 gammas in a burst with duration <1 ms were detected. Analysis of data from other instruments on-board "Vernov" satellite shows the absence of significant electromagnetic pulses around correspondent time moments. Comparison with a world wide lightning location network (WWLLN) data base also indicates that there were no thunderstorms connected with most of detected TGF candidates. Possible connection of TGF candidates with electron precipitations is discussed. Observations of transient luminous events (TLEs) were made in UV (240-400 nm) and IR (>610 nm) wavelength bands. More than 8 thousands of flashes with duration between 1 and 128 ms were detected from the atmosphere. Time profiles of detected flashes are very diverse. There are single peak events with significant UV and IR signal, multi-peak structures visible in the both UV and IR channels and very complicated events mixed from UV and IR signals and UV flashes which can continue even during the whole waveform. In addition, there are flashes of various temporal duration and structure measured only in UV wavelength range. Number of UV photons released in the atmosphere varies in a wide range from 10 ^{20} to 10 ^{26}. Apart from the events detected in the thunderstorm regions over the continents, many flashes were observed outside of thunderstorm areas, above the ocean and even at rather high latitudes. Such events are not associated with the thunderstorm and lightning activity measured by WWLLN. Various types of UV and IR

  5. Preliminary Results of NASA's First Autonomous Formation Flying Experiment: Earth Observing-1 (EO-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Folta, David; Hawkins, Albin

    2001-01-01

    NASA's first autonomous formation flying mission is completing a primary goal of demonstrating an advanced technology called enhanced formation flying. To enable this technology, the Guidance, Navigation, and Control center at the Goddard Space Flight Center has implemented an autonomous universal three-axis formation flying algorithm in executive flight code onboard the New Millennium Program's (NMP) Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) spacecraft. This paper describes the mathematical background of the autonomous formation flying algorithm and the onboard design and presents the preliminary validation results of this unique system. Results from functionality assessment and autonomous maneuver control are presented as comparisons between the onboard EO-1 operational autonomous control system called AutoCon(tm), its ground-based predecessor, and a stand-alone algorithm.

  6. The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Development and preliminary results of point source observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fisher, Ryan P.

    2009-06-01

    The Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) is a six meter diameter telescope designed to measure the millimeter sky with arcminute angular resolution. The instrument is currently conducting its third season of observations from Cerro Toco in the Chilean Andes. The primary science goal of the experiment is to expand our understanding of cosmology by mapping the temperature fluctuations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at angular scales corresponding to multipoles up to [cursive l] ~ 10000. The primary receiver for current ACT observations is the Millimeter Bolometer Array Camera (MBAC). The instrument is specially designed to observe simultaneously at 148 GHz, 218 GHz and 277 GHz. To accomplish this, the camera has three separate detector arrays, each containing approximately 1000 detectors. After discussing the ACT experiment in detail, a discussion of the development and testing of the cold readout electronics for the MBAC is presented. Currently, the ACT collaboration is in the process of generating maps of the microwave sky using our first and second season observations. The analysis used to generate these maps requires careful data calibration to produce maps of the arcminute scale CMB temperature fluctuations. Tests and applications of several elements of the ACT calibrations are presented in the context of the second season observations. Scientific exploration has already begun on preliminary maps made using these calibrations. The final portion of this thesis is dedicated to discussing the point sources observed by the ACT. A discussion of the techniques used for point source detection and photometry is followed by a presentation of our current measurements of point source spectral indices.

  7. Atmospheric Chemistry and Transport from Space Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schoeberl, Mark R.

    2002-01-01

    This lecture will cover the basic ideas of space observations of chemical constituents, modern analysis techniques and results. I will show analysis using TOMS, UARS, SAGE, Terra. I will show some of the planned missions for the US that will launch in the next few years.

  8. Geminids 2012 - a spectacular show from Oman

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weiland, Thomas; Bettonvil, Felix

    2014-02-01

    The Geminids are the most reliable prominent meteor shower currently visible. They can be observed from the whole northern hemisphere and even low southern latitudes as well. Nevertheless, as the weather is often unfavourable in Central Europe during December, a six-day-long visual observing campaign was carried out from Oman in 2012. There observing conditions were nearly perfect, especially in the Rub al-Khali desert in the western part of the country. As a consequence, we managed to record more than 1800 Geminids within almost 45 hours of effective observing time. An impression of the campaign together with a summary of the results is given.

  9. Observations-based GPP estimates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joiner, J.; Yoshida, Y.; Jung, M.; Tucker, C. J.; Pinzon, J. E.

    2017-12-01

    We have developed global estimates of gross primary production based on a relatively simple satellite observations-based approach using reflectance data from the MODIS instruments in the form of vegetation indices that provide information about photosynthetic capacity at both high temporal and spatial resolution and combined with information from chlorophyll solar-induced fluorescence from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 instrument that is noisier and available only at lower temporal and spatial scales. We compare our gross primary production estimates with those from eddy covariance flux towers and show that they are competitive with more complicated extrapolated machine learning gross primary production products. Our results provide insight into the amount of variance in gross primary production that can be explained with satellite observations data and also show how processing of the satellite reflectance data is key to using it for accurate GPP estimates.

  10. RESULTS OF OBSERVATIONS ON ATMOSPHERIC OZONE BY THE INFRARED METHOD, DEDUCED FROM DATA OBTAINED IN AROSA (SWITZERLAND),

    DTIC Science & Technology

    Vertical distributions of the atmospheric ozone have been deduced from the infrared observations made in Arosa from Janaury 1957 to November 1958. The results are used to find certain correlations. (Author)

  11. Second-Year Results from the Circumarctic Lakes Observation Network (CALON) Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinkel, K. M.; Arp, C. D.; Beck, R. A.; Eisner, W. R.; Frey, K. E.; Gaglioti, B.; Grosse, G.; Jones, B. M.; Kim, C.; Lenters, J. D.; Liu, H.; Townsend-Small, A.

    2013-12-01

    Beginning in April 2012, over 55 lakes in northern Alaska were instrumented as the initial phase of CALON, a project designed to document landscape-scale variability in physical and biogeochemical processes of Arctic lakes developed atop permafrost. The current network has nine observation nodes along two latitudinal transects that extend from the Arctic Ocean south 200 km to the foothills of the Brooks Range. At each node, six representative lakes of differing area and depth were instrumented at different intensity levels, and a suite of instruments were deployed to collect field measurements on lake physiochemistry, lake-surface and terrestrial climatology, and lake bed and permafrost temperature. Each April, sensors measuring water temperature and water depth are deployed through the ice and water samples are collected. Sensors are downloaded from lakes and meteorological stations in August, recording a timeline of lake regimes and events from ice decay to the summertime energy and water balance. In general, lake ice thickness increased with latitude. In 2012, ice on deeper (>2 m) lakes was about 1.4 m thick in the Arctic Foothills and 1.7 m thick near the Arctic Ocean coast. Lake ice thickness was about 20 cm thicker in winter 2013 although winter temperatures were several degrees warmer than the previous year; this is likely due to a thinner snow cover in 2013. Lake ice elevations agree with this general trend, showing higher absolute elevation in April 2013 compared to 2012 for most of the surveyed lakes. Regionally, ice-off occurs 2-4 weeks later on lakes near the coast, although there is significant inter-lake variability related to lake depth. Following ice-off, rapid lake warming occurs and water temperature varies synchronously in response to synoptic weather variations and associated changes in net radiation and turbulent heat fluxes. Average mid-summer (July) lake temperatures spanned a relatively wide range in 2012 from 7°C to 18°C, with higher

  12. More screen operation than calling: the results of observing cyclists' behaviour while using mobile phones.

    PubMed

    de Waard, Dick; Westerhuis, Frank; Lewis-Evans, Ben

    2015-03-01

    Operating a mobile telephone while riding a bicycle is fairly common practice in the Netherlands, yet it is unknown if this use is stable or increasing. As such, whether the prevalence of mobile phone use while cycling has changed over the past five years was studied via on-road observation. In addition the impact of mobile phone use on lateral position, i.e. distance from the front wheel to the curb, was also examined to see if it compared to the results seen in previous experimental studies. Bicyclists were observed at six different locations and their behaviour was scored. It was found that compared to five years ago the use of mobile phones while cycling has changed, not in frequency, but in how cyclists were operating their phones. As found in 2008, three percent of the bicyclists were observed to be operating a phone, but a shift from calling (0.7% of cyclists observed) to operating (typing, texting, 2.3% of cyclists) was found. In 2008 nearly the complete opposite usage was observed: 2.2% of the cyclists were calling and 0.6% was texting. Another finding was that effects on lateral position were similar to those seen in experimental studies in that cyclists using a phone maintained a cycling position which was further away from the curb. It was also found that when at an intersection, cyclist's operating their phone made less head movements to the right than cyclists who were just cycling. This shift from calling to screen operation, when combined with the finding related to reduced head movements at intersections, is worrying and potentially dangerous. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Correlation between human observer performance and model observer performance in differential phase contrast CT

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

    Li, Ke; Garrett, John; Chen, Guang-Hong

    2013-11-15

    Purpose: With the recently expanding interest and developments in x-ray differential phase contrast CT (DPC-CT), the evaluation of its task-specific detection performance and comparison with the corresponding absorption CT under a given radiation dose constraint become increasingly important. Mathematical model observers are often used to quantify the performance of imaging systems, but their correlations with actual human observers need to be confirmed for each new imaging method. This work is an investigation of the effects of stochastic DPC-CT noise on the correlation of detection performance between model and human observers with signal-known-exactly (SKE) detection tasks.Methods: The detectabilities of different objectsmore » (five disks with different diameters and two breast lesion masses) embedded in an experimental DPC-CT noise background were assessed using both model and human observers. The detectability of the disk and lesion signals was then measured using five types of model observers including the prewhitening ideal observer, the nonprewhitening (NPW) observer, the nonprewhitening observer with eye filter and internal noise (NPWEi), the prewhitening observer with eye filter and internal noise (PWEi), and the channelized Hotelling observer (CHO). The same objects were also evaluated by four human observers using the two-alternative forced choice method. The results from the model observer experiment were quantitatively compared to the human observer results to assess the correlation between the two techniques.Results: The contrast-to-detail (CD) curve generated by the human observers for the disk-detection experiments shows that the required contrast to detect a disk is inversely proportional to the square root of the disk size. Based on the CD curves, the ideal and NPW observers tend to systematically overestimate the performance of the human observers. The NPWEi and PWEi observers did not predict human performance well either, as the slopes of

  14. Atlantic salmon show capability for cardiac acclimation to warm temperatures.

    PubMed

    Anttila, Katja; Couturier, Christine S; Overli, Oyvind; Johnsen, Arild; Marthinsen, Gunnhild; Nilsson, Göran E; Farrell, Anthony P

    2014-06-24

    Increases in environmental temperature predicted to result from global warming have direct effects on performance of ectotherms. Moreover, cardiac function has been observed to limit the tolerance to high temperatures. Here we show that two wild populations of Atlantic salmon originating from northern and southern extremes of its European distribution have strikingly similar cardiac responses to acute warming when acclimated to common temperatures, despite different local environments. Although cardiac collapse starts at 21-23 °C with a maximum heart rate of ~150 beats per min (bpm) for 12 °C-acclimated fish, acclimation to 20 °C considerably raises this temperature (27.5 °C) and maximum heart rate (~200 bpm). Only minor population differences exist and these are consistent with the warmer habitat of the southern population. We demonstrate that the considerable cardiac plasticity discovered for Atlantic salmon is largely independent of natural habitat, and we propose that observed cardiac plasticity may aid salmon to cope with global warming.

  15. Concordance of Results from Randomized and Observational Analyses within the Same Study: A Re-Analysis of the Women's Health Initiative Limited-Access Dataset.

    PubMed

    Bolland, Mark J; Grey, Andrew; Gamble, Greg D; Reid, Ian R

    2015-01-01

    Observational studies (OS) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) often report discordant results. In the Women's Health Initiative Calcium and Vitamin D (WHI CaD) RCT, women were randomly assigned to CaD or placebo, but were permitted to use personal calcium and vitamin D supplements, creating a unique opportunity to compare results from randomized and observational analyses within the same study. WHI CaD was a 7-year RCT of 1g calcium/400IU vitamin D daily in 36,282 post-menopausal women. We assessed the effects of CaD on cardiovascular events, death, cancer and fracture in a randomized design- comparing CaD with placebo in 43% of women not using personal calcium or vitamin D supplements- and in a observational design- comparing women in the placebo group (44%) using personal calcium and vitamin D supplements with non-users. Incidence was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, and results from the two study designs deemed concordant if the absolute difference in hazard ratios was ≤0.15. We also compared results from WHI CaD to those from the WHI Observational Study(WHI OS), which used similar methodology for analyses and recruited from the same population. In WHI CaD, for myocardial infarction and stroke, results of unadjusted and 6/8 covariate-controlled observational analyses (age-adjusted, multivariate-adjusted, propensity-adjusted, propensity-matched) were not concordant with the randomized design results. For death, hip and total fracture, colorectal and total cancer, unadjusted and covariate-controlled observational results were concordant with randomized results. For breast cancer, unadjusted and age-adjusted observational results were concordant with randomized results, but only 1/3 other covariate-controlled observational results were concordant with randomized results. Multivariate-adjusted results from WHI OS were concordant with randomized WHI CaD results for only 4/8 endpoints. Results of randomized analyses in WHI CaD were concordant

  16. Cassini/CIRS Observations of Saturn’s Polar Vortices from Proximal Orbit Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Achterberg, Richard; Bjoraker, Gordon L.; Hesman, Brigette E.; Flasar, F. Michael

    2017-10-01

    The proximal orbit phase of the Cassini mission, with periapses inside the inner edge of the rings, has allowed observations of Saturn’s atmosphere with unprecedented spatial resolution. During the periapse periods on 26 April and 29 June 2017, the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) performed scans over both the north and south poles with a spatial resolution better than 0.2° of latitude, over a factor of 4 better resolution than previous observations. A further observation of the south pole is planned on 20 Aug 2017.Previous thermal infrared observations of Saturn’s poles [1,2] showed a compact hot spot in the upper troposphere at each pole, roughly coincident with the hurricane-like polar vortex seen in visible imaging [3]. Preliminary results from the proximal orbit scans of the north pole, near summer solstice, show that in the upper troposphere, the meridional temperature gradient increases sharply at about 89°N, with the temperature increasing by ~5K between 89°N and the pole, with the temperature gradient persisting all the way to the pole within the spatial resolution of the observation. In the northern stratosphere, the polar hot spot is broader than in the troposphere, extending to ~86°N at 4 mbar, and disappearing into the general meridional gradient at 1 mbar.[1] G. S. Orton and P. A. Yanamadra-Fisher, Science 307, 696[2] L. N. Fletcher et al., Science, 319, 79[3] U. A. Dyudina et al., Icarus, 202, 240.

  17. Comb-push ultrasound shear elastography of breast masses: initial results show promise.

    PubMed

    Denis, Max; Mehrmohammadi, Mohammad; Song, Pengfei; Meixner, Duane D; Fazzio, Robert T; Pruthi, Sandhya; Whaley, Dana H; Chen, Shigao; Fatemi, Mostafa; Alizad, Azra

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the performance of Comb-push Ultrasound Shear Elastography (CUSE) for classification of breast masses. CUSE is an ultrasound-based quantitative two-dimensional shear wave elasticity imaging technique, which utilizes multiple laterally distributed acoustic radiation force (ARF) beams to simultaneously excite the tissue and induce shear waves. Female patients who were categorized as having suspicious breast masses underwent CUSE evaluations prior to biopsy. An elasticity estimate within the breast mass was obtained from the CUSE shear wave speed map. Elasticity estimates of various types of benign and malignant masses were compared with biopsy results. Fifty-four female patients with suspicious breast masses from our ongoing study are presented. Our cohort included 31 malignant and 23 benign breast masses. Our results indicate that the mean shear wave speed was significantly higher in malignant masses (6 ± 1.58 m/s) in comparison to benign masses (3.65 ± 1.36 m/s). Therefore, the stiffness of the mass quantified by the Young's modulus is significantly higher in malignant masses. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), the optimal cut-off value of 83 kPa yields 87.10% sensitivity, 82.61% specificity, and 0.88 for the area under the curve (AUC). CUSE has the potential for clinical utility as a quantitative diagnostic imaging tool adjunct to B-mode ultrasound for differentiation of malignant and benign breast masses.

  18. Study of the Effect of Temporal Sampling Frequency on DSCOVR Observations Using the GEOS-5 Nature Run Results (Part I): Earths Radiation Budget

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holdaway, Daniel; Yang, Yuekui

    2016-01-01

    Satellites always sample the Earth-atmosphere system in a finite temporal resolution. This study investigates the effect of sampling frequency on the satellite-derived Earth radiation budget, with the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) as an example. The output from NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System Version 5 (GEOS-5) Nature Run is used as the truth. The Nature Run is a high spatial and temporal resolution atmospheric simulation spanning a two-year period. The effect of temporal resolution on potential DSCOVR observations is assessed by sampling the full Nature Run data with 1-h to 24-h frequencies. The uncertainty associated with a given sampling frequency is measured by computing means over daily, monthly, seasonal and annual intervals and determining the spread across different possible starting points. The skill with which a particular sampling frequency captures the structure of the full time series is measured using correlations and normalized errors. Results show that higher sampling frequency gives more information and less uncertainty in the derived radiation budget. A sampling frequency coarser than every 4 h results in significant error. Correlations between true and sampled time series also decrease more rapidly for a sampling frequency less than 4 h.

  19. Past observable dynamics of a continuously monitored qubit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    García-Pintos, Luis Pedro; Dressel, Justin

    2017-12-01

    Monitoring a quantum observable continuously in time produces a stochastic measurement record that noisily tracks the observable. For a classical process, such noise may be reduced to recover an average signal by minimizing the mean squared error between the noisy record and a smooth dynamical estimate. We show that for a monitored qubit, this usual procedure returns unusual results. While the record seems centered on the expectation value of the observable during causal generation, examining the collected past record reveals that it better approximates a moving-mean Gaussian stochastic process centered at a distinct (smoothed) observable estimate. We show that this shifted mean converges to the real part of a generalized weak value in the time-continuous limit without additional postselection. We verify that this smoothed estimate minimizes the mean squared error even for individual measurement realizations. We go on to show that if a second observable is weakly monitored concurrently, then that second record is consistent with the smoothed estimate of the second observable based solely on the information contained in the first observable record. Moreover, we show that such a smoothed estimate made from incomplete information can still outperform estimates made using full knowledge of the causal quantum state.

  20. Results of the Baikal Experiment on Observations of Macroscopic Nonlocal Correlations in Reverse Time

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Korotaev, S. M.; Serdyuk, V. O.; Kiktenko, E. O.; Budnev, N. M.; Gorohov, J. V.

    Although the general theory macroscopic quantum entanglement of is still in its infancy, consideration of the matter in the framework of action-at-a distance electrodynamics predicts for the random dissipative processes observability of the advanced nonlocal correlations (time reversal causality). These correlations were really revealed in our previous experiments with some large-scale heliogeophysical processes as the source ones and the lab detectors as the probe ones. Recently a new experiment has been performing on the base of Baikal Deep Water Neutrino Observatory. The thick water layer is an excellent shield against any local impacts on the detectors. The first annual series 2012/2013 has demonstrated that detector signals respond to the heliogeophysical (external) processes and causal connection of the signals directed downwards: from the Earth surface to the Baikal floor. But this nonlocal connection proved to be in reverse time. In addition advanced nonlocal correlation of the detector signal with the regional source-process: the random component of hydrological activity in the upper layer was revealed and the possibility of its forecast on nonlocal correlations was demonstrated. But the strongest macroscopic nonlocal correlations are observed at extremely low frequencies, that is at periods of several months. Therefore the above results should be verified in a longer experiment. We verify them by data of the second annual series 2013/2014 of the Baikal experiment. All the results have been confirmed, although some quantitative parameters of correlations and time reversal causal links turned out different due to nonstationarity of the source-processes. A new result is displaying of the advanced response of nonlocal correlation detector to the earthquake. This opens up the prospect of the earthquake forecast on the new physical principle, although further confirmation in the next events is certainly needed. The continuation of the Baikal experiment with

  1. Generalizing observational study results: applying propensity score methods to complex surveys.

    PubMed

    Dugoff, Eva H; Schuler, Megan; Stuart, Elizabeth A

    2014-02-01

    To provide a tutorial for using propensity score methods with complex survey data. Simulated data and the 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Using simulation, we compared the following methods for estimating the treatment effect: a naïve estimate (ignoring both survey weights and propensity scores), survey weighting, propensity score methods (nearest neighbor matching, weighting, and subclassification), and propensity score methods in combination with survey weighting. Methods are compared in terms of bias and 95 percent confidence interval coverage. In Example 2, we used these methods to estimate the effect on health care spending of having a generalist versus a specialist as a usual source of care. In general, combining a propensity score method and survey weighting is necessary to achieve unbiased treatment effect estimates that are generalizable to the original survey target population. Propensity score methods are an essential tool for addressing confounding in observational studies. Ignoring survey weights may lead to results that are not generalizable to the survey target population. This paper clarifies the appropriate inferences for different propensity score methods and suggests guidelines for selecting an appropriate propensity score method based on a researcher's goal. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  2. Mineral and nitrogen balance study - Results of metabolic observations on Skylab II 28-day orbital mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whedon, G. D.; Lutwak, L.; Reid, J.; Rambaut, P.; Whittle, M.; Smith, M.; Leach, C.

    1975-01-01

    The prediction that various stresses of flight, particularly weightlessness, would bring about significant derangements in the metabolism of the musculoskeletal system has been based on various balance-study observations of long-term immobilized or inactive bed rest. The three astronauts of Skylab II consumed a planned dietary intake of major metabolic elements in mixed foods and beverages and provided virtually complete collections of excreta for 31 days preflight, 28 days inflight, and 17 days postflight. Analyses showed that, in varying degree among the crewmen, urinary calcium increased gradually during flight in a pattern similar to that observed in bed-rest studies. Fecal calcium excretion did not change significantly, but calcium balance, owing to the urinary calcium rise, became either negative or less positive than in preflight measurement. Increased excretion and negative nitrogen and phosphorus balances inflight indicated appreciable loss of muscle tissue in all three crewmen. Significant losses also occurred inflight in potassium, sodium, and magnesium. Based on the similarity in pattern and degree between these observations of calcium, phosphorus, and nitrogen loss, musculoskeletal integrity would not be threatened in space flights of up to at least 3 months. However, if similar changes occur in the planed Skylab flights for considerably more than 28 days, concern for capable musculoskeletal function should be serious for flights of very many months' duration.

  3. Observability of nonlinear dynamics: normalized results and a time-series approach.

    PubMed

    Aguirre, Luis A; Bastos, Saulo B; Alves, Marcela A; Letellier, Christophe

    2008-03-01

    This paper investigates the observability of nonlinear dynamical systems. Two difficulties associated with previous studies are dealt with. First, a normalized degree observability is defined. This permits the comparison of different systems, which was not generally possible before. Second, a time-series approach is proposed based on omnidirectional nonlinear correlation functions to rank a set of time series of a system in terms of their potential use to reconstruct the original dynamics without requiring the knowledge of the system equations. The two approaches proposed in this paper and a former method were applied to five benchmark systems and an overall agreement of over 92% was found.

  4. Observations of Phobos by the Mars Express radar MARSIS: Description of the detection techniques and preliminary results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cicchetti, A.; Nenna, C.; Plaut, J. J.; Plettemeier, D.; Noschese, R.; Cartacci, M.; Orosei, R.

    2017-11-01

    The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) (Picardi et al., 2005) is a synthetic aperture low frequency radar altimeter, onboard the ESA Mars Express orbiter, launched in June 2003. It is the first and so far the only spaceborne radar that has observed the Martian moon Phobos. Radar echoes were collected on different flyby trajectories. The primary aim of sounding Phobos is to prove the feasibility of deep sounding, into its subsurface. MARSIS is optimized for deep penetration investigations and is capable of transmitting at four different bands between 1.3 MHz and 5.5 MHz with a 1 MHz bandwidth. Unfortunately the instrument was originally designed to operate exclusively on Mars, assuming that Phobos would not be observed. Following this assumption, a protection mechanism was implemented in the hardware (HW) to maintain a minimum time separation between transmission and reception phases of the radar. This limitation does not have any impact on Mars observation but it prevented the observation of Phobos. In order to successfully operate the instrument at Phobos, a particular configuration of the MARSIS onboard software (SW) parameters, called ;Range Ambiguity,; was implemented to override the HW protection zone, ensuring at the same time a high level of safety of the instrument. This paper describes the principles of MARSIS onboard processing, and the procedure through which the parameters of the processing software were tuned to observe targets below the minimum distance allowed by hardware. Some preliminary results of data analysis will be shown, with the support of radar echo simulations. A qualitative comparison between the simulated results and the actual data, does not support the detection of subsurface reflectors.

  5. DYZ1 arrays show sequence variation between the monozygotic males

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Monozygotic twins (MZT) are an important resource for genetical studies in the context of normal and diseased genomes. In the present study we used DYZ1, a satellite fraction present in the form of tandem arrays on the long arm of the human Y chromosome, as a tool to uncover sequence variations between the monozygotic males. Results We detected copy number variation, frequent insertions and deletions within the sequences of DYZ1 arrays amongst all the three sets of twins used in the present study. MZT1b showed loss of 35 bp compared to that in 1a, whereas 2a showed loss of 31 bp compared to that in 2b. Similarly, 3b showed 10 bp insertion compared to that in 3a. MZT1a germline DNA showed loss of 5 bp and 1b blood DNA showed loss of 26 bp compared to that of 1a blood and 1b germline DNA, respectively. Of the 69 restriction sites detected in DYZ1 arrays, MboII, BsrI, TspEI and TaqI enzymes showed frequent loss and or gain amongst all the 3 pairs studied. MZT1 pair showed loss/gain of VspI, BsrDI, AgsI, PleI, TspDTI, TspEI, TfiI and TaqI restriction sites in both blood and germline DNA. All the three sets of MZT showed differences in the number of DYZ1 copies. FISH signals reflected somatic mosaicism of the DYZ1 copies across the cells. Conclusions DYZ1 showed both sequence and copy number variation between the MZT males. Sequence variation was also noticed between germline and blood DNA samples of the same individual as we observed at least in one set of sample. The result suggests that DYZ1 faithfully records all the genetical changes occurring after the twining which may be ascribed to the environmental factors. PMID:24495361

  6. Results from the Prototype GLOBE at Night Worldwide Light Pollution Observation Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walker, Constance E.; Pompea, S. M.; Isbell, D.; Orellana, D.; Blurton, C.; Henderson, S.

    2006-06-01

    Students, families, and educators worldwide participated in GLOBE at Night - an international event designed to observe and record the visible stars as a means of measuring light pollution in a given location. Participation was open to anyone - anywhere in the world - who could get outside and look skyward during the week of March 22-29, 2006. Our goal was 5000 observations from around the world in this prototype program.The hands-on learning activities associated with the program were designed to extend the traditional classroom and school day with a week of nighttime observations involving teachers, students and their families. By locating specific constellations in the sky, students from around the world learned how the lights in their community contribute to light pollution. Students explored the different light sources in their community learning the relationship between science, technology and society, and they reported their observations online through a central database allowing for authentic worldwide research and analysis. The observations made during GLOBE at Night helped students and scientists together assess how the quality of the night sky varies around the world as well as the level of energy wastage associated with poorly-shielded lights.For more information, visit http://www.globe.gov/globeatnight.GLOBE at Night is a collaboration between The GLOBE Program, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Centro de Apoyo a la Didactica de la Astronomia (CADIAS) in Chile , Windows to the Universe, and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI).

  7. Learning by observing: the effect of multiple sessions of action-observation training on the spontaneous movement tempo and motor resonance.

    PubMed

    Lagravinese, Giovanna; Bisio, Ambra; Ruggeri, Piero; Bove, Marco; Avanzino, Laura

    2017-02-01

    The present study was designed to explore the changes in motor performance and motor resonance after multiple sessions of action observation (AO) training. Subjects were exposed to the observation of a video showing finger tapping movements executed at 3Hz, a frequency higher than the spontaneous one (2Hz) for four consecutive days. Motor performance and motor resonance were tested before the AO training on the first day, and on the last day. Results showed that multiple sessions of AO training induced a shift of the speed of execution of finger tapping movements toward the observed one and a change in motor resonance. Before the 3Hz-AO training cortical excitability was highest during the observation of the 2Hz video. This motor resonance effect was lost after one single session of 3Hz-AO training whereas after multiple sessions of 3Hz-AO training cortical excitability was highest during the observation of the 3Hz video. Our study shows for the first time that multiple sessions of AO training are able not only to induce performance gains but also to change the way by which the observer's motor system recognizes a certain movement as belonging to the individual motor repertoire. These results may encourage the development of novel rehabilitative protocols based on multiple sessions of action observation aimed to regain a correct movement when its spontaneous speed is modified by pathologies or to modify the innate temporal properties of certain movements. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. Observed Workplace Incivility toward Women, Perceptions of Interpersonal Injustice, and Observer Occupational Well-Being: Differential Effects for Gender of the Observer

    PubMed Central

    Miner, Kathi N.; Cortina, Lilia M.

    2016-01-01

    The present study examined perceptions of interpersonal injustice as a mediator of the relationship between observed incivility toward women at work and employees' occupational well-being. We also examined gender of the observer as a moderator of these mediational relationships. Using online survey data from 1702 (51% women; 92% White) employees, results showed that perceptions of injustice partially mediated the relationship between observed incivility toward women and job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and organizational trust. Men reported greater perceptions of injustice than did women the more they observed the uncivil treatment of women at work, and the indirect effects of observed incivility toward women on well-being were stronger for men compared to women. Observed incivility toward women also had direct relationships with the occupational well-being outcomes over and above the impact mediated through injustice, particularly for women. Specifically, observing incivility toward female coworkers directly related to lowered job satisfaction and perceptions of safety for female bystanders. In addition, although both male and female bystanders reported heightened turnover intentions and lowered trust in the organization with higher levels of observed incivility toward women, these relationships were stronger for female than male observers. Our findings both replicate and extend past research on vicarious workplace incivility toward women. PMID:27242558

  9. Observed Workplace Incivility toward Women, Perceptions of Interpersonal Injustice, and Observer Occupational Well-Being: Differential Effects for Gender of the Observer.

    PubMed

    Miner, Kathi N; Cortina, Lilia M

    2016-01-01

    The present study examined perceptions of interpersonal injustice as a mediator of the relationship between observed incivility toward women at work and employees' occupational well-being. We also examined gender of the observer as a moderator of these mediational relationships. Using online survey data from 1702 (51% women; 92% White) employees, results showed that perceptions of injustice partially mediated the relationship between observed incivility toward women and job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and organizational trust. Men reported greater perceptions of injustice than did women the more they observed the uncivil treatment of women at work, and the indirect effects of observed incivility toward women on well-being were stronger for men compared to women. Observed incivility toward women also had direct relationships with the occupational well-being outcomes over and above the impact mediated through injustice, particularly for women. Specifically, observing incivility toward female coworkers directly related to lowered job satisfaction and perceptions of safety for female bystanders. In addition, although both male and female bystanders reported heightened turnover intentions and lowered trust in the organization with higher levels of observed incivility toward women, these relationships were stronger for female than male observers. Our findings both replicate and extend past research on vicarious workplace incivility toward women.

  10. The MACHO Project: Microlensing Results from 5.7 Years of LMC Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Becker, A. C.; Alcock, C.; Allsman, R. A.; Alves, D.; Axelrod, T. S.; Bennett, D. P.; Cook, K. H.; Drake, A. J.; Freeman, K. C.; Geha, M.; Griest, K.; Lehner, M. J.; Marshall, S. L.; Minniti, D.; Nelson, C. A.; Peterson, B. A.; Popowski, P.; Pratt, M. R.; Quinn, P. J.; Rodgers, A. W.; Stubbs, C. W.; Sutherland, W.; Tomaney, A. B.; Vandehei, T.; Welch, D. L.; MACHO Collaboration

    1999-12-01

    We report on our search for microlensing towards the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Analysis of 5.7 years of photometry on 11.9 million stars in the LMC reveals 17 candidate microlensing events. A careful treatment of our detection efficiency shows that this is significantly more than the 2 to 4 events expected from lensing by known stellar populations. The timescales (t) of the events range from 34 to 230 days. The spatial distribution of events is probably inconsistent with LMC/LMC disk self-lensing, but consistent with an extended lens distribution such as a Milky Way or LMC halo. The optical depth results appear consistent with, but are lower than, our previous 2.1 year results. Besides a factor of 3.4 increase in exposure, this new work also includes an improved efficiency determination, improved likelihood analysis, and more thorough testing of robustness and systematic errors, especially in regards to the treatment of potential backgrounds to microlensing, such as supernovae in galaxies behind the LMC.

  11. Observing Inflationary Reheating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Jérôme; Ringeval, Christophe; Vennin, Vincent

    2015-02-01

    Reheating is the epoch which connects inflation to the subsequent hot big-bang phase. Conceptually very important, this era is, however, observationally poorly known. We show that the current Planck satellite measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies constrain the kinematic properties of the reheating era for most of the inflationary models. This result is obtained by deriving the marginalized posterior distributions of the reheating parameter for about 200 models of slow-roll inflation. Weighted by the statistical evidence of each model to explain the data, we show that the Planck 2013 measurements induce an average reduction of the posterior-to-prior volume by 40%. Making some additional assumptions on reheating, such as specifying a mean equation of state parameter, or focusing the analysis on peculiar scenarios, can enhance or reduce this constraint. Our study also indicates that the Bayesian evidence of a model can substantially be affected by the reheating properties. The precision of the current CMB data is therefore such that estimating the observational performance of a model now requires incorporating information about its reheating history.

  12. [Results from the X-ray and Optical Follow-up Observations of the Swift BAT AGN Survey

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mushotzky, R.

    2008-01-01

    I will present results from the x-ray and optical follow-up observations of the Swift BAT ACN survey. I will discuss the nature of obscuration in these objects, the relationship to optical properties and the change of properties with luminosity and galaxy type and how they will influence the design of XO.

  13. The Evolution of Stellar Coronae: Initial Results from a ROSAT PSPC Observation of IC 2391

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patten, Brian M.; Simon, Theodore

    1993-01-01

    A 23 ks ROSAT PSPC image of the young star cluster, IC 2391, reveals 76 soft x-ray sources with L(sub x)(0.2-2.0 keV) greater than or equal to 2 x 10(exp 28) ergs/s in the direction of the cluster center. Nineteen of these sources are associated with known cluster members. We find that x-ray emission from the IC 2391 B stars deviates widely from the L(sub x)/L(sub bol) = 10(exp -7) relation based on Einstein observations of O and early B stars. Instead, we observe a wide range in L(sub x) with an order of magnitude spread at any given mass and no apparent dependence on spectral type. A comparison of the spread of L(sub x) as a function of B-V for low-mass stars between IC 2391 and the much older Hyades cluster shows that despite the factor of approx. 10 difference in their ages, these two clusters exhibit very similar dispersions in levels of stellar activity. We conclude that the low-mass stars in IC 2391 have arrived on the ZAMS with a wide range of coronal activity levels, from very strong to very weak, and that existing empirical activity-age scaling laws therefore cannot be valid.

  14. Results of Observations over Jupiter's Galilean Satellites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chigladze, Revaz; Tateshvili, Maia

    The work describes the polarization properties of the light reflected from the surfaces of Galileo Jupiter's satellites, with their physical characteristics studied based on their analysis. Europe turned out to have the most homogeneous, and Callisto has the least homogeneous. Time variations are the most typical to satellite Io what must be the result of the volcanic actions on the satellite surface.

  15. Results of Observations of Occultations of Stars by Main-Belt and Trojan Asteroids, and the Promise of Gaia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dunham, David W.; Herald, David Russell; Preston, Steven; Loader, Brian; Bixby Dunham, Joan

    2016-10-01

    For 40 years, the sizes and shapes of scores of asteroids have been determined from observations of asteroidal occultations, and many hundreds of high-precision positions of the asteroids relative to stars have been measured. Earlier this year, the 3000th observation of an asteroidal occultation was documented. Some of the first evidence for satellites of asteroids was obtained from the early efforts; now, the orbits and sizes of some satellites discovered by other means have been refined from occultation observations. Also, several close binary stars have been discovered, and the angular diameters of some stars have been measured from analysis of these observations. The International Occultation Timing Association (IOTA) coordinates this activity worldwide, from predicting and publicizing the events, to accurately timing the occultations from as many stations as possible, and publishing and archiving the observations. The first observations were timed visually, but now nearly all observations are either video-recorded, or recorded with CCD drift scans, allowing small magnitude-drop events to be recorded, and resulting in more consistent results. Techniques have been developed allowing one or two observers to set up multiple stations with small telescopes, video cameras, and timers, thereby recording many chords, even across a whole asteroid; some examples will be shown.Later this year, the first release of Gaia data will allow us to greatly improve the vast star catalog that we use for both predicting and analyzing these events. Although the first asteroidal data will wait until the 4th Gaia release, before that, we can greatly improve the orbits of asteroids that have occulted 3 or more stars in the past so that we can start computing the paths of future occultations by them to few km accuracy. In a couple of years, we'll be able to realistically predict one to two orders of magnitude more events than we can now, allowing efforts to be concentrated on smaller

  16. Monitoring universal protocol compliance through real-time clandestine observation by medical students results in performance improvement.

    PubMed

    Logan, Catherine A; Cressey, Brienne D; Wu, Roger Y; Janicki, Adam J; Chen, Cyril X; Bolourchi, Meena L; Hodnett, Jessica L; Stratigis, John D; Mackey, William C; Fairchild, David G

    2012-01-01

    To measure universal protocol compliance through real-time, clandestine observation by medical students compared with chart audit reviews, and to enable medical students the opportunity to become conscious of the importance of medical errors and safety initiatives. With endorsement from Tufts Medical Center's (TMC's) Chief Medical Officer and Surgeon-in-Chief, 8 medical students performed clandestine observation audits of 98 cases from April to August 2009. A compliance checklist was based on TMC's presurgical checklist. Our initial results led to interventions to improve our universal protocol procedures, including modifications to the operating room white board and presurgical checklist, and specific feedback to surgical departments. One year later, 6 medical students performed observations of 100 cases from June to August 2010. Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, which is an academic medical center and the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. An operating room coordinator placed the medical students into 1 of our 25 operating rooms with students entering under the premise of observing the anesthesiologist for clinical education. The observations were performed Monday to Friday between 7 am and 4 pm. Although observations were not randomized, no single service or type of surgery was targeted for observation. A broad range of departments was observed. In 8.2% of cases, the surgical site was unmarked. A Time Out occurred in 89.7% of cases. The entire surgical team was attentive during the time out in 82% of cases. The presurgical checklist was incomplete before incision in 13 cases. Images were displayed in 82% of cases. The operating room "white board" was filled out completely in 49% of cases. Team introductions occurred in 13 cases. One year later, compliance increased in all Universal Protocol dimensions. Direct, real-time observation by medical students provides an accurate and granular assessment of compliance with

  17. Performing both propensity score and instrumental variable analyses in observational studies often leads to discrepant results: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Laborde-Castérot, Hervé; Agrinier, Nelly; Thilly, Nathalie

    2015-10-01

    Propensity score (PS) and instrumental variable (IV) are analytical techniques used to adjust for confounding in observational research. More and more, they seem to be used simultaneously in studies evaluating health interventions. The present review aimed to analyze the agreement between PS and IV results in medical research published to date. Review of all published observational studies that evaluated a clinical intervention using simultaneously PS and IV analyses, as identified in MEDLINE and Web of Science. Thirty-seven studies, most of them published during the previous 5 years, reported 55 comparisons between results from PS and IV analyses. There was a slight/fair agreement between the methods [Cohen's kappa coefficient = 0.21 (95% confidence interval: 0.00, 0.41)]. In 23 cases (42%), results were nonsignificant for one method and significant for the other, and IV analysis results were nonsignificant in most situations (87%). Discrepancies are frequent between PS and IV analyses and can be interpreted in various ways. This suggests that researchers should carefully consider their analytical choices, and readers should be cautious when interpreting results, until further studies clarify the respective roles of the two methods in observational comparative effectiveness research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Global ozone observations from the UARS MLS: An overview of zonal-mean results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Froidevaux, Lucien; Waters, Joe W.; Read, William G.; Elson, Lee S.; Flower, Dennis A.; Jarnot, Robert F.

    1994-01-01

    Global ozone observations from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) aboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) are presented, in both vertically resolved and column abundance formats. The authors review the zonal-mean ozone variations measured over the two and a half years since launch in September 1991. Well-known features such as the annual and semiannual variations are ubiquitous. In the equatorial regions, longer-term changes are believed to be related to the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), with a strong semiannual signal above 20 hPa. Ozone values near 50 hPa exhibit an equatorial low from October 1991 to June 1992, after which the low ozone pattern splits into two subtropical lows (possibly in connection with residual circulation changes tied to the QBO) and returns to an equatorial low in September 1993. The ozone hole development at high southern latitudes is apparent in MLS column data integrated down to 100 hPa, the MLS data reinforce current knowledge of this lower-stratospheric phenomenon by providing a height-dependent view of the variations. The region from 30 deg S to 30 deg N (an area equal to half the global area) shows very little change in the ozone column from year to year and within each year. The most striking ozone changes have occurred at northern midlatitudes, with the October 1992 to July 1993 column values significantly lower than during the prior year. The zonal-mean changes manifest themselves as a slower rate of increase during the 1992/93 winter, and there is some evidence for a lower fall minimum. A recovery occurs during late summer of 1993; early 1994 values are significantly larger than during the two previous winters. The timing and latitudinal extent of the northern midlatitude decreases appear to rule out observed ClO enhancements in the Arctic vortex, with related chemical processing and ozone dilution effects, as a unique cause. Local depletion from ClO-related chemical mechanisms alone is also not sufficient, based

  19. The Complete Local-Volume Groups Sample (CLoGS): Early results from X-ray and radio observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vrtilek, Jan M.; O'Sullivan, Ewan; David, Laurence P.; Giacintucci, Simona; Kolokythas, Konstantinos

    2017-08-01

    Although the group environment is the dominant locus of galaxy evolution (in contrast to rich clusters, which contain only a few percent of galaxies), there has been a lack of reliable, representative group samples in the local Universe. In particular, X-ray selected samples are strongly biased in favor of the X-ray bright, centrally-concentrated cool-core systems. In response, we have designed the Complete Local-Volume Groups Sample (CLoGS), an optically-selected statistically-complete sample of 53 groups within 80 Mpc which is intended to overcome the limitations of X-ray selected samples and serve as a representative survey of groups in the local Universe. We have supplemented X-ray data from Chandra and XMM (70% complete to date, using both archival and new observations, with a 26-group high richness subsample 100% complete) with GMRT radio continuum observations (at 235 and 610 MHz, complete for the entire sample). CLoGS includes groups with a wide variety of properties in terms of galaxy population, hot gas content, and AGN power. We here describe early results from the survey, including the range of AGN activity observed in the dominant galaxies, the relative fraction of cool-core and non-cool-core groups in our sample, and the degree of disturbance observed in the IGM.

  20. Longitudinal weight gain in women identified with polycystic ovary syndrome: results of an observational study in young women.

    PubMed

    Teede, Helena J; Joham, Anju E; Paul, Eldho; Moran, Lisa J; Loxton, Deborah; Jolley, Damien; Lombard, Catherine

    2013-08-01

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 6-18% of women. The natural history of weight gain in women with PCOS has not been well described. Here we aimed to examine longitudinal weight gain in women with and without PCOS and to assess the association between obesity and PCOS prevalence. The observational study was set in the general community. Participants were women randomly selected from the national health insurance scheme (Medicare) database. Mailed survey data were collected by the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Data from respondents to survey 4, aged 28-33 years (2006, n = 9,145) were analyzed. The main outcome measures were PCOS prevalence and body mass index (BMI). Self-reported PCOS prevalence was 5.8% (95% CI: 5.3%-6.4%). Women reporting PCOS had higher weight, mean BMI [2.5 kg/m(2) (95% CI: 1.9-3.1)], and greater 10-year weight gain [2.6 kg (95% CI: 1.2-4.0)]. BMI was the strongest correlate of PCOS status with every BMI increment increasing the risk of reporting PCOS by 9.2% (95% CI: 6%-12%). This community based observational study with longitudinal reporting of weight shows that weight, BMI, and 10-year weight gain were higher in PCOS. We report the novel finding that obesity and greater weight gain are significantly associated with PCOS status. Considering the prevalence, major health and economic burden of PCOS, the increasing weight gain in young women, and established benefits of weight loss, these results have major public health implications. Copyright © 2012 The Obesity Society.

  1. Patterned basal seismicity shows sub-ice stream bedforms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barcheck, C. G.; Tulaczyk, S. M.; Schwartz, S. Y.

    2017-12-01

    Patterns in seismicity emanating from the bottom of fast-moving ice streams and glaciers may indicate localized patches of higher basal resistance— sometimes called 'sticky spots', or otherwise varying basal properties. These seismogenic basal areas resist an unknown portion of the total driving stress of the Whillans Ice Plain (WIP), in West Antarctica, but may play an important role in the WIP stick-slip cycle and ice stream slowdown. To better understand the mechanism and importance of basal seismicity beneath the WIP, we analyze seismic data collected by a small aperture (< 3km) network of 8 surface and 5 borehole seismometers installed in the main central sticky spot of the WIP. We use a network beamforming technique to detect and roughly locate thousands of small (magnitude < 0), local basal micro-earthquakes in Dec 2014, and we compare the resulting map of seismicity to ice bottom depth measured by airborne radar. The number of basal earthquakes per area within the network is spatially heterogeneous, but a pattern of two 400m wide streaks of high seismicity rates is evident, with >50-500 earthquakes detected per 50x50m grid cell in 2 weeks. These seismically active streaks are elongated approximately in the ice flow direction with a spacing of 750m. Independent airborne radar measurements of ice bottom depth from Jan 2013 show a low-amplitude ( 5m) undulation in the basal topography superposed on a regional gradient in ice bottom depth. The flow-perpendicular wavelength of these low-amplitude undulations is comparable to the spacing of the high seismicity bands, and the streaks of high seismicity intersect local lows in the undulating basal topography. We interpret these seismic and radar observations as showing seismically active sub-ice stream bedforms that are low amplitude and elongated in the direction of ice flow, comparable to the morphology of mega scale glacial lineations (MSGLs), with high basal seismicity rates observed in the MSGL troughs

  2. Global Atmospheric Heat Distributions Observed from Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lin, Bing; Fan, Tai-Fang

    2009-01-01

    This study focuses on the observations of global atmospheric heat distributions using satellite measurements. Major heat components such as radiation energy, latent heat and sensible heat are considered. The uncertainties and error sources are assessed. Results show that the atmospheric heat is basically balanced, and the observed patterns of radiation and latent heat from precipitation are clearly related to general circulation.

  3. What do the data show? Fostering physical intuition with ClimateBits and NASA Earth Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schollaert Uz, S.; Ward, K.

    2017-12-01

    Through data visualizations using global satellite imagery available in NASA Earth Observations (NEO), we explain Earth science concepts (e.g. albedo, urban heat island effect, phytoplankton). We also provide examples of ways to explore the satellite data in NEO within a new blog series. This is an ideal tool for scientists and non-scientists alike who want to quickly check satellite imagery for large scale features or patterns. NEO analysis requires no software or plug-ins; only a browser and an internet connection. You can even check imagery and perform simple analyses from your smart phone. NEO can be used to create graphics for presentations and papers or as a first step before acquiring data for more rigorous analysis. NEO has potential application to easily explore large scale environmental and climate patterns that impact operations and infrastructure. This is something we are currently exploring with end user groups.

  4. Generalizing Observational Study Results: Applying Propensity Score Methods to Complex Surveys

    PubMed Central

    DuGoff, Eva H; Schuler, Megan; Stuart, Elizabeth A

    2014-01-01

    ObjectiveTo provide a tutorial for using propensity score methods with complex survey data. Data SourcesSimulated data and the 2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Study DesignUsing simulation, we compared the following methods for estimating the treatment effect: a naïve estimate (ignoring both survey weights and propensity scores), survey weighting, propensity score methods (nearest neighbor matching, weighting, and subclassification), and propensity score methods in combination with survey weighting. Methods are compared in terms of bias and 95 percent confidence interval coverage. In Example 2, we used these methods to estimate the effect on health care spending of having a generalist versus a specialist as a usual source of care. Principal FindingsIn general, combining a propensity score method and survey weighting is necessary to achieve unbiased treatment effect estimates that are generalizable to the original survey target population. ConclusionsPropensity score methods are an essential tool for addressing confounding in observational studies. Ignoring survey weights may lead to results that are not generalizable to the survey target population. This paper clarifies the appropriate inferences for different propensity score methods and suggests guidelines for selecting an appropriate propensity score method based on a researcher’s goal. PMID:23855598

  5. 11. Historic view of Building 100 control room, showing personnel ...

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

    11. Historic view of Building 100 control room, showing personnel operating rocket engine test controls and observer watching activity from observation room. May 27, 1957. On file at NASA Plumbrook Research Center, Sandusky, Ohio. NASA photo number C-45020. - Rocket Engine Testing Facility, GRC Building No. 100, NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH

  6. Understanding Recent Variability in the Arctic Sea Ice Cover -- Synthesis of Model Results and Observations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-09-01

    ARCTIC SEA ICE RESEARCH The effects of global warming on the Arctic Ocean finally gained the American public’s full attention in early 2007 with the...Arctic (Brass, 2002). The observed global warming trend is most pronounced in the higher latitudes due to an effect known as the snow/ice-albedo...due to increased melting thus exposing greater areas of lower albedo land and open water areas. The effect of global warming will result in a

  7. Observability during planetary approach navigation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bishop, Robert H.; Burkhart, P. Daniel; Thurman, Sam W.

    1993-01-01

    The objective of the research is to develop an analytic technique to predict the relative navigation capability of different Earth-based radio navigation measurements. In particular, the problem is to determine the relative ability of geocentric range and Doppler measurements to detect the effects of the target planet gravitational attraction on the spacecraft during the planetary approach and near-encounter mission phases. A complete solution to the two-dimensional problem has been developed. Relatively simple analytic formulas are obtained for range and Doppler measurements which describe the observability content of the measurement data along the approach trajectories. An observability measure is defined which is based on the observability matrix for nonlinear systems. The results show good agreement between the analytic observability analysis and the computational batch processing method.

  8. Concordance of Results from Randomized and Observational Analyses within the Same Study: A Re-Analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative Limited-Access Dataset

    PubMed Central

    Bolland, Mark J.; Grey, Andrew; Gamble, Greg D.; Reid, Ian R.

    2015-01-01

    Background Observational studies (OS) and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) often report discordant results. In the Women’s Health Initiative Calcium and Vitamin D (WHI CaD) RCT, women were randomly assigned to CaD or placebo, but were permitted to use personal calcium and vitamin D supplements, creating a unique opportunity to compare results from randomized and observational analyses within the same study. Methods WHI CaD was a 7-year RCT of 1g calcium/400IU vitamin D daily in 36,282 post-menopausal women. We assessed the effects of CaD on cardiovascular events, death, cancer and fracture in a randomized design- comparing CaD with placebo in 43% of women not using personal calcium or vitamin D supplements- and in a observational design- comparing women in the placebo group (44%) using personal calcium and vitamin D supplements with non-users. Incidence was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, and results from the two study designs deemed concordant if the absolute difference in hazard ratios was ≤0.15. We also compared results from WHI CaD to those from the WHI Observational Study(WHI OS), which used similar methodology for analyses and recruited from the same population. Results In WHI CaD, for myocardial infarction and stroke, results of unadjusted and 6/8 covariate-controlled observational analyses (age-adjusted, multivariate-adjusted, propensity-adjusted, propensity-matched) were not concordant with the randomized design results. For death, hip and total fracture, colorectal and total cancer, unadjusted and covariate-controlled observational results were concordant with randomized results. For breast cancer, unadjusted and age-adjusted observational results were concordant with randomized results, but only 1/3 other covariate-controlled observational results were concordant with randomized results. Multivariate-adjusted results from WHI OS were concordant with randomized WHI CaD results for only 4/8 endpoints. Conclusions Results of

  9. MAGIC: First Observational Results and Perspectives for Future Developments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hengstebeck, T.; Kalekin, O.; Merck, M.; Mirzoyan, R.; Pavel, N.; Schweizer, T.; Shayduk, M.; MAGIC Collaboration

    The MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov) telescope was designed to close the energy gap (~ 10-250 GeV) between ground based and satellite gamma detectors. It is situated on the Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma, Canary Islands at altitude of 2200 m. The main subjects of the investigations with the telescope are: Gamma Ray Bursts, Supernova Remnants, Plerions, Pulsars, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), unidentied EGRET sources, Dark matter and Quantum gravity. More details about physics with a low threshold gamma ray telescope one can nd in [2]. The telescope hardware installation was nished in October 2003. Since that time the observations of the dierent classes of objects have been carried out but the experiment is still in the commission phase.

  10. New Inspiring Planetarium Show Introduces ALMA to the Public

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2009-03-01

    As part of a wide range of education and public outreach activities for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), ESO, together with the Association of French Language Planetariums (APLF), has produced a 30-minute planetarium show, In Search of our Cosmic Origins. It is centred on the global ground-based astronomical Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) project and represents a unique chance for planetariums to be associated with the IYA2009. ESO PR Photo 09a/09 Logo of the ALMA Planetarium Show ESO PR Photo 09b/09 Galileo's first observations with a telescope ESO PR Photo 09c/09 The ALMA Observatory ESO PR Photo 09d/09 The Milky Way band ESO PR Video 09a/09 Trailer in English ALMA is the leading telescope for observing the cool Universe -- the relic radiation of the Big Bang, and the molecular gas and dust that constitute the building blocks of stars, planetary systems, galaxies and life itself. It is currently being built in the extremely arid environment of the Chajnantor plateau, at 5000 metres altitude in the Chilean Andes, and will start scientific observations around 2011. ALMA, the largest current astronomical project, is a revolutionary telescope, comprising a state-of-the-art array of 66 giant 12-metre and 7-metre diameter antennas observing at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. In Search of our Cosmic Origins highlights the unprecedented window on the Universe that this facility will open for astronomers. "The show gives viewers a fascinating tour of the highest observatory on Earth, and takes them from there out into our Milky Way, and beyond," says Douglas Pierce-Price, the ALMA Public Information Officer at ESO. Edited by world fulldome experts Mirage3D, the emphasis of the new planetarium show is on the incomparable scientific adventure of the ALMA project. A young female astronomer guides the audience through a story that includes unique animations and footage, leading the viewer from the first observations by Galileo

  11. Direct observation shows superposition and large scale flexibility within cytoplasmic dynein motors moving along microtubules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imai, Hiroshi; Shima, Tomohiro; Sutoh, Kazuo; Walker, Matthew L.; Knight, Peter J.; Kon, Takahide; Burgess, Stan A.

    2015-09-01

    Cytoplasmic dynein is a dimeric AAA+ motor protein that performs critical roles in eukaryotic cells by moving along microtubules using ATP. Here using cryo-electron microscopy we directly observe the structure of Dictyostelium discoideum dynein dimers on microtubules at near-physiological ATP concentrations. They display remarkable flexibility at a hinge close to the microtubule binding domain (the stalkhead) producing a wide range of head positions. About half the molecules have the two heads separated from one another, with both leading and trailing motors attached to the microtubule. The other half have the two heads and stalks closely superposed in a front-to-back arrangement of the AAA+ rings, suggesting specific contact between the heads. All stalks point towards the microtubule minus end. Mean stalk angles depend on the separation between their stalkheads, which allows estimation of inter-head tension. These findings provide a structural framework for understanding dynein's directionality and unusual stepping behaviour.

  12. A sensitive assay for urinary cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine shows more positive results and longer half‐lives than those using traditional cut‐offs

    PubMed Central

    Nickley, Joyce; Krock, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    Cocaine is a common drug of abuse. To detect its use, a screening detection concentration for the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine is commonly set at 150 ng/mL and its confirmatory cut‐off is set at 100 ng/mL. Studies have suggested that these cut‐offs may be set too high, allowing some patients with this substance abuse problem to be missed or improperly monitored. With the advent of liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) technology it is possible to reliably detect and quantify lower concentrations of its metabolite benzoylecgonine as part of a larger drug panel. One purpose of the study was to establish if there was a significant increase in detection of cocaine use with a ten‐fold more sensitive cut‐off. A very sensitive dilute and shoot assay for benzoylecgonine was developed with a lower limit of quantitation of 5 ng/mL. Validation of the 5 ng/mL cut‐off was achieved by plotting all the positive cocaine observations as a frequency distribution on a logarithmic scale. The number of positive results with measurable concentrations below the typical industry 100 ng/mL cut‐off level but above the high sensitivity 5 ng/mL cut‐off level was observed to be 51.9% of the observed positives. The lower cut‐off also allowed a re‐evaluation of the window of detection after cessation of use. It was observed to be between 17 and 22 days. © 2016 Precision Diagnostics, LLC. Drug Testing and Analysis published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:28024167

  13. Statistical analysis of dynamic fibrils observed from NST/BBSO observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gopalan Priya, Thambaje; Su, Jiang-Tao; Chen, Jie; Deng, Yuan-Yong; Prasad Choudhury, Debi

    2018-02-01

    We present the results obtained from the analysis of dynamic fibrils in NOAA active region (AR) 12132, using high resolution Hα observations from the New Solar Telescope operating at Big Bear Solar Observatory. The dynamic fibrils are seen to be moving up and down, and most of these dynamic fibrils are periodic and have a jet-like appearance. We found from our observations that the fibrils follow almost perfect parabolic paths in many cases. A statistical analysis on the properties of the parabolic paths showing an analysis on deceleration, maximum velocity, duration and kinetic energy of these fibrils is presented here. We found the average maximum velocity to be around 15 kms‑1 and mean deceleration to be around 100 ms‑2. The observed deceleration appears to be a fraction of gravity of the Sun and is not compatible with the path of ballistic motion due to gravity of the Sun. We found a positive correlation between deceleration and maximum velocity. This correlation is consistent with simulations done earlier on magnetoacoustic shock waves propagating upward.

  14. High definition clouds and precipitation for climate prediction -results from a unified German research initiative on high resolution modeling and observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rauser, F.

    2013-12-01

    limited domains. The advantage of modifying an existing, evolving climate model is to share insights from high resolution runs directly with the large-scale modelers and to allow for easy intercomparison and evaluation later on. Within this presentation, we will give a short overview on HD(CP)2 , show results from the observation campaign HOPE and the LES simulations of the same domain and conditions and will discuss how these will lead to an improved understanding and evaluation background for the efforts to improve fast physics in our climate model.

  15. Short-Term Chromospheric Variability in alpha Tauri (K5 III): Results from IUE Time Series Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cuntz, Manfred; Deeney, Bryan D.; Brown, Alexander; Stencel, Robert E.

    1996-01-01

    We evaluate time series observations of chromospheric lines (Mg II, Mg I, and C II) for the K giant alpha Tau obtained using the IUE LWP camera at high dispersion. These observations cover a time span of about 2 weeks in 1994 February-March and were designed to resolve variations occurring within hours, days, and weeks. We consider the observational results in relation to theoretical acoustic heating models, motivated by the fact that alpha Tau may exhibit a basal (i.e., minimum) level of chromospheric activity. The data reveal flux variations between the extremes of 8% in Mg II h+k and 15% in each emission component. These variations occur on timescales as short as 8 hr but not on timescales longer than approx.3 days. For the h and k components, flux variations occurring on a timescale as short as 1.5 hr are also found. These changes are often not correlated (and are sometimes even anticorrelated), leading to remarkable differences in the h/k ratios. We argue that these results are consistent with the presence of strong acoustic shocks, which can lead to variable Mg II line emission when only a small number of strong shocks are propagating through the atmosphere. We deduce the electron density in the C II lambda 2325 line formation region to be log(base e) of N. approx. equals 9.0, in agreement with previous studies. Our data provide evidence that the Mg II basal flux limit for K giants might be a factor of 4 higher than suggested by Rutten et al.

  16. EUropean prospective cohort study on Enterobacteriaceae showing REsistance to CArbapenems (EURECA): a protocol of a European multicentre observational study.

    PubMed

    Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez, Belén; Sojo-Dorado, Jesús; Bravo-Ferrer, José; Cuperus, Nienke; de Kraker, Marlieke; Kostyanev, Tomislav; Raka, Lul; Daikos, George; Feifel, Jan; Folgori, Laura; Pascual, Alvaro; Goossens, Herman; O'Brien, Seamus; Bonten, Marc J M; Rodríguez-Baño, Jesús

    2017-04-03

    The rapid worldwide spread of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) constitutes a major challenge. The aim of the EUropean prospective cohort study on Enterobacteriaceae showing REsistance to CArbapenems (EURECA), which is part of the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking (IMI JU) funded COMBACTE-CARE project, is to investigate risk factors for and outcome determinants of CRE infections to inform randomised clinical trial designs and to provide a historical cohort that could eventually be used for future comparisons with new drugs targeting CRE. A multicentre (50 sites), multinational (11 European countries), analytical observational project was designed, comprising 3 studies. The aims of study 1 (a prospective cohort study) include characterising the features, clinical management and outcomes of hospitalised patients with intra-abdominal infection, pneumonia, complicated urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections caused by CRE (202 patients in each group). The main outcomes will be 30-day all-cause mortality and clinical response. Study 2 (a nested case-control study) will identify the risk factors for target infections caused by CRE; 248 selected patients from study 1 will be matched with patients with carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae (1:1) and with hospitalised patients (1:3) and will provide a historical cohort of patients with CRE infections. Study 3 (a matched cohort study) will follow patients in study 2 in order to assess mortality, length of stay and hospital costs associated with CRE. All patients will be followed for 30 days. Different, up-to-date statistical methods will be applied to come to unbiased estimates for all 3 studies. Before-study sites will be initiated, approval will be sought from appropriate regulatory agencies and local Ethics Committees of Research or Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to conduct the study in accordance with regulatory requirements. This is an observational study and therefore no

  17. Results from CoMStOC - The Coronal Magnetic Structures Observing Campaign

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schmelz, J. T.; Holman, G. D.

    1991-01-01

    The Coronal Magnetic Structures Observing Campaign (CoMStOC) was designed to measure the magnetic field strength and determine its structure in the solar corona. Simultaneous soft X-ray and microwave observations were taken by the Solar Maximum Mission's X-ray Polychromator (XRP) and the Very Large Array (VLA) on four days in the campaign period (Nov 25 to Dec 21, 1987). XRP maps in soft X-ray resonance lines formed at different coronal temperatures provide accurate temperature and emission measure diagnostics. VLA maps at several frequencies in the 20 cm and 6 cm bands yield information on microwave structure, spectrum and polarization. The combined data set separates contributions from the two dominant microwave emission mechanisms, thermal bremsstrahlung and gyroresonance. Where gyroresonance dominates, the coronal magnetic field strength has been determined with the aid of theoretical modeling.

  18. Results from CoMStOC - The Coronal Magnetic Structures Observing Campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmelz, J. T.; Holman, G. D.

    The Coronal Magnetic Structures Observing Campaign (CoMStOC) was designed to measure the magnetic field strength and determine its structure in the solar corona. Simultaneous soft X-ray and microwave observations were taken by the Solar Maximum Mission's X-ray Polychromator (XRP) and the Very Large Array (VLA) on four days in the campaign period (Nov 25 to Dec 21, 1987). XRP maps in soft X-ray resonance lines formed at different coronal temperatures provide accurate temperature and emission measure diagnostics. VLA maps at several frequencies in the 20 cm and 6 cm bands yield information on microwave structure, spectrum and polarization. The combined data set separates contributions from the two dominant microwave emission mechanisms, thermal bremsstrahlung and gyroresonance. Where gyroresonance dominates, the coronal magnetic field strength has been determined with the aid of theoretical modeling.

  19. The Physics of Equestrian Show Jumping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stinner, Art

    2014-04-01

    This article discusses the kinematics and dynamics of equestrian show jumping. For some time I have attended a series of show jumping events at Spruce Meadows, an international equestrian center near Calgary, Alberta, often referred to as the "Wimbledon of equestrian jumping." I have always had a desire to write an article such as this one, but when I searched the Internet for information and looked at YouTube presentations, I could only find simplistic references to Newton's laws and the conservation of mechanical energy principle. Nowhere could I find detailed calculations. On the other hand, there were several biomechanical articles with empirical reports of the results of kinetic and dynamic investigations of show jumping using high-speed digital cameras and force plates. They summarize their results in tables that give information about the motion of a horse jumping over high fences (1.40 m) and the magnitudes of the forces encountered when landing. However, they do not describe the physics of these results.

  20. Very high energy observations of the Galactic Centre: recent results and perspectives with CTA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Terrier, Regis

    2016-07-01

    The central 300 pc of our Galaxy are a major laboratory for high energy astrophysics. They harbor the closest supermassive black hole (SMBH) and are the site of a sustained star formation activity. The energy released by the supernovae on the ambient medium must be very strong. Similarly, albeit extremely faint nowadays, the SMBH must have experienced episodes of intense activity in the past which can influence significantly the central regions and beyond, e.g. powering the Fermi bubbles. I review observational results at very high energies from the central region and discuss their implications and the questions they leave open. I discuss the perspectives CTA offers for Galactic Centre astrophysics.

  1. Observability of global rivers with future SWOT observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fisher, Colby; Pan, Ming; Wood, Eric

    2017-04-01

    The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission is designed to provide global observations of water surface elevation and slope from which river discharge can be estimated using a data assimilation system. This mission will provide increased spatial and temporal coverage compared to current altimeters, with an expected accuracy for water level elevations of 10 cm on rivers greater than 100 m wide. Within the 21-day repeat cycle, a river reach will be observed 2-4 times on average. Due to the relationship between the basin orientation and the orbit, these observations are not evenly distributed in time, which will impact the derived discharge values. There is, then, a need for a better understanding of how the mission will observe global river basins. In this study, we investigate how SWOT will observe global river basins and how the temporal and spatial sampling impacts the discharge estimated from assimilation. SWOT observations can be assimilated using the Inverse Streamflow Routing (ISR) model of Pan and Wood [2013] with a fixed interval Kalman smoother. Previous work has shown that the ISR assimilation method can be used to reproduce the spatial and temporal dynamics of discharge within many global basins: however, this performance was strongly impacted by the spatial and temporal availability of discharge observations. In this study, we apply the ISR method to 32 global basins with different geometries and crossing patterns for the future orbit, assimilating theoretical SWOT-retrieved "gauges". Results show that the model performance varies significantly across basins and is driven by the orientation, flow distance, and travel time in each. Based on these properties, we quantify the "observability" of each basin and relate this to the performance of the assimilation. Applying this metric globally to a large variety of basins we can gain a better understanding of the impact that SWOT observations may have across basin scales. By determining the

  2. Rhabdomyolysis in Ebola Virus Disease. Results of an Observational Study in a Treatment Center in Guinea.

    PubMed

    Cournac, Jean Marie; Karkowski, Ludovic; Bordes, Julien; Aletti, Marc; Duron, Sandrine; Janvier, Frédéric; Foissaud, Vincent; Savini, Hélène; de Greslan, Thierry; Rousseau, Claire; Billhot, Magali; Gagnon, Nicolas; Mac Nab, Christine; Dubrous, Philippe; Moroge, Sophie; Broto, Helene; Cotte, Jean; Maugey, Nancy; Cordier, Pierre-Yves; Sagui, Emmanuel; Merens, Audrey; Rapp, Christophe; Quentin, Benoit; Granier, Hervé; Carmoi, Thierry; Cellarier, Gilles

    2016-01-01

    The pathogenesis of Ebola virus disease (EVD) remains unclear. The sporadic nature of Ebola outbreaks and their occurrence in resource-limited settings have precluded the acquisition of extensive clinical and laboratory data. Rhabdomyolysis during EVD has been suggested to occur in previous studies showing increased aspartate aminotransferase-alanine aminotransferase ratios, but, to date, has not been confirmed with creatine kinase (CK) assays. We performed an observational study of 38 patients admitted to an Ebola treatment center from January to April 2015. CK values from patients with confirmed EVD were compared with those in patients without confirmed EVD. A panel of other analyses were also performed. In patients with EVD, characteristics were compared between survivors and nonsurvivors. High levels of CK were more frequent in patients with EVD than in those without (P = .002), and rhabdomyolysis was more frequent (59% vs 19%, respectively; P = .03). CK levels >5000 U/L were observed in 36% of patients with EVD. Also in patients with EVD, fatal outcome was significantly associated with higher creatinine and bilirubin levels, international normalized ratio, and viral load. Rhabdomyolysis is a frequent disorder in EVD and seems to be more common than in other viral infections. It may contribute to the renal failure observed in nonsurviving patients. More studies are needed to determine the impact of rhabdomyolysis on EVD outcome. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Diurnal Variations of Dust from Mars Climate Sounder Observations: Initial Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kleinboehl, A.

    2017-12-01

    Over the recent years, research on the Martian atmosphere has been focusing increasingly on aerosols. One recent focus has been on detached dust layers (DDL) as they have a significant radiative impact on the atmosphere. The dust distribution in the Martian atmosphere is affected by transport processes like lifting, advection, and sedimentation. However, lifting and sedimentation processes are only poorly understood, and the formation mechanism of DDLs is unclear. Significant variations in the occurrence of DDLs have been observed in comparisons of nearly co-located daytime and nighttime dust extinction measurements by the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS). However, the detailed behavior of changes in the vertical profile of dust over the course of a day has largely been unexplored. To date, aerosol studies by MCS have been limited to observations around 3 am and 3 pm local time due to the sun-synchronous orbit of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), from which MCS is operated. MCS nominally observes in the direction of the MRO orbit track. Since Sep. 2010 the MCS instrument has been performing frequent sideways scans to obtain measurements at various local times. These special measurements yield nearly global coverage while sampling local times within a few hours of the nominal local time determined by the MRO orbit track. Of particular interest is the behavior at latitudes where cross-track measurements intersect with in-track measurements such that the same airmass is sampled 3 times in intervals of 2 hours at mid-latitudes. Here I present initial analyses of dust vertical profiles retrieved from these MCS observations during the dusty season of the Martian year. Dust opacities tend to be highest within 25 km of the surface and decreasing above. Numerous sets of profiles have been identified in the southern mid-latitudes in which this dust opacity slope is lofted by several kilometers in altitude between 4 pm and 6 pm local time. The behavior is largely restricted to

  4. Mirror neuron system and observational learning: behavioral and neurophysiological evidence.

    PubMed

    Lago-Rodriguez, Angel; Lopez-Alonso, Virginia; Fernández-del-Olmo, Miguel

    2013-07-01

    Three experiments were performed to study observational learning using behavioral, perceptual, and neurophysiological data. Experiment 1 investigated whether observing an execution model, during physical practice of a transitive task that only presented one execution strategy, led to performance improvements compared with physical practice alone. Experiment 2 investigated whether performing an observational learning protocol improves subjects' action perception. In experiment 3 we evaluated whether the type of practice performed determined the activation of the Mirror Neuron System during action observation. Results showed that, compared with physical practice, observing an execution model during a task that only showed one execution strategy does not provide behavioral benefits. However, an observational learning protocol allows subjects to predict more precisely the outcome of the learned task. Finally, intersperse observation of an execution model with physical practice results in changes of primary motor cortex activity during the observation of the motor pattern previously practiced, whereas modulations in the connectivity between primary and non primary motor areas (PMv-M1; PPC-M1) were not affected by the practice protocol performed by the observer. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Earth Observation in Support of Sustainable Urban Planning: Results of the Dragon-3 Monitor Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cartalis, C.; Polydoros, A.; Mavrakou, T.; Asimakopoulos, D. N.

    2016-08-01

    Sustainable urban planning increasingly demands innovative concepts and techniques to obtain up-to-date and area-wide information on the characteristics and development of the urban system. In this paper, a thorough and conclusive presentation is made in terms of the results of the DRAGON-3 MONITOR project as based on the use of Earth Observation. Results refer in particular to a set of EO based dynamic urban indicators (i.e. urban form and expansion, land use/land cover changes, land surface temperature distribution, the presence and strength of urban heat island) with the capacity to describe the state, dynamic changes and interaction of the land and thermal environment in urban areas. Furthermore results are assessed in terms of their potential to operationally support sustainable urban planning and bridge the gap between EO scientists and urban planners. Constraints related to the spatial resolution and revisit time of satellite sensors are discussed as they influence the accuracy and applicability of the indicators. Methodologies to improve the applicability of the indicators are also discussed along with the presentation of the respective results.

  6. A sensitive assay for urinary cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine shows more positive results and longer half-lives than those using traditional cut-offs.

    PubMed

    Nickley, Joyce; Pesce, Amadeo J; Krock, Kevin

    2017-08-01

    Cocaine is a common drug of abuse. To detect its use, a screening detection concentration for the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine is commonly set at 150 ng/mL and its confirmatory cut-off is set at 100 ng/mL. Studies have suggested that these cut-offs may be set too high, allowing some patients with this substance abuse problem to be missed or improperly monitored. With the advent of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technology it is possible to reliably detect and quantify lower concentrations of its metabolite benzoylecgonine as part of a larger drug panel. One purpose of the study was to establish if there was a significant increase in detection of cocaine use with a ten-fold more sensitive cut-off. A very sensitive dilute and shoot assay for benzoylecgonine was developed with a lower limit of quantitation of 5 ng/mL. Validation of the 5 ng/mL cut-off was achieved by plotting all the positive cocaine observations as a frequency distribution on a logarithmic scale. The number of positive results with measurable concentrations below the typical industry 100 ng/mL cut-off level but above the high sensitivity 5 ng/mL cut-off level was observed to be 51.9% of the observed positives. The lower cut-off also allowed a re-evaluation of the window of detection after cessation of use. It was observed to be between 17 and 22 days. © 2016 Precision Diagnostics, LLC. Drug Testing and Analysis published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2016 Precision Diagnostics, LLC. Drug Testing and Analysis published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Observations of Scorpius X-1 with IUE - Ultraviolet results from a multiwavelength campaign

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vrtilek, S. D.; Raymond, J. C.; Penninx, W.; Verbunt, F.; Hertz, P.

    1991-01-01

    IUE UV results are presented for the low-mass X-ray binary Sco X-1. Models that predict UV continuum emission from the X-ray-heated surface from the companion star and from an X-ray illuminated accretion disk are adjusted for parameters intrinsic to Sco X-1, and fitted to the data. X-ray heating is found to be the dominant source of UV emission; the mass-accretion rate increases monotonically along the 'Z-shaped' curve in an X-ray color-color diagram. UV emission lines from He, C, N, O, and Si were detected; they all increase in intensity from the HB to the FB state. A model in which emission lines are due to outer-disk photoionization by the X-ray source is noted to give good agreement with line fluxes observed in each state.

  8. Observational constraints for C-rich AGB stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rau, G.; Hron, J.; Paladini, C.; Aringer, B.; Marigo, P.; Eriksson, K.

    We modeled the atmospheres of six carbon-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch stars (R Lep, R Vol, Y Pav, AQ Sgr, U Hya, and X TrA) using VLTI/MIDI interferometric observations, together with spectro-photometric data, we compared them with self-consistent, dynamic model atmospheres. The results show that the models can reproduce the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) data well at wavelengths longer than 1 mu m, and the interferometric observations between 8 mu m and 10 mu m. We found differences at wavelengths shorter than 1 mu m in the SED, and longer than 10 mu m in the visibilities. The discrepancies observed can be explained in terms of a combination of data- and model-related reasons. We derived some stellar parameters, and our findings agree well with literature values within the uncertainties. Also, when comparing the location of the stars in the H-R diagram, with evolutionary tracks, the results show that the main derived properties (L, Teff, C/O ratios and stellar masses) from the model fitting are in good agreement with TP-AGB evolutionary calculations.

  9. Atmosphere-Ionosphere Response to the M9 Tohoku Earthquake Revealed by Joined Satellite and Ground Observations. Preliminary Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ouzounov, Dimitar; Pulinets, Sergey; Romanov, Alexey; Tsybulya, Konstantin; Davidenko, Dimitri; Kafatos, Menas; Taylor, Patrick

    2011-01-01

    The recent M9 Tohoku Japan earthquake of March 11, 2011 was the largest recorded earthquake ever to hit this nation. We retrospectively analyzed the temporal and spatial variations of four different physical parameters - outgoing long wave radiation (OLR), GPS/TEC, Low-Earth orbit tomography and critical frequency foF2. These changes characterize the state of the atmosphere and ionosphere several days before the onset of this earthquake. Our first results show that on March 8th a rapid increase of emitted infrared radiation was observed from the satellite data and an anomaly developed near the epicenter. The GPS/TEC data indicate an increase and variation in electron density reaching a maximum value on March 8. Starting on this day in the lower ionospheric there was also confirmed an abnormal TEC variation over the epicenter. From March 3-11 a large increase in electron concentration was recorded at all four Japanese ground based ionosondes, which return to normal after the main earthquake. We found a positive correlation between the atmospheric and ionospheric anomalies and the Tohoku earthquake. This study may lead to a better understanding of the response of the atmosphere/ionosphere to the Great Tohoku earthquake.

  10. Seismic &Infrasound Integrated Array "Apatity". Techniques, data processing, first results of observations.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vinogradov, Y.; Baryshnikov, A.

    2003-04-01

    , was registered by infrasound part of SISIA "Apatity". Their sources were at distances from 38 to 220 km. The result of observations during the first 1 year enabled us to estimate frequency range and main directions of arrivals of acoustic waves and noise level in the place of observations. In accordance with the results and relief a 4-rays wind-noise-reducing pipe array would be install at all 3 sensors at May 2003, for improvement the delectability during windy conditions. A schemes of the SISIA "Apatity", data transmitting and processing and samples of detected signals are shown in the presentation.

  11. Hot Binaries: Observational Results

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-01-01

    interferométrico sobre binarias calientes y estrellas múltiples, desde las primeras inter- ferometŕıas oculares hasta recientes catastros de “speckle” y...óptica adaptativa. Se discute la multiplicidad fraccionaria de cúmulos, campos y “runaway” de estrellas O. ABSTRACT Interferometric work on hot binary

  12. Effectiveness and safety of fixed dose combination of acarbose/metformin in Indian Type 2 diabetes patients: Results from observational GLOBE Study

    PubMed Central

    Saboo, Banshi; Reddy, Gundam Chandrasekhara; Juneja, Subhashchander; Kedia, Ashok Kumar; Manjrekar, Pravin; Rathod, Rahul

    2015-01-01

    Primary objective - evaluate effectiveness and safety of acarbose/metformin fixed dose FDC on glycemic control in Indian T2DM patients in real life clinical setting. Secondary objective - evaluate safety and satisfaction of treatment. Materials and Methods: Open-label, prospective, multicentre, single-arm, non-interventional study. Patients included were aged ≥18 years with T2DM on Acarbose (25/50 mg) and Metformin (500 mg) FDC. Glycemic parameters were recorded during observation. Results: Total 9364 patients were enrolled in the study (mean age, 50.7 years and 60.1% were male). Mean (SD) FBG and PPG was significantly reduced by 42.4 (32.6) mg/dl (P < 0.0001) and 80.2 (49.7) mg/dl (P < 0.0001) respectively at the end of observation. Mean (SD) HbA1c reduced by -1.0% (0.8) to 7.3% (0.7) at the last follow-up visit (P <0.0001). Majority of patients (97.5%) and physicians (98.42%) were satisfied with acarbose/metformin FDC treatment. Also, significant reduction in body weight by -1.7 (2.2) kg was observed (P < 0.0001). Patients with known T2DM and newly diagnosed showed a similar glycemic control (P < 0.0001). Drug-related adverse events were reported by only 1.4% patients mostly gastrointestinal. Conclusions: Acarbose/metformin FDC was efficacious, safe well accepted in routine clinical practice. It was well-tolerated without significant risk of hypoglycemia and can be used in early T2DM management PMID:25593840

  13. Multi-Wavelength Observations of Asteroid 2100 Ra-Shalom: Visible, Infrared, and Thermal Spectroscopy Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clark, Beth Ellen; Shepard, M.; Bus, S. J.; Vilas, F.; Rivkin, A. S.; Lim, L.; Lederer, S.; Jarvis, K.; Shah, S.; McConnochie, T.

    2004-01-01

    The August 2003 apparition of asteroid 2100 Ra-Shalom brought together a collaboration of observers with the goal of obtaining rotationally resolved multiwavelength spectra at each of 5 facilities: infrared spectra at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (Clark and Shepard), radar images at Arecibo (Shepard and Clark), thermal infrared spectra at Palomar (Lim, McConnochie and Bell), visible spectra at McDonald Observatory (Vilas, Lederer and Jarvis), and visible lightcurves at Ondrojev Observatory (Pravec). The radar data was to be used to develop a high spatial resolution physical model to be used in conjunction with spectral data to investigate compositional and textural properties on the near surface of Ra Shalom as a function of rotation phase. This was the first coordinated multi-wavelength investigation of any Aten asteroid. There are many reasons to study near-Earth asteroid (NEA) 2100 Ra-Shalom: 1) It has a controversial classification (is it a C- or K-type object)? 2) There would be interesting dynamical ramifications if Ra-Shalom is a K-type because most K-types come from the Eos family and there are no known dynamical pathways from Eos to the Aten population. 3) The best available spectra obtained previously may indicate a heterogeneous surface (most asteroids appear to be fairly homogeneous). 4) Ra-Shalom thermal observations obtained previously indicated a lack of regolith, minimizing the worry of space weathering effects in the spectra. 5) Radar observations obtained previously hinted at interesting surface structures. 6) Ra-Shalom is one of the largest Aten objects. And 7) Ra-Shalom is on a short list of proposed NEAs for spacecraft encounters and possible sample returns. Preliminary results from the visible, infrared, and thermal spectroscopy measurements will be presented here.

  14. The rotation of the Sun: Observations at Stanford. [using the Doppler effect

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scherrer, J. M.; Wilcox, J. M.; Svalgaard, L.

    1980-01-01

    Daily observations of the photospheric rotation rate using the Doppler effect made at the Stanford Solar Observatory since May 1976 are analyzed. Results show that these observations show no daily or long period variations in the rotation rate that exceed the observational error of about one percent. The average rotation rate is the same as that of the sunspot and the large-scale magnetic field structures.

  15. Early Results from the First Year of Observations by the Atacama B-mode Search (ABS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simon, Sara M.; ABS Collaboration

    2013-06-01

    The Atacama B-mode Search (ABS) instrument, which began observation in February of 2012, is a crossed-Dragone telescope located at an elevation of 5100 m in the Atacama Desert in Chile. The primary scientific goal of ABS is to measure the B-mode polarization spectrum of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) from multipole moments of about l=50 to l=500, a range that includes the primordial B-mode peak. Unlike most current polarization experiments, ABS features a cryogenic telescope and a warm half-wave plate used to modulate the polarization of the incoming light. The ABS focal plane array consists of 240 pixels designed for observation at 150 GHz by the TRUCE collaboration. Each pixel has its own individual, single-moded feedhorn and contains two transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers sensitive to orthogonal polarizations. The detectors are read out using time domain multiplexing so that the thermal loading of the readout electronics does not heat the focal plane. I will present early results from the first year of ABS data.

  16. Gravitational-wave astronomy: observational results and their impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shawhan, Peter S.

    2010-04-01

    The successful construction and operation of highly sensitive gravitational-wave detectors is an achievement to be proud of, but the detection of actual signals is still around the corner. Even so, null results from recent searches have told us some interesting things about the objects that live in our universe, so it can be argued that the era of gravitational-wave astronomy has already begun. In this paper I review several of these results and discuss what we have learned from them. I then look into the not-so-distant future and predict some ways in which the detection of gravitational-wave signals will shape our knowledge of astrophysics and transform the field.

  17. Observer performance in diagnosing osteoporosis by dental panoramic radiographs: results from the osteoporosis screening project in dentistry (OSPD).

    PubMed

    Taguchi, A; Asano, A; Ohtsuka, M; Nakamoto, T; Suei, Y; Tsuda, M; Kudo, Y; Inagaki, K; Noguchi, T; Tanimoto, K; Jacobs, R; Klemetti, E; White, S C; Horner, K

    2008-07-01

    erosion were 83.5, 48.7, 48.3, and 85.7%, respectively. The mean PPV and NPV were significantly higher in the 36 observers with sufficient intra-observer agreement than in the 24 observers with insufficient intra-observer agreement. Our results reconfirm the efficacy of cortical erosion findings in identifying postmenopausal women at risk for osteoporosis, among observers with sufficient intra-observer agreement. Information gathered from radiographic examination is at least as useful as that gathered from the OST index.

  18. Both right- and left-handers show a bias to attend others' right arm.

    PubMed

    Marzoli, Daniele; Lucafò, Chiara; Pagliara, Alessandra; Cappuccio, Romina; Brancucci, Alfredo; Tommasi, Luca

    2015-02-01

    The common-coding hypothesis suggests that the more similar an observed action is to the way the observer would perform it, the stronger is the ensuing activation of motor representations. Therefore, producing actions could prime perception so that observers would be particularly responsive to (i.e. biased to perceive) actions that are related to, and share features with, their own actions. If this similarity principle also applies to handedness, right- and left-handers should be more likely to perceive actions as performed with their dominant rather than non-dominant hand. In two experiments, participants were required to indicate the perceived orientation (front or back view) of pictures of ambiguous human silhouettes performing one-handed manual actions. Experiment 1, in which 300 right-handers and 60 left-handers reported the orientation of a single silhouette seen for as much as they wished, showed that participants perceived the figures more frequently in an orientation congruent with a movement performed with the right rather than the left hand. Experiment 2, in which 12 right-handers and 12 left-handers reported the orientation of 52 silhouettes seen for 300 ms, showed similar results when multiple responses per participant were collected rather than only one. Contrary to our expectations, no difference was observed between right- and left-handers, which might suggest an attentional bias towards the right arm of human bodies in both groups. Moreover, participants were more likely to perceive the figure as front-facing than as back-facing, possibly due to the greater adaptive relevance of approaching compared to receding individuals.

  19. Observing Convective Aggregation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holloway, Christopher E.; Wing, Allison A.; Bony, Sandrine; Muller, Caroline; Masunaga, Hirohiko; L'Ecuyer, Tristan S.; Turner, David D.; Zuidema, Paquita

    2017-11-01

    Convective self-aggregation, the spontaneous organization of initially scattered convection into isolated convective clusters despite spatially homogeneous boundary conditions and forcing, was first recognized and studied in idealized numerical simulations. While there is a rich history of observational work on convective clustering and organization, there have been only a few studies that have analyzed observations to look specifically for processes related to self-aggregation in models. Here we review observational work in both of these categories and motivate the need for more of this work. We acknowledge that self-aggregation may appear to be far-removed from observed convective organization in terms of time scales, initial conditions, initiation processes, and mean state extremes, but we argue that these differences vary greatly across the diverse range of model simulations in the literature and that these comparisons are already offering important insights into real tropical phenomena. Some preliminary new findings are presented, including results showing that a self-aggregation simulation with square geometry has too broad distribution of humidity and is too dry in the driest regions when compared with radiosonde records from Nauru, while an elongated channel simulation has realistic representations of atmospheric humidity and its variability. We discuss recent work increasing our understanding of how organized convection and climate change may interact, and how model discrepancies related to this question are prompting interest in observational comparisons. We also propose possible future directions for observational work related to convective aggregation, including novel satellite approaches and a ground-based observational network.

  20. Impacts of Megacities on Regional Air Quality from MOPITT Observations and MOZART Model Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Emmons, L. K.; Edwards, D. P.; Hess, P. G.; Lamarque, J.; Pfister, G.; Wiedinmyer, C.; Clerbaux, C.

    2007-05-01

    The emissions from large cities, such as Mexico City, Los Angeles and Tokyo, as well as densely populated regions in India, China, etc., can clearly be seen in the CO retrievals from the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument on the Terra satellite and will be illustrated in this presentation. To assist in the flight planning and analysis of the MILAGRO field campaigns in Mexico during March 2006, MOPITT CO retrievals were assimilated in the global chemical transport model MOZART, using fire emissions based on satellite observations. To understand the impacts of Mexico City and other megacities on regional air quality, additional simulations of MOZART have been performed. The CO emissions from different types of sources (biomass burning, industry, etc.) are "tagged" in the model to show their relative contribution to the regional atmospheric composition. In addition, NO emissions from a single megacity or region are tagged to identify the contribution of ozone from a given source. The contribution from Mexico City pollution to the regional and global atmosphere will be compared to other megacities.

  1. A safety mechanism for observational learning.

    PubMed

    Badets, Arnaud; Boutin, Arnaud; Michelet, Thomas

    2018-04-01

    This empirical article presents the first evidence of a "safety mechanism" based on an observational-learning paradigm. It is accepted that during observational learning, a person can use different strategies to learn a motor skill, but it is unknown whether the learner is able to circumvent the encoding of an uncompleted observed skill. In this study, participants were tested in a dyadic protocol in which an observer watched a participant practicing two different motor sequences during a learning phase. During this phase, one of the two motor sequences was interrupted by a stop signal that precluded motor learning. The results of the subsequent retention test revealed that both groups learned the two motor sequences, but only the physical practice group showed worse performance for the interrupted sequence. The observers were consequently able to use a safety strategy to learn both sequences equally. Our findings are discussed in light of the implications of the action observation network for sequence learning and the cognitive mechanisms of error-based observation.

  2. Wave-induced boundary-layer separation: A case study comparing airborne observations and results from a mesoscale model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strauss, L.; Serafin, S.; Grubišić, V.

    2012-04-01

    Wave-induced boundary-layer separation (BLS) results from the adverse-pressure gradient forces that are exerted on the atmospheric boundary-layer by internal gravity waves in flow over orography. BLS has received significant attention in recent years, particularly so, because it is a key ingredient in the formation of atmospheric rotors. Traditionally depicted as horizontal eddies in the lee of mountain ranges, rotors originate from the interaction between internal gravity waves and the atmospheric boundary-layer. Our study focuses on the first observationally documented case of wave-induced BLS, which occurred on 26 Jan 2006 in the lee of the Medicine Bow Mountains in SE Wyoming (USA). Observations from the University of Wyoming King Air (UWKA) aircraft, in particular, the remote sensing measurements with the Wyoming Cloud Radar (WCR), reveal strong wave activity, downslope winds in excess of 30 m/s, and near-surface flow reversal in the lee of the mountain range. The fine resolution of WCR data (on the order of 40x40 m2 for two-dimensional velocity fields) exhibits fine-scale vortical structures ("subrotors") which are embedded within the main rotor zone. Our case study intends to complete the characterisation of the observed boundary-layer separation event. Modelling of the event with the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecast Model (WRF) provides insight into the mesoscale triggers of wave-induced BLS and turbulence generation. Indeed, the mesoscale model underpins the expected concurrence of the essential processes (gravity waves, wave breaking, downslope windstorms, etc.) leading to BLS. To exploit the recorded in situ and radar data to their full extent, a quantitative evaluation of the structure and intensity of turbulence is conducted by means of a power spectral analysis of the vertical wind component, measured along the flight track. An intercomparison of observational and modelling results serves the purpose of model verification and can shed some more

  3. Role of Silica Redistribution in the Rate-State Behavior of Megathrusts: Field Observations and Experimental Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fisher, D. M.; Den Hartog, S. A. M.

    2014-12-01

    Observations of ancient fault zones and results of high temperature friction experiments indicate that silica redistribution influences the rate (response to velocity increases) and state (time-dependent healing) behavior of megathrusts. The Kodiak Accretionary Complex in Alaska has four shear zones that record plate boundary deformation: the Ghost Rocks mélange, the Uganik thrust, the Uyak mélange, and the central belt of the Kodiak Formation. All these examples of underplated rocks represent top-toward-the-trench shear zones that extend along the plate margin for 100's of kms. The first three examples were accreted within the seismogenic zone and record a progressive history from stratal disruption and particulate flow to localized shearing on pervasive web-like arrays of scaly microfaults in shales. Microfaults show evidence for silica dissolution and local reprecipitation in dilational stepovers and in intensely veined sandstone blocks. The fourth example (the central belt) was accreted further downdip, and these rocks have pervasive, regularly spaced en echelon quartz vein systems. Microstructures within veins indicate periodic cracking and sealing during progressive simple shear. Silica depletion zones adjacent to veins indicate diffusive transport of silica in response to local chemical potential gradients. A simple 1-D transport-kinetics model indicates that cracks in this case could be filled with quartz in less than a year and in as little as a week. Rock friction experiments on lithologies similar to Kodiak examples depict three distinct regimes of frictional behavior as a function of increasing temperature, with velocity weakening in a T range that can be related to the seismogenic zone. These three regimes are predicted by a model for gouge deformation that includes thermally activated pressure solution during shear of quartz grains embedded in a foliated matrix. The slip instabilities that characterize the seismogenic zone may therefore be related

  4. Comparing synthetic imagery with real imagery for visible signature analysis: human observer results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Culpepper, Joanne B.; Richards, Noel; Madden, Christopher S.; Winter, Neal; Wheaton, Vivienne C.

    2017-10-01

    Synthetic imagery could potentially enhance visible signature analysis by providing a wider range of target images in differing environmental conditions than would be feasible to collect in field trials. Achieving this requires a method for generating synthetic imagery that is both verified to be realistic and produces the same visible signature analysis results as real images. Is target detectability as measured by image metrics the same for real images and synthetic images of the same scene? Is target detectability as measured by human observer trials the same for real images and synthetic images of the same scene, and how realistic do the synthetic images need to be? In this paper we present the results of a small scale exploratory study on the second question: a photosimulation experiment conducted using digital photographs and synthetic images generated of the same scene. Two sets of synthetic images were created: a high fidelity set created using an image generation tool, E-on Vue, and a low fidelity set created using a gaming engine, Unity 3D. The target detection results obtained using digital photographs were compared with those obtained using the two sets of synthetic images. There was a moderate correlation between the high fidelity synthetic image set and the real images in both the probability of correct detection (Pd: PCC = 0.58, SCC = 0.57) and mean search time (MST: PCC = 0.63, SCC = 0.61). There was no correlation between the low fidelity synthetic image set and the real images for the Pd, but a moderate correlation for MST (PCC = 0.67, SCC = 0.55).

  5. Early Results from SOLIS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harvey, J.; Giampapa, M.; Henney, C.; Keller, C.; Jones, H.

    2004-05-01

    SOLIS (Synoptic Optical Long-Term Investigations of the Sun) is a project that is replacing antiquated synoptic observing equipment at the National Solar Observatory. SOLIS consists of a suite of three instruments on an equatorial mount that will be installed on Kitt Peak in April 2004. The major SOLIS instrument is a vector spectromagnetograph (VSM) that maps magnetic fields across the full solar disk using a slit spectrograph and one arc sec pixels. Limited daily observations started at a temporary site in August, 2003 and include line-of-sight component magnetograms in the photosphere and chromosphere and, for the first time, full-disk vector magnetograms. At a medium scan speed ( ˜ 10 minutes for the full disk) noise is less than 1 Mx/cm2. This low noise, combined with negligible instrumental polarization and well resolved spectral line profiles, yields moderate resolution magnetograms of unprecedented quality. Observations show magnetic flux nearly everywhere in the photosphere from the disk center to the solar limb. Weak, intranetwork fields are now routinely observed and show a tendency to be of opposite polarity to the stronger surrounding fields. Diffuse fields surround decaying active regions and appear to be distinct from canopy fields. Vector magnetograms easily show the radial orientation of network fields, and the diffuse component surrounding decaying active regions. Near the disk center, the transverse magnetic fields of network elements change on a time scale of minutes. Detailed quantitative calibration of the observations is in progress. Good results have been obtained from the other SOLIS instruments: a full-disk filter imager at several narrow wavelengths and a double-pass grating spectrograph that provides high-accuracy line spectra of integrated sunlight. SOLIS data are freely available via the Internet and users are invited to submit observing time requests for special observations. The National Solar Observatory is operated by AURA, Inc

  6. Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Cloud Properties Observed by MODIS: Preliminary Level-3 Results from the Collection 5 Reprocessing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    King, Michael D.; Platnick, Steven; Hubanks, Paul; Pincus, Robert

    2006-01-01

    The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) was developed by NASA and launched onboard the Terra spacecraft on December 18, 1999 and Aqua spacecraft on May 4, 2002. It achieved its final orbit and began Earth observations on February 24, 2000 for Terra and June 24, 2002 for Aqua. A comprehensive set of operational algorithms for the retrieval of cloud physical and optical properties (optical thickness, effective particle radius, water path, thermodynamic phase) have recently been updated and are being used in the new "Collection 5" processing stream being produced by the MODIS Adaptive Processing System (MODAPS) at NASA GSFC. All Terra and Aqua data are undergoing Collection 5 reprocessing with an expected completion date by the end of 2006. The archived products from these algorithms include 1 km pixel-level (Level-2) and global gridded Level-3 products. The cloud products have applications in climate change studies, climate modeling, numerical weather prediction, as well as fundamental atmospheric research. In this talk, we will summarize the available Level-3 cloud properties and their associated statistical data sets, and show preliminary Terra and Aqua results from the available Collection 5 reprocessing effort. Anticipated results include the latitudinal distribution of cloud optical and radiative properties for both liquid water and ice clouds, as well as joint histograms of cloud optical thickness and effective radius for selected geographical locations around the world.

  7. Self-testing of binary observables based on commutation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaniewski, Jedrzej

    2017-06-01

    We consider the problem of certifying binary observables based on a Bell inequality violation alone, a task known as self-testing of measurements. We introduce a family of commutation-based measures, which encode all the distinct arrangements of two projective observables on a qubit. These quantities by construction take into account the usual limitations of self-testing and since they are "weighted" by the (reduced) state, they automatically deal with rank-deficient reduced density matrices. We show that these measures can be estimated from the observed Bell violation in several scenarios and the proofs rely only on standard linear algebra. The trade-offs turn out to be tight, and in particular, they give nontrivial statements for arbitrarily small violations. On the other extreme, observing the maximal violation allows us to deduce precisely the form of the observables, which immediately leads to a complete rigidity statement. In particular, we show that for all n ≥3 the n -partite Mermin-Ardehali-Belinskii-Klyshko inequality self-tests the n -partite Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state and maximally incompatible qubit measurements on every party. Our results imply that any pair of projective observables on a qubit can be certified in a truly robust manner. Finally, we show that commutation-based measures give a convenient way of expressing relations among more than two observables.

  8. Surfzone Currents Over Irregular Bathymetry: Drifter Observations and Numerical Model Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, W. E.; Slinn, D. N.; Guza, R. T.

    2002-12-01

    Surfzone currents on alongshore variable bathymetry were observed with recently developed GPS-tracked drifters and numerically modeled with the time-dependent, nonlinear shallow water equations. These currents, forced by alongshore inhomogeneous pressure and radiation stress gradients, contain flow features difficult to resolve with fixed instrument arrays, such as rips, eddies, and meanders. Drifters were repeatedly released and recovered near Scripps Beach, La Jolla, California, in July 2000, 2001, and 2002. The most recent deployment of 10 drifters yielded about 32 hours of drifter data for each 5 hour deployment day. Offshore wave heights were moderate, between 0.3-1.0 m. The bathymetry, measured over a 600-700 m alongshore span with a GPS- and sonar-equipped jetski (2001 and 2002 deployments), was alongshore inhomogeneous primarily where an irregularly shaped bar-trough feature spanned the surf zone. The model simulations suggest that the alongshore inhomogeneous bathymetry strongly influences the location and strength of the observed flow features. Research supported by the California Sea Grant College Program and the Office of Naval Research.

  9. First Results of Exoplanet Observations with the Gran Telescopio Canarias: Narrow-Band Transit Photometry Capable of Detecting Super-Earth-size Planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ford, Eric B.; Colon, K. D.; Blake, C.; Lee, B.; Mahadevan, S.

    2010-01-01

    We present the first exoplanet observations from the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) using the OSIRIS tunable filter imager. Our narrow-band transit follow-up observations set a new record for ground-based, narrow-band photometric precision of an exoplanet transit. The demonstrated precision would allow the detection of a transiting super-Earth-sized planet at near-infrared wavelengths. Such high-precision follow-up observations could significantly improve measurements of the size and orbit of transiting super-Earth and Earth-like planets to be discovered by the CoRoT and Kepler space missions (Colon & Ford 2009). OSIRIS is one of two first light instruments for the GTC and features a tunable filter imaging mode. We observed the planet's host star along with several nearby reference stars during each transit, rapidly alternating observations between multiple narrow band-passes. The GTC's large aperture results in small photon noise and minimal scintillation noise, so care must be taken to minimize other potential systematic noise sources. The use of a narrow bandpass (2nm) reduces the effects of differential extinction, and we chose bandpasses that minimize atmospheric absorption and variability. We measure the flux of the target star relative to an ensemble of reference stars, using an aperture photometry algorithm adapted to allow for: 1) the center of the band-pass varying across the field and resulting in sky rings, and 2) a significant defocus to reduce flat fielding uncertainties and increase observing efficiency. We present results from the first tunable filter observations of an exoplanet transit and outline the exciting prospects for future GTC/OSIRIS observations to study super-Earth planets and the atmospheres of giant planets via occultation photometry. Based on observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), installed in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, in the island of La Palma.

  10. Observations of Cygnus X-2 with IUE: Ultraviolet results from a multiwavelength campaign

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vrtilek, S. D.; Raymond, J. C.; Garcia, M. R.; Verbunt, F.; Hasinger, Guenther; Kuerster, M.

    1989-01-01

    The observations of the low-mass x ray binary, Cyg X-2, taken with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) in a campaign conducted in June and October of 1988 are reported. A direct relationship between the strength of the UV continuum and line emission and the placement of the x ray spectrum in one of three branches of the so-called Z-shaped curve is found by comparison with simultaneous x ray observations. All three previously known x ray spectral states are detected; the UV continuum and line emission increase monotonically along the Z with the least emission in the horizontal branch, and the most in the flaring branch. Emission lines due to HeII, CIV, NIII, NIV, NV, SiIV, and MgII are observed.

  11. Insight into collision zone dynamics from topography: numerical modelling results and observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bottrill, A. D.; van Hunen, J.; Allen, M. B.

    2012-07-01

    Dynamic models of subduction and continental collision are used to predict dynamic topography changes on the overriding plate. The modelling results show a distinct evolution of topography on the overriding plate, during subduction, continental collision and slab break-off. A prominent topographic feature is a temporary (few Myrs) deepening in the area of the back arc-basin after initial collision. This collisional mantle dynamic basin (CMDB) is caused by slab steepening drawing material away from the base of the overriding plate. Also during this initial collision phase, surface uplift is predicted on the overriding plate between the suture zone and the CMDB, due to the subduction of buoyant continental material and its isostatic compensation. After slab detachment, redistribution of stresses and underplating of the overriding plate causes the uplift to spread further into the overriding plate. This topographic evolution fits the stratigraphy found on the overriding plate of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone in Iran and south east Turkey. The sedimentary record from the overriding plate contains Upper Oligocene-Lower Miocene marine carbonates deposited between terrestrial clastic sedimentary rocks, in units such as the Qom Formation and its lateral equivalents. This stratigraphy shows that during the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene the surface of the overriding plate sank below sea level before rising back above sea level, without major compressional deformation recorded in the same area. This uplift and subsidence pattern correlates well with our modelled topography changes.

  12. Comparison of Observed Spatio-temporal Aftershock Patterns with Earthquake Simulator Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kroll, K.; Richards-Dinger, K. B.; Dieterich, J. H.

    2013-12-01

    Due to the complex nature of faulting in southern California, knowledge of rupture behavior near fault step-overs is of critical importance to properly quantify and mitigate seismic hazards. Estimates of earthquake probability are complicated by the uncertainty that a rupture will stop at or jump a fault step-over, which affects both the magnitude and frequency of occurrence of earthquakes. In recent years, earthquake simulators and dynamic rupture models have begun to address the effects of complex fault geometries on earthquake ground motions and rupture propagation. Early models incorporated vertical faults with highly simplified geometries. Many current studies examine the effects of varied fault geometry, fault step-overs, and fault bends on rupture patterns; however, these works are limited by the small numbers of integrated fault segments and simplified orientations. The previous work of Kroll et al., 2013 on the northern extent of the 2010 El Mayor-Cucapah rupture in the Yuha Desert region uses precise aftershock relocations to show an area of complex conjugate faulting within the step-over region between the Elsinore and Laguna Salada faults. Here, we employ an innovative approach of incorporating this fine-scale fault structure defined through seismological, geologic and geodetic means in the physics-based earthquake simulator, RSQSim, to explore the effects of fine-scale structures on stress transfer and rupture propagation and examine the mechanisms that control aftershock activity and local triggering of other large events. We run simulations with primary fault structures in state of California and northern Baja California and incorporate complex secondary faults in the Yuha Desert region. These models produce aftershock activity that enables comparison between the observed and predicted distribution and allow for examination of the mechanisms that control them. We investigate how the spatial and temporal distribution of aftershocks are affected by

  13. When being narrow minded is a good thing: locally biased people show stronger contextual cueing.

    PubMed

    Bellaera, Lauren; von Mühlenen, Adrian; Watson, Derrick G

    2014-01-01

    Repeated contexts allow us to find relevant information more easily. Learning such contexts has been proposed to depend upon either global processing of the repeated contexts, or alternatively processing of the local region surrounding the target information. In this study, we measured the extent to which observers were by default biased to process towards a more global or local level. The findings showed that the ability to use context to help guide their search was strongly related to an observer's local/global processing bias. Locally biased people could use context to help improve their search better than globally biased people. The results suggest that the extent to which context can be used depends crucially on the observer's attentional bias and thus also to factors and influences that can change this bias.

  14. Preliminary Results From Observing The Fast Stardust Sample Return Capsule Entry In Earth's Atmosphere On January 15, 2006.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jenniskens, P.; Jordan, D.; Kontinos, D.; Wright, M.; Olejniczak, J.; Raiche, G.; Wercinski, P.; Schilling, E.; Taylor, M.; Rairden, R.; Stenbaek-Nielsen, H.; McHarg, M. G.; Abe, S.; Winter, M.

    2006-08-01

    In order for NASA's Stardust mission to return a comet sample to Earth, the probe was put in an orbit similar to that of Near Earth Asteroids. As a result, the reentry in Earth's atmosphere on January 15, 2006, was the fastest entry ever for a NASA spacecraft, with a speed of 12.8 km/s, similar to that of natural fireballs. A new thermal protection material, PICA, was used to protect the sample, a material that may have a future as thermal protection for the Crew Return Vehicle or for future planetary missions. An airborne and ground-based observing campaign, the "Stardust Hyperseed MAC", was organized to observe the reentry under good observing conditions, with spectroscopic and imaging techniques commonly used for meteor observations (http:// reentry.arc.nasa.gov). A spectacular video of the reentry was obtained. The spectroscopic observations measure how much light was generated in the shock wave, how that radiation added to heating the surface, how the PICA ablated as a function of altitude, and how the carbon reacted with the shock wave to form CN, a possible marker of prebiotic chemistry in natural meteors. In addition, the observations measured a transient signal of zinc and potassium early in the trajectory, from the ablation of a white paint layer that had been applied to the heat shield for thermal control. Implications for sample return and the exploration of atmospheres in future planetary missions will be discussed.

  15. MOCCA code for star cluster simulation: comparison with optical observations using COCOA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Askar, Abbas; Giersz, Mirek; Pych, Wojciech; Olech, Arkadiusz; Hypki, Arkadiusz

    2016-02-01

    We introduce and present preliminary results from COCOA (Cluster simulatiOn Comparison with ObservAtions) code for a star cluster after 12 Gyr of evolution simulated using the MOCCA code. The COCOA code is being developed to quickly compare results of numerical simulations of star clusters with observational data. We use COCOA to obtain parameters of the projected cluster model. For comparison, a FITS file of the projected cluster was provided to observers so that they could use their observational methods and techniques to obtain cluster parameters. The results show that the similarity of cluster parameters obtained through numerical simulations and observations depends significantly on the quality of observational data and photometric accuracy.

  16. AMS 14C analysis of teeth from archaeological sites showing anomalous esr dating results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grün, Rainer; Abeyratne, Mohan; Head, John; Tuniz, Claudio; Hedges, Robert E. M.

    We have carried out AMS radiocarbon analysis on two groups of samples: the first one gave reasonable ESR age estimates and the second one yielded serious age underestinations. All samples were supposedly older than 35 ka, the oldest being around 160 ka. Two pretreatment techniques were used for radiocarbon dating: acid evolution and thermal release. Heating to 600, 750 and 900°C combined with total de-gassing at these temperatures was chosen to obtain age estimates on the organic fraction, secondary carbonates and original carbonate present in the hydroxyapatite mineral phase, respectively. All radiocarbon results present serious age underestimations. The secondary carbonate fraction gives almost modern results indicating an extremely rapid exchange of this component. Owing to this very rapid carbonate exchange it is not likely that the ESR signals used for dating are associated with the secondary carbonates. One tooth from Tabun with independent age estimates of >150 ka was further investigated by the Oxford AMS laboratory, yielding an age estimate of 1930±100 BP on the residual collagen from dentine and 18,000±160 BP on the carbonate component of the enamel bioapatite. We did not, however, find an explanation of why some samples give serious ESR underestimatioils whilst many others provide reasonable results.

  17. Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vereš, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; Chastel, Serge; Wainscoat, Richard J.; Burgett, William S.; Chambers, Kenneth C.; Flewelling, Heather; Kaiser, Nick; Magnier, Eugen A.; Morgan, Jeff S.; Price, Paul A.; Tonry, John L.; Waters, Christopher

    2015-11-01

    We present the results of a Monte Carlo technique to calculate the absolute magnitudes (H) and slope parameters (G) of ∼240,000 asteroids observed by the Pan-STARRS1 telescope during the first 15 months of its 3-year all-sky survey mission. The system's exquisite photometry with photometric errors ≲ 0.04mag , and well-defined filter and photometric system, allowed us to derive accurate H and G even with a limited number of observations and restricted range in phase angles. Our Monte Carlo method simulates each asteroid's rotation period, amplitude and color to derive the most-likely H and G, but its major advantage is in estimating realistic statistical + systematic uncertainties and errors on each parameter. The method was tested by comparison with the well-established and accurate results for about 500 asteroids provided by Pravec et al. (Pravec, P. et al. [2012]. Icarus 221, 365-387) and then applied to determining H and G for the Pan-STARRS1 asteroids using both the Muinonen et al. (Muinonen, K. et al. [2010]. Icarus 209, 542-555) and Bowell et al. (Bowell, E. et al. [1989]. Asteroids III, Chapter Application of Photometric Models to Asteroids. University of Arizona Press, pp. 524-555) phase functions. Our results confirm the bias in MPC photometry discovered by Jurić et al. (Jurić, M. et al. [2002]. Astrophys. J. 124, 1776-1787).

  18. Why do high-redshift galaxies show diverse gas-phase metallicity gradients?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Xiangcheng; Hopkins, Philip F.; Feldmann, Robert; Torrey, Paul; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André; Kereš, Dušan

    2017-04-01

    Recent spatially resolved observations of galaxies at z ˜ 0.6-3 reveal that high-redshift galaxies show complex kinematics and a broad distribution of gas-phase metallicity gradients. To understand these results, we use a suite of high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations from the Feedback in Realistic Environments project, which include physically motivated models of the multiphase interstellar medium, star formation and stellar feedback. Our simulations reproduce the observed diversity of kinematic properties and metallicity gradients, broadly consistent with observations at z ˜ 0-3. Strong negative metallicity gradients only appear in galaxies with a rotating disc, but not all rotationally supported galaxies have significant gradients. Strongly perturbed galaxies with little rotation always have flat gradients. The kinematic properties and metallicity gradient of a high-redshift galaxy can vary significantly on short time-scales, associated with starburst episodes. Feedback from a starburst can destroy the gas disc, drive strong outflows and flatten a pre-existing negative metallicity gradient. The time variability of a single galaxy is statistically similar to the entire simulated sample, indicating that the observed metallicity gradients in high-redshift galaxies reflect the instantaneous state of the galaxy rather than the accretion and growth history on cosmological time-scales. We find weak dependence of metallicity gradient on stellar mass and specific star formation rate (sSFR). Low-mass galaxies and galaxies with high sSFR tend to have flat gradients, likely due to the fact that feedback is more efficient in these galaxies. We argue that it is important to resolve feedback on small scales in order to produce the diverse metallicity gradients observed.

  19. 4. VIEW SOUTHWEST COMPONENTS TEST LAB TEST BAY DETAIL SHOWING ...

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

    4. VIEW SOUTHWEST COMPONENTS TEST LAB TEST BAY DETAIL SHOWING EMERGENCY SHOWER, AND EYEWASH, AND OBSERVATION WINDOW. STORAGE TANKS ON ROOF. - Marshall Space Flight Center, East Test Area, Components Test Laboratory, Huntsville, Madison County, AL

  20. Academic success or failure in nursing students: results of a retrospective observational study.

    PubMed

    Lancia, Loreto; Petrucci, Cristina; Giorgi, Fabio; Dante, Angelo; Cifone, Maria Grazia

    2013-12-01

    Nursing student academic failure is a phenomenon of growing international interest, not only because of its economic impact but also because it negatively affects the availability of future nurses in different healthcare systems. To recruit the students with the highest probability of academic success, an open challenge for universities is to recruit students who have previously demonstrated superior scholastic aptitudes that appear to be associated with a greater likelihood of academic success. Documenting the relationship between the selection methods used when selecting nursing students and academic failure will contribute to the international debate concerning the optimisation of the selection strategies. The principal aim of this study was to investigate the role in predicting nursing student academic success of (1) the upper-secondary diploma grades and (2) the score obtained by students in the nursing degree program admission test. A retrospective observational study was conducted. Five cohorts of nursing students, matriculated in consecutive academic years from 2004 to 2008, in an Italian bachelor's degree program were observed retrospectively. Overall, 61.2% of the 1006 considered students concluded their degree within the legal duration allowed for the nursing degree. Students who failed were those who had lowest grades associated with their upper-secondary diploma coursework (p=0.000) and were male (p=0.000). The grades associated with the upper-secondary diploma coursework, unlike the admission test score, correlates positively with the final degree grade and the average value of degree program examination scores. No correlation was found between the upper-secondary diploma coursework grades and the scores obtained in the test for the nursing degree program admission test (r=-0.037). These results suggest that upper-secondary diploma coursework grades are a parameter that should receive great consideration, especially in cases where there are planned

  1. Physician-patient communication about overactive bladder: Results of an observational sociolinguistic study

    PubMed Central

    Hahn, Steven R.; Bradt, Pamela; Hewett, Kathleen A.; Ng, Daniel B.

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary incontinence are common problems that have significant impact on quality of life (QOL). Less than half of sufferers seek help from their physicians; many who do are dissatisfied with treatment and their physicians’ understanding of their problems. Little is known about the sociolinguistic characteristics of physician-patient communication about OAB in community practice. Methods An IRB-approved observational sociolinguistic study of dialogues between patients with OAB and treating physicians was conducted. Study design included semi-structured post-visit interviews, post-visit questionnaires, and follow-up phone calls. Conversations were analyzed using techniques from interactional sociolinguistics. Results Communication was physician- rather than patient-centered. Physicians spoke the majority of words and 83% of questions were closed-ended. The impact of OAB on QOL and concerns about and adherence to treatment were infrequently addressed by physicians, who were poorly aligned with patients in their understanding. These topics were addressed more frequently when open-ended questions successfully eliciting elaborated responses were used in ask-tell-ask or ask-tell sequences. Discussion Clinical dialogue around OAB is physician-centered; topics critical to managing OAB are infrequently and inadequately addressed. The use of patient-centered communication is correlated with more discussion of critical topics, and thus, more effective management of OAB. PMID:29140974

  2. Observational Requirements for Underway Observations from Research Vessels

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, S. R.; Van Waes, M.

    2016-02-01

    Identifying observational requirements to build and sustain a global ocean observing system requires input from the user community. Research vessels are an essential and versatile component of the observing system. The authors will present results from a survey of the marine climate and oceanographic community that solicited observational requirements for research vessels. The goal of the survey is to determine priorities for underway instrumentation to be run on NOAA vessels operated by the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) to support secondary users of the NOAA fleet. Secondary users are defined as persons that do not routinely participate in cruises on NOAA vessels, but have a research or operational need for underway observations from these vessels. Secondary applications of underway data from NOAA vessels include, but are not limited to, evaluation of analyses/forecast from ocean and atmospheric models, developing satellite retrieval algorithms, and validating observations from remote sensing systems (e.g., satellites, aircraft). For this survey, underway observations are defined as digital data generated by environmental sensor systems permanently installed on the vessel and routinely maintained by the operator. The survey also assessed the need for access to these observations in real-time versus delayed-mode. The authors will discuss how these survey results can be used to inform NOAA management on the requirements for underway observations during future NOAA vessel deployments. Although originally designed to assess requirements for NOAA vessels, the international response to the survey makes the results applicable to research vessel operations around the world.

  3. Effective Thermodynamics for a Marginal Observer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polettini, Matteo; Esposito, Massimiliano

    2017-12-01

    Thermodynamics is usually formulated on the presumption that the observer has complete information about the system he or she deals with: no parasitic current, exact evaluation of the forces that drive the system. For example, the acclaimed fluctuation relation (FR), relating the probability of time-forward and time-reversed trajectories, assumes that the measurable transitions suffice to characterize the process as Markovian (in our case, a continuous-time jump process). However, most often the observer only measures a marginal current. We show that he or she will nonetheless produce an effective description that does not dispense with the fundamentals of thermodynamics, including the FR and the 2nd law. Our results stand on the mathematical construction of a hidden time reversal of the dynamics, and on the physical requirement that the observed current only accounts for a single transition in the configuration space of the system. We employ a simple abstract example to illustrate our results and to discuss the feasibility of generalizations.

  4. INTERFEROMETRIC MONITORING OF GAMMA-RAY BRIGHT AGNs. I. THE RESULTS OF SINGLE-EPOCH MULTIFREQUENCY OBSERVATIONS

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

    Lee, Sang-Sung; Wajima, Kiyoaki; Algaba, Juan-Carlos

    2016-11-01

    We present results of single-epoch very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of gamma-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) using the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) at the 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz bands, which are part of a KVN key science program, Interferometric Monitoring of Gamma-Ray Bright AGNs. We selected a total of 34 radio-loud AGNs of which 30 sources are gamma-ray bright AGNs with flux densities of >6 × 10{sup −10} ph cm{sup −2} s{sup −1}. Single-epoch multifrequency VLBI observations of the target sources were conducted during a 24 hr session on 2013 November 19 and 20. All observed sources weremore » detected and imaged at all frequency bands, with or without a frequency phase transfer technique, which enabled the imaging of 12 faint sources at 129 GHz, except for one source. Many of the target sources are resolved on milliarcsecond scales, yielding a core-jet structure, with the VLBI core dominating the synchrotron emission on a milliarcsecond scale. CLEAN flux densities of the target sources are 0.43–28 Jy, 0.32–21 Jy, 0.18–11 Jy, and 0.35–8.0 Jy in the 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz bands, respectively. Spectra of the target sources become steeper at higher frequency, with spectral index means of −0.40, −0.62, and −1.00 in the 22–43 GHz, 43–86 GHz and 86–129 GHz bands, respectively, implying that the target sources become optically thin at higher frequencies (e.g., 86–129 GHz).« less

  5. Plasma observations near Saturn - Initial results from Voyager 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bridge, H. S.; Belcher, J. W.; Lazarus, A. J.; Olbert, S.; Sullivan, J. D.; Bagenal, F.; Gazis, P. R.; Hartle, R. E.; Ogilvie, K. W.; Scudder, J. D.

    1981-01-01

    The Voyager 1 encounter with Saturn and its satellites yielded extensive measurements of magnetospheric low-energy plasma electrons and positive ions, both heavy and light, probably of hydrogen and nitrogen or oxygen. At radial distances between 15 and 7 Saturn radii on the inbound trajectory, the plasma appears to corotate with a velocity within 20% of that theoretically expected for rigid corotation. The Titan data, taken while the moon was inside the Saturn magnetosphere, shows a clear signature characteristic of the interaction between a subsonic corotating magnetospheric plasma and the atmospheric or ionospheric exosphere of Titan.

  6. Seeing is doing. The implicit effect of TV cooking shows on children's use of ingredients.

    PubMed

    Neyens, Evy; Smits, Tim

    2017-09-01

    Prior research has established that TV viewing and food marketing influence children's eating behavior. However, the potential impact of popular TV cooking shows has received far less attention. TV cooking shows may equally affect children's food selection and consumption by distributing both food cues and portion-size cues. In an experimental study, elementary school children were randomly exposed to a cooking show, that either did or did not display a portion-size cue, or a non-food TV show. Results showed that children used significantly more sugar on their pancakes, and consumed significantly more of the pancakes after watching a TV cooking show compared to a non-food TV show. However, observing a portion-size cue in a TV cooking show only influenced sugar selection in older children (5th grade), but not in younger children (1st grade). The findings suggest that food cues in TV cooking shows stimulate consumption by inducing food cravings in children. Actual portion-size cues only appeared to affect older children's food selection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. SOUTHWEST REAR, SHOWING CLOSED ENTRY HATCH, BUILDING 1934. Looking north ...

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

    SOUTHWEST REAR, SHOWING CLOSED ENTRY HATCH, BUILDING 1934. Looking north - Edwards Air Force Base, X-15 Engine Test Complex, Observation Bunker Types, Rogers Dry Lake, east of runway between North Base & South Base, Boron, Kern County, CA

  8. Star Shows It Has The Right Stuff

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2004-01-01

    Astronomers have used an observation by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to make the best case yet that a star can be engulfed by its companion star and survive. This discovery will help astronomers better understand how closely coupled stars, and perhaps even stars and planets, evolve when one of the stars expands enormously in its red giant phase. The binary star system known as V471 Tauri comprises a white dwarf star (the primary) in a close orbit -- one thirtieth of the distance between Mercury and the Sun -- with a normal Sun-like star (the secondary). Chandra's data showed that the hot upper atmosphere of the secondary star has a deficit of carbon atoms relative to nitrogen atoms. "This deficit of carbon atoms is the first clear observational evidence that the normal star was engulfed by its companion in the past," according to Jeremy Drake of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, MA, who coauthored an article on V471 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters with Marek Sarna of the N. Copernicus Astronomical Center in Poland. The white dwarf star was once a star several times as massive as the Sun. Nuclear fusion reactions in the core of such a star convert carbon into nitrogen over a period of about a billion years. When the fuel in the core of the star is exhausted, the core collapses, triggering more energetic nuclear reactions that cause the star to expand and transform into a red giant before eventually collapsing to become a white dwarf. The carbon-poor material in the core of the red giant is mixed with outer part of the star, so its atmosphere shows a deficit of carbon, as compared with Sun-like stars. The X-ray spectra of a red giant star (top panel) and a Sun-like star (bottom panel) show the large difference in the peaks due to carbon atoms in the two stars. Theoretical calculations indicate that a red giant in a binary system can completely envelop its companion star and dramatically affect its evolution. During this common envelope

  9. Results of the 2016 Mexican Asteroid Photometry Campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sada, Pedro V.; Olguin, Lorenzo; Saucedo, Julio C.; Loera-Gonzalez, Pablo; Cantu-Sanchez, Laura; Garza, Jaime R.; Ayala-Gomez, Sandra A.; Aviles, Andres; Perez-Tijerina, Eduardo; Navarro-Meza, Samuiel; Silva, J. S.; Reyes-Ruiz, Mauricio; Segura-Sosa, Juan; Lopez-Valdivia, Ricardo; Alvarez-Santana, F.

    2017-07-01

    We report the results of the 2016 Mexican Asteroid Photometry Campaign. This year observers from seven different research institutions carried out 34 nights of observations at three Mexican observatories. An uncertain, but long, period of 115.108 ± 0.014 h was estimated for 703 Noëmi from sparse data. A nearly complete lightcurve was obtained for 1305 Pongola (P = 8.0585 ± 0.0003 h). Asteroid 2535 Hämeenlinna turned out to be a binary system where the primary exhibits a rotation period of 3.2311 ± 0.0001 h and the secondary shows an orbital period of 21.20 ± 0.004 h. Asteroid 4775 Hansen (P = 3.1186 ± 0.0001 h) was well observed and showed variations of its lightcurve between two sets of observations separated by about six weeks.

  10. Turbulence feature modifications from high to low wind conditions: results from the CCT observations at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schiavon, Mario; Mazzola, Mauro; Tampieri, Francesco; Pietro Viola, Angelo; Choi, Taejin

    2017-04-01

    The turbulence features in the quasi neutral surface layer are investigated as the intensity of the wind decreases, i.e. as the forcing due to the shear decreases. In this aim, a 5-year (2012-2016) set of observations of meteorological and micro-meteorological parameters acquired on the Climate Change Tower (CCT) in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard Islands, is used. The 34-m high tower, operated by the Italian National Council of Research (CNR) is equipped with four slow response wind and temperature probes and three fast response sonic anemometers and is located on heterogeneous terrain. One of the fast sensors was installed by KOPRI since 2012. The observations are averaged over 10 and 30 minutes intervals. The analysis addresses the share of the mean turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) among the along-wind, cross-wind and vertical velocity variances (respectively < u2 >, < v2 >, < w2 >), with attention to the parameterizations of the boundary layer commonly used in NWP models: the classical Mellor-Yamada (1982) scheme with the return-to-isotropy term by Rotta(1951) and its modifications, and the recent approach by Zilitinkevich and coworkers (2013). The results show that the share of TKE among the vertical < w2 > and the total horizontal variance < u2 > + < v2 > is weakly dependent on the wind velocity while the share of the total horizontal variance between the along-wind and cross-wind components depends on wind speed. At high velocity (and large wind shear) a clear anisotropy , with < u2 >≈ 2 < v2 >, is observed, quite consistent with literature (Tampieri, 2017, pag. 69). As the velocity decreases, the ratio < u2 > /(< u2 > + < v2 >) displays a wide flat distribution between 0.2 and 0.8 with median values corresponding approximately to horizontal isotropy: < u2 >≈< v2 >. These features can be parameterized using suitable coefficients, function of the wind intensity in the equations for the TKE share, capturing the average behaviour of the flow. A further investigation

  11. First results from the faint object camera - High-resolution observations of the central object R136 in the 30 Doradus nebula

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weigelt, G.; Albrecht, R.; Barbieri, C.; Blades, J. C.; Boksenberg, A.; Crane, P.; Deharveng, J. M.; Disney, M. J.; Jakobsen, P.; Kamperman, T. M.

    1991-01-01

    R136 is the luminous central object of the giant H II region 30 Doradus in the LMC. The first high-resolution observations of R136 with the Faint Object Camera on board the Hubble Space Telescope are reported. The physical nature of the brightest component R136a has been a matter of some controversy over the last few years. The UV images obtained show that R136a is a very compact star cluster consisting of more than eight stars within 0.7 arcsec diameter. From these high-resolution images a mass upper limit can be derived for the most luminous stars observed in R136.

  12. Millimeter wavelength observations of solar active regions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kundu, M. R.

    1973-01-01

    Polarization properties of active regions at 9 mm are discussed, and the observed degree of polarization is used to obtain an estimate of chromospheric magnetic fields. Also discussed is the polarization structure at 9 mm of an active region that produced a minor flare around 1900 UT on September 28, 1971. Total power observations indicate that new regions develop, or weak regions intensify at millimeter wavelengths as a result of bursts at distant sites. The spectra of the peak flux density of moderately strong bursts observed at 9 mm show a sharp drop toward the shorter millimeter wavelengths. The weak bursts at 3.5 mm are manifest mainly as heating phenomena.

  13. Observations of emission lines in M supergiants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lambert, D. L.

    1979-01-01

    Copernicus observations of Mg 2 h and k emission lines from M giants and supergiants are described. Supergiants with extensive circumstellar gas shells show an asymmetric k line. The asymmetry is ascribed to superimposed lines of Fe 1 and Mn 1. The Mg 2 line width fit the Wilson-Bappu relation derived from observations of G and K Stars. Results of correlated ground-based observations include (1) the discovery of K 1 fluorescent emission from the Betelgeuse shell; (2) extimates of the mass-loss rates; and (3) the proposal that silicate dust grains must account for the major fraction of the Si atoms in the Betelgeuse shell.

  14. Observer Rated Sleepiness and Real Road Driving: An Explorative Study

    PubMed Central

    Anund, Anna; Fors, Carina; Hallvig, David; Åkerstedt, Torbjörn; Kecklund, Göran

    2013-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to explore if observer rated sleepiness (ORS) is a feasible method for quantification of driver sleepiness in field studies. Two measures of ORS were used: (1) one for behavioural signs based on facial expression, body gestures and body movements labelled B-ORS, and (2) one based on driving performance e.g. if swerving and other indicators of impaired driving occurs, labelled D-ORS. A limited number of observers sitting in the back of an experimental vehicle on a motorway about 2 hours repeatedly 3 times per day (before lunch, after lunch, at night) observed 24 participant’s sleepiness level with help of the two observer scales. At the same time the participant reported subjective sleepiness (KSS), EOG was recorded (for calculation of blink duration) and several driving measure were taken and synchronized with the reporting. Based on mixed model Anova and correlation analysis the result showed that observer ratings of sleepiness based on drivers’ impaired performance and behavioural signs are sensitive to extend the general pattern of time awake, circadian phase and time of driving. The detailed analysis of the subjective sleepiness and ORS showed weak correspondence on an individual level. Only 16% of the changes in KSS were predicted by the observer. The correlation between the observer ratings based on performance (D-ORS) and behavioural signs (B-ORS) are high (r = .588), and the B-ORS shows a moderately strong association (r = .360) with blink duration. Both ORS measures show an association (r>0.45) with KSS, whereas the association with driving performance is weak. The results show that the ORS-method detects the expected general variations in sleepy driving in field studies, however, sudden changes in driver sleepiness on a detailed level as 5 minutes is usually not detected; this holds true both when taking into account driving behaviour or driver behavioural signs. PMID:23724094

  15. CRISM Limb Observations of Aerosols and Water Vapor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Michael D.; Wolff, M.J.; Clancy, R.T.; Seelos, F.; Murchie, S.L.

    2009-01-01

    Near-infrared spectra taken in a limb-viewing geometry by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on-board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide a useful tool for probing atmospheric structure. Here we describe preliminary work on the retrieval of vertical profiles of aerosols and water vapor from the CRISM limb observations. The first full set of CRISM limb observations was taken in July 2009, with subsequent limb observations planned once every two months. Each set of limb observations contains about four dozen scans across the limb giving pole-to-pole coverage for two orbits at roughly 100 and 290 W longitude. Radiative transfer modeling taking account of aerosol scattering in the limb-viewing geometry is used to model the observations. The retrievals show the height to which dust and water vapor extend and the location and height of water ice clouds. Results from the First set of CRISM limb observations (July 2009, Ls=300) show dust aerosol well-mixed to about three scale heights above the surface with thin water ice clouds above the dust near the equator and at mid-northern latitudes. Water vapor is concentrated at high southern latitudes.

  16. Estimating Soil and Vegetation Parameters using Synergies between Optical and Microwave Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timmermans, J.; Gomez-Dans, J. L.; Lewis, P.; Loew, A.; Schlenz, F.; Mathieu, P. P.; Pounder, N. L.; Styles, J.

    2017-12-01

    The large amount of remote sensing data available provides a huge potential for various applications, such as crop monitoring. This potential has not been realized yet because inversion-algorithms mostly use a single sensor approach. Consequently, products that combine different low-level observations from different sensors are hard to find. The difficulty in a multi-sensor approach is that 1) different sensor types (microwave/ optical) require different radiative transfer (RT) models and 2) it require consistency between the models. The goal of this research was to investigate the synergistic potential of integrating optical (Opt) and passive microwave (PM) RT models within the Earth Observation Land Data Assimilation System (EOLDAS). EOLDAS uses a Bayesian data assimilation approach together with observation operators such as PROSAIL to estimate state variables. In order to use PM observations, the Community Microwave Emission Model was integrated into the system. Results show a high potential when both Opt and PM observations are used independently. Using only RapidEye only with SAIL RT model, LAI was estimated with R=0.68, with leaf water content and dry matter having lower correlations |R|<0.4. Results for retrieving soil temperature and leaf area index retrievals using only Elbarra observations were good with respectively R=[0.85, 0.79], and for soil moisture also very good with R=0.73 (focusing on dry-spells of at least 9 days only), and with R=0.89 and R=0.77 for respectively the trend and anomalies. Synergistically using Opt and MW observations also shows good potential. Results show that absolute errors decreased (with RMSE=1.22 and S=0.89), but with lower R=0.59; sparse optical observations only improved part of the temporal domain. This shows that PM observations provide good information for the overall trend of the retrieved LAI due to the regular acquisitions, while Opt observations provides better information of the absolute values of the LAI.

  17. Statistical analysis of MMS observations of energetic electron escape observed at/beyond the dayside magnetopause

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cohen, Ian J.; Mauk, Barry H.; Anderson, Brian J.; Westlake, Joseph H.; Sibeck, David G.; Turner, Drew L.; Fennell, Joseph F.; Blake, J. Bern; Jaynes, Allison N.; Leonard, Trevor W.; Baker, Daniel N.; Spence, Harlan E.; Reeves, Geoff D.; Giles, Barbara J.; Strangeway, Robert J.; Torbert, Roy B.; Burch, James L.

    2017-09-01

    Observations from the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) instrument suite aboard the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft show that energetic (greater than tens of keV) magnetospheric particle escape into the magnetosheath occurs commonly across the dayside. This includes the surprisingly frequent observation of magnetospheric electrons in the duskside magnetosheath, an unexpected result given assumptions regarding magnetic drift shadowing. The 238 events identified in the 40 keV electron energy channel during the first MMS dayside season that exhibit strongly anisotropic pitch angle distributions indicating monohemispheric field-aligned streaming away from the magnetopause. A review of the extremely rich literature of energetic electron observations beyond the magnetopause is provided to place these new observations into historical context. Despite the extensive history of such research, these new observations provide a more comprehensive data set that includes unprecedented magnetic local time (MLT) coverage of the dayside equatorial magnetopause/magnetosheath. These data clearly highlight the common escape of energetic electrons along magnetic field lines concluded to have been reconnected across the magnetopause. While these streaming escape events agree with prior studies which show strong correlation with geomagnetic activity (suggesting a magnetotail source) and occur most frequently during periods of southward IMF, the high number of duskside events is unexpected and previously unobserved. Although the lowest electron energy channel was the focus of this study, the events reported here exhibit pitch angle anisotropies indicative of streaming up to 200 keV, which could represent the magnetopause loss of >1 MeV electrons from the outer radiation belt.

  18. A Network Model of Observation and Imitation of Speech

    PubMed Central

    Mashal, Nira; Solodkin, Ana; Dick, Anthony Steven; Chen, E. Elinor; Small, Steven L.

    2012-01-01

    Much evidence has now accumulated demonstrating and quantifying the extent of shared regional brain activation for observation and execution of speech. However, the nature of the actual networks that implement these functions, i.e., both the brain regions and the connections among them, and the similarities and differences across these networks has not been elucidated. The current study aims to characterize formally a network for observation and imitation of syllables in the healthy adult brain and to compare their structure and effective connectivity. Eleven healthy participants observed or imitated audiovisual syllables spoken by a human actor. We constructed four structural equation models to characterize the networks for observation and imitation in each of the two hemispheres. Our results show that the network models for observation and imitation comprise the same essential structure but differ in important ways from each other (in both hemispheres) based on connectivity. In particular, our results show that the connections from posterior superior temporal gyrus and sulcus to ventral premotor, ventral premotor to dorsal premotor, and dorsal premotor to primary motor cortex in the left hemisphere are stronger during imitation than during observation. The first two connections are implicated in a putative dorsal stream of speech perception, thought to involve translating auditory speech signals into motor representations. Thus, the current results suggest that flow of information during imitation, starting at the posterior superior temporal cortex and ending in the motor cortex, enhances input to the motor cortex in the service of speech execution. PMID:22470360

  19. Evaluation of internal noise methods for Hotelling observers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yani; Pham, Binh T.; Eckstein, Miguel P.

    2005-04-01

    Including internal noise in computer model observers to degrade model observer performance to human levels is a common method to allow for quantitatively comparisons of human and model performance. In this paper, we studied two different types of methods for injecting internal noise to Hotelling model observers. The first method adds internal noise to the output of the individual channels: a) Independent non-uniform channel noise, b) Independent uniform channel noise. The second method adds internal noise to the decision variable arising from the combination of channel responses: a) internal noise standard deviation proportional to decision variable's standard deviation due to the external noise, b) internal noise standard deviation proportional to decision variable's variance caused by the external noise. We tested the square window Hotelling observer (HO), channelized Hotelling observer (CHO), and Laguerre-Gauss Hotelling observer (LGHO). The studied task was detection of a filling defect of varying size/shape in one of four simulated arterial segment locations with real x-ray angiography backgrounds. Results show that the internal noise method that leads to the best prediction of human performance differs across the studied models observers. The CHO model best predicts human observer performance with the channel internal noise. The HO and LGHO best predict human observer performance with the decision variable internal noise. These results might help explain why previous studies have found different results on the ability of each Hotelling model to predict human performance. Finally, the present results might guide researchers with the choice of method to include internal noise into their Hotelling models.

  20. Does Observation of Postural Imbalance Induce a Postural Reaction?

    PubMed Central

    Tia, Banty; Saimpont, Arnaud; Paizis, Christos; Mourey, France; Fadiga, Luciano; Pozzo, Thierry

    2011-01-01

    Background Several studies bring evidence that action observation elicits contagious responses during social interactions. However automatic imitative tendencies are generally inhibited and it remains unclear in which conditions mere action observation triggers motor behaviours. In this study, we addressed the question of contagious postural responses when observing human imbalance. Methodology/Principal Findings We recorded participants' body sway while they observed a fixation cross (control condition), an upright point-light display of a gymnast balancing on a rope, and the same point-light display presented upside down. Our results showed that, when the upright stimulus was displayed prior to the inverted one, centre of pressure area and antero-posterior path length were significantly greater in the upright condition compared to the control and upside down conditions. Conclusions/Significance These results demonstrate a contagious postural reaction suggesting a partial inefficiency of inhibitory processes. Further, kinematic information was sufficient to trigger this reaction. The difference recorded between the upright and upside down conditions indicates that the contagion effect was dependent on the integration of gravity constraints by body kinematics. Interestingly, the postural response was sensitive to habituation, and seemed to disappear when the observer was previously shown an inverted display. The motor contagion recorded here is consistent with previous work showing vegetative output during observation of an effortful movement and could indicate that lower level control facilitates contagion effects. PMID:21423622

  1. Conflicting results between randomized trials and observational studies on the impact of proton pump inhibitors on cardiovascular events when coadministered with dual antiplatelet therapy: systematic review.

    PubMed

    Melloni, Chiara; Washam, Jeffrey B; Jones, W Schuyler; Halim, Sharif A; Hasselblad, Victor; Mayer, Stephanie B; Heidenfelder, Brooke L; Dolor, Rowena J

    2015-01-01

    Discordant results have been reported on the effects of concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for cardiovascular outcomes. We conducted a systematic review comparing the effectiveness and safety of concomitant use of PPIs and DAPT in the postdischarge treatment of unstable angina/non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients. We searched for clinical studies in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, from 1995 to 2012. Reviewers screened and extracted data, assessed applicability and quality, and graded the strength of evidence. We performed meta-analyses of direct comparisons when outcomes and follow-up periods were comparable. Thirty-five studies were eligible. Five (4 randomized controlled trials and 1 observational) assessed the effect of omeprazole when added to DAPT; the other 30 (observational) assessed the effect of PPIs as a class when compared with no PPIs. Random-effects meta-analyses of the studies assessing PPIs as a class consistently reported higher event rates in patients receiving PPIs for various clinical outcomes at 1 year (composite ischemic end points, all-cause mortality, nonfatal MI, stroke, revascularization, and stent thrombosis). However, the results from randomized controlled trials evaluating omeprazole compared with placebo showed no difference in ischemic outcomes, despite a reduction in upper gastrointestinal bleeding with omeprazole. Large, well-conducted observational studies of PPIs and randomized controlled trials of omeprazole seem to provide conflicting results for the effect of PPIs on cardiovascular outcomes when coadministered with DAPT. Prospective trials that directly compare pharmacodynamic parameters and clinical events among specific PPI agents in patients with unstable angina/non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction treated with DAPT are warranted. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

  2. Observations and Modeling of Composition of Upper Troposphere/Lower Stratosphere (UTILS): Isentropic Mixing Events and Morphology of HNO3 as Observed by HIRDLS and Comparison with Results from Global Modeling Initiative

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rodriquez, J. M.; Douglass, A.R.; Yoshida, Y.; Strahan, S.; Duncan, B.; Olsen, M.; Gille, J.; Yudin, V.; Nardi, B.

    2008-01-01

    isentropic exchange of air masses between the tropical upper troposphere and mid-latitude lowermost stratosphere (the so-called "middle world") is an important pathway for stratospheric-tropospheric exchange. A seasonal, global view of this process has been difficult to obtain, in part due to the lack of the vertical resolution in satellite observations needed to capture the laminar character of these events. Ozone observations at a resolution of about 1 km from the High Resolution Dynamic Limb Sounder (HIRDLS) on NASA's Aura satellite show instances of these intrusions. Such intrusions should also be observable in HN03 observations; however, the abundances of nitric acid could be additionally controlled by chemical processes or incorporation and removal into ice clouds. We present a systematic examination of the HIRDLS data on O3 and HNO3 to determine the seasonal and spatial characteristics of the distribution of isentropic intrusions. At the same time, we compare the observed distributions with those calculated by the Global Modeling Initiative combined tropospheric-stratospheric model, which has a vertical resolution of about I km. This Chemical Transport Model (CTM) is driven by meteorological fields obtained from the GEOS-4 system of NASA/Goddard Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), for the Aura time period, at a vertical resolution of about 1 km. Such comparison brings out the successes and limitations of the model in representing isentropic stratospheric-tropospheric exchange, and the different processes controlling HNO3 in the UTAS.

  3. PKS 2155-304 in July 2006: H.E.S.S. results and simultaneous multi-wavelength observations

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

    Lenain, Jean-Philippe; Boisson, Catherine; Sol, Helne

    2008-12-24

    The high-frequency-peaked BL Lac PKS 2155-304 is one of the brightest and best-studied VHE {gamma}-ray sources in the southern hemisphere. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) has monitored PKS 2155-304 in 2006 and a multi-wavelength campaign involving X-ray, optical and radio observatories was triggered by the detection of an active state in July 2006, followed by the detection of two extraordinary flares on July, 28th and 30th, with peak fluxes {approx}100 times the usual values. We present results from the spectral and flux variability analysis of the VHE and simultaneous X-ray observations with Chandra during the second flare, as wellmore » as the detailed evolution of the VHE flux of PKS 2155-304 observed by H.E.S.S. in 2006. A study of flux correlations in the different frequency ranges during the second flare and the adjacent nights is discussed. We also present an interpretation of the active state of PKS 2155-304 in the framework of synchrotron self-Compton emission.« less

  4. A dinucleotide motif in oligonucleotides shows potent immunomodulatory activity and overrides species-specific recognition observed with CpG motif.

    PubMed

    Kandimalla, Ekambar R; Bhagat, Lakshmi; Zhu, Fu-Gang; Yu, Dong; Cong, Yan-Ping; Wang, Daqing; Tang, Jimmy X; Tang, Jin-Yan; Knetter, Cathrine F; Lien, Egil; Agrawal, Sudhir

    2003-11-25

    Bacterial and synthetic DNAs containing CpG dinucleotides in specific sequence contexts activate the vertebrate immune system through Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). In the present study, we used a synthetic nucleoside with a bicyclic heterobase [1-(2'-deoxy-beta-d-ribofuranosyl)-2-oxo-7-deaza-8-methyl-purine; R] to replace the C in CpG, resulting in an RpG dinucleotide. The RpG dinucleotide was incorporated in mouse- and human-specific motifs in oligodeoxynucleotides (oligos) and 3'-3-linked oligos, referred to as immunomers. Oligos containing the RpG motif induced cytokine secretion in mouse spleen-cell cultures. Immunomers containing RpG dinucleotides showed activity in transfected-HEK293 cells stably expressing mouse TLR9, suggesting direct involvement of TLR9 in the recognition of RpG motif. In J774 macrophages, RpG motifs activated NF-kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Immunomers containing the RpG dinucleotide induced high levels of IL-12 and IFN-gamma, but lower IL-6 in time- and concentration-dependent fashion in mouse spleen-cell cultures costimulated with IL-2. Importantly, immunomers containing GTRGTT and GARGTT motifs were recognized to a similar extent by both mouse and human immune systems. Additionally, both mouse- and human-specific RpG immunomers potently stimulated proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from diverse vertebrate species, including monkey, pig, horse, sheep, goat, rat, and chicken. An immunomer containing GTRGTT motif prevented conalbumin-induced and ragweed allergen-induced allergic inflammation in mice. We show that a synthetic bicyclic nucleotide is recognized in the C position of a CpG dinucleotide by immune cells from diverse vertebrate species without bias for flanking sequences, suggesting a divergent nucleotide motif recognition pattern of TLR9.

  5. 3. BUILDING 8814, WEST SIDE AND SOUTH REAR, SHOWING BLAST ...

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

    3. BUILDING 8814, WEST SIDE AND SOUTH REAR, SHOWING BLAST DOOR. BUILDING 8826 IS IN BACKGROUND. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Observation Bunker 1-D-3, Test Area 1-125, northwest end of Altair Boulevard, Boron, Kern County, CA

  6. Century Scale Evaporation Trend: An Observational Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bounoui, Lahouari

    2012-01-01

    Several climate models with different complexity indicate that under increased CO2 forcing, runoff would increase faster than precipitation overland. However, observations over large U.S watersheds indicate otherwise. This inconsistency between models and observations suggests that there may be important feedbacks between climate and land surface unaccounted for in the present generation of models. We have analyzed century-scale observed annual runoff and precipitation time-series over several United States Geological Survey hydrological units covering large forested regions of the Eastern United States not affected by irrigation. Both time-series exhibit a positive long-term trend; however, in contrast to model results, these historic data records show that the rate of precipitation increases at roughly double the rate of runoff increase. We considered several hydrological processes to close the water budget and found that none of these processes acting alone could account for the total water excess generated by the observed difference between precipitation and runoff. We conclude that evaporation has increased over the period of observations and show that the increasing trend in precipitation minus runoff is correlated to observed increase in vegetation density based on the longest available global satellite record. The increase in vegetation density has important implications for climate; it slows but does not alleviate the projected warming associated with greenhouse gases emission.

  7. 10. INTERIOR VIEW SHOWING MOUNTINGS FROM TUNING DEVICE. VIEW SHOWS ...

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

    10. INTERIOR VIEW SHOWING MOUNTINGS FROM TUNING DEVICE. VIEW SHOWS COPPER SHEETING ON WALLS. - Chollas Heights Naval Radio Transmitting Facility, Helix House, 6410 Zero Road, San Diego, San Diego County, CA

  8. Rapamycin and Chloroquine: The In Vitro and In Vivo Effects of Autophagy-Modifying Drugs Show Promising Results in Valosin Containing Protein Multisystem Proteinopathy

    PubMed Central

    Nalbandian, Angèle; Llewellyn, Katrina J.; Nguyen, Christopher; Yazdi, Puya G.; Kimonis, Virginia E.

    2015-01-01

    Mutations in the valosin containing protein (VCP) gene cause hereditary Inclusion body myopathy (hIBM) associated with Paget disease of bone (PDB), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), more recently termed multisystem proteinopathy (MSP). Affected individuals exhibit scapular winging and die from progressive muscle weakness, and cardiac and respiratory failure, typically in their 40s to 50s. Histologically, patients show the presence of rimmed vacuoles and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43)-positive large ubiquitinated inclusion bodies in the muscles. We have generated a VCPR155H/+ mouse model which recapitulates the disease phenotype and impaired autophagy typically observed in patients with VCP disease. Autophagy-modifying agents, such as rapamycin and chloroquine, at pharmacological doses have previously shown to alter the autophagic flux. Herein, we report results of administration of rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, and chloroquine, a lysosomal inhibitor which reverses autophagy by accumulating in lysosomes, responsible for blocking autophagy in 20-month old VCPR155H/+ mice. Rapamycin-treated mice demonstrated significant improvement in muscle performance, quadriceps histological analysis, and rescue of ubiquitin, and TDP-43 pathology and defective autophagy as indicated by decreased protein expression levels of LC3-I/II, p62/SQSTM1, optineurin and inhibiting the mTORC1 substrates. Conversely, chloroquine-treated VCPR155H/+ mice revealed progressive muscle weakness, cytoplasmic accumulation of TDP-43, ubiquitin-positive inclusion bodies and increased LC3-I/II, p62/SQSTM1, and optineurin expression levels. Our in vitro patient myoblasts studies treated with rapamycin demonstrated an overall improvement in the autophagy markers. Targeting the mTOR pathway ameliorates an increasing list of disorders, and these findings suggest that VCP disease and related neurodegenerative multisystem proteinopathies can

  9. Show me the Monet.

    PubMed

    Duffin, Christian

    2009-10-01

    Experts in the United States believe that observation of art can help healthcare professionals diagnose illnesses and injuries in patients. This article reports on an art observation programme involving the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, and reflects on whether such programmes can be replicated in the U.K.

  10. Multicolor Observations of ASAS 002511+1217.2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golovin, Alex; Price, Aaron; Templeton, Matthew; Cook, Lewis; Crawford, Timothy; Henden, Arne; James, Robert; Koppelman, Michael; Nelson, Peter Robert; Oksanen, Arto; Pavlenko, Elena; Pickard, Roger; Quinn, Nick; Starkey, Don Ray

    2005-04-01

    ASAS 002511+1217.2 is a newly discovered cataclysmic variable in Pisces constellation. It was discovered by G. Pojmanski and the ASAS-3 survey on 11.203 (UT) Sept., 2004. The new variable is within the uncertainly boundaries of RX J0025.1+1217, 1RXS J002510.8+121725, 2MASS J00251111+1217121. The AAVSO has collected 31839 CCD observations of ASAS 002511+1217.2 over a 55 day period following its outburst. This is CCD-lightcurve, based on our observations. The errors depend on the observer, but typically can be estimated to be +/- 0.02 for CCD observations. It is interesting to note that so-called an echo-outburst occurred, reaching a maximum at 20 days after super-outburst' maximum. Before combining data for statistical analysis, each observer's data set was individually transformed to an uniform zero-point by subtracting a linear fit from each night's observations. This was done so that we could remove the overall trend of outburst, and to combine all observations into a single data set. The analysis of CCD observations by the Lalfer-Kinman method has enabled us to show the presence of the 0.05701 period of superhumps. The periodogram presents the peak, which corresponds to the mentioned period. This figure shows an example superhump phase diagram with the estimated period. As an example of the superhump profile, we plotted on the phase diagram the superhumps, observed on 20 Sept., by Elena Pavlenko at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory. The results of this observing-campaign were recently published at 4th of March in Informational Bulletin on Variable Stars of the International Astronomical Union at 5611 issue.

  11. Nine-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Final Maps and Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bennett, C. L.; Larson, D.; Weiland, J. L.; Jaorsik, N.; Hinshaw, G.; Odegard, N.; Smith, K. M.; Hill, R. S.; Gold, B.; Halpern, M; hide

    2013-01-01

    We present the final nine-year maps and basic results from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) mission. The full nine-year analysis of the time-ordered data provides updated characterizations and calibrations of the experiment. We also provide new nine-year full sky temperature maps that were processed to reduce the asymmetry of the effective beams. Temperature and polarization sky maps are examined to separate cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy from foreground emission, and both types of signals are analyzed in detail.We provide new point source catalogs as well as new diffuse and point source foreground masks. An updated template-removal process is used for cosmological analysis; new foreground fits are performed, and new foreground reduced are presented.We nowimplement an optimal C(exp -1)1 weighting to compute the temperature angular power spectrum. The WMAP mission has resulted in a highly constrained Lambda-CDM cosmological model with precise and accurate parameters in agreement with a host of other cosmological measurements. When WMAP data are combined with finer scale CMB, baryon acoustic oscillation, and Hubble constant measurements, we find that big bang nucleosynthesis is well supported and there is no compelling evidence for a non-standard number of neutrino species (N(sub eff) = 3.84 +/- 0.40). The model fit also implies that the age of the universe is (sub 0) = 13.772 +/- 0.059 Gyr, and the fit Hubble constant is H(sub 0) = 69.32 +/- 0.80 km/s/ Mpc. Inflation is also supported: the fluctuations are adiabatic, with Gaussian random phases; the detection of a deviation of the scalar spectral index from unity, reported earlier by the WMAP team, now has high statistical significance (n(sub s) = 0.9608+/-0.0080); and the universe is close to flat/Euclidean (Omega = -0.0027+0.0039/-0.0038). Overall, the WMAP mission has resulted in a reduction of the cosmological parameter volume by a factor of 68,000 for the standard six

  12. Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia—Results of treatment with clarithromycin versus corticosteroids—Observational study

    PubMed Central

    Langfort, Renata; Bestry, Iwona; Skoczylas, Agnieszka; Szczepulska-Wójcik, Ewa; Rudziński, Piotr; Chorostowska-Wynimko, Joanna; Roszkowski-Śliż, Kazimierz

    2017-01-01

    Background Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) is a clinicopathological syndrome of unknown origin. Corticosteroids are the standard treatment, but clarithromycin (CAM) is also effective. The aim of this observational retrospective study was to compare the results of CAM versus prednisone (PRE) treatment in patients with biopsy-proven OP without respiratory insufficiency. Material and methods In a 15-year period, 40 patients were treated with CAM (500 mg twice daily orally for 3 months) and 22 with PRE (mean initial dose of 0.67 ± 0.24 mg/kg/d for a mean of 8.59 ± 3.05 months). Results The clinical presentation, laboratory, and radiological findings did not differ markedly between patients treated with CAM and PRE, with the exception of a higher frequency of sweats (55% vs. 23%; p < 0.015), ground glass opacities (95% vs. 50%; p <0.0001) and nodular lesions (45% vs. 18%; p = 0.036) in the CAM group. A complete response was achieved in 35(88%) patients treated with CAM and in all treated with PRE. Patients treated with PRE relapsed more frequently than those treated with CAM (54.5% vs. 10%; p < 0.0001). Corticosteroid-related adverse events were noticed in 8(6.5%) patients (with one death), but CAM caused only one (2.5%) allergic reaction. A FVC >80% identified patients who might be successfully treated with CAM with a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 88.57% (AUC 0.869; 95% CI 0.684–1; p = 0.008); the figures for the FEV1 were >70%, a sensitivity of 60%, and a specificity of 91.43% (AUC 0.809; 95%CI 0.609–1; p = 0.027). Conclusions CAM can be used to treat COP patients in whom the pulmonary function parameters are within normal limits. Such therapy is shorter, better tolerated, and associated with fewer adverse events and relapses than is PRE. However, the therapy is ineffective in some patients. PMID:28945804

  13. ALMA Observations Show Major Mergers Among the Host Galaxies of Fast-growing, High-redshift​ Supermassive​ Black Holes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Lira, Paulina; Netzer, Hagai; Cicone, Claudia; Maiolino, Roberto; Shemmer, Ohad

    2017-02-01

    We present new ALMA band-7 data for a sample of six luminous quasars at z≃ 4.8, powered by fast-growing supermassive black holes (SMBHs) with rather uniform properties: the typical accretion rates and black hole masses are L/{L}{Edd}≃ 0.7 and {M}{BH}≃ {10}9 {M}⊙ . Our sample consists of three “FIR-bright” sources, which were individually detected in previous Herschel/SPIRE observations, with star formation rates of {SFR}> 1000 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1, and three “FIR-faint” sources for which Herschel stacking analysis implies a typical SFR of ˜400 {M}⊙ {{yr}}-1. The dusty interstellar medium in the hosts of all six quasars is clearly detected in the ALMA data and resolved on scales of ˜2 kpc, in both continuum ({λ }{rest}˜ 150 μ {{m}}) and [{{C}} {{II}}] λ 157.74 μ {{m}} line emission. The continuum emission is in good agreement with the expectations from the Herschel data, confirming the intense SF activity in the quasar hosts. Importantly, we detect companion sub-millimeter galaxies (SMGs) for three sources—one FIR-bright and two FIR-faint, separated by ˜ 14{--}45 {kpc} and < 450 {km} {{{s}}}-1 from the quasar hosts. The [{{C}} {{II}}]-based dynamical mass estimates for the interacting SMGs are within a factor of ˜3 of the quasar hosts’ masses, while the continuum emission implies {{SFR}}{quasar}˜ (2{--}11)× {{SFR}}{SMG}. Our ALMA data therefore clearly support the idea that major mergers are important drivers for rapid early SMBH growth. However, the fact that not all high-SFR quasar hosts are accompanied by interacting SMGs and the gas kinematics as observed by ALMA suggest that other processes may be fueling these systems. Our analysis thus demonstrates the diversity of host galaxy properties and gas accretion mechanisms associated with early and rapid SMBH growth.

  14. Ecological and toxicological responses in a multistressor scenario: Are monitoring programs showing the stressors or just showing stress? A case study in Brazil.

    PubMed

    López-Doval, Julio C; Meirelles, Sergio Tadeu; Cardoso-Silva, Sheila; Moschini-Carlos, Viviane; Pompêo, Marcelo

    2016-01-01

    The Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) is located in the Brazilian State of São Paulo and reservoirs in this region are vital for water supply and energy production. Changes in economic, social, and demographic trends produced pollution of water bodies, decreasing water quality for human uses and affecting freshwater populations. The presence of emerging pollutants, classical priority substances, nutrient excess and the interaction with tropical-climate conditions require periodic reviews of water policies and monitoring programs in order to detect and manage these threats in a global change scenario. The objective of this work is to determine whether the monitoring program of the São Paulo's Environmental Agency, is sufficient to explain the toxicological and biological responses observed in organisms in reservoirs of the MRSP, and whether it can identify the possible agents causing these responses. For that, we used publicly available data on water quality compiled by this agency in their routine monitoring program. A general overview of these data and a chemometric approach to analyze the responses of biotic indexes and toxicological bioassays, as a function of the physical and chemical parameters monitored, were performed. Data compiled showed temporal and geographical information gaps on variables measured. Toxicological responses have been observed in the reservoirs of the MRSP, together with a high incidence of impairments of the zooplankton community. This demonstrates the presence of stressors that affect the viability of organisms and populations. The statistical approach showed that the data compiled by the environmental agency are insufficient to identify and explain the factors causing the observed ecotoxicological responses and impairments in the zooplankton community, and are therefore insufficient to identify clear cause-effect relationships. Stressors different from those analyzed could be responsible for the observed responses. Copyright

  15. Localization of observables in the Rindler wedge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asorey, M.; Balachandran, A. P.; Marmo, G.; de Queiroz, A. R.

    2017-11-01

    One of the striking features of QED is that charged particles create a coherent cloud of photons. The resultant coherent state vectors of photons generate a nontrivial representation of the localized algebra of observables that do not support a representation of the Lorentz group: Lorentz symmetry is spontaneously broken. We show in particular that Lorentz boost generators diverge in this representation, a result shown also by Balachandran et al. [Eur. Phys. J. C 75, 89 (2015), 10.1140/epjc/s10052-015-3305-0] (see also the work by Balachandran et al. [Mod. Phys. Lett. A 28, 1350028 (2013), 10.1142/S0217732313500284]. Localization of observables, for example in the Rindler wedge, uses Poincaré invariance in an essential way [Int. J. Geom. Methods Mod. Phys. 14, 1740008 (2017)., 10.1142/S0219887817400084]. Hence, in the presence of charged fields, the photon observables cannot be localized in the Rindler wedge. These observations may have a bearing on the black hole information loss paradox, as the physics in the exterior of the black hole has points of resemblance to that in the Rindler wedge.

  16. Interplanetary Scintillation Observations with a New Generation of Radio Telescopes: First results from the MWA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morgan, J. S.; Macquart, J. P.; Ekers, R.; Bisi, M. M.; Jackson, B. V.; Tokumaru, M.; Manoharan, P. K.; Chhetri, R.

    2016-12-01

    Interplanetary scintillation (IPS) is a phenomenon which can be used to probe both the heliospheric plasma and the structure of compact astrophysical radio sources. It is a vital tool for near-real-time monitoring of space weather. Previous IPS studies have generally relied on single concentrated collecting areas (either phased arrays or dishes). The Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) by contrast is a new-generation instrument consisting of a 128-element interferometer with an extremely wide field of view, and outstanding instantaneous imaging capability. This enables IPS studies of 1000 sources simultaneously, increasing the number of daily measurements that can be made by a factor of two or more. Here we report on progress from an ongoing IPS survey with the MWA where observations are made simultaneously at 80MHz and 150MHz. Dual-frequency observations allow solar wind velocities to be determined even with a single station, more accurately than from the analyses of a single-frequency IPS spectrum alone. Furthermore, the different refractive indices at different wavelengths leads to a lag in the cross correlation of the two frequency bands. This allows the bulk density of the outer solar corona to be probed along multiple lines of sight. We will discuss recent results and how they might be integrated into international Space Weather Prediction efforts such as the Worldwide IPS Stations (WIPSS) Network.

  17. Microseism Source Distribution Observed from Ireland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Craig, David; Bean, Chris; Donne, Sarah; Le Pape, Florian; Möllhoff, Martin

    2017-04-01

    Ocean generated microseisms (OGM) are recorded globally with similar spectral features observed everywhere. The generation mechanism for OGM and their subsequent propagation to continental regions has led to their use as a proxy for sea-state characteristics. Also many modern seismological methods make use of OGM signals. For example, the Earth's crust and upper mantle can be imaged using ``ambient noise tomography``. For many of these methods an understanding of the source distribution is necessary to properly interpret the results. OGM recorded on near coastal seismometers are known to be related to the local ocean wavefield. However, contributions from more distant sources may also be present. This is significant for studies attempting to use OGM as a proxy for sea-state characteristics such as significant wave height. Ireland has a highly energetic ocean wave climate and is close to one of the major source regions for OGM. This provides an ideal location to study an OGM source region in detail. Here we present the source distribution observed from seismic arrays in Ireland. The region is shown to consist of several individual source areas. These source areas show some frequency dependence and generally occur at or near the continental shelf edge. We also show some preliminary results from an off-shore OBS network to the North-West of Ireland. The OBS network includes instruments on either side of the shelf and should help interpret the array observations.

  18. Space-based observations of nitrogen dioxide: Trends in anthropogenic emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Russell, Ashley Ray

    Space-based instruments provide routine global observations, offering a unique perspective on the spatial and temporal variation of atmospheric constituents. In this dissertation, trends in regional-scale anthropogenic nitrogen oxide emissions (NO + NO2 ≡ NOx) are investigated using high resolution observations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). By comparing trends in OMI observations with those from ground-based measurements and an emissions inventory, I show that satellite observations are well-suited for capturing changes in emissions over time. The high spatial and temporal resolutions of the observations provide a uniquely complete view of regional-scale changes in the spatial patterns of NO 2. I show that NOx concentrations have decreased significantly in urban regions of the United States between 2005 and 2011, with an average reduction of 32 ± 7%. By examining day-of-week and interannual trends, I show that these reductions can largely be attributed to improved emission control technology in the mobile source fleet; however, I also show that the economic downturn of the late 2000's has impacted emissions. Additionally, I describe the development of a high-resolution retrieval of NO2 from OMI observations known as the Berkeley High Resolution (BEHR) retrieval. The BEHR product uses higher spatial and temporal resolution terrain and profile parameters than the operational retrievals and is shown to provide a more quantitative measure of tropospheric NO2 column density. These results have important implications for future retrievals of NO2 from space-based observations.

  19. Lacosamide in patients with gliomas and uncontrolled seizures: results from an observational study.

    PubMed

    Rudà, Roberta; Pellerino, Alessia; Franchino, Federica; Bertolotti, Cinzia; Bruno, Francesco; Mo, Francesca; Migliore, Enrica; Ciccone, Gianni; Soffietti, Riccardo

    2018-01-01

    To report the efficacy and tolerability of lacosamide as an add-on treatment in patients with gliomas and uncontrolled seizures despite conventional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). We conducted an observational study on 71 patients to describe patterns of response to lacosamide and the association between clinico-pathological factors and seizure control. We observed at 3, 6 and 9 months a seizure reduction ≥ 50% in 74.6, 76 and 86.2% of patients and a seizure freedom in 42.2, 43 and 50%, respectively. The median number of seizures in the 3 months before treatment was 13, and decreased to 3 between baseline and 6 months, and to 0.5 between 6 and 9 months. The best seizure response was observed at 3 months (62%). Sixty per cent of patients displayed the maximum seizure control with doses of lacosamide of 100-250 mg/day, while 21% needed doses up to 400 mg/day. Seizure reduction ≥ 50% and seizure freedom were higher in patients who received lacosamide as first add-on compared to those who received a later adjunctive therapy. A reduction ≥ 50% of seizures was observed in a proportion of patients with progressive disease on MRI. Age > 45 years (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.02-0.63, p = 0.013) was a significant predictor of seizure freedom at 9 months on multivariate analysis. The study suggests that lacosamide, when added to any baseline AEDs, is effective in obtaining a high seizure reduction and seizure freedom regardless of the tumor activity and response to antineoplastic therapies.

  20. Retrieval of aerosol optical properties using MERIS observations: Algorithm and some first results.

    PubMed

    Mei, Linlu; Rozanov, Vladimir; Vountas, Marco; Burrows, John P; Levy, Robert C; Lotz, Wolfhardt

    2017-08-01

    The MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument on board ESA Envisat made measurements from 2002 to 2012. Although MERIS was limited in spectral coverage, accurate Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) from MERIS data are retrieved by using appropriate additional information. We introduce a new AOT retrieval algorithm for MERIS over land surfaces, referred to as eXtensible Bremen AErosol Retrieval (XBAER). XBAER is similar to the "dark-target" (DT) retrieval algorithm used for Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), in that it uses a lookup table (LUT) to match to satellite-observed reflectance and derive the AOT. Instead of a global parameterization of surface spectral reflectance, XBAER uses a set of spectral coefficients to prescribe surface properties. In this manner, XBAER is not limited to dark surfaces (vegetation) and retrieves AOT over bright surface (desert, semiarid, and urban areas). Preliminary validation of the MERIS-derived AOT and the ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) measurements yield good agreement, the resulting regression equation is y = (0.92 × ± 0.07) + (0.05 ± 0.01) and Pearson correlation coefficient of R = 0.78. Global monthly means of AOT have been compared from XBAER, MODIS and other satellite-derived datasets.

  1. [Randomized, controlled clinical trials with observational follow-up investigations for evaluating efficacy of antihyperglycaemic treatment. I. Main results of the studies].

    PubMed

    Jermendy, György

    2018-04-01

    The effect of antihyperglycaemic (antidiabetic) treatment on the late diabetic complications is one of the most important research areas in clinical diabetology. The relationship between glycaemic control and late micro- and macrovascular complications was highlighted by the results of the DCCT (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial) with type 1 and by the UKPDS (United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study) with type 2 diabetic patients. In these studies, observational follow-up investigations were also performed after the close-out of the randomized phase of the trial. In addition to these landmark studies, other randomized, controlled efficacy trials were also performed with observational follow-up investigations resulting in the development of the concept of metabolic memory or metabolic legacy. In this article, the main results of the studies are summarized. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(15): 575-582.

  2. Overview of the Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study: Summary of Observations and Initial Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berkoff, T.; Sullivan, J.; Pippin, M. R.; Gronoff, G.; Knepp, T. N.; Twigg, L.; Schroeder, J.; Carrion, W.; Farris, B.; Kowalewski, M. G.; Nino, L.; Gargulinski, E.; Rodio, L.; Sanchez, P.; Desorae Davis, A. A.; Janz, S. J.; Judd, L.; Pusede, S.; Wolfe, G. M.; Stauffer, R. M.; Munyan, J.; Flynn, J.; Moore, B.; Dreessen, J.; Salkovitz, D.; Stumpf, K.; King, B.; Hanisco, T. F.; Brandt, J.; Blake, D. R.; Abuhassan, N.; Cede, A.; Tzortziou, M.; Demoz, B.; Tsay, S. C.; Swap, R.; Holben, B. N.; Szykman, J.; McGee, T. J.; Neilan, J.; Allen, D.

    2017-12-01

    combination of observations provided a unique 4-D (horizontal, vertical, and time) view of O3 to help provide feedback to air quality forecast models as well as future satellite remote sensing systems such as NASA's TEMPO mission. In this presentation, a summary of observations and initial results will be presented from the OWLETS campaign.

  3. Syndromes dominated by apraxia of speech show distinct characteristics from agrammatic PPA

    PubMed Central

    Duffy, Joseph R.; Strand, Edythe A.; Machulda, Mary M.; Senjem, Matthew L.; Lowe, Val J.; Jack, Clifford R.; Whitwell, Jennifer L.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: We assessed whether clinical and imaging features of subjects with apraxia of speech (AOS) more severe than aphasia (dominant AOS) are more similar to agrammatic primary progressive aphasia (agPPA) or to primary progressive AOS (PPAOS). Methods: Sixty-seven subjects (PPAOS = 18, dominant AOS = 10, agPPA = 9, age-matched controls = 30) who all had volumetric MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, F18-fluorodeoxyglucose and C11-labeled Pittsburgh compound B (PiB)-PET scanning, as well as neurologic and speech and language assessments, were included in this case-control study. AOS was classified as either type 1, predominated by sound distortions and distorted sound substitutions, or type 2, predominated by syllabically segmented prosodic speech patterns. Results: The dominant AOS subjects most often had AOS type 2, similar to PPAOS. In contrast, agPPA subjects most often had type 1 (p = 0.01). Both dominant AOS and PPAOS showed focal imaging abnormalities in premotor cortex, whereas agPPA showed widespread involvement affecting premotor, prefrontal, temporal and parietal lobes, caudate, and insula. Only the dominant AOS and PPAOS groups showed midbrain atrophy compared with controls. No differences were observed in PiB binding across all 3 groups, with the majority being PiB negative. Conclusion: These results suggest that dominant AOS is more similar to PPAOS than agPPA, with dominant AOS and PPAOS exhibiting a clinically distinguishable subtype of progressive AOS compared with agPPA. PMID:23803320

  4. ACCORDION MIND: results of the observational extension of the ACCORD MIND randomised trial.

    PubMed

    Murray, Anne M; Hsu, Fang-Chi; Williamson, Jeff D; Bryan, R Nick; Gerstein, Hertzel C; Sullivan, Mark D; Miller, Michael E; Leng, Iris; Lovato, Laura L; Launer, Lenore J

    2017-01-01

    The Memory in Diabetes (MIND) substudy of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) study, a double 2x2 factorial parallel-group randomised clinical trial, tested whether intensive compared with standard management of hyperglycaemia, BP or lipid levels reduced cognitive decline and brain atrophy in 2977 people with type 2 diabetes. We describe the results of the observational extension study, ACCORDION MIND (ClinicalTrials.gov registration no. NCT00182910), which aimed to measure the long-term effects of the three ACCORD interventions on cognitive and brain structure outcomes approximately 4 years after the trial ended. Participants (mean diabetes duration 10 years; mean age 62 years at baseline) received a fourth cognitive assessment and a third brain MRI, targeted at 80 months post-randomisation. Primary outcomes were performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) and total brain volume (TBV). The contrast of primary interest compared glycaemic intervention groups at the ACCORDION visit; secondary contrasts were the BP and lipid interventions. Of the surviving ACCORD participants eligible for ACCORDION MIND, 1328 (68%) were re-examined at the ACCORDION follow-up visit, approximately 47 months after the intensive glycaemia intervention was stopped. The significant differences in therapeutic targets for each of the three interventions (glycaemic, BP and lipid) were not sustained. We found no significant difference in 80 month mean change from baseline in DSST scores or in TBV between the glycaemic intervention groups, or the BP and lipid interventions. Sensitivity analyses of the sites with ≥70% participation at 80 months revealed consistent results. The ACCORD interventions did not result in long-term beneficial or adverse effects on cognitive or brain MRI outcomes at approximately 80 months follow-up. Loss of separation in therapeutic targets between treatment arms and loss to follow-up may have contributed to the lack of

  5. Spectroscopic commissioning results from MINERVA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eastman, Jason D.; Johnson, Samson; Wang, Sharon; Sliski, David; Wilson, Maurice; Johnson, John A.; McCrady, Nate; Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Wright, Jason; Plavchan, Peter; Blake, Cullen; Beatty, Thomas G.

    2017-01-01

    MINERVA is a robotic observatory with four 0.7 meter telescopes at Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, dedicated to precise photometry and radial velocity observations of bright, nearby stars for the discovery and characterization of small exoplanets. Here we present the first radial velocity results from MINERVA during commissioning at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona, demonstrating m/s precision over month-long timescales. These results show that MINERVA is capable of achieving its primary science goal of finding super-Earths around the nearest, brightest stars.

  6. Early Pulsar Observations in Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wielebinski, R.

    2012-12-01

    The news about the discovery of the pulsar CP1919 reached Australia soon after the Hewish et al. publication in Nature came out at the end of February 1968. Immediately the Parkes radio telescope was transferred from scheduled observations to observe this new exciting object. Since pulsars have steep spectra, low radio frequency receivers were needed that were not supported by the Radiophysics Division of the CSIRO. As a result I, a staff member of the School of Electrical Engineering, Sydney University, was asked to come with my low-frequency receivers to Parkes and join in the first observations. Later the Molonglo Mills Cross radio telescope showed its suitability to pulsar discoveries and became involved in a number of important discoveries. New additional equipment aimed for the reception of pulsating signals had to be constructed in a hurry. In my talk I will cover the period 1968 to 1970 when I left Sydney for the Max-Planck-Institute in Bonn with its 100-m radio telescope.

  7. Sparsely-Observed Pulsating Red Giants in the AAVSO Observing Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Percy, J. R.

    2018-06-01

    This paper reports on time-series analysis of 156 pulsating red giants (21 SRa, 52 SRb, 33 SR, 50 Lb) in the AAVSO observing program for which there are no more than 150-250 observations in total. Some results were obtained for 68 of these stars: 17 SRa, 14 SRb, 20 SR, and 17 Lb. These results generally include only an average period and amplitude. Many, if not most of the stars are undoubtedly more complex; pulsating red giants are known to have wandering periods, variable amplitudes, and often multiple periods including "long secondary periods" of unknown origin. These results (or lack thereof) raise the question of how the AAVSO should best manage the observation of these and other sparsely-observed pulsating red giants.

  8. World-wide amateur observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eversberg, T.; Aldoretta, E. J.; Knapen, J. H.; Moffat, A. F. J.; Morel, T.; Ramiaramanantsoa, T.; Rauw, G.; Richardson, N. D.; St-Louis, N.; Teodoro, M.

    For some years now, spectroscopic measurements of massive stars in the amateur domain have been fulfilling professional requirements. Various groups in the northern and southern hemispheres have been established, running successful professional-amateur (ProAm) collaborative campaigns, e.g., on WR, O and B type stars. Today high quality data (echelle and long-slit) are regularly delivered and corresponding results published. Night-to-night long-term observations over months to years open a new opportunity for massive-star research. We introduce recent and ongoing sample campaigns (e.g. ɛ Aur, WR 134, ζ Pup), show respective results and highlight the vast amount of data collected in various data bases. Ultimately it is in the time-dependent domain where amateurs can shine most.

  9. Enantiomers of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Show Distinct Coating Displacement Kinetics.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Yu; Bachilo, Sergei M; Weisman, R Bruce

    2018-06-27

    It is known that specific oligomers of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) can show remarkable selectivity when coating different structural species of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). We report that (ATT) 4 ssDNA coatings strongly distinguish between the two optical isomers of (7,5) SWCNTs. This causes resolvable shifts in their fluorescence spectra and differences of 2 orders of magnitude in the room temperature rates of coating displacement, as monitored through changes in nanotube fluorescence wavelength and intensity on exposure to sodium deoxycholate. During coating displacement, the enantiomer with high affinity for the ssDNA oligomer is deduced to form an intermediate hybrid that is not observed for the low affinity enantiomer. These results reveal that enantiomeric differences in SWCNTs complexed with ssDNA are more diverse and dramatic than previously recognized.

  10. The Surface Energy Balance at Local and Regional Scales-A Comparison of General Circulation Model Results with Observations.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garratt, J. R.; Krummel, P. B.; Kowalczyk, E. A.

    1993-06-01

    Aspects of the mean monthly energy balance at continental surfaces are examined by appeal to the results of general circulation model (GCM) simulations, climatological maps of surface fluxes, and direct observations. Emphasis is placed on net radiation and evaporation for (i) five continental regions (each approximately 20°×150°) within Africa, Australia, Eurasia, South America, and the United States; (ii) a number of continental sites in both hemispheres. Both the mean monthly values of the local and regional fluxes and the mean monthly diurnal cycles of the local fluxes are described. Mostly, GCMs tend to overestimate the mean monthly levels of net radiation by about 15% -20% on an annual basis, for observed annual values in the range 50 to 100 Wm2. This is probably the result of several deficiencies, including (i) continental surface albedos being undervalued in a number of the models, resulting in overestimates of the net shortwave flux at the surface (though this deficiency is steadily being addressed by modelers); (ii) incoming shortwave fluxes being overestimated due to uncertainties in cloud schemes and clear-sky absorption; (iii) land-surface temperatures being under-estimated resulting in an underestimate of the outgoing longwave flux. In contrast, and even allowing for the poor observational base for evaporation, there is no obvious overall bias in mean monthly levels of evaporation determined in GCMS, with one or two exceptions. Rather, and far more so than with net radiation, there is a wide range in values of evaporation for all regions investigated. For continental regions and at times of the year of low to moderate rainfall, there is a tendency for the simulated evaporation to be closely related to the precipitation-this is not surprising. In contrast, for regions where there is sufficient or excessive rainfall, the evaporation tends to follow the behavior of the net radiation. Again, this is not surprising given the close relation between

  11. Observations of Near-Earth Asteroids in Polarized Light

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Afanasiev, V. L.; Ipatov, A. V.

    2018-04-01

    We report the results of position, photometric, and polarimetric observations of two near-Earth asteroids made with the 6-m telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 1.2-hour measurements of the photometric variations of the asteroid 2009 DL46 made onMarch 8, 2016 (approximately 20m at a distance of about 0.23 AU from the Earth) showed a 0.m2-amplitude flash with a duration of about 20 minutes. During this time the polarization degree increased from the average level of 2-3% to 14%. The angle of the polarization plane and the phase angle were equal to 113° ± 1° and 43°, respectively. Our result indicates that the surface of the rotating asteroid (the rotation period of about 2.5 hours) must be non-uniformly rough. Observations of another asteroid—1994 UG—whose brightness was of about 17m and which was located at a geocentric distance of 0.077 AU, were carried out during the night of March 6/7, 2016 in two modes: photometric and spectropolarimetric. According to the results of photometric observations in Johnson's B-, V-, and R-band filters, over one hour the brightness of the asteroid remained unchanged within the measurement errors (about 0.m02). Spectropolarimetric observations in the 420-800 nm wavelength interval showed the polarization degree to decrease from 8% in the blue part of the spectrum to 2% in the red part with the phase angle equal to 44°, which is typical for S-type near-Earth asteroids.

  12. Best in Show: Teaching Old Dogs to Use New Rubrics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hitt, Austin M.; Helms, Emory C.

    2009-01-01

    This paper discusses an instructional approach designed to help preservice teachers understand how assessments can be influenced by personal biases. In order to achieve this objective, we developed an analogy-based activity called "The Dog Show Analogy." After participating in the activity, we have observed that the participating preservice…

  13. Human umbilical cord blood stem cells show PDGF-D–dependent glioma cell tropism in vitro and in vivo

    PubMed Central

    Gondi, Christopher S.; Veeravalli, Krishna Kumar; Gorantla, Bharathi; Dinh, Dzung H.; Fassett, Dan; Klopfenstein, Jeffrey D.; Gujrati, Meena; Rao, Jasti S.

    2010-01-01

    Despite advances in clinical therapies and technologies, the prognosis for patients with malignant glioma is poor. Neural stem cells (NSCs) have a chemotactic tropism toward glioma cells. The use of NSCs as carriers of therapeutic agents for gliomas is currently being explored. Here, we demonstrate that cells isolated from the umbilical cord blood show mesenchymal characteristics and can differentiate to adipocytes, osteocytes, and neural cells and show tropism toward cancer cells. We also show that these stem cells derived from the human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) induce apoptosis-like cell death in the glioma cell line SNB19 via Fas-mediated caspase-8 activation. From our glioma tropism studies, we have observed that hUCB cells show tropism toward glioma cells in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo. We determined that this migration is partially dependent on the expression levels of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-D from glioma cells and have observed that local concentration gradient of PDGF-D is sufficient to cause migration of hUCB cells toward the gradient as seen from our brain slice cultures. In our animal experiment studies, we observed that intracranially implanted SNB19 green fluorescent protein cells induced tropism of the hUCB cells toward themselves. In addition, the ability of these hUCBs to inhibit established intracranial tumors was also observed. We also determined that the migration of stem cells toward glioma cells was partially dependent on PDGF secreted by glioma cells and that the presence of PDGF-receptor (PDGFR) on hUCB is required for migration. Our results demonstrate that hUCB are capable of inducing apoptosis in human glioma cells and also show that glioma tropism and hUCB tropism toward glioma cells are partially dependent on the PDGF/PGGFR system. PMID:20406896

  14. Present-day distribution and trends of global tropospheric ozone from satellite observations: Results from the Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaudel, A.; Cooper, O. R.; Barret, B.; Boynard, A.; Clerbaux, C.; Pierre-Francois, C.; Huang, G.; Hurtmans, D.; Kerridge, B. J.; Latter, B.; Le Flochmoen, E.; Liu, X.; Neu, J. L.; Siddans, R.; Wespes, C.; Worden, H. M.; Ziemke, J. R.

    2017-12-01

    Tropospheric ozone is a greenhouse gas and pollutant detrimental to human health and crop and ecosystem productivity. Since 1990 a large portion of the anthropogenic emissions that react in the atmosphere to produce ozone have shifted from North America and Europe to Asia. This rapid shift, coupled with limited ozone monitoring in developing nations, has left scientists unable to answer the most basic questions: Is ozone continuing to decline in nations with strong emission controls? To what extent is ozone increasing in the developing world? IGAC's Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR) has been designed to answer these questions and this presentation will show the results from the TOAR-Climate initiative, focusing on the present-day distribution and trends of global tropospheric ozone from satellite observations. Five satellite products based on OMI (2 products using two different retrieval methods) and IASI (also 2 products using two different retrieval methods) and the OMI/MLS combined product were intercompared. An important result is the close agreement among the five products regarding the quantification of the total mass of all tropospheric ozone, the so called tropospheric ozone burden (TOB). The mean estimate for TOB between 60° N and 60° S is 296 Tg, with all products agreeing within ± 4%. However, on a regional basis the five satellite products have notable differences and there is no agreement in terms of ozone trends over the past decade. Continuing work is exploring the causes of these differences.

  15. Modelling observations of the inner gas and dust coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko using ROSINA/COPS and OSIRIS data: First results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marschall, R.; Su, C. C.; Liao, Y.; Thomas, N.; Altwegg, K.; Sierks, H.; Ip, W.-H.; Keller, H. U.; Knollenberg, J.; Kührt, E.; Lai, I. L.; Rubin, M.; Skorov, Y.; Wu, J. S.; Jorda, L.; Preusker, F.; Scholten, F.; Gracia-Berná, A.; Gicquel, A.; Naletto, G.; Shi, X.; Vincent, J.-B.

    2016-05-01

    Context. This paper describes the initial modelling of gas and dust data acquired in August and September 2014 from the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft when it was in close proximity to the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Aims: This work is an attempt to provide a self-consistent model of the innermost gas and dust coma of the comet, as constrained by the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) data set for the gas and by the Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) data set for the dust. Methods: The model uses a previously developed shape model for the nucleus, and from this the water sublimation rate and gas temperatures at the surface are computed with a simple thermal model. The gas expansion is modelled with a 3D parallel implementation of a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo algorithm. A dust drag algorithm is then used to produce dust densities in the coma, which are then converted to brightnesses using Mie theory and a line-of-sight integration. Results: We show that a purely insolation-driven model for surface outgassing does not produce a reasonable fit to ROSINA/COPS data. A stronger source in the "neck" region of the nucleus (region Hapi) is needed to match the observed modulation of the gas density in detail. This agrees with OSIRIS data, which shows that the dust emission from the "neck" was dominant in the August-September 2014 time frame. The current model matches this observation reasonably if a power index of 2-3 for the dust size distribution is used. A better match to the OSIRIS data is seen by using a single large particle size for the coma. Conclusions: We have shown possible solutions to the gas and dust distributions in the inner coma, which are consistent with ROSINA and OSIRIS data.

  16. Vitality Forms Processing in the Insula during Action Observation: A Multivoxel Pattern Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Di Cesare, Giuseppe; Valente, Giancarlo; Di Dio, Cinzia; Ruffaldi, Emanuele; Bergamasco, Massimo; Goebel, Rainer; Rizzolatti, Giacomo

    2016-01-01

    Observing the style of an action done by others allows the observer to understand the cognitive state of the agent. This information has been defined by Stern “vitality forms”. Previous experiments showed that the dorso-central insula is selectively active both during vitality form observation and execution. In the present study, we presented participants with videos showing hand actions performed with different velocities and asked them to judge either their vitality form (gentle, neutral, rude) or their velocity (slow, medium, fast). The aim of the present study was to assess, using multi-voxel pattern analysis, whether vitality forms and velocities of observed goal-directed actions are differentially processed in the insula, and more specifically whether action velocity is encoded per se or it is an element that triggers neural populations of the insula encoding the vitality form. The results showed that, consistently across subjects, in the dorso-central sector of the insula there were voxels selectively tuned to vitality forms, while voxel tuned to velocity were rare. These results indicate that the dorso-central insula, which previous data showed to be involved in the vitality form processing, contains voxels specific for the action style processing. PMID:27375461

  17. Vitality Forms Processing in the Insula during Action Observation: A Multivoxel Pattern Analysis.

    PubMed

    Di Cesare, Giuseppe; Valente, Giancarlo; Di Dio, Cinzia; Ruffaldi, Emanuele; Bergamasco, Massimo; Goebel, Rainer; Rizzolatti, Giacomo

    2016-01-01

    Observing the style of an action done by others allows the observer to understand the cognitive state of the agent. This information has been defined by Stern "vitality forms". Previous experiments showed that the dorso-central insula is selectively active both during vitality form observation and execution. In the present study, we presented participants with videos showing hand actions performed with different velocities and asked them to judge either their vitality form (gentle, neutral, rude) or their velocity (slow, medium, fast). The aim of the present study was to assess, using multi-voxel pattern analysis, whether vitality forms and velocities of observed goal-directed actions are differentially processed in the insula, and more specifically whether action velocity is encoded per se or it is an element that triggers neural populations of the insula encoding the vitality form. The results showed that, consistently across subjects, in the dorso-central sector of the insula there were voxels selectively tuned to vitality forms, while voxel tuned to velocity were rare. These results indicate that the dorso-central insula, which previous data showed to be involved in the vitality form processing, contains voxels specific for the action style processing.

  18. METHYL CYANIDE OBSERVATIONS TOWARD MASSIVE PROTOSTARS

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

    Rosero, V.; Hofner, P.; Kurtz, S.

    2013-07-01

    We report the results of a survey in the CH{sub 3}CN J = 12 {yields} 11 transition toward a sample of massive proto-stellar candidates. The observations were carried out with the 10 m Submillimeter Telescope on Mount Graham, AZ. We detected this molecular line in 9 out of 21 observed sources. In six cases this is the first detection of this transition. We also obtained full beam sampled cross-scans for five sources which show that the lower K-components can be extended on the arcminute angular scale. The higher K-components, however, are always found to be compact with respect to ourmore » 36'' beam. A Boltzmann population diagram analysis of the central spectra indicates CH{sub 3}CN column densities of about 10{sup 14} cm{sup -2}, and rotational temperatures above 50 K, which confirms these sources as hot molecular cores. Independent fits to line velocity and width for the individual K-components resulted in the detection of an increasing blueshift with increasing line excitation for four sources. Comparison with mid-infrared (mid-IR) images from the SPITZER GLIMPSE/IRAC archive for six sources show that the CH{sub 3}CN emission is generally coincident with a bright mid-IR source. Our data clearly show that the CH{sub 3}CN J = 12 {yields} 11 transition is a good probe of the hot molecular gas near massive protostars, and provide the basis for future interferometric studies.« less

  19. ASCA Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Helfand, David J.

    1998-01-01

    This recently expired grant has supported the work of the PI, his students, and his collaborators on a variety of ASCA projects over the past four years. Annual reports have summarized much of the work accomplished; here we provide a brief review of the work resulting from this effort, and a summary of the personnel who have benefited from the grant's support. Starburst Galaxies with Extreme X-ray Luminosities This project began as a careful examination of the claims of Boller et al. (1992) that there were dozens of "normal" galaxies in the ROSAT All-Sky Survey that had X-ray luminosities in excess of 1042 erg sec, higher than that seen in the hundreds of non-AGN galaxies observed with Einstein. If true, this suggested that X-ray emission associated with star formation activity might have a significant contribution to make to the still unexplained cosmic X-ray background (XRB). Since some of our earlier work with the Einstein Observatory Deep Surveys had suggested a similar possibility and several sets of authors over the years had modelled the starburst XRB contribution, these claims were worth pursuing. Our work expanded the examination beyond the RASS to include earlier claims of high-luminosity galaxies powered by starburst emission (selected in this case on the basis of the far-IR luminosities). The result of extensive followup observations under several programs using ROSAT, ASCA, and ground-based facilities was to show that nearly all of these objects in fact have hidden AGN at their cores, and that their luminosities are not in any way extraordinary.

  20. 28. MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF ARVFS FACILITY AS BUILT. SHOWS ...

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

    28. MAP SHOWING LOCATION OF ARVFS FACILITY AS BUILT. SHOWS LINCOLN BOULEVARD, BIG LOST RIVER, AND NAVAL REACTORS FACILITY. F.C. TORKELSON DRAWING NUMBER 842-ARVFS-101-2. DATED OCTOBER 12, 1965. INEL INDEX CODE NUMBER: 075 0101 851 151969. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Advanced Reentry Vehicle Fusing System, Scoville, Butte County, ID

  1. 1. NORTHWEST FRONT AND SOUTHWEST SIDE, SHOWING LOCATION OF BUILDING ...

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

    1. NORTHWEST FRONT AND SOUTHWEST SIDE, SHOWING LOCATION OF BUILDING 0520 WEST OF FIRING CONTOL BLOCK HOUSE (BLDG. 0545), BETWEEN SLED TRACK AND CAMERA ACCESS ROAD. - Edwards Air Force Base, South Base Sled Track, Observation Block House, Station "O" area, east end of Sled Track, Lancaster, Los Angeles County, CA

  2. Use of Discussion Board and PaperShow in Translation Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Takewa, Mika

    2013-01-01

    This report presents how the learning technologies Discussion Board and PaperShow are incorporated into postgraduate translation modules by means of observing their impact on students' learning. Initially and mainly for administrative reasons as well as being encouraged to make use of the university's virtual learning environment (VLE), I set up…

  3. The effect of baseline pressure errors on an intracranial pressure-derived index: results of a prospective observational study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background In order to characterize the intracranial pressure-volume reserve capacity, the correlation coefficient (R) between the ICP wave amplitude (A) and the mean ICP level (P), the RAP index, has been used to improve the diagnostic value of ICP monitoring. Baseline pressure errors (BPEs), caused by spontaneous shifts or drifts in baseline pressure, cause erroneous readings of mean ICP. Consequently, BPEs could also affect ICP indices such as the RAP where in the mean ICP is incorporated. Methods A prospective, observational study was carried out on patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) undergoing ICP monitoring as part of their surveillance. Via the same burr hole in the scull, two separate ICP sensors were placed close to each other. For each consecutive 6-sec time window, the dynamic mean ICP wave amplitude (MWA; measure of the amplitude of the single pressure waves) and the static mean ICP, were computed. The RAP index was computed as the Pearson correlation coefficient between the MWA and the mean ICP for 40 6-sec time windows, i.e. every subsequent 4-min period (method 1). We compared this approach with a method of calculating RAP using a 4-min moving window updated every 6 seconds (method 2). Results The study included 16 aSAH patients. We compared 43,653 4-min RAP observations of signals 1 and 2 (method 1), and 1,727,000 6-sec RAP observations (method 2). The two methods of calculating RAP produced similar results. Differences in RAP ≥0.4 in at least 7% of observations were seen in 5/16 (31%) patients. Moreover, the combination of a RAP of ≥0.6 in one signal and <0.6 in the other was seen in ≥13% of RAP-observations in 4/16 (25%) patients, and in ≥8% in another 4/16 (25%) patients. The frequency of differences in RAP >0.2 was significantly associated with the frequency of BPEs (5 mmHg ≤ BPE <10 mmHg). Conclusions Simultaneous monitoring from two separate, close-by ICP sensors reveals significant differences in RAP that

  4. Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis Version 2.1: Construction, Observational Verification, and New Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eldridge, J. J.; Stanway, E. R.; Xiao, L.; McClelland, L. A. S.; Taylor, G.; Ng, M.; Greis, S. M. L.; Bray, J. C.

    2017-11-01

    The Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis suite of binary stellar evolution models and synthetic stellar populations provides a framework for the physically motivated analysis of both the integrated light from distant stellar populations and the detailed properties of those nearby. We present a new version 2.1 data release of these models, detailing the methodology by which Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis incorporates binary mass transfer and its effect on stellar evolution pathways, as well as the construction of simple stellar populations. We demonstrate key tests of the latest Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis model suite demonstrating its ability to reproduce the colours and derived properties of resolved stellar populations, including well-constrained eclipsing binaries. We consider observational constraints on the ratio of massive star types and the distribution of stellar remnant masses. We describe the identification of supernova progenitors in our models, and demonstrate a good agreement to the properties of observed progenitors. We also test our models against photometric and spectroscopic observations of unresolved stellar populations, both in the local and distant Universe, finding that binary models provide a self-consistent explanation for observed galaxy properties across a broad redshift range. Finally, we carefully describe the limitations of our models, and areas where we expect to see significant improvement in future versions.

  5. Statistical analysis of MMS observations of energetic electron escape observed at/beyond the dayside magnetopause

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

    Cohen, Ian J.; Mauk, Barry H.; Anderson, Brian J.

    Here, observations from the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) instrument suite aboard the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft show that energetic (greater than tens of keV) magnetospheric particle escape into the magnetosheath occurs commonly across the dayside. This includes the surprisingly frequent observation of magnetospheric electrons in the duskside magnetosheath, an unexpected result given assumptions regarding magnetic drift shadowing. The 238 events identified in the 40 keV electron energy channel during the first MMS dayside season that exhibit strongly anisotropic pitch angle distributions indicating monohemispheric field-aligned streaming away from the magnetopause. A review of the extremely rich literature of energetic electron observationsmore » beyond the magnetopause is provided to place these new observations into historical context. Despite the extensive history of such research, these new observations provide a more comprehensive data set that includes unprecedented magnetic local time (MLT) coverage of the dayside equatorial magnetopause/magnetosheath. These data clearly highlight the common escape of energetic electrons along magnetic field lines concluded to have been reconnected across the magnetopause. While these streaming escape events agree with prior studies which show strong correlation with geomagnetic activity (suggesting a magnetotail source) and occur most frequently during periods of southward IMF, the high number of duskside events is unexpected and previously unobserved. Although the lowest electron energy channel was the focus of this study, the events reported here exhibit pitch angle anisotropies indicative of streaming up to 200 keV, which could represent the magnetopause loss of >1 MeV electrons from the outer radiation belt.« less

  6. Statistical analysis of MMS observations of energetic electron escape observed at/beyond the dayside magnetopause

    DOE PAGES

    Cohen, Ian J.; Mauk, Barry H.; Anderson, Brian J.; ...

    2017-08-01

    Here, observations from the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) instrument suite aboard the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft show that energetic (greater than tens of keV) magnetospheric particle escape into the magnetosheath occurs commonly across the dayside. This includes the surprisingly frequent observation of magnetospheric electrons in the duskside magnetosheath, an unexpected result given assumptions regarding magnetic drift shadowing. The 238 events identified in the 40 keV electron energy channel during the first MMS dayside season that exhibit strongly anisotropic pitch angle distributions indicating monohemispheric field-aligned streaming away from the magnetopause. A review of the extremely rich literature of energetic electron observationsmore » beyond the magnetopause is provided to place these new observations into historical context. Despite the extensive history of such research, these new observations provide a more comprehensive data set that includes unprecedented magnetic local time (MLT) coverage of the dayside equatorial magnetopause/magnetosheath. These data clearly highlight the common escape of energetic electrons along magnetic field lines concluded to have been reconnected across the magnetopause. While these streaming escape events agree with prior studies which show strong correlation with geomagnetic activity (suggesting a magnetotail source) and occur most frequently during periods of southward IMF, the high number of duskside events is unexpected and previously unobserved. Although the lowest electron energy channel was the focus of this study, the events reported here exhibit pitch angle anisotropies indicative of streaming up to 200 keV, which could represent the magnetopause loss of >1 MeV electrons from the outer radiation belt.« less

  7. Fibromyalgia Outcomes Over Time: Results from a Prospective Observational Study in the United States

    PubMed Central

    Schaefer, Caroline P.; Adams, Edgar H.; Udall, Margarita; Masters, Elizabeth T.; Mann, Rachael M.; Daniel, Shoshana R.; McElroy, Heather J.; Cappelleri, Joseph C.; Clair, Andrew G.; Hopps, Markay; Staud, Roland; Mease, Philip; Silverman, Stuart L.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Longitudinal research on outcomes of patients with fibromyalgia is limited. Objective: To assess clinician and patient-reported outcomes over time among fibromyalgia patients. Methods: At enrollment (Baseline) and follow-up (approximately 2 years later), consented patients were screened for chronic widespread pain (CWP), attended a physician site visit to determine fibromyalgia status, and completed an online questionnaire assessing pain, sleep, function, health status, productivity, medications, and healthcare resource use. Results: Seventy-six fibromyalgia patients participated at both time points (at Baseline: 86.8% white, 89.5% female, mean age 50.9 years, and mean duration of fibromyalgia 4.1 years). Mean number of tender points at each physician visit was 14.1 and 13.5, respectively; 11 patients no longer screened positive for CWP at follow-up. A majority reported medication use for pain (59.2% at Baseline, 62.0% at Follow-up). The most common medication classes were opioids (32.4%), SSRIs (16.9%), and tramadol (14.1%) at Follow-up. Significant mean changes over time were observed for fibromyalgia symptoms (modified American College of Rheumatology 2010 criteria: 18.4 to 16.9; P=0.004), pain interference with function (Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form: 5.9 to 5.3; P=0.013), and sleep (Medical Outcomes Study-Sleep Scale: 58.3 to 52.7; P=0.004). Patients achieving ≥2 point improvement in pain (14.5%) experienced greater changes in pain interference with function (6.8 to 3.4; P=0.001) and sleep (62.4 to 51.0; P=0.061). Conclusion: Fibromyalgia patients reported high levels of burden at both time points, with few significant changes observed over time. Outcomes were variable among patients over time and were better among those with greater pain improvement. PMID:28077978

  8. Clinical utility of FDG PET/CT in acute complicated pyelonephritis-results from an observational study.

    PubMed

    Wan, Chih-Hsing; Tseng, Jing-Ren; Lee, Ming-Hsun; Yang, Lan-Yan; Yen, Tzu-Chen

    2018-03-01

    Acute complicated pyelonephritis (ACP) is an upper urinary tract infection associated with coexisting urinary tract abnormalities or medical conditions that could predispose to serious outcomes or treatment failures. Although CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are frequently used in patients with ACP, the clinical value of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) has not been systematically investigated. This single-center retrospective study was designed to evaluate the potential usefulness of FDG PET/CT in patients with ACP. Thirty-one adult patients with ACP who underwent FDG PET/CT were examined. FDG PET/CT imaging characteristics, including tracer uptake patterns, kidney volumes, and extrarenal imaging findings, were reviewed in combination with clinical data and conventional imaging results. Of the 31 patients, 19 (61%) showed focal FDG uptake. The remaining 12 study participants showed a diffuse FDG uptake pattern. After volumetric approximation, the affected kidneys were found to be significantly enlarged. Patients who showed a focal uptake pattern had a higher frequency of abscess formation requiring drainage. ACP patients showing diffuse tracer uptake patterns had a more benign clinical course. Seven patients had suspected extrarenal coinfections, and FDG PET/CT successfully confirmed the clinical suspicion in five cases. FDG PET/CT was as sensitive as CT in identifying the six patients (19%) who developed abscesses. Notably, FDG PET/CT findings caused a modification to the initial antibiotic regimen in nine patients (29%). FDG PET/CT may be clinically useful in the assessment of patients with ACP who have a progressive disease course.

  9. Biases and systematics in the observational derivation of galaxy properties: comparing different techniques on synthetic observations of simulated galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guidi, Giovanni; Scannapieco, Cecilia; Walcher, C. Jakob

    2015-12-01

    We study the sources of biases and systematics in the derivation of galaxy properties from observational studies, focusing on stellar masses, star formation rates, gas and stellar metallicities, stellar ages, magnitudes and colours. We use hydrodynamical cosmological simulations of galaxy formation, for which the real quantities are known, and apply observational techniques to derive the observables. We also analyse biases that are relevant for a proper comparison between simulations and observations. For our study, we post-process the simulation outputs to calculate the galaxies' spectral energy distributions (SEDs) using stellar population synthesis models and also generate the fully consistent far-UV-submillimetre wavelength SEDs with the radiative transfer code SUNRISE. We compared the direct results of simulations with the observationally derived quantities obtained in various ways, and found that systematic differences in all studied galaxy properties appear, which are caused by: (1) purely observational biases, (2) the use of mass-weighted and luminosity-weighted quantities, with preferential sampling of more massive and luminous regions, (3) the different ways of constructing the template of models when a fit to the spectra is performed, and (4) variations due to different calibrations, most notably for gas metallicities and star formation rates. Our results show that large differences can appear depending on the technique used to derive galaxy properties. Understanding these differences is of primary importance both for simulators, to allow a better judgement of similarities and differences with observations, and for observers, to allow a proper interpretation of the data.

  10. [Microscopic observation on mycorrhiza of rare herb Dysosma versipellis].

    PubMed

    Tan, Xiao-Ming; Yu, Li-Ying; Zhou, Ya-Qin; Zhou, Xiao-Lei; Wei, Ying

    2013-12-01

    Endophytic fungi played an important role in the growth of its host plant. To investigate the mycorrhizal characteristics and the distribution of fungi in the root, an endangered wild plant-Dysosma versipellis was collected and observed by electron microscope. The results showed that the host was closely associated with endophytic fungi. The fungi were mainly distributed in the epidermis and cortex. The aseptate and septate fungi with swollen hyphae were observed in some cell of the cortex. The result provides a reference for the study of mycorrhizal structure of Dysosma genus and the interaction between the fungi and its host.

  11. Global ozone observations from the UARS MLS: An overview of zonal-mean results

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

    Froidevaux, L.; Waters, J.W.; Read, W.G.

    1994-10-15

    Global ozone observations from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) aboard the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) are presented, in both vertically resolved and column abundance formats. The authors review the zonal-mean ozone variations measured over the two and a half years since launch in September 1991. Well-known features such as the annual and semiannual variations are ubiquitous. In the equatorial regions, longer-term changes are believed to be related to the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO), with a strong semiannual signal above 20 hPa. Ozone values near 50 hPa exhibit an equatorial low from October 1991 to June 1992, after which the lowmore » ozone pattern splits into two subtropical lows (possibly in connection with residual circulation changes tied to the QBO) and returns to an equatorial low in September 1993. The ozone hole development at high southern latitudes is apparent in MLS column data integrated down to 100 hPa, with a pattern generally consistent with Nimbus-7 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) measurements of total column; the MLS data reinforce current knowledge of this lower-stratospheric phenomenon by providing a height-dependent view of the variations. The region from 30{degrees}S to 30{degrees}N (an area equal to half the global area) shows very little change in the ozone column from year to year and within each year. Finally, residual ozone values extracted from TOMS-minus-MLS column data are briefly presented as a preliminary view into the potential usefulness of such studies, with information on tropospheric ozone as an ultimate goal. 99 refs., 13 figs.« less

  12. Observing storm surges from satellite altimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Guoqi

    2016-07-01

    Storm surges can cause catastrophic damage to properties and loss of life in coastal communities. Thus it is important to enhance our capabilities of observing and forecasting storm surges for mitigating damage and loss. In this presentation we show examples of observing storm surges around the world using nadir satellite altimetry, during Hurricane Sandy, Igor, and Isaac, as well as other cyclone events. The satellite observations are evaluated against tide-gauge observations and discussed for dynamic mechanisms. We also show the potential of a new wide-swath altimetry mission, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT), for observing storm surges.

  13. Surface Tension and Viscosity Measurements in Microgravity: Some Results and Fluid Flow Observations during MSL-1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hyer, Robert W.; Trapaga, G.; Flemings, M. C.

    1999-01-01

    The viscosity of a liquid metal was successfully measured for the first time by a containerless method, the oscillating drop technique. This method also provides a means to obtain a precise, non-contact measurement of the surface tension of the droplet. This technique involves exciting the surface of the molten sample and then measuring the resulting oscillations; the natural frequency of the oscillating sample is determined by its surface tension, and the damping of the oscillations by the viscosity. These measurements were performed in TEMPUS, a microgravity electromagnetic levitator (EML), on the Space Shuttle as a part of the First Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1), which flew in April and July 1997 (STS-83 and STS-94). Some results of the surface tension and viscosity measurements are presented for Pd82Si18. Some observations of the fluid dynamic characteristics (dominant flow patterns, turbulent transition, cavitation, etc.) of levitated droplets are presented and discussed together with magnetohydrodynamic calculations, which were performed to justify these findings.

  14. Ethical challenges in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease observational studies and trials: results of the Barcelona summit

    PubMed Central

    Molinuevo, José L.; Cami, Jordi; Carné, Xavier; Carrillo, Maria C.; Georges, Jean; Isaac, Maria B.; Khachaturian, Zaven; Kim, Scott Y. H.; Morris, John C.; Pasquier, Florence; Ritchie, Craig; Sperling, Reisa; Karlawish, Jason

    2016-01-01

    Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is among the most significant healthcare burdens. Disappointing results from clinical trials in late-stage AD persons combined with hopeful results from trials in persons with early-stage suggest that research in the preclinical stage of AD is necessary to define an optimal therapeutic success window. We review the justification for conducting trials in the preclinical stage and highlight novel ethical challenges that arise and are related to determining appropriate risk-benefit ratios and disclosing individuals’ biomarker status. We propose that to conduct clinical trials with these participants, we need to improve public understanding of AD using unified vocabulary, resolve the acceptable risk-benefit ratio in asymptomatic participants and disclose or not biomarker status with attention to study type (observational studies versus clinical trials). Overcoming these challenges will justify clinical trials in preclinical AD at the societal level and aid to the development of societal and legal support for trial participants. PMID:26988427

  15. The patient-zero problem with noisy observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Altarelli, Fabrizio; Braunstein, Alfredo; Dall'Asta, Luca; Ingrosso, Alessandro; Zecchina, Riccardo

    2014-10-01

    A belief propagation approach has been recently proposed for the patient-zero problem in SIR epidemics. The patient-zero problem consists of finding the initial source of an epidemic outbreak given observations at a later time. In this work, we study a more difficult but related inference problem, in which observations are noisy and there is confusion between observed states. In addition to studying the patient-zero problem, we also tackle the problem of completing and correcting the observations to possibly find undiscovered infected individuals and false test results. Moreover, we devise a set of equations, based on the variational expression of the Bethe free energy, to find the patient-zero along with maximum-likelihood epidemic parameters. We show, by means of simulated epidemics, that this method is able to infer details on the past history of an epidemic outbreak based solely on the topology of the contact network and a single snapshot of partial and noisy observations.

  16. Initial results from SKiYMET meteor radar at Thumba (8.5°N, 77°E): 2. Gravity wave observations in the MLT region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Karanam Kishore; Antonita, T. Maria; Shelbi, S. T.

    2007-12-01

    In the present communication, allSKy interferometric METeor (SKiYMET) radar observations of gravity wave activity in the mesosphere lower thermosphere (MLT) region over Thumba (8.5°N, 77°E) are presented. The present meteor radar system provides hourly zonal and meridional winds in the MLT region, which can be readily used for studying the tides, planetary waves, gravity waves of periods 2-6 hours, and other long period oscillations in this region. However, these hourly winds are not sufficient for studying short period gravity waves having periods less than an hour, which demand high temporal resolution measurements. Even though the winds are estimated on an hourly basis, information such as zenith angle, azimuth angle, and radial velocity of each detected meteor are archived. Using these details of the meteor, an algorithm is developed to obtain the 15-min temporal resolution wind data. The output of the algorithm is compared with hourly wind data, and it showed a good agreement during the high meteor shower periods. Most of the times high meteor counts are observed during late night and early morning hours (local) over this latitude. Continuous wind measurements during the high meteor shower periods are used for studying the gravity wave activity in the MLT region. As the wave activity is intermittent and nonstationary, wavelet analysis has been used for delineating the wave features. The results showed the upward propagating intermittent gravity waves with periods 1-2 and 4-5 hours. The new aspect of the present communication is the usage of meteor radar for gravity wave studies for the first time over this latitude and studying their seasonal variability.

  17. Ayahuasca-assisted therapy for addiction: results from a preliminary observational study in Canada.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Gerald; Lucas, Philippe; Capler, N Rielle; Tupper, Kenneth W; Martin, Gina

    2013-03-01

    This paper reports results from a preliminary observational study of ayahuasca-assisted treatment for problematic substance use and stress delivered in a rural First Nations community in British Columbia, Canada. The "Working with Addiction and Stress" retreats combined four days of group counselling with two expert-led ayahuasca ceremonies. This study collected pre-treatment and six months follow-up data from 12 participants on several psychological and behavioral factors related to problematic substance use, and qualitative data assessing the personal experiences of the participants six months after the retreat. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvements were demonstrated for scales assessing hopefulness, empowerment, mindfulness, and quality of life meaning and outlook subscales. Self-reported alcohol, tobacco and cocaine use declined, although cannabis and opiate use did not; reported reductions in problematic cocaine use were statistically significant. All study participants reported positive and lasting changes from participating in the retreats. This form of ayahuasca-assisted therapy appears to be associated with statistically significant improvements in several factors related to problematic substance use among a rural aboriginal population. These findings suggest participants may have experienced positive psychological and behavioral changes in response to this therapeutic approach, and that more rigorous research of ayahuasca-assisted therapy for problematic substance use is warranted.

  18. Spathaspora passalidarum selected for resistance to AFEX hydrolysate shows decreased cell yield.

    PubMed

    Su, Yi-Kai; Willis, Laura B; Rehmann, Lars; Smith, David; Jeffries, Thomas W

    2018-06-21

    This study employed cell recycling, batch adaptation, cell mating and high throughput screening to select adapted Spathaspora passalidarum strains with improved fermentative ability.The most promising candidate, YK208-E11 (E11) showed a 3-fold increase in specific fermentation rate compared to the parental strain and an ethanol yield greater than 0.45 g/g substrate while co-utilizing cellobiose, glucose, and xylose. Further characterization showed that strain E11 also makes 40% less biomass compared to the parental strain when cultivated in rich media under aerobic conditions. A tetrazolium agar overlay assay in the presence of respiration inhibitors, including rotenone, antimycin A, KCN, and salicylhydroxamic acid elucidated the nature of the mutational events. Results indicated that E11 has a deficiency in its respiration system that could contribute to its low cell yield. Strain E11 was subjected to whole genome sequencing and a ∼11 kb deletion was identified; the open reading frames absent in strain E11 code for proteins with predicted functions in respiration, cell division and the actin cytoskeleton, and may contribute to the observed physiology of the adapted strain. Results of the tetrazolium overlay also suggest that cultivation on xylose affects the respiration capacity in the wild-type strain, which could account for its faster fermentation of xylose as compared to glucose. These results support our previous finding that S. passalidarum has highly unusual physiological responses to xylose under oxygen limitation.

  19. Multitime correlators in continuous measurement of qubit observables

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atalaya, Juan; Hacohen-Gourgy, Shay; Martin, Leigh S.; Siddiqi, Irfan; Korotkov, Alexander N.

    2018-02-01

    We consider multitime correlators for output signals from linear detectors, continuously measuring several qubit observables at the same time. Using the quantum Bayesian formalism, we show that for unital (symmetric) evolution in the absence of phase backaction, an N -time correlator can be expressed as a product of two-time correlators when N is even. For odd N , there is a similar factorization, which also includes a single-time average. Theoretical predictions agree well with experimental results for two detectors, which simultaneously measure noncommuting qubit observables.

  20. Results of the Workshop on Impact Cratering: Bridging the Gap Between Modeling and Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Herrick, Robert (Editor); Pierazzo, Elisabetta (Editor)

    2003-01-01

    On February 7-9,2003, approximately 60 scientists gathered at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, for a workshop devoted to improving knowledge of the impact cratering process. We (co-conveners Elisabetta Pierazzo and Robert Herrick) both focus research efforts on studying the impact cratering process, but the former specializes in numerical modeling while the latter draws inferences from observations of planetary craters. Significant work has been done in several key areas of impact studies over the past several years, but in many respects there seem to be a disconnect between the groups employing different approaches, in particular modeling versus observations. The goal in convening this workshop was to bring together these disparate groups to have an open dialogue for the purposes of answering outstanding questions about the impact process and setting future research directions. We were successful in getting participation from most of the major research groups studying the impact process. Participants gathered from five continents with research specialties ranging from numerical modeling to field geology, and from small-scale experimentation and geochemical sample analysis to seismology and remote sensing.With the assistance of the scientific advisory committee (Bevan French, Kevin Housen, Bill McKinnon, Jay Melosh, and Mike Zolensky), the workshop was divided into a series of sessions devoted to different aspects of the cratering process. Each session was opened by two invited t a b , one given by a specialist in numerical or experimental modeling approaches, and the other by a specialist in geological, geophysical, or geochemical observations. Shorter invited and contributed talks filled out the sessions, which were then concluded with an open discussion time. All modelers were requested to address the question of what observations would better constrain their models, and all observationists were requested to discuss how their observations can

  1. An adaptive tracking observer for failure-detection systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sidar, M.

    1982-01-01

    The design problem of adaptive observers applied to linear, constant and variable parameters, multi-input, multi-output systems, is considered. It is shown that, in order to keep the observer's (or Kalman filter) false-alarm rate (FAR) under a certain specified value, it is necessary to have an acceptable proper matching between the observer (or KF) model and the system parameters. An adaptive observer algorithm is introduced in order to maintain desired system-observer model matching, despite initial mismatching and/or system parameter variations. Only a properly designed adaptive observer is able to detect abrupt changes in the system (actuator, sensor failures, etc.) with adequate reliability and FAR. Conditions for convergence for the adaptive process were obtained, leading to a simple adaptive law (algorithm) with the possibility of an a priori choice of fixed adaptive gains. Simulation results show good tracking performance with small observer output errors and accurate and fast parameter identification, in both deterministic and stochastic cases.

  2. Earth Observations

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2010-07-23

    ISS024-E-009404 (23 July 2010) --- This photo taken from the International Space Station on July 23, 2010, shows the Gulf of Mexico oil spill as part of ongoing observations of the region. When this image was taken, three months after the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, the leak had been plugged for eight days. Water surfaces appear bright and land surfaces appear dark in the image. The stark contrast is due to sun glint, in which the sun is reflected brilliantly off all water surfaces back towards the astronaut observer on board the station. The sun glint reveals various features in the Gulf of Mexico, especially sheens of oil as packets of long bright streaks seen on the left side of the image. Sediments carried by the Mississippi River have a light-yellow coloration in this image, with distinct margins between plumes that likely mark tidal pulses of river water into the Gulf of Mexico. A boat wake cuts across one of the oil packets at image lower left. Daily National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) maps of oil distribution show predicted heavier and lighter oil movement near the Gulf coastline. The maps show that on the day this image was taken, the north edge of the ?oiled? zone was expected to bank up against the delta. The observed spread of the surface oil in the approximately 100 days since the explosion highlights the connectivity between the deepwater areas and coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico.

  3. Compactly supported linearised observables in single-field inflation

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

    Fröob, Markus B.; Higuchi, Atsushi; Hack, Thomas-Paul, E-mail: mbf503@york.ac.uk, E-mail: thomas-paul.hack@itp.uni-leipzig.de, E-mail: atsushi.higuchi@york.ac.uk

    We investigate the gauge-invariant observables constructed by smearing the graviton and inflaton fields by compactly supported tensors at linear order in general single-field inflation. These observables correspond to gauge-invariant quantities that can be measured locally. In particular, we show that these observables are equivalent to (smeared) local gauge-invariant observables such as the linearised Weyl tensor, which have better infrared properties than the graviton and inflaton fields. Special cases include the equivalence between the compactly supported gauge-invariant graviton observable and the smeared linearised Weyl tensor in Minkowski and de Sitter spaces. Our results indicate that the infrared divergences in the tensormore » and scalar perturbations in single-field inflation have the same status as in de Sitter space and are both a gauge artefact, in a certain technical sense, at tree level.« less

  4. Analyzing time-ordered event data with missed observations.

    PubMed

    Dokter, Adriaan M; van Loon, E Emiel; Fokkema, Wimke; Lameris, Thomas K; Nolet, Bart A; van der Jeugd, Henk P

    2017-09-01

    A common problem with observational datasets is that not all events of interest may be detected. For example, observing animals in the wild can difficult when animals move, hide, or cannot be closely approached. We consider time series of events recorded in conditions where events are occasionally missed by observers or observational devices. These time series are not restricted to behavioral protocols, but can be any cyclic or recurring process where discrete outcomes are observed. Undetected events cause biased inferences on the process of interest, and statistical analyses are needed that can identify and correct the compromised detection processes. Missed observations in time series lead to observed time intervals between events at multiples of the true inter-event time, which conveys information on their detection probability. We derive the theoretical probability density function for observed intervals between events that includes a probability of missed detection. Methodology and software tools are provided for analysis of event data with potential observation bias and its removal. The methodology was applied to simulation data and a case study of defecation rate estimation in geese, which is commonly used to estimate their digestive throughput and energetic uptake, or to calculate goose usage of a feeding site from dropping density. Simulations indicate that at a moderate chance to miss arrival events ( p  = 0.3), uncorrected arrival intervals were biased upward by up to a factor 3, while parameter values corrected for missed observations were within 1% of their true simulated value. A field case study shows that not accounting for missed observations leads to substantial underestimates of the true defecation rate in geese, and spurious rate differences between sites, which are introduced by differences in observational conditions. These results show that the derived methodology can be used to effectively remove observational biases in time-ordered event

  5. Observations in Nonurban Heat Islands.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hogan, A. W.; Ferrick, M. G.

    1998-02-01

    The urban heat island is a well-known and well-described temperature anomaly, but other types of heat islands are also infrequently reported. A 10 km × 30 km data field containing more than 100 individual winter morning air temperature measurement points was examined for areas characteristically warmer than surrounding areas. The very small `downtown' of Hanover, New Hampshire, was found to be 1°-2°C warmer than nearby open areas at the same elevation. The same technique was applied to examine the morning air temperature within a nearby hamlet consisting of about 60 wooden buildings within an area less than 0.3 km2. The bulk of observations and observations stratified by snow and sky cover showed no systematic difference between hamlet air temperatures and those obtained in surrounding terrain. Morning air temperatures along a freezing river were measured and found to be systematically warmer than nearby air temperatures for several days, until a significant snowfall diminished the ice growth rate. A thorough examination of temperature profiles near the river showed that the increase in air temperature beneath the overnight inversion during this freezing period was proportional to the heat release resulting from river ice growth.

  6. Preliminary JIRAM results from Juno polar observations: 2. Analysis of the Jupiter southern H3+ emissions and comparison with the north aurora

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adriani, A.; Mura, A.; Moriconi, M. L.; Dinelli, B. M.; Fabiano, F.; Altieri, F.; Sindoni, G.; Bolton, S. J.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Atreya, S. K.; Bagenal, F.; Gérard, J.-C. M. C.; Filacchione, G.; Tosi, F.; Migliorini, A.; Grassi, D.; Piccioni, G.; Noschese, R.; Cicchetti, A.; Gladstone, G. R.; Hansen, C.; Kurth, W. S.; Levin, S. M.; Mauk, B. H.; McComas, D. J.; Olivieri, A.; Turrini, D.; Stefani, S.; Amoroso, M.

    2017-05-01

    The Jupiter InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) aboard Juno observed the Jovian South Pole aurora during the first orbit of the mission. H3+ (trihydrogen cation) and CH4 (methane) emissions have been identified and measured. The observations have been carried out in nadir and slant viewing both by a L-filtered imager and a 2-5 μm spectrometer. Results from the spectral analysis of the all observations taken over the South Pole by the instrument are reported. The coverage of the southern aurora during these measurements has been partial, but sufficient to determine different regions of temperature and abundance of the H3+ ion from its emission lines in the 3-4 μm wavelength range. Finally, the results from the southern aurora are also compared with those from the northern ones from the data taken during the same perijove pass and reported by Dinelli et al. (2017).

  7. Pigeons (Columba livia) show change blindness in a color-change detection task.

    PubMed

    Herbranson, Walter T; Jeffers, Jacob S

    2017-07-01

    Change blindness is a phenomenon whereby changes to a stimulus are more likely go unnoticed under certain circumstances. Pigeons learned a change detection task, in which they observed sequential stimulus displays consisting of individual colors back-projected onto three response keys. The color of one response key changed during each sequence and pecks to the key that displayed the change were reinforced. Pigeons showed a change blindness effect, in that change detection accuracy was worse when there was an inter-stimulus interval interrupting the transition between consecutive stimulus displays. Birds successfully transferred to stimulus displays involving novel colors, indicating that pigeons learned a general change detection rule. Furthermore, analysis of responses to specific color combinations showed that pigeons could detect changes involving both spectral and non-spectral colors and that accuracy was better for changes involving greater differences in wavelength. These results build upon previous investigations of change blindness in both humans and pigeons and suggest that change blindness may be a general consequence of selective visual attention relevant to multiple species and stimulus dimensions.

  8. First results from the NASA WB-57 airborne observations of the Great American 2017 Total Solar Eclipse

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caspi, Amir; Tsang, Constantine; DeForest, Craig; Seaton, Daniel B.; Bryans, Paul; Tomczyk, Steven; Burkepile, Joan; Judge, Phil; DeLuca, Edward E.; Golub, Leon; Gallagher, Peter T.; Zhukov, Andrei; West, Matthew; Durda, Daniel D.; Steffl, Andrew J.

    2017-08-01

    Total solar eclipses present rare opportunities to study the complex solar corona, down to altitudes of just a few percent of a solar radius above the surface, using ground-based and airborne observatories that would otherwise be dominated by the intense solar disk and high sky brightness. Studying the corona is critical to gaining a better understanding of physical processes that occur on other stars and astrophysical objects, as well as understanding the dominant driver of space weather that affects human assets at Earth and elsewhere. For example, it is still poorly understood how the corona is heated to temperatures of 1-2 MK globally and up to 5-10 MK above active regions, while the underlying chromosphere is 100 times cooler; numerous theories abound, but are difficult to constrain due to the limited sensitivities and cadences of prior measurements. The origins and stability of coronal fans, and the extent of their reach to the middle and outer corona, are also not well known, limited in large part by sensitivities and fields of view of existing observations.Airborne observations during the eclipse provide unique advantages; by flying in the stratosphere at altitudes of 50 kft or higher, they avoid all weather, the seeing quality is enormously improved, and additional wavelengths such as near-IR also become available due to significantly reduced water absorption. For an eclipse, an airborne observatory can also follow the shadow, increasing the total observing time by 50% or more.We present the first results from airborne observations of the 2017 Great American Total Solar Eclipse using two of NASA's WB-57 research aircraft, each equipped with two 8.7" telescopes feeding high-sensitivity visible (green-line) and near-IR (3-5 µm) cameras operating at high cadence (30 Hz) with ~3 arcsec/pixel platescale and ±3 R_sun fields of view. The aircraft will fly along the eclipse path, separated by ~90 km, to observe a summed ~8 minutes of totality in both visible and

  9. Meteor Shower Records: A Reference Table of Observations from Previous Centuries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koseki, M.

    2009-10-01

    Meteor history shows the complex nature of meteor showers. The author presents the Comae Berenicids as an example of the difficulties in defining meteor showers for visibility using different observational techniques. It is not useful to give a fixed or coded name to a 'meteor shower' because it may not be real and could lead observers to fictitious results.

  10. Negative energy seen by accelerated observers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ford, L. H.; Roman, Thomas A.

    2013-04-01

    The sampled negative energy density seen by inertial observers, in arbitrary quantum states is limited by quantum inequalities, which take the form of an inverse relation between the magnitude and duration of the negative energy. The quantum inequalities severely limit the utilization of negative energy to produce gross macroscopic effects, such as violations of the second law of thermodynamics. The restrictions on the sampled energy density along the worldlines of accelerated observers are much weaker than for inertial observers. Here we will illustrate this with several explicit examples. We consider the worldline of a particle undergoing sinusoidal motion in space in the presence of a single mode squeezed vacuum state of the electromagnetic field. We show that it is possible for the integrated energy density along such a worldline to become arbitrarily negative at a constant average rate. Thus the averaged weak energy condition is violated in these examples. This can be the case even when the particle moves at nonrelativistic speeds. We use the Raychaudhuri equation to show that there can be net defocusing of a congruence of these accelerated worldlines. This defocusing is an operational signature of the negative integrated energy density. These results in no way invalidate nor undermine either the validity or utility of the quantum inequalities for inertial observers. In particular, they do not change previous constraints on the production of macroscopic effects with negative energy, e.g., the maintenance of traversable wormholes.

  11. XMM TOO Observation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kong, Albert

    2005-01-01

    The primary research goal of this project is to perform follow-up observations of a recurrent ultraluminous supersoft X-ray source (SSS) in Ml0l. The source was first discovered by ROSAT and was confirmed as a SSS with a blackbody temperature of about l00eV by Chandra. During 2000 March, Chandra detected it at Lx=4e39 erg per second, and then in 2000 October, its luminosity dropped to around le39 erg per second. During 2004, Chandra is conducting a monitoring program for Ml0l. The SSS was near the detection limit during January, March, and May; the X-ray spectra were harder with a power-law shape, and the X-ray luminosity was about 3e37 erg/second, a factor of greater than 200 fainter than that in the previous high state. The source was found to be in outburst again during the July 5 observation, with an X-ray luminosity of about 7e39 erg/second. Data taken on July 6,7, and 8 show that the source was in a strong outburst with a peak bolometric luminosity of about 7e39 erg/second. In general, the X-ray spectra are best described with an absorbed blackbody model with temperatures of approximately 50-100eV. In addition, we found absorption edges at 0.33, 0.57, 0.66, and 0.88 keV in two of the high state spectra. These features may signal the presence of highly ionized gas in the vicinity of the accretor (e.g., warm absorber). In order to study an ultraluminous SSS in outburst in detail, we proposed a TOO XMM observation to observe the source. The observation was taken on July 23 and the source was fainter with a luminosity of 6e38 ergs, and a harder X-ray spectrum with a power-law tail seen up to 7 keV. This clearly indicates that the source was in the decline stage with spectral change. In addition to the XMM observation, we also arranged radio observation and a simultaneous CFHT observation. The X-ray results were published in ATel and ApJL. There were several more Chandra observations taken after 2004 July. The source was in a low luminosity state but it underwent

  12. Impacts of climate change on river discharge in the northern Tien Shan: Results from the long-term observations and modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shahgedanova, Maria; Afzal, Muhammad; Usmanova, Zamira; Kapitsa, Vasilii; Mayr, Elisabeth; Hagg, Wilfried; Severskiy, Igor; Zhumabayev, Dauren

    2017-04-01

    The study presents results of investigation of the observed and projected changes in discharge of seven snow- and glacier-nourished rivers of the northern Tien Shan (south-eastern Kazakhstan). The observed trends were assessed using the long-term (40-60 years) homogeneous daily records of discharge from the gauging stations located in the mountains and unaffected by human activities including water abstraction. Positive trends in discharge were registered at most sites between the 1950s and 2010s with the strongest increase in summer and autumn particularly in 2000-2010s in line with the positive temperature trends. The observed increase was most prominent in the catchments with a higher proportion of glacierized area. At the Ulken Almatinka and Kishi Almatinka rivers, where 16% and 12% of the catchment areas are glacierized, positive trends in summer and autumn discharge exceeded 1% per year. The strongest increase was observed in September indicating that melting period extends in the early autumn. In September-November, the number of days with extreme discharge values, defined as daily values exceeding 95th percentile (calculated for each meteorological season), increased at all rivers. Future changes in discharge were modelled using HBV-ETH hydrological model and four climate change scenarios derived using regional climate model PRECIS with 25 km spatial resolution driven by HadGEM GCM for RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 scenarios and HadCM3Q0 and ECHAM5 GCM for A1B scenario. A range of glacier change scenarios was considered. All climate experiments project increase in temperature with the strongest warming projected by the HadGEM-driven simulation for RCP 8.5 scenario and HadCM3Q0-driven simulation for A1B scenario. The projected changes in precipitation varied between models and seasons, however, most experiments did not show significant trends in precipitation within the studied catchments. The exception is a simulation driven by HadGEM GCM for 8.5 RCP scenario which

  13. Inferring interventional predictions from observational learning data.

    PubMed

    Meder, Bjorn; Hagmayer, York; Waldmann, Michael R

    2008-02-01

    Previous research has shown that people are capable of deriving correct predictions for previously unseen actions from passive observations of causal systems (Waldmann & Hagmayer, 2005). However, these studies were limited, since learning data were presented as tabulated data only, which may have turned the task more into a reasoning rather than a learning task. In two experiments, we therefore presented learners with trial-by-trial observational learning input referring to a complex causal model consisting of four events. To test the robustness of the capacity to derive correct observational and interventional inferences, we pitted causal order against the temporal order of learning events. The results show that people are, in principle, capable of deriving correct predictions after purely observational trial-by-trial learning, even with relatively complex causal models. However, conflicting temporal information can impair performance, particularly when the inferences require taking alternative causal pathways into account.

  14. Observation of hectometric auroral radio emissions in Iceland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sato, Y.; Ono, T.; Iizima, M.; Sato, N.

    2006-12-01

    The Earth's auroral region is an active radio source at frequencies from a few hertz to several megahertz. In the hectometric range, it was found that Terrestrial Hectometric Radiation (THR) is related to auroras by observations of the Ohzora satellite [Oya et al.(1985)]. In resent research, Shinbori et al. [2003] showed that occurrence of THR follows SC by several minutes using the Akebono satellite data. On the ground, auroral roar and MF burst were discovered by Kellogg and Monson [1979, 1984] and Weatherwax et al. [1994] in the northern Canada, respectively. Because there is not enough physical and geophysical characterization of these radio emissions, the physical mechanism of these phenomena in the auroral ionosphere has not been fully understood yet. We set up new observation system at Husafell station in Iceland in September, 2005 and have started to observe auroral radio emissions. Radio signals, which are received by the cross loop antennas, are converted into left- and right- handed polarized components within the frequency range from 1 MHz to 5 MHz. Based on the calibration of system, it was found that the possibility of occurence would be smaller than expected due to the low sensitivity because average power spectrum densities of auroral roar and MF burst are 50-100 nV/m/Hz^1/2. So, the system was planed to be upgraded in this September, which makes it possible to detect auroral roar and MF burst. It is expected that the detail physical process will be elucidated by clarifying the spectrum, polarization, dependence on the geomagnetic activity, and so on. In this presentation, we will show the improved points of the new system and preliminary observation results. There is a basic question whether auroral roar and MF burst observed on the ground are generated by the same process as THR observed by satellites. By comparing the results from the ground-based observation and the Akebono satellite observation of THR, it becomes possible to obtain a new

  15. Engaging Citizen Scientists across North America to Monitor Eclipse-driven Environmental Change through NASA GLOBE Observer, Results and Lessons Learned

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riebeek Kohl, H.; Weaver, K.; Overoye, D.; Martin, A.; Andersen, T.

    2017-12-01

    How cool was the eclipse? NASA GLOBE Observer challenged citizen scientists across North America to answer that question by observing temperature and cloud changes throughout the August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse. The experiment was meant to chart the impact of changes in solar energy at Earth's surface across all regions that experienced the eclipse, both partial and total. Citizen scientists reported air temperature every 5-10 minutes from first contact to last contact through the free GLOBE Observer app. They also reported cloud cover and cloud type every 15-30 minutes or as changes happened as a proxy for changes in the atmosphere. No data were collected during totality, as we wanted citizen scientists to focus on the eclipse at that time. To recruit citizen scientists, members of the GLOBE Observer Team participated in six large outreach events across the path of totality. We also encouraged participation outside the path of totality though partnerships with informal education institutions and direct communication to the public through NASA communication channels. This presentation will report statistics on citizen science participation and lessons learned about citizen science as an outreach tool. Did participation in the experiment enhance a person's eclipse experience? Did citizen scientists find enough value in the experiment to continue to participate in GLOBE Observer, a long-term citizen science program, after the eclipse? We will also present early results of observed temperature and cloud changes.

  16. A Census of X-Ray Gas in NGC 1068: Results from 450ks of Chandra HETG Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kallman, T.; Evans, Daniel A.; Marshall, H.; Canizares, C.; Longinotti, A.; Nowak, M.; Schulz, N.

    2013-01-01

    We present models for the X-ray spectrum of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068. These are fitted to data obtained using the High Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) on the Chandra X-ray observatory. The data show line and radiative recombination continuum (RRC) emission from a broad range of ions and elements. The models explore the importance of excitation processes for these lines including photoionization followed by recombination, radiative excitation by absorption of continuum radiation and inner shell fluorescence. The models show that the relative importance of these processes depends on the conditions in the emitting gas, and that no single emitting component can fit the entire spectrum. In particular, the relative importance of radiative excitation and photoionization/recombination differs according to the element and ion stage emitting the line. This in turn implies a diversity of values for the ionization parameter of the various components of gas responsible for the emission, ranging from log(Epsilon)=1 - 3. Using this, we obtain an estimate for the total amount of gas responsible for the observed emission. The mass flux through the region included in the HETG extraction region is approximately 0.3 Solar Mass/yr assuming ordered flow at the speed characterizing the line widths. This can be compared with what is known about this object from other techniques.

  17. A Census of X-ray gas in NGC 1068: Results from 450ks of Chandra HETG Observations.

    PubMed

    Kallman, T; Evans, Daniel A; Marshall, H; Canizares, C; Longinotti, A; Nowak, M; Schulz, N

    2014-01-10

    We present models for the X-ray spectrum of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068. These are fitted to data obtained using the High Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) on the Chandra X-ray observatory. The data show line and radiative recombination continuum (RRC) emission from a broad range of ions and elements. The models explore the importance of excitation processes for these lines including photoionization followed by recombination, radiative excitation by absorption of continuum radiation and inner shell fluorescence. The models show that the relative importance of these processes depends on the conditions in the emitting gas, and that no single emitting component can fit the entire spectrum. In particular, the relative importance of radiative excitation and photoionization/recombination differs according to the element and ion stage emitting the line. This in turn implies a diversity of values for the ionization parameter of the various components of gas responsible for the emission, ranging from log(ξ)=1 - 3. Using this, we obtain an estimate for the total amount of gas responsible for the observed emission. The mass flux through the region included in the HETG extraction region is approximately 0.3 M ⊙ yr -1 assuming ordered flow at the speed characterizing the line widths. This can be compared with what is known about this object from other techniques.

  18. Galactic Observations of Terahertz C+ (GOT C+): First Results: Inner Galaxy Survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langer, William; Velusamy, T.; Pineda, J. L.; Goldsmith, P. F.; Li, D.; Yorke, H. W.

    2010-05-01

    To understand the lifecycle of the interstellar gas and star formation we need detailed information about the diffuse atomic and diffuse molecular gas cloud properties. The ionized carbon [CII] 1.9 THz fine structure line is an important tracer of the atomic gas in the diffuse regions and the interface regions of atomic gas to molecular clouds. Furthermore, C+ is a major ISM coolant and among the Galaxy's strongest far-IR emission lines, and thus controls the thermal conditions throughout large parts of the Galaxy. Until now our knowledge of interstellar gas has been limited to the diffuse atomic phase traced by HI and to the dense molecular H2 phase traced by CO. However, we are missing an important phase of the ISM called "dark gas” in which there is no or little, HI, and mostly molecular hydrogen but with insufficient shielding of UV to allow CO to form. C+ emission and absorption lines at 1.9 THz have the potential to trace this gas. Galactic Observations of the Terahertz C+ Line (GOT C+) is a Herschel Space Observatory Open Time Key Program to study the diffuse interstellar medium by sampling [CII] 1.9 THz line emission throughout the Galactic disk. We discuss the broader perspective of this survey and the first results of GOT C+ obtained during the Science Demonstration Phase (SDP) and Priority Science Phase (PSP) of HIFI, which focus on approximately 100 lines of sight in the inner galaxy. This research was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

  19. Multi-Wavelength Interferometric Observations of YSO Disks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ragland, Sam; Akeson, R.; Armandroff, T.; Colavita, M.; Cotton, W.; Danchi, W.; Hillenbrand, L.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Ridgway, S. T.; Traub, W.; Wizinowich, P.

    2010-01-01

    We initiated a multi-color interferometric study of YSO disks in the K, L and N bands using the Keck Interferometer. The initial results on two Herbig Ae/Be stars will be presented. Our observations are sensitive to the radial distribution of temperature in the inner region of the YSO disks. The geometric models show that the apparent size increases linearly with wavelength, suggesting that the disk is extended with a temperature gradient. We will discuss our results in conjunction with the previous measurements of these targets.

  20. First Intrinsic Anisotropy Observations With the Cosmic Background Imager

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Padin, S.; Cartwright, J. K.; Mason, B. S.; Pearson, T. J.; Readhead, A. C. S.; Shepherd, M. C.; Sievers, J.; Udomprasert, P. S.; Holzapfel, W. L.; Myers, S. T.; hide

    2001-01-01

    We present the first results of observations of the intrinsic anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation with the Cosmic Background Imager from a site at 5080 in altitude in northern Chile. Our observations show a sharp decrease in C_l in the range l = 400 - 1500. Such a decrease in power at high l is one of the fundamental predictions of the standard cosmological model, and these are the first observations which cover a broad enough 1-range to show this decrease in a single experiment. The power, C_l, at l approximately 600 is higher than measured by Boomerang and Maxima, with the differences being significant at the 2.7sigma and 1.9sigma levels, respectively. The C_l we have measured enable us to place limits on the density parameter, Omega(tot) <= 0.4 or Omega(tot) >= 0.7 (90% confidence).

  1. Hellenic Amateur Astronomy Association's activities: Preliminary results on Perseids 2010

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maravelias, G.

    2011-01-01

    Preliminary results on the Perseids 2010 are presented. Visual and video observations were obtained by the author and a first reduction of the visual data shows that a maximum of ZHR ~120 was reached during the night 12-13 of August 2010. Moreover, a video setup was tested (DMK camera and UFO Capture v2) and the results show that, under some limitations, valuable data can be obtained.

  2. Atmosphere-Ionosphere Response to the M9 Tohoku Earthquake Revealed by Multi-Instrument Space-Borne and Ground Observations. Preliminary Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ouzounov, Dimitar; Pulinets, Sergey; Romanov, Alexey; Romanov, Alexander; Tsbulya, Konstantin; Davidenko, Dmitri; Kafatos, Menas; Taylor, Patrick

    2011-01-01

    We retrospectively analyzed the temporal and spatial variations of four different physical parameters characterizing the state of the atmosphere and ionosphere several days before the M9 Tohoku Japan earthquake of March 11, 2011. Data include outgoing long wave radiation (OLR), GPS/TEC, Low-Earth orbit ionospheric tomography and critical frequency foF2. Our first results show that on March 8th a rapid increase of emitted infrared radiation was observed from the satellite data and an anomaly developed near the epicenter. The GPS/TEC data indicate an increase and variation in electron density reaching a maximum value on March 8. Starting on this day in the lower ionospheric there was also confirmed an abnormal TEC variation over the epicenter. From March 3-11 a large increase in electron concentration was recorded at all four Japanese ground based ionosondes, which returned to normal after the main earthquake The joined preliminary analysis of atmospheric and ionospheric parameters during the M9 Tohoku Japan earthquake has revealed the presence of related variations of these parameters implying their connection with the earthquake process. This study may lead to a better understanding of the response of the atmosphere/ionosphere to the Great Tohoku earthquake.

  3. Effectiveness of an Internet-based preparation for psychosomatic treatment: Results of a controlled observational study.

    PubMed

    Zimmer, Benjamin; Moessner, Markus; Wolf, Markus; Minarik, Carla; Kindermann, Sally; Bauer, Stephanie

    2015-11-01

    Patients often have to sustain long waiting periods between the time they first apply for psychotherapy and the actual uptake of the treatment. To support patients who are on a wait-list for inpatient psychosomatic treatment an Internet-based preparatory treatment (VORSTAT) was developed. In a randomized controlled trial, VORSTAT proved to increase treatment motivation prior to intake and to accelerate the accommodation phase at the beginning of inpatient treatment. No impact of VORSTAT on inpatient treatment outcome was found. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of VORSTAT after implementing the service into routine care. A large naturalistic observational study comparing VORSTAT participants (N=911) against non-participants (N=1721) was conducted. Propensity scores were used to control for potential confounding variables due to the non-randomized group allocation. Reliable improvement of self-reported impairment achieved during inpatient treatment was used as outcome measure. VORSTAT participants showed higher rates of reliable improvement in physical impairment (50.8% vs. 44.9%), psychological impairment (41.2% vs. 29.9%), and social problems (22.3% vs. 15.2%). An Internet-based preparation for psychotherapy is an effective approach to improve outcome of inpatient psychosomatic treatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Candida tropicalis from veterinary and human sources shows similar in vitro hemolytic activity, antifungal biofilm susceptibility and pathogenesis against Caenorhabditis elegans.

    PubMed

    Brilhante, Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira; Oliveira, Jonathas Sales de; Evangelista, Antônio José de Jesus; Serpa, Rosana; Silva, Aline Lobão da; Aguiar, Felipe Rodrigues Magalhães de; Pereira, Vandbergue Santos; Castelo-Branco, Débora de Souza Collares Maia; Pereira-Neto, Waldemiro Aquino; Cordeiro, Rossana de Aguiar; Sidrim, José Júlio Costa; Rocha, Marcos Fábio Gadelha

    2016-08-30

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro hemolytic activity and biofilm antifungal susceptibility of veterinary and human Candida tropicalis strains, as well as their pathogenesis against Caenorhabditis elegans. Twenty veterinary isolates and 20 human clinical isolates of C. tropicalis were used. The strains were evaluated for their hemolytic activity and biofilm production. Biofilm susceptibility to itraconazole, fluconazole, voriconazole, amphotericin B and caspofungin was assessed using broth microdilution assay. The in vivo evaluation of strain pathogenicity was investigated using the nematode C. elegans. Hemolytic factor was observed in 95% of the strains and 97.5% of the isolates showed ability to form biofilm. Caspofungin and amphotericin B showed better results than azole antifungals against mature biofilms. Paradoxical effect on mature biofilm metabolic activity was observed at elevated concentrations of caspofungin (8-64μg/mL). Azole antifungals were not able to inhibit mature C. tropicalis biofilms, even at the higher tested concentrations. High mortality rates of C. elegans were observed when the worms were exposed to with C. tropicalis strains, reaching up to 96%, 96h after exposure of the worms to C. tropicalis strains. These results reinforce the high pathogenicity of C. tropicalis from veterinary and human sources and show the effectiveness of caspofungin and amphotericin B against mature biofilms of this species. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Interannual sedimentary effluxes of alkalinity in the southern North Sea: model results compared with summer observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pätsch, Johannes; Kühn, Wilfried; Dorothea Six, Katharina

    2018-06-01

    For the sediments of the central and southern North Sea different sources of alkalinity generation are quantified by a regional modelling system for the period 2000-2014. For this purpose a formerly global ocean sediment model coupled with a pelagic ecosystem model is adapted to shelf sea dynamics, where much larger turnover rates than in the open and deep ocean occur. To track alkalinity changes due to different nitrogen-related processes, the open ocean sediment model was extended by the state variables particulate organic nitrogen (PON) and ammonium. Directly measured alkalinity fluxes and those derived from Ra isotope flux observation from the sediment into the pelagic are reproduced by the model system, but calcite building and calcite dissolution are underestimated. Both fluxes cancel out in terms of alkalinity generation and consumption. Other simulated processes altering alkalinity in the sediment, like net sulfate reduction, denitrification, nitrification, and aerobic degradation, are quantified and compare well with corresponding fluxes derived from observations. Most of these fluxes exhibit a strong positive gradient from the open North Sea to the coast, where large rivers drain nutrients and organic matter. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition also shows a positive gradient from the open sea towards land and supports alkalinity generation in the sediments. An additional source of spatial variability is introduced by the use of a 3-D heterogenous porosity field. Due to realistic porosity variations (0.3-0.5) the alkalinity fluxes vary by about 4 %. The strongest impact on interannual variations of alkalinity fluxes is exhibited by the temporal varying nitrogen inputs from large rivers directly governing the nitrate concentrations in the coastal bottom water, thus providing nitrate necessary for benthic denitrification. Over the time investigated the alkalinity effluxes decrease due to the decrease in the nitrogen supply by the rivers.

  6. Photometric commissioning results from MINERVA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eastman, Jason D.; Swift, Jonathan; Beatty, Thomas G.; Bottom, Michael; Johnson, John; Wright, Jason; McCrady, Nate; Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Riddle, Reed L.; Plavchan, Peter; Muirhead, Philip Steven; Blake, Cullen; Zhao, Ming

    2015-01-01

    MINERVA is a robotic observatory with four 0.7 meter telescopes at Mt. Hopkins, Arizona, dedicated to precise photometry and radial velocity observations of bright, nearby stars for the discovery and characterization of small exoplanets. Here we present the first photometric results from MINERVA during commissioning at our test facility in Pasadena, California, demonstrating sub-millimag precision on 3-5 minute timescales over several hours. These results show that MINERVA is well-equipped to address its secondary science goal of searching for transits of known and newly discovered super-Earth exoplanets detected by radial velocity, including potential detections from the MINERVA spectrograph.

  7. Infrared observations of RS CVn stars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berriman, G.; De Campli, W. M.; Werner, M. W.; Hatchett, S. P.

    1983-01-01

    The paper presents infrared photometry of the RS CVn binary stars AR Lac (1.2-10 microns) and MM Her (1.2-3.5 microns) as they egressed from their primary and secondary eclipses; of the eclipsing systems RS CVn and Z Her at maximum light (1.2-10 microns) and of the non-eclipsing systems UX Ari and HR 1099 (1.2-10 microns). An analysis of these and published V data based on flux ratio diagrams (linear analogues of color-color diagrams) shows that G and K stars supply the infrared light of these systems. In AR Lac, the combined light of a G5-K0 subgiant and either a late F dwarf or an early F subgiant can account for the observed visual and infrared light curves. None of these systems shows infrared emission from circumstellar matter. This result is simply understood: dust grains would not be expected to form in the physical conditions surrounding the subgiant, and the corona and chromosphere (whose properties have been deduced from spectroscopic X-ray observations) should not produce appreciable infrared emission.

  8. Vicarious Neural Processing of Outcomes during Observational Learning

    PubMed Central

    Monfardini, Elisabetta; Gazzola, Valeria; Boussaoud, Driss

    2013-01-01

    Learning what behaviour is appropriate in a specific context by observing the actions of others and their outcomes is a key constituent of human cognition, because it saves time and energy and reduces exposure to potentially dangerous situations. Observational learning of associative rules relies on the ability to map the actions of others onto our own, process outcomes, and combine these sources of information. Here, we combined newly developed experimental tasks and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural mechanisms that govern such observational learning. Results show that the neural systems involved in individual trial-and-error learning and in action observation and execution both participate in observational learning. In addition, we identified brain areas that specifically activate for others’ incorrect outcomes during learning in the posterior medial frontal cortex (pMFC), the anterior insula and the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS). PMID:24040104

  9. Infrared observations of gravitational-wave sources in Advanced LIGO's second observing run

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pound Singer, Leo; Kasliwal, Mansi; Lau, Ryan; Cenko, Bradley; Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH)

    2018-01-01

    Advanced LIGO observed gravitational waves (GWs) from a binary black hole merger in its first observing run (O1) in September 2015. It is anticipated that LIGO and Virgo will soon detect the first binary neutron star mergers. The most promising electromagnetic counterparts to such events are kilonovae: fast, faint transients powered by the radioactive decay of the r-process ejecta. Joint gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations of such transients hold the key to many longstanding problems, from the nature of short GRBS to the cosmic production sites of the r-process elements to "standard siren" cosmology. Due to the large LIGO/Virgo error regions of 100 deg2, synoptic survey telescopes have dominated the search for LIGO counterparts. Due to the paucity of infrared instruments with multi-deg2 fields of view, infrared observations have been lacking. Near-infrared emission should not only be a more robust signature of kilonovae than optical emission (independent of viewing angle), but should also be several magnitudes brighter and be detectable for much longer, weeks after merger rather than days. In Advanced LIGO's second observing run, we used the FLAMINGOS-2 instrument on Gemini-South to hunt for the near-infrared emission from GW sources by targeted imaging of the most massive galaxies in the LIGO/Virgo localization volumes. We present the results of this campaign, rates, and interpretation of our near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy. We show that leveraging large-scale structure and targeted imaging of the most massive ~10 galaxies in a LIGO/Virgo localization volume may be a surprisingly effective strategy to find the electromagnetic counterpart.

  10. [Usage patterns of internet and computer games : Results of an observational study of Tyrolean adolescents].

    PubMed

    Riedl, David; Stöckl, Andrea; Nussbaumer, Charlotte; Rumpold, Gerhard; Sevecke, Kathrin; Fuchs, Martin

    2016-12-01

    The use of digital media such as the Internet and Computer games has greatly increased. In the western world, almost all young people regularly use these relevant technologies. Against this background, forms of use with possible negative consequences for young people have been recognized and scientifically examined. The aim of our study was therefore to investigate the prevalence of pathological use of these technologies in a sample of young Tyrolean people. 398 students (average age 15.2 years, SD ± 2.3 years, 34.2% female) were interviewed by means of the structured questionnaires CIUS (Internet), CSV-S (Computer games) and SWE (Self efficacy). Additionally, socio demographic data were collected. In line with previous studies, 7.7% of the adolescents of our sample showed criteria for problematic internet use, 3.3% for pathological internet use. 5.4% of the sample reported pathological computer game usage. The most important aspect to influence our results was the gender of the subjects. Intensive users in the field of Internet and Computer games were more often young men, young women, however, showed significantly less signs of pathological computer game use. A significant percentage of Tyrolean adolescents showed difficulties in the development of competent media use, indicating the growing significance of prevention measures such as media education. In a follow-up project, a sample of adolescents with mental disorders will be examined concerning their media use and be compared with our school-sample.

  11. Occlusion of LTP-Like Plasticity in Human Primary Motor Cortex by Action Observation

    PubMed Central

    Lepage, Jean-François; Morin-Moncet, Olivier; Beaulé, Vincent; de Beaumont, Louis; Champoux, Francois; Théoret, Hugo

    2012-01-01

    Passive observation of motor actions induces cortical activity in the primary motor cortex (M1) of the onlooker, which could potentially contribute to motor learning. While recent studies report modulation of motor performance following action observation, the neurophysiological mechanism supporting these behavioral changes remains to be specifically defined. Here, we assessed whether the observation of a repetitive thumb movement – similarly to active motor practice – would inhibit subsequent long-term potentiation-like (LTP) plasticity induced by paired-associative stimulation (PAS). Before undergoing PAS, participants were asked to either 1) perform abductions of the right thumb as fast as possible; 2) passively observe someone else perform thumb abductions; or 3) passively observe a moving dot mimicking thumb movements. Motor evoked potentials (MEP) were used to assess cortical excitability before and after motor practice (or observation) and at two time points following PAS. Results show that, similarly to participants in the motor practice group, individuals observing repeated motor actions showed marked inhibition of PAS-induced LTP, while the “moving dot” group displayed the expected increase in MEP amplitude, despite differences in baseline excitability. Interestingly, LTP occlusion in the action-observation group was present even if no increase in cortical excitability or movement speed was observed following observation. These results suggest that mere observation of repeated hand actions is sufficient to induce LTP, despite the absence of motor learning. PMID:22701704

  12. Sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of Venus 1 sounding rocket observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcclintock, William E.; Barth, Charles A.; Kohnert, Richard A.

    1994-01-01

    In this paper we present ultraviolet reflectance spectra obtained during two sounding rocket observations of Venus made during September 1988 and March 1991. We describe the sensitivity of the derived reflectance to instrument calibration and show that significant artifacts can appear in that spectrum as a result of using separate instruments to observe both the planetary radiance and the solar irradiance. We show that sulfur dioxide is the primary spectral absorber in the 190 - 230 nm region and that the range of altitudes probed by these wavelengths is very sensitive to incidence and emission angles. In a following paper Na et. al. (1994) show that sulfur monoxide features are also present in these data. Accurate identification and measurement of additional species require observations in which both the planetary radiance and the solar irradiance are measured with the same instrument. The instrument used for these observations is uniquely suited for obtaining large phase angle coverage and for studying transient atmospheric events on Venus because it can observe targets within 18 deg of the sun while earth orbiting instruments are restricted to solar elongation angles greater than or equal to 45 deg.

  13. The Results of Observations of Mutual Phenomena of the Galilean Satellites of Jupiter in 2009 and 2015 IN Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pomazan, A.; Maigurova, N.; Kryuchkovskiy, V.

    The Earth and Jupiter once in 6 years have simultaneous passage of the ecliptic plane due to their orbital movement around the Sun. This makes it possible to observe the mutual occultations and eclipses in the Galilean satellites of Jupiter. We took part in the observational campaigns of the mutual phenomena in 2009 and 2014-15. The observations were made with a B/W CCD camera WAT-902H at the telescope MCT (D = 0.115 m, F = 2.0 m) of the Nikolaev Astronomical Observatory. The light curves of mutual phenomena in the satellites of Jupiter were obtained as a result of processing photometric observations. The exact moments of maximum phases and the amplitudes of the light variation have been determined from the analysis of the light curves. The data sets for the light curves have been sent in the IMCCE (Institute de Mecanique et de calcul des ephemerides, France) that coordinates the PHEMU campaigns.

  14. Far-infrared Spectral Radiance Observations and Modeling of Arctic Cirrus: Preliminary Results From RHUBC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Humpage, Neil; Green, Paul D.; Harries, John E.

    2009-03-01

    Recent studies have highlighted the important contribution of the far-infrared (electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths greater than 12 μm) to the Earth's radiative energy budget. In a cloud-free atmosphere, a significant fraction of the Earth's cooling to space from the mid- and upper troposphere takes place via the water vapor pure rotational band between 17 and 33 μm. Cirrus clouds also play an important role in the Earth's outgoing longwave radiation. The effect of cirrus on far-infrared radiation is of particular interest, since the refractive index of ice depends strongly on wavelength in this spectral region. The scattering properties of ice crystals are directly related to the refractive index, so consequently the spectral signature of cirrus measured in the FIR is sensitive to the cloud microphysical properties [1, 2]. By examining radiances measured at wavelengths between the strong water vapor absorption lines in the FIR, the understanding of the relationship between cirrus microphysics and the radiative transfer of thermal energy through cirrus may be improved. Until recently, very few observations of FIR spectral radiances had been made. The Tropospheric Airborne Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TAFTS) was developed by Imperial College to address this lack of observational data. TAFTS observes both zenith and nadir radiances at 0.1 cm-1 resolution, between 80 and 600 cm-1. During February and March 2007, TAFTS was involved in RHUBC (the Radiative Heating in Under-explored Bands Campaign), an ARM funded field campaign based at the ACRF-North Slope of Alaska site near Barrow, situated at 71° latitude. Infrared zenith spectral observations were taken by both TAFTS and the AERI-ER (spectral range 400-3300 cm-1) from the ground during both cloud-free and cirrus conditions. A wide range of other instrumentation was also available at the site, including a micropulse lidar, 35 GHz radar and the University of Colorado/NOAA Ground-based Scanning Radiometer

  15. Cosmological ensemble and directional averages of observables

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

    Bonvin, Camille; Clarkson, Chris; Durrer, Ruth

    We show that at second order, ensemble averages of observables and directional averages do not commute due to gravitational lensing—observing the same thing in many directions over the sky is not the same as taking an ensemble average. In principle this non-commutativity is significant for a variety of quantities that we often use as observables and can lead to a bias in parameter estimation. We derive the relation between the ensemble average and the directional average of an observable, at second order in perturbation theory. We discuss the relevance of these two types of averages for making predictions of cosmologicalmore » observables, focusing on observables related to distances and magnitudes. In particular, we show that the ensemble average of the distance in a given observed direction is increased by gravitational lensing, whereas the directional average of the distance is decreased. For a generic observable, there exists a particular function of the observable that is not affected by second-order lensing perturbations. We also show that standard areas have an advantage over standard rulers, and we discuss the subtleties involved in averaging in the case of supernova observations.« less

  16. Comparing models of star formation simulating observed interacting galaxies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quiroga, L. F.; Muñoz-Cuartas, J. C.; Rodrigues, I.

    2017-07-01

    In this work, we make a comparison between different models of star formation to reproduce observed interacting galaxies. We use observational data to model the evolution of a pair of galaxies undergoing a minor merger. Minor mergers represent situations weakly deviated from the equilibrium configuration but significant changes in star fomation (SF) efficiency can take place, then, minor mergers provide an unique scene to study SF in galaxies in a realistic but yet simple way. Reproducing observed systems also give us the opportunity to compare the results of the simulations with observations, which at the end can be used as probes to characterize the models of SF implemented in the comparison. In this work we compare two different star formation recipes implemented in Gadget3 and GIZMO codes. Both codes share the same numerical background, and differences arise mainly in the star formation recipe they use. We use observations from Pico dos Días and GEMINI telescopes and show how we use observational data of the interacting pair in AM2229-735 to characterize the interacting pair. Later we use this information to simulate the evolution of the system to finally reproduce the observations: Mass distribution, morphology and main features of the merger-induced star formation burst. We show that both methods manage to reproduce roughly the star formation activity. We show, through a careful study, that resolution plays a major role in the reproducibility of the system. In that sense, star formation recipe implemented in GIZMO code has shown a more robust performance. Acknowledgements: This work is supported by Colciencias, Doctorado Nacional - 617 program.

  17. Chandra observation of the dipping source XB 1254-690

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iaria, R.; di Salvo, T.; Lavagetto, G.; D'Aí, A.; Robba, N. R.

    2007-03-01

    We present the results of a 53 ks long Chandra observation of the dipping source XB 1254-690. During the observation neither bursts or dips were observed. From the zero-order image we estimated the precise X-ray coordinates of the source with a 90% uncertainty of 0.6´´. Since the lightcurve did not show any significant variability, we extracted the spectrum corresponding to the whole observation. We confirmed the presence of the Fe XXVI Kα absorption lines with a larger accuracy with respect to the previous XMM EPIC pn observation. Assuming that the line width were due to a bulk motion or a turbulence associated to the coronal activity, we estimate that the lines were produced in a photoionized absorber between the coronal radius and the outer edge of the accretion disk.

  18. Advances in solar and cosmic X-ray astronomy - A survey of experimental techniques and observational results.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hoover, R. B.; Thomas, R. J.; Underwood, J. H.

    1972-01-01

    The current status of X-ray astronomy is surveyed by reviewing observational results and theoretical conclusions gained within the past two years in areas dealing with the quiet-sun, slowly-varying, and burst components of solar X-radiation and with the features of cosmic X-ray sources. Thermal and nonthermal processes responsible for a wide variety of X-ray emission mechanisms in nature are explained, and characteristics of X radiation from specific solar structures are described. Attention is given to the effects of interstellar and intergalactic matter on cosmic X-rays; the properties of galactic and extragalactic X-ray sources; and the specifications of such instruments as gas-filled ionization detectors, proportional counters, Geiger counters, scintillation detectors, photoelectric detectors, polarimeters, collimators, spectrometers, and imaging systems.

  19. Five-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Data Processing, Sky Maps, and Basic Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weiland, J.L.; Hill, R.S.; Odegard, 3.; Larson, D.; Bennett, C.L.; Dunkley, J.; Jarosik, N.; Page, L.; Spergel, D.N.; Halpern, M.; hide

    2008-01-01

    The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) is a Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) satellite aimed at elucidating cosmology through full-sky observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The WMAP full-sky maps of the temperature and polarization anisotropy in five frequency bands provide our most accurate view to date of conditions in the early universe. The multi-frequency data facilitate the separation of the CMB signal from foreground emission arising both from our Galaxy and from extragalactic sources. The CMB angular power spectrum derived from these maps exhibits a highly coherent acoustic peak structure which makes it possible to extract a wealth of information about the composition and history of the universe. as well as the processes that seeded the fluctuations. WMAP data have played a key role in establishing ACDM as the new standard model of cosmology (Bennett et al. 2003: Spergel et al. 2003; Hinshaw et al. 2007: Spergel et al. 2007): a flat universe dominated by dark energy, supplemented by dark matter and atoms with density fluctuations seeded by a Gaussian, adiabatic, nearly scale invariant process. The basic properties of this universe are determined by five numbers: the density of matter, the density of atoms. the age of the universe (or equivalently, the Hubble constant today), the amplitude of the initial fluctuations, and their scale dependence. By accurately measuring the first few peaks in the angular power spectrum, WMAP data have enabled the following accomplishments: Showing the dark matter must be non-baryonic and interact only weakly with atoms and radiation. The WMAP measurement of the dark matter density puts important constraints on supersymmetric dark matter models and on the properties of other dark matter candidates. With five years of data and a better determination of our beam response, this measurement has been significantly improved. Precise determination of the density of atoms in the universe. The agreement between

  20. Several Well-observed Asteroidal Occultations in 2010

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timerson, Brad; Durech, J.; Abramson, H.; Brooks, J.; Caton, D.; Clark, D.; Conard, S.; Cooke, B.; Dunham, D. W.; Dunham, J.; Edberg, S.; Ellington, C.; Faircloth, J.; Herchak, S.; Iverson, E.; Jones, R.; Lucas, G.; Lyzenga, G.; Maley, P.; Martinez, L.; Menke, J.; Mroz, G.; Nolan, P.; Peterson, R.; Preston, S.; Rattley, G.; Ray, J.; Scheck, A.; Stamm, J.; Stanton, R.; Suggs, R.; Tatum, R.; Thomas, W.

    2011-10-01

    During 2010 IOTA observers in North America reported about 190 positive observations for 106 asteroid occultation events. For several asteroids, this included observations with multiple chords. For two events, an inversion model was available. An occultation by 16 Psyche on 2010 August 21 yielded a best-fit ellipse of 235.4 x 230.4 km. On 2010 December 24, an occultation by 93 Minerva produced a best-fit ellipse of 179.4 x 133.4 km. An occultation by 96 Aegle on 2010 October 29 yielded a best-fit ellipse of 124.9 x 88.0 km. An occultation by 105 Artemis on 2010 June 24 showed a best-fit ellipse of 125.0 x 92.0 km. An occultation by 375 Ursula on 2010 December 4 produced a best-fit ellipse of 125.0 km x 135.0 km. Of note are two events not summarized in this article. On 2010 August 31, an occultation by 695 Bella yielded a new double star. That event will be summarized in the JDSO. Finally, on 2010 April 6, an occultation of zeta Ophiuchi by 824 Anastasia was observed by 65 observers at 69 locations. Unfortunately a large shift in the path yielded only 4 chords. Results of that event, and all the events mentioned here, can be found on the North American Asteroidal Occultation Results web page.

  1. Effectiveness of the Medtep Hemophilia online platform for adherence to prophylactic treatment in haemophilia patients: Results from a 1-year observational study.

    PubMed

    Cuesta-Barriuso, R; López-Pina, J A; Nieto-Munuera, J; Sagarra-Valls, G; Panisello-Royo, J M; Torres-Ortuño, A

    2018-03-01

    Medtep Hemophilia platform is an online tool that allows patients with congenital coagulopathies to keep track of their daily condition-related events with the objective of ensuring successful adherence to therapy. To assess the effectiveness of Medtep Hemophilia in improving adherence to prophylactic treatment in haemophilia A and B patients in a 1-year prospective observational study, as well as its impact on the patient's disease status. Patients (>13 years old) received support material to familiarize themselves with Medtep Hemophilia. Adherence to treatment, quality of life (QoL) and illness perception were assessed. Values at baseline, 1, 6 and 12 months, and changes from baseline value were analysed. The Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS) test was applied at baseline and study completion. Forty-six patients were enrolled (43 evaluable). After 1 year, 56.4% patients showed continued use of the platform (100% compliance) whereas 25.6% were inactive. Treatment adherence increased both significantly (P < .001) and progressively during the study. Similarly, improved QoL and illness perception were observed with respect to baseline in most of the questionnaire components (P < .05 after 12 months). A patient's age had no influence on the results, whereas compliant patients (>80% of platform use) tended to score better than noncompliant. The HJHS test values remained similar during the study. The Medtep Hemophilia online platform helped the studied patients with haemophilia to improve their adherence to prophylactic treatment, while increasing their QoL and illness perception, as well as joint arthropathies stabilization. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Observations and Numerical Models of Solar Coronal Heating Associated with Spicules

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

    Pontieu, B. De; Martinez-Sykora, J.; Moortel, I. De

    Spicules have been proposed as significant contributors to the mass and energy balance of the corona. While previous observations have provided a glimpse of short-lived transient brightenings in the corona that are associated with spicules, these observations have been contested and are the subject of a vigorous debate both on the modeling and the observational side. Therefore, it remains unclear whether plasma is heated to coronal temperatures in association with spicules. We use high-resolution observations of the chromosphere and transition region (TR) with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph and of the corona with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board themore » Solar Dynamics Observatory to show evidence of the formation of coronal structures associated with spicular mass ejections and heating of plasma to TR and coronal temperatures. Our observations suggest that a significant fraction of the highly dynamic loop fan environment associated with plage regions may be the result of the formation of such new coronal strands, a process that previously had been interpreted as the propagation of transient propagating coronal disturbances. Our observations are supported by 2.5D radiative MHD simulations that show heating to coronal temperatures in association with spicules. Our results suggest that heating and strong flows play an important role in maintaining the substructure of loop fans, in addition to the waves that permeate this low coronal environment.« less

  3. Finding a spherically symmetric cosmology from observations in observational coordinates — advantages and challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Araújo, M. E.; Stoeger, W. R.

    2011-07-01

    One of the continuing challenges in cosmology has been to determine the large-scale space-time metric from observations with a minimum of assumptions — without, for instance, assuming that the universe is almost Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW). If we are lucky enough this would be a way of demonstrating that our universe is FLRW, instead of presupposing it or simply showing that the observations are consistent with FLRW. Showing how to do this within the more general spherically symmetric, inhomogeneous space-time framework takes us a long way towards fulfilling this goal. In recent work researchers have shown how this can be done both in the traditional Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) 3 + 1 coordinate framework, and in the observational coordinate (OC) framework, in which the radial coordinate y is null (light-like) and measured down the past light cone of the observer. In this paper we investigate the stability of solutions, and the use of data in the OC field equations including their time evolution — i.e. our procedure is not restricted to our past light cone — and compare both approaches with respect to the singularity problem at the maximum of the angular-diameter distance, the stability of solutions, and the use of data in the field equations. We also compare the two approaches with regard to determining the cosmological constant Λ. This allows a more detailed account and assessment of the OC integration procedure, and enables a comparison of the relative advantages of the two equivalent solution frameworks. Both formulations and integration procedures should, in principle, lead to the same results. However, as we show in this paper, the OC procedure manifests certain advantages, particularly in the avoidance of coordinate singularities at the maximum of the angular-diameter distance, and in the stability of the solutions obtained. This particular feature is what allows us to do the best fitting of the data to smooth data functions and the

  4. Description and primary results of Total Solar Irradiance Monitor, a solar-pointing instrument on an Earth observing satellite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hongrui; Fang, Wei; Li, Huiduan

    2015-04-01

    Solar driving mechanism for Earth climate has been a controversial problem for centuries. Long-time data of solar activity is required by the investigations of the solar driving mechanism, such as Total Solar Irradiance (TSI) record. Three Total Solar Irradiance Monitors (TSIM) have been developed by Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics for China Meteorological Administration to maintain continuities of TSI data series which lasted for nearly 4 decades.The newest TSIM has recorded TSI daily with accurate solar pointing on the FY-3C meteorological satellite since Oct 2013. TSIM/FY-3C has a pointing system for automatic solar tracking, onboard the satellite designed mainly for Earth observing. Most payloads of FY-3C are developed for observation of land, ocean and atmosphere. Consequently, the FY-3C satellite is a nadir-pointing spacecraft with its z axis to be pointed at the center of the Earth. Previous TSIMs onboard the FY-3A and FY-3B satellites had no pointing system, solar observations were only performed when the sun swept through field-of-view of the instruments. And TSI measurements are influenced inevitably by the solar pointing errors. Corrections of the solar pointing errors were complex. The problem is now removed by TSIM/FY-3C.TSIM/FY-3C follows the sun accurately by itself using its pointing system based on scheme of visual servo control. The pointing system is consisted of a radiometer package, two motors for solar tracking, a sun sensor and etc. TSIM/FY-3C has made daily observations of TSI for more than one year, with nearly zero solar pointing errors. Short time-scale variations in TSI detected by TSIM/FY-3C are nearly the same with VIRGO/SOHO and TIM/SORCE.Instrument details, primary results of solar pointing control, solar observations and etc will be given in the presentation.

  5. Foveated model observers to predict human performance in 3D images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lago, Miguel A.; Abbey, Craig K.; Eckstein, Miguel P.

    2017-03-01

    We evaluate 3D search requires model observers that take into account the peripheral human visual processing (foveated models) to predict human observer performance. We show that two different 3D tasks, free search and location-known detection, influence the relative human visual detectability of two signals of different sizes in synthetic backgrounds mimicking the noise found in 3D digital breast tomosynthesis. One of the signals resembled a microcalcification (a small and bright sphere), while the other one was designed to look like a mass (a larger Gaussian blob). We evaluated current standard models observers (Hotelling; Channelized Hotelling; non-prewhitening matched filter with eye filter, NPWE; and non-prewhitening matched filter model, NPW) and showed that they incorrectly predict the relative detectability of the two signals in 3D search. We propose a new model observer (3D Foveated Channelized Hotelling Observer) that incorporates the properties of the visual system over a large visual field (fovea and periphery). We show that the foveated model observer can accurately predict the rank order of detectability of the signals in 3D images for each task. Together, these results motivate the use of a new generation of foveated model observers for predicting image quality for search tasks in 3D imaging modalities such as digital breast tomosynthesis or computed tomography.

  6. Observing Galaxy Mergers in Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Snyder, Gregory

    2018-01-01

    I will describe results on mergers and morphology of distant galaxies. By mock-observing 3D cosmological simulations, we aim to contrast theory with data, design better diagnostics of physical processes, and examine unexpected signatures of galaxy formation. Recently, we conducted mock surveys of the Illustris Simulations to learn how mergers would appear in deep HST and JWST surveys. With this approach, we reconciled merger rates estimated using observed close galaxy pairs with intrinsic merger rates predicted by theory. This implies that the merger-pair observability time is probably shorter in the early universe, and therefore that major mergers are more common than implied by the simplest arguments. Further, we show that disturbance-based diagnostics of late-stage mergers can be improved significantly by combining multi-dimensional image information with simulated merger identifications to train automated classifiers. We then apply these classifiers to real measurements from the CANDELS fields, recovering a merger fraction increasing with redshift in broad agreement with pair fractions and simulations, and with statistical errors smaller by a factor of two than classical morphology estimators. This emphasizes the importance of using robust training sets, including cosmological simulations and multidimensional data, for interpreting observed processes in galaxy evolution.

  7. Integrating space geodesy and coastal sea level observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Löfgren, J. S.; Haas, R.; Larson, K.; Scherneck, H.-G.

    2012-04-01

    The goal of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) is to monitor the Earth system, in particular with observations of the three fundamental geodetic observables: the Earth's shape, the Earth's gravity field and the Earth's rotational motion. A central part of GGOS is the network of globally distributed fundamental geodetic stations that allow the combination and integration of the different space geodetic techniques. One of these stations is the Onsala Space Observatory (OSO), on the west coast of Sweden, which operates equipment for geodetic Very Long Baseline Interferometry, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and superconducting gravimetry measurements, and additionally water vapour radiometers. The newest addition to the OSO fundamental geodetic station is a GNSS-based tide gauge (GNSS-TG). This installation integrates space geodesy with remote sensing of the local sea level. The GNSS-TG uses both direct GNSS-signals and GNSS-signals that are reflected off the sea surface. This is done using a zenith-looking Right Hand Circular Polarized (RHCP) and a nadir-looking Left Hand Circular Polarized (LHCP) antenna, respectively. Each of the two antennas is connected to a standard geodetic-type GNSS-receiver. The analysis of the data received with the RHCP-antenna allows one to determine land motion, while the analysis of the data received with the LHCP-antenna allows one to determine the sea surface height. Analysing both data sets together results in local sea level that is automatically corrected for land motion, meaning that the GNSS-TG can provide reliable sea-level estimates even in tectonically active regions. Previous results from the GNSS-TG, using carrier phase data, show a Root-Mean-Square (RMS) agreement of less than 5.9 cm with stilling well gauges located 18 km and 33 km away from OSO (Löfgren et al., 2011). This is lower than the RMS agreement between the two stilling well gauges (6.1 cm). Furthermore, significant ocean tidal signals have

  8. PBF Control Building (PER619). Interior of control room shows control ...

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

    PBF Control Building (PER-619). Interior of control room shows control console from direction facing visitors room and its observation window. Camera facing northeast. Date: May 2004. INEEL negative no. HD-41-7-1 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

  9. The equivalence of a human observer and an ideal observer in binary diagnostic tasks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Xin; Samuelson, Frank; Gallas, Brandon D.; Sahiner, Berkman; Myers, Kyle

    2013-03-01

    The Ideal Observer (IO) is "ideal" for given data populations. In the image perception process, as the raw images are degraded by factors such as display and eye optics, there is an equivalent IO (EIO). The EIO uses the statistical information that exits the perception/cognitive degradations as the data. We assume a human observer who received sufficient training, e.g., radiologists, and hypothesize that such a human observer can be modeled as if he is an EIO. To measure the likelihood ratio (LR) distributions of an EIO, we formalize experimental design principles that encourage rationality based on von Neumann and Morgenstern's (vNM) axioms. We present examples to show that many observer study design refinements, although motivated by empirical principles explicitly, implicitly encourage rationality. Our hypothesis is supported by a recent review paper on ROC curve convexity by Pesce, Metz, and Berbaum. We also provide additional evidence based on a collection of observer studies in medical imaging. EIO theory shows that the "sub-optimal" performance of a human observer can be mathematically formalized in the form of an IO, and measured through rationality encouragement.

  10. Telluric currents: A meeting of theory and observation

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

    Boteler, D.H.; Seager, W.H.

    Pipe-to-soil (P/S) potential variations resulting from telluric currents have been observed on pipelines in many locations. However, it has never teen clear which parts of a pipeline will experience the worst effects. Two studies were conducted to answer this question. Distributed-source transmission line (DSTL) theory was applied to the problem of modeling geomagnetic induction in pipelines. This theory predicted that the largest P/S potential variations would occur at the ends of the pipeline. The theory also predicted that large P/S potential variations, of opposite sign, should occur on either side of an insulating flange. Independently, an observation program was conductedmore » to determine the change in telluric current P/S potential variations and to design counteractive measures along a pipeline in northern Canada. Observations showed that the amplitude of P/S potential fluctuations had maxima at the northern and southern ends of the pipeline. A further set of recordings around an insulating flange showed large P/S potential variations, of opposite sign, on either side of the flange. Agreement between the observations and theoretical predictions was remarkable. While the observations confirmed the theory, the theory explains how P/S potential variations are produced by telluric currents and provides the basis for design of cathodic protection systems for pipelines that can counteract any adverse telluric effects.« less

  11. Eye Gaze Correlates of Motor Impairment in VR Observation of Motor Actions.

    PubMed

    Alves, J; Vourvopoulos, A; Bernardino, A; Bermúdez I Badia, S

    2016-01-01

    This article is part of the Focus Theme of Methods of Information in Medicine on "Methodologies, Models and Algorithms for Patients Rehabilitation". Identify eye gaze correlates of motor impairment in a virtual reality motor observation task in a study with healthy participants and stroke patients. Participants consisted of a group of healthy subjects (N = 20) and a group of stroke survivors (N = 10). Both groups were required to observe a simple reach-and-grab and place-and-release task in a virtual environment. Additionally, healthy subjects were required to observe the task in a normal condition and a constrained movement condition. Eye movements were recorded during the observation task for later analysis. For healthy participants, results showed differences in gaze metrics when comparing the normal and arm-constrained conditions. Differences in gaze metrics were also found when comparing dominant and non-dominant arm for saccades and smooth pursuit events. For stroke patients, results showed longer smooth pursuit segments in action observation when observing the paretic arm, thus providing evidence that the affected circuitry may be activated for eye gaze control during observation of the simulated motor action. This study suggests that neural motor circuits are involved, at multiple levels, in observation of motor actions displayed in a virtual reality environment. Thus, eye tracking combined with action observation tasks in a virtual reality display can be used to monitor motor deficits derived from stroke, and consequently can also be used for rehabilitation of stroke patients.

  12. Conversations between community-based neurologists and patients with epilepsy: results of an observational linguistic study.

    PubMed

    Gilliam, Frank; Penovich, Patricia E; Eagan, Corey A; Stern, John M; Labiner, David M; Onofrey, Meaghan; Holmes, Gregory L; Mathis, Eileen; Cramer, Joyce

    2009-10-01

    An in-office linguistic study was conducted to assess neurologist-patient discussions of epilepsy. Naturally occurring interactions among 20 neurologists and 60 of their patients with epilepsy were recorded. Participants were interviewed separately postvisit. Transcripts were analyzed using sociolinguistic techniques. Of 59 patients taking antiepileptic drugs previsit, 44 (75%) discussed side effects with their neurologist. Side effect discussions were most often neurologist initiated. Postvisit, patients and neurologists often disagreed about which side effects were experienced. The presence of a caregiver (e.g., spouse) usually resulted in lengthier, more detailed discussions of side effects, without drastically increasing overall visit length. Discussions of mood- and behavior-related comorbidities occurred infrequently (14 of 60 visits); postvisit, neurologists stated that they felt that management of these conditions was outside their area of expertise. Communication gaps observed in discussions of epilepsy and its treatment warrant further exploration. Additional research is currently underway to assess the efficacy of a previsit assessment tool.

  13. Quantum Observables and Effect Algebras

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dvurečenskij, Anatolij

    2018-03-01

    We study observables on monotone σ-complete effect algebras. We find conditions when a spectral resolution implies existence of the corresponding observable. We characterize sharp observables of a monotone σ-complete homogeneous effect algebra using its orthoalgebraic skeleton. In addition, we study compatibility in orthoalgebras and we show that every orthoalgebra satisfying RIP is an orthomodular poset.

  14. JWST NIRCam Time Series Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greene, Tom; Schlawin, E.

    2017-01-01

    We explain how to make time-series observations with the Near-Infrared camera (NIRCam) science instrument of the James Webb Space Telescope. Both photometric and spectroscopic observations are described. We present the basic capabilities and performance of NIRCam and show examples of how to set its observing parameters using the Space Telescope Science Institute's Astronomer's Proposal Tool (APT).

  15. Olson Order of Quantum Observables

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dvurečenskij, Anatolij

    2016-11-01

    M.P. Olson, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 28, 537-544 (1971) showed that the system of effect operators of the Hilbert space can be ordered by the so-called spectral order such that the system of effect operators is a complete lattice. Using his ideas, we introduce a partial order, called the Olson order, on the set of bounded observables of a complete lattice effect algebra. We show that the set of bounded observables is a Dedekind complete lattice.

  16. 10. COPY OF OBLIQUE PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING ARCH HANGAR AT RIGHT, ...

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

    10. COPY OF OBLIQUE PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING ARCH HANGAR AT RIGHT, BUILDING 8200 (OBSERVATION TOWER) AT LEFT, AND B-52 AIRCRAFT PARKED ALONG APRON IN BACKGROUND, DATED OCTOBER 1967, PHOTOGRAPH FROM BASE MASTER PLAN LOCATED AT AIR FORCE BASE CONVERSION AGENCY, LORING AIR FORCE BASE, MAINE. - Loring Air Force Base, Arch Hangar, East of Arizona Road near southern end of runway, Limestone, Aroostook County, ME

  17. Complications of local anaesthesia. An observational study.

    PubMed

    Brand, H S; Bekker, W; Baart, J A

    2009-11-01

    Local anaesthesia is increasingly used by dental hygienists. As little is known about the incidence of adverse effects during and after the administration of local anaesthetics, we evaluated side-effects associated with local anaesthesia. A prospective observational study was conducted using standard criteria among a group of 103 patients receiving mandibular block anaesthesia. Physical reactions like clenching fists (14.5%), moaning (12.6%) and turning pale (7.8%) were frequently observed. Patients (3.8%) showed a painful reaction because of needle contact with a nerve or the periosteum. Systemic complications were not observed. After the injection, 41.7% said they felt tense during the administration; 4.9% of the patients reported swallowing problems and 3.9% a tachycardia. These results suggest that administration of local anaesthesia has a small risk of adverse events. Complications, if they occur, seem minor and transient in nature.

  18. NASA's Hubble Shows Jupiter's Great Red Spot is Smaller than Ever

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-05-15

    In this comparison image the photo at the top was taken by Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 in 1995 and shows the spot at a diameter of just under 21 000km; the second down shows a 2009 WFC3 photo of the spot at a diameter of just under 18 000km; and the lowest shows the newest image from WFC3 taken in 2014 with the spot at its smallest yet, with diameter of just 16 000km. -- Jupiter's trademark Great Red Spot -- a swirling anti-cyclonic storm larger than Earth -- has shrunk to its smallest size ever measured. According to Amy Simon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, recent NASA Hubble Space Telescope observations confirm the Great Red Spot now is approximately 10,250 miles across. Astronomers have followed this downsizing since the 1930s. Historic observations as far back as the late 1800s gauged the storm to be as large as 25,500 miles on its long axis. NASA Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 flybys of Jupiter in 1979 measured it to be 14,500 miles across. In 1995, a Hubble photo showed the long axis of the spot at an estimated 13,020 miles across. And in a 2009 photo, it was measured at 11,130 miles across. Beginning in 2012, amateur observations revealed a noticeable increase in the rate at which the spot is shrinking -- by 580 miles per year -- changing its shape from an oval to a circle. Read more: 1.usa.gov/1mvuo0R Credit: NASA/ESA NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

  19. Observed Ωc0 resonances as pentaquark states

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    An, C. S.; Chen, H.

    2017-08-01

    In the present work, we investigate the spectrum of several low-lying s s c q q ¯ pentaquark configurations employing the constituent quark model, within which the hyperfine interaction between quarks is taken to be mediated by Goldstone boson exchange. Our numerical results show that four s s c q q ¯ configurations with JP=1 /2- or JP=3 /2- lie at energies very close to the recently observed five Ωc0 states by the LHCb Collaboration; this indicates that the s s c q q ¯ pentaquark configurations may form sizable components of the observed Ωc0 resonances.

  20. An empirical examination of WISE/NEOWISE asteroid analysis and results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Myhrvold, Nathan

    2018-11-01

    Asteroid observations by the WISE space telescope and the analysis of those observations by the NEOWISE project have provided more information about the diameter, albedo, and other properties of approximately 164,000 asteroids, more than all other sources combined. The raw data set from this mission will likely be the largest and most important such data on asteroids available for many years. To put this trove of data to productive use, we must understand its strengths and weaknesses, and we need clear and reproducible methods for analyzing the data set. This study critically examines the WISE observational data and the NEOWISE results published in both the original papers and the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS). There seem to be multiple areas where the analysis might benefit from improvement or independent verification. The NEOWISE results were obtained by the application of 10 different modeling methods, many of which are not adequately explained or even defined, to 12 different combinations of WISE band data. More than half of NEOWISE results are based on a single band of data. The majority of curve fits to the data in the NEOWISE results are of poor quality, frequently missing most or all of the data points on which they are based. Complete misses occur for about 30% of single-band results, and among the results derived from the most common multiple-band combinations, about 43% miss all data points in at least one band. The NEOWISE data analysis relies on assumptions that are in many cases inconsistent with each other. A substantial fraction of WISE data was systematically excluded from the NEOWISE analysis. Building on methods developed by Hanuš et al. (2015), I show that error estimates for the WISE observational data were not well characterized, and all observations have true uncertainty at least a factor of 1.3-2.5 times larger than previously described, depending on the band. I also show that the error distribution is not well fit by a normal

  1. GALACTIC COSMIC RAYS IN THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM: VOYAGER 1 OBSERVATIONS AND MODEL RESULTS

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

    Cummings, A. C.; Stone, E. C.; Heikkila, B. C.

    Since 2012 August Voyager 1 has been observing the local interstellar energy spectra of Galactic cosmic-ray nuclei down to 3 MeV nuc{sup -1} and electrons down to 2.7 MeV. The H and He spectra have the same energy dependence between 3 and 346 MeV nuc{sup -1}, with a broad maximum in the 10–50 MeV nuc{sup -1} range and a H/He ratio of 12.2 ± 0.9. The peak H intensity is ∼15 times that observed at 1 AU, and the observed local interstellar gradient of 3–346 MeV H is -0.009 ± 0.055% AU{sup -1}, consistent with models having no local interstellarmore » gradient. The energy spectrum of electrons ( e {sup -} + e {sup +}) with 2.7–74 MeV is consistent with E {sup -1.30±0.05} and exceeds the H intensity at energies below ∼50 MeV. Propagation model fits to the observed spectra indicate that the energy density of cosmic-ray nuclei with >3 MeV nuc{sup -1} and electrons with >3 MeV is 0.83–1.02 eV cm{sup -3} and the ionization rate of atomic H is in the range of 1.51–1.64 × 10{sup -17} s{sup -1}. This rate is a factor >10 lower than the ionization rate in diffuse interstellar clouds, suggesting significant spatial inhomogeneity in low-energy cosmic rays or the presence of a suprathermal tail on the energy spectrum at much lower energies. The propagation model fits also provide improved estimates of the elemental abundances in the source of Galactic cosmic rays.« less

  2. NSTA-NASA Shuttle Student Involvement Project. Experiment Results: Insect Flight Observation at Zero Gravity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nelson, T. E.; Peterson, J. R.

    1982-01-01

    The flight responses of common houseflies, velvetbean caterpillar moths, and worker honeybees were observed and filmed for a period of about 25 minutes in a zero-g environment during the third flight of the Space Shuttle Vehicle (flight number STS-3; March 22-30, 1982). Twelve fly puparia, 24 adult moths, 24 moth pupae, and 14 adult bees were loaded into an insect flight box, which was then stowed aboard the Shuttle Orbiter, the night before the STS-3 launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The main purpose of the experiment was to observe and compare the flight responses of the three species of insects, which have somewhat different flight control mechanisms, under zero-g conditions.

  3. Observation and assessment of faculty development learning outcomes.

    PubMed

    Behar-Horenstein, Linda S; Childs, Gail Schneider; Graff, Randy A

    2010-11-01

    Prior research has found that participation in course offerings provides a means of professional development and results in changes to faculty beliefs and instructional practices. However, as with most professional development initiatives in education, little is known about the sustainability of these training efforts. The research question that guided this study was the following: Do professional development efforts in teaching result in observed learning outcomes among faculty members? In this study, teaching observations served as the primary data source. Twelve faculty members (six in the College of Dentistry and six in the College of Health and Human Performance) who completed two six-week teaching seminars in fall 2006 and spring 2007 or spring 2008 and summer 2008 were asked to participate in a classroom observation and an interview lasting no longer than forty-five minutes. Six dental faculty members and three faculty members from the College of Health and Human Performance agreed to participate in the study. Three standardized reviewers conducted these classroom observations during fall 2008, spring 2009, and summer 2009. An active teaching rubric was used to evaluate the class transcripts. The findings revealed that participants somewhat frequently to frequently used questions that were open-ended or checked for comprehension. Seven of nine instructors made extensive efforts to engage the students interactively throughout the teaching session. Six of the participants infused the description of actual or hypothetical cases to illustrate the connections between teaching and patient care, while six utilized reflective practices. Findings from the interviews corroborated the observations. Overall, the findings showed that participants demonstrated the integration of those strategies that were taught during the seminars, which were consistent with teaching critical thinking skills and showed that the learning acquired during professional development

  4. Vitamin D3 Supplementation and Antibiotic Consumption - Results from a Prospective, Observational Study at an Immune-Deficiency Unit in Sweden.

    PubMed

    Norlin, Anna-Carin; Hansen, Susanne; Wahren-Borgström, Emilie; Granert, Carl; Björkhem-Bergman, Linda; Bergman, Peter

    Vitamin D supplementation has been proposed to improve clinical symptoms during respiratory tract infections (RTIs), but results from randomized, placebo-controlled trials (RCT) are inconclusive. Previously, we performed an RCT in patients with various immune-disorders and observed that supplementation with 4000 IU vitamin D/day during 12 months significantly reduced antibiotic consumption and RTIs. This formed the basis for new guidelines at our unit; i.e. patients with insufficient levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (≤75 nmol/L) are now offered vitamin D supplementation. The aim of this prospective follow-up study was to evaluate the outcome of these new recommendations with regard to antibiotic consumption in our unit. 277 patients with insufficiency were supplemented with vitamin D3, 1500-1600 IU/day for 12 months. Each patient was its own control and data on antibiotic consumption was monitored 12 months before and 12 months after initiation of vitamin D3 supplementation. Vitamin D3 supplementation resulted in a significantly reduced antibiotic consumption, from 20 to 15 days/patient (p<0.05). The number of antibiotic-free patients increased from 52 to 81 after vitamin D3 supplementation; OR 1.79; 95% CI 1.20-2.66 (p<0.01). The number of antibiotic-prescriptions decreased significantly, a finding that mainly was attributed to a reduction of respiratory tract antibiotics (p<0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that only patients without immunoglobulin substitution (n = 135) had a significant effect of vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D3 supplementation of 1600 IE /day is safe to use in immunodeficient patients with 25-OHD levels less than 75 nmol/L and significantly reduced the antibiotic consumption in patients without immunoglobulin substitution.

  5. First observations of SPEAR-induced topside and bottomside sporadic E layer heating observed using the EISCAT Svalbard and SuperDARN radars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baddeley, L. J.; Haggstrøm, I.; Yeoman, T. K.; Rietveld, M.

    2012-01-01

    We present the first observations of heater-induced simultaneous topside and bottomside sporadic E layer enhancements at very high latitudes (78.15°N) using the Space Plasma Exploration by Active Radar (SPEAR) heating facility and the European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) Svalbard Radar. During the experiment the SPEAR heating facility was transmitting with O-mode polarization in a field-aligned direction with a constant effective radiated power of ˜16 MW. Results show distinct heater-induced enhancements in both the ion and plasma line spectra. The plasma line enhancements are observed at the SPEAR heater frequency of 4.45 MHz. The plasma line observations represent the highest spatial resolution data (100 m) obtained of such heater-induced enhancements and indicate simultaneous enhancements at both the topside and bottomside of the layer, respectively (located at ˜107.5 and 109 km altitude, respectively). It is postulated that the results represent evidence of O- to Z-mode conversion of the heater wave occurring at the bottom of the E layer, allowing propagation through the layer resulting in simultaneous topside enhancements. The Z-mode enhancements are observed outside the Spitze angle, which is thought to be a result of field-aligned irregularities causing an increase in angular extent of the observations. Additional data from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) HF Finland radar are also shown, which indicate that upon a thinning of the sporadic E layer, the heater beam propagated into the F region, where it induced artificial field-aligned irregularities.

  6. Quick Phases of Infantile Nystagmus Show the Saccadic Inhibition Effect

    PubMed Central

    Harrison, James J.; Sumner, Petroc; Dunn, Matt J.; Erichsen, Jonathan T.; Freeman, Tom C. A.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose. Infantile nystagmus (IN) is a pathological, involuntary oscillation of the eyes consisting of slow, drifting eye movements interspersed with rapid reorienting quick phases. The extent to which quick phases of IN are programmed similarly to saccadic eye movements remains unknown. We investigated whether IN quick phases exhibit ‘saccadic inhibition,' a phenomenon typically related to normal targeting saccades, in which the initiation of the eye movement is systematically delayed by task-irrelevant visual distractors. Methods. We recorded eye position from 10 observers with early-onset idiopathic nystagmus while task-irrelevant distractor stimuli were flashed along the top and bottom of a large screen at ±10° eccentricity. The latency distributions of quick phases were measured with respect to these distractor flashes. Two additional participants, one with possible albinism and one with fusion maldevelopment nystagmus syndrome, were also tested. Results. All observers showed that a distractor flash delayed the execution of quick phases that would otherwise have occurred approximately 100 ms later, exactly as in the standard saccadic inhibition effect. The delay did not appear to differ between the two main nystagmus types under investigation (idiopathic IN with unidirectional and bidirectional jerk). Conclusions. The presence of the saccadic inhibition effect in IN quick phases is consistent with the idea that quick phases and saccades share a common programming pathway. This could allow quick phases to take on flexible, goal-directed behavior, at odds with the view that IN quick phases are stereotyped, involuntary eye movements. PMID:25670485

  7. Corticospinal excitability during the observation of social behavior.

    PubMed

    Bucchioni, Giulia; Cavallo, Andrea; Ippolito, Davide; Marton, Gianluca; Castiello, Umberto

    2013-03-01

    Evidence suggests that the observation of an action induces in the observers an enhancement of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded by the observer's muscles corresponding to those involved in the observed action. Although this is a well-studied phenomenon, it remains still unclear how the viewer's motor facilitation is influenced by the social content characterizing the observed scene. In the present study we investigated the facilitation of the corticospinal system during the observation of either an action that does not imply a social interaction (i.e., an actor throwing a ball against a wall), or an action which implies a social interaction (i.e., an actor passing a ball to a partner). Results indicate that MEPs amplitude is enhanced during the observation of a social rather than an individual action. We contend that the increase in MEPs activation might reflect an enhancement of the simulative activity stemming from the mirror system during the observation of social interactions. Altogether these findings show that the human corticospinal system is sensitive to social interactions and may support the role of the mirror neurons system in social cognition. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Combined Observational and Modeling Efforts to Better Understand Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interactions Over Land: Preliminary Results from 7-SEAS/BASELInE 2013

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loftus, Adrian M.; Tsay, Si-Chee

    2015-01-01

    This talk presents some of the detailed observations of low-level stratocumulus over northern Vietnam during 7-SEASBASELInE 2013 by SMARTLabs' ACHIEVE W-band cloud radar and other remote sensing instruments. These observations are the first of their kind for this region and will aid in ongoing studies of biomass-burning aerosol impacts on local and regional weather and climate. Preliminary results from simulations using the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) with recently implemented triple-moment bulk microphysics to examine the sensitivity of low-level stratocumulus over land to aerosols are also presented. Recommendations for future observational activities in the 7-SEAS northern region in collaboration with international partners will also be discussed.

  9. Observations of J002E3: Possible Discovery of an Apollo Rocket Body

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jorgensen, K.; Rivkin, A.; Binzel, R.; Whitely, R.; Hergenrother, C.; Chodas, P.; Chesley, S.; Vilas, F.

    2003-05-01

    In early September 2002, spectral and photometric observations of J002E3 were made at IRTF and Mt. Biglow in an effort to determine whether the object was an asteroid or a human-made. Early observations yielded a possible spin-rate and orientation. Additional spectral observations were completed in May 2003 at the Air Force Maui Optical Supercomputing (AMOS) site. Through the modeling of common spacecraft materials, the observations of J002E3 show a strong correlation of absorption features to a combination of human-made materials including white paint, black paint, and aluminum. Absorption features in the near IR show a strong correlation with paint containing a titanium-oxide semiconductor. Using the material model and the orbital information, it was concluded that J002E3 is a human-made object from an Apollo rocket upperstage, most likely Apollo 12. In addition, the J002E3 observations were compared to spectral observations of other rocket bodies launched during a similar time and the results agree well. Results from the observations and modeling will be presented. This work has been a collaboration of governmental agencies, education institutions, and amateur astronomers. Funding agencies include National Research Council, NASA JSC, MIT, University of Arizona, and JPL.

  10. Synthetic incoherent feedforward circuits show adaptation to the amount of their genetic template

    PubMed Central

    Bleris, Leonidas; Xie, Zhen; Glass, David; Adadey, Asa; Sontag, Eduardo; Benenson, Yaakov

    2011-01-01

    Natural and synthetic biological networks must function reliably in the face of fluctuating stoichiometry of their molecular components. These fluctuations are caused in part by changes in relative expression efficiency and the DNA template amount of the network-coding genes. Gene product levels could potentially be decoupled from these changes via built-in adaptation mechanisms, thereby boosting network reliability. Here, we show that a mechanism based on an incoherent feedforward motif enables adaptive gene expression in mammalian cells. We modeled, synthesized, and tested transcriptional and post-transcriptional incoherent loops and found that in all cases the gene product adapts to changes in DNA template abundance. We also observed that the post-transcriptional form results in superior adaptation behavior, higher absolute expression levels, and lower intrinsic fluctuations. Our results support a previously hypothesized endogenous role in gene dosage compensation for such motifs and suggest that their incorporation in synthetic networks will improve their robustness and reliability. PMID:21811230

  11. Infrared Telescope Facility's Spectrograph Observations of Human-Made Space Objects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abercromby, K.; Buckalew, B.; Abell, P.; Cowardin, H.

    2015-01-01

    Presented here are the results of the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) spectral observations of human-made space objects taken from 2006 to 2008. The data collected using the SpeX infrared spectrograph cover the wavelength range 0.7-2.5 micrometers. Overall, data were collected on 20 different orbiting objects at or near the geosynchronous (GEO) regime. Four of the objects were controlled spacecraft, seven were non-controlled spacecraft, five were rocket bodies, and the final four were cataloged as debris pieces. The remotely collected data are compared to the laboratory-collected reflectance data on typical spacecraft materials, thereby general materials are identified but not specific types. These results highlight the usefulness of observations in the infrared by focusing on features from hydrocarbons, silicon, and thermal emission. The spacecraft, both the controlled and non-controlled, show distinct features due to the presence of solar panels, whereas the rocket bodies do not. Signature variations between rocket bodies, due to the presence of various metals and paints on their surfaces, show a clear distinction from those objects with solar panels, demonstrating that one can distinguish most spacecraft from rocket bodies through infrared spectrum analysis. Finally, the debris pieces tend to show featureless, dark spectra. These results show that the laboratory data in its current state give excellent indications as to the nature of the surface materials on the objects. Further telescopic data collection and model updates to include noise, surface roughness, and material degradation are necessary to make better assessments of orbital object material types. However, based on the current state of the comparison between the observations and the laboratory data, infrared spectroscopic data are adequate to classify objects in GEO as spacecraft, rocket bodies, or debris.

  12. The Deep Western Boundary Current in the Labrador Sea From Observations and a High-Resolution Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Handmann, Patricia; Fischer, Jürgen; Visbeck, Martin; Karstensen, Johannes; Biastoch, Arne; Böning, Claus; Patara, Lavinia

    2018-04-01

    Long-term observations from a 17 year long mooring array at the exit of the Labrador Sea at 53°N are compared to the output of a high-resolution model (VIKING20). Both are analyzed to define robust integral properties on basin and regional scale, which can be determined and evaluated equally well. While both, the observations and the model, show a narrow DWBC cyclonically engulfing the Labrador Sea, the model's boundary current system is more barotropic than in the observations and spectral analysis indicates stronger monthly to interannual transport variability. Compared to the model, the observations show a stronger density gradient, hence a stronger baroclinicity, from center to boundary. Despite this, the observed temporal evolution of the temperature in the central Labrador Sea is reproduced. The model results yield a mean export of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) (33.0 ± 5.7 Sv), which is comparable to the observed transport (31.2 ± 5.5 Sv) at 53°N. The results also include a comparable spatial pattern and March mixed layer depth in the central Labrador Sea (maximum depth ˜2,000 m). During periods containing enhanced deep convection (1990s) our analyses show increased correlation between LSW and LNADW model transport at 53°N. Our results indicate that the transport variability in LSW and LNADW at 53°N is a result of a complex modulation of wind stress and buoyancy forcing on regional and basin wide scale.

  13. Observation of ozone and aerosols in the Antarctic ozone hole of 1991 under the Polar Patrol Balloon (PPB) Project. Preliminary result

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hayashi, Masahiko; Murata, Isao; Iwasaka, Yasunobu; Kondo, Yutaka; Kanzawa, Hiroshi

    1994-01-01

    We present preliminary results for the PPB (Polar Patrol Balloon) experiment. The balloon was launched at 07:55 UT on 23 September and dropped at 21 UT on 28 September 1991. During the period, ozone and aerosol concentrations were measured correspondingly along the track. During the Lagrangian type observation, drastic change of ozone concentration in 'same air mass' and positive correlation between ozone concentration and sulfate aerosol amount were obtained at the level within 80-78 hPa. During the descent motion at 80 deg S active PSC's (type-1 and -2) were observed from 200 hPa to 80 hPa.

  14. Observing Young Children's Creative Thinking: Engagement, Involvement and Persistence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robson, Sue; Rowe, Victoria

    2012-01-01

    This paper looks at young children's creative thinking as inferred through observations of their activities. A total of 52 episodes of child-initiated and adult-initiated activities in 3- to 4-year-olds in an English Children's Centre were analysed using the Analysing Children's Creative Thinking (ACCT) Framework. Results showed that activities…

  15. United Kingdom Infrared Telescope's Spectrograph Observations of Human-Made Space Objects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buckalew, Brent; Abercromby, Kira; Lederer, Susan; Cowardin, Heather; Frith, James

    2017-01-01

    Presented here are the results of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) spectral observations of human-made space objects taken from 2014 to 2015. The data collected using the UKIRT 1-5 micron Imager Spectrometer (UIST) cover the wavelength range 0.7-2.5 micrometers. Overall, data were collected on 18 different orbiting objects at or near geosynchronous orbit (GEO). Two of the objects are controlled spacecraft, twelve are non-controlled spacecraft, one is a rocket body, and three are cataloged as debris. The remotely collected data are compared to the laboratory-collected reflectance data on typical spacecraft materials; thereby general materials are identified but not specific types. These results highlight the usefulness of observations in the infrared by focusing on features from hydrocarbons and silicon. The spacecraft, both the controlled and non-controlled, show distinct features due to the presence of solar panels whereas the rocket bodies do not. Signature variations between rocket bodies, due to the presence of various metals and paints on their surfaces, show a clear distinction from those objects with solar panels, demonstrating that one can distinguish most spacecraft from rocket bodies through infrared spectrum analysis. Finally, the debris pieces tend to show featureless, dark spectra. These results show that the laboratory data in its current state give well-correlated indications as to the nature of the surface materials on the objects. Further telescopic data collection and model updates to include noise, surface roughness, and material degradation are necessary to make better assessments of orbital object material types. A comparison conducted between objects observed previously with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) shows similar materials and trends from the two telescopes and different times. However, based on the current state of the model, infrared spectroscopic data are adequate to classify objects in GEO as spacecraft

  16. United Kingdom Infrared Telescope's Spectrograph Observations of Human-Made Space Objects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buckalew, Brent; Abercromby, Kira; Lederer, Susan; Frith, James; Cowardin, Heather

    2017-01-01

    Presented here are the results of the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) spectral observations of human-made space objects taken from 2014 to 2015. The data collected using the UIST infrared spectrograph cover the wavelength range 0.7-2.5 micrometers. Overall, data were collected on 18 different orbiting objects at or near the geosynchronous (GEO) regime. Thirteen of the objects are spacecraft, one is a rocket body, and four are cataloged as debris pieces. The remotely collected data are compared to the laboratory-collected reflectance data on typical spacecraft materials; thereby general materials are identified but not specific types. These results highlight the usefulness of observations in the infrared by focusing on features from hydrocarbons and silicon. The spacecraft show distinct features due to the presence of solar panels. Signature variations between rocket bodies, due to the presence of various metals and paints on their surfaces, show a clear distinction from those objects with solar panels, demonstrating that one can distinguish most spacecraft from rocket bodies through infrared spectrum analysis. Finally, the debris pieces tend to show featureless, dark spectra. These results show that the laboratory data in its current state give excellent indications as to the nature of the surface materials on the objects. Further telescopic data collection and model updates to include more materials, noise, surface roughness, and material degradation are necessary to make better assessments of orbital object material types. A comparison conducted between objects observed previously with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) shows similar materials and trends from the two telescopes and from the two distinct data sets. However, based on the current state of the model, infrared spectroscopic data are adequate to classify objects in GEO as spacecraft, rocket bodies, or debris.

  17. Observations and Parameterizations of Particle Size Distributions in Deep Tropical Cirrus and Stratiform Precipitation Clouds: Results from In-Situ Observations in TRMM Field Campaigns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heymsfield, Andrew J.; Bansemer, Aaron; Field, Paul R.; Durden, Stephen L.; Stith, Jeffrey L.; Dye, James E.; Hall, William; Grainger, Cedric A.

    2002-01-01

    In this study, we report on the evolution of particle size distributions (PSDs) and habits as measured during slow, Lagrangian-type spiral descents through deep subtropical and tropical cloud layers in Florida, Brazil, and Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, most of which were precipitating. The objective of the flight patterns was to learn more about how the PSDs evolved in the vertical and to obtain information of the vertical structure of microphysical properties. New instrumentation yielding better information on the concentrations of particles in the size (D) range between 0.2 and 2 cm, as well as improved particle imagery, produced more comprehensive observations for tropical stratiform precipitation regions and anvils than have been available previously. Collocated radar observations provided additional information on the vertical structure of the cloud layers sampled. Most of the spirals began at cloud top, with temperatures (T) as low as -50 C, and ended at cloud base or below the melting layer (ML). The PSDs broadened from cloud top towards cloud base, with the largest particles increasing in size from several millimeters at cloud top to one centimeter or larger towards cloud base. Some continued growth was noted in the upper part of the ML. Concentrations of particles less than 1 mm in size decreased with decreasing height. The result was a consistent change in the PSDs in the vertical. Similarly, systematic changes in the size dependence of the particle cross-sectional area was noted with decreasing height. Aggregation-as ascertained from both the changes in the PSDs and evolution of particle habits as observed in high detail with the cloud particle imager (CPI) probe-was responsible for these trends. The PSDs were generally well-represented by gamma distributions of the form N = N0 gamma D microns e- lambda gamma D that were fitted to the PSDs over 1-km horizontal intervals throughout the spirals. The intercept (N0 gamma), slope (lambda gamma), and dispersion

  18. Observations of the Ion Signatures of Double Merging and the Formation of Newly Closed Field Lines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chandler, Michael O.; Avanov, Levon A.; Craven, Paul D.

    2007-01-01

    Observations from the Polar spacecraft, taken during a period of northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) show magnetosheath ions within the magnetosphere with velocity distributions resulting from multiple merging sites along the same field line. The observations from the TIDE instrument show two separate ion energy-time dispersions that are attributed to two widely separated (-20Re) merging sites. Estimates of the initial merging times show that they occurred nearly simultaneously (within 5 minutes.) Along with these populations, cold, ionospheric ions were observed counterstreaming along the field lines. The presence of such ions is evidence that these field lines are connected to the ionosphere on both ends. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that double merging can produce closed field lines populated by solar wind plasma. While the merging sites cannot be unambiguously located, the observations and analyses favor one site poleward of the northern cusp and a second site at low latitudes.

  19. Fusing Observations and Model Results for Creation of Enhanced Ozone Spatial Fields: Comparison of Three Techniques

    EPA Science Inventory

    This paper presents three simple techniques for fusing observations and numerical model predictions. The techniques rely on model/observation bias being considered either as error free, or containing some uncertainty, the latter mitigated with a Kalman filter approach or a spati...

  20. Observations and statistical simulations of a proposed solar cycle/QBO/weather relationship

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

    Baldwin, M.P.; Dunkerton, T.J.

    1989-08-01

    The 10.7 cm solar flux is observed to be highly correlated with north pole stratospheric temperatures when partitioned according to the phase of the equatorial stratospheric winds (the quasi-biennial oscillation, or QBO). The authors supplement observations with calculations showing that temperatures over most of the northern hemisphere are highly correlated or anticorrelated with north pole temperatures. The observed spatial pattern of solar cycle correlations at high latitudes is shown to be not unique to the solar cycle. The authors present results, similar to the observed solar cycle correlations, with simulated harmonics of various periods replacing the solar cycle. These calculationsmore » demonstrate the correlations at least as high as those for the solar cycle results may be obtained using simulated harmonics.« less

  1. The Reverse Transcription Inhibitor Abacavir Shows Anticancer Activity in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

    PubMed Central

    Molinari, Agnese; Parisi, Chiara; Bozzuto, Giuseppina; Toccacieli, Laura; Formisano, Giuseppe; De Orsi, Daniela; Paradisi, Silvia; Grober, OlÌ Maria Victoria; Ravo, Maria; Weisz, Alessandro; Arcieri, Romano; Vella, Stefano; Gaudi, Simona

    2010-01-01

    Background Transposable Elements (TEs) comprise nearly 45% of the entire genome and are part of sophisticated regulatory network systems that control developmental processes in normal and pathological conditions. The retroviral/retrotransposon gene machinery consists mainly of Long Interspersed Nuclear Elements (LINEs-1) and Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) that code for their own endogenous reverse transcriptase (RT). Interestingly, RT is typically expressed at high levels in cancer cells. Recent studies report that RT inhibition by non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) induces growth arrest and cell differentiation in vitro and antagonizes growth of human tumors in animal model. In the present study we analyze the anticancer activity of Abacavir (ABC), a nucleoside reverse transcription inhibitor (NRTI), on PC3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines. Principal Findings ABC significantly reduces cell growth, migration and invasion processes, considerably slows S phase progression, induces senescence and cell death in prostate cancer cells. Consistent with these observations, microarray analysis on PC3 cells shows that ABC induces specific and dose-dependent changes in gene expression, involving multiple cellular pathways. Notably, by quantitative Real-Time PCR we found that LINE-1 ORF1 and ORF2 mRNA levels were significantly up-regulated by ABC treatment. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the potential of ABC as anticancer agent able to induce antiproliferative activity and trigger senescence in prostate cancer cells. Noteworthy, we show that ABC elicits up-regulation of LINE-1 expression, suggesting the involvement of these elements in the observed cellular modifications. PMID:21151977

  2. "The Show"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gehring, John

    2004-01-01

    For the past 16 years, the blue-collar city of Huntington, West Virginia, has rolled out the red carpet to welcome young wrestlers and their families as old friends. They have come to town chasing the same dream for a spot in what many of them call "The Show". For three days, under the lights of an arena packed with 5,000 fans, the…

  3. Results of the 2017 Mexican Asteroid Photometry Campaign - Part 1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sada, Pedro; Loera-Gonzalez, Pablo; Olguin, Lorenzo; Saucedo-Morales, Julio C.; Ayala-Gómez, Sandra A.; Garza, Jaime R.

    2018-04-01

    We report the results for the first semester of the 2017 Mexican Asteroid Photometry Campaign. Asteroid 1218 Aster (synodic period of 3.1581 ± 0.0002 h and amplitude of 0.35 mag) was well observed and showed slight variations of its lightcurve at the end of the seven week observing window. An uncertain, but long, period of 93.23 ± 0.02 h and amplitude of 0.36 mag were estimated for 2733 Hamina from sparse data. Asteroid 8443 Svecica was also well observed and yielded a period of 20.9905 ± 0.0015 h and amplitude of 0.65 mag. Observations of NEA (143404) 2003 BD44 also resulted in an uncertain and long period of 78.617 ± 0.009 h and amplitude of 0.66 mag with a sparsely covered lightcurve.

  4. Einstein Observations of X-ray emission from A stars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golub, L.; Harnden, F. R., Jr.; Maxson, C. W.; Rosner, R.; Vaiana, G. S.; Cash, W., Jr.; Snow, T. P., Jr.

    1983-08-01

    Results are reported from the combined CfA Stellar Survey of selected bright A stars and an Einstein Guest Observer program for Ap and Am stars. In an initial report of results from the CfA Stellar Surveys by Vaiana et al. (1981) it was noted that the spread in observed X-ray luminosities among the few A stars observed was quite large. The reasons for this large spread was studied by Pallavicini et al. (1981). It was found that the X-ray emission from normal stars is related very strongly to bolometric luminosity for early-type stars and to rotation rate for late-type stars. However, an exception to this rule has been the apparently anomalous behavior of A star X-ray emission, for which the large spread in luminosity showed no apparent correlation with either bolometric luminosity or stellar rotation rate. In the present study, it is shown that the level of emission from normal A stars agrees with the correlation observed for O and B stars.

  5. NASA Radar Images Show Continued Deformation from Mexico Quake

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2010-08-04

    This image shows a UAVSAR interferogram swath overlaid atop a Google Earth image. New NASA airborne radar images show the continuing deformation in Earth surface resulting from the magnitude 7.2 temblor in Baja California on April 4, 2010.

  6. Fast track pathway reduces sight loss in giant cell arteritis: results of a longitudinal observational cohort study.

    PubMed

    Patil, P; Williams, M; Maw, W W; Achilleos, K; Elsideeg, S; Dejaco, C; Borg, F; Gupta, S; Dasgupta, B

    2015-01-01

    To investigate the effectiveness of a fast track pathway (FTP) on sight loss in patients with suspected giant cell arteritis (GCA). A longitudinal observational cohort study was conducted in the secondary care rheumatology department. One hundred and thirty-five newly referred suspected GCA patients seen via the FTP (Jan. 2012-Dec. 2013) were compared to 81 patients seen through the conventional referral and review system (Jan. 2009-Dec. 2011). The FTP resulted in significant reduction in irreversible sight loss from 37.0% (as seen in the historical cohort 2009-2011) to 9.0 % (2012-2013, OR 0.17, p=0.001). Adjustment for clinical and demographic parameters including known risk factors for GCA associated blindness did not significantly change the primary result (OR 0.08, p=0.001). FTP resulted in a reduction of time from symptom onset to diagnosis, particularly by reduction of time from general practitioner's (GP) referral to the rheumatology review (79% of FTP patients were seen within one working day compared to 64.6 % in the conventional pathway, p=0.023). The FTP has seen a reduction in number of GP appointments. There was a significant reduction of permanent sight loss with a fast track GCA pathway. The effect may be due to multiple factors including better GP education and reduction in delayed diagnosis. These results need verification at other sites.

  7. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Observation of Phonon Condensate

    PubMed Central

    Altfeder, Igor; Voevodin, Andrey A.; Check, Michael H.; Eichfeld, Sarah M.; Robinson, Joshua A.; Balatsky, Alexander V.

    2017-01-01

    Using quantum tunneling of electrons into vibrating surface atoms, phonon oscillations can be observed on the atomic scale. Phonon interference patterns with unusually large signal amplitudes have been revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy in intercalated van der Waals heterostructures. Our results show that the effective radius of these phonon quasi-bound states, the real-space distribution of phonon standing wave amplitudes, the scattering phase shifts, and the nonlinear intermode coupling strongly depend on the presence of defect-induced scattering resonance. The observed coherence of these quasi-bound states most likely arises from phase- and frequency-synchronized dynamics of all phonon modes, and indicates the formation of many-body condensate of optical phonons around resonant defects. We found that increasing the strength of the scattering resonance causes the increase of the condensate droplet radius without affecting the condensate fraction inside it. The condensate can be observed at room temperature. PMID:28225066

  8. Understanding differences in results from literature-based and individual patient meta-analyses: an example from meta-analyses of observational data.

    PubMed

    Poppe, Katrina K; Doughty, Robert N; Yu, Cheuk-Man; Quintana, Miguel; Møller, Jacob E; Klein, Allan L; Gamble, Greg D; Dini, Frank L; Whalley, Gillian A

    2011-04-14

    Meta-analyses are increasingly used to summarise observational data however a literature meta-analysis (LMA) may give different results to the corresponding individual patient meta-analysis (IPMA). This study compares the published results of equivalent LMAs and IPMAs, highlighting factors that can affect the results and therefore impact on clinical interpretation of meta-analyses. Univariate results from published meta-analyses of prospective observational outcome data were compared, as were the number of studies, patients and length of follow-up. The absolute difference in survival was calculated. The association between severe diastolic dysfunction (RFP) and death post acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and in chronic heart failure (HF) were used as clinical examples. The IPMA hazard ratio was lower that the LMA odds ratio: AMI hazard ratio 2.67 (95% confidence interval 2.23 to 3.20), odds ratio 4.10 (3.38 to 4.99); HF hazard ratio 2.42 (2.06 to 2.83), odds ratio 4.36 (3.60 to 5.04). The IPMAs contained most of the studies from the LMAs as well as additional unpublished data, and a longer length of follow-up was available in the IPMAs (AMI 3.7 vs 2.6 yr, HF 4.0 vs 1.5 yr). Restricting analysis to the same studies in both the LMA and IPMA resulted in a similar difference in effect sizes between methods to those found in the published analyses. The result of a meta-analysis is affected by whether study level or individual patient data have been used, and the variant of analysis that is required. Awareness and consideration of these factors is important for clinical interpretation of meta-analyses. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Observation of an intense biomass burning event over Spitsbergen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ritter, Christoph; Böckmann, Christine

    2018-04-01

    During July 2015, an extremel y strong event of biomass burning (BB) originating from the boreal America was observed over Spitsbergen with a "3+2" Raman Lidar. In this work we show some results from the lidar and a contemporaneous launched radiosonde to demonstrate that this aerosol was only hygroscopic at humidities above 80%.

  10. Cardiac looping may be driven by compressive loads resulting from unequal growth of the heart and pericardial cavity. Observations on a physical simulation model

    PubMed Central

    Bayraktar, Meriç; Männer, Jörg

    2014-01-01

    The transformation of the straight embryonic heart tube into a helically wound loop is named cardiac looping. Such looping is regarded as an essential process in cardiac morphogenesis since it brings the building blocks of the developing heart into an approximation of their definitive topographical relationships. During the past two decades, a large number of genes have been identified which play important roles in cardiac looping. However, how genetic information is physically translated into the dynamic form changes of the looping heart is still poorly understood. The oldest hypothesis of cardiac looping mechanics attributes the form changes of the heart loop (ventral bending → simple helical coiling → complex helical coiling) to compressive loads resulting from growth differences between the heart and the pericardial cavity. In the present study, we have tested the physical plausibility of this hypothesis, which we call the growth-induced buckling hypothesis, for the first time. Using a physical simulation model, we show that growth-induced buckling of a straight elastic rod within the confined space of a hemispherical cavity can generate the same sequence of form changes as observed in the looping embryonic heart. Our simulation experiments have furthermore shown that, under bilaterally symmetric conditions, growth-induced buckling generates left- and right-handed helices (D-/L-loops) in a 1:1 ratio, while even subtle left- or rightward displacements of the caudal end of the elastic rod at the pre-buckling state are sufficient to direct the buckling process toward the generation of only D- or L-loops, respectively. Our data are discussed with respect to observations made in biological “models.” We conclude that compressive loads resulting from unequal growth of the heart and pericardial cavity play important roles in cardiac looping. Asymmetric positioning of the venous heart pole may direct these forces toward a biased generation of D- or L-loops. PMID

  11. Observations of climate change among subsistence-oriented communities around the world

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Savo, V.; Lepofsky, D.; Benner, J. P.; Kohfeld, K. E.; Bailey, J.; Lertzman, K.

    2016-05-01

    The study of climate change has been based strongly on data collected from instruments, but how local people perceive such changes remains poorly quantified. We conducted a meta-analysis of climatic changes observed by subsistence-oriented communities. Our review of 10,660 observations from 2,230 localities in 137 countries shows that increases in temperature and changes in seasonality and rainfall patterns are widespread (~70% of localities across 122 countries). Observations of increased temperature show patterns consistent with simulated trends in surface air temperature taken from the ensemble average of CMIP5 models, for the period 1955-2005. Secondary impacts of climatic changes on both wild and domesticated plants and animals are extensive and threaten the food security of subsistence-oriented communities. Collectively, our results suggest that climate change is having profound disruptive effects at local levels and that local observations can make an important contribution to understanding the pervasiveness of climate change on ecosystems and societies.

  12. New NASA Maps Show Flooding Changes In Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-09-13

    Data from NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite have been used to create new surface flooding maps of Southeast Texas and the Tennessee Valley following Hurricane Harvey. The SMAP observations detect the proportional cover of surface water within the satellite sensor's field of view. This sequence of images shows changes in the extent of surface flooding from successive five-day SMAP observation composite images. Widespread flooding can be seen in the Houston metropolitan area on Aug. 27 following record rainfall from the Category 4 hurricane, which made landfall on Aug. 25th, 2017 (left image). Flood waters around Houston had substantially receded by Aug. 31 (middle image), while flooding had increased across Louisiana, eastern Arkansas, and western Tennessee as then Tropical Storm Harvey passed over the area. The far right image shows the change in flooded area between Aug. 27 and Aug. 31, with regions showing the most flooding recession depicted in yellow and orange shades and those where flooding had increased depicted in blue shades. The SMAP satellite has a low-frequency (L-band) microwave radiometer with enhanced capabilities for detecting surface water changes in nearly all weather conditions and under low-to-moderate vegetation cover. SMAP provides global coverage with one-to-three-day repeat sampling that is well suited for global monitoring of inland surface water cover dynamics. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21951

  13. Pickup protons and water ions at Comet Halley - Comparisons with Giotto observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, G.; Cravens, T. E.; Gombosi, T. I.

    1993-02-01

    The cometary ion pickup process along the sun-comet line at Comet Halley is investigated using a quasi-linear diffusion model including both pitch angle and energy diffusion, adiabatic compression, and convective motion with the solar wind flow. The model results are compared with energetic ion distributions observed by instruments on board the Giotto spacecraft. The observed power spectrum index of magnetic turbulence (gamma) is 2-2.5. The present simulation shows that when gamma was 2, the calculated proton distributions were much more isotropic than the observed ones. The numerical solutions of the quasi-linear diffusion equations show that the isotropization of the pickup ion distribution, particularly at the pickup velocity, is not complete even close to the bow shock. Given the observed turbulence level, quasi-linear theory yields pickup ion energy distributions that agree with the observed ones quite well and easily produces energetic ions with energies up to hundreds of keV.

  14. Observing Storm Surges from Space: A New Opportunity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Guoqi; Ma, Zhimin; Chen, Dake; de Young, Brad; Chen, Nancy

    2013-04-01

    Coastal tide gauges can be used to monitor variations of a storm surge along the coast, but not in the cross-shelf direction. As a result, the cross-shelf structure of a storm surge has rarely been observed. In this study we focus on Hurricane Igor-induced storm surge off Newfoundland, Canada. Altimetric observations at about 2:30, September 22, 2010 UTC (hours after the passage of Hurricane Igor) reveal prominent cross-shelf variation of sea surface height during the storm passage, including a large nearshore slope and a mid-shelf depression. A significant coastal surge of 1 m derived from satellite altimetry is found to be consistent with tide-gauge measurements at nearby St. John's station. The post-storm sea level variations at St. John's and Argentia are argued to be associated with free equatorward-propagating continental shelf waves (with phase speeds of 11-13 m/s), generated along the northeast Newfoundland coast hours after the storm moved away from St. John's. The cross-shelf e-folding scale of the shelf wave was estimated to be ~100 km. We further show approximate agreement of altimetric and tide-gauge observations in the Gulf of Mexico during Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Isaac (2012). The study for the first time in the literature shows the robustness of satellite altimetry to observe storm surges, complementing tide-gauge observations for the analysis of storm surge characteristics and for the validation and improvement of storm surge models.

  15. The Greenwich Photo-heliographic Results (1874 - 1976): Summary of the Observations, Applications, Datasets, Definitions and Errors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Willis, D. M.; Coffey, H. E.; Henwood, R.; Erwin, E. H.; Hoyt, D. V.; Wild, M. N.; Denig, W. F.

    2013-11-01

    The measurements of sunspot positions and areas that were published initially by the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and subsequently by the Royal Greenwich Observatory (RGO), as the Greenwich Photo-heliographic Results ( GPR), 1874 - 1976, exist in both printed and digital forms. These printed and digital sunspot datasets have been archived in various libraries and data centres. Unfortunately, however, typographic, systematic and isolated errors can be found in the various datasets. The purpose of the present paper is to begin the task of identifying and correcting these errors. In particular, the intention is to provide in one foundational paper all the necessary background information on the original solar observations, their various applications in scientific research, the format of the different digital datasets, the necessary definitions of the quantities measured, and the initial identification of errors in both the printed publications and the digital datasets. Two companion papers address the question of specific identifiable errors; namely, typographic errors in the printed publications, and both isolated and systematic errors in the digital datasets. The existence of two independently prepared digital datasets, which both contain information on sunspot positions and areas, makes it possible to outline a preliminary strategy for the development of an even more accurate digital dataset. Further work is in progress to generate an extremely reliable sunspot digital dataset, based on the programme of solar observations supported for more than a century by the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and the Royal Greenwich Observatory. This improved dataset should be of value in many future scientific investigations.

  16. Dynamic Modulation of Human Motor Activity When Observing Actions

    PubMed Central

    Press, Clare; Cook, Jennifer; Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne; Kilner, James

    2012-01-01

    Previous studies have demonstrated that when we observe somebody else executing an action many areas of our own motor systems are active. It has been argued that these motor activations are evidence that we motorically simulate observed actions; this motoric simulation may support various functions such as imitation and action understanding. However, whether motoric simulation is indeed the function of motor activations during action observation is controversial, due to inconsistency in findings. Previous studies have demonstrated dynamic modulations in motor activity when we execute actions. Therefore, if we do motorically simulate observed actions, our motor systems should also be modulated dynamically, and in a corresponding fashion, during action observation. Using magnetoencephalography, we recorded the cortical activity of human participants while they observed actions performed by another person. Here, we show that activity in the human motor system is indeed modulated dynamically during action observation. The finding that activity in the motor system is modulated dynamically when observing actions can explain why studies of action observation using functional magnetic resonance imaging have reported conflicting results, and is consistent with the hypothesis that we motorically simulate observed actions. PMID:21414901

  17. Regional Geoid Modeling Compared to Ocean Surface Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roman, D. R.; Saleh, J.; Wang, Y. M.

    2007-05-01

    Aerogravity over a limited coastal region of the northern Gulf of Mexico enhanced and rectified the local gravity field signal. In turn, these data improved the derived geoid height model based on comparison with dynamic ocean topography (DOT) and tide gage information at eleven stations. Additionally, lidar observations were analyzed along nearly 50 profiles to estimate the reliability of these models into the offshore region. The overall comparison shows dm-level agreement between the various geoid and DOT models and ocean surface observations. An approximate 30 cm bias must still be explained; however, the results of this study point to the potential for further cooperative studies between oceanographers and geodesists.

  18. Bacterial biofilm shows persistent resistance to liquid wetting and gas penetration

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

    Epstein, Alexander K.; Pokroy, Boaz; Seminara, Agnese

    2011-09-28

    Most of the world's bacteria exist in robust, sessile communities known as biofilms, ubiquitously adherent to environmental surfaces from ocean floors to human teeth and notoriously resistant to antimicrobial agents. We report the surprising observation that Bacillus subtilis biofilm colonies and pellicles are extremely nonwetting, greatly surpassing the repellency of Teflon toward water and lower surface tension liquids. The biofilm surface remains nonwetting against up to 80% ethanol as well as other organic solvents and commercial biocides across a large and clinically important concentration range. We show that this property limits the penetration of antimicrobial liquids into the biofilm, severelymore » compromising their efficacy. To highlight the mechanisms of this phenomenon, we performed experiments with mutant biofilms lacking ECM components and with functionalized polymeric replicas of biofilm microstructure. We show that the nonwetting properties are a synergistic result of ECM composition, multiscale roughness, reentrant topography, and possibly yet other factors related to the dynamic nature of the biofilm surface. Finally, we report the impenetrability of the biofilm surface by gases, implying defense capability against vapor-phase antimicrobials as well. These remarkable properties of B. subtilis biofilm, which may have evolved as a protection mechanism against native environmental threats, provide a new direction in both antimicrobial research and bioinspired liquid-repellent surface paradigms.« less

  19. Observations and Modeling of Transition Region and Coronal Heating Associated with Spicules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Pontieu, B.; Martinez-Sykora, J.; De Moortel, I.; Chintzoglou, G.; McIntosh, S. W.

    2017-12-01

    Spicules have been proposed as significant contributorsto the coronal energy and mass balance. While previous observationshave provided a glimpse of short-lived transient brightenings in thecorona that are associated with spicules, these observations have beencontested and are the subject of a vigorous debate both on the modelingand the observational side so that it remains unclear whether plasmais heated to coronal temperatures in association with spicules. We use high-resolution observations of the chromosphere and transition region with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and ofthe corona with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard theSolar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to show evidence of the formation of coronal structures as a result of spicular mass ejections andheating of plasma to transition region and coronaltemperatures. Our observations suggest that a significant fraction of the highly dynamic loop fan environment associated with plage regions may be the result of the formation of such new coronal strands, a process that previously had been interpreted as the propagation of transient propagating coronal disturbances (PCD)s. Our observationsare supported by 2.5D radiative MHD simulations that show heating tocoronal temperatures in association with spicules. Our results suggest that heating and strong flows play an important role in maintaining the substructure of loop fans, in addition to the waves that permeate this low coronal environment. Our models also matches observations ofTR counterparts of spicules and provides an elegant explanation forthe high apparent speeds of these "network jets".

  20. Physics Reality Show

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Erukhimova, Tatiana

    The attention span of K-12 students is very short; they are used to digesting information in short snippets through social media and TV. To get the students interested in physics, we created the Physics Reality Show: a series of staged short videos with duration no longer than a few minutes. Each video explains and illustrates one physics concept or law through a fast-paced sequence of physics demonstrations and experiments. The cast consists entirely of physics undergraduate students with artistic abilities and substantial experience in showing physics demonstrations at current outreach events run by the department: Physics Shows and Physics & Engineering Festival. Undergraduate students are of almost the same age as their high-school audience. They are in the best position to connect with kids and convey their fascination with physics. The PI and other faculty members who are involved in the outreach advise and coach the cast. They help students in staging the episodes and choosing the most exciting and relevant demonstrations. Supported by the APS mini-outreach Grant.

  1. A Manual Transportable Instrument Platform for Ground-Based Spectro-Directional Observations (ManTIS) and the Resultant Hyperspectral Field Goniometer System

    PubMed Central

    Buchhorn, Marcel; Petereit, Reinhold; Heim, Birgit

    2013-01-01

    This article presents and technically describes a new field spectro-goniometer system for the ground-based characterization of the surface reflectance anisotropy under natural illumination conditions developed at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). The spectro-goniometer consists of a Manual Transportable Instrument platform for ground-based Spectro-directional observations (ManTIS), and a hyperspectral sensor system. The presented measurement strategy shows that the AWI ManTIS field spectro-goniometer can deliver high quality hemispherical conical reflectance factor (HCRF) measurements with a pointing accuracy of ±6 cm within the constant observation center. The sampling of a ManTIS hemisphere (up to 30° viewing zenith, 360° viewing azimuth) needs approx. 18 min. The developed data processing chain in combination with the software used for the semi-automatic control provides a reliable method to reduce temporal effects during the measurements. The presented visualization and analysis approaches of the HCRF data of an Arctic low growing vegetation showcase prove the high quality of spectro-goniometer measurements. The patented low-cost and lightweight ManTIS instrument platform can be customized for various research needs and is available for purchase.

  2. Observation of water mass characteristics in the southwestern Mariana Trench

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, H.; Xie, Q.; Hong, B.

    2016-12-01

    The identification of large water mass characteristic can help oceanographer to better understand the oceanic circulation structures and other physical processes in open oceans. In current stage, the water mass characteristics were recognized well by extensive observation in the upper ocean, however, it was rarely studied in deep oceans, especially for deep trench with > 6000 m depth. In this study, we use observed data collected by CTDs during several surveys to investigate the water mass physical characteristic and transport in the world deepest trench, `Challenger Deep', in the southwestern Mariana Trench. The preliminary results show complex vertical structures of water mass in this trench. From surface to 4500 m, the water masses are occupied by typical tropical surface water, NPTUW, NPMW, NPIW and NPDW. Under 4500m, the water mass shows mixing characteristics of NPDW and AABW, which indicate AABW can be transported by form the deep ocean of the South Ocean to Northwestern Pacific and it can affect local water mass characteristics. The baroclinic geostrophic current calculated from the CTDs data shows the westerly transport of water mass can reach about 1.0 SV in the trench which is close to previous results.

  3. Seismology of Giant Planets: General Overview and Results from the Kepler K2 Observations of Neptune

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaulme, Patrick

    2017-10-01

    For this invited contribution, I was asked to give an overview about the application of helio and aster-oseismic techniques to study the interior of giant planets, and to specifically present the recent observations of Neptune by Kepler K2. Seismology applied to giant planets could drastically change our understanding of their deep interiors, as it has happened with the Earth, the Sun, and many main-sequence and evolved stars. The study of giant planets' composition is important for understanding both the mechanisms enabling their formation and the origins of planetary systems, in particular our own. Unfortunately, its determination is complicated by the fact that their interior is thought not to be homogeneous, so that spectroscopic determinations of atmospheric abundances are probably not representative of the planet as a whole. Instead, the determination of their composition and structure must rely on indirect measurements and interior models. Giant planets are mostly fluid and convective, which makes their seismology much closer to that of solar-like stars than that of terrestrial planets. Hence, helioseismology techniques naturally transfer to giant planets. In addition, two alternative methods can be used: photometry of the solar light reflected by planetary atmospheres, and ring seismology in the specific case of Saturn. The current decade has been promising thanks to the detection of Jupiter's acoustic oscillations with the ground-based imaging-spectrometer SYMPA and indirect detection of Saturn's f-modes in its rings by the NASA Cassini orbiter. This has motivated new projects of ground-based and space-borne instruments that are under development. The K2 observations represented the first opportunity to search for planetary oscillations with visible photometry. Despite the excellent quality of K2 data, the noise level of the power spectrum of the light curve was not low enough to detect Neptune's oscillations. The main results from the K2 observations are

  4. Cassini/VIMS observations of the moon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Belluci, G.; Brown, R.H.; Formisano, V.; Baines, K.H.; Bibring, J.-P.; Buratti, B.J.; Capaccioni, F.; Cerroni, P.; Clark, R.N.; Coradini, A.; Cruikshank, D.P.; Drossart, P.; Jaumann, R.; Langevin, Y.; Matson, D.L.; McCord, T.B.; Mennella, V.; Miller, E.; Nelson, R.M.; Nicholson, P.D.; Sicardy, B.; Sotin, Christophe

    2002-01-01

    In this paper, we present preliminary scientific results obtained from the analysis of VIMS (Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) lunar images and spectra. These data were obtained during the Cassini Earth flyby in August 1999. Spectral ratios have been produced in order to derive lunar mineralogical maps. Some spectra observed at the north-east lunar limb, show few unusual absorption features located at 0.357, 0.430 and 0.452 ??m, the origin of which is presently unknown. ?? 2002 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Positrons observed to originate from thunderstorms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fishman, Gerald J.

    2011-05-01

    Thunderstorms are the result of warm, moist air moving rapidly upward, then cooling and condensing. Electrification occurs within thunderstorms (as noted by Benjamin Franklin), produced primarily by frictional processes among ice particles. This leads to lightning discharges; the types, intensities, and rates of these discharges vary greatly among thunderstorms. Even though scientists have been studying lightning since Franklin's time, new phenomena associated with thunderstorms are still being discovered. In particular, a recent finding by Briggs et al. [2011], based on observations by the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) instrument on NASA's satellite-based Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Fermi), shows that positrons are also generated by thunderstorms. Positrons are the antimatter form of electrons—they have the same mass and charge as an electron but are of positive rather than negative charge; hence the name positron. Observations of positrons from thunderstorms may lead to a new tool for understanding the electrification and high-energy processes occurring within thunderstorms. New theories, along with new observational techniques, are rapidly evolving in this field.

  6. Investigation of an Anomaly Observed in Impedance Eduction Techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Watson, W. R.; Jones, M. G.; Parrott, T. L.

    2008-01-01

    An intensive investigation into the cause of anomalous behavior commonly observed in impedance eduction techniques is performed. The investigation consists of grid refinement studies, detailed evaluation of results at and near anti-resonance frequencies, comparisons of different model results with synthesized and measured data, assessment or optimization techniques, and evaluation or boundary condition effects. Results show that the root cause of the anomalous behavior is the sensitivity of the educed impedance to small errors in the measured termination resistance at frequencies near anti-resonance or cut-on of a higher-order mode. Evidence is presented to show that the common usage of an anechoic, plane wave termination boundary condition in ducts where the "true" termination is reflective may act as a trigger for these anomalies. Replacing the exit impedance boundary condition by an exit pressure condition is shown to reduce the anomalous results.

  7. PCOS women show significantly higher homocysteine level, independent to glucose and E2 level

    PubMed Central

    Eskandari, Zahra; Sadrkhanlou, Rajab-Ali; Nejati, Vahid; Tizro, Gholamreza

    2016-01-01

    Background: It is reasonable to think that some biochemical characteristics of follicular fluid (FF) surrounding the oocyte may play a critical role in determining the quality of oocyte and the subsequent potential needed to achieve fertilization and embryo development. Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the levels of FF homocysteine (Hcy) in IVF candidate polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women and any relationships with FF glucose and estradiol (E2) levels. Materials and Methods: In this case control study which was performed in Dr. Tizro Day Care and IVF Center 70 infertile patients were enrolled in two groups: comprising 35 PCOS and 35 non PCOS women. Long protocol was performed for all patients. FF Hcy, glucose and E2 levels were analyzed at the time of oocyte retrieval. Results: It was observed that FF Hcy level was significantly higher in PCOS patients compared with non PCOSs (p<0.01). Observations demonstrated that in PCOS group, the Hcy level increased independent to E2, glucose levels, BMI and age, while the PCOS group showed significantly higher BMI compared with non-PCOS group (p=0.03). However, no significant differences were revealed between groups for FF glucose and E2 levels. Conclusion: Present data showed that although FF glucose and E2 levels were constant in PCOS and non PCOS patients, but the FF Hcy levels in PCOS were significantly increased (p=0.01). PMID:27679823

  8. Simulating AIA observations of a flux rope ejection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pagano, P.; Mackay, D. H.; Poedts, S.

    2014-08-01

    Context. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most violent phenomena observed on the Sun. Currently, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) are providing new insights into the early phase of CME evolution. In particular, observations now show the ejection of magnetic flux ropes from the solar corona and how they evolve into CMEs. While this is the case, these observations are difficult to interpret in terms of basic physical mechanisms and quantities. To fully understand CMEs we need to compare equivalent quantities derived from both observations and theoretical models. This will aid in bridging the gap between observations and models. Aims: To this end, we aim to produce synthesised AIA observations from simulations of a flux rope ejection. To carry this out we include the role of thermal conduction and radiative losses, both of which are important for determining the temperature distribution of the solar corona during a CME. Methods: We perform a simulation where a flux rope is ejected from the solar corona. From the density and temperature of the plasma in the simulation we synthesise AIA observations. The emission is then integrated along the line of sight using the instrumental response function of AIA. Results: We sythesise observations of AIA in the channels at 304 Å, 171 Å, 335 Å, and 94 Å. The synthesised observations show a number of features similar to actual observations and in particular reproduce the general development of CMEs in the low corona as observed by AIA. In particular we reproduce an erupting and expanding arcade in the 304 Å and 171 Å channels with a high density core. Conclusions: The ejection of a flux rope reproduces many of the features found in the AIA observations. This work is therefore a step forward in bridging the gap between observations and models, and can lead to more direct interpretations of EUV observations in terms of flux rope

  9. Comparing offshore wind farm wake observed from satellite SAR and wake model results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bay Hasager, Charlotte

    2014-05-01

    Offshore winds can be observed from satellite synthetic aperture radar (SAR). In the FP7 EERA DTOC project, the European Energy Research Alliance project on Design Tools for Offshore Wind Farm Clusters, there is focus on mid- to far-field wind farm wakes. The more wind farms are constructed nearby other wind farms, the more is the potential loss in annual energy production in all neighboring wind farms due to wind farm cluster effects. It is of course dependent upon the prevailing wind directions and wind speed levels, the distance between the wind farms, the wind turbine sizes and spacing. Some knowledge is available within wind farm arrays and in the near-field from various investigations. There are 58 offshore wind farms in the Northern European seas grid connected and in operation. Several of those are spaced near each other. There are several twin wind farms in operation including Nysted-1 and Rødsand-2 in the Baltic Sea, and Horns Rev 1 and Horns Rev 2, Egmond aan Zee and Prinses Amalia, and Thompton 1 and Thompton 2 all in the North Sea. There are ambitious plans of constructing numerous wind farms - great clusters of offshore wind farms. Current investigation of offshore wind farms includes mapping from high-resolution satellite SAR of several of the offshore wind farms in operation in the North Sea. Around 20 images with wind farm wake cases have been retrieved and processed. The data are from the Canadian RADARSAT-1/-2 satellites. These observe in microwave C-band and have been used for ocean surface wind retrieval during several years. The satellite wind maps are valid at 10 m above sea level. The wakes are identified in the raw images as darker areas downwind of the wind farms. In the SAR-based wind maps the wake deficit is found as areas of lower winds downwind of the wind farms compared to parallel undisturbed flow in the flow direction. The wind direction is clearly visible from lee effects and wind streaks in the images. The wind farm wake cases

  10. Spatiotemporal variation in the postseismic deformation of the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake revealed by seafloor geodetic observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tomita, F.; Kido, M.; Ohta, Y.; Hino, R.; Iinuma, T.

    2016-12-01

    Postseismic deformation following the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake has been detected by on- and off-shore geodetic observations. GPS/Acoustic (GPS/A) observations [Watanabe et al., 2014, GRL] just above the coseismic primary rupture area (PRA) show significant landward movement in contrast to the trench-ward movement of the on-shore GPS observations, which can be generally explained by viscoelastic relaxation [Sun et al., 2014, Nature]. Furthermore, Tomita et al. [2015, AGU] demonstrated along-trench variation of the postseismic deformation also using GPS/A observations. In this study, we show detailed spatiotemporal characteristics of the postseismic deformation using updated GPS/A measurement results. We employed 20 GPS/A sites located in Tohoku-oki region and had conducted repeated campaign surveys from Sep. 2012 to May 2016. GPS/A positioning was performed using the method of Kido et al. [2006, EPS]. Then, we calculated postseismic displacement rates by applying a weighted robust linear fitting. The updated results of the postseismic displacement rates are consistent with the characteristic revealed by Tomita et al. [2015] but are estimated with better precision ( 2 cm/yr in 1σ). The sites in the north region of PRA show slight trenchward movement (< 5 cm/yr), while the sites in the south region of PRA show significant trenchward movement (5-15 cm/yr) indicating dominance of the afterslip effects. Moreover, the sites above PRA show significant landward movement (10-15 cm/yr) indicating viscoelastic relaxation and interplate relocking effects. Furthermore, the updated results may show temporal decay of afterslip; the temporally decaying displacements have been observed in the south region of PRA. However, such a temporal decay has not been measured in the region where viscoelastic relaxation causes significant deformation. In the presentation, we will discuss detail spatiotemporal evolution of the postseismic deformation processes from the updated results by

  11. Global Observations of Inorganic Gases in the Remote Atmosphere - First Observations from the Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Veres, P. R.; Neuman, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    The Atmospheric Tomography Mission (ATom) is a NASA field program that investigates the impact of human emissions on air quality and climate in remote regions of the atmosphere. NASA DC-8 flights during the ATom sampled the atmosphere over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, up to 12 km altitude and nearly from pole to pole. New observations of key species (e.g. N2O5, reactive halogens, nitrous acid) in these regions are provided during the third deployment of the NASA DC-8 research aircraft (October, 2017) by the NOAA iodide ion time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometer (iCIMS). In this study, we will present the first observations of inorganic gas-phase species using iCIMS from the ATom 3 deployment. Laboratory results detailing the instrument performance including inlet response times, background characterization and sensitivity will be presented. We will show vertical profiles of newly measured trace gases derived from in-situ observations, and discuss the potential impact on the NOx, NOy and reactive halogen budgets.

  12. Active Region Moss: Doppler Shifts from Hinode/EIS Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tripathi, Durgesh; Mason, Helen E.; Klimchuk, James A.

    2012-01-01

    Studying the Doppler shifts and the temperature dependence of Doppler shifts in moss regions can help us understand the heating processes in the core of the active regions. In this paper we have used an active region observation recorded by the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard Hinode on 12-Dec- 2007 to measure the Doppler shifts in the moss regions. We have distinguished the moss regions from the rest of the active region by defining a low density cut-off as derived by Tripathi et al. (2010). We have carried out a very careful analysis of the EIS wavelength calibration based on the method described in Young, O Dwyer and Mason (2012). For spectral lines having maximum sensitivity between log T = 5.85 and log T = 6.25 K, we find that the velocity distribution peaks at around 0 km/s with an estimated error of 4 km/s. The width of the distribution decreases with temperature. The mean of the distribution shows a blue shift which increases with increasing temperature and the distribution also shows asymmetries towards blue-shift. Comparing these results with observables predicted from different coronal heating models, we find that these results are consistent with both steady and impulsive heating scenarios. Further observational constraints are needed to distinguish between these two heating scenarios.

  13. Characterization of Jupiter's Atmosphere from Observation of Thermal Emission by Juno and Ground-Based Supporting Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orton, G. S.; Momary, T.; Tabataba-Vakili, F.; Janssen, M. A.; Hansen, C. J.; Bolton, S. J.; Li, C.; Adriani, A.; Mura, A.; Grassi, D.; Fletcher, L. N.; Brown, S. T.; Fujiyoshi, T.; Greathouse, T. K.; Kasaba, Y.; Sato, T. M.; Stephens, A.; Donnelly, P.; Eichstädt, G.; Rogers, J.

    2017-12-01

    Ground-breaking measurements of thermal emission at very long wavelengths have been made by the Juno mission's Microwave Radiometer (MWR). We examine the relationship between these and other thermal emission measurements by the Jupiter Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) at 5 µm and ground-based supporting observations in the thermal infrared that cover the 5-25 µm range. The relevant ground-based observations of thermal emission are constituted from imaging and scanning spectroscopy obtained at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), the Gemini North Telescope, the Subaru Telescope and the Very Large Telescope. A comparison of these results clarifies the physical properties responsible for the observed emissions, i.e. variability of the temperature field, the cloud field or the distribution of gaseous ammonia. Cross-references to the visible cloud field from Juno's JunoCam experiment and Earth-based images are also useful. This work continues an initial comparison by Orton et al. (2017, GRL 44, doi: 10.1002/2017GL073019) between MWR and JIRAM results, together with ancillary 5-µm IRTF imaging and with JunoCam and ground-based visible imaging. These showed a general agreement between MWR and JIRAM results for the 5-bar NH3 abundance in specific regions of low cloud opacity but only a partial correlation between MWR and 5-µm radiances emerging from the 0.5-5 bar levels of the atmosphere in general. Similar to the latter, there appears to be an inconsistent correlation between MWR channels sensitive to 0.5-10 bars and shorter-wavelength radiances in the "tails" of 5-µm hot spots , which may be the result of the greater sensitivity of the latter to particulate opacity that could depend on the evolution history of the particular features sampled. Of great importance is the interpretation of MWR radiances in terms of the variability of temperature vs. NH3 abundances in the 0.5-5 bar pressure range. This is particularly important to understand MWR results in

  14. OBSERVATIONAL SIGNATURES OF CONVECTIVELY DRIVEN WAVES IN MASSIVE STARS

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

    Aerts, C.; Rogers, T. M.

    We demonstrate observational evidence for the occurrence of convectively driven internal gravity waves (IGWs) in young massive O-type stars observed with high-precision CoRoT space photometry. This evidence results from a comparison between velocity spectra based on two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of IGWs in a differentially rotating massive star and the observed spectra. We also show that the velocity spectra caused by IGWs may lead to detectable line-profile variability and explain the occurrence of macroturbulence in the observed line profiles of OB stars. Our findings provide predictions that can readily be tested by including a sample of bright, slowly and rapidly rotatingmore » OB-type stars in the scientific program of the K2 mission accompanied by high-precision spectroscopy and their confrontation with multi-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of IGWs for various masses and ages.« less

  15. The determination of ionospheric electron content and distribution from satellite observations. Part 2. Results of the analysis

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

    Garriott, O K

    1960-04-01

    The results of observations of the radio transmissions from Sputnik III (1958 δ 2) in an 8-month period are presented. The measurements of integrated electron density are made in two ways, described in part 1. The measurements reveal the diurnal variation of the total ionospheric electron content; and the ratio of the total content to the content of the lower ionosphere below the height of maximum density in the F layer is obtained. An estimate of the average electron-density profile above the F-layer peak is made possible by the slow variation in the height of the satellite due to rotationmore » of the perigee position. The gross effects of large magnetic storms on the electron content and distribution are found.« less

  16. Transcriptome analyses of chronic traumatic encephalopathy show alterations in protein phosphatase expression associated with tauopathy

    PubMed Central

    Seo, Jeong-Sun; Lee, Seungbok; Shin, Jong-Yeon; Hwang, Yu Jin; Cho, Hyesun; Yoo, Seong-Keun; Kim, Yunha; Lim, Sungsu; Kim, Yun Kyung; Hwang, Eun Mi; Kim, Su Hyun; Kim, Chong-Hyun; Hyeon, Seung Jae; Yun, Ji-Young; Kim, Jihye; Kim, Yona; Alvarez, Victor E; Stein, Thor D; Lee, Junghee; Kim, Dong Jin; Kim, Jong-Il; Kowall, Neil W; Ryu, Hoon; McKee, Ann C

    2017-01-01

    Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is associated with repetitive head injury and has distinctive neuropathological features that differentiate this disease from other neurodegenerative diseases. Intraneuronal tau aggregates, although they occur in different patterns, are diagnostic neuropathological features of CTE, but the precise mechanism of tauopathy is not known in CTE. We performed whole RNA sequencing analysis of post-mortem brain tissue from patients with CTE and compared the results to normal controls to determine the transcriptome signature changes associated with CTE. The results showed that the genes related to the MAP kinase and calcium-signaling pathways were significantly downregulated in CTE. The altered expression of protein phosphatases (PPs) in these networks further suggested that the tauopathy observed in CTE involves common pathological mechanisms similar to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using cell lines and animal models, we also showed that reduced PPP3CA/PP2B phosphatase activity is directly associated with increases in phosphorylated (p)-tau proteins. These findings provide important insights into PP-dependent neurodegeneration and may lead to novel therapeutic approaches to reduce the tauopathy associated with CTE. PMID:28524178

  17. Fluxes of Greenhouse Gases from the Baltimore-Washington Area: Results from WINTER 2015 Aircraft Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dickerson, R. R.; Ren, X.; Shepson, P. B.; Salmon, O. E.; Brown, S. S.; Thornton, J. A.; Whetstone, J. R.; Salawitch, R. J.; Sahu, S.; Hall, D.; Grimes, C.; Wong, T. M.

    2015-12-01

    Urban areas are responsible for a major component of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Quantification of urban GHG fluxes is important for establishing scientifically sound and cost-effective policies for mitigating GHGs. Discrepancies between observations and model simulations of GHGs suggest uncharacterized sources in urban environments. In this work, we analyze and quantify fluxes of CO2, CH4, CO (and other trace species) from the Baltimore-Washington area based on the mass balance approach using the two-aircraft observations conducted in February-March 2015. Estimated fluxes from this area were 110,000±20,000 moles s-1 for CO2, 700±330 moles s-1 for CH4, and 535±188 moles s-1 for CO. This implies that methane is responsible for ~20% of the climate forcing from these cities. Point sources of CO2 from four regional power plants and one point source of CH4 from a landfill were identified and the emissions from these point sources were quantified based on the aircraft observation and compared to the emission inventory data. Methane fluxes from the Washington area were larger than from the Baltimore area, indicating a larger leakage rate in the Washington area. The ethane-to-methane ratios, with a mean of 3.3%, in the limited canister samples collected during the flights indicate that natural gas leaks and the upwind oil and natural gas operations are responsible for a substantial fraction of the CH4 flux. These observations will be compared to models using Ensemble Kalman Filter Assimilation techniques.

  18. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Observation of Phonon Condensate

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

    Altfeder, Igor; Balatsky, Alexander V.; Voevodin, Andrey A.

    Using quantum tunneling of electrons into vibrating surface atoms, phonon oscillations can be observed on the atomic scale. Phonon interference patterns with unusually large signal amplitudes have been revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy in intercalated van der Waals heterostructures. Our results show that the effective radius of these phonon quasi-bound states, the real-space distribution of phonon standing wave amplitudes, the scattering phase shifts, and the nonlinear intermode coupling strongly depend on the presence of defect-induced scattering resonance. The observed coherence of these quasi-bound states most likely arises from phase- and frequency-synchronized dynamics of all phonon modes, and indicates the formationmore » of many-body condensate of optical phonons around resonant defects. We found that increasing the strength of the scattering resonance causes the increase of the condensate droplet radius without affecting the condensate fraction inside it. The condensate can be observed at room temperature.« less

  19. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Observation of Phonon Condensate

    DOE PAGES

    Altfeder, Igor; Balatsky, Alexander V.; Voevodin, Andrey A.; ...

    2017-02-22

    Using quantum tunneling of electrons into vibrating surface atoms, phonon oscillations can be observed on the atomic scale. Phonon interference patterns with unusually large signal amplitudes have been revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy in intercalated van der Waals heterostructures. Our results show that the effective radius of these phonon quasi-bound states, the real-space distribution of phonon standing wave amplitudes, the scattering phase shifts, and the nonlinear intermode coupling strongly depend on the presence of defect-induced scattering resonance. The observed coherence of these quasi-bound states most likely arises from phase- and frequency-synchronized dynamics of all phonon modes, and indicates the formationmore » of many-body condensate of optical phonons around resonant defects. We found that increasing the strength of the scattering resonance causes the increase of the condensate droplet radius without affecting the condensate fraction inside it. The condensate can be observed at room temperature.« less

  20. Neighbouring chimpanzee communities show different preferences in social grooming behaviour.

    PubMed

    van Leeuwen, Edwin J C; Cronin, Katherine A; Haun, Daniel B M; Mundry, Roger; Bodamer, Mark D

    2012-11-07

    Grooming handclasp (GHC) behaviour was originally advocated as the first evidence of social culture in chimpanzees owing to the finding that some populations engaged in the behaviour and others do not. To date, however, the validity of this claim and the extent to which this social behaviour varies between groups is unclear. Here, we measured (i) variation, (ii) durability and (iii) expansion of the GHC behaviour in four chimpanzee communities that do not systematically differ in their genetic backgrounds and live in similar ecological environments. Ninety chimpanzees were studied for a total of 1029 h; 1394 GHC bouts were observed between 2010 and 2012. Critically, GHC style (defined by points of bodily contact) could be systematically linked to the chimpanzee's group identity, showed temporal consistency both within and between groups, and could not be accounted for by the arm-length differential between partners. GHC has been part of the behavioural repertoire of the chimpanzees under study for more than 9 years (surpassing durability criterion) and spread across generations (surpassing expansion criterion). These results strongly indicate that chimpanzees' social behaviour is not only motivated by innate predispositions and individual inclinations, but may also be partly cultural in nature.